Perry talks about everything

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[perrypicks]

Allegedly by Tiffany D. Jackson

I was having a reading slump so I searched on Tiktok for good books with good twists. I was lied to when Allegedly was suggested.

The Tiktok mentioned this had their jaw on the floor. I think they were lying down horizontally with their faces close to the floor because I think my jaw was sealed shut and unmoving when I read the ending.

I felt expectant for a twist and I would have been okay with a cliche twist as long as it made sense. But the fact that the book ended with a 'twist' that was so meh and 'So?' made me feel the reverse of picking up another book.

Spoilers section

Why was the twist merely something that didn't impact much on anything? It was just revealed that she had put pills in the baby's mouth and she had been the killer all along. So? She was 9, and she didn't have any perception of what it would have done to the baby. We were lead to believe that the mother was already an asshole, and beat her kid. So revealing that she didn't kill the baby was like okay cool, but she has already killed someone. So this doesn't impact my impression of her, I don't feel sorry for her. And speaking of the mother, she had the dimension of a piece of paper. Her character was a caricature of a person dealing with mental illness and taking it out on her child. Yes, people like this exist in reality, but I didn't see any depth to her cliche character. But the twist was intended to make us feel in some way differently to the Mother.

I feel she should have removed the twist and kept it as a dramatic book about the trials of an abandoned teenager who is forgotten in the system and who nobody believes because of prejudice against her race. I think that was the strongest themes in the book, of someone being forgotten in the system. But the twist made it seem like everything she had set up about her was not as important because it turned out that they were all right about her in a way.

I'm pretty pissed writing this right now because I wanted to read more but I'm afraid of picking up the next book only to be met with the disappointment I felt with this book.

1/5

[perrypicks]

Glass Onion: A Knives Out Mystery directed and written by Rian Johnson

The first thing that jumps out at me is the witty dialogue. Everything done or said has a purpose later in the film. This is an excellent example of everything you put in the film has to have meaning. I sincerely applaud Rian Johnson for leading a team of clever, witty and probably burnt out scriptwriters who earn our praise.

The twist was just so awesome and it scratched off the list of infinite twist endings a murder mystery could have. Once again, I have so much respect for the writers who crafted the story.

Something interesting is incoperating elements of the real world. The impact of the pandemic on their businesses... how Duke is a twitch king, masks- I think it was done alright, and it gives the feel of how Benoit is among us in the real world ;)

I also want to try to break down the metaphor... how benoit mentioned in a glass onion you can see the core perfectly. And how the real killer was always there in front of benoit surrounded by glass people who easily broke at the end :) Also I really think they came up with the glass onion because some clever writer came up with the funny donut analogy in the first movie. Cheers my friend i hope you got that bonus :>

The acting was excellent but as per my personal opinion they could have gone with a new cast... but Knives Out was famous for its star-studded cast so that's what was special about this series. But there definitely was a charm and reason to bringing in a star-studded cast... you would just assume everyone is important enough to be a killer. love the accent daniel

It's funny how I just remember the characters as their real names. My favourite character was Kate Hudson because I love harmful female characters who just love to have fun and ooze charm. Also duh who didn't love Benoit? Also holy shit... Janelle Monáe Robinson? Will you marry me?

How masterful the editors are to reveal the information only when it is being physically admitted!!!! love you guys...

In Knives Out they used PTC in a very unique turn because it rarely appears in fiction unless its a mockumentary. I was a little disappointed not seeing it in this one but barely missed it as mentioned, everything else they chose for the movie, through flashbacks, time rewinds, all fit perfectly.

Really excellent movie I was super hyped for and was not let down by.

5/5

P.s You know what rian... sure. I'll give you the among us plug. sure. fine. it was a sign of the times. sure.

[perrypicks]

UNDONE by Raphael Bob-Waksberg, Kate Purdy and their team of amazing animators

It's been a while since I felt like a show was fulfilling, meaningful and soulful. Undone is one of the shows that has brought back faith that tv can be good.

The story cannot be described. It can only be felt, and that is how I describe the experience of watching UNDONE. Something you open your heart and mind to when you follow the characters through their real journeys. None of this is fake, I believe that everything that happened happened, because I was there with them. Watching and being there. A soulful journey.

How can I describe the animation? Everything was meaningful, purposeful. For the soul. Every scene was a piece of the puzzle that was part of the whole picture.

Until the end, the journey never ended. It just kept going.

