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.

When applicable, this page will be continually updated so I can provide feedback for advance reader copies.  Receiving an ARC does not affect my reviews in any way.

Not a lot of stuff this month because I was busy finishing up Lost Judgment and its accompanying DLC.  Although I didn't like Lost Judgment as much as its predecessor, it was an absolute blast and a solid 8 out of 10.  RGG sure has the formula down pat for games that obsess me from beginning to end.

FICTION

1. The Trap* by Catherine Ryan Howard:  After her sister Nicki disappears, Lucy is determined to find her at any costs.  I don't want to give anything away, but I will say it had one of the best opening chapters I've read in a long time, and when I was finished, I went back and read it again because the author tied everything together so perfectly.

2. Happiness Falls by Angie Kim:  When a father goes missing, his nonverbal son holds the key to the truth.  I really disliked Mia, the daughter/sister and narrator, so I didn't particularly enjoy this book.

3. No One Can Know by Kate Alice Marshall:  When Emma's husband gets laid off and they lose their apartment, she reluctantly agrees to move into her childhood home, which she co-owns with her estranged sisters.  Unfortunately, she hasn't told him that her parents were murdered there and she was the prime suspect.  Emma hopes to keep her past buried, but a hostile police force and small town gossip won't let her skeletons stay in the closet.  Although I didn't like it as much as What Lies in the Woods, it was still an intriguing novel that kept me up way past my bedtime.

Thank you to Flatiron Books and NetGalley for the advanced reader's copy, which I received in exchange for an honest review.  The book officially comes out on January 23rd, 2024!

2023 TOTAL SO FAR: 33

NONFICTION

Nothing this month.

2023 TOTAL SO FAR: 3

MANGA/GRAPHIC NOVELS

1. Dekoboko Sugar Rush! vol. 4 by Atsuko Yusen

2. Confessions of a Shy Baker vol. 3 by Masaomi Ito

3. The Way of the Househusband* vol. 10 by Kousuke Oono

2023 TOTAL SO FAR:  29 volumes of manga and 3 graphic novels

MOVIES

1. Four Lions*:  A group of British Muslims decide to become suicide bombers...and would you believe this is a comedy?  A very dark one to be sure, but there are some really damn funny scenes in this; one involving an argument about a "bear" had me in hysterics.  Major caveat: we watched this on DVD and the only subtitles were in Spanish, which neither of us speak, so if you need subtitles due to hearing impairments or because you have a hard time understanding the accents, like us, you might find it tough going.  

2. Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 3*:  The Guardians fight to save Rocket in the bittersweet final (allegedly) installment of the series.  Definitely the best GotG movie in my opinion, and the best Marvel movie in quite some time too.

3. Insidious: The Red Door:  Dalton (the possessed boy from the original movie) goes off to college, but his demons continue to haunt him.  Not scary or particularly good, though a friend of his provides a few laughs.

3. Fast X*:  I'm not going to bother with a plot summary, because honestly, who cares?  All you really need to know is that this is the best installment of the Fast and the Furious series in a long time.  It's got lots of car chases, plenty of eye candy no matter what your preferences, and Jason Momoa having a blast as a wisecracking villain.

4. The Sisters Brothers:  The titular brothers (John C. Reilly and Joaquin Phoenix) go in search of an alchemist (Riz Ahmed) who stole from their boss.

5. Hidden Strike:  The plot of this was so muddled I don't think I can sum it up!  It takes WAY too long to get going, but eventually it has some good action sequences and Jackie Chan and John Cena are fun together.

 2023 TOTAL SO FAR: 42

media update: July

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.

Not a lot of movies this month since I started playing Lost Judgment, which is the sequel to one of my top ten favorite video games and, predictably, is eating my life!

FICTION

1. Dark Corners by Megan Goldin:  A true crime podcaster goes undercover to look for a missing influencer.

2. Penance* by Eliza Clark:  The horrific murder of a teenage girl by three of her friends rocks a small seaside town.  If you're familiar with the Shanda Sharer case, the details are very similar, so take that as a warning if that will upset you.  Disturbing and provocative.

3. The Shards by Bret Easton Ellis:  In Los Angeles in the early eighties, a fictionalized version of the author has his privileged life upended by a serial killer.  If it had been trimmed by at least 300 pages (it's just shy of 600), it could have been fantastic, but its length means a whole lot of filler and not enough (literal) killer.  Still, it's extremely evocative of a certain time and place, so if you lived in or near Los Angeles in the eighties, you'll find much to savor here.  I think it could make a great movie.

4. An Evil Heart by Linda Castillo:  Police chief Kate Burkholder investigates the crossbow murder of a young Amish man.

5. I Did It for You by Amy Engel:  Fourteen years after the murder of her sister and her sister's boyfriend, and immediately following a copycat murder of two other teenagers, Greer returns to the small Kansas town where she grew up in search of answers.

2023 TOTAL SO FAR: 30

NONFICTION

Nothing this month.

2023 TOTAL SO FAR: 3

MANGA/GRAPHIC NOVELS

1. Confessions of a Shy Baker vol. 2 by Masaomi Ito

2. Mame Coordinate by Sachi Miyabe

3. Dekoboko Bittersweet Days by Atsuko Yusen

4. My Dress-Up Darling vol. 9 by Shinichi Fukuda 

2023 TOTAL SO FAR:  26 volumes of manga and 3 graphic novels

MOVIES

1. Nimona*:  Ballister Boldheart (voiced by Riz Ahmed) is about to be knighted when a tragedy occurs.  Wrongfully accused of the crime, he goes on the run and meets a curious new ally in the form of Nimona (voiced by Chloe Grace Moretz), a cheerfully anarchic shapeshifter.  The animation is serviceable but nothing special; however, the movie more than makes up for it with excellent queer rep, heart, and humor.

2. The Covenant*:  After an Afghan interpreter saves an American soldier's (Jake Gyllenhaal) life, the soldier seeks to return the favor.  

3. Renfield*:  Renfield (Nicholas Hoult) has been Dracula's (Nicolas Cage at his Nicolas Cage-iest) servant for decades, but he's starting to get real sick of Dracula's shit, and he starts to wonder if he can make a life of his own.  Gory, gooey fun.

 2023 TOTAL SO FAR: 37