August Recap
Sep. 8th, 2024 10:22 pm![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png){kind=small}
sleepypapercrownsAugust was far too hot so I hunkered down and spent all my time reading. It’s finally going to get colder starting tomorrow so just imagine me coming alive again while rising out of my coffin like a vampire.
The Six Deaths of the Saint by Alix E. Harrow (2022, short story/fantasy)
Very interesting time loop short story that’s about taking back agency over your life. Had a great time reading this on a train and will definitely check out some of Alix E. Harrow’s full length novels.
It’s lonely at the centre of the earth by Zoe Thorogood (2022, graphic novel/memoir)
This one comes with a heavy warning for suicidal ideation and depression. It was very hard to read because of that, but the art style is unlike anything I’ve seen before. Very experimental and with 4th wall breaks. All in all an incredible visual feast, but a harrowing read.
The Haunting of Hill House by Shirley Jackson (1959, horror/literary)
I read this withmerryofsoul since it was a big part of Cat Sebastian’s You Should Be So Lucky. I really enjoyed the first half. It had some good spooky moments, it was a lot funnier than I expected and I enjoyed Theo and Eleanor’s dynamic. However, from the middle onwards I was just so confused. I had no grab at all on what was going on or what the book wanted to say. If you want to read it, it seems like the ebook is free on Amazon.
Exhalation by Ted Chiang (2019, sci-fi/short stories)
Finally, finally, I finished this collection of short stories that has been on my coffee table since March. My brain is not made for collections of short stories at all. After every story my brain went “If story over, why book left?” I could've easily put this away and forgotten about it so many times AND I liked the second story best and then nothing ever lived up to it. Ugh. This is so universally beloved so I am sure it’s just a me problem though.
A Magical Girl Retires by Park Seolyeon (2024, fantasy/queer)
Should’ve been more gay! It was a quick and easy read with some heavier themes that don’t go into detail. I wished that it was longer. Not a lot of Korean fantasy sci-fi/fantasy gets translated which I find sad, I need more!
The Pairing by Casey McQuiston (2024, contemporary romance/queer)
If it’s still warm where you live or will be so later in the year, this is THE sexy summer book to read. My GOD. I completely flew through this and (referencing the Emily Henry I read last month) I understood the main conflict AND liked the resolution to that? Wow, incredible. All the food descriptions made me hungry, I’ve been craving good wine ever since and when I grow up I want to have a little bakery on the south coast of France. (Also: that yacht scene was a lot, yeah uh-huh.)
Artificial Condition by Martha Wells (2018, sci-fi)
I’m having SUCH a good time re-reading the murderbot novellas! I totally forgot that ART already appears in this one. Cynical ART and still lost murderbot protecting three tiny humans is just a delightful time all around. If you’ve been reading my recaps and still haven’t picked up the murderbot diaries then what are you even doing!! (Kidding, but they’re just really good.)
Half a Soul by Oliva Atwater (2020, historical/fantasy/romance)
Such a cute little romance with a faerie mystery twist! I was a bit disappointed in the end about how short it was because my physical copy included a short story that I thought was 30 more pages of the main story. The “bad guy” was incredibly cartoonish and silly which made the resolution feel unearned but alas this is a YA. If you like Freya Marske but want zero spice then this might be for you.
Private Rites by Julia Armfield (2024, speculative fiction/queer)
Haunting, bleak and depressing, but beautifully written. The last 25 pages were bonkers. I really don't know what to say about this book because it left me feeling so low and that’s not at all what I look for in books...I think I am mostly reading for escapism and fun so this one was far too bleak for me.
Abbott Elementary Season 3 (2021, comedy)
Honestly? I didn’t really like this season as much as the first two. We spent most of the season re-doing the exact same pining from season 2 and with the same end result too! I don’t know that we’ve got a lot of character development happening. I also thought that they really upped all the pop culture references this season which I found grinding. It’s not even trying to be its own thing anymore with all these references. Hm.
Dead Boy Detectives (2024, action/adventure)
I really enjoyed watching this but was definitely surprised when suddenly there were some straight relationships happening because it felt so obviously queer to me, oh well. It was cancelled because of the Neil Gaiman sexual assault allegations, which is very disappointing and I could throw him into a vulcano, so yeah. :)
Anyone But You (2023, comedy/romance)
Easy to watch rom-com with some scenes where I had so much second hand embarrassment that I had to stop and take a lap around my flat.
The Gray Man (2022, action/thriller)
Chris Evans has a porn ‘stache and that is truly the smallest of the movie's offences. Horrible. (I don’t know why I keep watching these movies either..)
The Batman (2022, action/crime)
I’m not a long-time Batman fan so I watched this without any prior knowledge of all these characters and it was fine? Just fine. Very dark, very long and I cannot take Robert Pattinson seriously, sorry.
American Fiction (2023, comedy/drama)
Movie club with H pick! I liked the core of this movie but found the family drama to feel very disconnected and therefore couldn’t connect fully to the characters. Maybe I would’ve liked the book better.
Challengers (2024, comedy/drama)
Every movie is best watched while stopping every 20 minutes to discuss with a friend which of the characters is the most horrible. So I obviously had a great time re-watching this with L.
