Here's what I plan on reading and watching this week (10/23 - 10/29)

Next Monday is Halloween already?!

I’m not doing very well reading and watching scary things.  My media consumption included a thriller starring Ben Affleck (where his acting was the scariest thing about it), a documentary about the Duke lacrosse scandal, and a young adult book where the main character’s brother battles leukemia.  Okay, I take it back:  these things are scary—but it’s not the gory horror that I should be taking in.

Here’s what read and watched last week.

Books

Thirteen Reasons Why by Jay Asher:  B-.  Or, TH1RTEEN R3ASONS WHY, as the book cover is stylized.  I’m seeing Jay Asher with a friend this week, so I thought it was appropriate to read this beforehand.  It’s also my sister’s favorite book, so it’s good to see what she enjoys reading.  This book was fine.  I’m not sure what beyond the premise of the plot rubbed me the wrong way enough to only give this a B-.

Drums, Girls & Dangerous Pies by Jordan Sonnenblick:  C+.  This is the aforementioned leukemia drama written long before John Green made cancer trendy for young adult readers.  It’s a cutesy, innocuous debut novel that is written exactly like a debut novel—full of plot tropes and shoddy writing. 

The Emotionary by Eden Sher and Julia Wertz:  B.  Reviewed here.  I’m still baffled by The Fart Party.

I’m running short on time so I’m just going to list the movies I watched last week.

Movies

Love and Friendship:  B. 

American Honey:  B. 

The Accountant:  C.

Fantastic Lies:  B.

In honor of Halloween, the books and movies I plan on committing to are more of the horror variety.

Books

Psycho by Robert Bloch.  Psycho is one of my all-time favorite films, and while I was aware of its source material, I never got around to read it.  I found this on audiobook, so it should be quick.

The Birds by Daphne du Maurier.  Again with the Alfred Hitchcock source material, apparently.

Assorted short stories by Edgar Allan Poe.  This feels appropriate for the season.

Movies

The Birds (a rewatch).  I plan on watching this after reading the novella.

Hacksaw Ridge. I got an invitation to see this early.

I’m not sure what else I’ll watch—but I hope it falls in the horror genre.