What an ethereal, magical piece of art. Undone deserves so much more appreciation and love than it does. And I'm ashamed it took me this long to watch and truly appreciate.

I just can't be more in awe of its team. Thank you for bringing this into our world and I can only hope there are more to come.

Still bawling my eyes out because I saw myself. I believe this is a show that everyone should experience because the only way I can describe it is that it is real.

[perrypicks]

WEREWOLF BY NIGHT Directed by Michael Giacchino

What a great standalone Marvel movie! It really gives me faith that there's still room to explore the small stories / other characters apart from the main MCU.

I loved the black and white style they went with, it's clear they took inspiration from old movies like Frankenstein which is one of the only movies I remember at this point being a Gen Z... anyways, I loved how short and sweet it was- they set it up with good ole battle royale style game with great stakes, be it losing a medallion or losing a friend, there was a great fight scene pay off, and it ended sweetly. Just a good ole classic adventure movie that I appreciate Marvel for making. Also loved the bit where they brought in colour!!

Please make more Marvel!! 5/5

[perrypicks]

3000 YEARS OF LONGING Directed by George Miller

Guys, I really wanted to like this one. Especially since my favourite movie is Max Max: Fury Road. But it just didn't hit the right spots.

I thought it was more of an experimental film, which isn't something I can enjoy or appreciate. A lot of the film focused on visuals and gfx, and at some points it reminded me of Roald Dahl and his stories. But 3000 Years of Longing felt like a shell of a fairytale. Something that pays tribute but doesn't hold up on its own as a fairytale. I didn't care for either of the characters, nor the characters told by Djinn. I tried and failed to see any meaning despite looking up analyses on the film. I really opened up my cynical side but by the end of the movie I lay on my side and said "what the fuck did I just watch?" Don't get me wrong, I would say it was beautiful, but it was an incomplete movie, made more for the sake of art than storytelling.

Any of you gained any insight from this movie? I would really like to know. I do see George Miller's eccentricities which I appreciated. But overall, not a movie I enjoyed.

1/5

[perrypicks]

SEE HOW THEY RUN Written by Mark Chappell directed by Tom George

An awesome homage to whodunnit movies. I've been a big fan of murder mysteries, especially whodunnits. And with the more recent releases like Knives Out and Murder Mystery (And See How They Run) they've began to approach whodunnits in a more creative tone. With Amsterdam, they've used a self-aware, clever, tribute-paying plot that works so well to their favour.

Brought together with the gorgeous set designs, creative cinematography and extremely clever, humourous and witty writing, See How They Run is excellent for all mystery lovers. I was extremely impressed with how they knew their audience with the way they set up and followed up the entire mystery. An example: I did assume Sam Rockwell was the killer from the beginning since I was already aware there was an interesting twist to the movie. The writers knew that the audience would assume this as the movie went along and instead of avoiding it / making it too on the nose, they put our perspectives into the amateur detective who made us really justify and think we could trust nobody. Excellent and clever!! As for the ending, I actually loved that there was some commentary about taking advantage of people's misery and using it for profit. (I think the writer had an agenda against Agatha Christie... gotta look it up and see if it's true) I loved how it all wrapped up even though I predicted that it would end like that. They surpassed the expectation with great use of music, acting and humour. I can't praise the writing enough, it was so clever :)

One thing I thought would have been great is if they used no-name actors. The script carried itself and the star studded cast became a distraction from the excellent plot. Also, Sam Rockwell's accent was dodgy but hilarious. The beginning was also a bit slow, but by the end I thought it was set up so well. Also, at some points I thought it was a Wes Anderson movie, the framing and set designs were so familiar, also the cast are Wes' entourage. I think it was well borrowed, not too explicitly obvious stealing!

Excellent movie for all audiences! Extraordinary job, writers. Can tell they're fans / studied up :))

5/5

[perrypicks]

FINAL GIRLS by Riley Sager

Damn, he has such a riveting way with words. The way he crafts his story is so engaging and fascinating, always egging me on to bring my ereader to the toilet even when I want to take a poo. That's Riley Sager.

I started off this book being afraid that I was setting myself up to be disappointed, I was coming off his last book THE LAST TIME I LIED, which I thoroughly enjoyed. Also the way he used the term 'Final Girls' made me cringe... like I get that it was the media trying to glamourise their survival but then why did the 'Final Girls' themselves attach themselves to the name? It's a tad bit corny but that's one of the most jarring moments in the book.

