Monday, May 11, 2020

April 2020 Update

Well, I'm definitely not guaranteeing a post per week like I was doing before, but I've got a few posts lined up, so I'm hoping to get more than one done a month now! 

Started Watching:

themarysue.com

Fleabag- season 1started and finished
I didn't know a thing about this show until it got award buzz...and then when it won everything, I knew I had to at least look into it. I got it out from the library just before isolation started, and I'm so glad that I did. It's definitely crude, but I rather love that. It's fresh and real and from a woman's perspective - she is neither a complete trainwreck, nor is she perfection itself, and I really appreciated that. It's not going to be for everyone, but I think if you've lived a bit of life already, you'll find some things you can really relate to. Oh, and if you love characters breaking the fourth wall as much as I do - this is a must. Excited for when I can get my hands on season 2!

Movies:

Since I didn't really finish any shows this month (although I am still working my way through the Chinese drama Unrequited Love), I figured I'd share some of the other things I've been watching:

comingsoon.net

Destination Wedding - DNF'd 
It's pretty uncommon for me to dislike a movie so much that I don't finish it. I usually force myself through it, and say at the end "Yeah, well I tried" and know I gave it a fair shot to judge it. The exceptions to this are movies I stop watching within the first 15 ish minutes because the style is clearly not what I expected, or movies on television that I was sort of flipping through and therefore not something I consciously chose. So why did this one make the list? Honestly, I got through at least half of it (although I think I was maybe 2/3 of the way through), and I simply didn't care. I love Winona Ryder generally, but the relationship between these characters was just a little too unrealistically odd for me to handle.

theguardian.com

Carrie Pilby
Carrie Pilby is based on a book by Originally I wasn't enjoying this movie. I haven't had the most patience during isolation - if I have to put in too much effort to like it, it's not happening. I had also recently tried watching Destination Wedding...so I nearly turned it off. I'm glad I didn't though. If you can through the awkward and stereotypical-feeling beginning, it becomes a sweet movie. It's not saccharine, nor is it going to likely wow you, but I really enjoyed it as a nice time passer. Change isn't a bad thing - it reminds you of that, especially when you are in a moment that you feel a bit lost. Oh, and the cast is great!

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It's been a more productive month for sure, and I'm starting to feel more like myself than I have in the past bit, so that helps. Trying to keep things lighter, and am hoping to blog more. We're at two for the month already now, so that's a promising start!

Tuesday, May 5, 2020

The Cement Garden (Ian McEwan)

This post will essentially be Spoiler Free (except where marked in the "Where it disappoints" section), however comments by other users may possibly contain information that spoils portions of the plot, so read at them your own risk.

goodreads.com

What it's about:

After the long illness of their mother leaves them orphans, four siblings fear for their separation, and decide to hide her death. Yet, this also means hiding her body, which they choose to bury in cement in the cellar. Each of them deals with this drastic change in their lives in very different ways, and to varying degrees of success - Julie takes over the household, Jack stops bathing, Sue spends hours reading and writing in her diary, and Tom starts to wear dresses. But what happens when the precarious balance they have developed in disturbed once again?