Hello! Pop culture and entertainment rule my life. I decided that it would be fun to do a little recap of all the media I consumed each month:
BOOKS!
I read a total of six books this month. I thought I would be able to read more but I got zero reading done when I was on my birthday excursion to the Pacific Northwest. The books this month started out really strong and then slowly dropped out in ratings.
9 Days and 9 Nights – Katie Cotugno: This sequel of Cotugno’s book, 99 Days, takes place over, you guessed it, 9 days. While on vacation with her college boyfriend, Molly runs into her ex Gabe and his girlfriend Sadie, at a tube station in London. The couples end up spending the 9 days together, trying to keep their fallout—and obvious tension and chemistry—from their significant others. If you’re a fan of the first book, I think you’ll find great delight in this sequel. the chemistry between Gabe and Molly oozes on the page. I also really appreciated that Cotugno didn’t make their partners into the villains of the story. It would have been such a cop-out.
Save the Date – Morgan Matson: Go read my full review of this wonderful book right here! Save the Date Review
Love & Luck – Jenna Evans Welch: A companion to her previous work Love and Gelato, Welch tells the story of Addie and how she got roped into a road trip all over the Emerald Isle with her brother and his online friend. Before she leaves for the road trip, she comes across a strange guidebook, Ireland for the heartbroken. This is the perfect way to work through her heartache that she left at home before returning to high school. While not as good as Love and Gelato, I still really enjoyed this book. The relationship Addie has with her brother Ian was really beautiful, even when they were struggling to understand each other’s feelings. While you don’t need to read Love and Gelato to understand this book, it makes the cameo appearances more fun.
Almost Impossible – Nicole Williams: I LOVED the direction this was going. I thought Jade and Quentin had an adorable relationship, I just wished everything could have been flushed out more. It seemed more like a novella than an actual novel. Williams just scratched the surface with this book. It could have been a much stronger story if we had more insight into their relationship, how the relationship between Jade and her aunt progressed, and how things went on in Quentin’s home life.
Everywhere You Want to Be – Christina June: This is a companion novel to It Started With Goodbye and I felt that it was much stronger than it’s predecessor, but that didn’t mean it was perfect. Any book with dancing, I’m sold. Whether it be classical ballet or contemporary, anything dance related and I’m there. I just wished there was more. As with Almost Impossible, so much could have been flushed out in this story. I think this was a case of too much telling and not enough showing.
The Summer of Us – Cecilia Vinesse: This was a sweet travel story that followed a group of friends on their train journey through different parts of Europe the summer before they start university. The author payed a lot of attention to the relationships between her characters, that she lacked in her perspective on these incredible European cities. She had such a great opportunity to provide us with beautiful imagery, but she just wasted that on characters’ endless thoughts about everyone else.
TV!
Instant Star: Another Canadian show! After my deep dive into the world of Degrassi (guys, I’m still not quite over Eli/Clare and it’s taking over my life) I decided to rewatch Instant Star. No matter how annoying the main character was, I genuinely really love the songs from the show. I downloaded a bunch after I finished the three season show.
Glow Season Two: Despite my hatred for Marc Maron in the real world, Glow is the only thing I can actually stand him in. I really like the relationship between him and Alison Brie’s character, Ruth—this kind of muddled father/daughter but the father wants to sleep with his daughter. As much as he hates to admit it, Sam respects Ruth and values her opinion. Despite liking their relationship, I was rooting for Ruth and the camera guy. I also loved getting to know these characters even more from the first season. Can’t wait until season three!
America’s Next Top Model: When I was visiting a friend in Seattle, she was in the process of watching all the seasons of America’s Next Top Model in order. I never watched the show when it aired, I only tuned in during the marathons they used to play on Oxygen in the middle of the day. But once I started watching some episodes with her, I was sucked back in. I found myself watching an entire season in a day the other week. and there’s no sign of stopping.
MOVIES!
I did a lot of rewatching this month, only two out of six where new movies. I think I just had impeccable timing of turning to a channel right when a movie was starting.
They Came Together: I caught this on HBO one night, starting from the beginning and I just had to sit and watch it for the 10th or so time. Director David Wain is a strange little guy and his movies and humor are definitely for everyone, but this movie manages to crack me up within the first five minutes. It helps that three of my favorite people star in the film: Paul Rudd, Amy Poehler, and Jason Mantzoukas.
Eighth Grade: Read my crazy and excited review right here: Eighth Grade and the Genius of Bo Burnham
If I Stay:I think this is a great adaptation of Gayle Forman’s book of the same name, despite Chloe Grace Moretz being kind of blah. Jamie Blackley plays the dreamy Adam and his band is actually really good. When it first came out, I remember downloading the soundtrack because it was all pretty perfect.
Robin Williams: Come Inside My Mind: A new movie! When Robin Williams passed away, I took it really hard. It messed me up for weeks, despite me never actually knowing the guy. His movie quotes were a stable at my family’s dinner table. I was really excited for this doc, but it ended up leaving me pretty underwhelmed. There was a heavy focus on his Mork and Mindy days and then never addressing his Academy Award or other really popular movies. I feel like this could have used the Garry Shandling treatment: a four-hour documentary split into two days.
Obvious Child: This is one of my all-time favorite movies. I think Jenny Slate is an absolute dream and shines so bright as Donna, a comedian as she comes to terms with her impending abortion from a recent one-night-stand. And then you have sweet Jake Lacey as Max who is a literal puppy dog. This movie is really important for young women in their twenties.
Baby Driver: This came on at dinner time the other night so mom and I sat down and watched, both our second viewings from seeing it in theaters. This movie will always blow my mind with how technically perfect the editing and music sync together. I’m amazed and still bitter that it received zero Oscars.
LIVE SHOWS!
Nick Kroll and Friends: Because I’m moving soon (more on that later) across the country, I’m trying to get as many comedy shows in that I can. Nick Kroll hosted a night of stand-up with a bunch of lady friends to raise money for comedian Angela Trimbur, who was recently diagnosed with breast cancer.
I was so unbelieveable pumped to finally get to see Jenny Slate do stand-up and it was so great to see her and Nick Kroll up on stage together, throwing bits back and forth with one another. It was also great seeing Chelsea Peretti and Natasha Leggero back doing stand-up again after having babies. It was a hysterical night.
Lindsay Glenne 