november

Books

Circe

This book reminded me how much I remember of Greek myth and tragedy. I loved it. Circe is such an excellent protagonist, at the edges of society, ousted from gods and man alike. If you’ve read the Odyssey, this is a must read.

Red Clocks

A bit too close to our dystopian reality for my liking, but this was well-written, and full of strong and interesting women. I read this as I was leaving Oregon, and so a lot of it was a little bittersweet. This reads as a more realistic (sadly) handmaid’s tale.

Movies

Skyscraper

So, so ridiculous and terrible… but also kind of great? Like, what if Die Hard wasn’t as good, and had the Rock in Hong Kong? I watched this so I could listen to this week’s How Did This Get Made, and I am glad I did.

The Girl in the Spider’s Web

We’re on our third Lisbeth actress, and while Claire Foy more than filled the shoes of Rooney Mara, the same can’t quite be said for whoever replaced Daniel Craig. This was a fun, twisty movie, that was inadvertently stressful for my partner because of all the snow and ice driving. Lisbeth continues to deliver her brand of justice, while “then Lisbeth hacks the thing” is a major plot device. Kudos to all the lesbians in this, and the giant case of dildos. Fun movie.

The Guilty

A wild single-room movie, that takes place completely over the phone. I love the narrative device, and the slow, dread-filled pacing. The movie largely takes place in your own imagination, helped along by excellent foley, and voice acting.

The First Purge

Yow, what a good mess. I don’t know why I love the Purge films, and to be honest, this one felt a little too real. However, I watched this on Halloween, so it fit my needs of a spooky, scary movie.

Halloween (2018)

This was goofy and fun, while still being a twisty thriller. Ultimately, these are morality tales about private property ownership, lol. A+ to Jamie Lee Curtis, and also all the random bit players. Definitely a good popcorn flick with friends.