media update: December

Goodbye to another dumpster fire of a year!  That makes three in a row, so hopefully 2022 is much better.

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 Flicker in the Dark by Stacy Willingham:  When Chloe was twelve years old, her father was arrested in connection with six missing girls.  Now a psychologist and happily engaged, she becomes concerned when it seems like someone is copying her father's crimes.  You will guess the twists if you've read a thriller in the last five years.

2. People We Meet on Vacation by Emily Henry:  Poppy and Alex used to be best friends and traveling companions until an incident causes them to stop speaking.  After two years, Poppy finally reaches out to Alex, and they decide to take one last trip in hopes of mending their friendship.

3. Problem Child* by Victoria Helen Stone:  Jane is a sociopath who doesn't care about much except herself, but when her teenage niece goes missing, she's compelled to search for her.  Sequel to the also enjoyable Jane Doe.

4. One More Lie* by Amy Lloyd:  When she was young, Charlotte and her friend Sean committed a terrible crime.  After being released from prison, she's given a new identity and tries to forget her past, but then Sean tracks her down.

2021 total:  49 (last year: 44)

NONFICTION

1. Sex Cult Nun by Faith Jones:  The author grew up in the Children of God cult, which was founded by her grandfather.  The cult taught faith in God, good works...and some other, much more sinister things, including "flirty fishing", in which female members seduced outsiders in order to get money or new followers, and the acceptance of sex with children.  The title and cover don't match the tone;  they seem a little, for lack of a better word, "breezy", and the book most definitely is not.  (Content warning:  child sexual abuse and sexual assault)

2. Tacky:  Love Letters to the Worst Culture We Have to Offer* by Rax King:  A very funny appreciation of the joys of tacky things like Cheesecake Factory and Hot Topic.

3. Invisible Child* by Andrea Elliott:  For almost ten years, the author followed a young girl named Dasani as she moved in and out of New York City homeless shelters.  Absorbing.

2021 total:  17 (last year: also 17)

MANGA/GRAPHIC NOVELS

1. Catwoman: Soulstealer by Sarah J. Maas, Louise Simonson, and Samantha Dodge

2021 total:  21 (last year: 40)

MOVIES

1. Jungle Cruise:  Dr. Lily Houghton (Emily Blunt) hires a skipper (Dwayne Johnson) to take her down the Amazon in search of a mystical tree.  Fun, and Blunt and Johnson have good chemistry.

2. Snake Eyes: G.I. Joe Origins:  The backstory of G.I. Joe associate Snake Eyes (Henry Golding).  Some decent action, but overall not really worth the watch.

3. The Babysitter:  Cole stays up late to spy on his hot babysitter, but he isn't prepared for what he sees.  An entertaining horror comedy.

4. Venom: Let There Be Carnage:  Eddie Brock (Tom Hardy) and his alien symbiote Venom face off against a serial killer who's infected with a symbiote of his own.

5. Encanto*:  The Madrigal family lives in an enchanted house, and I'll leave it there to avoid spoilers for this (pun intended) enchanting and touching animated film.

Side note:  if you watch this on Disney+, be sure to check out Far from the Tree, the animated short that ran before Encanto in theaters.  Between the two, I was borderline dehydrated afterwards.

6. No Time to Die*:  James Bond (Daniel Craig) is enjoying retirement when he's called back into service.  A bit overlong, but a welcome return to form after the extremely underwhelming Spectre.

7. VelociPastor:  A priest turns into a dinosaur in this movie that would be abysmal without adult refreshments, but is enjoyable when properly buzzed.  I blame G's nephews for making us watch this.

2021 total:  67 (last year: 72)

best of 2021: TV shows

And now it's time for my favorite TV shows of 2021!  A few notes before I begin:

- Not all of these were first released in 2021, but that's when I first watched them.

- These are in random order and I couldn't choose a favorite.  Too much good shit, man!

- I made a parenthetical note of where we watched them (servicey!).

- G and I still have a few shows in progress that probably belong here, but I felt weird adding them before we had finished all available seasons in case they shit the bed, so there may be a part two closer to the end of the month.  If we don't finish a potential contender by then, I'll plop 'em on next year's list.  Number two is an exception because I finished the manga and the series has been faithful, so I doubt it will go off the rails.

- And as always, your mileage may vary.

