media update: March

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. A Court of Silver Flames* by Sarah J. Maas:  This is the newest book in the Court of Thorns and Roses series, so I can't review it properly lest I spoil its predecessors.  I will say that this particular installment is MUCH more sexually graphic than the others; for example, the c-word is used and there are references to balls slapping against asses and, uh, "her gleaming, swollen sex".  The series is definitely YA, so I don't know if they decided to make this one installment for adult readers (which would be odd, as there are lots of important plot developments in it) or what.  I obviously wasn't offended, just taken aback (I mean, when I was a teenager Forever was shocking), but I figured I'd point it out.  

2. Too Good to Be True by Carola Lovering:  Skye is overjoyed when her older, handsome boyfriend Burke proposes to her.  Unfortunately, she doesn't know that Burke is---you guessed it!---too good to be true.  I guessed a major plot point about halfway through the book, so I didn't enjoy it as much as I might have otherwise.

3. Disappearing Earth by Julia Phillips:  The disappearance of two young sisters reverberates through the Russian peninsula where they live.

4. The Girls Are All So Nice Here by Laurie Elizabeth Flynn:  Ambrosia's (yeah, I had a hard time getting over that name too) ten-year college reunion turns into a nightmare when she realizes someone is out to get her.

5. The Lost Apothecary by Sarah Penner:  In eighteenth century London, an apothecary shop secretly sells poison to women who want to be rid of the men in their lives.  Meanwhile, in the present day, a woman finds a vial from the apothecary and begins to research it.  The chapters from the past were much more interesting than the ones from the present.

6. Every Last Fear by Alex Finlay:  College student Matthew is horrified to find out that his parents and two younger siblings have died on a trip to Mexico, seemingly due to a gas leak in their rental home.  But Matthew's older brother is in jail for an infamous murder he claims he didn't commit, and Matthew begins to wonder if there's a connection. 

7. Justine* by Forsyth Harmon:  A teenage girl named Alison becomes obsessed with the titular cool girl character.  A short novel that packs a punch.

8. Yolk* by Mary H.K. Choi:  Jayne is a broke fuckup; her sister June is rich and successful.  They've been estranged for a long time, but June tracks Jayne down to tell her she's been diagnosed with cancer.  Like the author's previous novels, Permanent Record and Emergency Contact, it's gorgeously written, occasionally outrageously funny (at one point, Jayne talks about how June was reluctant to be born and would have been happy staying in the womb and "eventually wearing Mom like a hat"), and heartbreaking.  (And as a bonus, all three novels have stunning covers.)

9. Later by Stephen King:  Jamie is a young boy who can see and speak to the recently deceased; this ability winds up being a very mixed bag.

2021 total so far: 19

NONFICTION

1. The Babysitter* by Liza Rodman and Jennifer Jordan:  When Liza was young, her mother often left her in the care of a motel handyman named Tony.  Liza adored Tony, especially because he was one of the few kind and responsible adults in her life, but when she got older, she found out he was the infamous serial killer known as the "Cape Cod Vampire".  Engrossing.

2021 total so far: 2

GRAPHIC NOVELS/MANGA

1. Avatar: The Last Airbender - Toph Beifong's Metalbending Academy by Faith Erin Hicks and Peter Wartman

2. Dancing at the Pity Party* by Tyler Feder

2021 total so far: 3

MOVIES

1. Paddington 2*:  Paddington (now happily living with the Brown family) finds the perfect present for Aunt Lucy's birthday, but when it's stolen and he's framed for the crime, the Browns try to track down the culprit.  Like its predecessor, it's absolutely charming.  Heartwarming without being cheesy, which is a difficult trick to pull off.

2. Promising Young Woman**:  Haunted by a tragedy in her past, Cassie (Carey Mulligan, excellent in an Oscar-nominated role) seeks closure by targeting would-be predators.  The movie's candy-colored cinematography and poppy soundtrack enclose a sinister heart; it's like a truffle filled with poison.  I'm still mulling over certain aspects of it, but I'd never seen anything quite like it before.

3. Trolls World Tour:  Poppy and Branch go on an adventure to keep a hard rock troll from taking over music.  Cute but not essential.

2021 total so far: 12