Category: Not Just Books

Not Just Books: December 2024

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!

Serena’s Picks

Movie: “Godzilla Minus One”

I’m what you may call a casual fan of big monster movies. I’ve seen a supremely random assortment of Godzilla movies, two or three King Kongs, “Pacific Rim” but not its sequel. All over the place! But I had heard good tings about the latest entry into the Godzilla franchise, a prequel, none the less! And it really lived up to my expectations, with a nice balance of monster action alongside the more poignant tale of a kamikaze pilot who survived WWII and has all the associated survivor’s guilt that one might expect.

Video Game: “Outerwilds”

I’m definitely the bigger video game nerd between my husband and me. I’m the one that already owned a console when we got married and I’m the one usually brainstorming the next game we play together (never mind the ones I play on my own). So I was quite surprised when I found that he had bought and downloaded this one for us to check out! It’s definitely a unique experience, relying primarily on exploration and discovery as you fly through a small solar system and piece together the history of a long-extinct civilization. Oh, you’re also in a “Groundhog’s Day” loop. It’s weird and fun, for sure!

Netflix Show: “The Diplomat”

There’s nothing better to distract oneself from current politics than to watch a show about politics! I’ve re-watched “The West Wing” innumerable times for this very reason! So I was excited to discover this show on Netflix earlier this month. There are only two seasons and both are rather short, so I whipped through this show in only a few sittings. But it was excellent in every way! Superb casting, great writing, and all of the twists and turns that you could ask for! It also ends on a rather big cliffhanger, but it has been renewed for a third season, so at least Netflix didn’t just drop it like they are so want to do.

Kate’s Picks

Netflix Show: “Cobra Kai”

My ultimate comfort show is back, with the second of three drops of final season episodes! I will admit that this show has kind of shifted a bit as time has gone on to be more about the teens than my beloved Johnny Lawrence and all the other older characters, but I am still really enjoying this show and finding it to be a true calming balm for me. The Miyagi-Do Dojo is in Barcelona participating in the international karate tournament the Sekai Taikai, where they are facing VERY tough competition. Including seeing former teammate turned once again rival Tori, who defected back to Cobra Kai after her mother died and Kreese manipulated her to rejoin with him. As Johnny and Daniel try to keep their own frustrations at bay, as well as their rage at Kreese, Miguel, Robby, Sam, and the others are starting to become frustrated with each other as they keep being defeated. This part of the season ended with a legitimately shocking moment which amps me up for the last few episodes. But most importantly, Johnny is still everything I need. Oh, and Chozen finds an unlikely romance which also REALLY worked for me.

HBO Show: “The Penguin”

I really loved the Robert Pattinson “Batman” film, finding it to strike the exact right balance between comic book energy and gritty noir, but I’ll admit that when I heard that Colin Farrell’s Oz Cobb (aka The Penguin) was getting his own show I was skeptical. Was he fantastic in the role? Yes, of course. But could he carry his own show as said character? I wasn’t sure. Well shut me up, because “The Penguin” is right up there with “Peacemaker” as one of my favorite modern DC projects, as it feels like a “Batman” villain tale mixed with the likes of “The Sopranos” at its very best. In the aftermath of the events in “The Batman”, with Gotham reeling from the massive flooding and the crime underbelly dealing with the death of crime boss Carmine Falcone, Oz Cobb makes an impulsive move that sends the family into chaos. It could help him consolidate his own power, but Carmine’s daughter Sofia has just returned from Arkham, and is looking to make her own place in the family hierarchy. Colin Farrell is FANTASTIC as Oz, still being fully unrecognizable in his makeup and performance, but also finds so many complex dimensions to a Batman villain who could very easily be a joke. But it’s Cristina Milioti’s Sofia that REALLY sells this show for me, as she is vicious and terrifying, but is also ravaged by PTSD, and the portrayal is simply phenomenal. Just peak DC stuff here.

Film: “Wicked Part One”

Anyone who knew me during my freshman and sophomore years of college can tell you that I basically made my entire special interest/personality the musical “Wicked”. I listened to the music all the time, I saw the show a couple of times, read most of the books of the source material, and my freshman roommate turned dear friend Megan and I saw a lot of ourselves in the relationship between Glinda and Elphaba respectively (I was the dork who wrote her a goodbye letter on moving out day that quoted “For Good”, not realizing that we would still be close friends years later). I knew that I needed to see the movie. I was not ready for it. Cynthia Erivo and Ariana Grande dazzle as Elphaba and Galinda, who we may know as the Wicked Witch of the West and Glinda the Good Witch thanks to “The Wizard of Oz”. But “Wicked” asks what if that is all propaganda, and the Witch of the West and Glinda the Good Witch were actually friends while in school? And that the Wicked Witch was actually a revolutionary fighting against a fascist government? Man, what an adaptation. I was weeping on and off, and wholly blown away by Erivo and Grande alike. Now we have to wait for Part 2, and I’m not going to be at all patient about it.

Not Just Books: November 2024

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!

Serena’s Picks

TV Show: “Justified: City Primeval”

This has been out for a while, and I’ll be honest, I’ve been delaying watching it. On one hand, “Justified” was a near perfect show as far as I’m concerned with a perfect ending (something so rare in television these days) and I was seriously concerned that any sequel would ruin that. On the other hand, it could be amazing and I’d want to savor it! Well, I reached a low point of things to watch recently, so it was finally time! And I’ve really been enjoying it! I think the show made a lot of great choices, especially moving the setting to a new location. In this way, this show can exist without directly impacting the first series in any true way. I also was pleased to see that Raylin Givens remained true to the original character, without the writers feeling the need to tinker overly much. Doesn’t hurt when you have an actor like Timothy Oliphant who doesn’t seem to have aged at all in the meantime…

Video Game: “Dragon Age: The Veilguard”

