Michael May's Blog, page 72
January 16, 2019
74 Movies I Missed from 2018 (Part 2)
Annihilation
There's really no excuse for my missing this one. I was pretty interested in it and I certainly had opportunities, but I never got around to it.
Isle of Dogs
I dig some Wes Anderson stuff, but he's not an instant sell for me. These puppets are gorgeous though and dog movies are an interest in my house. More for my wife and son than for me, but their enthusiasm rubs off. In an unusual move, they went to see this while I was out of town, so I never circled back to catch up on it.
Black '47
Historical drama set in Ireland during the Great Famine. And look! Hugo Weaving.
A Wrinkle in Time
I didn't read the book until sometime in the last couple of years, so I don't have the nostalgic fascination with the story that many of my friends do. I find it pretty impenetrable in places, but that makes me more interested in seeing how other people approach and adapt it. This version didn't get great reviews, but I'm still curious.
Mary Magdalene
Another historical drama; this one featuring one of the Bible's most enigmatic and provocative characters. I really want to see what approach this film takes. Heckuva cast, too.
A Quiet Place
Another one that I absolutely should have seen already. I was super excited about it, never got around to it, decided to wait for Halloween, then got really busy then, too. Soooon...
Galveston
I'm pretty sure I have Nic Pizzolatto's novel on a shelf at home, having picked it up on a whim at a bookstore. (I was a fan of that first season of True Detective.) But really, I'm into this for Foster and Fanning.
Elizabeth Harvest
My interest is 80% about that poster, but I also like that the film starts with a gothic romance premise (a newly married woman is forbidden from entering a single room in her husband's house), but then takes it in a scifi direction.
Summer '03
Ahem. Moving on.
Paul, Apostle of Christ
Another Biblical biopic, but where Mary Magdalene is a mystery that I want to see explored, Paul is someone I have a fairly concrete vision of. My enjoyment of the film will likely depend on how closely it presents the Paul in my head, so it's basically like any Superman movie.
Rampage
David and I were gonna watch this together, but never got our schedules synchronized. That's my only excuse for not yet seeing The Rock and a bunch of giant monsters. It's a pretty bad excuse.
The Dark
A horror movie set in the woods? The heck you say!
Breaking In
I need to see more Gabrielle Union movies. I always forget that she was in 10 Things I Hate About You, but she was great in The Brothers and Almost Christmas and I want to see her kicking some butt.
Show Dogs
Yes yes, I will not blame you if you think this looks ridiculous. I could totally blame my interest on my dog-loving family again. But honestly, the dog in that poster - with Stanley Tucci's voice - is something I 100% unironically choose to see.
Hotel Artemis
The trailer looks great and look at that cast. Jodie Foster. Jeff Goldblum. Dave Bautista. What is wrong with me for not having seen this already? I need to rethink my priorities.
Siberia
Keanu Reeves has never been a huge draw to me until recently, but post John Wick... I'm super interested.
Buffalo Boys
2018 was an interesting year for Westerns set in other countries. We had Sweet Country in Australia, Five Fingers for Marseilles in South Africa, and now Buffalo Boys in Indonesia. Buffalo Boys looks bonkers in the best possible way. I mean, look at the armor on that bruiser in the poster. And the trailer has a woman who's an archer. I can't wait to see this one.
Christopher Robin
I had written this off after the first trailer. First of all, I have feelings about the exploitation of Christopher Robin Milne and if we're going to have a movie about him, then I want it to be like Goodbye, Christoper Robin and actually have something to say about his experience growing up famous when he had no choice in the matter. At some point though, I realized that this film isn't about the real life son of AA Milne, but about the fictional character he wrote about, so I lightened up about that. But the first trailer was pretty depressing, so I decided that I still didn't need to see it. But then it actually came out and I heard good things. And if we're going to have Disney doing live-action versions of all their cartoons, I'd much rather them be sequels like this than straight-up remakes.
Down a Dark Hall
AnnaSophia Robb in a gothic horror tale set in a boarding school.
Destination Wedding
Look. It's okay to want to see Mina and Jonathan Harker in a cliché romantic comedy. Don't judge me.
To All the Boys I've Loved Before
Alright, going back to Summer '03. I couldn't write this with Joey King standing over me with ice cream dripping all down her hand, but I like me a good teen comedy/drama. It started with The Breakfast Club and continued to 10 Things I Hate About You, Easy A, and The Edge of Seventeen (among others that I'm forgetting). To All the Boys I've Loved Before is supposed to be pretty great.
Blue Iguana
I don't hear good things about Blue Iguana, but I have a soft spot for crime comedies. And this one has Sam Rockwell and Ben Schwartz in it.
He's Out There
Another horror movie set in the woods. It's like someone figured out that's an excellent setting for spooky shenanigans.
Operation Finale
Ben Kingsley stopped being an indicator of quality films a long time ago, but I'm a big fan of Oscar Isaac and this story sounds fascinating.
Roma
A slice-of-life story about a family in Mexico City wouldn't normally be my thing, but I completely trust Alfonso Cuarón. From A Little Princess to my favorite Harry Potter movie to Sandra Bullock in Space, I've loved every movie of his that I've seen. I don't know how I haven't yet seen Y Tu Mamá También and Children of Men yet. That's madness and I need to watch my way through his filmography this year.
There's really no excuse for my missing this one. I was pretty interested in it and I certainly had opportunities, but I never got around to it.
Isle of Dogs
I dig some Wes Anderson stuff, but he's not an instant sell for me. These puppets are gorgeous though and dog movies are an interest in my house. More for my wife and son than for me, but their enthusiasm rubs off. In an unusual move, they went to see this while I was out of town, so I never circled back to catch up on it.
Black '47
Historical drama set in Ireland during the Great Famine. And look! Hugo Weaving.
A Wrinkle in Time
I didn't read the book until sometime in the last couple of years, so I don't have the nostalgic fascination with the story that many of my friends do. I find it pretty impenetrable in places, but that makes me more interested in seeing how other people approach and adapt it. This version didn't get great reviews, but I'm still curious.
Mary Magdalene
Another historical drama; this one featuring one of the Bible's most enigmatic and provocative characters. I really want to see what approach this film takes. Heckuva cast, too.
A Quiet Place
Another one that I absolutely should have seen already. I was super excited about it, never got around to it, decided to wait for Halloween, then got really busy then, too. Soooon...
Galveston
I'm pretty sure I have Nic Pizzolatto's novel on a shelf at home, having picked it up on a whim at a bookstore. (I was a fan of that first season of True Detective.) But really, I'm into this for Foster and Fanning.
Elizabeth Harvest
My interest is 80% about that poster, but I also like that the film starts with a gothic romance premise (a newly married woman is forbidden from entering a single room in her husband's house), but then takes it in a scifi direction.
Summer '03
Ahem. Moving on.
Paul, Apostle of Christ
Another Biblical biopic, but where Mary Magdalene is a mystery that I want to see explored, Paul is someone I have a fairly concrete vision of. My enjoyment of the film will likely depend on how closely it presents the Paul in my head, so it's basically like any Superman movie.
Rampage
David and I were gonna watch this together, but never got our schedules synchronized. That's my only excuse for not yet seeing The Rock and a bunch of giant monsters. It's a pretty bad excuse.
The Dark
A horror movie set in the woods? The heck you say!
Breaking In
I need to see more Gabrielle Union movies. I always forget that she was in 10 Things I Hate About You, but she was great in The Brothers and Almost Christmas and I want to see her kicking some butt.
Show Dogs
Yes yes, I will not blame you if you think this looks ridiculous. I could totally blame my interest on my dog-loving family again. But honestly, the dog in that poster - with Stanley Tucci's voice - is something I 100% unironically choose to see.
Hotel Artemis
The trailer looks great and look at that cast. Jodie Foster. Jeff Goldblum. Dave Bautista. What is wrong with me for not having seen this already? I need to rethink my priorities.
Siberia
Keanu Reeves has never been a huge draw to me until recently, but post John Wick... I'm super interested.
Buffalo Boys
2018 was an interesting year for Westerns set in other countries. We had Sweet Country in Australia, Five Fingers for Marseilles in South Africa, and now Buffalo Boys in Indonesia. Buffalo Boys looks bonkers in the best possible way. I mean, look at the armor on that bruiser in the poster. And the trailer has a woman who's an archer. I can't wait to see this one.
Christopher Robin
I had written this off after the first trailer. First of all, I have feelings about the exploitation of Christopher Robin Milne and if we're going to have a movie about him, then I want it to be like Goodbye, Christoper Robin and actually have something to say about his experience growing up famous when he had no choice in the matter. At some point though, I realized that this film isn't about the real life son of AA Milne, but about the fictional character he wrote about, so I lightened up about that. But the first trailer was pretty depressing, so I decided that I still didn't need to see it. But then it actually came out and I heard good things. And if we're going to have Disney doing live-action versions of all their cartoons, I'd much rather them be sequels like this than straight-up remakes.
Down a Dark Hall
AnnaSophia Robb in a gothic horror tale set in a boarding school.
Destination Wedding
Look. It's okay to want to see Mina and Jonathan Harker in a cliché romantic comedy. Don't judge me.
To All the Boys I've Loved Before
Alright, going back to Summer '03. I couldn't write this with Joey King standing over me with ice cream dripping all down her hand, but I like me a good teen comedy/drama. It started with The Breakfast Club and continued to 10 Things I Hate About You, Easy A, and The Edge of Seventeen (among others that I'm forgetting). To All the Boys I've Loved Before is supposed to be pretty great.
Blue Iguana
I don't hear good things about Blue Iguana, but I have a soft spot for crime comedies. And this one has Sam Rockwell and Ben Schwartz in it.
He's Out There
Another horror movie set in the woods. It's like someone figured out that's an excellent setting for spooky shenanigans.
Operation Finale
Ben Kingsley stopped being an indicator of quality films a long time ago, but I'm a big fan of Oscar Isaac and this story sounds fascinating.
Roma
A slice-of-life story about a family in Mexico City wouldn't normally be my thing, but I completely trust Alfonso Cuarón. From A Little Princess to my favorite Harry Potter movie to Sandra Bullock in Space, I've loved every movie of his that I've seen. I don't know how I haven't yet seen Y Tu Mamá También and Children of Men yet. That's madness and I need to watch my way through his filmography this year.