- What All This Time Was For by lady_ragnell (daredevil, matt/foggy)
- fortune favors the bold by tullycat (ateez, seonghwa/san/mingi)
Books
The Six Deaths of the Saint by Alix E. Harrow (2022, short story/fantasy)
Very interesting time loop short story that’s about taking back agency over your life. Had a great time reading this on a train and will definitely check out some of Alix E. Harrow’s full length novels.
It’s lonely at the centre of the earth by Zoe Thorogood (2022, graphic novel/memoir)
This one comes with a heavy warning for suicidal ideation and depression. It was very hard to read because of that, but the art style is unlike anything I’ve seen before. Very experimental and with 4th wall breaks. All in all an incredible visual feast, but a harrowing read.
The Haunting of Hill House by Shirley Jackson (1959, horror/literary)
I read this with
merryofsoul since it was a big part of Cat Sebastian’s You Should Be So Lucky. I really enjoyed the first half. It had some good spooky moments, it was a lot funnier than I expected and I enjoyed Theo and Eleanor’s dynamic. However, from the middle onwards I was just so confused. I had no grab at all on what was going on or what the book wanted to say. If you want to read it, it seems like the ebook is free on Amazon.Exhalation by Ted Chiang (2019, sci-fi/short stories)
Finally, finally, I finished this collection of short stories that has been on my coffee table since March. My brain is not made for collections of short stories at all. After every story my brain went “If story over, why book left?” I could've easily put this away and forgotten about it so many times AND I liked the second story best and then nothing ever lived up to it. Ugh. This is so universally beloved so I am sure it’s just a me problem though.
A Magical Girl Retires by Park Seolyeon (2024, fantasy/queer)
Should’ve been more gay! It was a quick and easy read with some heavier themes that don’t go into detail. I wished that it was longer. Not a lot of Korean fantasy sci-fi/fantasy gets translated which I find sad, I need more!
The Pairing by Casey McQuiston (2024, contemporary romance/queer)
If it’s still warm where you live or will be so later in the year, this is THE sexy summer book to read. My GOD. I completely flew through this and (referencing the Emily Henry I read last month) I understood the main conflict AND liked the resolution to that? Wow, incredible. All the food descriptions made me hungry, I’ve been craving good wine ever since and when I grow up I want to have a little bakery on the south coast of France. (Also: that yacht scene was a lot, yeah uh-huh.)
Artificial Condition by Martha Wells (2018, sci-fi)
I’m having SUCH a good time re-reading the murderbot novellas! I totally forgot that ART already appears in this one. Cynical ART and still lost murderbot protecting three tiny humans is just a delightful time all around. If you’ve been reading my recaps and still haven’t picked up the murderbot diaries then what are you even doing!! (Kidding, but they’re just really good.)
Half a Soul by Oliva Atwater (2020, historical/fantasy/romance)
Such a cute little romance with a faerie mystery twist! I was a bit disappointed in the end about how short it was because my physical copy included a short story that I thought was 30 more pages of the main story. The “bad guy” was incredibly cartoonish and silly which made the resolution feel unearned but alas this is a YA. If you like Freya Marske but want zero spice then this might be for you.
Private Rites by Julia Armfield (2024, speculative fiction/queer)
Haunting, bleak and depressing, but beautifully written. The last 25 pages were bonkers. I really don't know what to say about this book because it left me feeling so low and that’s not at all what I look for in books...I think I am mostly reading for escapism and fun so this one was far too bleak for me.
Shows
Abbott Elementary Season 3 (2021, comedy)
Honestly? I didn’t really like this season as much as the first two. We spent most of the season re-doing the exact same pining from season 2 and with the same end result too! I don’t know that we’ve got a lot of character development happening. I also thought that they really upped all the pop culture references this season which I found grinding. It’s not even trying to be its own thing anymore with all these references. Hm.
Dead Boy Detectives (2024, action/adventure)
I really enjoyed watching this but was definitely surprised when suddenly there were some straight relationships happening because it felt so obviously queer to me, oh well. It was cancelled because of the Neil Gaiman sexual assault allegations, which is very disappointing and I could throw him into a vulcano, so yeah. :)
Movies
Anyone But You (2023, comedy/romance)
Easy to watch rom-com with some scenes where I had so much second hand embarrassment that I had to stop and take a lap around my flat.
The Gray Man (2022, action/thriller)
Chris Evans has a porn ‘stache and that is truly the smallest of the movie's offences. Horrible. (I don’t know why I keep watching these movies either..)
The Batman (2022, action/crime)
I’m not a long-time Batman fan so I watched this without any prior knowledge of all these characters and it was fine? Just fine. Very dark, very long and I cannot take Robert Pattinson seriously, sorry.
American Fiction (2023, comedy/drama)
Movie club with H pick! I liked the core of this movie but found the family drama to feel very disconnected and therefore couldn’t connect fully to the characters. Maybe I would’ve liked the book better.
Challengers (2024, comedy/drama)
Every movie is best watched while stopping every 20 minutes to discuss with a friend which of the characters is the most horrible. So I obviously had a great time re-watching this with L.
Fic
- What All This Time Was For by lady_ragnell (daredevil, matt/foggy)
- fortune favors the bold by tullycat (ateez, seonghwa/san/mingi)
