media update: September

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. Jigsaw by Jonathan Kellerman:  Dr. Alex Delaware and his homicide detective buddy Milo Sturgis investigate when the dismembered body of a former cop is found in a freezer.  A quick and enjoyable read.

Thank you to NetGalley and Ballantine Books for the ARC!  This book is scheduled for publication on February 3rd, 2026.

2025 TOTAL SO FAR: 17

NONFICTION

1. The Man No One Believed by Joshua Sharpe:  A deep dive into the 1985 murders of Harold and Thelma Swain at their rural Georgia church.

2025 TOTAL SO FAR: 9

MANGA/GRAPHIC NOVELS

1. Cat + Gamer* vol. 8 (final volume) by Wataru Nadatani 

2. Super-Dimensional Love Gun by Shintaro Kago:  This is one of the grossest things I've ever read, which is really saying something!  It's a collection of stories with grotesque themes (one example: a woman collects everything her crush touches, with unfortunate consequences for his new girlfriend).  I definitely don't recommend it for anyone with a weak stomach; I had a difficult time finishing it and I'm hardly a horror noob.  

2. Adabana by Non

3. Hi, It's Me Again by Asher Perlman

2025 TOTAL SO FAR: 12 volumes of manga and 6 graphic novels

MOVIES

1. Together:  A couple (Dave Franco and Alison Brie) take codependency to a whole new level when their bodies start fusing together after a night in a mysterious cave.  It's nowhere near as gross as The Substance, but stay far away if you don't like body horror because it still gets gooey.

2. A Working Man:  Levon (Jason Statham), a former soldier now working in construction, puts his former skills to good use when his boss's daughter is abducted.  Look, the thing about a lot of Jason Statham movies is that they ain't necessarily gonna have a coherent plot, but Jason will always deliver the goods.

3. Warfare:  An incredibly intense movie about an attempt to rescue severely wounded soldiers during the Iraq war.  Based on a true story.

4. The Thursday Murder Club:  A group of seniors at a retirement home solve cold cases in their spare time, but then a fresh case hits close to home.  

5. Elio:  The title character is an orphaned young boy who wants to be abducted by aliens, but when he gets his wish, he gets caught up in an intergalactic conflict.  Hardly one of Pixar's masterpieces, but better than I thought it would be.

6. Superman*:  The Man of Steel tries to stop Lex Luthor from starting a major war.  Enjoyable, and although writer-director James Gunn had to rein in his notoriously irreverent sense of humor a bit, it still has some funny lines and scenes.

7. Ballerina*:  An elite assassin (Ana de Armas) seeks revenge for her father's death in this action thriller set in the John Wick universe.  The plot is standard revenge thriller, but man, the action is top notch!  It's gory, innovative, and a lot of fun.  I'm sorry it tanked at the box office, but I hope people catch it on streaming or DVD because it deserves an audience.

8. Elvis:  This biopic about Elvis Presley spends a bit too much time focusing on his predatory manager (an oddly hammy Tom Hanks) and glosses over Elvis' grooming of Priscilla, but it's visually stylish and features an astonishingly good performance by Austin Butler, who not only nails the look and voice but the vulnerability.

9. M3GAN 2.0:  The title character, a self-aware android created as a child's companion, returns with her trademark attitude to take on a new threat.  To paraphrase G, it's as fun as it is goofy, and it is very, very goofy.

10. Kandahar:  An undercover agent and his translator have to travel through hostile territory to reach an extraction point.  A lot more serious than you'd expect considering Gerard Butler is in it (and that is NO shade to Gerard Butler, whose work I generally enjoy quite a bit, but he does tend to make, shall we say, more popcorn-y flicks).

2025 TOTAL SO FAR: 72

media update: August

This is a pitiful media update, at least as far as books go!  A couple reasons for that:  I was finishing up Pirate Yakuza and I spent waaaaaay too much time on Reddit and match 3 mobile games.  I did finally stop playing Hidden City after almost ten years and god knows how many hours, so I thought maybe that would help free up at least an hour a day, but nope!  Mindless scrolling and matching.  I know nobody is keeping a scorecard of how I spend my free time, but next month I definitely want to read more.

