Hello, book nerds!
August was a great month. I got some much needed down time and could engage with a variety of hobbies, on top of seeing friends or family most weekends. Here’s a summary of the media I consumed this month.
- THE MEMORY OF BABEL: This is book 3 in the Mirror Visitor series. I didn’t love it as much as the first two, but I still liked it. Full series review to come when I finish the last book!
- THE SONG OF ACHILLES: It was fine. Honestly, I found it kind of boring. Petroclus, the main character, had no personality or goals of his own, so I found him uninteresting to follow. In the end though, I had too little to say about it to warrant a whole review.
- THE NIGHT ENDS WITH FIRE: It was entertaining for what it was. It was a bit too YA for my tastes now. After I put it down for a few days, I found I didn’t feel like returning to it, so I DNF‘d at 33%.
- LUCY UNDYING: Since this was an ARC that I didn’t finish, you can read my Goodreads review here.
- THE GARDEN: This was a short story. I could see the potential deeper interpretations of the story, but that wasn’t enough to make me like it. It felt like an amateurish, “forced” sort of deep. It’s only 30 pages, and still I was skimming it.
- Full reviews posted for the others:
- THE IRON GIANT (1999): This was a re-watch for movie night with my friends. It’s a classic.
- BADLANDS (1973): This was an interesting older film. I found the juxtaposition of the crimes with their aloof manner entertaining. Definitely a spin on the classic ordinary-girl-falls-for-bad-boy story.
- EMILY (2022): This was the real winner of the month. I loved this film. This is my Pride & Prejudice, which I know is probably sacrilege to say, but I definitely connect more with this type of female main character compared to your typical Jane Austen fare. I didn’t expect the romance elements, and then I cried at the end. I was hooked in a way that movies rarely do for me. Emma Mackey was phenomenal, and I loved the cinematography.
- $UICIDEBOY$: Great performance, lots of good openers. Overall, good time.
- BLONDSHELL: I’m obsessed with this song. I don’t know what it is, but it scratches something for me. Very Avril Lavigne.
- LUVCAT: Another win for TikTok — I’ve seen recordings of this artist performing this song (and her outfits are always amazing) and I like it. I’ll be tracking future releases.
I have a blank wall that needs artwork, but I tend not to just purchase art outright. I’d like to start collecting prints from the museums I actually go to, or souvenirs from trips, and other cool items. So anyway, as part of that, I completed this puzzle and I’m going to hang it on that blank wall. I’ve already ordered my next puzzle, which is of La Belle Dame sans Merci by Frank Bernard Dicksee, another classic artwork I love.