January 15, 2019
Hellbent for Letterbox | Jeremiah Johnson (1972)
Pax and I continue our trail towards Butch and Sundance with the '70s Robert Redford mountain man Western, Jeremiah Johnson. There's also some Pony Express and I have thoughts about the King Arthur in the Wild West comic, Caliber.
January 14, 2019
73 Movies I Missed from 2018 (Part 1)
Last year was a record low for me seeing movies in the year they came out. I'll share some statistics next week, but my focus on older movies combined with there just being so many interesting films in 2018 that I have an unusually high number of movies in my Missed List this year. So many that I'm going to split this into three installments.
More or less in the order that they were released (though festival releases always mess with my being able to do that accurately):
Dim the Fluorescents
It's about a couple of creative people - an actor and a writer - who are struggling to break into their industries, but land a gig putting on some kind of corporate presentation. The trailer is funny, but what grabs me most is the juxtaposition between creative and corporate workspaces and the commentary on creative people looking for success in their fields.
Gemini
Lola Kirke plays the assistant to a Hollwood star (Zoë Kravitz) who gets murdered. When the assistant becomes a suspect in the case, she begins trying to solve the mystery herself. I usually like stories like that anyway, but this one promises some exploration of "friendship, truth and celebrity." I may be reading too much into that, but I'm hoping for some commentary on power, especially power that we willingly give someone else in order to achieve our own goals. I don't know if that's what Gemini is up to, but I'm curious to find out.
Or maybe I just really want to see John Cho as the police detective investigating the murder.
The Rider
A modern Western about a young rodeo champion who's injured and has to find something else to do with his life when rodeo seemed like the only way to better his situation. The main character is played by an American Indian kid who has been through exactly that situation and by all accounts it's a great performance and a great movie.
Claire's Camera
A couple of women strike up a friendship when one of them (Isabelle Huppert) takes a photo of the other (Min-hee Kim) and then helps her solve a mystery. It's not a criminal mystery or anything. Basically, Kim's character is fired for reasons she doesn't understand and Huppert tries to help her figure out why. I feel like the less details I have going into it, the more I'll enjoy it.
Trouble
Anjelica Huston and Bill Pullman play feuding siblings trying to gain control over their father's estate. Huston has a rifle. It's a comedy. Julia Stiles figures into it somehow.
Moss
That sleeveless hoodie really bothers me, but the rest of this has Southern Gothic all over it and I'm very much about that.
Sweet Country
A Western set in Australia starring an Aboriginal actor (his name is Hamilton Morris; I'm just unfamiliar with him), Sam Neill, and Bryan Brown (whom I liked in the '80s and then totally lost track of).
Euphoria
Eva Green is an instant sell for me.
Five Fingers for Marseilles
A Western set in South Africa sounds very cool.
The Children Act
Emma Thompson and Stanley Tucci. I don't care what it's about.
Indian Horse
About a Canadian First Nations kid growing up in the '70s. I'm very interested in stories that give me insight to the experience of American Indian and First Nations people.
The Bookshop
It's about a bookshop and it has Bill Nighy and Patricia Clarkson.
Paddington 2
I heard good things about Paddington, so when this poster (and a bunch of others featuring Hugh Grant in various costumes) showed up, I immediately put the sequel on my Watch List. I've seen the first one now and it's as funny and heartwarming as everyone says, which makes me even more excited about Sister Hugh.
Blindspotting
I love that we're getting more and more stories about what it's like to be Black in the US. This one was universally appreciated and I'm intrigued.
Monsters and Men
It's more or less Black Lives Matter: The Motion Picture. Which I don't mean to sound trite. I'm interested in this, Blindspotting, and Sorry to Bother You all for the same reasons.
Sorry to Bother You
Uses a bonkers fantasy plot to explore race in the United States. And telemarketing.
Colette
History is about to change, but my fascination with Keira Knightley is not.
Leave No Trace
The trailer opens with some gorgeous photography of a Pacific Northwest forest, then goes into a story about a man and his daughter trying to adjust to a normal life after being off the grid for years. I love the forest setting and am curious about both characters' perspectives.
Searching
I don't know how much patience I'm going to have with a movie told entirely through computer and mobile phone screens, but people say that it's great, so I'm hopeful that it'll keep my attention. If nothing else, it's got John Cho.
I Think We're Alone Now
Peter Dinklage and Elle Fanning at the End of the World.
Blaze
I know nothing about country musician Blaze Foley, but I'm becoming more and more fascinated by Ethan Hawke's career. I haven't seen any of the films he's directed, but this feels like an accessible one. And I'm nostalgic for films set in the '70s and '80s.
Tully
I missed Young Adult, but love Juno and have heard great things about the new film by director Jason Reitman and writer Diablo Cody.
Puzzle
Kelly Macdonald plays an unappreciated woman who finds comfort in putting together puzzles. Then she teams up with Irrfan Khan to enter a puzzle competition. I'd be interested just for the two actors, but I'm also intrigued by people who are super into puzzles. I find it a fun activity, especially when I'm putting one together with someone else, but it's much more than that for a lot of people and I'm eager for insight into why that is.
They Remain
I think mostly I just really like movies set in the woods. This one's got a really cool premise, though, as scientists investigate strange activity among animals near the site of an abandoned cult compound.
Psychokinesis
All I know is that it's directed by Train to Busan's Sang-ho Yeon. And based on the strength of that movie, that's all I need.
More or less in the order that they were released (though festival releases always mess with my being able to do that accurately):
Dim the Fluorescents
It's about a couple of creative people - an actor and a writer - who are struggling to break into their industries, but land a gig putting on some kind of corporate presentation. The trailer is funny, but what grabs me most is the juxtaposition between creative and corporate workspaces and the commentary on creative people looking for success in their fields.
Gemini
Lola Kirke plays the assistant to a Hollwood star (Zoë Kravitz) who gets murdered. When the assistant becomes a suspect in the case, she begins trying to solve the mystery herself. I usually like stories like that anyway, but this one promises some exploration of "friendship, truth and celebrity." I may be reading too much into that, but I'm hoping for some commentary on power, especially power that we willingly give someone else in order to achieve our own goals. I don't know if that's what Gemini is up to, but I'm curious to find out.
Or maybe I just really want to see John Cho as the police detective investigating the murder.
The Rider
A modern Western about a young rodeo champion who's injured and has to find something else to do with his life when rodeo seemed like the only way to better his situation. The main character is played by an American Indian kid who has been through exactly that situation and by all accounts it's a great performance and a great movie.
Claire's Camera
A couple of women strike up a friendship when one of them (Isabelle Huppert) takes a photo of the other (Min-hee Kim) and then helps her solve a mystery. It's not a criminal mystery or anything. Basically, Kim's character is fired for reasons she doesn't understand and Huppert tries to help her figure out why. I feel like the less details I have going into it, the more I'll enjoy it.
Trouble
Anjelica Huston and Bill Pullman play feuding siblings trying to gain control over their father's estate. Huston has a rifle. It's a comedy. Julia Stiles figures into it somehow.
Moss
That sleeveless hoodie really bothers me, but the rest of this has Southern Gothic all over it and I'm very much about that.
Sweet Country
A Western set in Australia starring an Aboriginal actor (his name is Hamilton Morris; I'm just unfamiliar with him), Sam Neill, and Bryan Brown (whom I liked in the '80s and then totally lost track of).
Euphoria
Eva Green is an instant sell for me.
Five Fingers for Marseilles
A Western set in South Africa sounds very cool.
The Children Act
Emma Thompson and Stanley Tucci. I don't care what it's about.
Indian Horse
About a Canadian First Nations kid growing up in the '70s. I'm very interested in stories that give me insight to the experience of American Indian and First Nations people.
The Bookshop
It's about a bookshop and it has Bill Nighy and Patricia Clarkson.
Paddington 2
I heard good things about Paddington, so when this poster (and a bunch of others featuring Hugh Grant in various costumes) showed up, I immediately put the sequel on my Watch List. I've seen the first one now and it's as funny and heartwarming as everyone says, which makes me even more excited about Sister Hugh.
Blindspotting
I love that we're getting more and more stories about what it's like to be Black in the US. This one was universally appreciated and I'm intrigued.
Monsters and Men
It's more or less Black Lives Matter: The Motion Picture. Which I don't mean to sound trite. I'm interested in this, Blindspotting, and Sorry to Bother You all for the same reasons.
Sorry to Bother You
Uses a bonkers fantasy plot to explore race in the United States. And telemarketing.
Colette
History is about to change, but my fascination with Keira Knightley is not.
Leave No Trace
The trailer opens with some gorgeous photography of a Pacific Northwest forest, then goes into a story about a man and his daughter trying to adjust to a normal life after being off the grid for years. I love the forest setting and am curious about both characters' perspectives.
Searching
I don't know how much patience I'm going to have with a movie told entirely through computer and mobile phone screens, but people say that it's great, so I'm hopeful that it'll keep my attention. If nothing else, it's got John Cho.
I Think We're Alone Now
Peter Dinklage and Elle Fanning at the End of the World.
Blaze
I know nothing about country musician Blaze Foley, but I'm becoming more and more fascinated by Ethan Hawke's career. I haven't seen any of the films he's directed, but this feels like an accessible one. And I'm nostalgic for films set in the '70s and '80s.
Tully
I missed Young Adult, but love Juno and have heard great things about the new film by director Jason Reitman and writer Diablo Cody.
Puzzle
Kelly Macdonald plays an unappreciated woman who finds comfort in putting together puzzles. Then she teams up with Irrfan Khan to enter a puzzle competition. I'd be interested just for the two actors, but I'm also intrigued by people who are super into puzzles. I find it a fun activity, especially when I'm putting one together with someone else, but it's much more than that for a lot of people and I'm eager for insight into why that is.
They Remain
I think mostly I just really like movies set in the woods. This one's got a really cool premise, though, as scientists investigate strange activity among animals near the site of an abandoned cult compound.
Psychokinesis
All I know is that it's directed by Train to Busan's Sang-ho Yeon. And based on the strength of that movie, that's all I need.
74 Movies I Missed from 2018 (Part 1)
Last year was a record low for me seeing movies in the year they came out. I'll share some statistics next week, but my focus on older movies combined with there just being so many interesting films in 2018 that I have an unusually high number of movies in my Missed List this year. So many that I'm going to split this into three installments.
More or less in the order that they were released (though festival releases always mess with my being able to do that accurately):
Dim the Fluorescents
It's about a couple of creative people - an actor and a writer - who are struggling to break into their industries, but land a gig putting on some kind of corporate presentation. The trailer is funny, but what grabs me most is the juxtaposition between creative and corporate workspaces and the commentary on creative people looking for success in their fields.