I’ve had a mixed experience with the “Dragon Age” franchise. I loved some of the games but also struggled with others. I think the lore and history of this world is amazing, but it seems as if it’s been harder and harder for games to match everything together as the series has progressed. And so far (I haven’t completed it yet) this one has been a bit of a mixed bag. On one hand, I have no problem with the changes to art style. I think the more cartoony look can work really well (you avoid the uncanny valley issue that is often found when games try to hard for the “realistic” look) and the settings and imagery are by far the strongest aspects of the game. It’s just a beautiful game to walk through. I also think the actual game play is pretty good. That said, the writing…oh, the writing! It’s not helped that “Baldur’s Gate 3” came out only a year ago and is a masterwork as far as writing goes, but I think this one would be tough either way. Basic plot points are repeated ad nauseum and, for an RPG, your character is given very little choice in how they respond to most situations. You, in theory, usually have three version of dialogue to pick from. But in reality, it’s almost exactly the same answer in every case. My expectations were probably too high, but I also think that for a game that’s been in the works for 10 years, this one was incredibly poorly written. Which is unfortunate, because a lot of the rest of it was great!

Documentary: “Touching the Void”

Yep, it’s that time again! Time to revisit the horrifying world of climbing documentaries! I blame this one fully on my husband. I walked into the den one night and he had this already pulled up. I’d heard about this story back in 2003 when this movie first came out, but I hadn’t actually watched it. The documentary follows two climbers who end up in a disastrous situation when they are descending a peak and one of them breaks his leg and the other ends up having to make a horrible life or death decision. The only thing that saves these documentaries is that you’re hearing the story while it’s being interspersed with interviews with the individuals involved, reassuring you that everyone makes it out alive in the end.

Kate’s Picks

Hulu Show: “Only Murders In The Building”

If October is for the Spooky Season, I always try to devote November to leaning fully into the coziness of autumn as it slowly (or in the more likely Minnesota scenario of not so slowly) transitions into winter. And what better way to do that than with one of the coziest mystery shows around, “Only Murders in the Building”! Perhaps one would think that Charles, Oliver, and Mabel’s antics of solving murders whilst having hijinks in their NYC West Side high rise would get stale, but with the amazing trio of Steve Martin, Martin Short, and Selena Gomez that is not the case! This time around they are trying to solve the tragic murder of Charles’s stunt double Sazz, who was shot in Charles’s apartment. Why are there so many murders in this building? It doesn’t really matter. I still highly enjoy this show. Extra points for Eva Longoria acting as herself preparing to play Mabel in the motion picture of their hit podcast. She was hilarious.

Video Game: “Disney Dreamlight Valley”

Though I’ve been diving into “Stardew Valley” again due to the new update (I can have a black cat now!), I also wanted to seek out another chill video game to cozy up to this past month. I had heard about “Dreamlight Valley” online, and decided that now was as good a time as any to give it a go! It’s basically “Animal Crossing” and “Stardew” in general plot and gameplay, but your neighbors and friends are Disney characters! You are tasked with helping rebuild Dreamlight Valley, a home to many Disney friends that has been cast under a spell by a force known as the Forgetting. As you help rebuild the community, you make friends along the way. You can grow crops, build things, make friends, cook recipes. It’s all very cottage core, and has helped lower my blood pressure in times of angst and anxiety. I also like seeing what friends I’m going to make next (waiting not so patiently for Belle and Moana to arrive because that feels like the ultimate power clique to me).

Film: “The Witch”

But sometimes instead of cozy I just need to lean into some good old fashioned rage. And given how much rage I was feeling at the beginning of the month after the election, where do I turn but to one of my FAVORITE feminine rage films, “The Witch”. A friend from college came over the weekend after the election to watch a horror movie, as we try to watch horror movies once every month or so, and I said ‘you bring the hotdish, and I will provide ‘The Witch’. That will be cathartic!” And was it ever. In Puritan New England an exiled family (after the patriarch enrages the community with his pride) goes into the wilderness to make their own life. But when eldest daughter Thomasin is watching baby brother Samuel, he suddenly disappears without a trace. As more tragedy befalls them, Thomasin’s family starts to believe that a witch has cursed them, and that Thomasin herself is to blame. I love this movie and have loved this movie, as it’s less about the witch of the wood, and more about the demonization and marginalization of a young woman by her zealous family. I feel that in my bones at the moment.

Not Just Books: October 2024

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!

Serena’s Picks

TV Show: “The Tourist”

I had to admit, I have had a similar reaction/timeline to Jamie Dornan as I’ve had for Robert Pattinson. Both made the mistake (as far as I’m concerned, and perhaps as far as their careers are concerned) with involving themselves with “Twilight” and “Twilight” fanfic movies, and thus neatly slotted into the “not serious actors” category in my head. More fool me, however, as I’ve now watched several things with both actors and enjoy both of their acting quite a lot! I watched this show on a bit of a whim and not only did I enjoy it, but I’ve also mentally slotted it in as a show to re-watch with my mom when she visits as I think its action-packed, wacky story is just the sort of thing she’d enjoy! And I like it well enough to want to watch it again!

AppleTV Movie: “Wolfs”

I am the audience member who proves movie producers right: yes, I will watch your movie based only on the fact that you cast George Clooney and Brad Pitt together again in a thriller/comedy movie! The story follows two “clean up” guys who end up having to worth together and many shenanigans ensue. It’s a fairly simple concept and it’s not subtle about the fact that it’s almost purely relying on Clooney and Pitt to sell the entire thing. But that’s why they are A list stars! They can, in fact, single-handedly carry a fairly simple movie on their backs! It was funny, action-packed, and made the wise decision to not fall into the numerous “low hanging fruit” traps that were presented throughout. Instead, it didn’t try to be more than it was and was all the better for it!

