Monthly Wrap-Up: February

So we’ve made it through another month 🎉! As always, the (almost end) to one month means another wrap-up post (you can read last month’s post here).

I would love to say that February was a month of me doing what I love (going out, holidays, gigs and eating food that doesn’t involve me washing the dishes!) but – for now – it was another very same-y month of working from home, attempting to get into a workout routine and doing whatever I can to stop lockdown-induced boredom.

Of course, these posts aren’t about moaning about Covid and current situations (I’ll save that for offline 😂). They’re about sharing what I watched, read and listened to. So let’s get into it, shall we?

Let’s start with TV shows. The first thing I watched this month was Next in Fashion. As someone who has been wearing loungewear and anything that requires minimal effort for a while now, it was fascinating to watch people who truly cared about fashion and craft design extravagant, stylish creations for the runway (plus it was hosted by Tan France and Alexa Chung, an unexpected but great combination of hosts I’d say).

Next up, I watched the second season of Blown Away on Netflix (I didn’t realise I’d clicked season 2 but just went with it anyway!). Again, this show focuses on something I have no idea about – glass blowing. Though I have no experience or knowledge on the process, it was captivating to watch the contestants make their creations and very intense watching them break.

The third thing I watched this month was Celebrity Best Home Cook. I’ve never watched the non celebrity version, and I’m not sure why I chose to watch this one (probably down to Mary Berry being a judge, what an icon), but it was wholesome and delicious…even if I had no idea who half the contestants were!

The fourth thing I watched this month was the fourth season of Big Mouth on Netflix. I think where the first few seasons have been funny and downright rude, this one feels more aware of important issues like anxiety and mental health – whilst still being as entertaining to watch.

I also re-watched The Inbetweeners. There have been funnier shows since, and some of the jokes don’t sit right, I can’t deny it’s a classic. I re-watched it considering the fact my sister hasn’t seen the show in full and I swear (she’ll be able to vouch) I said the words “I love this episode” for pretty much every single one.

I’ve also finished the first season of Schitt’s Creek on Netflix. I’m very late to the party on this one but I think I’m enjoying it so far. It’s a bit of a slow start but I get Parks and Recreation vibes from it so I’m sure – in time – I’ll be raving about it.

Now onto movies. This month I watched a mix of old and new movies, starting with the absolute classic (in my opinion) Wild Child. Sometimes you forget how many lines or whole scenes you can recite but one thing I didn’t forget is how good the film is. It’s funny, full of great characters and it’s just pure nostalgic.

The second movie I watched this month was Uncle Frank. It’s the tender, sometimes funny, sometimes heartbreaking story of Frank – a gay man living in America in the 1970s. It’s a film that wasn’t on my radar but I’m glad I found it whilst browsing Amazon Prime and decided to watch it.

The third movie I watched this month was Animals, based on the book by Emma Jane Unsworth. It’s a funny, but sensitive story of two friends navigating their lives, their friendship and how the dynamic changes when one of them (Laura, played by Holiday Grainger) gets a boyfriend.

The fourth movie I watched this month was A Cinderella Story. It’s one of my not-so-guilty pleasure films that simultaneously makes me feel nostalgic and makes me cringe with its cheesy scenes, strange outfit choices and soppy moments. Even though I’ve definitely watched it more than enough times, I still love it every time.

The fifth movie I watched this month was The Map of Tiny Perfect Things. It was a light hearted, part-time warp part romance movie, perfect for a weekend movie night.

The sixth movie I watched this month was Love, Rosie. I’ve seen this film before but, like A Cinderella Story, it’s one of my guilty pleasure films. It spans several years and chronicles the gradual love story between Sam and Rosie.

The seventh movie I watched this month was 10 Things I Hate About You. I’ve seen this one before, and even based one of my essays for university on it (and Shakespeare), but I just watched it again for something easy to watch.

The eighth movie I watched this month was I Care a Lot. It was an interesting premise, well acted and it kept me guessing until the very end.

The ninth movie I watched this month was Parasite. It was an interesting, captivating film which was full of plenty of surprises.

The tenth movie I watched this month was Game Night. It was funny, quick and an interesting premise.

In my Reading Goals for 2021 post, I expressed my desire to read 50 books this year – the same number I set, and achieved, last year. I haven’t made impressive headway on this target but I have managed to read 6 books this month – 2 for blog tours, 1 NetGalley read, 1 audiobook, 1 book I had participated in a blog tour for and 1 book I wrongly assumed was published this month!

The first book I read this month was This Changes Everything by Helen McGinn. This was a contemporary debut novel about rekindling lost love, the past and the present and family.

The second book I read this month was Dragonfly Girl by Marti Leimbach. This was a YA debut novel about science, life and death and discovery.

The third book I read this month was Just Friends by Holly McCulloch. This was a contemporary romance debut novel about finding your feet, forging a new career and finding out leaving the friend-zone might not be as bad as you think.

I listened to my first ever audiobook this month which was Boyfriend Material by Alexis Hall. This was an LGBT romance which utilised one of my favourite tropes, the fake relationship/dating trope. It was funny, very British and such an easy read/listen (as long as you can deal with the dodgy accents!).

The fifth book I read this month was Good Eggs by Rebecca Hardiman. I’ll publish my full review on publication day next month but for now I’ll say it’s a fun, family based novel with humour and a bit of heart.

The sixth book I read this month was The Dog Share by Fiona Gibson. My review on this one is scheduled to be published early next month but for now I’ll say it’s a sweet, slow burn romance with an adorable dog.

The seventh book I read this month was A Child of My Own by Vanessa Carnevale. My review on this one is scheduled to be published early next month but for now I’ll say it is a captivating, emotional story about family and friendship.

If you’ve been following this blog for a while, you’ll know I post about music a lot. I’m hopeful – but not too hopeful – that I’ll be stood in front of a stage at some point this year but that’s something I’ll just have to see.

Every Monday since February 1st, I’ve posted my Music Mondays posts – sharing 5 songs I’ve listened to (and loved) each week.

As well as those tracks, my favourite releases this month were Little Oblivions by Julien Baker, Something by Dayglow, Everybody’s Gonna Love Somebody by Alfie Templeman and let’s play pretend by Abbie Ozard.

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So that’s it, my monthly wrap-up for February. I’d love to chat about what you read, watched and listened to this month.