Gemini
Lola Kirke plays the assistant to a Hollwood star (Zoë Kravitz) who gets murdered. When the assistant becomes a suspect in the case, she begins trying to solve the mystery herself. I usually like stories like that anyway, but this one promises some exploration of "friendship, truth and celebrity." I may be reading too much into that, but I'm hoping for some commentary on power, especially power that we willingly give someone else in order to achieve our own goals. I don't know if that's what Gemini is up to, but I'm curious to find out.
Or maybe I just really want to see John Cho as the police detective investigating the murder.
The Rider
A modern Western about a young rodeo champion who's injured and has to find something else to do with his life when rodeo seemed like the only way to better his situation. The main character is played by an American Indian kid who has been through exactly that situation and by all accounts it's a great performance and a great movie.
Claire's Camera
A couple of women strike up a friendship when one of them (Isabelle Huppert) takes a photo of the other (Min-hee Kim) and then helps her solve a mystery. It's not a criminal mystery or anything. Basically, Kim's character is fired for reasons she doesn't understand and Huppert tries to help her figure out why. I feel like the less details I have going into it, the more I'll enjoy it.
Trouble
Anjelica Huston and Bill Pullman play feuding siblings trying to gain control over their father's estate. Huston has a rifle. It's a comedy. Julia Stiles figures into it somehow.
Moss
That sleeveless hoodie really bothers me, but the rest of this has Southern Gothic all over it and I'm very much about that.
Sweet Country
A Western set in Australia starring an Aboriginal actor (his name is Hamilton Morris; I'm just unfamiliar with him), Sam Neill, and Bryan Brown (whom I liked in the '80s and then totally lost track of).
Euphoria
Eva Green is an instant sell for me.
Five Fingers for Marseilles
A Western set in South Africa sounds very cool.
The Children Act
Emma Thompson and Stanley Tucci. I don't care what it's about.
Indian Horse
About a Canadian First Nations kid growing up in the '70s. I'm very interested in stories that give me insight to the experience of American Indian and First Nations people.
The Bookshop
It's about a bookshop and it has Bill Nighy and Patricia Clarkson.
Paddington 2
I heard good things about Paddington, so when this poster (and a bunch of others featuring Hugh Grant in various costumes) showed up, I immediately put the sequel on my Watch List. I've seen the first one now and it's as funny and heartwarming as everyone says, which makes me even more excited about Sister Hugh.
Blindspotting
I love that we're getting more and more stories about what it's like to be Black in the US. This one was universally appreciated and I'm intrigued.
Monsters and Men
It's more or less Black Lives Matter: The Motion Picture. Which I don't mean to sound trite. I'm interested in this, Blindspotting, and Sorry to Bother You all for the same reasons.
Sorry to Bother You
Uses a bonkers fantasy plot to explore race in the United States. And telemarketing.
Colette
History is about to change, but my fascination with Keira Knightley is not.
Leave No Trace
The trailer opens with some gorgeous photography of a Pacific Northwest forest, then goes into a story about a man and his daughter trying to adjust to a normal life after being off the grid for years. I love the forest setting and am curious about both characters' perspectives.
Searching
I don't know how much patience I'm going to have with a movie told entirely through computer and mobile phone screens, but people say that it's great, so I'm hopeful that it'll keep my attention. If nothing else, it's got John Cho.
I Think We're Alone Now
Peter Dinklage and Elle Fanning at the End of the World.
Blaze
I know nothing about country musician Blaze Foley, but I'm becoming more and more fascinated by Ethan Hawke's career. I haven't seen any of the films he's directed, but this feels like an accessible one. And I'm nostalgic for films set in the '70s and '80s.
Tully
I missed Young Adult, but love Juno and have heard great things about the new film by director Jason Reitman and writer Diablo Cody.
Puzzle
Kelly Macdonald plays an unappreciated woman who finds comfort in putting together puzzles. Then she teams up with Irrfan Khan to enter a puzzle competition. I'd be interested just for the two actors, but I'm also intrigued by people who are super into puzzles. I find it a fun activity, especially when I'm putting one together with someone else, but it's much more than that for a lot of people and I'm eager for insight into why that is.
They Remain
I think mostly I just really like movies set in the woods. This one's got a really cool premise, though, as scientists investigate strange activity among animals near the site of an abandoned cult compound.
Psychokinesis
All I know is that it's directed by Train to Busan's Sang-ho Yeon. And based on the strength of that movie, that's all I need.
More or less in the order that they were released (though festival releases always mess with my being able to do that accurately):
Dim the Fluorescents
It's about a couple of creative people - an actor and a writer - who are struggling to break into their industries, but land a gig putting on some kind of corporate presentation. The trailer is funny, but what grabs me most is the juxtaposition between creative and corporate workspaces and the commentary on creative people looking for success in their fields.
Gemini
Lola Kirke plays the assistant to a Hollwood star (Zoë Kravitz) who gets murdered. When the assistant becomes a suspect in the case, she begins trying to solve the mystery herself. I usually like stories like that anyway, but this one promises some exploration of "friendship, truth and celebrity." I may be reading too much into that, but I'm hoping for some commentary on power, especially power that we willingly give someone else in order to achieve our own goals. I don't know if that's what Gemini is up to, but I'm curious to find out.
Or maybe I just really want to see John Cho as the police detective investigating the murder.
The Rider
A modern Western about a young rodeo champion who's injured and has to find something else to do with his life when rodeo seemed like the only way to better his situation. The main character is played by an American Indian kid who has been through exactly that situation and by all accounts it's a great performance and a great movie.
Claire's Camera
A couple of women strike up a friendship when one of them (Isabelle Huppert) takes a photo of the other (Min-hee Kim) and then helps her solve a mystery. It's not a criminal mystery or anything. Basically, Kim's character is fired for reasons she doesn't understand and Huppert tries to help her figure out why. I feel like the less details I have going into it, the more I'll enjoy it.
Trouble
Anjelica Huston and Bill Pullman play feuding siblings trying to gain control over their father's estate. Huston has a rifle. It's a comedy. Julia Stiles figures into it somehow.
Moss
That sleeveless hoodie really bothers me, but the rest of this has Southern Gothic all over it and I'm very much about that.
Sweet Country
A Western set in Australia starring an Aboriginal actor (his name is Hamilton Morris; I'm just unfamiliar with him), Sam Neill, and Bryan Brown (whom I liked in the '80s and then totally lost track of).
Euphoria
Eva Green is an instant sell for me.
Five Fingers for Marseilles
A Western set in South Africa sounds very cool.
The Children Act
Emma Thompson and Stanley Tucci. I don't care what it's about.
Indian Horse
About a Canadian First Nations kid growing up in the '70s. I'm very interested in stories that give me insight to the experience of American Indian and First Nations people.
The Bookshop
It's about a bookshop and it has Bill Nighy and Patricia Clarkson.
Paddington 2
I heard good things about Paddington, so when this poster (and a bunch of others featuring Hugh Grant in various costumes) showed up, I immediately put the sequel on my Watch List. I've seen the first one now and it's as funny and heartwarming as everyone says, which makes me even more excited about Sister Hugh.
Blindspotting
I love that we're getting more and more stories about what it's like to be Black in the US. This one was universally appreciated and I'm intrigued.
Monsters and Men
It's more or less Black Lives Matter: The Motion Picture. Which I don't mean to sound trite. I'm interested in this, Blindspotting, and Sorry to Bother You all for the same reasons.
Sorry to Bother You
Uses a bonkers fantasy plot to explore race in the United States. And telemarketing.
Colette
History is about to change, but my fascination with Keira Knightley is not.
Leave No Trace
The trailer opens with some gorgeous photography of a Pacific Northwest forest, then goes into a story about a man and his daughter trying to adjust to a normal life after being off the grid for years. I love the forest setting and am curious about both characters' perspectives.
Searching
I don't know how much patience I'm going to have with a movie told entirely through computer and mobile phone screens, but people say that it's great, so I'm hopeful that it'll keep my attention. If nothing else, it's got John Cho.
I Think We're Alone Now
Peter Dinklage and Elle Fanning at the End of the World.
Blaze
I know nothing about country musician Blaze Foley, but I'm becoming more and more fascinated by Ethan Hawke's career. I haven't seen any of the films he's directed, but this feels like an accessible one. And I'm nostalgic for films set in the '70s and '80s.
Tully
I missed Young Adult, but love Juno and have heard great things about the new film by director Jason Reitman and writer Diablo Cody.
Puzzle
Kelly Macdonald plays an unappreciated woman who finds comfort in putting together puzzles. Then she teams up with Irrfan Khan to enter a puzzle competition. I'd be interested just for the two actors, but I'm also intrigued by people who are super into puzzles. I find it a fun activity, especially when I'm putting one together with someone else, but it's much more than that for a lot of people and I'm eager for insight into why that is.
They Remain
I think mostly I just really like movies set in the woods. This one's got a really cool premise, though, as scientists investigate strange activity among animals near the site of an abandoned cult compound.
Psychokinesis
All I know is that it's directed by Train to Busan's Sang-ho Yeon. And based on the strength of that movie, that's all I need.
January 11, 2019
22 Novels I Read Last Year
Here are all the novels I finished last year, from least favorite to most (more or less).
The Arizona Clan by Zane Grey
I picked this up when we visited Arizona a couple of years ago, because it takes place in an area where we spent a lot of time, but I just now got around to reading it.
Grey is a legendary writer, but this is a lesser work filled with paper-thin characters, hokey dialogue, and an uninspired plot about warring families and the drifter who gets caught between them because of a pretty girl.
The landscape descriptions are nice though and make me want to go back and visit Arizona again.
The Complete Adventures Of Senorita Scorpion, Volume 1 by Les Savage Jr
I was fully on board with a series of stories about a female, masked Western hero, but that's not what these are. Señorita Scorpion grows into an heroic character, but it takes a few stories for her to get there and she never does throw on a mask.
In the first tale, "Señorita Scorpion," we meet her through the eyes of a typical, male Western hero named Chisos Owens. He's not unlikable, but he's not compelling either and he's certainly not what I signed up for when I started the book. But Señorita Scorpion (better known in the stories by her actual name, Elgera Douglas) is a cool, mysterious character and I looked forward to getting to know her better in the sequel stories.
