Linda Naughton's Blog: Self-Rescuing Princesses, page 3

For All Mankind - Season 4 Review

Factions clash over a priceless asteroid in the sci-fi drama's dramatic fourth season.

There's a moment midway through season 4 of For All Mankind where astronaut Ed Baldwin laments the fact that so many of the Helios crew on Happy Valley station don't appreciate being on Mars. It's passé to them; they're just there for the paycheck. This contrast between the Old Guard of NASA pioneers and the New Blood of Helios workers is the heart of the season's conflict, but also reflects a tonal shift in th...

The Spy Coast - Book Review

A retired spy's past comes back to haunt her in this twisty thriller.

The Spy Coast by Tess Gerritsen is equal parts spy drama and mystery, but what sets it apart from others in the genre are the characters: main character Maggie Bird and her friends are all retirement-age ex-CIA agents. They have settled in a sleepy town in rural Maine, hoping to find some peace. But when a loose end from one of Maggie's old missions comes back to haunt her, it can upend things for them all. Maggie and her frien...

EMP Aftermath (Broken World) - Book Series Review

An uplifting tale of family bonds amidst the end of the world.

I just finished the final book of the EMP Aftermath series by Grace Hamilton (Broken World through Lawless World). With their perfect mix of thrills, medicine, and family ties, I thoroughly enjoyed all six books in the series.

Book Description:
No power. No law & order. No safety net. The world as everyone knows it is over.

Laurel is stabilizing a patient in the ER when the power goes out. As she struggles to keep her patients alive, s...

The Marvels - Movie Review

The MCU's latest entry is a fun space adventure with heart.

After hearing all the backlash against The Marvels, I went into it braced for disappointment. I walked out wondering if those critics had seen the same movie I had. The Marvels is an entertaining, wholesome, and all-around fun space adventure. The fact that it has three kick-butt female superheroes is just icing on the cake. The kids and I loved it.

The film begins with the three heroes off in their own corners of the galaxy. Carol (Capta...

Babylon 5: The Road Home - Movie Review

B5 returns in a nostalgic road trip through the multiverse.

Babylon 5 is one of my all-time favorite TV shows. It was a pioneering adventure in cohesive storytelling—a five-year serialized novel. I was thrilled to learn that, after years of campaigning, creator J. Michael Straczynski (JMS) finally got a green light to bring B5 back as an animated film. Babylon 5: The Road Home captures the spirit of the original in a nostalgic tribute.

The story begins with Captain Sheridan leaving Babylon 5 after...

Mare of Easttown - TV Review

Kate Winslet shines in a compelling, complex drama.

For a murder mystery series, Mare of Easttown spends an astonishing amount of time on stuff that has nothing to do with the murder. When I first saw Easttown during the height of the pandemic, that struck me as a negative. Chock full of distractions, red herrings, and mundane interactions, the story seemed to meander. It was only after a second viewing that I could set aside my desire to know whodunnit and realize that it was never really about ...

Spider-Man: Across the Spider-Verse - Movie Review

Miles and Gwen return in another multi-verse masterpiece.

I gushed over Into the Spider-Verse awhile back, and Across the Spider-Verse is the rare sequel that actually outshines the original. Amidst a glut of multi-verse this and multi-verse that, the Spider-Verse shows how to do it right. It's not just a good superhero movie, it's just a great movie by any measure.

All the things that made the first film great are back. The animation is next-level, seamlessly blending together different animation...

The Honeymoon Heist - Book Review

It surprises no one that Pike and Jennifer can't have a normal honeymoon.

While boating with Pike, Knuckles comments about Pike's upcoming Italian honeymoon with Jennifer, "And knowing how you two operate, I'm sure there's going to be a shitshow at the end anyway." Clearly he knows his friends all too well, because Pike and Jennifer barely have time to hit a few tourist traps before they find themselves in the cross-hairs of some very bad people.

Book Description:

Between the delectable meals, the ...

The Last Thing He Told Me - TV and Book Review

An engaging family drama with a side of suspense.

Is there such a thing as a cozy thriller? If there is, The Last Thing He Told Me, by Laura Dave, fits the bill. Though hyped as a mystery thriller, the story is light on actual thrills, and even the main mystery played second fiddle to the family drama at its core. Even so, that drama drew me in—first to the book, which I read last summer, and more recently to the Apple TV miniseries based on it. Since the series is a pretty faithful adaptation (D...

Guardians of the Galaxy 3 - Movie Review

Solid storytelling caps the original Guardians trilogy.

Pitched as the finale to the first Guardians of the Galaxy trilogy, Guardians 3 is a satisfying, heart-warming wrap for the original team. It gives each a chance to shine individually, while also highlighting their teamwork and relationships. Sure, in typical Guardians fashion, there were some over-the-top and downright bizarre moments along the way, but it worked.

The story focuses on Rocket's origin story, delving into the genetic engineeri...