While we do love us some books, believe it not, we do have a life outside of reading. So to highlight our other pop culture interests, on the last Monday of each month, we each will highlight three other “happenings” from the last month. Big events on favorite TV shows, new movies we’ve watched, old movies we’ve “discovered,” etc. Pretty much whatever we found of particular interest outside of the book world during the last month. Share your own favorite things in the comments!
Joint Pick
Film: “Superman”
It’s finally happening. The DC Film Universe (is it the DCU now?) is BACK, baby! Because both of us saw “Superman” and it was SO, SO GOOD AND CHARMING AND THRILLING AND HOPEFUL! Everything that a “Superman” story SHOULD be! We have a Superman (David Corenswet is a delight) that feels like he is actually at his heart Clark Kent and that he just wants to help people! We have a Lois Lane (Rachel Brosnahan is PERFECTION) that is a spitfire reporter who uses her journalism wiles and skills to not only help Superman but to help the greater good, without apology! We have a purely unhinged Lex Luthor (Nicholas Hoult, what on EARTH) who just feels like SUCH A HATER! And we have a fun cast of not as expected DC Superheroes to come to Superman’s assistance, from Guy Gardener’s Green Lantern (the most OBNOXIOUS Lantern!) to Mr. Terrific to Hawkgirl! And we also have Krypto being the bestest boy even if he’s so, so naughty at times too. This is the “Superman” we had both been waiting for. So punk rock. James Gunn…. Thank you.
Serena’s Picks
Video Game: “My Time at Sandrock”
As you’ll see, something about the late summer (or perhaps the onset of the coming school-related madness) has triggered both Kate and I to seek out some nice cozy video games to fill our time. Kate definitely has more experience with these types of games than me (I’m an RPG girl at heart), but now I’m soooo addicted, it’s unbelievable! Must….keep….building! Plus, there are a ton of fun characters and excellent romance options! I’m still fairly early on in the game, but I’m so excited to see how the story plays out from here!
Movie: “The Fantastic Four: First Steps”
“Superman” is definitely my favorite superhero movie of the summer (and probably since a long time, since those characters are by far my favorite comic book characters!), but I’ve also been diligently keeping up with the Marvel movies. It’s not a shocking statement to say that the last few years for Marvel have been…rough. But between this and “Thunderbolts*,” it really feels like they might be finding the right track again at last! Simply put, they seem to have remembered that what made the original movies so good were the characters (and the actors they cast to play those characters.) Here, every single member of the ensemble cast knocked it out of the park. And for all that world-ending events are on the horizon, the story remains tightly focused on these characters and their personal arcs. I’m definitely excited to see them all again in the next movie!
Kate’s Picks
Video Game: “Tales of the Shire”
We all know that I am a huge “Lord of the Rings” geek. And I have started soft-launching an introduction to my daughter, as we’ve started slowly working our way through the movies (abridged a bit at my discretion) and we’ve looked at the artwork in my annotated “Hobbit” and my “Lord of the Rings” books. And most recently I got us “Tales of the Shire” on my Switch for us to play together. It’s basically “Animal Crossing” but with hobbits. It’s pretty simple, and it’s definitely cozy, and I like being able to cook meals for my neighbors, and growing a garden, and making friends with other hobbits. And it’s pretty low stakes and open sandbox, so my kid can play it and not feel any pressure or fear that she will screw up her game for her hobbit. I know that some people weren’t as impressed by it, and sure, it feels a bit repetitive at times, but as a game I can play with my soon to be kindergartner it works.
TV Show: “Star Trek: Strange New Worlds”
I told myself that I really REALLY needed to get back into “Star Trek”, but like usual I just kind of let it fall by the wayside because out of sight, out of mind. But when I was on my way to Las Vegas for my husband’s birthday celebration I saw that “Star Trek: Strange New Worlds” was available to watch on the plane. Which was a perfect distraction on the way out west! “Strange New Worlds” is technically a spin off from “Discovery” as well as a prequel to “TOS”, as it follows the characterizations of Captain Pike, Number One, and Spock from “Discovery” as they go on the Enterprise on their own adventures before Kirk takes over in a few years. It’s pretty episodic so far (I’m not TOO far in), but I have really been enjoying seeing more Anson Mount as Pike and Rebecca Romijn as Number One. But it was also fun seeing that Uhura is on this show too, VERY early in her Star Fleet career! It’s just fun and very enjoyable, and I am truly pleased to see both Pike and Number One getting more attention as characters many many years after their initial (not too prominent) runs back on the original series.
The Library Ladies 