TV Show: “The Great British Baking Show”

Yep, it’s that time of year again! I feature this show every fall and I probably will for the foreseeable future, or until they cancel the show (how DARE you even suggest it!). As usual, my husband and I picked our top two choices for who will win. Luckily for me, one of his picks crashed and burned on the third episode, so the odds are currently in my favor. That said, this entire batch seems incredibly strong, and there are a few dark horse candidates that were definitely off our radar in the first episode when we were picking. The start up of this show also happens to coincide with my youngest’s birthday every year, which often serves as a stark reminder that yes, baking actually is that hard when we try to make his birthday cake. (See: our failed attempts at both caramel and raspberry coulis, both of which my husband is attempting re-make as I type this.)

Kate’s Picks

Film: “Woman of the Hour”

One of the more disturbing serial killer stories from the 20th Century, to me, is that of Rodney Alcala, aka ‘The Dating Game Killer’, who was murdering women and girls for decades and also happened to appear on the gameshow “The Dating Game” in a creepy twist of fate. So when I saw that Anna Kendrick was not only starring in but also directing a film about Alcala and his infamous appearance, I was very interested to check it out. Kendrick plays the woman who chose Alacala as her winning bachelor after appearing on the show, and as we see her story unfold we also see snippets from a few of the murders he committed and how he manipulated women, but also evaded authorities for reasons that are absolutely rage inducing. I will say that the film isn’t SUPER accurate, as it takes a lot of liberties with various aspects of the narrative to make it more thriller like. But that didn’t really matter to me as I was watching because the changes that WERE made didn’t feel disrespectful towards his victims, and they were more to really hit home the fact that this monster was able to get away with seven confirmed murders (but true numbers could be as high as 130!) because of misogyny and a culture that is more interested in writing women off as hysterical or mistaken. It’s a solid directorial debut from Kendrick for sure!

Film: “Smile 2”

What better way for our Terror Tuesday crew to make a successful Alamo Drafthouse return (after our local franchised one closed for the summer before being absorbed by the parent company, it was a whole thing) than to pick the sequel to the movie that really messed us up? Yep, we went and saw “Smile 2”, and it was JUST AS FUCKED as the first one! It basically asks ‘what if the Smile Demon wanted to go on the Eras Tour?’ Skye Riley is a pop superstar who is starting a huge world tour, her first one after a horrific accident turned her life upside down. But when she goes to her dealer to get a fix, he commits a brutal suicide in front of her, and shortly after he smiles at her in a demonic sort of way. Now Skye is seeing that horrible smile everywhere, and feels like her life is falling apart as this demon gets more and more into her head. I WILL say that the end didn’t quite work for me, but overall I found this sequel to be fun, creepy, and a great Halloween movie!

Concept Album: “Warriors”

One of my favorite movies is the late 70s cult masterpiece “The Warriors”, an action movie about a gang from Coney Island having to make their way back home from the Bronx after they are falsely accused of assassinating a well respected gang leader named Cyrus. It’s campy and brutal and sometimes goofy and SO fun, and when I heard that Lin Manuel Miranda made a concept album musical based on this movie I WAS SO STOKED. And yeah, it’s a really fun reimagining of the film, with gender bent characters, a complex and catchy soundtrack, throwbacks to the film, and a whole new take on the story. I really enjoy Miranda’s musical style and it really fits with the story, and having the main characters be women instead of men is a pretty great change. It also highly improves the romance between Swan and Mercy, which I was VERY happy about, and on top of that there are cameos from a couple of the actors from the movie (James Remar and David Patrick Kelly specifically, two standouts) as corrupt cops. I really loved it.

Not Just Books: September 2024

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!

Serena’s Picks

TV Show: “Slow Horses” Season 4

More often than not, bookclub often devolves to me and my friend Aimee ranting about the trend of streamers releasing their seasons week-to-week and hence undercutting one of the primary appeals of streaming in the first place: binge watching. In protest (probably protest that hurts no one but myself, but alas), I often wait to watch a show until the entire season has been released. However, for shows that I watch with my husband, our combined impatience often gets the best of this strategy, and such has been the case with this most recent season. All of my favorite characters are back in their full ridiculous and incompetent glory, and Gary Oldman is back to rudely dismiss them all. The writing on this show is excellent, and I highly recommend it to anyone who enjoys spy/thriller shows!

Movie: “Hacksaw Ridge”

This is one of those movies that has been on my list to watch for quite sometime. But it’s also the kind of movie where you really need to be in the right mood to handle the grim subject matter. The story itself is uplifting and incredible, but the actual horror that was the battle on Hacksaw Ridge cannot be undersold. The movie does a great job of balancing both this horror as well as the incredibly heroism of Desmond Doss, brilliantly portrayed by Andrew Garfield. We also see a lot of focus on the European side of WWII (for good reason), but I think it’s often largely forgotten how much of a focal point the Pacific War was through these years, particularly for the U.S. public at the time. Obviously, this movie was well received in pretty much every way, so a recommendation from me many years later is rather silly. But, well, it’s good and you should watch it!

Netflix Series: “The Perfect Couple”

Yes, you got me Netflix, I am one of those viewers who will often check out your new show/movie/what-gave-you if you cast a major star I enjoy as a lead. And I’ve always liked Nichole Kidman. She always seems to bring complicated layers to her performances, leaving viewers often befuddled as to how they are meant to feel about the character. Such is the case here as well, as the story follows a murder that occurs at a wealthy family’s wedding. Most of the cast shine, though I will say, the other lead actress, Eve Hewson, was a bit of a struggle at times. It’s hard to know whether this was due to the writing or her performance. But the strength of the rest of the cast and the intriguing murder mystery still left me enjoying it overall.