I didn't like the main character, but she was such an intriguing person to read about and from. I love when Sager makes me doubt who the actual murderer is, even the main character.

I fully did not expect it to be Coop. But I also fully welcome it. It was such a surprising and well structured twist that had a great set-up for a romance turned ohmygodhe'sakiller situation. I also feel ashamed as does the main character for accusing Tina for being the murderer. I feel so awed that Sager made me afraid of Tina instead of being afraid of the actual horrible person. What a great, excellent read that I have not enough words to enunciate.

5/5 stars

[perrypicks]

THE WILD ONE by Colleen Mckeegan

I don't know why I remember feeling like I hated this book to the core of my being when I finished it at 4am this morning. Not that my opinion has drastically changed, I just have some disdain for it now.

If you wanna know the hijinks of a priviledged white girl and how she finds fitting in with her bully friends difficult, this book is for you!

Not only was the MC unlikeable, I felt the consequences she suffered should have been worse. The fact that she chose some guy over her best friend's advice really solidifed it for me that this was a girl i hated. I hated the pacing of the book, it was so slow and clunky. It moved from past to present but it got a little confususing because the characters just aged up and all the characters were so not differrent.

Sarah being a bitch did nothing. I thought she was gonna get killed or summin. Nada. She was just a bitch and they fell out...? I felt like they were building up to something big. Nope. A twist ending? Nope. I mean... I wish the MC died or something. I feel like there should have been more depth to her character. Nope, she's just a privileged white girl who got everything she wanted by force.

Bye book, I regret finishing you.

0/5

[just-a-mall-rat]

It’s the fact that the persona Jupe puts on to people is apparent even down to his name and it’s driving me wild. His real name isn’t Jupe, it’s the name of the character he played as a child but people in the movie call him that and even ourselves as moviegoers. Jupe wanted to identify himself with that moment of the past rather than his current life as a much older man. It’s that fixation of his moment as a child star that got overshadowed by tragedy which is consuming his life down to something as personal as a person’s own name.

[perrypicks]

THE NIGHT SHE DISAPPEARED by Lisa Jewell

I've read The Family Upstairs and it was pretty good, especially the ending. This book was also great in the way it all gathered together in the end. She also left us with a juicy bit at the end with the revelation that Liam knew everything and just wanted to fuck Scarlett over.

I was pretty surprised at how they made me feel sympathy for Scarlett / empathy for her and Lula's relationship before absolutely throwing it out of the window with her assisted kidnapping. Not gonna lie, I was pretty happy that Zack died, just how it proceeded after that was not my favourite part. I just wish there was some build up to that happening, and wished that Lula was just trapped in the tunnels / got herself killed in the tunnels as a twist.

I do appreciate that there are so many women in this book. And so many admirable women. Literally all the men suck in this book, even the baby LOL. So stan Lisa Jewell for giving us the feminist thriller novel we needed <3

Thank you Lisa Jewell, will be following more of your work in the future.

[perrypicks]

NOPE Directed, Written and Produced by Jordan Peele

Here are some imagery / themes I think were important in NOPE. Which I really enjoyed, because everything Jordan Peele touches is pure gold. Like his other movies, it's more about what he's trying to say compared to what's actually happening.

Man Vs Beast

This is one of the main imagery / parallels I noticed in the movie.

The show young Steven Yeun was in Vs The chimpanzee that went rogue

The MC's family Vs horses

The MC Vs The Alien

Man Vs Man

I think the main message was that respecting animals / beasts / things you don't understand is the best way to approach them.

Examples:

Steven Yeun and the Chimpanzee

The cast kept trying to run away from the chimpanzee and beg the chimpanzee for mercy didn't work. What almost did was Steven Yeun trying to reach out to the Chimpanzee (vice versa) - which could also mean 'reach' an understanding / form a connection.

MC knowing from his experience from raising horses is to treat them with respect

At the end, the Alien follows the MC as he makes eye contact with the Alien. Yet the Monster doesn't try to eat him, but slowly encroaches towards him, almost like they reached a middle ground of staring at each other

Interesting theories / inferences / things I need help decoding

Something funny I noticed is that Steven Yeun's character gets revenge from his childhood trauma because when he was younger, balloons set off the Chimpanzee (also a 'beast'), and the destruction of the Alien (the main beast) was brought about with a gigantic balloon version of himself. :)

It was so interesting how Steven Yeun knew about the Alien but was so business minded he just fed it horses. It almost reminds me of the show casting the Chimpanzee and trying to tame it down for business.