Sadly, she's used terribly in "The Brand of Señorita Scorpion," which has her as a helpless damsel in distress for Owens to rescue and help. Totally skippable.
"Secret of Santiago" is better and starts to let Douglas play a role in her own fate, but is still giving equal time to Owens and a new character, sheriff Johnny Hagar. The lawman is introduced to create a romantic triangle, which still makes this Owens' story with Douglas as the prize and Hagar as the obstacle. But Douglas does get to participate more in the action, so it's an improvement.
My favorite of the collection is "The Curse of Montezuma," partly because it's the most pulpy with its cult of Aztec revivalists who operate from a hidden city and exert mind control over their enemies. But mostly I love that it takes Owens out of the story early and lets Douglas actually become the hero, protecting her interests, taking revenge for the suffering of her loved ones, and ultimately saving the day for several people. I'd given up on the idea of Volume 2 until I got to this story, but finished it interested in continuing. If the rest are closer to this, I'd like to read them.
She: A History of Adventure by H Rider Haggard
It started a genre - or at least a popular trope within the genre - but the seminal Jungle Queen/Lost City story is long on description and philosophy and short on convincing characterization. It begins as a generational revenge adventure and ends up being about a couple of sad guys with inexplicable Stockholm syndrome.
Seed Seeker by Pamela Sargent
I didn't realize that this was the third in a trilogy until I was almost done with it. And to the story's credit, I don't know that I ever would have known had I not gotten curious about the author and gone looking for more information. Since the trilogy is a generational saga, Seed Seeker stands well on its own.
I may go back and read the other two novels as prequels, but not right away. I enjoyed Seed Seeker, but it's not what I was hoping for from it's description of a young woman traveling upriver, looking for answers from a mysterious and closed off civilization. I was looking for a riff on Heart of Darkness, but Seed Seeker is interested in other things. That's not the book's fault, but I'm still adjusting. If it stays with me for a while, I'll want to check out the first two.
I quite liked the theological questions Seed Seeker raises with its metaphor of a colonizing spaceship as God. And I liked its answers just as much. It's a compelling read, because I wondered right alongside the characters what Ship was up to and how it would judge the colonists it left behind. And I wondered what that would reveal about Sargent's worldview. That was all pretty great, but I never fell in love with any of the characters and was ultimately lukewarm on the book.
The Master of Ballantrae by Robert Louis Stevenson
I know that Stevenson liked to work in different genres, but the 1953 Errol Flynn adaptation of this novel had me expecting (and frankly, hoping for) another Treasure Island-esque swashbuckler. Instead, The Master of Ballantrae is part psychological thriller and part Shakespearean tragedy. It's exciting and gripping, but not in the way I expected and the experience was disrupted by my constant waiting for the adventure to kick in. It's on me that I didn't enjoy it as much I might have.
Herland by Charlotte Perkins Gilman
One of the challenges of writing utopian fantasies is creating sufficient drama to propel a story. Perkins Gilman does it by telling her story from the point of view of three men who've discovered a perfect society made up entirely of women and girls. Each man has his own way of relating to women in his world: one worships them, one wants to possess them, and one (the narrator) is more detached and scientifically curious.
But even though there's tension in how the men relate to this civilization and how they may impact it, Perkins Gilman is more interested in fleshing out the culture and thinking through what a perfect, female society would look like. The book is super light on plot (and not too strong on characterization, either), but it presents some fascinating, provocative ideas.
The Ghost Writer by John Harwood
Very atmospheric, modern, gothic literature. I was pulled along by its mystery and enjoyed the tension between thinking that I might have it figured out and the knowledge that Harwood had left himself plenty of room to surprise me.
Traditional gothic literature has trained me not to grow impatient with plot. There's a lot of meandering in the classics, but it's all good stuff when I let myself relax and enjoy it. The same is true of The Ghost Writer. The short stories written by one of the characters (and presented in full in the text) are great pastiches of Victorian ghost stories and are as engaging as the main thread in their own ways.
I didn't love the ending, though. It's not very fair of me and only a downer because Harwood got me invested in something that I wanted to be resolved in a particular way. It's a testament to the authenticity of his characters, but I'm still bummed.
The Turn of the Screw by Henry James
My gut reaction on finishing this was that I hated it. James has a billion different ways of describing "I know there are ghosts in the house and I'm pretty sure these kids know it too, but there's no way I'm going to talk to them about it." And he's not afraid to use them. For page after page after page.
Considering it a little more, I decided that I simply disliked it. There are some memorable scenes and creepy moments and as much as the plot hinges - Three's Company style - on no one actually communicating with anyone else, within that framework, James effectively creates a disturbing atmosphere of suspicion and paranoia.
I finally decided that I actually kind of like it though once I realized that there are multiple ways of interpreting it and that the more mundane readings are ironically the more haunting ones. This is a story I'll want to revisit from a different point of view and could potentially fall in love with.
Peter and the Starcatchers by Dave Barry and Ridley Pearson
A really fun adventure story with plenty of humor as well as pirates, mermaids, and secret societies trying to either protect or subjugate humanity.
It works pretty well as a prequel to Peter Pan, but rushes at the end to get a couple of last pieces in place. And some of the origins of specific Peter Pan elements aren't satisfying.
I'm curious about the sequels, because the writing and adventure is quite good, but I'm concerned that my brain would rebel against the assertion that the series is a legitimate precursor to JM Barrie's classic story.
Jane by Robin Maxwell
Maxwell takes generous liberties with Burroughs' versions of the characters, but there's an in-story explanation for the differences and they're mostly for the good. I'm not crazy about how Maxwell treats Paul D'Arnot (one of my favorite characters in the Burroughs novels), but her Tarzan is as awe-inspiring as he should be and her version of Jane is as improved as I hoped it would be.
I don't always like Jane in this book, but I do always relate to and empathize with her. And I despised the villain. So great characters all around; even D'Arnot, whom I resented. He still adds an important element to the story. The novel is an exciting, fresh look at the Tarzan legend that updates the worldview and makes it more palatable for modern readers.
Devil in a Blue Dress by Walter Mosley
I rewatched the movie adaptation last year and rededicated myself to finally reading the novel so that I could continue the series in book form. I need more Easy and Mouse and Odell in my life.
Because I'm so familiar with the film, there weren't many surprises in the novel, so that affected my enjoyment some. But there are differences that - along with Mosley's style - kept me engaged.
One specific disappointment though is that one of my biggest questions about the film remained unanswered. There's a character in the movie - a man in Easy's neighborhood - who is obsessed with cutting down trees. There's no explanation for his obsession in the film, so I hoped for some insight from the book, but the character isn't even there. Maybe he appears in later novels. Another reason for me to keep reading.
Steel by Carrie Vaughn
A lovely book about a young woman who's transported through time to the Golden Age of Piracy. Vaughn has done her research and presents a realistic version of the period while still letting herself have fun with some of the details.
It was those details that kept me interested and immersed in the world. So much so that I didn't give the characters a lot of thought until I got near the end and realized that I really didn't want the main character to go back home and leave them. I won't spoil how that plays out; I'll just say that it was way more emotional than I expected.
Crimson Lake by Candice Fox
There are three mysteries in one book, all of them pretty great; two of them get solved.
The main character is a former police officer named Ted who was falsely (we're led to believe) accused of raping a teenage girl. Mystery No. 1 is a) whether or not he committed the crime, and b) if he didn't, who did? Ted strongly denies that he's the perpetrator, but admits that he's an unreliable narrator where the events of that day are concerned.
When Ted moves to the Australian outback to try to rebuild his life, he meets and becomes partners with a private investigator named Amanda who was herself accused and jailed as a teenager for murdering a classmate. Whether she did that or not is Mystery No. 2.
Mystery No. 3 is Amanda and Ted's first case as partners: A highly successful YA novelist has gone missing and his wife needs proof of his death in order to collect insurance.
I won't spoil which two mysteries are solved, but even though the third is left for sequels to unravel, significant progress is made, both in the case and (more importantly) the detectives' emotional journeys. I'm looking forward to more, but even if I never read another book in the series, I feel like I got a complete story with this one.
Because of the nature of the crimes (especially the one Ted was accused of) and the reactions of people to those crimes, there are deeply unpleasant moments. That's the point though and working with the characters to get through those moments and out the other side is what makes Crimson Lake a powerful reading experience.
The Big Sleep by Raymond Chandler
This was my second time through. I remember struggling to keep up with the mystery the first time. It's cool how the object of Marlowe's investigation shifts partway through the book, but it can also be tough to keep straight what amounts to two or three different, but connecting plots.
Knowing the basic structure beforehand works well though. It was much easier to focus on the dialogue and descriptions, which is where Chandler especially shines. I'm also more interested now in reading his other Marlowe mysteries, rather than being tired by the idea.
Sense and Sensibility by Jane Austen
Ang Lee's adaptation of this book is one of my favorite movies of all time, so I wanted to finally read the original. Lee's version is extremely faithful to the point that there was little suspense for me in the novel, but I enjoyed the peek into the thoughts of various characters; especially Elinor.
Lucy Steele's shenanigans come off even worse in Austen. Lee doesn't let her off the hook, but Austen draws her as deliberately malicious where Lee leaves me room to think that she's just opportunistic and threatened.
In both versions, Marianne's last-second attachment to Brandon is too sudden and a weakness, but it's a welcome enough development that I forgive it.
Beauty and the Beast by Gabrielle Barbot de Villeneuve
It was great to finally read the original story after enjoying so many film adaptations over the years. It's easily my favorite fairy tale thanks to the good-hearted monster theme that I love so much.
Some of the film versions have gotten close to faithfulness, but none that I've seen have captured the horror of the Beast or made him seem as stupid and wholly unlikeable as he is in the novel. Film versions anthropomorphize him and make him gruffly romantic, which I like, but the book is remarkable for giving him no redeeming qualities other than his generosity in looking after Beauty's needs.
Another huge change is that the adaptations only cover the first half of the book. I was shocked to get to the halfway point and the Beast has already turned human again. I couldn't imagine how de Villeneuve was going to finish out the story. It's not as fascinating as I thought it might be though. The second half is all prequel, explaining every detail about both Beauty and Beast's backstory. The events themselves are cool, but they're presented in a huge dump of exposition and it would take probably a whole trilogy of novels to relate them properly. I'm kind of surprised that no one's written that yet. I'd read it.
Bane and Shadow by Jon Skovron
Excellent follow up to Hope and Red, which I read in 2017. I fell in love with the characters in the first book and the sequel continues to put them through exciting and emotional ordeals. It was great to spend more time with them as well as new characters like Lady Hempist and Captain Vaderton.
