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 K-pop 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

media update: February

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. Blob* by Maggie Su:  Vi finds a blob of unknown origin in the alley behind a bar and impulsively takes it home.  As it starts to become more sentient, she decides to mold it into her dream man, which doesn't quite go to plan.  Original and weirdly touching.

2. Soft Core* by Brittany Newell:  Ruth is a stripper and dominatrix whose life is disrupted when her boyfriend Dino mysteriously vanishes.  She struggles to hold herself together while she tries to figure out what happened.  Beautifully written and propulsive.  

Side note: I found this categorized as erotica, which I don't agree with.  It has sex in it, but that's not the main point of the story.  It's not a mystery or thriller, either.  It probably fits best in the literary fiction category.  Whatever it is, it's excellent!

2025 TOTAL SO FAR: 6

NONFICTION

Nothing this month.

2025 TOTAL SO FAR: 2

MANGA/GRAPHIC NOVELS

1. The Little Bird Sleeps by the Sea by Yuu Minaduki

2025 TOTAL SO FAR: 2

MOVIES

1. Back in Action:  A married couple (Cameron Diaz and Jamie Foxx) return to their former lives as spies when their cover is blown.  Hardly a masterpiece, but it has some good lines and was better than I expected.

2. Kinda Pregnant:  After her relationship falls apart, Lainey (Amy Schumer) becomes jealous of her pregnant best friend.  She impulsively tries on a fake baby bump and enjoys the attention, but things go wrong when she falls in love and has to maintain the lie.  It's decently funny.

3. My Old Ass**:  Elliott (Maisy Stella) is anxious to leave her small town for college.  She still has a few weeks left, so she decides to do shrooms with her friends, and she's visited by her future self (Aubrey Plaza), who has an extremely important bit of advice for her.

The title does it a real disservice (I think My Old Self would have worked better, especially with the double meaning); it makes it sound like a raunchy comedy, but although it has some funny lines and moments, overall it's a bittersweet coming of age movie that really moved me.  It's my first double star movie since 2023.

4. Seoul Station:  An animated prequel to the Korean zombie movie Train to Busan.

5. Flow*:  In a world devastated by flooding, a black cat teams up with a dog, a secretary bird, a capybara, and a lemur to survive.  Beautifully animated, albeit a little confusing at times (are they on Earth?  Why can these animals steer boats like, as G put it, professional gondoliers?), and---no exaggeration---I spent probably 90% of the movie in tears.

6. Vivarium:  A couple visits a house for sale and wind up trapped in this Black Mirror-esque mindfuck.

7. Elevation:  After mysterious creatures decimate 95% of the world's population, the survivors move above 8,000 feet, where the monsters won't go.  But a father (Anthony Mackie) has to venture into danger to get medical supplies for his son, and he takes a scientist (Morena Baccarin) who might have some ideas for saving humanity.  It's okay, but the dialogue really needed some work.

8. It's What's Inside*:  A group of friends play a party game with unexpected consequences.  For maximum enjoyment, try watching this without knowing any more than that!  All I'll add is that the editing is award-worthy.

9. Conclave*:  When the Pope dies, the conclave tasked with electing a new one runs into more than a few snags.  Surprisingly entertaining.

2025 TOTAL SO FAR: 16

media update: January

I finished Like A Dragon: Infinite Wealth earlier this month, so I got some decent reading/watching done!  To nobody's surprise, I loved LAD: IW and give it an easy 9 out of 10.  

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. Definitely Better Now by Ava Robinson:  Emma is celebrating one year of sobriety, but work and family issues start to test her resolve.

2. Cross My Heart by Megan Collins:  After receiving a heart transplant, Rosie begins corresponding with the widower of her donor via an anonymous online portal.  She starts to fall for him, but then she begins to wonder if his wife's death was an accident.  Engrossing and twisty.

Thank you to NetGalley and Atria Books for the ARC!  The book is out now.

3. The Three Lives of Cate Kay by Kate Fagan:  Cate Kay has just published a book that becomes a massive bestseller, but she has a secret she's desperately trying to outrun.  

4. A Killing Cold by Kate Alice Marshall:  Theo had a rough start in life, but after a whirlwind courtship, she's now engaged to a gorgeous rich dude named Connor.  But on a trip to his family's mountain retreat, she discovers a photo of herself as a kid with Connor's father, and she doesn't remember any of it.

NONFICTION

1. You'll Never Believe Me* by Kari Ferrell:  The author gained notoriety for being the "Hipster Grifter" (who I'd somehow never heard of despite being terminally online), committing check fraud, lying her way into (and out of) a job at Vice, and spending time in prison.  It's no surprise that Cat Marnell has a blurb on the front cover, because like Cat's book, I read it feeling like I should despise the author but I very much didn't.  It's a funny and acerbic book that's perfect for Orange Is the New Black fans.

Thank you to NetGalley and St. Martin's Press for the ARC!  The book came out on January 7th.

2. Sweet Nothings** by Sarah Perry:  I have a sweet tooth and I loved the author's previous book, so I was excited to read this.  It's a wonderful exploration of different kinds of candy mixed in with associated memories and highlighted by simple but evocative illustrations.  Just a heads up that not everything in this book is lighthearted; the author talks about a chronic vaginal infection and her mother's murder, for example.  I wasn't bothered, but I figured I'd mention it for those expecting a strictly sweet read.

Thank you to Mariner Books and NetGalley for the ARC!  The book will be published on February 4th.

