Hello, book nerds!
What a month this was. From a hurricane to more than a handful of birthdays, it was quite literally a jam-packed month. Here’s some of my highlights.
- BREATH MINTS / BATTLE SCARS: This is a Dramione fanfiction (aka: Draco x Hermione) that is no longer available on AO3. With lots of angst and drama, I actually quite enjoyed this. Beware, this is a toxic romance in this fic.
- DOPAMINE NATION: The anecdotes in this one were interesting, but overall it was not what I expected. I thought with it discussing what Lembke calls the “age of indulgence,” that there would be more on social media and smartphones, but it was about the typical addictions like alcohol and drugs. (Not that those aren’t problems worthy of discussion, but the title definitely implies that it’s bringing something new to the table and it did not). I also felt the author used the research to back up her own views, rather than discussing the research in its own right, so it lacked the academic rigor I expect for this kind of read.
- MISTRESS OF LIES: Since this was an ARC that I gave less than 3 stars, I did not post my review here on the blog. But you can find my Goodreads review here.
- WHEN THE MOON HATCHED: The first act was great, and then it fell apart. I’m posting my full review this week; I had a lot to say about this one.
- Full reviews are posted for the others:
- SHREK: When the power was out after the hurricane, we went to my parents’ house. They had power but not Internet. Know what that means? Busting out this classic on DVD. 5 stars for nostalgia and the fact that it never disappoints.
- DEADPOOL & WOLVERINE: What a cameo queen. This was the fan service the MCU needed, and what fans deserved. It was perfectly unserious.
- BRIMSTONE: Don’t get me wrong, there was some amazing acting in this one. But damn, it just felt like edgelord writing (but make it pretentious, so they can say “we’re not being edgelords, we’re making serious art!”). Just one trauma after another, which was fine for the first half, but by the second half it started to feel like they threw in more and more outrageous things/deaths that didn’t actually do anything for the plot, themes, or character development, but for shock value or emotion baiting.
- SCENE QUEEN: I saw this album at the record store, and the art immediately got my attention. I listened right away because I needed to know what this was, and man, I was hooked. Albums rarely do that for me; this was sick. I loved it.
- THE LAST DINNER PARTY: I’ve recently been hooked on watching music videos on YouTube. I haven’t been into music videos since I was a kid, and I was blown away in general by the new trends. Anyway, two videos that I liked were “The Feminine Urge” and “Nothing Matters” by The Last Dinner Party. Honorable mention to another of their songs, “My Lady of Mercy.” They have a very 80s sound.
- AARON FRAZER: My husband strikes again. As the resident record collector in our house, he obviously influences a lot of my music selection. Here’s one he got last month that I liked the vibe of.
Another influence from my husband. I’m skilling up by playing this one, and slowly getting the hang of which buttons do what things. The NPC goons have some funny lines, especially when they spot Batman. The one that cracks us up most and which we haven’t been able to stop saying is, “It’s the freaking bat!” Anyway, it’s a fun time.