It does suffer slightly, being the middle book of a trilogy. It's neither a beginning nor an end, so while it adds some detail to the world and advances the characters' stories, it's still building to something that can't pay off until the final installment.
Blood and Tempest by Jon Skovron
A wonderful finish. I was upset to end it. What a lovely, thrilling, uplifting adventure series. And what great characters. Not just the main two. I need to read something else by Skovron right away.
The Mysterious Affair at Styles by Agatha Christie
David and I started listening to this in audiobook form shortly after watching Murder on the Orient Express in 2017. It's the first Hercule Poirot novel and David was interested in more of the detective's mysteries. It took us a while to get through, because we mostly listened on the way to school and that's a short commute, so we didn't finish until 2018.
I love Christie's writing. There are lots of twists and turns, but best of all, she's funny. And there are always layers to her clues: how the narrator Hastings interprets them, how the reader (who is smarter than Hastings) interprets them, and then the truth (aka, what Poirot knows).
Greenglass House by Kate Milford
What a perfect, cozy mystery. Not a murder mystery; just a bunch of odd people who show up in an inn over a snowy Christmas break. When items go missing, the lovable, preteen sleuth who lives in the inn with his parents decides to figure out what's going on.
Wonderful characters and setting, a fun puzzle to solve, and a really cool twist or two along the way.
The Underground Railroad by Colson Whitehead
As compelling as it is heart-breaking. Not at all an optimistic book, but it's not without hope, either. Which pretty much sums up my current outlook about race relations in the US. Getting to where we need to be is a tough, almost impossibly steep hill, but we can do it and it's critical that we do.
Four Color Bleed by Ryan McSwain
I helped Kickstart this book because I'm Twitter friends with Ryan, he seemed like a smart and creative person, and the novel's concept sounded awesome. But I'm such a slow reader with such a large reading pile that it took a while for Four Color Bleed to work its way to the top of my list. I'm sorry I waited so long.
The novel is so strong on character and drama that you don't have to be a comics fan to enjoy it. But boy does it ever scratch that classic superhero itch in a powerful way. I really hope Ryan does more in this universe.
The Arizona Clan by Zane Grey
I picked this up when we visited Arizona a couple of years ago, because it takes place in an area where we spent a lot of time, but I just now got around to reading it.
Grey is a legendary writer, but this is a lesser work filled with paper-thin characters, hokey dialogue, and an uninspired plot about warring families and the drifter who gets caught between them because of a pretty girl.
The landscape descriptions are nice though and make me want to go back and visit Arizona again.
The Complete Adventures Of Senorita Scorpion, Volume 1 by Les Savage Jr
I was fully on board with a series of stories about a female, masked Western hero, but that's not what these are. Señorita Scorpion grows into an heroic character, but it takes a few stories for her to get there and she never does throw on a mask.
In the first tale, "Señorita Scorpion," we meet her through the eyes of a typical, male Western hero named Chisos Owens. He's not unlikable, but he's not compelling either and he's certainly not what I signed up for when I started the book. But Señorita Scorpion (better known in the stories by her actual name, Elgera Douglas) is a cool, mysterious character and I looked forward to getting to know her better in the sequel stories.
Sadly, she's used terribly in "The Brand of Señorita Scorpion," which has her as a helpless damsel in distress for Owens to rescue and help. Totally skippable.
"Secret of Santiago" is better and starts to let Douglas play a role in her own fate, but is still giving equal time to Owens and a new character, sheriff Johnny Hagar. The lawman is introduced to create a romantic triangle, which still makes this Owens' story with Douglas as the prize and Hagar as the obstacle. But Douglas does get to participate more in the action, so it's an improvement.
My favorite of the collection is "The Curse of Montezuma," partly because it's the most pulpy with its cult of Aztec revivalists who operate from a hidden city and exert mind control over their enemies. But mostly I love that it takes Owens out of the story early and lets Douglas actually become the hero, protecting her interests, taking revenge for the suffering of her loved ones, and ultimately saving the day for several people. I'd given up on the idea of Volume 2 until I got to this story, but finished it interested in continuing. If the rest are closer to this, I'd like to read them.
She: A History of Adventure by H Rider Haggard
It started a genre - or at least a popular trope within the genre - but the seminal Jungle Queen/Lost City story is long on description and philosophy and short on convincing characterization. It begins as a generational revenge adventure and ends up being about a couple of sad guys with inexplicable Stockholm syndrome.
Seed Seeker by Pamela Sargent
I didn't realize that this was the third in a trilogy until I was almost done with it. And to the story's credit, I don't know that I ever would have known had I not gotten curious about the author and gone looking for more information. Since the trilogy is a generational saga, Seed Seeker stands well on its own.
I may go back and read the other two novels as prequels, but not right away. I enjoyed Seed Seeker, but it's not what I was hoping for from it's description of a young woman traveling upriver, looking for answers from a mysterious and closed off civilization. I was looking for a riff on Heart of Darkness, but Seed Seeker is interested in other things. That's not the book's fault, but I'm still adjusting. If it stays with me for a while, I'll want to check out the first two.
I quite liked the theological questions Seed Seeker raises with its metaphor of a colonizing spaceship as God. And I liked its answers just as much. It's a compelling read, because I wondered right alongside the characters what Ship was up to and how it would judge the colonists it left behind. And I wondered what that would reveal about Sargent's worldview. That was all pretty great, but I never fell in love with any of the characters and was ultimately lukewarm on the book.
The Master of Ballantrae by Robert Louis Stevenson
I know that Stevenson liked to work in different genres, but the 1953 Errol Flynn adaptation of this novel had me expecting (and frankly, hoping for) another Treasure Island-esque swashbuckler. Instead, The Master of Ballantrae is part psychological thriller and part Shakespearean tragedy. It's exciting and gripping, but not in the way I expected and the experience was disrupted by my constant waiting for the adventure to kick in. It's on me that I didn't enjoy it as much I might have.
Herland by Charlotte Perkins Gilman
One of the challenges of writing utopian fantasies is creating sufficient drama to propel a story. Perkins Gilman does it by telling her story from the point of view of three men who've discovered a perfect society made up entirely of women and girls. Each man has his own way of relating to women in his world: one worships them, one wants to possess them, and one (the narrator) is more detached and scientifically curious.
But even though there's tension in how the men relate to this civilization and how they may impact it, Perkins Gilman is more interested in fleshing out the culture and thinking through what a perfect, female society would look like. The book is super light on plot (and not too strong on characterization, either), but it presents some fascinating, provocative ideas.
The Ghost Writer by John Harwood
Very atmospheric, modern, gothic literature. I was pulled along by its mystery and enjoyed the tension between thinking that I might have it figured out and the knowledge that Harwood had left himself plenty of room to surprise me.
Traditional gothic literature has trained me not to grow impatient with plot. There's a lot of meandering in the classics, but it's all good stuff when I let myself relax and enjoy it. The same is true of The Ghost Writer. The short stories written by one of the characters (and presented in full in the text) are great pastiches of Victorian ghost stories and are as engaging as the main thread in their own ways.
I didn't love the ending, though. It's not very fair of me and only a downer because Harwood got me invested in something that I wanted to be resolved in a particular way. It's a testament to the authenticity of his characters, but I'm still bummed.
The Turn of the Screw by Henry James
My gut reaction on finishing this was that I hated it. James has a billion different ways of describing "I know there are ghosts in the house and I'm pretty sure these kids know it too, but there's no way I'm going to talk to them about it." And he's not afraid to use them. For page after page after page.
Considering it a little more, I decided that I simply disliked it. There are some memorable scenes and creepy moments and as much as the plot hinges - Three's Company style - on no one actually communicating with anyone else, within that framework, James effectively creates a disturbing atmosphere of suspicion and paranoia.
I finally decided that I actually kind of like it though once I realized that there are multiple ways of interpreting it and that the more mundane readings are ironically the more haunting ones. This is a story I'll want to revisit from a different point of view and could potentially fall in love with.
Peter and the Starcatchers by Dave Barry and Ridley Pearson
A really fun adventure story with plenty of humor as well as pirates, mermaids, and secret societies trying to either protect or subjugate humanity.
It works pretty well as a prequel to Peter Pan, but rushes at the end to get a couple of last pieces in place. And some of the origins of specific Peter Pan elements aren't satisfying.
I'm curious about the sequels, because the writing and adventure is quite good, but I'm concerned that my brain would rebel against the assertion that the series is a legitimate precursor to JM Barrie's classic story.
Jane by Robin Maxwell
Maxwell takes generous liberties with Burroughs' versions of the characters, but there's an in-story explanation for the differences and they're mostly for the good. I'm not crazy about how Maxwell treats Paul D'Arnot (one of my favorite characters in the Burroughs novels), but her Tarzan is as awe-inspiring as he should be and her version of Jane is as improved as I hoped it would be.
I don't always like Jane in this book, but I do always relate to and empathize with her. And I despised the villain. So great characters all around; even D'Arnot, whom I resented. He still adds an important element to the story. The novel is an exciting, fresh look at the Tarzan legend that updates the worldview and makes it more palatable for modern readers.
Devil in a Blue Dress by Walter Mosley
I rewatched the movie adaptation last year and rededicated myself to finally reading the novel so that I could continue the series in book form. I need more Easy and Mouse and Odell in my life.
Because I'm so familiar with the film, there weren't many surprises in the novel, so that affected my enjoyment some. But there are differences that - along with Mosley's style - kept me engaged.
One specific disappointment though is that one of my biggest questions about the film remained unanswered. There's a character in the movie - a man in Easy's neighborhood - who is obsessed with cutting down trees. There's no explanation for his obsession in the film, so I hoped for some insight from the book, but the character isn't even there. Maybe he appears in later novels. Another reason for me to keep reading.
Steel by Carrie Vaughn
A lovely book about a young woman who's transported through time to the Golden Age of Piracy. Vaughn has done her research and presents a realistic version of the period while still letting herself have fun with some of the details.
It was those details that kept me interested and immersed in the world. So much so that I didn't give the characters a lot of thought until I got near the end and realized that I really didn't want the main character to go back home and leave them. I won't spoil how that plays out; I'll just say that it was way more emotional than I expected.
Crimson Lake by Candice Fox
There are three mysteries in one book, all of them pretty great; two of them get solved.