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 River Is Waiting by Wally Lamb:  After a tragic accident caused by his drinking, Corby is sent to prison, where he tries to find out if he can ever be forgiven.  I had a major problem with numerous aspects of this book, which---combined with a massive amount of melodrama, some breathtakingly offensive homophobia, and an unlikeable narrator---made me very happy when I finally finished.

2025 TOTAL SO FAR: 16

NONFICTION

Nothing this month.

2025 TOTAL SO FAR: 8

MANGA/GRAPHIC NOVELS

1. Confessions of a Shy Baker vol. 5 by Masaomi Ito

2025 TOTAL SO FAR: 9 volumes of manga and 5 graphic novels

MOVIES

1. I Love You Forever:  Mackenzie is thrilled when she begins dating handsome and charming Finn, but he begins to show a darker side.  It's a very tonally dissonant movie; it's a stark look at an emotionally abusive and manipulative relationship, but there's a lot of funny dialogue too.  I was also distracted by how much Ray Nicholson looks like his father Jack, which is hardly his fault, but it took me out a little.

2. Final Destination Bloodlines*:  A new generation tries to cheat death with predictably brutal results.  A wild opening scene and some delightfully complex kills.

3. Freelance:  An ex-soldier (John Cena) takes a job as security for a journalist (Alison Brie), but things go haywire.  A mediocre action comedy slightly elevated by the cast.

4. Until Dawn:  Clover and her friends go looking for her missing sister, but they get caught in a time loop fighting killers and monsters.  Ostensibly related to the video game, but they basically only share a title, plus the game is actually good.  

5. Thunderbolts*:  A group of antiheroes is forced to work together to stop a man with especially threatening superpowers.  Lots of great action and a terrific performance by Florence Pugh as Yelena Belova, Black Widow's sister.

Side note #1:  the title of this movie officially has an asterisk after it, but I did also give it a star!  I just didn't want to add "their" star because then it looks like I gave it a double star, and it's really good, just not double star good.

Side note #2: one of the writers' names looked familiar, so I looked it up and she writes for The Bear, which might explain why some of the more dramatic scenes hit so well.

6. Novocaine*:  Nathan Caine (Jack Quaid) is a mild-mannered assistant manager who is unable to feel physical pain.  When his bank is robbed and a coworker he has a crush on is kidnapped, he uses his unique ability to go on a rescue mission.  It's BRUTAL---I covered my eyes a couple of times---but it's got solid action and some exquisitely dark humor.  A lot of fun if you can handle it!

7. Fight or Flight*:  A man (Josh Hartnett) tasked with protecting an important person discovers the plane they're on is full of assassins.  Funny and absolutely packed with terrific action scenes.  

8. Karate Kid: Legends:  After moving to New York City, Lee Fong decides to enter a karate tournament with the help of two especially accomplished sensei:  Mr. Han and Daniel LaRusso (Jackie Chan and Ralph Macchio).  Predictable, but it has some enjoyable martial arts scenes.

9. Borderline:  A stalker breaks into the home of the celebrity (Samara Weaving) he's obsessed with.  More of a quirky black comedy than a horror movie, but still fun.

Side note: this is the THIRD movie I've watched starring Ray Nicholson this month (1 and 6 on this list being the others) and the fourth this year (Smile 2 in January). Someone's agent is working overtime!

2025 TOTAL SO FAR: 62

media update: July

This is a sparse update because I treated myself to Pirate Yakuza in Hawaii for my birthday (a much better gift than last year, which was covid), and predictably it has eaten my life.  I don't know how RGG Studios keeps managing to absolutely obsess me with every game, but I ain't complaining!  Playing a new Yakuza game on the couch next to G is my idea of heaven.

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. Rage by Linda Castillo:  Ex-Amish police chief Kate Burkholder investigates when  a dismembered body is discovered in the woods.

2. Maggie; or, A Man and a Woman Walk Into a Bar by Katie Yee:  Shortly after her husband announces that he's leaving her for a woman named Maggie, the unnamed narrator finds out she has breast cancer.

3. House of Beth by Kerry Cullen:  After ditching her big city life, Cassie flees to her hometown and ends up marrying her old friend Eli, whose wife Beth recently died.  Unfortunately for Cassie, Beth's spirit is still hanging around.

2025 TOTAL SO FAR: 15

NONFICTION

Nothing this month.

