media update: December

GOOD FUCKING RIDDANCE to 2019, which was like a Russian nesting doll filled with diarrhea, cockroaches, and puke.  I was unemployed all year (though this was not entirely awful), I broke my hand, good friends suffered terrible losses, I got the flu (yes, I had gotten a flu shot two months prior), and worst of all for me and my family, my dad's health took a sharp decline.  I am praying that 2020 holds an excellent job for me and, most of all, a miracle for my dad.

Considering I've been unemployed all year, I'm legitimately shocked that my final 2019 numbers are much lower than last year's, with the exception of nonfiction (the exact same number!) and manga/graphic novels.  I know it's still a respectable amount, but I'm not sure why it's lower when I was home all day!

Asterisks denote something I particularly enjoyed or found especially worthy of my time; double asterisks are reserved for the creme de la creme.  As always, your mileage may vary.

FICTION

1. Unspeakable Things by Jess Lourey:  In a small town in Minnesota, local boys start to go missing, and when they return, they're not the same.  Young Cass is determined to find out the truth, even if it leads to something she's not prepared to face.

2019 total: 62  (last year: 108)


NONFICTION

1. The Gilded Razor by Sam Lansky:  An addiction/recovery memoir that irritated the fuck out of me.

2. If You Tell by Gregg Olsen:  Shelly Knotek's charm and beauty hid a very ugly secret: she was an abusive mother whose sadism eventually began to claim victims outside her family as well.  Riveting but extremely disturbing; I read a big chunk of it during a flight and my seatmate asked if I was okay because I was squirming in horror.

3. Know My Name* by Chanel Miller:  The author became known as "Emily Doe" during the rape trial of Brock Turner, who sexually assaulted her when she was passed out, and this memoir details the aftermath of the crime.  Beautifully written, which shouldn't surprise anyone who read her powerful victim impact statement after it went viral online.  Brock Turner should be forced to listen to someone read this book to him every day for the rest of his miserable fucking life.

2019 total: 30  (last year: 30)


MANGA/GRAPHIC NOVELS

1. Ao Haru Ride vol. 8 by Io Sakisaka

2. Coyote by Ranmaru Zariya

3. Rin-Ne vol. 31 by Rumiko Takahashi

4. Our Dreams at Dusk vol. 4 (final volume) by Shimanami Tasogare

5. The Way of the House Husband by Kousuke Oono

2019 total: 51 volumes of manga and 27 graphic novels  (last year: 45 and 15)


MOVIES

1. Teen Titans Go vs. Teen Titans:  All of the versions of the Teen Titans from across the universe gather to defeat a common enemy.  Surprisingly fun.

2. Crawl:  When a major hurricane hits Florida, Haley (Kaya Scodelario) ignores the evacuation orders and goes to her father's home.  They get trapped in the rapidly flooding basement, which would be bad enough on its own, but a couple of huge alligators have found their way inside too.  A delightfully tense creature feature.

3. Annabelle Comes Home:  It's a testament to my love of Vera Farmiga, Patrick Wilson, and schlocky horror movies that I keep watching the Annabelle movies, even though they're merely decent at best and downright shitty at worst.  This one fell on the decent side of the spectrum.  It wasn't scary at all (jump scares notwithstanding), and Vera and Patrick were hardly in it, but it was kind of fun.

4. Good Boys:  After accidentally breaking his dad's drone, Max and his friends Thor and Lucas skip school to find a new one, but they keep running into snags along the way.  Sort of a tween version of Superbad; it's not nearly as funny as that movie, but it has a few decent laughs and a couple of sidesplitters.

5. Ready Or Not*:  A new bride (Samara Weaving, not Margot Robbie as I originally thought when I saw the trailer) learns on her wedding day that her in-laws have an unusual way of inducting her into the family.  Gory and funny.

2019 total: 88 (last year: 110!)

best of 2019: TV

And now for my final "best of" list for 2019!  A few notes before I begin:

• Not all of these first came out in 2019, but that's when I watched them.
• These are in random order. 
• As always, your mileage may vary.

