media update: December

Happy (almost) New Year!  God, please let 2023 be a good year; the last four years have been real shitshows both personally and globally.  I/we could use a fuckin' break, thanks.

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 Best Kind of People by Zoe Whittall:  The Woodbury family is rocked when their patriarch, a hometown hero for stopping a would-be school shooter, is accused of sexual assault.

2. The Light Pirate* by Lily Brooks-Dalton:  Wanda was born during the hurricane that inspired her name, and as Florida succumbs to climate change, causing it to be condemned by the government, she learns to thrive.

3. The Personal Assistant by Kimberly Belle:  Alex is a popular Instagram influencer whose world comes crashing down when she puts up a post slut-shaming a celebrity.  But she doesn't remember posting it, and her personal assistant is missing...are the two related?

4. A Small Affair* by Flora Collins:  Vera is ostracized after her married lover kills his pregnant wife and then himself.  Horrified not just by his crime, but by the fact that he blames her in his suicide note, she decides to investigate.  Super dark, with an unlikable main character I still found myself rooting for.

5. All the Dark Places by Terri Parlato:  When a woman's husband is murdered, the investigation threatens to uncover her own past.

2022 TOTAL:  51

NONFICTION

Nothing this month.

2022 TOTAL:  8

MANGA/GRAPHIC NOVELS

1. Mr. Boop by Alec Robbins

2022 TOTAL:   23 graphic novels and 32 volumes of manga

MOVIES

1. Nope:  An ominous cloud starts hovering over a horse ranch.  Not as good as I was hoping, but the Gordy segment (IYKYK) actually made me so tense I was nauseated.

Side note:  I did like it more upon looking up a few theories that helped clarify things; the shoe is of particular importance.

2. Black Adam:  The titular superhero/antihero (Dwayne Johnson) is released from imprisonment and fights to protect the nation of Kahndaq.  It was a massive commercial and critical flop, so I was expecting nothing, but it was actually kind of fun!  As G pointed out, though, they made a big mistake by not letting Dwayne Johnson show off at least a little of his charm.  Black Adam is kind of a sourpuss.

3. The Banshees of Inisherin*:  Two longtime friends (Colin Farrell and Brendan Gleeson) have a falling out that leads to unexpected consequences.  Pitch black with occasional glimmers of humor.

4. Pearl:  In 1918, farm girl Pearl (Mia Goth) dreams of being a star by any means necessary...even if they're bloody.  The backstory of X's antagonist.

5. Glass Onion**:  A tech billionaire invites a group of friends to stay on his private Greek island, but when someone is killed, famous detective Benoit Blanc (Daniel Craig, having a blast) investigates.  Very clever and a lot of fun!

6. DC League of Super-Pets*:  Superman's dog Krypto (Dwayne Johnson) and a group of shelter animals spring into action when Superman and the Justice League are taken hostage by Lex Luthor and...a superpowered guinea pig.

Okay, you may be looking at the star and thinking "What the actual fuck?" and I don't blame you.  G and I had no plans to watch this at all, but I watched the first half-hour of this on the plane back from St. Lucia when I ran out of reading material, and it was funny enough that I wanted to see the rest.  It's lively and enjoyable, with an excellent voice cast that includes more than a few surprise guests. 

7. Bros*:  Bobby (Billy Eichner) is a podcast host who, despite his best intentions, falls for a hot but "boring" guy named Aaron.  Very funny and even touching at times.

2022 TOTAL:  79

best of 2022: movies

Finally, it's time for my favorite movies of 2022!  A few notes first:

- Not all of these these were first released in 2022, but that's when I first saw them.

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

- If I watch something between now and the end of the year that belongs on this list, I'll update accordingly.

- UPDATE 12/23:  I replaced Nomadland with Glass Onion.

- As always, your mileage may vary.

1. Everything Everywhere All at Once:  A woman (Michelle Yeoh) unwittingly gets involved in interdimensional shenanigans in this visually unique and very strange movie.  