2025 TOTAL SO FAR: 7

MANGA/GRAPHIC NOVELS

1. Clementine vol. 3 by Tillie Walden

2025 TOTAL SO FAR: 8 volumes of manga and 5 graphic novels

MOVIES

1. The Last Showgirl:  A Las Vegas showgirl (Pamela Anderson) tries to cope with the news that the show she's starred in for decades is ending.

2. The Old Guard 2:  A group of immortal warriors battle a powerful foe in this somewhat disappointing sequel.

3. Heads of State:  The U.S.president and the British prime minister (John Cena and Idris Elba) must put their mutual dislike aside to stop a global conspiracy to disband NATO.  Some good action.

4. Sinners*:  In 1932, twin brothers (both played by Michael B. Jordan) open a juke joint in the Mississippi Delta, but they run into trouble with some unwelcome customers.  I think it was a little overhyped, but I still enjoyed it.

5. Ziam:  A martial artist fights to rescue his girlfriend from a zombie-infested hospital.  I was SO LOOKING FORWARD to this because come on, Muay Thai and zombies?  Unfortunately, it was not very good.

2025 TOTAL SO FAR: 53

media update: June

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. We Are All Guilty Here* by Karin Slaughter:  Small town sheriff Emmy Clifton investigates the disappearance of two local girls, one of whom is her best friend's  stepdaughter.  This book was really good until about the last fifty pages, at which point it became gasp out loud great.  As with almost everything Karin Slaughter writes, though, it has a LOT of potentially triggering content, so read with care.

2025 TOTAL SO FAR: 12

NONFICTION

1. Murderland* by Caroline Fraser:  A look into why so many serial killers were rampant in the Pacific Northwest during the 70s and 80s.  The author won a Pulitzer for a previous book about Laura Ingalls Wilder (quite the topic switch!), so it's more scholarly and less lurid than most true crime books.  It's also fascinating.

2025 TOTAL SO FAR: 7

MANGA/GRAPHIC NOVELS

1. Love Murder Basketball by Kuruta Hito and Tsunderuuu

2. The Deviant** vol. 2 by James Tynion IV and Joshua Hixson

2025 TOTAL SO FAR: 8 volumes of manga and 4 graphic novels

MOVIES

1. Anora*:  The titular stripper (Mikey Madison, who won the best actress Oscar) thinks she's found the man of her dreams when she gets involved with the super rich son of a Russian oligarch, but suffice to say his parents don't approve of the match.  Very immersive (probably helped by the fact it doesn't have a score, just background music at clubs and such), raunchy, funny, and sad.

2. Never Let Go:  A single mom (Halle Berry) and her sons live deep in the woods, only venturing outside if they have ropes attaching them to the house to protect them from evil.  An interesting premise that needed some polishing.

3. The Accountant 2*:  Christian Wolff (Ben Affleck), an autistic forensic accountant with some unusual side skills, teams up with his brother (Jon Bernthal) to track down a missing family.  Entertaining, with some great banter between the brothers.

4. Mickey 17:  The title character (Robert Pattinson) is an expendable who's used for dangerous experiments and missions on a newly colonized planet.  Whenever he dies, he's "reprinted", which leads to complications when a new one is printed before Mickey 17 actually dies.  The satire was too heavy handed, which kept me from really enjoying the movie.

5. Peninsula:  A former soldier and his crew travel to zombie-infested South Korea to retrieve a truck full of money.  

6. KPop Demon Hunters*:  A Kpop girl group moonlights as demon hunters, but a new boy band might cause some complications for them.  Colorful and fun, with some real bangers on the soundtrack.

7. Mountainhead*:  Four tech bros meet up at a gorgeous, secluded mansion for a weekend that goes awry.  A super sharp black comedy.

8. My Mom Jayne:  Mariska Hargitay was only 3 years old when her mother, iconic blonde bombshell Jayne Mansfield, was killed in a car accident.  In this documentary, Mariska tries to learn more about Jayne and discloses a secret about herself.

2025 TOTAL SO FAR: 48

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. The Missing Half by Ashley Flowers:  Nic hasn't been able to move on since her sister's disappearance seven years ago, but when she meets the sister of another missing woman, she becomes determined to learn the truth.

2. Eat the Ones You Love* by Sarah Maria Griffin:  In an Irish shopping mall on its last legs both financially and physically, a sentient orchid controls a young florist.  Think Little Shop of Horrors but played completely serious, with the added bonus of nasty body horror.

