Book #243 of 2018: 41: A Portrait of My Father by George W. Bush My political views are very different from both the author and the subject of this presidential retrospective, but thankfully the former steers largely clear of politics to talk about the latter’s character. (The author’s brother Jeb, for example, barely features in …
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Book #242 of 2018: Dopesick: Dealers, Doctors, and the Drug Company that Addicted America by Beth Macy An informative overview of the country’s current opioid crisis, which has deeper roots — dating to the turn of the century in its present form or even further for historical analogues — and a more singular origin — …
Book #241 of 2018: The Gentleman’s Guide to Vice and Virtue by Mackenzi Lee (Montague Siblings #1) Overall, I adore this historical fiction novel about queer teens on their grand tour of eighteenth-century continental Europe. It’s phenomenal representation in a genre that often starves for any diversity at all, and the action of the story …
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TV #52 of 2018: Doctor Who, season 11 I love the new Thirteenth Doctor, along with plenty of other tweaks in this first chapter of Doctor Who under showrunner Chris Chibnall. I adore the dynamic between companions Ryan and Graham, and I like that the season is immediately approachable for brand-new and lapsed viewers, which …
TV #51 of 2018: Breaking Bad, season 2 A bit of a transitional season, taking us from the tough-but-stupid (and honestly a bit stereotypical) drug dealer Tuco to Heisenberg and Jesse’s initial attempt to be solo kingpins, and finally to the beginning of their partnership with the enigmatic Gustavo Fring. It’s still Breaking Bad, so …
Book #240 of 2018: And Now We Have Everything: On Motherhood Before I Was Ready by Meaghan O’Connell A short, powerful memoir about unplanned pregnancy, birth, early parenting, and postpartum depression. I really admire author Meaghan O’Connell’s sharp, matter-of-fact tone, which basically comes across as a more human version of Amy Dunne from Gone Girl. …
TV #50 of 2018: Crazy Ex-Girlfriend, season 2 Not as tight a story as the first season, but I like that it immediately pushes forward new character-driven plots, especially for Paula, and that the status quo continues to get shaken up as the season progresses. And of course, the songs are as clever and catchy …
Book #239 of 2018: Ararat by Christopher Golden (Ben Walker #1) This story of demonic possession and murder unleashed by the discovery of Noah’s Ark on an isolated mountainside is a solid paranormal thriller, sort of like Michael Crichton or Dan Brown crossed with early Stephen King. I would have liked a little more depth …
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Book #238 of 2018: The Master and Margarita by Mikhail Bulgakov This subversive Soviet satire, written in secret and only published after author Mikhail Bulgakov’s death, is wickedly funny and very creative, but it’s all a bit chaotic for my tastes. Given the sarcastic gun-wielding cat, the black magic of the literal devil, the gratuitous …
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Book #237 of 2018: Pachinko by Min Jin Lee This sprawling novel spans most of the twentieth century, following several generations of a family throughout their lives in Korea and Japan. The characters are very well-drawn in grounded detail, although as usual for this sort of saga, they tend to come and go over the …
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