media update: November

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 Queen by Nick Cutter:  When a woman receives an iPhone on her front porch loaded with messages from her missing best friend, her investigation leads her to a shocking discovery.  If body horror isn't your thing, stay far away from this book because it is GOOEY!

2. Bloodguard by Cecy Robson:  A gladiator fighting to save his family gets a chance at freedom when an elven princess proposes to him.  It doesn't exactly reinvent the romantasy wheel, but it's enjoyable enough.

3. Greenwich* by Kate Broad:  Rachel is a teenage girl who goes to live with her rich aunt and uncle for the summer.  She forms a friendship with their nanny Claudia, but when a tragedy turns the family against Claudia, Rachel has to figure out where her allegiances lie.  The writing is so deft and self-assured it was hard to believe this is the author's debut novel.  I imagine this will be a hot book club pick.

Thank you to NetGalley and St. Martin's Press for the ARC!  This book is scheduled for publication on July 22nd, 2025.

2024 TOTAL SO FAR:  38

NONFICTION

1. I'll Look So Hot in a Coffin by Carla Sosenko:  The author was born with a rare disorder that, among other things, caused her legs to be different sizes and a large mass on her back.  This memoir discusses her struggles with dating, her weight, and her need to belong.  Candid and funny.

Thank you to NetGalley and Random House for the ARC!  This book is scheduled for publication on May 6th, 2025.

2. Alive Day* by Karie Fugett:  Months after the author eloped with her boyfriend Cleve, he was deployed to Iraq.  His vehicle was hit by an IED and he suffered severe injuries that led to the amputation of his leg.  This memoir details the struggles Cleve had with both the physical and mental trauma, the toll it took on his relationship with his wife, and Karie's desperate attempt to get him care.  It's a gritty and devastating look at how we both applaud and neglect our military veterans.

Thank you to NetGalley and Random House for the ARC!  This book is scheduled for publication on May 20th, 2025.

2024 TOTAL SO FAR:  14

MANGA/GRAPHIC NOVELS

1. Bad Dreams in the Night by Adam Ellis

2. Let's Eat Together, Aki & Haru vols. 2-3 by Makoto Taji

3. My Dress-Up Darling vol. 12 by Shinichi Fukuda 

2024 TOTAL SO FAR:  32 volumes of manga and 10 graphic novels

MOVIES

1. Borderlands:  Based on the video game series, this is an incomprehensible dud that's only slightly redeemed by Jack Black's voiceover as the robot Claptrap.

2. Don't Move:  A woman is kidnapped by a serial killer who injects her with a paralytic drug.  Tense and gripping.

3. The Substance*:  An actress (Demi Moore) who's devastated by getting older undergoes an experimental procedure that has terrible side effects.  It's possibly one of the grossest movies I've ever seen, with one scene involving a piece of chicken (IYKYK) making me groan so loudly Momo jumped off the couch.  It's not exactly saying anything new or profound---I'm sure everyone knows that Hollywood feeds off youth and beauty---but it sure does say it with truly nasty style.

3. Deadpool & Wolverine*:  Deadpool (Ryan Reynolds) recruits an extremely reluctant Wolverine (Hugh Jackman) to save his universe.  Funny as hell, gleefully gory, stocked with great cameos, and a damn good time.

4. Time Cut:  A teenage girl travels back twenty years to save the sister she never knew from a serial killer.  Very similar to Totally Killer, but not nearly as good.  

Side note: the product placement in this is so blatant it's actually hilarious.  At one point, the main character steals someone's Butterfinger and he pulls another one OUT OF A DEDICATED JAR IN HIS GARAGE.  Then a group of people goes to Olive Garden (which, BTW, doesn't look like any Olive Garden I've ever been to) and the server asks if one person will have the usual and she says something like "Yes, with unlimited breadsticks please!" and the camera pans to the big Olive Garden logo on the menus.  Like, I'm all for securing the bag, but damn.

5. The Platform 2:  A gory sequel to the movie about people kept in a prison with a strange way of feeding them.

2024 TOTAL SO FAR:  88