2. Glass Onion:  A tech billionaire invites a group of friends to stay on his private Greek island, but when someone is killed, famous detective Benoit Blanc (Daniel Craig, having a blast) investigates.  Very clever and a lot of fun!  My second favorite movie of 2022.

3. The Gray Man:  A CIA agent (Ryan Gosling) tries to stay one step ahead of an ex-CIA agent (Chris Evans, playing against type) who wants a valuable piece of intel.  Super exciting and a lot of fun.

4. The Black Phone:  When Finney is abducted by a masked serial killer (Ethan Hawke) and thrown into a basement, he gets help from an unusual source.  Great sense of time and place, and an excellent performance by Mason Thames as Finney.

5. Turning Red:  Mei finds adolescence to be a real beast...literally, as she turns into a red panda when her emotions run high.  Another funny and touching hit from Pixar.

6. Don't Look Up:  Two scientists (Leonardo DiCaprio and Jennifer Lawrence) desperately try to warn the world about an impending meteor strike in this slyly funny and trenchant movie.  My favorite movie of 2022!

7. War Dogs:  Two old friends (Jonah Hill and Miles Teller) become arms dealers and land a lucrative contract with the U.S. Army.  Needless to say, they hit a few snags along the way.  This intriguing and often funny movie is based on a true story.

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

9. 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.

10. Barbarian:  A woman shows up to her AirBnB, only to find that it's been double booked.  I'll leave it at that, because the less you know about this movie going in, the better.  I was tense the whole time and never knew quite where it was heading, which is always fun.  A great time!

SEEN IN THEATERS:  With Miss Rona AND RSV floating around?  No thanks!

MADE ME CRY (OR AT LEAST TEAR UP):  Pig; Little Monsters; Turning Red; Don't Look Up; Hunt for the Wilderpeople; Spider-Man: No Way Home; Roadrunner; Violet Evergarden; Everything Everywhere All at Once; Lightyear; Top Gun: Maverick; Luckiest Girl Alive; Barbarian; Nomadland; DC League of Super-Pets

best of 2022: TV shows

And now it's time for my favorite TV shows of 2022!  A few notes before I begin:

- Not all of these were first released in 2022, but that's when I first saw them.

- These are in random order, and I couldn't choose an absolute favorite because it was such a strong year.  If pressed, I'd choose #6 as my favorite comedy and #7 as my favorite drama.

- I made a note of where each show was watched.  Servicey!

- As always, your mileage may vary.

1. Ted Lasso:  This show about a perpetually optimistic American sent to England to coach a soccer team got rave reviews, but I figured it couldn't be THAT good.  Well, much like last year with Schitt's Creek, I was proven wrong.  It's extremely funny and heartwarming without being cheesy, which is a very hard balance to strike.  (Apple TV+)

2. Trying:  Nikki and Jason have been trying to have a baby, but when they are unable to conceive, they decide to adopt.  When G's sister recommended this show to us, we were like "Uh, this doesn't sound up our alley at all," but we were charmed by its writing and cast and became very invested in Nikki and Jason's journey.  (Apple TV+)

3. Dexter: New Blood:  The original series had one of the worst finales in TV history, but fortunately they set things right with this one.  Serial killer Dexter Morgan is living under the radar in a remote town in upstate New York, but his cover may be blown when his "dark passenger" rears its ugly head once again.  (Showtime)

4. Yellowjackets:  A plane carrying a girls' soccer team and their coach crashes in the Canadian wilderness, and they must resort to unspeakable things in order to survive.  In the present day, the survivors try to find out who's blackmailing them.  An absolute fever dream with an incredible soundtrack and a cast full of nineties icons like Melanie Lynskey, Christina Ricci, and Juliette Lewis.  (Showtime)

5. Dahmer:  The story of Jeffrey Dahmer, one of the most infamous serial killers of all time.  I know this was a really controversial show, but I think for the most part it avoided sensationalizing his crimes, and Evan Peters gives the performance of a lifetime as Dahmer.  (Netflix)