2025 TOTAL SO FAR: 11

NONFICTION

1. Cellar Rat by Hannah Selinger:  A memoir about working in some of NYC's most iconic restaurants.  It's entertaining, though I was sad to read that Christina Tosi is apparently not a very nice person.  I used to like her so much I named one of my Neko Atsume cats after her!

2025 TOTAL SO FAR: 6

MANGA/GRAPHIC NOVELS

1. The Apothecary Diaries vol. 13 by Natsu Hyuuga and Nekokurage

2. Ao-chan Can't Study! by Ren Kawahara

3. My Dress-Up Darling vol. 13 by Shinichi Fukuda 

2025 TOTAL SO FAR: 7 volumes of manga and 3 graphic novels

MOVIES

1. Havoc:  A detective (Tom Hardy) has to rescue a politician's son when he pisses off a mob boss.  This movie was directed by Gareth Edwards, famous for The Raid, and when the first half-hour was kind of tame, I was surprised.  Then things picked up in a big way, and the squib budget must have been massive.  Worth a watch if you have a strong stomach; the nightclub fight alone is worth the figurative price of admission.

2. Paddington in Peru:  The lovable bear goes to Peru (sorry, spoiler?) in search of his missing Aunt Lucy.  I didn't like it as much as the first two movies, but it was still quite charming.

3. Last Breath:  When a deep sea diver is stranded on the ocean floor, his crew mates embark on a risky mission to save him.  Based on a true story.

4. Another Simple Favor:  This is a direct sequel, so I can't review it properly lest I spoil its predecessor.  It isn't as good, but some snappy dialogue, gorgeous scenery, and incredible outfits make it worth a watch.

5. Get Away:  A British family visit an isolated Swedish island for a mysterious festival; the vacation turns out to be anything but restful.  Think Midsommar but funny.

6. Black Bag:  The marriage of two spies (Michael Fassbender and Cate Blanchett) is put to the test when she's accused of betraying her country.

7. Captain America: Brave New World:  I mean...it was okay?  I don't really have more to say than that.

2025 TOTAL SO FAR: 40

media update: April

This is a bit of a sparse update as I spent a lot of time playing The Callisto Protocol (mini review: gorgeous graphics, tons of jump scares, and great atmosphere, but it was basically a Temu version of Dead Space with some really janky camera work and some frustrating fights) and binging Evil, in which a priest, an agnostic psychologist, and an ex-Muslim atheist techie try to debunk/prove supernatural occurrences at the behest of the Catholic church.  It's absolutely batshit and I love it.

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. Bat Eater and Other Names for Cora Zeng* by Kylie Lee Baker:  After her sister's horrific death during the height of the pandemic, crime scene cleaner Cora Zeng starts to notice a pattern of Asian women being murdered.  Gory, tense, and engrossing, with one of the best opening chapters I've read in a long time.

2. Every Sweet Thing Is Bitter by Samantha Crewson:  Providence Byrd returns to her small Nebraska hometown to look into the disappearance of her estranged mother.

2025 TOTAL SO FAR: 9

NONFICTION

Nothing this month.

2025 TOTAL SO FAR: 5

MANGA/GRAPHIC NOVELS

1. Avatar: The Last Airbender - Ashes of the Academy by Faith Erin Hicks and Peter Wartman

2025 TOTAL SO FAR: 4 volumes of manga and 3 graphic novels

MOVIES

1. The Electric State:  After a war between robots and humans, a teenage girl (Millie Bobby Brown) teams up with a drifter (Chris Pratt) to find her brother.  The cast was stacked, it was directed by the Russo brothers, and it was written by the guys who wrote some of the best MCU movies...and somehow it still wasn't very good.

2. Queer:  In 1950s Mexico, an American expat (Daniel Craig) falls in love with a younger man.  The second half wasn't nearly as good as the first half (ayahuasca was involved and it got really weird), but it's still compelling and has gorgeous cinematography.

3. Companion*:  Iris and Josh (Sophie Thatcher and Jack Quaid) go to a lakeside house for a getaway with friends.  Pro tip: know as little as possible before watching this movie for maximum enjoyment!  I'll just add that it's a blast.