1. Love Death + Robots:  The 18 episodes of this series feature a wide variety of animation styles, ranging from realistic and gorgeous to more cartoony.  Like all anthologies, there are a few duds sprinkled here and there, but the episodes that work are fantastic.  My personal favorites: the brutally violent "Sonnie's Edge", the hilarious "Three Robots", and "Beyond the Aquila Rift", which I had a hard time believing wasn't live action.  (Netflix streaming)

2.  Carole & Tuesday:  Carole grew up in an orphanage and takes odd jobs to scrape by; Tuesday is the rich daughter of a politician.  The only thing they really have in common is a deep love for music.  When Tuesday runs away from home and meets Carole, they decide to form a band and sign up for a singing contest that's basically American Idol on Mars.  (Yes, really!)  The animation is pretty, the songs are gorgeous, and the friendship between Carole and Tuesday is touching.  I swear every episode moved me to tears at least once.  (Netflix streaming)

3. Fleabag:  The title character (her real name is never revealed; she's played by series creator/writer Phoebe Waller-Bridge, an astonishing talent) is a very emotionally messy woman grappling with the death of her best friend, her job running a guinea pig cafe, her nasty stepmother, and her attraction to a hot priest.  Funny, cringeworthy, charming, and complicated.  G, our friend R, and I binged both seasons in one day and it was a delight.  (Amazon Prime)

4. The Boys:  A group of superheroes known as The Seven are basically the Justice League, except for one not-so-tiny detail:  they're all deeply flawed, and the most powerful of them all, Homelander, is downright evil.  The Boys (despite their name, they do have one female member) are a group of vigilantes who are determined to take The Seven down.  Even if you've read the graphic novels by Garth Ennis, this is still worth watching because they've changed enough to keep it interesting.  Warning, though: it's incredibly violent, and the language could turn a sailor's hair white.  (Amazon Prime)

5. GLOW:  In the 1980s, there was a women's professional wrestling show called GLOW, which stands for The Gorgeous Ladies of Wrestling.  This series is a fictionalized take following a motley group of women as they learn how to wrestle and cope with their unexpected popularity.  Perfect casting, the 80s fashions and music are phenomenal, it's funny with occasional painful moments (some of the moments between frenemies Ruth and Debbie made me wince), and it absolutely aces the Bechdel Test.  I love shows like this and #3 above that are willing to show women in all of their complicated glory.  Please note that I refrained from saying "GLOW-ry", except I just did so...yeah.  Sorry.  (Netflix streaming)


BONUS!  THE BEST THING ON TV THAT I'VE ONLY BRIEFLY SEEN:  Baby Yoda* from The Mandalorian.  The first time I saw a picture of him, I thought he was adorable, but when I actually saw him in motion, squeaking and moving his giant ears, I let out a noise that sounded like a tea kettle at full boil.  I have a reaction to him that is usually reserved for kittens, and if you know me at all in real life, you know that is major indeed.  I will confess (and have already done so to G, so don't bother narcing on me) that I watched the first episode without G because I wanted to see Baby Yoda so badly. (He only appears at the very end.)  But I have sworn to not watch any other episodes unless G is there too, and will content myself with the clips, GIFs, and pictures all over my Twitter timeline.

*Yes, I know he's not THE Yoda, seeing as The Mandalorian takes place after Return of the Jedi.  But nobody knows Yoda's species, and he is basically a tiny version of Yoda, so he's Baby Yoda until further notice.

best of 2019: video games

The usual notes before I begin:

• Not all of these were first released in 2019, but that's when I played them.
• The first game listed was my definite favorite; the rest are in random order.
• All of these were played on the PS4, but some of them are available on other systems as well.
• And, as always, your mileage may vary.

1. Days Gone:  When a virus causes a pandemic that turns people into violent mutants (not zombies per se; they're extremely fast creatures called freakers), Deacon St. John and his wife Sarah are separated during an evacuation.  While searching for her across Oregon, Deacon helps other survivors, tries to solve the mystery of the epidemic, and battles not just freakers, but mutated animals and other humans.  This game got paid critical dust when it first came out, partly because it was so buggy, and it's true that we had to download several huge patches and still ran into some issues, but you know what?  This game fuckin' ruled!  The story is intriguing, the graphics are absolutely stunning, the voice acting is really good, Deacon is hot enough that I strayed from my RDR2 fanfic wheelhouse to write a story about him, there's some well-done LGBTQ+ rep, and the action is tense and exciting.  The freakers often congregate into huge hordes, and I guarantee the first time you run across one and they notice you, your adrenaline is going to go through the roof.  Ignore the haters and give this a try.

