media update: April

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. The Hunting Wives by May Cobb:  After moving to a small Texas town, Sophie becomes obsessed with a glamorous socialite who introduces her to the titular club.

2. When the Stars Go Dark by Paula McLain:  Haunted by tragedy, Anna moves back to Mendocino, where she grew up, and becomes involved in looking for the missing daughter of a famous actress.

3. Malice by Heather Walter:  A queer retelling of Sleeping Beauty in which the evil fairy and Princess Aurora (who is age-appropriate!) fall in love.  If I'd known it was going to be a duology, I would have waited until both volumes are out, but I enjoyed it regardless. 

2021 total so far: 22

NONFICTION

1. Broken* by Jenny Lawson:  A collection of essays ranging from the humorous (weird pets she's had, a collection of embarrassing tweets) to the moving (her struggles with mental illness).

2. Leaving Isn't the Hardest Thing* by Lauren Hough:  A collection of essays about the author's time in the military during "Don't Ask, Don't Tell", growing up in the infamous Children of God cult, and serving time for accidentally breaking her girlfriend's ex-girlfriend's wrist during an argument.  It's a shame that the author's recent online kerfuffle (Cliff's Notes: she got upset over some of her Goodreads reviews and went off on Twitter) is overshadowing her work, because it's excellent.

3. Crying in H Mart* by Michelle Zauner:  An emotional memoir about the author's occasionally difficult relationship with her mother and how they connected best over Korean food.  Having lost my mom when I was the same age as the author, it was painful at times, but still a fantastic read.

4. Death on Ocean Boulevard by Caitlin Rother:  A deep dive into the bizarre death of Rebecca Zahau at the famous Spreckels Mansion in Coronado, California.

2021 total so far: 6

 

GRAPHIC NOVELS/MANGA

Nothing this month.

2021 total so far: 3

MOVIES

1. Godzilla vs. Kong:  The titular monsters battle for supremacy.  There's a lot of boring exposition to get through at the beginning, but once shit goes down, it goes DOWN.

2. Thunder Force:  In a world where supervillains roam free, scientist Emily Stanton (Octavia Spencer) and her friend Lydia (Melissa McCarthy) are determined to take them down.  G and I downed a couple of White Claws during our viewing, which is the only thing that made this movie remotely watchable.  Some funny moments, but overall just painful.

3. Willy's Wonderland:  An unnamed loner (Nicolas Cage in full unhinged mode) takes a custodial job at an eerie, Chuck E. Cheese-esque family fun center.  Unfortunately, the animatronic mascots are possessed, and the loner has to survive the night.  Yes, it sounds a LOT like a certain famous video game series, but I haven't played it (first person = migraines/barfing), so I can't comment on any similarities aside from, well, the REALLY HUGE ones.  Don't get me wrong, it isn't a GOOD movie, but if you have a couple of drinks in you, it's a lot of fun.

2021 total so far: 15