Movie/TV show/Music/Book recomendations

My real life friends got sick and tired of me babbling nonsensically about my favourite things so... have this blog I guess

[entertainment-recs]

WECLOME!!

I made this blog for Movie/TV Show/Music/Book recommendations!! Feel free to send suggestions for me to check out :)

I consume a whole range of stuff in terms of entertainment, so I'll try to keep this blog as varied as possible.

Y'all can call me E :D

[entertainment-recs]

BOOK REC:

Nimona, by Noelle Stevenson

Category: Graphic Novel, I’d suggest 12+ (some very minor swearing, violence, some complex concepts) but still a great read for adults, Medieval Fantasy (knights and supervillains and magic)

Blurb:

“Nimona is an impulsive young shapeshifter with a knack for villainy. Lord Ballister Blackheart is a villain with a vendetta.

As sidekick and supervillain, Nimona and Lord Blackheart are about to wreak some serious havoc. Their mission: prove to the kingdom that Sir Ambrosius Goldenloin and his buddies at the Institution of Law Enforcement and Heroics aren’t the heroes everyone thinks they are.”

Brief thoughts and description: This is super sweet, and a really lovely, easy read, set in a medieval type era, except with more modern science/magic. It tackles some difficult topics (corrupt law enforcement, human experimentation, etc) whilst still remaining early-teen friendly, and a fun read. The drawing style is super unique but beautiful, and the characters are compelling. It’s so lovable, and the relationship between Nimona and Lord Blackheart is sweet, and only gets sweeter. The plot really challenges who the real bad guys are and subverts expectations in that sense from the very beginning. Revelations near the end about Nimona are handled tactfully and written in a way that makes perfect sense and add to the story; no pointless B-plots or plot twists. The ending is definitely not what I expected, but still amazing, and didn’t detract from what came before.

I can’t say much else without giving anything away, but it’s wonderful and definitely worth a read :D

[entertainment-recs]

MOVIE REC:

A Simple Favour, directed by Paul Feig

Main Cast: Anna Kendrick, Blake Lively, Henry Golding

Age Rating: 15 (Sex, alcohol, a little violence)

Released: 2018

Brief thoughts and description: Definitely unnerving, a psychological thriller that also has a lot of humour and a fair few plot twists that will take you by surprise. All of the characters are intriguing in the way that they all have something, or several somethings, to hide, and have to navigate trying to keep their own secrets whilst trying to figure out what’s going on. 

Super lovely (single) Mommy-Blogger, Stephanie (Anna Kendrick), somehow makes friends with the mysterious mother, Emily (Blake Lively), of one of the boys in their kids’ class. Emily is secretive and says/does odd things that are brushed off as jokes or simply swept under the rug after the fact. She’s clearly manipulative, and that’s showcased even more when you meet her husband (Henry Golding), though Stephanie is so desperate to be friends and keep up her reputation as lovely that she is almost deliberately ignorant of it.

This movie is... odd, but I definitely recommend it if you’re looking for a little mystery and drama and shock.

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TV SHOW REC:

Bones, created by Hart Hanson and loosely based on Kathy Reichs’ books

Category: American crime/forensics procedural, comedy, drama. I’d say 15+ (gore, drugs, sex, alcohol, obviously lots of death, tackles a lot of difficult concepts like suicide, mental health, addiction, government corruption etc)

Brief thoughts and description: Yet another American Crime Procedural, except one of the only ones I’ve ever come across where every single recurring character is written and then developed perfectly. It somehow manages to be 12 seasons long, and not get boring or stretched out. Romances between main characters are written well and make total sense, and any extreme actions that the characters take are somehow both entertaining (in that they aren’t super predictable), and make sense to the viewer in terms of character development. Any plot twists are well written and make sense narratively, when you look back on previous episodes.

Based on the professional (and developing personal) relationship between an FBI agent (Seeley Booth, played by David Boreanaz) and the forensic anthropologist (Temperance Brennan, played by Emily Deschanel) he’s paired with. They are almost complete polar opposites: Booth is a through and through Catholic, Brennan is 100% Atheist, Booth is good at reading people and understanding emotion, Brennan is very anti-social (to start with) but is an incredible scientist. The other main characters mostly consist of Brennan’s  forensics team at the Jeffersonion and all of them are valuable and add to the plot in varied ways. Big “found family” vibes. 

I really can’t rave about this show enough. I’ve no idea if the science is accurate, but it’s interesting and easy to understand, and it is very special and rare in that any romantic sub plots are well thought out and deserving of time in the show, and not just shoe-horned in for ratings.

[entertainment-recs]

BOOK REC:

The Bedlam Stacks, by Natasha Pulley

Category: Historical fiction, 16+ purely for complicated-ish language

Blurb: 

“In uncharted Peru, the holy town of Bedlam stands at the edge of a mysterious forest. Deep within are cinchona trees, whose bark yields the only known treatment for Malaria.