The main character is a former police officer named Ted who was falsely (we're led to believe) accused of raping a teenage girl. Mystery No. 1 is a) whether or not he committed the crime, and b) if he didn't, who did? Ted strongly denies that he's the perpetrator, but admits that he's an unreliable narrator where the events of that day are concerned.
When Ted moves to the Australian outback to try to rebuild his life, he meets and becomes partners with a private investigator named Amanda who was herself accused and jailed as a teenager for murdering a classmate. Whether she did that or not is Mystery No. 2.
Mystery No. 3 is Amanda and Ted's first case as partners: A highly successful YA novelist has gone missing and his wife needs proof of his death in order to collect insurance.
I won't spoil which two mysteries are solved, but even though the third is left for sequels to unravel, significant progress is made, both in the case and (more importantly) the detectives' emotional journeys. I'm looking forward to more, but even if I never read another book in the series, I feel like I got a complete story with this one.
Because of the nature of the crimes (especially the one Ted was accused of) and the reactions of people to those crimes, there are deeply unpleasant moments. That's the point though and working with the characters to get through those moments and out the other side is what makes Crimson Lake a powerful reading experience.
The Big Sleep by Raymond Chandler
This was my second time through. I remember struggling to keep up with the mystery the first time. It's cool how the object of Marlowe's investigation shifts partway through the book, but it can also be tough to keep straight what amounts to two or three different, but connecting plots.
Knowing the basic structure beforehand works well though. It was much easier to focus on the dialogue and descriptions, which is where Chandler especially shines. I'm also more interested now in reading his other Marlowe mysteries, rather than being tired by the idea.
Sense and Sensibility by Jane Austen
Ang Lee's adaptation of this book is one of my favorite movies of all time, so I wanted to finally read the original. Lee's version is extremely faithful to the point that there was little suspense for me in the novel, but I enjoyed the peek into the thoughts of various characters; especially Elinor.
Lucy Steele's shenanigans come off even worse in Austen. Lee doesn't let her off the hook, but Austen draws her as deliberately malicious where Lee leaves me room to think that she's just opportunistic and threatened.
In both versions, Marianne's last-second attachment to Brandon is too sudden and a weakness, but it's a welcome enough development that I forgive it.
Beauty and the Beast by Gabrielle Barbot de Villeneuve
It was great to finally read the original story after enjoying so many film adaptations over the years. It's easily my favorite fairy tale thanks to the good-hearted monster theme that I love so much.
Some of the film versions have gotten close to faithfulness, but none that I've seen have captured the horror of the Beast or made him seem as stupid and wholly unlikeable as he is in the novel. Film versions anthropomorphize him and make him gruffly romantic, which I like, but the book is remarkable for giving him no redeeming qualities other than his generosity in looking after Beauty's needs.
Another huge change is that the adaptations only cover the first half of the book. I was shocked to get to the halfway point and the Beast has already turned human again. I couldn't imagine how de Villeneuve was going to finish out the story. It's not as fascinating as I thought it might be though. The second half is all prequel, explaining every detail about both Beauty and Beast's backstory. The events themselves are cool, but they're presented in a huge dump of exposition and it would take probably a whole trilogy of novels to relate them properly. I'm kind of surprised that no one's written that yet. I'd read it.
Bane and Shadow by Jon Skovron
Excellent follow up to Hope and Red, which I read in 2017. I fell in love with the characters in the first book and the sequel continues to put them through exciting and emotional ordeals. It was great to spend more time with them as well as new characters like Lady Hempist and Captain Vaderton.
It does suffer slightly, being the middle book of a trilogy. It's neither a beginning nor an end, so while it adds some detail to the world and advances the characters' stories, it's still building to something that can't pay off until the final installment.
Blood and Tempest by Jon Skovron
A wonderful finish. I was upset to end it. What a lovely, thrilling, uplifting adventure series. And what great characters. Not just the main two. I need to read something else by Skovron right away.
The Mysterious Affair at Styles by Agatha Christie
David and I started listening to this in audiobook form shortly after watching Murder on the Orient Express in 2017. It's the first Hercule Poirot novel and David was interested in more of the detective's mysteries. It took us a while to get through, because we mostly listened on the way to school and that's a short commute, so we didn't finish until 2018.
I love Christie's writing. There are lots of twists and turns, but best of all, she's funny. And there are always layers to her clues: how the narrator Hastings interprets them, how the reader (who is smarter than Hastings) interprets them, and then the truth (aka, what Poirot knows).
Greenglass House by Kate Milford
What a perfect, cozy mystery. Not a murder mystery; just a bunch of odd people who show up in an inn over a snowy Christmas break. When items go missing, the lovable, preteen sleuth who lives in the inn with his parents decides to figure out what's going on.
Wonderful characters and setting, a fun puzzle to solve, and a really cool twist or two along the way.
The Underground Railroad by Colson Whitehead
As compelling as it is heart-breaking. Not at all an optimistic book, but it's not without hope, either. Which pretty much sums up my current outlook about race relations in the US. Getting to where we need to be is a tough, almost impossibly steep hill, but we can do it and it's critical that we do.
Four Color Bleed by Ryan McSwain
I helped Kickstart this book because I'm Twitter friends with Ryan, he seemed like a smart and creative person, and the novel's concept sounded awesome. But I'm such a slow reader with such a large reading pile that it took a while for Four Color Bleed to work its way to the top of my list. I'm sorry I waited so long.
The novel is so strong on character and drama that you don't have to be a comics fan to enjoy it. But boy does it ever scratch that classic superhero itch in a powerful way. I really hope Ryan does more in this universe.
January 9, 2019
10 Short Stories I Read in 2018
When it comes to short stories, I'm mostly about horror, but I'm also a sucker for a Christmas Western. Here are the short stories (and a novella or two) that I read last year:
"The Captain of the Pole-Star" by Arthur Conan Doyle
As a Sherlock Holmes fan, I was disappointed by this mediocre ghost story. Or maybe I just expected more from Conan Doyle. "Captain of the Pole-Star" is great at creating a mood, it just never pays off with a satisfying revelation about why these events are happening.
My favorite ghost stories are always also mysteries: learning why a haunting is taking place so that it can be resolved. Conan Doyle is usually great about pulling back the curtain on a mystery, so that's what I wanted here, too. Instead, he leaves the details vague, which is perhaps meant to be unsettling, but I just found frustrating.
"The Canterville Ghost" by Oscar Wilde
Diane and I saw a theatrical version of this story earlier in 2018 and that sparked interest in seeing the TV movie with Patrick Stewart as the Ghost. I decided I needed to finally read Wilde's story over Halloween.
There are some truly spooky elements, but Wilde is more interested in the satirical contrast of American and British cultures than he is in creating dread. It's a fun and funny story, but I prefer the gothic tone and philosophical exploration of The Picture of Dorian Gray.
"Lot No. 249" by Arthur Conan Doyle
This was more like it. After being discouraged by "Captain of the Pole-Star," I loved the mystery and growing horror of "Lot No. 249." It's easy to figure out what's going on ahead of the main character, but that doesn't diminish the extremely cool Old Oxford setting, the excitement of the main character's finally figuring it out, and a crazy great description of his being stalked by a truly dreadful creature.
"The Doll's Ghost" by F Marion Crawford
Unnerving and emotional. A doll "doctor" sends his daughter out into the London streets to make an evening delivery, but she doesn't come home. As a parent, I found it extremely unsettling. As a lover of ghost stories, I found it beautiful. One of my favorites of the year.
"Room in the Dragon Volant" by J Sheridan Le Fanu
A fun setup with a mysterious room in an inn that people keep disappearing from. Unfortunately, the protagonist is stupidly gullible and delivered from the threat against him by exactly 0% of his own ability.
"The Empty House" by Algernon Blackwood
In November, the little bookstore I go to put out a display of little books of Christmas Ghost Stories designed by the cartoonist Seth. After helping read a Christmas ghost story for the Weird Christmas podcast, I was all for following the advice on the books' covers and reviving the Christmas tradition of reading spooky stories for the holiday.
The first one I read was "The Empty House," a simple, but effective story about a woman and her nephew who decide to investigate an allegedly haunted house in their neighborhood. There aren't any mysteries or twists, but Blackwood's descriptions are super creepy and stuck with me after I finished the story.
"The Diary of Mr. Poynter"by MR James
I'm not sure that the story about a hair monster totally makes sense, but dang James conjures some creepy imagery.
"The Crown Derby Plate" by Marjorie Bowen
So good. Probably my favorite of the year. It's about a woman who goes to an old house to inquire about a missing plate from a set she bought at an estate sale. It's spooky and humorous with a great ending.
"Christmas Eve on a Haunted Hulk" by Frank Cowper
The final ghost story of the season for me. It's about a guy who goes fishing and winds up stranded on a spooky, derelict boat. It's nicely atmospheric with great details and I like how it leaves the backstory ambiguous. The narrator bugged me though, both in his defensiveness about his story being disbelieved and his foolishness in getting into the mess he got into in the first place.
"A Journey in Search of Christmas" by Owen Wister
I finished out the year with this sweet story of a cowboy on holiday who starts out looking for drink and maybe revenge (though not the kind you'd expect), but finds Christmas instead.
"The Captain of the Pole-Star" by Arthur Conan Doyle
As a Sherlock Holmes fan, I was disappointed by this mediocre ghost story. Or maybe I just expected more from Conan Doyle. "Captain of the Pole-Star" is great at creating a mood, it just never pays off with a satisfying revelation about why these events are happening.
My favorite ghost stories are always also mysteries: learning why a haunting is taking place so that it can be resolved. Conan Doyle is usually great about pulling back the curtain on a mystery, so that's what I wanted here, too. Instead, he leaves the details vague, which is perhaps meant to be unsettling, but I just found frustrating.
"The Canterville Ghost" by Oscar Wilde
Diane and I saw a theatrical version of this story earlier in 2018 and that sparked interest in seeing the TV movie with Patrick Stewart as the Ghost. I decided I needed to finally read Wilde's story over Halloween.
There are some truly spooky elements, but Wilde is more interested in the satirical contrast of American and British cultures than he is in creating dread. It's a fun and funny story, but I prefer the gothic tone and philosophical exploration of The Picture of Dorian Gray.
"Lot No. 249" by Arthur Conan Doyle
This was more like it. After being discouraged by "Captain of the Pole-Star," I loved the mystery and growing horror of "Lot No. 249." It's easy to figure out what's going on ahead of the main character, but that doesn't diminish the extremely cool Old Oxford setting, the excitement of the main character's finally figuring it out, and a crazy great description of his being stalked by a truly dreadful creature.