4. Love Hurts:  A mild-mannered real estate agent (Ke Huy Quan) finds his past catching up to him.  The script desperately needed some fine tuning, but the action scenes were great.

5. Flight Risk:  A U.S. marshal (Michelle Dockery) transporting an informant (Topher Grace, definitely the highlight of the movie) runs into some unexpected snags on the flight.  Hardly a masterpiece, but it's tense and fun.

6. Heart Eyes:  A masked murderer attacks couples on Valentine's Day in this fun horror comedy.

2025 TOTAL SO FAR: 33

media update: March

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 Children of Eve by John Connolly:  Private investigator Charlie Parker takes on a missing person case, which has links to the disappearance of children connected to a cartel boss.  Another enjoyable entry in the series, especially when Angel and Louis show up, and it has more than a few sly surprises in store.

Thank you to NetGalley and Atria Books for the ARC!  The book is scheduled for release on May 6th.

2025 TOTAL SO FAR: 7

NONFICTION

1. Say Everything by Ione Skye:  A memoir by the actress about her acting heyday (most notably as John Cusack's obsession in Say Anything) and her high-profile relationships with Anthony Kiedis, Adam Horovitz of the Beastie Boys, and Jenny Shimizu.

2. Care and Feeding* by Laurie Woolever:  An absorbing and funny memoir about the author's time working in the food industry with superstars like Mario Batali and Anthony Bourdain.

3. The Tell* by Amy Griffin:  The author felt like she had it all, but chronic pain and a comment by her daughter led her to try microdosing.  She recovered memories of sexual assault and began the arduous path to healing. Raw and vulnerable, but be warned that the description of the abuse she suffered is horrifying and very graphic.

2025 TOTAL SO FAR: 5

MANGA/GRAPHIC NOVELS

1. Cat + Gamer* vol. 7 by Wataru Nadatani 

2. The Legend of Korra: The Mystery of Penquan Island by Kiku Hughes, Alex Monik, and Diana Sousa

3. The Deviant** vol. 1 by James Tynion IV and Joshua Hixson

4. The Way of the Househusband vol. 13 by Kousuke Oono

2025 TOTAL SO FAR: 4 volumes of manga and 2 graphic novels

MOVIES

1. The Crow:  This reboot of the 1994 film about an undead avenger was unnecessary, but at least it has one good scene at an opera house.

2. Heretic*:  Two Mormon missionaries stop by the home of Mr. Reed (Hugh Grant, who's excellent), a seemingly pleasant man who has some sinister tricks up his sleeve to test their faith.  An engrossing thriller with some really sharp and clever dialogue.

3. Watcher:  After moving to Romania with her husband, Julia (Maika Monroe) begins to suspect she's being watched, and the reports of a serial killer nicknamed the Spider are doing nothing to quell her fears.

4. The Lord of the Rings: The War of the Rohirrim:  A brave princess leads the resistance against a violent enemy in this beautifully animated movie.

5. Moana 2:  Moana sails the open seas in search of other tribes.  The songs are nothing special compared to the first one (Disney should have given Lin-Manuel Miranda a blank check and begged him to return) and overall it was enjoyable but forgettable.

6. Kraven the Hunter:  By the 20-minute mark, I was "kraven" a better movie!

7. Wicked*:  Shunned for her green skin, Elphaba (Cynthia Erivo) goes to Shiz Academy to learn magic, forming a bond with popular Glinda (Ariana Grande).  This is part one, and from what I understand the bulk of the good stuff is in it (I haven't seen the Broadway show), but however part two pans out, this was a really fun time.

8. I See You*:  A family is plagued by weird occurrences in their house and that's all I'm gonna say because you should know as little as possible before seeing this movie.  It was a really clever and fun surprise!

9. Gladiator II:  Years after the death of famous gladiator Maximus, a new contender (Paul Mescal) enters the arena.

10. The Order:   An FBI agent (Jude Law) tries to take down a white supremacist gang in this fact-based drama.

11. Den of Thieves 2: Pantera:  Nick O'Brien (Gerard Butler) goes to Europe in search of a diamond thief.  I liked the first one more, but this was still fun.  Plus, if I may paraphrase Patton Oswalt's essay on Jason Statham:  Gerard Butler will probably never be in an Oscar-winning movie, but he'll also never be in a boring one!

2025 TOTAL SO FAR: 27