Kate’s Picks

Podcast: “Tooth & Claw”

This past month “Last Podcast on the Left” did a series on SeaWorld and the orca Tilikum, the notorious whale that was responsible for the deaths of three people while in captivity. It was a fantastic and devastating series, and while reading on the Reddit boards what other people thought I kept seeing reference to another podcast called “Tooth & Claw”. I decided to give it a go, and I was really happy with what I found! “Tooth & Claw” is a podcast run by a conservationist/wildlife biologist named Wes, his brother Jeff, and their friend Mike, where they talk about incidents and cases of animal attacks. They’ve covered stories like The Night of the Grizzlies, The Jersey Shore Shark Attacks, other famous cases, and numerous stories that perhaps went viral but aren’t as well known. But it’s not just sensationalism, as Wes always has great information about ecology, biology, and zoology for each episode, and does a great job of contextualizing the animal behavior (I never imagined I would be so enthralled by percentages of types of food sources for grizzly bears in Yellowstone National Park, but lo and behold I was!), while also giving tips on how to safely interact with wildlife . I’m learning a lot while also getting to hear harrowing tales of animal attacks, it’s win win.

TV Show: “The West Wing”

This has been on the Not Just Books list before from both Serena and myself, but my husband and I are doing another re-watch and it’s been taking up a lot of my non book down time. And it’s still a great show that MOSTLY holds up (there are some moments that make me go ‘well we know better now’, but for a twenty five year old show and having not too many is impressive). I’ve been pretty nervous (perhaps terrified) about the state of politics in the U.S. this year given that it’s once again a Presidential Election cycle and things just continue to escalate, but I’m enjoying the Bartlett White House and all of the people who work there. Josh Lyman continues to be super relatable (there is a reason I was once described as the Josh Lyman of book club), and more than ever I am yelling “LISTEN TO TOBY, TOBY IS RIGHT!!” on this rewatch. Which you can take as you will. I don’t know how the election is going to shake out in November, but I’m living vicariously through this show and crossing my fingers.

Netflix Docuseries: “Mr. McMahon”

As I’ve mentioned before, my husband was a huge WWF/WWE fan when he was a kid and a teenager, and he still likes to dip in to watch pro-wrestling for the big events like Wrestlemania, the Royal Rumble, and Summer Slam. I watch with him too because it’s fun to watch him be so nostalgic and entertained, but also because I find pro-wrestling to be SO fascinating as it’s a bunch of super athletic theater kids. But I have always HATED Vince McMahon, the absolute monster who is responsible for making WWE what it is today…. but also for a slew of depraved and horrifying behaviors and crimes. So obviously we were both very excited to watch “Mr. McMahon”, the docuseries that kind of peels back the image of Vince and his company and compiles and exposes him for the trash heap psychopath that he actually is. It wasn’t really news to me and my husband, as we’ve been well aware of his bullshit and horrible behavior for years now. But man, having it all in one place? It’s jarring. But what’s even more disturbing is that I didn’t even feel that the series went as hard as it could have! It’s also a little unnerving to see so many people involved with the company STILL being unable to call him out for what he is. But maybe not surprising. Good riddance, Vince, you slimeball.

Not Just Books: August 2024

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!

Serena’s Picks

Sports: Summer Olympics 2024

Per the usual, whenever the Olympics happen, it’s sure to pop for me on this list! Our TV was pretty much on the entire two weeks that the Olympics were running, though the first week was definitely my main point of interest. I always really enjoy all of the swimming events, and this first week also saw the return of Simone Biles in all of her glory. And what a fantastic return it was! I was on the edge of my seat through some her routines and perhaps got overly invested in it all!

Netflix Show: “The Umbrella Academy” season 4

What a wacky show this has been! Not only is the concept, characters, and storylines ridiculous (in the best way), but every season it’s been a wonder that Netflix renewed it! I was particularly pleased that they gave it a renewal for this last season so that the storylines could all be wrapped up properly. And there was a lot to like about this final entry! It does a great job of skewering the multiverse concepts that are all over the place in comic book movies, while also finally allowing its characters to age and tackling what dysfunctional superheroes living in suburbia would look like. Aidan Gallagher has always been the main draw of this series, and I was so pleased to see the storylines his character was given here. And, as far as endings go, this one felt right, even if it wasn’t what I would have wished for.

TV Show: “Alone”

Every late summer, this show is sure to turn up on this list! There’s just something so thrilling about cuddling up in tons of warm blankets while stuffing one’s face with food and offering up harsh criticisms to these contestants who are barely scraping by in the wild. “No! Stop wasting energy hunting and just sit in your shelter!” “Why would you build that elaborate of a shelter? Haven’t you seen any of the previous seasons where those guys always go home first?!” So much judgement, so little actual experience with anything similar. Good times!

Kate’s Picks

Musical Artist: Chappell Roan

I had heard of Chappell Roan before this summer, but when she exploded on the scene I was curious. And once I listened to it, I became a huge fan almost straight away. Her music itself has a poppy feel to it, it reminds me a little bit of The Go-Gos, a little. bit of Blondie. But it’s also unapologetically queer, which is really great to see, with Sapphic themes but also a clear aesthetic influence from drag and queer culture. She also likes to showcase drag artists in her music videos and before her concerts, which is AWESOME. And one of the best parts is that my kid loves ‘Hot To Go” and “Pink Pony Club”, so we can both enjoy car rides so long as Chappell is playing. It’s not often that I get caught up in a music trend these days as an elder Millennial, but hey, she’s fun and frothy and a hoot. Perfect summertime music.

Film: “In A Violent Nature”

We all know how much I love horror movies and how slasher films have a very special place in my heart. Because of this I was very interested in “In A Violent Nature” when I first heard of it, as it’s a slasher film that is almost completely from the perspective of the hulking, supernatural, slasher killer entity, starting from his resurrection and through his killing spree. HOW COOL! We follow ‘Johnny’, a supernatural slasher who is brought back to life due to partying young adults out in the woods, completely following Johnny and learning the story through his experiences. It’s meta, it’s a clever deconstruction, and I really, really loved the execution of it. The filmmakers clearly love the sub-genre, and while one may not think it would be suspenseful as we are LITERALLY following Johnny as he strolls around and kills people, I was still on the edge of my seat just WATCHING him slowly creep up at his languid pace, and then take them out. SO clever. But warning, also pretty violent.

