Quick Hits – January 2017

I actually have my blog written on time this week!

I will be continuing my monthly entertainment reviews this year, although I will be making a slight adjustment.  Last year, I tried to keep a very rigid structure of two TV shows, two movies, and two books reviewed each month.  This often was not possible because I did not always have the right combination to meet the two, two, and two format.  I also often ran out of time or just was not passionate enough about my consumption choices to write six reviews.  I am striking the structured review format this year.  Instead, I hope to write three or four reviews each month but no pressure to fit any set pattern of entertainment options.  This month only has three reviews (it is quarter close as you are all well aware now), but there are quite a few extra items in the overflow.  All the extra is partly due to the extra time between December’s blog and this one (I did December’s early remember), and partly due to a rush of easily watched things this past week when my brain has not been capable of accomplishing anything else.

Warning:  Although I tried not to delve into plots too deeply, there are potential spoilers in the reviews below.  Read at your own risk.

Book:  Homegoing by Yaa Gyasi (2016)

This was an unexpected surprise for me.  I received this book in a Muse Monthly box several months ago.  I have heard fantastic things about the book all year, seeing it pop up on numerous recommendation lists.  The description of it just never really appealed to me.  Since I own it now, and the whole point of the Muse Monthly box is to expand my horizons, I decided to give it a try.  It started a bit slowly for me.  I had a hard time seeing the point to all these little snippets of story.  Then, somewhere in the middle (around Kojo) it finally clicked just how amazing this book truly was.  From that point forward, I could not put it down.  The book starts with Effia and Esi, half-sisters who never met, living in the 1770s.  One is married to a white colonist who settled in Ghana to run a slave trading business.  The other is captured and sold into slavery in the Americas.  From there, we travel through their descents to the modern day Marjorie and Marcus.  Each chapter is dedicated to one character, traveling down seven generations.  Such a short amount of time only allows us to briefly meet and know each character.  There is enough to get a feel of the times and a glimpse of their family relationships.  Taken individually, the chapters seem too short to be worth much.  Strung together, it weaves an amazing overview of how the world changed in Africa and in America.  The characters are individuals, some likable, some not, but all are driven by world forces beyond their control.  It is hard to see at each glimpse in time, but it is unmistakable over the whole.  Yaa Gyasi is an incredible writer, but an even more amazing storyteller.

Movie:  Star Trek Beyond (2016)

I went into this movie with a bit of hesitation because it seemed to garner a lot mixed, leaning toward bad reviews.  I rather enjoyed it though, same as I have enjoyed the other two.  I am not even close to a Trekkie, with no familiarity with the original series at all, and little memory of the later franchises for which I have seen some episodes (The Next Generation and to a lesser extent Deep Space Nine).  Maybe not having prior attachment to the franchise canon makes these movies easier to enjoy, because I find them engaging, fun, comic-book-style films.  It is a mix of witty banter, fun stories, great characters (I love the addition of Jaylah in this one), quick action scenes, special effects, and good guy saves the day endings.  I laughed and enjoyed myself greatly.  It is not the best film I have ever seen as it has a few flaws.  For example, the beginning was a bit slow to get to the actual film plot.  Once the film gets past the ship’s breakdown though, it speeds up and becomes a lot more engaging.  Now I want to go back and watch all three films in order.

TV Series:  Enlightened:  Season 1 (2011)

I cannot decide if I like this series.  The shows main character, Amy, spends time at a retreat after a mental breakdown on the job.  She returns to her life, feeling whole and awakened.  However, she finds it difficult to reintegrate into her life while maintaining the calm she found at the treatment facility.  This show is extremely well-executed.   The casting is good.  The episodes are tightly written and interesting.  The premise of the show is fantastic and very honest.  It brings to light two very important truths:  one is how blind we sometimes are about how we come across to others, and the other is how difficult it is to make changes in oneself when none of the background is changing with us (same family, same friends, same environment).  The problem I am having with the series though is how unlikable the characters are.  While I think they are well-drawn, I find it hard to feel compassion or sympathy for any of them, especially Amy.  The only character I like is Tyler, the nerdy new friend Amy makes at work.  There is a season 2, and I will probably end up watching it, so maybe I do like it.  If you like cerebral shows, you might like this one too, but it definitely will not be for everyone.

Overflow:

Movie:  The Holiday (2016) – Yes, it is still a favorite holiday film.

Book:  The Star-Touched Queen by Roshani Chokshi (2016) – Yes

Book:  Circling the Sun by Paula McLain (2015) – Yes

Book:  Salem Falls by Jodi Piccoult (2001) – Yes

TV Special:  Jen Kirkman:  Just Keep Livin’ (2017) – Yes

TV Special:  Gabriel Iglesias:  I’m Sorry for What I Said When I Was Hungry (2016) – Yes

Movie:  Step Up (2006) – Yes for the dancing and Channing Tatum.  The story does not feel quite as fun as it did when it first came out.

See you next week!