6. Community:  A motley group of community college students forms a study group.  G and I were extremely tardy to this party, but we're loving it.  The cast is great, and although we aren't done yet, I can't think of a single episode that didn't make us laugh hard at least twice.  (Netflix, although we had to watch the banned episode on Amazon Prime)

7. House of the Dragon:  This prequel to Game of Thrones follows the infamous Targaryen family as they rise to power.  Lots of gore, lots of sex, and lots of dragons...exactly what you'd want from a GoT series.  (HBO Max)

8. Rat in the Kitchen:  Six cooks compete to impress celebrity chef Ludo Lefebvre, but there's a twist:  one of them is a mole whose goal is to sabotage the food, and if they get to the end undetected, they get the prize.  A fun reality show; I think I guessed the mole twice in ten episodes.  (TBS)

9. All of Us Are Dead:  High school students fight to survive a zombie outbreak in this tense Korean series.  (Netflix)

10. Peacemaker:  The titular superhero (antihero?) is forced to join a black ops squad in order to take down alien creatures infecting human hosts.  So much funnier and more exciting than the Suicide Squad movies, and John Cena is great.  (HBO Max)

best of 2022: video games

And now it's time for my favorite video games of 2022!  A few notes before I begin:

- Not all of these were first released in 2022, but that's when I first played them.

- Aside from the first one listed, which was my definite favorite, these are in random order.

- All but two of these were played on the PS4; #3 and #8 were played on the Oculus Quest.

- It pains my OCD heart to have a list that isn't a multiple of five, but I couldn't bring myself to take any of these off.

- And as always, your mileage may vary.

- UPDATE 12/16:  I added a game I forgot!

1. Yakuza Kiwami:  As you might remember, I got MASSIVELY into Yakuza last year, but unfortunately I played the games in a very stupid order.  I rectified that this year by starting at the beginning with this installment.  We meet the legendary "Dragon of Dojima", Kiryu Kazama, as he takes a little girl (yep, Haruka) under his protection.  Chock full of all the action and wacky side stories that define the series, along with a new "Majima Everywhere" mode and improved graphics and gameplay.

2. It Takes Two:  When Cody and May announce their plans to divorce, they are magically trapped in their daughter's dolls, and they must work together to break the spell.  Couch co-op games that G and I can play together are rare, so this charming and challenging game was a delight.

3. Vader Immortal:  Darth Vader wants you to find a rare artifact for him, and needless to say, you better do what he says!  Thanks to VR, this game is unbelievably immersive; the first time Darth Vader appeared, I was actually so intimidated I was shrinking into myself.  

Oh, and if you're prone to sim sickness, which I am, good news:  the teleport option practically fixed that problem!  I did get a little woozy when climbing ladders, but that was rare enough that it wasn't a deal breaker.

4. Yakuza Kiwami 2:  This builds directly onto the story of Yakuza Kiwami, so I can't review it lest I spoil its predecessor; suffice to say it has all the great shit you'd expect.

5. Life Is Strange: True Colors:  After leaving foster care, Alex Chen moves in with her older brother Gabe and tries to figure out what caused a tragedy by using her psychic empathy powers.  Great writing and voice acting.

6. Doki Doki Literature Club:  I unfortunately had the conceit behind this game spoiled for me, so I won't do the same here as it's best experienced completely unaware.

7. Yakuza 3:  Same disclaimer as Yakuza Kiwami 2.  I'll add that this game seems to get an unfair ration of shit online, but I thought it was pretty good!  My least favorite so far has been Y4, but that was still damn good.

8. Beat Saber:  A rhythm game in which you slice blocks to the beat with, well, a lightsaber, basically.  Excellent music, too. 

9. House of Ashes:  During the 2003 invasion of Iraq, a group of American soldiers fall into a Sumerian tomb and encounter horrific creatures.  The best installment of the Dark Pictures Anthology series.

best of 2022: nonfiction

My favorite nonfiction books of 2022!  Just a few notes:

- The first book listed is my absolute favorite, but the rest are in random order.