TV Show: “The Decameron”

Who would think that a show about the Black Death would be such a laugh riot? When I first heard of “The Decameron” my interest was certainly piqued, given that the very premise is a bit of a dark comedy soap set in the Italian Countryside as the Plague ravages Europe. I sat down to watch when I had a night to myself and I found it to be a gallows humor filled hoot and a half, as well as an anxiety inducing meditation on mortality and class clashes in the face of death and disease. As the Plague is tearing through the cities of Europe, a number of nobles from Firenze are invited to a villa in the countryside to indulge in the fineries of life as they wait out the sickness, bringing their servants, riches, and terrible attitudes. But as dynamics unfold, tensions rise, and the body count rises, it becomes all too clear that escape from death isn’t a given, no matter how much money and privilege you have. Stand outs in the cast for me include Zosia Mamet, who plays a noblewoman who is worried she is an old maid at twenty eight, Saoirse-Monica Jackson as her dutiful but intense handmaid, and Tanya Reynods as a servant who has found herself in the position of being able to pretend to be nobility. It’s bleak in a lot of ways but it’s also hilarious with fantastic dialogue and some great madcap moments.

Not Just Books: July 2024

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!

Serena’s Picks:

TV Show: “Top Chef: Wisconsin”

First of all, as a Minnesotan, I have to register my outrage that this show chose to film in Wisconsin instead of here. Look, Wisconsin is fine. But we have a much bigger metro area and thus a much bigger food scene and what the heck, “Top Chef??” Ok, now that that’s out of my system. It was still fun watching this season travel around many places I’ve been to in Wisconsin. The first half of the season started out with some rough cooking errors, but the cast was all great and I enjoyed this season of the show overall! I was particularly impressed with how well Kristen filled Padma’s shoes as the new host. Really loved her sometimes brutal reviews of some of the dishes!

Video Game: “Dragon Age: Inquisition”

I have vague memories of maybe including this one on this same list years and years ago. But as I never made it more than a few hours into the game, I think it’s worth listing again as now I’m actually, you know, making real progress on this game. Mostly my butt was kicked into gear because, after a 10-year wait, the next installment in this series is finally releasing later this fall. And there’s only so many times I can re-play “Baldur’s Gate 3.” Or is there…Either way, now that I’ve actually gotten further in this game, I’m really enjoying it. Is there perhaps too much supply gathering? Yes. But am I there mostly for the romance options anyways? Also, yes.

TV Show: “Clarkson’s Farm”

Yes, this is a reality TV show about farming. Even typing that out sounds boring. But, the “British-ness” of it all is probably the main appeal. It’s amazing how invested you find yourself in the ins and outs of sheep management, why a tractor can be TOO big, and the detailed mathematics of crop seeding. Fascinating stuff, huh? But, honestly, much of the fun is watching Clarkson stumble around in an area of work that he is unfamiliar with while his much younger farm hand becomes increasingly irate about his antics. If you want to watch a show that’s nothing like anything else, this one is a fun time.

Kate’s Picks

TV Show: “Cobra Kai”

There was a pretty long delay between the fifth season of “Cobra Kai” and the final sixth season, as the writers and SAG-AFTRA strikes last year delayed production for it (as it did for many shows). But the wait is finally over!!… Kind of!! I say kind of because “Cobra Kai’s final season has begun, in that it dropped the first five episodes this path month, with two more drops in the coming months. So we’re a third of the way through, and I have very few complaints. I’m just excited that the scrappy karate kids at Miyagi-Do/Eagle Fang are back and hoping to win the international Sekai Taikai karate tournament. I’ve even MORE excited that Johnny Lawrence is back on my screen, as I am still head over heels in love with his glam metal obsessed himbo self. Sure, it still falls back into some repetitive storytelling, but everyone is SO charming and it’s such an earnest show in so many ways I just have to love it.

Video Game: “Stardew Valley”

OKAY LOOK, I am fully aware that this is probably the third time I’ve posted about this game, but I fell back into “Stardew” a bit this month for a couple of reasons. One reason is that a friend of mine fell back into it and, being so easily influenced, I decided to give it another go as well. Another is that I had a pretty bad mental health episode at the end of June into early July, and I needed a nice and relaxing thing to take on as self care in my down time when things felt too much in the aftermath. And a final reason is that I decided that I wanted to try a new path for my character instead of the one I always take. So this time my farmer is romancing the town jock/himbo Alex instead of Goth weirdo Sebastian. And honestly, I can’t deny my love for a himbo. It’s been fun! And I now know the ins and outs and am getting a lot done at a quicker pace. And maybe that huge update will finally come to Switch soon? Maybe?

Film: “Twisters”

I am a huge fan of the original “Twister”, as I saw it in the theater and have loved it ever since. So I was amight skeptical when I found out that decades later they were making a standalone sequel. I mean, it’s hard to live up to the expectations from the original! But Terror Tuesday decided to do a field trip to go see “Twisters” (after watching the original of course), and it was actually pretty fun. Former Ph.D candidate in meteorology Kate has given up on chasing and studying tornados ever since tragedy completely turned her world upside down, but when she’s approached by old friend and former colleague Javi to come back into the field and help out his tech firm, she feels like she has to say yes. When they go to Oklahoma to try and gather data from an outbreak of tornados, they meet up with social media influencer Tyler, who uses tornados for clicks. It definitely doesn’t live up to the original, but it was an enjoyable night out to the movies. Worth seeing in on screen.

Not Just Books: June 2024

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!