1. WandaVision:  Crazed by grief over certain developments in the Avengers movies, Wanda Maximoff (aka Scarlet Witch) uses her powers to create sitcom worlds where everything is great...or is it?  The sitcom parodies are pitch perfect, Elizabeth Olsen is great as Wanda, and it has one of the best lines of the year:  "What is grief but love perservering?"  (Disney+)

2. Erased:  Satoru has an unusual ability he calls "revival" which allows him to go back in time a few minutes before a tragedy occurs, at which point he can prevent it.  But when a loved one is murdered, he goes back eighteen years instead, when he was 11 years old.  He decides to use his memories of the past to prevent the murders of three children, including the girl he loved.  (Netflix; also available on Crunchyroll)

3. Alice in Borderland:  Arisu finds himself in a deserted version of Tokyo in which he and several other people must compete in deadly games to survive.  Stylish and clever; this Japanese drama predated the similar Squid Game, and although it's not as good, I think Squid Game fans would enjoy it too.  (Netflix)

4. Schitt's Creek:  The Rose family---video store magnate Johnny, his actress wife Moira, flighty daughter Alexis, and snarky son David---winds up living in a rundown motel after losing their fortune.  We were late to this one, and honestly, I was skeptical that it could be as good as people claimed.  I was wrong.  The cast is phenomenal and the writing is sharp.  I thought I would hate the characters, but I wound up loving them.  (Netflix)

5. Squid Game:  People who are desperately in debt play violent versions of Korean children's games in hopes of being the last one standing and winning millions of dollars.  Bloody, tense fun that even made me sob at one point.  (Netflix)

6. Sweet Home:  When a plague of unknown origins turns people into monsters, the residents of an apartment building struggle to survive.  (Netflix)

7. Invincible:  Teenager Mark Grayson's father is Omni-Man, the most powerful superhero on the planet.  As Mark begins to develop powers of his own, he grapples with his father's legacy.  Gory as hell and surprising, with a great voice cast.  (Amazon Prime)

8. Primal:  A caveman and his bonded dinosaur struggle to survive in a brutal world.  There's no dialogue, but fans of Genndy Tartakovsky know he's the master of "a picture is worth a thousand words".  (HBO Max)

9. What If...?:  In this beautifully animated and expertly voiced series, different Marvel characters live out alternate timelines.  Every episode is great, but in my opinion, the first one, in which Agent Carter receives the super soldier serum instead of Steve Rogers, was the best.  (Disney+)

10. Crazy Ex-Girlfriend:  Rebecca Bunch (Rachel Bloom) is a successful New York attorney who is dissatisfied with her life. She unexpectedly runs into her first love, Josh Chan, and impulsively moves to West Covina, California, in hopes of rekindling their relationship and maybe, just maybe, finding happiness at last.  Each episode features at least two original songs that are always at least good and usually brilliant.  The show can be uneven, but the cast is perfection (my favorite being Donna Lynne Champlin* as Rebecca's loyal to a fault friend Paula) and topics like mental illness, abortion, and sexuality are handled sensitively and with humor.  (Netflix)

* As a gift to my dear friend R, a Crazy Ex-Girlfriend superfan, I bought her a Cameo from Donna Lynne Champlin and she put SO much effort and care into it.  I've seen some terrible, phoned-in Cameos, but this one was fantastic.  If you too love (or are) a CEG fan, I highly recommend getting a Cameo from Donna Lynne.  It was well worth the money, and all of her proceeds go to charity to boot!

best of 2021: video games

And now it's time for my favorite video games of 2021!  A few notes before I begin:

- Not all of these were first released in 2021, but that's when I first played them.

- All of these were played on the PS4.

- This list does not go up to ten, which hurts my OCD, but I couldn't bring myself to take two off.

- Aside from the first title listed, which was my absolute favorite, and number two, the runner-up, this list is in random order.

- And as always, your mileage may vary.

1. Judgment:  Private detective Yagami Takayuki gets in way over his head when he investigates a series of murders that lead to unexpected suspects and motives.

Friends, this game ATE MY APRIL.  It's funny because a couple of years ago, I saw a trailer for this game on Kotaku and thought it looked cool, but it was too expensive, so I saved it in my Amazon cart.  Once it got down to twenty bucks, I bought it, and boy was I glad I did! The story was intriguing, the graphics were great, the voice acting was top notch, and I loved the characters.  Not only that, but the side stories were fantastic and I loved the open world aspects like fighting dickheads on the street, playing the crane game in the arcade, and buying and eating tasty treats in restaurants and convenience stores.  I loved this game so much that I wound up playing several of the Yakuza games, which share a developer and location.  I'm waiting to buy Lost Judgment until any DLC is released, but I can guarantee that will happily eat another month of my life too.

