media update: September

Wow, I read TWO whole books this month!  Which is nothing compared to, say, a year ago, but better than I've been doing the last few months at least.

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. Malice by Jonathan Kellerman: Dr. Alex Delaware and his homicide investigator friend look into the murders of people who were trying to get ahead in life.  I thought the ending was a bit anticlimactic, but it's a fun, fast read.

Thank you to Ballantine and NetGalley for the ARC!  The book is scheduled for release on February 2nd, 2027.

2. This Immortal Heart by Jennifer Saint:  A retelling of the myth of Aphrodite, but unlike the author's previous mythological retellings, it's much heavier on the romance, which is probably unavoidable since it's about, you know, the literal goddess of love.  I appreciated the fact that Aphrodite is a total queer ally in this.

2026 TOTAL SO FAR:  9

NONFICTION

Nothing this month.

2026 TOTAL SO FAR:  4

MANGA/GRAPHIC NOVELS

Nothing this month.

2026 TOTAL SO FAR:  13 volumes of manga

MOVIES

1. The Mandalorian and Grogu:  The titular characters go in search of a missing member of the infamous Hutt family.  It's not particularly good, but it does feature a ton of Grogu (aka "Baby Yoda") being squeal out loud cute, so if that's appealing to you, it's worth a watch.

2. Supergirl:  Why was this so blah?  I really liked Milly Alcock as Supergirl, and the cameos from Superman were fun, but everything else was just...inert.

3. Disclosure Day:  A whistleblower plans to spill some massive secrets in this enjoyable Steven Spielberg thriller.

4. Scream 7:  Iconic final girl Sidney Prescott (Neve Campbell) is trying to live a quiet life, but when Ghostface targets her teenage daughter, she's ready to rumble again.  I have a major bone to pick about a plot element, but it's too spoilery to go into here.

2026 TOTAL SO FAR:  55