In 1859, across the Pacific, India is ravaged by the disease. In desperation, the India Office dispatches the injured expeditionary Merrick Tremayne to Bedlam, under orders to return with cinchona cuttings. But there he meets Raphael, an enigmatic priest who is the key to a secret that will prove more valuable than they could ever have imagined.”

Brief thoughts and description: This one starts off a little slow, but once you really get into the plot you realise that everything that happens in those first few chapters is absolutely relevant. I adore this book more than words can say; the more you find out about the mysterious forest and mysterious town and mysterious Raphael, the more desperate you become to figure out what exactly is going on. The main character, Merrick, is likable and intriguing, and his relationship with Raphael is riveting (and only gets more-so when you’re clued into Raphael’s history). Both me and the friend that recommended it to me thought it was a little gay, but in a very subtle, understated (or possibly queer-baity) way, though I (as an out and proud Bi woman in a same-sex relationship) didn’t mind so much. The ending is wonderful and thought provoking and I just genuinely love this book. It isn’t too long, and I’ve re-read it several times, and it has definitely contributed to my hope to visit Peru one day (despite the fact that Bedlam isn’t a real place).

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MUSIC REC:

A/B, by Kaleo (Album)

Genre: Rock/Blues/Folk

Brief thoughts and description: This is one of my favourite albums ever; it’s short, with only 10 songs, but every single one is flawless and I can’t recommend this album enough. It’s an odd mix of old school rock and blues, with folk/country undertones, but it works SO well. Kaleo is an Icelandic band, but only one song (Vor í Vaglaskógi) is in Icelandic (“It’s originally a love poem that became a song in the 60s which was very much like a pop song in the 60s. I’ve always kind of loved the song growing up. So I did this kind of very different version and altered the melody a little bit on some of the chords and slowed it down to half tempo of what it used to be and made my own version of it.” - JJ (Singer))

Personal Favourite: Way Down We Go, or Vor í Vaglaskógi

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TV SHOW REC:

Final Space, created by Olan Rogers

Category: Adult Animation, some say PG-13, some say 15 (the gore and violence can be pretty graphic in places). Sci-fi, comedy.

Brief thoughts and description: First two seasons on UK Netflix (third season is out in America but not in the UK quite yet). Absolutely hilarious, one of my favourite shows, I'm currently re-watching it for the third time! Lots of humour and depth and every single character is compelling and lovable, in their own ways. The animation is fun, the soundtrack is great, and the overall plot is interesting and unique! Gary Goodspeed has been in Space Jail for almost 5 years, alone (bar KVN, his "deep space insanity avoidance companion" who is INCREDIBLY annoying, in a lovable way, and HUE, the ship's AI). Things spiral when he comes across some sort of green blob alien that he calls Mooncake, and adventures happen!! They make friends!! They form a squad!! They're the good guys!!! It really does the "found family" trope justice, and is just overall hilarious and emotional, can't recommend it enough :D

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BOOK REC:

The Bunker Diary, by Kevin Brooks

Category: Technically teen, but I definitely think it should be 16+ at least. Psychological thriller.

Blurb:

"I can't believe I fell for it.

It was still dark when I woke up this morning. As soon as my eyes opened I knew where I was.

A low-ceilinged, rectangular building made entirely of whitewashed concrete. There are six little rooms along the main corridor.

There are no windows. No doors. The lift is the only way in or out. What's he going to do to me? What am I going to do?"

Brief thoughts and description: Ok so this is one of my favourite books EVER. It's fairly shortish, I read it in a couple of days first time, and finished it in less than a day when I re-read. A first person POV of someone who has been kidnapped and deposited in some sort of bunker with 6 identical, bare bedrooms (each with an empty diary), a kitchen, and a bathroom. There are cameras everywhere (that can't be covered) and nothing to do bar whatever The Lift brings down. The bunker's inhabitants (who are brought down one by one) are tortured both psychologically and physically as they all slowly adjust to the idea that they will never escape. The ending to this... really is something, the more you think about the book (both narratively and practically as the personal diary of only one of the six characters) the more horrifying it is.

I can't recommend it enough, but this is NOT a happy book.

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MUSIC REC:

The Trick to Life, by The Hoosiers (Album)

Genre: Alternative/Funky Pop

Brief thoughts and description: This is the album with Goodbye Mr A on it! Every song is incredible, and though there are one or two slower, calm songs, it's mostly sing-a-long funky music!!

Personal Favourite: Cops and Robbers

[entertainment-recs]

MOVIE REC:

Evolution, directed by Ivan Reitman

Main Cast: David Duchovny, Orlando Jones, Julianne Moore

Age Rating: PG-13

Released: 2001

Brief thoughts and description: Utterly hilarious. A comedy that really doesn't age and is laugh out loud all the way through. A disgraced biologist discovers a meteor crash but is quickly kicked off the site by The Government; Alien things start happening in and amongst the humour. The whole movie is also some sort of weird advert for Head and Shoulders shampoo but that only adds to the hilarity.