- Not all of these were first published in 2022, but that's when I first read them.

- As always, your mileage may vary.

1. Tell Me Everything by Erika Krouse:  The author has a knack for getting people to open up to her, so when she got an offer to do investigations for a lawyer, she jumped at the chance.  This engrossing and often disturbing memoir details her work on putting together a lawsuit dealing with a gang rape at a Colorado college and how the quest for justice began to consume her.

2. Girls Can Kiss Now by Jill Gutowitz:  Essays on lesbianism and pop culture.  Very funny (with a few grimly notable exceptions) and thought-provoking.

3. The Tiger and the Cage by Emma Bolden:  A gripping memoir about the author's struggles with severe endometriosis and her desperation to be taken seriously by her doctors.

4. In the Weeds by Tom Vitale:  A warts and all look behind the scenes of Anthony Bourdain's TV shows. 

5. No One Crosses the Wolf by Lisa Nikolidakis:  The author's childhood and adolescence was marred by her father's physical, emotional, and sexual abuse.  When she was 27, her father murdered his girlfriend and her daughter and then killed himself.  Wondering who her father really was and why he'd committed such horrible crimes, she went to Greece to track down his estranged family.  Dark and sad (obviously), but it ends on a redemptive note, and it made me cry, which books rarely do.

best of 2022: fiction

It's time for my lists!  A few notes before I begin:

- Not all of these were first published in 2022, but that's when I read them.

- These are in random order, though I did make note of my two absolute favorites.

- And, as always, your mileage may vary.

1. Fiona and Jane by Jean Chen Ho:  The titular best friends, two Taiwanese American women, try to navigate adolescence and adulthood in this compelling short story collection.

2. Real Easy by Marie Rutkoski:  In 1999, Samantha agrees to drive a fellow stripper home from work, but the trip turns deadly.  An excellent and haunting thriller that's my second favorite novel of the year.

3. Sundial by Catriona Ward:  Rob has been noticing a darkness in her daughter Callie for some time, but when Callie becomes dangerous, Rob takes her to Sundial, the desert town where Rob grew up, in hopes of fixing her.  Riveting and supremely creepy.

4. Aesthetica by Allie Rowbottom:  Anna lives for Instagram, and she's willing to change her face and body to keep the likes coming.  But when she gets older, she decides to undergo Aesthetica, a dangerous procedure that will undo every nip, tuck, and filler she's ever had. 

5. Small Game by Blair Braverman:  Mara joins a reality show in which she and four strangers are dropped off in the wilderness to survive on their own for six weeks.  But one day the crew vanishes, and what started as a game becomes a fight for survival.

6. The Clockwork Girl by Anna Mazzola:  In 17th century Paris, Madeleine leaves her mother's brothel to work as a chambermaid for a renowned clockmaker, hoping to win her freedom by giving information to a police detective.  But the clockmaker's creations seem a little too realistic, and Madeleine is afraid she's in over her head.  Beautifully detailed.

7. All Good People Here by Ashley Flowers:  Margot returns to her small Indiana town to care for her beloved uncle, who's suffering from early onset dementia.  Her best friend was murdered when they were both six, and now another little girl has disappeared.  An exciting read that I tore through in two days.

8. 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.

9. House of Hunger by Alexis Henderson:  Marion is desperate to escape her life in the slums, so she accepts a position as a bloodmaid for a countess who believes drinking blood has curative and anti-aging properties.  The position is lucrative, but Marion discovers she's in grave danger when other bloodmaids start to disappear.  Super engrossing.

10. Exiles by Jane Harper:  Aaron Falk travels to the South Australian wine country for the christening of a friend's son.  But one year earlier, a woman disappeared, and Aaron finds himself pulled into the investigation.  Jane Harper's last two books were standalones, and although I enjoyed one of them, I really missed Aaron, so I was glad to see him return!