media update: May

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. Elektra by Jennifer Saint:  A retelling of the myths of Elektra, Cassandra, and Clytemnestra, three women living through the Trojan War.  

2. Breathless by Amy McCulloch:  Cecily is a journalist who's about to climb Manaslu, the eighth-highest peak in the world, in hopes of scoring an exclusive interview with a famous mountaineer.  When one body is found in suspicious circumstances, and then another, Cecily begins to fear that there's a murderer on the mountain.

3. Siren Queen by Nghi Vo:  During the golden age of Hollywood, Luli Wei navigates her way through stardom as she tries to avoid the monsters behind the scenes...not all of them metaphorical.

4. The Cherry Robbers** by Sarai Walker:  Sylvia Wren is a reclusive artist who receives a letter from a journalist who has discovered her real identity:  Iris Chapel, heiress to the Chapel firearms fortune, and the only daughter to survive the family curse that killed her sisters.  It reminded me of The Virgin Suicides, with a very important difference:  we glimpse the tragedies through the eyes of the women affected, not the men in their orbit.  Gorgeously written and my favorite book of 2022 so far.

5. The Change by Kirsten Miller:  Three women, each imbued with a new power after menopause, team up to solve a string of murders.

2022 TOTAL SO FAR: 23

NONFICTION

Nothing this month.

2022 TOTAL SO FAR:  3

MANGA/GRAPHIC NOVELS

1. Avatar: The Last Airbender - North and South Omnibus by Gene Luen Yang and Gurihiru

2. My Dress-Up Darling vol. 5 by Shinichi Fukuda 

3. My Love Mix-Up! vol. 3 by Wataru Hinekure and Aruko

2022 TOTAL SO FAR:   17 graphic novels and 20 volumes of manga

MOVIES

1. Jackass Forever*:  More delightfully crude, hysterically funny, and dangerous antics from the Jackass crew.

2. Moonfall:  To quote G, "Whoever said this movie is stupid fun was half right."

3. Uncut Gems*:  Howard Ratner (Adam Sandler, who's exceptional) is a jeweller who keeps digging himself into a deeper hole in this unrelentingly tense flick.

4. Uncharted:  Nathan Drake (Tom Holland), hero of the titular video game series, goes treasure hunting.  Some good action scenes, but the script desperately needed a bit of punching up and I wasn't a huge fan of the casting choices.  I love Tom Holland, but I just kept seeing and hearing Peter Parker, and Sully's casting?  Mmmm...no.

5. Saint Maud*:  A young nurse deep in the throes of religious fervor tries to save the soul of her dying patient.  Bleak and uncompromising, with a jump scare that almost made me wet the couch.  It will make you feel bad, but what an ending!

6. Catwoman: Hunted:  Catwoman's attempt to steal a priceless emerald gets her in trouble with both good and bad guys.  Not essential viewing, but fun.

7. Chip 'n Dale: Rescue Rangers:  Chip and Dale, estranged after Dale decides to go solo, reunite to rescue their friend Monterey Jack.  G wanted to watch this for the nostalgia factor, since he loved the show (which I had never seen), but I wound up enjoying this too.  It's very funny and chock full of great cameos.

8. Jackass 4.5*:  Look, either you think guys giving themselves hot sauce enemas is funny or you don't.  Personally, I was hysterical.

2022 TOTAL SO FAR:  33