2. Yakuza 0:  After finishing Judgment, I promptly bought this game, which follows series regulars Kiryu Kazuma and Goro Majima during Japan's incredible prosperity in the eighties.  Break dancing!  Discos!  Kicking any and all asses!  Training hostesses to be the best they can be and making your club profitable!  Folks, I loved this game damn near as much as Judgment, and for the same reasons.  As a bonus, this was my introduction to Goro Majima, who quickly became one of my favorite video game characters ever (though, FYI, he is MUCH different in later games).  Also, I will always have a soft spot for this game because I was playing it when we first adopted Momo, and many a game session was spent with him sleeping in my lap or on my rack.

3. Telltale's Batman:  The sadly defunct studio's take on the legendary Batman had typically excellent writing, voice acting, and difficult moral choices.

4. Persona 5 Strikers:  P5 is one of my favorite games ever, so I was thrilled when G bought me this game as a present, especially since I didn't even know it existed until he gave it to me!  The gang gets back together for a camping trip, but find themselves sucked back into fighting thanks to a supposedly helpful app that does way more harm than good.  I loved spending time with my "friends" again; the Persona series does an amazing job of making you love the characters.

5. Yakuza 4:  I can't really review any more of the Yakuza games without spoiling their predecessors, but suffice it to say I loved all of them.  (And for clarification, my favorite games from Ryu Ga Gotoku, the developer, are ranked thusly:  Judgment, Yakuza 0, Yakuza 5, Yakuza 6, and Yakuza 4...the ones I've played so far, of course.  I was not originally going to play Yakuza 1-3 but goddamn it, now I have to.)

6. Yakuza 5:  See above.

7. Yakuza 6:  See above.

best of 2021: movies

Now it's time for my favorite movies of 2021!  A few notes before I begin:

- I know the year isn't over yet, but if I watch something between now and the end of the year, I'll update accordingly.

- Not all of these first came out in 2021, but that's when I saw them.

- These are in random order, but I made note of my favorite.

- And as always, your mileage may vary.

- UPDATE:  On 12/24, I replaced Wrath of Man with Encanto, and on 12/25, I replaced Luca with No Time to Die.

1. Encanto:  The Madrigal family lives in an enchanted house, and I'll leave it there to avoid spoilers for this (pun intended) enchanting and touching animated film.

2. Paddington:  After an earthquake destroys his home, the titular bear travels from Peru to London in search of an explorer who once visited his family.  Neither G and I were expecting to enjoy this as much as we did, but it was a delightful and charming surprise. 

3. Freaky:  A teenage girl and a serial killer accidentally swap bodies when he tries to kill her, and they have to figure out a way to fix things before the switch becomes permanent.  An enjoyable horror comedy with some innovative kills and a fun performance by Vince Vaughn. 

4. 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.

5. 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.  My favorite movie of the year!

6. Black Widow:  After violating the Sokovia Accord, Natasha Romanoff (Scarlett Johansson) goes on the run and collides into her past, including her sister Yelena (Florence Pugh, absolutely delightful).  Exciting and surprisingly funny.

7. No Time to Die:  James Bond (Daniel Craig) is enjoying retirement when he's called back into service.  A bit overlong, but a welcome return to form after the extremely underwhelming Spectre.

8. Nobody:  After going off on a group of thugs on the bus, Hutch (Bob Odenkirk) finds himself in the crosshairs of an angry Russian mobster in this brutal but highly entertaining action flick.

9. 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.

10. The Sparks Brothers:  Sparks (led by brothers Ron and Russ Mael) is a band known for witty lyrics and unusual composition.  They've been big overseas for a long time, but are probably best known in the US for their eighties hit "Cool Places".   I've been a huge fan of theirs since college (this blog is named after one of their songs!), so I was excited to see this.  Not only is it packed with interviews and concert footage, but thanks to director Edgar Wright, it's also visually interesting.  If you're a Sparks fan, you'll eat this up like candy; if not, it just might change your mind.

MADE ME CRY (OR AT LEAST TEAR UP):  Paddington; Paddington 2; Promising Young Woman; The Mitchells vs. the Machines; Raya and the Last Dragon; Luca; Minari; Vivo; Love and Monsters; Encanto

MOST BATSHIT MOVIE OF THE YEAR:  Malignant

SEEN IN THE THEATER:  LMAO, as if

best of 2021: nonfiction

And now it's time for my favorite nonfiction books of 2021!  A few notes before I begin:

- I didn't have enough titles to make it an even ten, so this list only has nine titles.  Hopefully I read another worthy nonfiction book by the end of the year; if so, I'll add it here.