Serena’s Picks:

TV Show: “Your Honor”

Honestly, we started this one purely because Bryan Cranston was the star. And clearly whomever made this poster understood that that was probably the primary appeal for most people! The story follows a judge whose son commits a hit-and-run, accidentally killing the son of a mob boss. Shenanigans ensue as the judge attempts to save his son while actively working against his own moral judgement. It’s definitely been a tense watch, and I spend way to much of my time being angry at the son, but Cranston shines as always. If you like dark legal thrillers, than this one might be worth checking out!

Apple TV Show: “Masters of the Air”

Continuing my steady march into middle age, I’m back again with yet another WWII story! This time the story focuses on a group of flyers in the bombing unit of the air force. I haven’t watched “Band of Brothers,” but it’s from the same group of producers, which probably gives you some idea. The story is based on true stories and characters and man, it’s tough at times. But the bravery of the flyers in these situations was also incredible! For some reason, I feel like I’ve only ever really heard/watched/read about the fighter pilots in this war, so this was a unique look into the world of bomber flying, which, turns out, is very different! If you enjoy true stories about historical warfare, than this is definitely one to check out!

Movie: “Furiosa: A Mad Max Saga”

I know this one has been a bit of a let down at the box office with some fairly mixed reviews, but I still wanted to give it a chance based on the strength of the last “Mad Max” movie and the fantastic cast. And while it’s not as good as the last entry in this series, I also don’t think it’s nearly as bad as some of the reviews are saying. In fact, bizarrely, it’s biggest problem seems to come down to the effects. During the credits, they roll scenes from “Fury Road” and even these brief glimpses are a bit of a slap in the face with how much better that (older) movie looked than many of the scenes in this (newer) movie. That said, if you look past the step backwards in this area, I think this was a successful film! The acting was fantastic, the story delivers on a believable prequel arc for a fan favorite character, and the overall vibe fits well within the “Mad Max” series as a whole. I think it’s well worth a shot, even if one has to lower the standards a bit on some of the effects.

Kate’s Picks

TV Show: “Criminal Minds: Evolution”

Some things never change, and one of those things is my love for procedurals. And “Criminal Minds: Evolution” is back and I am hooked. After the BAU captured prolific serial killer Sicarius, immediate questions were raised about the phrase ‘Gold Star’ when he mentioned it to one of their colleagues, who was killed shortly thereafter. Now they are trying to find out what ‘Gold Star’ is, but it seems like it’s another serial killer who is even more dangerous. Now they may have to get insight from Sicarius himself, as much as they don’t want to. Because Sicarius may have the only information on this murderer who may also be government trained in his kills. This iteration of “Criminal Minds” is darker and has been doing more interesting things than the original, and while the team is still missing a few core characters, I love seeing how those who have returned have been faring. Especially Penelope Garcia! Man I love her.

Film: “Love Lies Bleeding”

I was one of those jerks that scoffed at Kristen Stewart for a long time because of “Twilight”. But lately I’ve realized that I was super wrong because she has really done some dynamic and compelling movies, as I am pretty certain that she is going to have an Oscar someday. My most recent instance of eating crow was “Love Lies Bleeding”, an erotic thriller/neo-noir tale that stars Stewart and Katy M. O’Brian as misfit lovers caught up in a violent crime that unravels them both. Stewart is Lou, a woman who runs a gym who meets Jackie, an ambitious body builder. The two fall for each other immediately and start a relationship, but an impulsive act of violence turns their world upside down as Lou tries to protect Jackie from a local gangster… who also happens to be her father. I really enjoyed the vibes of this one, it’s tense and sexy and a wild ride.

TV Show: “Frasier”

I have honestly been struggling a lot with some serious burnout as of late, with lots of things making me stress out and my emotional regulation being a lot less, uh, regulated? So what do I do in times of severe burnout? I dive into things that just bring me predictable comfort, and one of those things is the show “Frasier”. I’ve definitely highlighted it before, but I’ve started jumping around the original series again with favorite episodes, and it still manages to bring me lots of laughter and lots of comfort even when I’m feeling out of control and exhausted in my life. The cast is still perfect, the stories are still hijinks, and the heart is still beating strongly. Thank you, Crane family and friends! I needed this!

Not Just Books: May 2024

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!

Serena’s Picks

Netflix Show: “Beef”

This one has been on my watch list for a while, but I was never quite in the mood for what promised to be a show about kind of bad people doing distinctly bad things. And it turned out to be great (no surprise, I feel like it’s been widely praised already!). It was such an odd combination of quirky, horrific, comedic, and, at times, deeply poignant, addressing complicated subjects regarding depression and mental health. What could have been a ridiculous concept (indeed, it is!), ended up with some truly heart-wrenching scenes. And also plenty of scenes where you were just banging your head against the wall at the choices of these people!

Apple TV+ Show: “Sugar”

My husband and I started watching this on a whim really knowing nothing about it. And now we’re several episodes in and…still mostly know nothing about it. Stylistically, it’s definitely doing some interesting things calling back to noir private investigator films. But story wise? Let’s just say I came in hot with some wild predictions that, even more wildly, don’t seem that crazy as the show continues. It’s clear that it’s building towards some sort of twist, and my husband and I have dueling theories at this point, so we’ll just have to wait and see who’s right in the end!

Netflix Show: “John Mulaney Presents: Everybody’s in LA”

And, to round out this month’s weirdly-all-quirky picks, I’ve also watched a few episodes of this very strange talk show. Now, I’m missing the most important aspect of the show, which is the fact that Netflix is filming and streaming it live, so I feel like I’m perhaps missing a bit of its charm. It’s also incredibly local to LA with many of its jokes and references, so, again, much of that goes over my head. But Mulaney is simply a charming, funny guy and that’s honestly probably what’s driven most of the traffic to this show, myself included.

