media update: June

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. With Teeth by Kristen Arnett:  Sammie has tried to build the perfect family with her wife Monika, but their son's sudden aggression is threatening to tear their dream home apart. 

2. The Damage by Caitlin Wahrer:  After his younger brother Nick is raped, Tony begins plotting a way to get back at the perpetrator, causing serious friction between him and his wife.  An overall decent book with an excellent ending.

3. Skye Falling by Mia McKenzie:  Skye is used to being on her own, so she's shocked when a young girl, the product of an egg donation she gave to a friend, unexpectedly shows up in her life. 

4. What's Done in Darkness by Laura McHugh:  Sarabeth is abducted at the age of seventeen by someone who keeps her in the dark the entire time.  Five years later, she wants to keep the past in the past, but an investigator turns up and asks for her help solving a similar case.

2021 total so far: 30

NONFICTION

1. The Ugly Cry* by Danielle Henderson:  After her mother abandoned her in favor of an abusive boyfriend, the author went to live with her unassuming grandfather and her foul-mouthed, horror-loving grandmother.  An absorbing, often quite funny, story of resilience.

2021 total so far: 8

 

GRAPHIC NOVELS/MANGA

1. My Alcoholic Escape from Reality by Kabi Nagata

2. The Girl from the Sea by Molly Knox Ostertag

2021 total so far: 6

MOVIES

1. Barb and Star Go to Vista Del Mar:  Barb and Star (Kristen Wiig and Annie Mumolo) are long-time friends who decide to shake things up on a trip to Vista Del Mar, Florida, but things get more exciting than they bargained for.  I was hoping this would be good because it was written by the same people who wrote Bridesmaids, but good lord was it awful. 

2. Raya and the Last Dragon:  In a world known as Kumandra, dragons sacrificed themselves to save humanity from murderous creatures known as Druun.  When the Druun return, Raya sets out in hopes of finding the last dragon.   

3. The Conjuring: The Devil Made Me Do It:  Props to the people who cast Patrick Wilson and Vera Farmiga as Ed and Lorraine Warren, because I swear they're the only reasons I still watch these damn movies and their spin-offs.

4. The Marksman:  Jim (Liam Neeson) is a rancher living on the Mexican border who unexpectedly finds himself trying to protect a young boy from a drug cartel.

5. Luca*:  Luca is a young boy who lives near an Italian seaside town.  His life is pretty idyllic, but he's hiding an unusual secret.  Not one of Pixar's best, but it's still gorgeous and charming.

6. Awake:  After a mysterious event wipes out electronics and humanity's ability to sleep, a young mother (Gina Rodriguez) fights to protect her children.

7. Greenland:  When a comet threatens to wipe out 75% of life on earth, a man (Gerard Butler) tries to get his family to safety.  Surprisingly good!

8. Oxygen:  A woman (Melanie Laurent) wakes up in a cryogenic pod with no memory of how she got there and a very rapidly decreasing oxygen supply.

2021 total so far: 29