"The Doll's Ghost" by F Marion Crawford
Unnerving and emotional. A doll "doctor" sends his daughter out into the London streets to make an evening delivery, but she doesn't come home. As a parent, I found it extremely unsettling. As a lover of ghost stories, I found it beautiful. One of my favorites of the year.
"Room in the Dragon Volant" by J Sheridan Le Fanu
A fun setup with a mysterious room in an inn that people keep disappearing from. Unfortunately, the protagonist is stupidly gullible and delivered from the threat against him by exactly 0% of his own ability.
"The Empty House" by Algernon Blackwood
In November, the little bookstore I go to put out a display of little books of Christmas Ghost Stories designed by the cartoonist Seth. After helping read a Christmas ghost story for the Weird Christmas podcast, I was all for following the advice on the books' covers and reviving the Christmas tradition of reading spooky stories for the holiday.
The first one I read was "The Empty House," a simple, but effective story about a woman and her nephew who decide to investigate an allegedly haunted house in their neighborhood. There aren't any mysteries or twists, but Blackwood's descriptions are super creepy and stuck with me after I finished the story.
"The Diary of Mr. Poynter"by MR James
I'm not sure that the story about a hair monster totally makes sense, but dang James conjures some creepy imagery.
"The Crown Derby Plate" by Marjorie Bowen
So good. Probably my favorite of the year. It's about a woman who goes to an old house to inquire about a missing plate from a set she bought at an estate sale. It's spooky and humorous with a great ending.
"Christmas Eve on a Haunted Hulk" by Frank Cowper
The final ghost story of the season for me. It's about a guy who goes fishing and winds up stranded on a spooky, derelict boat. It's nicely atmospheric with great details and I like how it leaves the backstory ambiguous. The narrator bugged me though, both in his defensiveness about his story being disbelieved and his foolishness in getting into the mess he got into in the first place.
"A Journey in Search of Christmas" by Owen Wister
I finished out the year with this sweet story of a cowboy on holiday who starts out looking for drink and maybe revenge (though not the kind you'd expect), but finds Christmas instead.
January 7, 2019
22 Comics I Read in 2018
I don't have a good way to count individual, single-issue comics that I've read over the year, but I also read a bunch of graphic novels and collections. I mentioned in the overview the other day that Bill Watterson's The Complete Calvin and Hobbes was both the longest book I finished (it's three volumes) and the most liked by other Goodreads users. There's nothing to say about the strip that the world doesn't already know, but I was reminded that Watterson is a brilliant cartoonist who's equally excellent at both humor and warming hearts. Reading the series 23 years later, though, I was struck by his observations about culture and how little has actually changed. Social media has amplified some ugly aspects of human nature, but Calvin and Hobbes is a powerful reminder that our biggest problems have always been there.
I also started Charles Schulz' Peanuts archives with The Complete Peanuts, Vol. 1: 1950-1952. Early Peanuts is so awesome. Charlie Brown isn't yet the loser he'll become; he's just one of a group of kids who enjoy each other while occasionally giving each other a hard time. He's an equal member of the group and often an instigator in teasing and mischief.
Initially, the group is him, Shermie, Violet, and Patty (not Peppermint; the other one whom nobody remembers these days, but recognizes when they see her). And Snoopy is there of course, but he's not clearly identified as Charlie Brown's dog until later. He begins as just sort of a neighborhood dog whom everyone takes responsibility for.
Schroeder, Lucy, and Linus are all introduced in this volume (in that order). They each come into the strip as a precocious infant or toddler and then quickly grow into about the same age as the other characters until Schulz decides he needs another younger character and brings in the next one. It's fun to see baby Linus and Schroeder, but it's even more fun watching baby Lucy. She's a high-spirited handful from the start, but not the crabby fussbudget that she'll eventually grow into. The cartoons are often laugh out loud funny, but always sweet and of course well-drawn.
I read several Marvel Masterworks volumes last year, starting with Atlas Era Jungle Adventure. I got partway through the first volume, remembered that I'd read it before, and my memory was that it doesn't get any better than the first couple of stories. I love jungle adventure and I love female characters, but the Lorna stories are especially sexist. She falls for a horrible chauvinist who disrespects not only her, but explicitly all women at every opportunity. The text specifically calls him her "friend" and pretends that this is a normal, healthy relationship. It's gross. The art's pretty good, but not great enough to carry me through the rest of it.
After that, I dug into the early Marvel superheroes, starting with the first three volumes of The Fantastic Four. Stan Lee and Jack Kirby's work on it was as imaginative and exciting as everyone says. It was thrilling to finally read the introductions of Doctor Doom, the Skrull, Puppet Master (and with him Alicia Masters), Impossible Man, the Watcher, and of course the reintroduction of the Sub-Mariner. There's also the first meeting between the Thing and the Hulk, which was super cool.
The constant sidelining of Sue Storm got tiresome, so I still look forward to seeing that change in future volumes. There's a panel in Volume 2 where Reed defends Sue's value to the team by talking about how she keeps up the morale of the male members. Yuck. "Different times" and all that, but it's a huge distraction for me. Volume 2 wraps up with Fantastic Four Annual #1, which is a cool way to close. It's a huge, exciting story in which Sub-Mariner has finally found his lost people and leads them in an invasion of New York City. That battle has some truly exciting moments, even by today's standards.
Then Volume 3 stands out for including the FF's portion of arguably Marvel's first crossover event, though it wasn't heralded that way. It's a sprawling story around the Fantastic Four, the fledgling Avengers, and even the mysterious, new team known as the X-Men as they try to figure out what to do with each other as well as the random destructiveness of the Hulk and Sub-Mariner. And it's quite good.
Speaking of the Hulk, I read the first volume of his adventures, too. Jack Kirby's version is my favorite look for the character and all the art in this collection is a joy. There's one non-Kirby issue, but that was drawn by Steve Ditko, so it's great, too. What's interesting about these stories is seeing Kirby and Stan Lee figuring out how they want to handle the character. He's gray in the first issue, green in the rest, and Bruce Banner's transformations are triggered by everything EXCEPT his emotions. It starts as a nighttime change and by the end of the collection it's something that Banner and the Hulk control with a machine (although an unpredictable one that seems also to have a negative effect). There's also a weird issue or two where the Hulk is mind-controlled by Rick Jones. I'm looking forward to reading other volumes and seeing how long it takes to settle into a status quo for the series. It's all over the place in the beginning, but that's not a complaint.
And finally, for Marvel Masterworks, I finished the first volume of The Avengers. It was a great idea for a series and super fun for the first several issues. The status quo changed constantly with the Hulk's leaving and coming back and leaving again and being chased by the other members and then Captain America shows up... But the series settles into a rut for the last few issues collected here. Once Baron Zemo and the Masters of Evil show up, they keep coming back with various other villains as allies. Captain America's angst and declarations of vengeance against Zemo are especially wearisome.
Over on the DC side (though they weren't DC comics at the time), I read a couple of collections featuring the Captain Marvel family of characters: The Shazam Archives and The Shazam Family Archives. Fawcett's Captain Marvel has been a favorite character of mine since watching the Saturday morning live action TV show in the '70s. He's got an awesome costume and I love the concept of a younger person (a teenager in the TV show; a young boy in the comics) turning into a Superman analog by saying a magic word. This was my first time reading his original adventures.
CC Beck's art is lovably simple, but exciting. That's the highlight here. And just the joy of seeing the same villain, Dr Sivana, reappear over and over again in spite of being constantly defeated. He becomes an awesome archenemy just from sheer, relentless repetition.
Unfortunately, that repetition backfires when it comes to the tone of the collection. The villains' schemes are mostly fun and inventive, but all the stories are the same kind: secret villain has scheme, Billy Batson investigates, uncovers villain, and defeats them as Captain Marvel. They'd be fun read a month at a time, but they were hurt by reading together in a collection like this. I'm curious to get to stories featuring Tawky Tawny and some of the other crazy supporting cast, but hesitant to pick up the next volume. I decided to try some Captain Marvel Jr and Mary Marvel instead, which led me to Shazam Family.
I was initially disappointed to see how heavily skewed Shazam Family, Volume 1 is towards Captain Marvel Jr. I like Mary Marvel much more, but she's only got the one story in the collection. And sadly, there is no Shazam Family Archives, Vol. 2.
But even though it was a much deeper dive into CMJ's early adventures than I wanted, I had a ball with those stories. I even liked them more than the early adventures of Captain Marvel himself. Mac Raboy's realistic art style was way ahead of its time, making CMJ's comics look more like they were created in the '70s than the '40s. And even though the stories rely heavily on two particular, recurring villains (Captain Nazi and Mister Macabre), the plots and settings of those stories vary enough that I never grew bored the way I did with the Captain Marvel volume.
The final collected volume I finished was Edgar Rice Burroughs' Tarzan: The Jesse Marsh Years Omnibus Volume 1. Sadly though, I couldn't finish it. I expect to struggle through a certain amount of racism in old Tarzan stories, but it is so prevalent in these tales and often coming directly out of Tarzan's mouth, which is not something I'm used to. Marsh's linework is quite good though, so there's some enjoyment to be had just flipping through the drawings.
Finally getting to graphic novels, I started the year with the first two books in Mike Maihack's fun Cleopatra in Space series: Target Practice and The Thief and the Sword. I enjoyed Maihack's webcomic with the same character and premise, but that was a very light adventure and I wasn't confident that the printed version would have the emotional weight I wanted from a graphic novel. It does though. Target Practice is not a collection of the web strips and Maihack knows the difference between the two formats and makes the right changes.
The web comic made sure that there was an action beat or gag on every new installment/page, where the graphic novel is an immersive experience. It gave me the time I wanted to get to know Cleo, her environment, and her friends, and to relate to her predicament. It's still action-packed, super cute, and very funny, but now all of those things are surrounding solid characters.
The Thief and the Sword is a strong follow up. It has all the same charm, plus it expands the universe. I wasn't crazy about the new, thief character, but he's potentially redeemable. My only complaint is that it ends on a cliffhanger. That's not exactly a dislike though, because I'd wanna read the next one anyway.
Koma: The Voice of Chimneys is a short volume about a young chimney sweep who meets a monster. It's building to something bigger, so it was impossible to tell what I'm going to think of the plot, but I like the main character and the art is fantastic. The design of the creature is both spooky and affecting. I'm looking forward to seeing where it goes.
