media update: August

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. Once There Were Wolves* by Charlotte McConaghy:  Inti moves to Scotland as part of a project to reintroduce wolves into the wild, much to the dismay of the locals.  When Inti finds a dead farmer, she quickly buries the body for fear that the wolves will be blamed.  I thought this book was good until the last fifty or so pages, at which point my opinion changed to great.   

2. We Were Never Here by Andrea Bartz:  While on vacation together in Cambodia, Emily and Kristen covered up an accidental death at their hands.  Now that it's happened again, Emily is starting to wonder how well she really knows her friend.  

3. Hollow Kingdom** by Kira Jane Buxton:  A zombie apocalypse ravages humanity.  Done before?  Well, sure, but this time around, it's narrated by animals (most notably a talking domesticated crow named Shit Turd, or S.T. for short) as they watch what happens to their masters and enemies and try to save other animals from the new threat.  So much for no new ideas!  I can't describe it better than this blurb on Amazon: "The Secret Life of Pets meets The Walking Dead".  Wholly original, funny, and heartbreaking; I very rarely cry at books (not sure why, since I cry easily over pretty much everything else), but I was weeping at one point.  My favorite book of the year so far.

2021 total so far: 36

NONFICTION

1. The Great Peace by Mena Suvari:  In this candid memoir, the actress talks about the struggles she faced with sexual assault, drugs, and abusive relationships.

2021 total so far: 9

 

GRAPHIC NOVELS/MANGA

1. How Do We Relationship? vol. 2 by Tamifull

2021 total so far: 9

MOVIES

1. A Quiet Place Part II:  This is a tough one to review without spoiling the first movie.  I'll just say that it has plenty of tense moments, but the abrupt ending cost it a star.

2. The Suicide Squad:  Although this movie shares a title and several cast members with the overly loud 2016 movie, they are not to be confused, mainly because this movie was actually fun.

3. Jolt:  Lindy (Kate Beckinsale) has a serious anger management problem that is only held in check by a contraption that shocks her when she starts feeling too violent.  When she sets out for revenge, she decides to make her issues work for her instead of suppressing them.

4. In the Tall Grass:  A pregnant woman and her brother make a pit stop during a road trip and hear a boy crying for help in a field.  They venture into the grass to look for him and quickly discover something is very wrong.  It's based on a novella by Stephen King and Joe Hill, but it's a real snoozefest.

5. Vivo*:  A kinkajou travels from Cuba to Miami to fulfill a friend's wish.  Very cute and sweet, with excellent songs by Lin-Manuel Miranda.

6. Sweet Girl:  After his wife dies of cancer, Ray Cooper (Jason Momoa) sets out to punish the greedy pharmaceutical executive he holds responsible.  Kind of boring for an action movie, but it's somewhat redeemed by the last third.

7. Reminisce:  Nick Bannister (Hugh Jackman) has a machine that lets him look at other people's memories.  When his new lover disappears, he tries to find her by using the machine to track her down.  Some interesting visuals and a good cast, but the script is riddled with cliches, and honestly, I was pretty bored for most of it.

8. Bad Trip*:  Two friends take a road trip to NYC so one of them can declare his love to his high school crush in this movie that combines a script with hidden camera antics a la Borat.  Perhaps it was the sangria talking, but I thought it was hilarious.

2021 total so far: 41