2. Detroit: Become Human:  In the future, androids are easily available to the general public, and this game follows three of them:  Kara, a housekeeper; Connor, a police detective; and Markus, a caretaker.  When they become "deviant", or gain consciousness, it starts a revolution.  Like all of David Cage's games, it's basically a playable movie, so take that as an endorsement or warning depending on your personal preferences.  It's short and has some cringeworthy allegories, but it's intriguing, fun, and gorgeous to look at. 

3. Resident Evil 2:  The original is one of my favorite games of all time, so I had to give the remake a try too.  I'll be totally honest with you; it is REALLY FUCKING HARD.  I count beating both Leon and Claire's scenarios on normal difficulty as one of my top gaming achievements, and I've been a gamer for the vast majority of my life, so that's saying something.  I don't think the remake needed to be made; it's obviously gorgeous (though I don't like Claire and Leon's redesigns), but the original was practically perfect on its own.  Still, it's tense and exciting, and worth playing if you've got the skillz and a high tolerance for frustration. 

4. A Way Out:  In 1972, Leo and Vincent meet in prison and decide to team up and break out to exact revenge on a common enemy.  The graphics are so-so and the voice acting isn't great, but this game is a lot of fun!  For one thing, it's couch co-op, which is rare, so G and I were able to play together.  For another, the script is entertaining and there are some action sequences that actually had me laughing with delight.  You WILL need a friend to play this, either in real life or online, but if you have someone in mind, pick this up! 

5. Vampyr:  Okay, this is a bit of a cheat because we haven't actually finished it yet, but we're enjoying it enough that I feel comfortable putting it on here.  During the Spanish flu epidemic in 1918, Dr. Jonathan Reid returns from the war and, pretty much the second he returns to London, is turned into a vampire.  He's not thrilled about this new development, but on the plus side, he can't get the flu now!  So he spends his nights tending to the sick, fighting foes both human and undead, doing the occasional fetch quest, and trying to figure out who the hell turned him.  I am absolutely WRETCHED at the combat mechanic in this game, which is very Bloodborne-esque, so I passed the controller off to G for those sequences.  (I know, that sounds lame, especially after my bragging about finishing #3 on this list, but because "death" in this game can wipe out hours of progress, I figured I would let G, who has beaten all of the Dark Souls games and is therefore aces at this shit, do the heavy lifting.)  But the story is great and the writing is sharp as a stake, so even though we haven't finished the game, I feel confident that it's earned its place here.

best of 2019: movies

The usual disclaimers before I begin:

• Not all of these were first released in 2019, but that's when I saw them.
• Aside from the first two movies listed, which were definitely my favorite and second favorite movies of the year, these are in random order.
• I know December isn't over yet (a shame, because the last few months have really sucked and I'd like this fucking year to end already), so there's a possibility I'll see something between now and the 31st that belongs on here.  If so, I'll update accordingly.
• G, skip #7.
• Stick around after the list for a couple of "stingers"!
• And, as always, your mileage may vary.

1. Avengers: Endgame:  After the events of Infinity War, the remaining Avengers have to figure out how to undo the "snapture".  An exciting and surprisingly touching end to the saga.

2. Knives Out:  A mystery writer (Christopher Plummer) dies by suicide, but a famous detective (Daniel Craig) is hired by an unknown party to investigate further in this exceptionally clever mystery with a top-notch cast.

3. Booksmart:  Best friends Amy and Molly (Kaitlyn Dever and Beanie Feldstein, both terrific) decide they've spent too much of their high school years studying, so they decide to fit as much partying into one night as they can.  Delightful and funny.

4. Bad Times at the El Royale:  At a hotel that straddles the California-Nevada border, several strangers meet and share a very odd night.  I wasn't sure what to expect from this movie, but it's an entertaining Tarantino-esque treat.

5. Cold Pursuit:  After his son is murdered by drug dealers, a snowplow driver (Liam Neeson) seeks revenge.  From that synopsis, you'd think it would be a paint-by-numbers Liam Neeson action flick, but you'd be wrong; it's more of a dark comedy.  You'll need to give it a little time to find its groove, but once it does, it's delightfully weird.