MANGA/GRAPHIC NOVELS

1. Sweet for Sweets and Foreigners vol. 1 by Marina Sano

MOVIES

1. Speak No Evil*:  A family accepts an invitation to stay at the country estate of a couple they met on vacation; they should have stayed at a Holiday Inn instead, and not just for the breakfast buffet.  Super tense, and James McAvoy is really good as the host.

2. Carry-On*:  A TSA agent (Taron Egerton) working on Christmas Eve is forced to let a dangerous package go through the security checkpoint.  Tense and exciting, though I wish we had watched it on Christmas!  (Then again, we played Infinite Wealth all night so I was hardly bored or suffering.)

3. Alien: Romulus:  A group of space miners exploring a derelict ship finds...well, you can guess from the title.  It took a little bit of time to get going, but once it did, it had me on the edge of the couch.  Fair warning, some of the dialogue is difficult to understand so be ready to do some rewinding.

4. Juror #2:  The titular juror (Nicholas Hoult) is disturbed to discover he's got a personal connection to the case he's called for.

5. The Wild Robot*:  After a shipwreck leaves her stranded on a desert island, a robot named Roz (voiced by Lupita Nyong'o) finds herself caring for an orphaned gosling.  The trailer was awful so my expectations were low, but it's touching and surprisingly dark at times.

6. Smile 2*:  Pop star Skye Riley (Naomi Scott, excellent) begins to doubt her sanity when she sees grinning apparitions.  Nerve wracking and ultra gory.

7. Venom: The Last Dance:  I'm gonna be honest with you, I had some cans of White Claw Surge and enjoyed this but can't tell you dick about the plot.  It gets a star if paired with adult refreshments.

FYI:  Venom's lines are hilarious but damn near incomprehensible without subtitles.

media update: December

Happy (almost) New Year!  This year wasn't too bad overall aside from G and me getting covid (and coincidentally my brother at the same time) and you-know-who somehow getting re-elected.  On the plus side, I scored some freelance work I actually liked, went on a fun cruise with my family, and enjoyed many excellent books, movies, shows, and games.

Speaking of which, this is a pretty sparse media update by my usual standards because I started Like A Dragon: Infinite Wealth, and (predictably) it is eating my life.  Once I finish it, I will have played almost all of the Yakuza/Judgment/Like A Dragon games in just under four years!  (Dead Souls is very hard to find, expensive, and apparently not even all that good.  Hoping for a remake!)

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. PS: I Hate You by Lauren Connolly:  After her brother Josh dies, Maddie learns that he left a final request for her to scatter his ashes in the few states he never got a chance to visit.  Unfortunately, he also wants his best friend Dom to go along, and after a "pity finger bang" years ago, Dom is her least favorite person on earth.

2024 TOTAL:  39

NONFICTION

1. Kinda Korean by Joan Sung:  A memoir about growing up as the daughter of Korean immigrants, dealing with racism, and struggling with a "tiger mom".  I enjoyed it except for two things, one minor and one major.  First, the cover (a cartoon-style drawing of a bowl of noodles) makes this look like a food memoir, which it isn't.  It doesn't represent the content accurately in my opinion.  Second, and this REALLY bothered me, the author nonchalantly mentions a time when, in order to get back at her boss, she deliberately pours cleaning fluid into the office fishbowl.  At no time does she express regret for killing an innocent creature, and it stuck in my craw.  This anecdote comes near the end of the book; otherwise I probably would have quit reading it. 

Thank you to NetGalley and She Writes Press for the ARCs!  (They sent me a physical copy too, which has never happened before and was much appreciated.)  The book is scheduled for publication on February 25th, 2025.

2. Sucker Punch* by Scaachi Koul:  A raw, candid look at the author's failed marriage and the complex relationship she has with her Indian-Canadian family, especially her mother.  She's pretty hard on everyone in her life, but no one more so than herself.  I wish there was a glossary of some of the Indian terms she uses, but I always enjoy a good google so that's a pretty minor quibble.

Thank you to NetGalley and St. Martin's Press for the ARC!  The book is scheduled for publication on March 4th, 2025.

3. Sloppy by Rax King:  A collection of essays about the author's addictions and struggles with sobriety.  Funny and candid.

Thank you to NetGalley and Knopf for the ARC!  The book is scheduled for publication on July 29th, 2025.

2024 TOTAL:  17

MANGA/GRAPHIC NOVELS

1. Cat + Gamer* vol. 6 by Wataru Nadatani 

2. Adulthood Is A Gift! by Sarah Andersen

3. Cyanide & Happiness: Stab Factory by Kris Wilson and Rob DenBleyker

2024 TOTAL:  33 volumes of manga and 11 graphic novels

MOVIES

1. Twisters:  Storm chasers find themselves in danger when a major tornado hits Oklahoma.  Some good action, and dammit, yes, I'm finally willing to admit Glen Powell is charming.

2. Blink Twice*:  A cocktail waitress named Frida (Naomi Ackie) gets an invitation to a private island owned by tech billionaire Slater King (Channing Tatum).  At first it's a sunny, booze-soaked paradise, but Frida starts to suspect something sinister is going on.  Tense, beautifully edited, and adeptly directed by Zoe Kravitz, but pay attention to the trigger warning at the beginning.

3. Transformers One:  This animated movie tells the origin story of Optimus Prime and Megatron.  I'm not much of a Transformers fan, but it was fun.

2024 TOTAL:  91