Kate’s Picks

Film: “Late Night with the Devil”

I’ve said it many many times on the blog, but I will say it again: I’m not super into demonic possession stories, unless said story has an interesting hook that goes beyond ‘devil bad, let God save you’. But reading about “Late Night with the Devil” really grabbed my attention, because TALK ABOUT AN INTERESTING HOOK!! This quasi-found footage horror film takes demonic possession and puts not only a retro twist on it, but also an examination of success and fame at any cost. Jack Delroy is the host of the second most popular late night talk show in the 1970s, but with his ratings slipping and his fears of cancellation overtaking him, on Halloween Night in 1977 he brought on a very special guest: a parapsychologist and her patient, a teenage girl named Lilly who is supposedly possessed by a demon. What should have been a ratings grab and TV gold turns into a devilish nightmare. I love the aesthetic, I love the way it’s mostly a talk show episode (with some glimpses behind the scenes), and I REALLY loved David Dastmalchian as Jack. Oh, and Lilly is a wicked hoot.

TV Show: “Interview with the Vampire”

When “Drag Race” ended, my friend David and I needed one more bit of queer media to watch on our waning Sunday get togethers before he went back into the archaeological field for the summer. I suggested that we give the new “Interview with the Vampire” series a try, because 1) we both liked Jacob Anderson (who plays Louis) on “Game of Thrones”, and 2) I had heard that it’s a bit more, shall we say, OVERT with the queer subtext of the original novels. And BOY WAS IT, in all the best ways. This is indeed the story of Louis and Lestat, but it has had some tweaks, all of which I loved. The first is that it updates the time period to the early 20th Century. The second is that it ups Claudia’s age to a teenager. And the third is that it tackles not only the Otherness of being queer, but also race in the United States, as Louis is a Black man living in New Orleans when he runs afoul his maker and lover Lestat de Lioncourt. What a messy romance it is. Oh, and LESTAT. WHAT A PERFECT CATTY BITCHY LESTAT SAM REID IS. We loved it. It’s the “Vampire Chronicles” I’ve been waiting for.

TV Show: “Conan O’Brien Must Go”

I have been a huge Conan O’Brien fan since I was in high school (as an elder millennial this probably surprises no one), and have been following him here and there for most of my life. I always greatly enjoyed his episodes where he would travel to different countries and cultures, and now his show “Conan O’Brien Must Go” takes that very premise and runs with it. Each episode has Conan going to a new country and immersing himself in various activities, cuisine, and exploration, with the usual Conan antics and a unique intro narrated by Werner Herzog (yep, not even joking) for each. What I love about Conan and HAVE loved about Conan is that he is not only a fantastic entertainer, he is also filled with so much earnest heart that he never comes off as cloying, pretentious, or mocking. I love seeing him steep himself into the cultures of Norway, Argentina, Thailand, and Ireland. And not only is the comedy there, but there are SO many gorgeous shots of the landscapes and city scapes of each country. Give this man limitless episodes of this show!!

Not Just Books: April 2024

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!

Serena’s Picks

Movie: “The Mummy”

I may, MAY, have forced my sister to watch this movie excessively as a kid. But is there really such thing as “excessive” viewing of this movie?? No, there is not! Proved by the fact that even with our shared childhood watching of this movie, the minute I texted my sister that “The Mummy” was coming back to theaters for its 25th (oof) anniversary, she responded by immediately looking for theaters in her area. I knew she would thank me! Only took…yeah, 25 years apparently. But seriously, this is just a great film. In many ways, it’s the “Indiana Jones” sequel we never got in all of the important wants: action, adventure, romance, and a nice dose of cheese on top of it all. I probably re-watch this one once a year or so, but this was the first time I actually got to see it on the big screen!

Amazon Prime Show: “Wheel of Time” season 2

It may have taken a while, but when my mom was visiting recently she finally pushed me to go back and finish up what we have so far of the “Wheel of Time” series. I enjoyed the first season, for the most part, but I also wasn’t in love with it (hence the delay in getting to the second season in the first place!). But I was pleased to find that I liked this second season better! I think many of the younger actors more fully came into their own, and several of the characters were given more compelling plot line than they had in the first one. Of course, there were still characters whose stories I didn’t care about as much, but the strength of the others balanced it all out. I’m sure fans of the first season enjoyed this one, and now I know not to wait on the third one when it finally comes out!

Netflix Show: “The Gentlemen”

My husband and I stumbled on this one by pure chance, and boy am I glad that we did! I enjoyed the heck out of this! It’s the story of a man who comes into the dukedom after his father passes away only to find that his father had been funding the estate by letting a criminal organization run their marijuana farm on the property. Of course, what’s to be done but some how get tangled up in a mess of rival drug fiefdoms, including the one and only Giancarlo Esposito, who by this point is just trolling us all by playing a character who is a rival drug lord with his own plans. This is the “Breaking Bad” alternate universe that we didn’t know we needed!

Kate’s Picks

Film: “Lisa Frankenstein”

I missed this one in the theaters, but I found myself with no plans, a sleeping kid, and a husband at a soccer game one night, so I decided to sit down and watch it. And I was pretty charmed! It follows Lisa, an outcast teen in the 80s who spends her free time tending to the local bachelor’s grove cemetery. But when a lightning bolt resurrects the dead Victorian boy whose grave she had been especially fond of, she finds not only a true (if dead) friend, but also starts to realize that perhaps she can help put him back together. With the pieces of less than good people. I really enjoyed the 80s aesthetic in this one, and it was written by Diablo Cody, so you know the dialogue is snappy as hell. I’m also a sucker for outcast romances, and this one is VERY that. Also, the soundtrack is fantastic, especially for this New Wave loving former Goth.