You know I'm all about the pirates, but while Barracuda, Tome 1: Esclaves is beautifully drawn, I don't like any of the characters and the tone is oppressively dark. I'm not reading any more of this one.
I've always admired Rick Geary's linework, but this is the first book by him that I've read. Most of his stuff falls into the category of True Crime, which isn't a genre I enjoy, but this is full-blown fiction featuring one of my favorite actors as the detective. It's an engaging riddle and though I was a little disappointed with the solution itself, I was thrilled with the way it was revealed. I would love to see Geary create more Louise Brooks Mysteries.
Lovely art. Fun characters. It's a bit densely packed for my taste (and eyesight; small panels) and I don't feel like Delilah is as much a character as an idea for a character, but I quite like Mr Selim (the Turkish lieutenant) and I'll be reading the next volume.
Lovely art depicting deep characters in a romantic setting. But while the characters are varied and complicated, I'm not actually all that interested in most of them. Or maybe it's the absence of a central plot that I'm reacting negatively to. I wonder if subsequent volumes begin to develop a stronger story with character arcs. I'm just not decided on whether I want to find out enough to continue the series.
I've been a fan of Kickliy's work for over a decade and it's been fun and rewarding to watch him grow as a cartoonist and storyteller. Perdy is a very naughty Western with great characters, intriguing mysteries, a bawdy sense of humor, and - most of all - a gorgeous visual style. As "Volume 1" suggests, it's not a complete story, but it's a satisfying read and I can't wait for the next installment.
I read the first volume in single issues and was captivated enough that I just bought the rest of the series in collected volumes when I had a chance at a sale. Terry Moore's drawing is always exceptional and he set up a great mystery in Volume 1 around why a dead woman's body was left half-buried in the woods and why she came back to life. Volume 2 answers most of the mystery in order to reveal a conflict that I imagine the rest of the series will work to resolve. Sadly for me, the conflict isn't as intriguing as the mystery was, so I'm not going to rush into Volume 3.
But Moore's skills in creating rich characters and mood are great enough that I enjoy being in the moment with his stories even when I'm not pulled forward by the plot. I will eventually come back and read more.
Butch Guice's art is always great. He has a grounded, realistic style that's just as convincing when he's depicting mythical creatures as when he's drawing everyday people and objects. He's the perfect artist for this kind of Harryhausen-influenced story. And the events of the story are pretty great. There's a mystical island filled with awesome creatures to run away from.
The characters are fine, but they're fairly standard archetypes and no one stands out as a favorite so far (though the villain shows signs of being more than he seems). It's only the first volume, so I'm hopeful that the characters grow on me as they continue to be challenged by the island and their mission on it. It's a good start and I'll keep reading.
Finally, I'm a big fan of Bryan Talbot's steampunk, talking animal mysteries and the way the characters develop and the situations build on each other. I'm an even bigger fan when he's clearly drawing inspiration from James Bond as he is in this volume. Can't get enough of this series.
January 4, 2019
3 Non-Fiction Books I Read in 2018
As I go though the books I read this year, I should clarify right away that very few if any of them were published this year. This isn't like my movies list; it's just everything I read.
I don't typically read a lot of non-fiction, but I'm trying to get better at that. With limited reading time, I've traditionally focused on made-up stories. Sometimes though, you wanna know what other people think about stuff without having to dig through symbolism and characters to get at it. Here's what I was interested in last year.
Everything You Wanted to Know about Indians But Were Afraid to Ask by Anton Treuer
I've been interested in American Indian people and culture since I was a kid. As a fan of Westerns, it always bugged me that Indians were assumed to be villains and I always perked up when a movie or show offered a different perspective.
As an adult, I haven't been as involved in Indian issues as I would like to be, but I want to change that. Minnesota has a large Indian population and there's an American Indian school in my neighborhood that we sent David to for Middle School. That was a great experience for him and through the school we started getting a glimpse of the issues that are important to the local Indian community.
In an effort to learn more, I picked up Anton Treuer's book. He writes that American Indian culture is something that is imagined by outsiders, rather than understood. That's been true of me, but Treuer's book has helped. It's a collection of questions and answers, divided into categories, that can either be read cover to cover or just referred to by whatever topic the reader is interested in. I read it cover to cover and am eager to continue learning.
God Has a Name by John Mark Comer
I heard about this on Phil Vischer's Holy Post podcast where Comer was a guest. It got me interested in hearing more of what he had to say. I don't talk much about religion here, but it's a deep interest of mine and I was attracted to Comer's vision of God as a being with a specific personality, as opposed to a construct or model based on what worshipers want him to be. Comer digs into a passage in Exodus where Yahweh reveals his nature to Moses. I don't agree with every assertion Comer makes, but his understanding of God's nature is thoughtful and lovely.
God According to God: A Physicist Proves We've Been Wrong About God All Along by Gerald Schroeder
This is older than Comer's book, but it's been sitting on my shelf for a while and it was Comer's book that made me pull it off and read it. I don't remember why I originally purchased it, but it was probably the same impulse that made me interested in Comer. Using scientific observations of nature, Schroeder asserts that God has a personality and that he wants to partner with humanity rather than control us.
Coming at it through the lens of science is interesting, but I found Schroeder's voice rather dry and other authors cover the same ideas in more compelling ways. Comer is more persuasive about the personality aspect in God Has a Name and professor John Walton covers the partnership aspect especially well in his Lost World of Adam and Eve . To anyone interested in this kind of theology, I recommend those books instead.
I don't typically read a lot of non-fiction, but I'm trying to get better at that. With limited reading time, I've traditionally focused on made-up stories. Sometimes though, you wanna know what other people think about stuff without having to dig through symbolism and characters to get at it. Here's what I was interested in last year.
Everything You Wanted to Know about Indians But Were Afraid to Ask by Anton Treuer
I've been interested in American Indian people and culture since I was a kid. As a fan of Westerns, it always bugged me that Indians were assumed to be villains and I always perked up when a movie or show offered a different perspective.
As an adult, I haven't been as involved in Indian issues as I would like to be, but I want to change that. Minnesota has a large Indian population and there's an American Indian school in my neighborhood that we sent David to for Middle School. That was a great experience for him and through the school we started getting a glimpse of the issues that are important to the local Indian community.
In an effort to learn more, I picked up Anton Treuer's book. He writes that American Indian culture is something that is imagined by outsiders, rather than understood. That's been true of me, but Treuer's book has helped. It's a collection of questions and answers, divided into categories, that can either be read cover to cover or just referred to by whatever topic the reader is interested in. I read it cover to cover and am eager to continue learning.
God Has a Name by John Mark Comer
I heard about this on Phil Vischer's Holy Post podcast where Comer was a guest. It got me interested in hearing more of what he had to say. I don't talk much about religion here, but it's a deep interest of mine and I was attracted to Comer's vision of God as a being with a specific personality, as opposed to a construct or model based on what worshipers want him to be. Comer digs into a passage in Exodus where Yahweh reveals his nature to Moses. I don't agree with every assertion Comer makes, but his understanding of God's nature is thoughtful and lovely.
God According to God: A Physicist Proves We've Been Wrong About God All Along by Gerald Schroeder
This is older than Comer's book, but it's been sitting on my shelf for a while and it was Comer's book that made me pull it off and read it. I don't remember why I originally purchased it, but it was probably the same impulse that made me interested in Comer. Using scientific observations of nature, Schroeder asserts that God has a personality and that he wants to partner with humanity rather than control us.
Coming at it through the lens of science is interesting, but I found Schroeder's voice rather dry and other authors cover the same ideas in more compelling ways. Comer is more persuasive about the personality aspect in God Has a Name and professor John Walton covers the partnership aspect especially well in his Lost World of Adam and Eve . To anyone interested in this kind of theology, I recommend those books instead.
January 2, 2019
Reading in 2018
Happy New Year!
January is the month where I typically spend a lot of time writing about the movies from last year that I watched. And I'm gonna get to that again this year, but I also want to record some thoughts about books that I read, so I'm gonna do that first.
The next few posts will go into some detail about specific books, but one of the advantages of using Goodreads to keep track of my reading is that it gives me all sorts of fun stats at the end of the year. It also sponsors an annual reading challenge where you pledge how many books you want to read. I've participated the last three years, always exceeding my goal and upping my target for the next year.
In 2016, my target was 21, but I read 29. In 2017, I raised the target to an easy 24 and read 34. So last year I raised it a little more ambitiously to 36. I read 57.
I'm counting audiobooks in that number and a good portion of them were comics collections and short stories, so please don't think I'm reading a novel a week. I know people who can do that, but I'm not one of them. I'm actually a pretty slow reader, because I read aloud in my head and spend a lot of time imagining what I'm reading. Still, I'm pretty happy with 57. According to Goodreads, I read the equivalent of 14,094 pages.
The shortest book I read was a short story called "The Doll's Ghost" by F Marion Crawford. It's 30 pages. The longest book I finished was the three-volume The Complete Calvin and Hobbes by Bill Watterson. It's 1,456 pages. And I should note that I didn't actually start it this year. David and I had been reading it together for a while, but got distracted. I decided to finish it on my own.
The average length of the books I read was 247 pages, which isn't too shabby. I'll go into detail in future posts, but of the 57 books I read, 22 of them were novels, 3 were non-fiction, 22 were comics collections (I'm not counting individual, floppy comics in this), and 10 were short stories.
Among Goodreads users, the most popular book I read was Sense and Sensibility by Jane Austen (1.2 million readers last year). The least popular book I read was the graphic novel Olympus, Vol. 1 by Geoff Johns, Kris Grimminger, and Butch Guice.
I tended to like what I read, giving an average of 3.6 out of 5 stars. The book I read that was most liked by other Goodreads users was The Complete Calvin and Hobbes with an average rating of 4.82 stars. Goodreads doesn't track the least liked book for some reason, but that's probably for the best.
Over the next few posts, I'll talk about the different categories of books I read and what I thought about them. Then we'll get into movies.
December 31, 2018
Hellbent for Letterbox | Open Range (2003)
This Kevin Costner/Robert Duvall classic is easily the most requested movie that listeners have asked us to cover, so Pax and I finally hit the Open Range. Also: Pony Express brings talk of a Western Christmas Carol, the real-life history behind The Night Riders, and the 2003 TV show Peacemakers. And we share some cool, Western comics: El Mestizo and Bat Lash.
