May media update
Books:
Incantation by Alice Hoffman - a haunting glimpse into the life of Spain's Ladino Jewish population in the 1500s. This was a fast and easy read, in spite of the eccentric narrative style and the heartbreaking subject.
I'm in the middle of C.J. Archer's Freak House series. It's historical & paranormal romantic mystery, I guess? I've read two of the three books, and while I wouldn't say I'm a huge fan, I do find the narrative interesting enough to read book three off and on, in between other books.
Three Weeks to Wed by Ella Quinn is possibly one of the worst romance novels I've ever not finished reading.
Courtney Milan's After the Wedding, on the other hand, was lovely. Not quite as delightful as a few of her other books, but definitely an enjoyable read. Solid escapist fiction with romance, plot, and fun dialogue.
Mastering the Art of French Eating, by Ann Mah, is my second "American goes to France and writes about food" book in the last year. It gave me serious France-envy. And foodie feelings too.
Y.S. Lee's A Spy in the House was a promising debut for a historical detective series, and I'll probably read more of them sooner or later. Biracial protagonist (Chinese-British) who just barely digs at her mixed feelings at 'passing' for white in a racist society.
Connie Willis continues to explore (mis)communication and romance in Crosstalk, which I liked but didn't love. But even mediocre Willis is worth a read by almost any standard.
The Nightingale by Kristin Hannah delves into the lives of two sisters in France during World War II, and the repercussions of their choices in the late 20th century. Solid storytelling even though I question a couple of the narrative choices.
Movies:
Without venturing into spoilers, I'll say that Solo: A Star Wars Story was enjoyable enough that I wouldn't mind seeing it again, but not so amazing that I absolutely must see it again.
The dismal box office (dismal for a Star Wars film) shouldn't be blamed on the film's lack of quality; it was... fine? Not great but good enough. I'd say the terrible marketing and the timing (between multiple blockbuster stories, only five months after The Last Jedi) are more to blame than anything else.
TV:
I really liked season two of Jessica Jones. No, it didn't have the star power of David Tennant as a creepy villain throughout the season, and our heroes made multiple thoroughly unlikable choices, but those choices were believably in character and leave us with an interesting setup for season three.
JJ is an obvious heir to Battlestar Galactica's style of feel-bad TV with a young female lead. No one should watch Jessica Jones with the expectation of fluffy or hopeful entertainment. But I think season two was a very solid follow-up to season one, and the women have so much agency... even when they're horrible in how they use that agency.
The huge caveat to JJ: characters of color do NOT fare well. Women of color die almost as fast as they get a name and a memorable scene or two.
Brooklyn Nine Nine finished its fifth season, was cancelled, and quickly uncancelled. Which makes me happy; I thought the finale showcased just how strong the writing and characterization have become. To think that I once dreaded - DREADED the possibility of any romance between Jake and Amy. And now I'm happily anticipating Jake and Amy as newlyweds, because if Mike Schur and company do one thing well, it's disproving the myth that a steady romance loses interest and appeal over time.
I'm behind on both Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D. and Timeless. Both have had a somewhat lackluster season, but I'll catch up sooner or later.
A Series of Unfortunate Events has a second season on Netflix... and I'm just not interesting. I enjoyed season one, but honestly, there are things I will enjoy watching more. Especially when the show is really more about aesthetic appeal than anything else.
Lost in Space is another Netflix offering, and I like the first two episodes. They stressed me out (child in peril always stresses me out), but they were interesting. Fingers crossed that the storyline does some justice to its many possibilities.
Posted at Dreamwidth: https://rose-griffes.dreamwidth.org/294132.html. Comment where you wish.
Incantation by Alice Hoffman - a haunting glimpse into the life of Spain's Ladino Jewish population in the 1500s. This was a fast and easy read, in spite of the eccentric narrative style and the heartbreaking subject.
I'm in the middle of C.J. Archer's Freak House series. It's historical & paranormal romantic mystery, I guess? I've read two of the three books, and while I wouldn't say I'm a huge fan, I do find the narrative interesting enough to read book three off and on, in between other books.
Three Weeks to Wed by Ella Quinn is possibly one of the worst romance novels I've ever not finished reading.
Courtney Milan's After the Wedding, on the other hand, was lovely. Not quite as delightful as a few of her other books, but definitely an enjoyable read. Solid escapist fiction with romance, plot, and fun dialogue.
Mastering the Art of French Eating, by Ann Mah, is my second "American goes to France and writes about food" book in the last year. It gave me serious France-envy. And foodie feelings too.
Y.S. Lee's A Spy in the House was a promising debut for a historical detective series, and I'll probably read more of them sooner or later. Biracial protagonist (Chinese-British) who just barely digs at her mixed feelings at 'passing' for white in a racist society.
Connie Willis continues to explore (mis)communication and romance in Crosstalk, which I liked but didn't love. But even mediocre Willis is worth a read by almost any standard.
The Nightingale by Kristin Hannah delves into the lives of two sisters in France during World War II, and the repercussions of their choices in the late 20th century. Solid storytelling even though I question a couple of the narrative choices.
Movies:
Without venturing into spoilers, I'll say that Solo: A Star Wars Story was enjoyable enough that I wouldn't mind seeing it again, but not so amazing that I absolutely must see it again.
The dismal box office (dismal for a Star Wars film) shouldn't be blamed on the film's lack of quality; it was... fine? Not great but good enough. I'd say the terrible marketing and the timing (between multiple blockbuster stories, only five months after The Last Jedi) are more to blame than anything else.
TV:
I really liked season two of Jessica Jones. No, it didn't have the star power of David Tennant as a creepy villain throughout the season, and our heroes made multiple thoroughly unlikable choices, but those choices were believably in character and leave us with an interesting setup for season three.
JJ is an obvious heir to Battlestar Galactica's style of feel-bad TV with a young female lead. No one should watch Jessica Jones with the expectation of fluffy or hopeful entertainment. But I think season two was a very solid follow-up to season one, and the women have so much agency... even when they're horrible in how they use that agency.
The huge caveat to JJ: characters of color do NOT fare well. Women of color die almost as fast as they get a name and a memorable scene or two.
Brooklyn Nine Nine finished its fifth season, was cancelled, and quickly uncancelled. Which makes me happy; I thought the finale showcased just how strong the writing and characterization have become. To think that I once dreaded - DREADED the possibility of any romance between Jake and Amy. And now I'm happily anticipating Jake and Amy as newlyweds, because if Mike Schur and company do one thing well, it's disproving the myth that a steady romance loses interest and appeal over time.
I'm behind on both Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D. and Timeless. Both have had a somewhat lackluster season, but I'll catch up sooner or later.
A Series of Unfortunate Events has a second season on Netflix... and I'm just not interesting. I enjoyed season one, but honestly, there are things I will enjoy watching more. Especially when the show is really more about aesthetic appeal than anything else.
Lost in Space is another Netflix offering, and I like the first two episodes. They stressed me out (child in peril always stresses me out), but they were interesting. Fingers crossed that the storyline does some justice to its many possibilities.
Posted at Dreamwidth: https://rose-griffes.dreamwidth.org/294132.html. Comment where you wish.