TV Show: “Taskmaster”

This is purely my husband’s doing, as he stumbled upon this show on an Instagram reel and was immediately intrigued. He sought it out on YouTube, became obsessed, and then roped me in to watch it one night when we were both home and the kid was in bed. And what a fun and hilarious show! The premise is that a Taskmaster (comedian Greg Davies) and his assistant (creator and fellow comedian Alex Horne) present various ludicrous challenges and tasks to a group of other comedians and/or media personalities over the course of a series, and whoever has the most points at the end wins. Participants have included the likes of Noel Fielding, Katherine Parkinson, Mel Giedroyc, and many many more, and the challenges are bonkers and hilarious and require some serious ingenuity at times (one of my favorites was the participants had to paint a portrait of the Taskmaster but couldn’t stand on the large carpet that the easel was on and had to figure out how to make that work). I’ve laughed until I’ve cried many times.

Film: “Abigail”

You know how much I love a vampire story (assuming it fits only my VERY stringent criteria), and the moment I saw the trailer for “Abigail” I knew that I had to go see it. So Terror Tuesday folks and I hopped on over to the theater, and boy, what a wicked TREAT this movie is! A group of criminals have been hired to kidnap a twelve year old ballerina named Abigail, only told that she is the daughter of a powerful underground figure. But soon they realize that Abigail isn’t a normal twelve year old girl, and that they are trapped inside a fortified mansion with a little girl vampire who has a SERIOUS penchant for blood and gore. I mean, come on. That’s gold. And the cast is stacked, with Giancarlo Esposito, Dan Stevens, Kathryn Newton (her second film on my list this month!), and Melissa Berrera included. Though admittedly my favorite was Alisha Weir as the titular vampire because she as delightful. I also love cracking wise to anyone who will listen that my own four year old daughter who loves to spin in pretty dresses and who has some, shall we say, emotional regulation issues is pretty similar to the vampire ballerina.

Not Just Books: March 2024

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!

Serena’s Picks

Movie: “Dune: Part Two”

I had to patiently wait for a night that we had the boys off at their grandparents, but I did finally get to see this one! It was always going to be a priority to see it in the theater, and boy, am I glad that I did! I loved it so much! Not only were the visuals and soundtrack amazing (well worth the ticket price), but every single actor was knocking it out of the park. Frankly, it was a relief to finally come across a good movie again. I feel like too many of the recently released films have all felt like cardboard cut-outs of stories, with nothing really new to say. But this felt like a return to excellence. In many ways, these first “Dune” movies have reminded me of the LOTR trilogy, both being sets of films where it truly feels like everyone involved really cared about the story they were telling and you could see that in every little detail. Definitely check this one out, especially in the theater if it’s feasible for you!

Apple TV+ Movie: “Greyhound”

Apparently, my husband and I have embraced middle age a bit early, in that somehow we’ve found ourselves watching a number of WWII movies and shows back-to-back. I haven’t joined a “WWII” bookclub yet, so I think I’m holding complete middle-age-dom at bay, but…it’s getting dicey. Mostly, I wanted to watch this one purely because of Tom Hanks. There are certain actors who just sell you on pretty much any story, and Hanks is that actor for many of us! The story was also exciting and nerve-wracking, focusing on one of the many perilous crossings of troops across the Atlantic during the war. It’s impressive how much tension could be built simply by staring out across an empty ocean, worrying about submarines. If you enjoy wartime movies, this is definitely one to check out.

Kate’s Picks

TV Show: “Shōgun”

I first read the epic historical fiction novel “Shōgun” the summer after my freshman year of college, and I was OBSESSED with it. I loved the melodrama, I loved the sweeping descriptions, I loved the way that it evoked a time and place I was wholly unfamiliar with. So when I saw that FX had a new show coming out based on the book, I wondered how it would translate. And let me tell you, “Shōgun” the show is phenomenal. The story takes place in 1600 Japan, when an English Pilot named Blackthorne and his crew run aground in Japan, which at this point was very isolationist outside of doing trading with Portugal and the Jesuits. There he meets Toranaga, a daimyo who is trying keep his power while his rivals threaten his life and stature, as well as Mariko, a cunning woman samurai who is trying to prove her loyalty to Toranaga. Toranaga soon realizes that this ‘barbarian’ may be a great asset. The show is gorgeous, it has a great cast, and my favorite thing about it is that while the book is very centered on Blackthorne and a Western lens, the show has instead centered Toranaga, Mariko, and the other Japanese characters. I am once again obsessed, and have my husband along for the ride this time.

Podcast: “Oh, That’s Just My Autism”

So for the past few years my family has been on something of a neurodivergence journey, as my daughter has been receiving educational services and occupational therapy for potential ASD and we are slowly getting our ducks in a row to seek out a medical evaluation and diagnosis. While working through all of this I’ve been noticing my own neurodivergence (ADHD) more, and have also been considering getting my own evaluation for ASD the more I’ve learned (and the more I’ve seen similar behaviors and traits in myself). I’ve been reading up on various things, but I also found a chill (and in many ways SUPER relatable) podcast called “Oh, That’s Just My Autism”. It’s hosted by Melissa, a woman who received her ASD/ADHD diagnosis in her early 40s, and who put together a podcast to kind of parse through that process and the way she has processed her diagnoses. She tackles subjects like anxiety, parenting as a neurodivergent person, rejection sensitivity, and going on a self discovery journey later in life that can take you by surprise. It’s easy to digest and I relate to it pretty well, so it’s been a fun listen.

Joint Pick

Documentary: “Love Has Won: The Cult of Mother God”

I blame Kate for this. Once again, she pulled me into watching another horrific cult show (ok, I’m a pretty willing victim). This one pulls no punches, hitting viewers over the head with the horrific end of “Mother God” right in the first few minutes of the story. I won’t spoil it for you, but I’ll never look at Christmas lights the same way again. But, overall, this was another fascinating documentary that had us both glued to the screen. It was like a car crash that we couldn’t stop staring at! There are a few versions of this story out there, so you have choices, but if you enjoy documentaries about crazy cults, this is definitely one to add to the list. Just don’t be eating dinner during the first episode, as I was.