Jen V’s August Recs
Firstly, apologies for the missing July update. Things have been hectic and I completely lost track of time and then somehow it was already the middle of August and now, somehow, it’s the end of August, so this will have to do. Sorry!
Mainly life has been dominated by work, some freelance projects, and cross-stitching (delightful). I also decided to buy a house with a friend so we’ve spent every Sunday at open homes - it really cuts down on relaxing weekend time, and also just takes up a lot of brain space. But we found a place we really like last week so please cross your fingers and toes, and hope that the stars align for us!
Now, onto the important things!
TV: August has delivered on quality content because we had the premiere of Sandman on Netflix and A League of their Own on Prime. What a time to be alive!
I am always deeply uncomfortable recommending Sandman because it is so messed up, but they’ve done SUCH a good job adapting the graphic novel (which I love) - this season covers the first two volumes of the series. The aesthetic! Also, Tom Sturridge is a great Morpheus and it has further cemented my belief that he should have been Edward Cullen. Nothing but respect for my sad emo prince!
I’ve also finally started watching the What we do in the shadows TV show after lots of reticence and it was a great life decision. Thoroughly enjoyed it.
Film: Look, things have been dire. I had lots of things I wanted to go see, and then it just didn’t happen. I did go to a documentary on Gloriavale with my book club the other night though, and it was grimmmmm. And then I rewatched Atomic Blonde for my trans-Tasman BFF movie date and it’s still great - such a banging soundtrack. Charlize! James McAvoy! Honestly, what more could you want?
Books: Strap in, here we go.
Gideon the Ninth by Tamsyn Muir - Got this on a whim from the library and it is honestly one of the weirdest books I’ve ever read. Such a wild ride from start to finish. Basically a locked room mystery set on a distant planet with necromancers doing necromancer things. It was w i l d. I loved it. Didn’t realise it was the first in a series though, and you know how I hate that.
Iron Widow by Xiran Jay Zhao - I really wanted to love this. It’s basically Pacific Rim, giant robot/mech suits and drift compatibility! I love that! But unfortunately the style just wasn’t my jam and I found it really hard to stay interested. I still think it’s worth a read cause it’s doing something a bit different, but just isn’t for me.
The No-Show by Beth O’Leary - This was the book club read for this month, chosen specifically cause we needed a break from heavy and/or depressing reads. And it worked well for that purpose! Having four main protagonists does mean you don’t get a lot of depth though, so it can feel a bit flat. But interesting enough that I stuck with it.
Something Fabulous by Alexis Hall - I read this cause I specifically wanted something that I did not have to engage my brain for, and by that criteria, this is perfect. A ridiculous queer regency romance that goes romping through the English countryside. I say ridiculous, because that’s just what it is. The characters are all kind of insufferable, too. But a great read for the bath!
The Lies of Locke Lamora by Scott Lynch - This book has been on my TBR list since 2006 so it’s been a long, long time coming. Like a grown up Six of Crows, but without the cool female characters (the book’s biggest let down IMO). I think I would have liked it more if I’d read it back in 2006 but still, it’s a compelling con man story with interesting characters. Also the first in an unfinished series (sigh) but don’t think I’ll read the rest!
Husband Material by Alexis Hall - Boyfriend Material was one of my fave books from 2021 so I was really looking forward to the sequel. I re-read that in preparation and maybe that wasn’t such a good idea because it just reminded me how much I loved it, and Husband Material just doesn’t stack up the same way. I still liked it, because I really enjoy the author’s style, and I really love Luc and Oliver, but it felt laboured and the ending was insanely rushed. I also feel like there was a missed opportunity to add weight to the ending that would have shown some real character growth, instead it feels like things just kinda went nowhere. I still enjoyed it, I still laughed, but could have happily lived without it.
Music: Wet leg! Wet leg! Wet leg! I’ve been sleeping on this and it’s an outrage.
Since we’ve wrapped up Carry On, I feel like I can now share my Simon (listed here) and Baz (listen here) playlists for this particular book. I love them, your honour.
Also, I literally just read this article ranking all My Chemical Romance, Fall Out Boy and Panic! At The Disco albums and of course it is wildly inaccurate, so here are my rankings instead:
The Black Parade - MCR
From under the cork tree - FOB
A fever you can't sweat out - P!ATD
Three cheers for sweet revenge - MCR
Danger Days - MCR
Folie a deux - FOB
Pray for the wicked - P!ATD
Infinity on high - FOB
Too weird to live, too rare to die - P!ATD
Mania - FOB
Death of a Bachelor - P!ATD
Pretty. Odd. - P!ATD
Take this to your grave - FOB
I brought you my bullets, you brought me your love - MCR
American Beauty/American Psycho - FOB
Vices & Virtues - P!ATD
Save rock and roll - FOB
That’s it from me! Catch you all in September!