I was thinking last night that I consume a lot of media, and I want to be more mindful about it. So I'm going to keep track, every Friday, of a selection of things I've read, watched, listened to, and played. This isn't comprehensive and it's not a best-of list -- just things that I remember when thinking over my week on Thursday night.
Books:
The Lotus Palace, by Jeannie Lin. WHY DIDN'T ANYONE TELL ME ABOUT JEANNIE LIN'S BOOKS?!? I feel like I have been wanting Asian historical romances FOREVER. This one is set in Tang Dynasty (which makes Heian Japan's capital city look like a sleepy little backwater town) and has one of the best romances I've seen. Lin doesn't shy away from the status and constraints of women at that time, but also shows the diverse ways women survived. I love the hero and heroine -- their conflicts are very real (not just their class difference, but they have some philosophical differences to overcome) and they're both so smart and brave. BONUS, there's a mystery! Basically the only thing it's missing is a unicorn.
The Giver, by Lois Lowry. I kind of don't get this book. Maybe it's not as obvious a premise to someone who's never read Le Guin's "The Ones Who Walk Away from Ormelas" but I was kind of like "Yeah, we get it, utopia is not perfect because people have to be sacrificed - AND?" and waiting for the twist -- which never came. I might feel differently if I'd read it as a twelve-year-old. The idea of being able to control memory is cool, though.
Crossed Genres Magazine 2.0 Book Two , Edited by Bart R. Leib and Kay T. Holt. I've read about 60% of this! Most of the stories are really great. I'm not usually a big short story reader, but it's nice to have a big collection. Crossed Genres does a really cool thing where they reserve a spot for a debut writer each issue -- unfortunately you can usually spot the debut story, since it's pretty weak in comparison. But overall it's a great collection and I'm reading Book One next.
Sampled:
Legacy Code, by Autumn Kalquist - Dystopian Sci-fi. I found the sample confusing, although there are some interesting ideas at play. It's not really clear what the story promise is. Also the writing is competent but not great. Doubt I'll purchase.
The Hidden Blade, by Sherry Thomas - Ooh, fun! Starts in 1873 and jumps between China and England, told from the POV of two children. Very intriguing, emotionally vibrant. I'll probably buy.
Queen's Gambit, by Elizabeth Freemantle - As someone who DEVOURED Phillipa Gregory's books, I was bound to love this. Set during the latter years of Henry VIII, it's about a clever widow who expertly navigates the dangerous politics of the Tudor court. Probable buy.
Butterfly Swords , by Jeannie Lin - A dual-wielding heroine and a foreign devil hero? SIGN ME UP. Another Jeannie Lin histoical set in Tang dynasty China. Oh man, my wallet is sure going to be sorry I ever discovered her. Because she has many, many books out and I WANT TO READ THEM ALL. Buy.
Capital in the Twenty-First Century , by Thomas Piketty -This is one of those books I know is "good for me" and will probably explain a lot but I'm almost too depressed to keep going. Income inequality makes me so upset and angry ... but maybe Piketty will offer some solutions? I don't know. I might put this on my wishlist and borrow it at the library.
The House of Hades (Heroes of Olympus, Book 4) by Rick Riordan. Not sure why I never got into the Percy Jackson series. I know reading this is kinda coming into the middle of the story but I found the sample way more interesting than the Lightening Thief sample I read ages ago. But interesting enough to buy? Probably not. This one's for the library list.
Yamada Monogatari: Demon Hunter by Richard Parks. I'll be honest, I was expecting this to be orientalizing but I was pleasantly surprised by the sample. It's got energy and spirit and I love the setting. (Ghosts in Heian Japan!) Probably a buy.
Films:
The Internship: It had funny bits, for sure, and this is the most I've liked Vince Vaughn since Swingers. But it seems like a giant ad for Google and some of the jokes that are supposed to mock how old Vaughn and Wilson are come off as really lame and unrealistic. (What 40-something actually says "on the line" instead of "online"??!?)
Jack Ryan: Shadow Recruit: It's basically Jack Ryan AKA Jason Bourne. Kevin Costner, I must say, has aged well, and Chris Pine has an appealing swagger but there's so much of this movie that seems utterly irrational. (And I'm trying not to be nitpicky about movies anymore but sometimes the details are just too weird.) Still, decent action movie and it's fun watching a great actor like Kenneth Branaugh really sink is teeth into the villain role.
Sky Crawlers: I'm still mulling over this one. It's dark. And very strange. But also incredibly beautiful.
TV:
Leverage, Season 1 Episode 8."The Mile High Job." So this show -- I'm very conflicted about this show. Sometimes I think it's great. Sometimes it's so boring. But I'm s huge sucker for heist shows and for ensemble shows, and it hits those buttons beautifully. Also, the message of taking down corrupt rich dudes is pretty timely. And, I love Gina Bellman (who will always be Crazy Jane from Coupling to me.)
Merlin, Season 5 Episode 8. "The Hollow Queen." This is a couple episodes where the show, for me, really starts to lose coherence. Women have never had it great in Camelot, and with Morgana reduced to smirking like evil-witch-lady and now, Guinevere suffering from Stockholm Syndrome, things are looking very bad for our ladies. I could GO ON about this plot point, but I won't. For now.
True Blood, Season 7 Episode 5. "Lost Cause." I'm still not over Alcide. It's almost as bad as when the Sherrif of Storybrook died. :( :( But this episode is gold if only because of Pam and "Republic*nts". Don't ever change, Pammy!
Games:
None this week! Any suggestions?
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