6. Spider-Man: Into the Spider-Verse:  After becoming the new Spider-Man, Miles Morales meets his counterparts from other dimensions, and they try to stop a threat that could destroy all of them.  Funny, touching, and visually dazzling; I'm really sorry we didn't get a chance to see this in 3D.

7. Once Upon a Time...in Hollywood:  In 1969, washed-up star Rick Dalton (Leonardo DiCaprio) and his stunt double/friend Cliff Booth (Brad Pitt) try to stay afloat.  Both a love letter to and a eulogy for the Golden Age of Hollywood.  I wasn't sure whether I loved or hated the ending when I saw it, but after chewing it over for a bit, I decided it was pretty fucking brilliant.

8. Toy Story 4:  Woody, Buzz, and the other toys go on a road trip with their new owner Bonnie in this charming and funny adventure.  To quote a reviewer, it didn't need to be made, because TS3 ended on such a perfect note, but I'm glad it was.

9. Vice:  A biographical drama about Dick Cheney's rise to political power.  I'm not usually very interested in politics, but it was done in a very entertaining style, and the performances were excellent, especially Christian Bale as Cheney.  I think he should have won Best Actor this year.

10. Long Shot:  After losing his job, Fred (Seth Rogen) unexpectedly runs into his old babysitter, Charlotte (Charlize Theron), who's now Secretary of State and eyeing a presidential run.  She asks him to help write her speeches, and he falls in love with her again.  Rogen and Theron have great chemistry, and it's really funny.


MADE ME CRY (OR AT LEAST TEAR UP):  Can You Ever Forgive Me?; Spider-Man: Into the Spider-Verse; Ralph Breaks the Internet; Avengers: Endgame; How to Train Your Dragon: The Hidden World; A Silent Voice; Hotel Mumbai; Always Be My Maybe; Dear Zachary; Booksmart; Midsommar; Toy Story 4

SEEN IN THE THEATER:  Captain Marvel; Avengers: Endgame; Brightburn; Spider-Man: Far from Home; The Kitchen; Once Upon a Time...in Hollywood; Knives Out

best of 2019: nonfiction

And now for my favorite nonfiction books of 2019!  A few notes first:

• The first book on this list was my favorite, but the rest are in random order.
• Not all of these were first published in 2019, but that's when I read them, hence their inclusion on this list.
• If I read something between now and the end of December that belongs here, I'll update accordingly.
• And, as always, your mileage may vary.

1. Long Live the Tribe of Fatherless Girls by T Kira Madden:  Growing up in Florida, the author seemed to have it all as the daughter of the man who, along with his brother Steve, cofounded a massively popular shoe empire.  But she was also constantly ridiculed for being biracial, she struggled with her sexuality, and her parents were both addicts.  It sounds like yet another "poor little rich girl" memoir, but I assure you it's not; it's funny and incredibly moving.

2. The Woo-Woo by Lindsay Wong:  The author grew up in a Chinese-Canadian family plagued by mental illness (aka the "Woo-Woo"), which they blamed on ghosts.  The kind of memoir that makes you laugh one second and then cover your mouth in horror the next.

3. Catch and Kill by Ronan Farrow:  When Ronan Farrow began investigating claims of sexual assault against Hollywood bigwig Harvey Weinstein, he didn't expect the huge can of worms he was about to open.  Riveting and enraging, and occasionally even funny (at one point, discussing a seemingly benign Gwen Stefani interview he had to scrap on orders from her publicist, he says "I felt neither hella good nor hella bad").

4. The Light Years by Chris Rush:  After getting his first taste of LSD at the age of 12, the author started selling drugs at school and, after getting expelled, took a road trip to Tucson to get more drugs from his sister's friend.  An excellent coming-of-age memoir that, like the best nonfiction, reads more like a novel.

5. Know My Name by Chanel Miller:  The author became known as "Emily Doe" during the rape trial of Brock Turner, who sexually assaulted her when she was passed out, and this memoir details the aftermath of the crime.  Beautifully written, which shouldn't surprise anyone who read her powerful victim impact statement after it went viral online.  Brock Turner should be forced to listen to someone read this book to him every day for the rest of his miserable fucking life.

