Friday, January 28, 2022

The Lost Daughter by Elena Ferrante

The Lost Daughter by Elena Ferrante
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

As always, Elena Ferrante's is a fantastic writer and unafraid to present bleak tales.

She doesn't shy away from dark topics and even darker personalities, and you probably won't love the people you meet in this short book. But damn, you'll want to see where it goes and appreciate the character development along the way.

The Lost Daughter is a tale of imperfect motherhood, and also a story of what it is to be the daughter of an imperfect mother. The main mother here, Leda, simply wasn't into motherhood all that much. She can be selfish and unkind, and provides food for thought on how motherhood isn't the same experience for everyone. 

Friday, January 21, 2022

The Vacationers by Emma Straub

The Vacationers by Emma Straub
My rating: 3 of 5 stars

I had trouble rating this book. It worked the magic of keeping me engaged and happy to return to it (in between bouts of indulging my new Bravo addiction), but it didn't blow me away.

This story of infidelity, family and figuring out what you want in life had a crispness to it, an easy style. But a certain depth was missing for me, I'm not sure what it was. This would be a good read for the beach or plane, being breezy and entertaining without offering much challenge or complexity.

I mean that as a compliment, truly — sometimes I want a light read, but not so light as to be pointless or poorly written, and this book is neither of those things. 

Friday, January 14, 2022

Misfits: A Personal Manifesto by Michaela Coel

Misfits: A Personal Manifesto by Michaela Coel
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

Writer and actor Michaela Coel lays her life bare in so many ways through her work. Ways that seem scary, dangerous and difficult, but she's fierce enough to reveal what most would hide from the light.

Misfits is the text of a lecture she gave in 2018. In it, she cracks herself open to share thoughts on individuality, not fitting in, and doing what you can to make things better as you go. It's honest and powerful and kinda badass, just like she is.

This book is like a mini memoir, and it was both satisfying and left me wanting a full-fledged memoir from Coel at some point. 

Friday, January 7, 2022

Ark by Veronica Roth

Ark by Veronica Roth

Ark by Veronica Roth
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

This is a beautiful short story, submerged in a sense of pending doom and loss as the end of the world nears. Hope flowers nonetheless (little pun intended there).

There were many lines I loved for various reasons. Here's an example of the author's lovely way with words:
The wind shifted, and flakes of ash blew toward her face, pricking at her eyes. One landed on her lip, and she tasted it with her tongue. It tasted like burned leaves curling up at the edges in the flames, like musty old coats, like breaths you could see unfurling.
Evan Rachel Wood delivers a pitch-perfect narration, capturing the story's mood. This is lovely as a listen or a read.  

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Saturday, January 1, 2022

What to Watch January 2022

What to Watch January 2022

The new year started off with a flash of fireworks displays in cities around the world, and it's kicking off with a bang on streaming, too! In January, I look forward to a slew of new shows and movies, with highlights including The Righteous Gemstones Season 2 and the final season of Search Party on HBO Max, The Eternals on Disney Plus, The Tender Bar on Amazon Prime Video (based on a book I very much loved), and so much more. 

As always, I've compiled a list of shows I'd like to see that are coming soon, and I'm sharing it here along with links to everything coming to those streaming services so you can go through and pick your own must-watch viewing. Most of what I've collected is on streaming, but a few shows can be found on old-fashioned network TV. And away we go!