UPDATE 12/26:  Number ten added!

- I'm not sure if all of these were originally released in 2021 or not, but that's when I read them.

- These are in random order, although I did make note of my favorite.

- And as always, your mileage may vary.

1. Want Me by Tracy Clark-Flory:  The author grew up with conflicting messages about sex fed to her by the media, and when she got older, she decided to explore her own sexuality by writing about sex and desire. 

2. 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. 

3. 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).  My favorite nonfiction book of the year!

4. 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 online kerfuffle (Cliff's Notes: she got upset over some of her Goodreads reviews and went off on Twitter) overshadowed her work, because it's excellent.

5. 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.  The author lost her mom at the same age I did, which made this especially painful at times, but it's a fantastic read.

6. 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.

7. Fuzz:  When Nature Breaks the Law by Mary Roach:  An entertaining and informative  look into the science of human-wildlife conflict, from dumpster-diving bears in Aspen to monkeys in India that pick pockets and break into hospital rooms to slurp glucose from IV drips.

8. Somebody's Daughter by Ashley C. Ford:  The author's father had been in prison for as long as she could remember, but nobody would tell her why.  When she got older, she finally learned the truth behind his incarceration.  

9. Tacky:  Love Letters to the Worst Culture We Have to Offer by Rax King:  A very funny appreciation of the joys of tacky things like Cheesecake Factory and Hot Topic.

10. Invisible Child by Andrea Elliott:  For almost ten years, the author followed a young girl named Dasani as she moved in and out of New York City homeless shelters.  Absorbing.

best of 2021: fiction

Now that December is here (how?!?), it's time to start posting my "best of" lists!  A few notes before I begin:

- Not all of these books were first released in 2021, but that's when I read them.

- I know December isn't over yet, so if something comes along between now and December 31st that belongs here, I'll update accordingly.

- These are in random order, but I did make note of my absolute favorite.  

- Three novels received my coveted (LOL) double star designation this year:  numbers 3, 7, and 9.

- And as always, your mileage may vary.

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. The Push by Ashley Audrain:  Blythe always wanted to be a good mother, but she feels no emotional connection to her daughter Violet. She thinks maybe she's just broken, but when her son is born, she's instantly in love with him, so is she broken...or is Violet?  It reminded me of another book, which I won't name because it will spoil this one, but it has a compelling and disturbing charm (so to speak) of its own.

3. Milk Fed by Melissa Broder:  Rachel obsessively counts every calorie she consumes, chewing nicotine gum in between meals to dull her appetite.  The only indulgence she allows herself is an occasional cup of frozen yogurt, and one day, there's a different person working behind the counter.  Miriam is an Orthodox Jew, completely unapologetic about her size, and determined to make Rachel enjoy food again.  It sounds sappy, but trust me, it's not; it's funny, lushly erotic, and heartbreaking.

4.  No One Will Miss Her by Kat Rosenfield:  After smalltown pariah Lizzie Oullette is found gruesomely murdered, the investigation points in an unexpected direction.  I would have given it double stars, except the author telegraphed a huge plot development and then I wasn't surprised when it happened.  Still, it's very clever and engrossing.

5. Ariadne by Jennifer Saint:  A feminist retelling of the myth of Ariadne and Theseus.  If you, like me, love Madeline Miller, you'll probably eat this up like candy.

6. Out of Love by Hazel Hayes:  A five-year romance told in reverse that manages to be both heartbreaking and hopeful.

7. 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.

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.

9. The Last House on Needless Street by Catriona Ward:  A man lives with his daughter and cat (who narrates some of the chapters) in the titular house.  He was suspected and cleared in the disappearance of a little girl, but the girl's sister isn't convinced of his innocence, and she moves next door in hopes of getting answers.  Horrifying, surprising, and heartbreaking in equal measure; it's like nothing else I've ever read, and it's my favorite novel of the year.

10. The First Day of Spring by Nancy Tucker:  When she was eight, Chrissie murdered another kid.  Now an adult, living under a new identity and with a child of her own, she gets a phone call and realizes her past might be catching up with her.  The cover and title make it look and sound like something light, but...uh...no.  I really enjoyed it, not just because it's beautifully written, but because it evokes great sympathy for Chrissie, both child and adult, without in any way diminishing her crime.