Until the end the MC's sister tried to capitalise on the Alien, which is like slay get that Oprah slot but also adds to the theme of people trying to capitalise on anything (news stations, the guy from TMZ, the MCs)

I would really love to hear any other themes / theories / inferences you got from the movie. I love hidden parallels / themes so send them my way! Also let me know what you think about my theories :)

[perrypicks]

9 people I want to know better

Tagged by @thebookbin!

You're my first ever tag, so thank you so much for bringing me into the book community! Let's a go~

Last Song: Mirrorball by Taylor Swift. Ms Taylor is my queen.

Last Show: I watched She-Hulk! For ms tatiana i will watch.

Currently Watching: im not watching anything currently, but been looking to get into schitts creek!

Currently Reading: before the coffee gets cold by Toshikazu Kawaguchi. so far so wholesome :)

It's your turns!:

@nickthebookworm @franticvampirereads @spaceorphanssecondbreakfastclub @rainreadsreads @morgan--reads @cheerful-chamomile-pagesomile-pages

[perrypicks]

THE BOX by Dan Malakin

Gosh, what an exciting, action-packed book. So much happened all the time which is what I expect from a thriller book. I was hooked throughout the whole book even though I had to read it in parts.

It's about this white supremecist cult who takes technology and uses it as conversion therapy for the LGBT community in this universe. It's not an eary issue to tackle. But to portray these white fascists as villains makes me easy to hate them. It definitely points out how there are such people who exist in our community., though it's more of a charicacture of how they actually are in real life, portraying them more as sociopaths than realistic people.

I could really follow the MC and Phoenix. Even though their journey together wasn't as long as I thought it would be it was so exciting to follow. The stakes were high, and it wasn't dying, more of being tortured, which is way darker. The connection between them moved a bit quickly in my opinion, but because the MC had traits of a good person / father it's more believable.

I loved the twists incorporated in the story. They build up so well and I was pleasantly surprised. As I'm more of a visual thinker I could really see this play out as a movie.

The reveal that Phoenix was the Head White Supremecists' daughter was so sad, especially after what he did to her.

Overall one of the greater, fast paced, action packed thriller reads I've read.

5/5

[thebookbin]

9 people I want to know better

Tagged by @letsreadwomen thanks for tagging me!! I haven't played one of these in ages.

Last Song: I'm Afraid I'll Go to Heaven by Moon Walker IDK I'm reverting back to my angsty atheist days I guess

Last Show: omg this is so hard!! I genuinely think the last show I finished was Spy x Family. Oh wait I did watch the latest season of Stranger Things.

Currently Watching: Sandman because I love my man Neil Gaiman, and because after seeing that skinny white twink I knew immediately he was going to be the next tumblr sexyman. Also I started A League of Our Own. I just need more lesbian TV in general.

Currently Reading: Animorphs. Don't come for me, these books are so metal and kind of horrifying for children, I'm obsessed with them. Currently on #30 The Reunion and started liveblogging my animorphs journey. I'm also reading A Taste of Marrow by Sarah Gailey, the sequel to River of Teeth.

I am now meant to tag 9 people, so I'll tag: @perreads @cookiesandcontemplation @buecherworm @sometimesreading @relevy @brynnewrites @maddiesbookshelves @wlwbookshelf @profiterole-reads

[perrypicks]

BY THE BOOK by Jasmine Guillory

Read this cute book in 2 days! Really had a breeze.

Setting it primarily in a mansion really made things cozy. The context was also (mostly) believable so I leaned in to them having a relationship! The way it built up was also super cute - etc him reading her emails even before they've met and him falling first!

MC was very cute and was a relatable character. I liked that she was a POC mid sized woman that had reservations outside of her physical appearance. The only thing that I didn't like was the superficial worries she had about him not liking her despite them having made out etc. But it's still realistic. In real life I get annoyed at myself for going back and forth on whether I like somebody or not.

The love interest was really cute and realistic as well. He also had his own struggles which were grounded. They fit well together.

Something that I'm biased towards also is because it was about writing! I found I learnt some techniques to get the ball rolling when I'm stuck in a rut.

All in all, a breezy, cute, simple rom com read that made me feel like I had to go on a holiday or a spontaneous trip to find my own grumpy author to appreciate my quirky nature.

4/5

[pangur-and-grim]

it’s animal o’clock

[pangur-and-grim]

it’s the golden hour