6. Dead Blondes and Bad Mothers: Monstrosity, Patriarchy, and the Fear of Female Power by Sady Doyle:  What it says on the tin, though not nearly as stuffy and humorless as the subtitle might lead you to believe.

7. The Killer Across the Table by John Douglas and Mark Olshaker:  A look at four of the FBI profiler's most disturbing cases.

8. American Predator by Maureen Callahan:  A riveting look at a serial killer who, thanks to his unusual meticulousness and some shocking lapses by law enforcement, managed to get away with it for over a decade.  Warning: extremely graphic.

9. The Witches Are Coming by Lindy West:  A collection of essays about our current political climate and feminism that's both incisive and savagely funny.

10. Savage Appetites: Four True Stories of Women, Crime, and Obsession by Rachel Monroe:  A fascinating look at four women whose obsession with true crime manifested itself in both positive and negative ways.  The concluding chapter is a masterpiece.

best of 2019: fiction

As 2019 approaches the finish line, it's time to start posting my "best of" lists!  A few notes before I begin:

• The first book on this list was definitely my favorite of the year, but the rest are in random order.
• Not all of these were first published in 2019, but since that's when I read them, they're going on this list.
• If I read anything between now and the end of December that belongs here, I'll update accordingly.
• These are all female authors, which was not by design but is still pretty cool.
• And, as always, your mileage may vary.

1. The Need by Helen Phillips:  Molly is confronted by a mysterious intruder in her home.  Do they have anything to do with the fossil dig where Molly found several mysterious and anachronistic items?  An excellent and creepy read; one part freaked me out so badly I double checked the front door. 

2. Freefall by Jessica Barry:  After surviving a private plane crash in the Colorado Rockies, Allison has to fight her way through the wilderness.  Meanwhile, her estranged mother Maggie, believing Allison is dead, is determined to find out what her daughter had been up to during the two years they hadn't spoken.  An exciting read that I tore through in one day.

3. Permanent Record by Mary H.K. Choi: While working the overnight shift at a bodega, Pablo strikes up a conversation with a cute customer and is shocked when he finally recognizes her as a celebrity.  They form a relationship, but her fame complicates matters.  Sharp and funny; it even made me cry.

4. Lights All Night Long by Lydia Fitzpatrick:  A Russian exchange student copes with the unfamiliarity of America and tries to find out the truth behind his brother's incarceration back home.  An unusual, beautifully written take on the classic "fish out of water" trope.

5. The Wolf Wants In by Laura McHugh: After Sadie's brother dies unexpectedly, she wants to know the truth. Then the skull of a long-missing local girl is found in the woods, and Sadie's search for answers becomes even more urgent.  Both a gripping mystery and a searing look at how the opioid crisis has devastated small-town America.

6. Curious Toys by Elizabeth Hand:  Pin is a young girl posing as a boy in 1915, hanging out at the amusement park where her mother works as a fortune teller.  When a murderer begins stalking the park looking for new victims, Pin teams up with a strange man named Henry Darger (based on the real outsider artist who wrote and illustrated a 15,000 page book) to catch him.  Atmospheric and engrossing.

7. The Reckless Oath We Made by Bryn Greenwood: When Zee's sister, a prison volunteer, is kidnapped by two escapees, Zee turns to the last person she would have expected to ask for help: Gentry, her stalker and a literal knight in shining armor.  No, seriously; he even speaks in Middle English (which admittedly does take some getting used to).  A very unusual but touching love story.

8. In at the Deep End by Kate Davies:  Julia has always considered herself (mostly) straight, so she's surprised when she finds herself attracted to another woman.  She and Sam begin having a steamy affair that everyone but Julia can tell is toxic.  It's often quite funny, but just as an FYI: it's very sexually explicit, so take that as either an endorsement or a warning.

9. The Grace Year by Kim Liggett:  When girls turn 16, their skin begins to emit an aphrodisiac, so they're banished into the wild while their magic "burns off".  But the wilderness is dangerous, and full of poachers who kill the girls to use their body parts in lucrative elixirs.  Extremely dark and beautifully written.

10. The Last Widow by Karin Slaughter:  When Sara Linton is kidnapped after a domestic terrorism incident, Will Trent will stop at nothing to find her.  I REALLY disliked Slaughter's last book, so I'm happy to report she's back in fine form, and I was glad to see Sara and Will back too.