I feel like I’m going to slow down on my weekly reading soon. I’m
already at 28 books for the year (according to Goodreads) and my goal this year
was to read fewer (yet longer) books, and I’m not doing that. That said, I’m planning to read 2-3 things this
week anyway. *sigh*
Here’s what I did last week.
Books
Big Mushy Happy Lump, a Sarah’s
Scribbles Book by Sarah Anderson: B.
Like her first collection, this is mainly a compilation of things Sarah
Anderson posted on social media. Unlike
her first collection, Sarah includes text interludes halfway through where she
gives some insight on some life challenges. These interludes come out of
nowhere after a standard copy/paste of some of her most well-known comic strips
for almost 100 pages, so it’s a little jarring to have the text—and it made me
wish the book was written this way. Reservations
aside, Sarah’s comic strips are still hilarious, and I enjoyed the extra text
about serious topics: anxiety, loneliness, and stealing sweaters from loved
ones.
The Receptionist by Janet
Groth: C. This memoir was a chore to
get through (even on audiobook…), as the author’s tangents didn’t interest me
as much as the synopsis led me to believe that it would. Also, there wasn’t enough conflict to justify
its length. All in all, the material doesn’t warrant a 200+ page memoir;
rather, I’d suggest this biography to be a long article that you’d find in…ironically
enough…The New Yorker.
Movies
Gifted: C. This is the kind of movie that plays out exactly as the trailer
suggests. Saving it from bargain bin material is newcomer Mckenna Grace, who
plays the seven year old character with all of the emotional maturity that is
expected of her. I could take or leave
the Chris Evans/Lindsay Duncan legal drama—not because the acting isn’t decent,
but because the banter didn’t elicit a natural emotional response, especially
because the script is kind of awful.
Wilson: B-. Woody Harrelson is having a ball with this material, and his
infectious attitude rubs off on costars Laura Dern, Judy Greer, and Margo Martindale
(the latter only appearing in one scene). I felt a bit bored with the movie in
its third act, which occurs almost in spite of what we have come to expect from
the character.
Personal Shopper: B. The audience I saw this movie with
was AWFUL. Two women behind me kept
talking about their dogs and how well behaved they were. One woman thought it
necessary to analyze every piece of clothing in the film (and based on the movie
title and trailers, you can guess there are numerous pieces of clothing on
display). Oh, and one person before the
movie asked if this was a romantic comedy…blissfully unaware of any promotional
poster (including the one right outside the theater) which proclaimed it a
thriller. As far as the movie goes, I
enjoyed it! It picks up the pace and continues its intense suspense, and ends
on a high note. Kristen Stewart has become one of the most interesting actors
of her generation. Who saw this coming?
Here’s what I’m planning to read and watch this week.
Books
Highbone Theater by Joe Daly:
I was browsing the graphic novel section at Books a Million last week and this
piqued my interest. The black and white
art design, along with the synopsis, which included the word “introvert” to
describe the main character, made me request this at my local library.
It’s Kind of a Funny Story by
Ned Vizzini: Like last week, this may or
may not happen, depending on how my week goes.
You Are Here: An Owner’s Manual
for Dangerous Minds by Jenny Lawson: If I can find a copy of this, I’ll
read it. I didn’t know it was a book with stories in it until my friend Gina
mentioned it.
Movies
The Most Hated Woman in America:
Hello, Netflix original movie! Speaking
of Netflix…
Being 17: I hear this is supposed
to be decent.
The Zookeeper’s Wife:
Previews look good; I love Jessica Chastain.
Life: This didn’t get watched
last week (I also didn’t catch Power
Rangers), so let’s see if it happens this week.
There’s an LGBTQ “festival” (read: like seven indie films) in St. Louis
this week, so I may catch a couple of those.
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