Happy April girls, gays, and theys <3
I hope everyone had a wonderful March filled with new music, movies, books, and television like I did. We have sooo much to go over, so let’s get into it!
Movies
54/100
I watched 11 movies this month and here are them in order of my favorite to least favorite:
1. Cléo from 5 to 7
2. The Hunger Games: Catching Fire
3. La La Land
4. Infinity Pool
5. Cars
6. The Hunger Games
7. My Year of Dicks
8. Taxi Driver
9. The Fablemans
10. Bicycle Thieves
11. The Battle of Algiers
4/11 of these I watched for my film history class, otherwise I probably would not have gotten through as many as I did. We have some really notable ones in this list! My favorite was Cléo from 5 to 7 a 1962 French new-wave film by director Agnès Varda. The story is about a woman anticipating a cancer diagnosis as we follow her around the city (Paris). The cinematography was absolutely beautiful and I was just in awe watching it. Next, I watched La La Land for the first time!!! I can’t believe it’s taken me this long to watch it but I’m so happy I did, the story was so cute and I loved the songs and dancing. And lastly, I started The Hunger Games series over again for my yearly rewatch and have yet to finish watching Mockingjay Part 1 & 2. I forgot just how much I love this series and I definitely want to reread the books. Which film/book is your fav? Mine is Catching Fire!!!
Books
12/50
My top 3 books from this month were:
1. Daisy Jones & The Six by Taylor Jenkins-Reid
2. The Shamshine Blind by Paz Pardo
3. Black Swans by Eve Babitz
If you want a detailed review of Daisy Jones & The Six, check out my latest article here:
If you are looking for a fresh story to keep you reading, look no further than The Shamshine Blind. TSB is a story about an alternative United States, second in power to Argentina. In this alternative world, emotions, or otherwise known as “psychopigments” are used as a weapon. You can spray a deep blue pigment to erase all memories or a violet purple to induce fear. Psychopigment Enforcement, Agent Kay Curtida, works just outside of San Fransisco capturing low-level criminals until she is faced with a high-risk investigation. This story is fast-paced and an innovative taste of what life could be like if we could use our emotions to wage war. I definitely recommend this book to anyone stuck in a reading rut and wants something new and exciting! Lastly, Black Swans by Eve Babitz is a glimpse into L.A. in the 80s and early 90s. I read this one in the bathtub while listening to the new Lana Del Ray album, and let me tell you, it was a total vibe. It was a light read, but dealt with some heavy topics like AIDS and the police brutality case of Rodney King so tread carefully.
Television
This month I have been indulging in Daisy Jones & The Six <3 It is a wonderful story to encapsulate my March. Read more in my latest article linked above- I go into the book, television show, and music more in-depth! In addition to DJ&TS, I have started rewatching The 100, one of my favorite TV shows ever. I am currently writing a research paper about the “Bury Your Gays” trope in film and television and I use The 100 as one of my case studies. I won’t spoil anything, but if you love dystopian action shows and the gays, definitely check this one out. Give it a little time, the beginning of the first season is kinda hokey, but it gets much better and there are a solid seven seasons to keep you busy :) And finally, I finished The Last of Us ( another case study in my paper!) Damn, was this show heartbreaking. I was so amazed with the storytelling and incredible acting from Pedro Pascal and Bella Ramsey, yet the subject matter is just so devastating. I would recommend it to you, but I don’t want to put you through that pain! Watch with caution- it is extremely violent and sad, but it tells a meaningful story of found family and doing whatever it takes to survive (even if it’s in a fictional fungus apocalypse).
Music
To close out this month’s recap, let’s replay a few of my favorite songs and albums:
Albums: Did you know there’s a tunnel under Ocean Blvd, emails i can’t send fwd:, AURORA, Endless Summer Vacation, Lover, and Marginalia
Songs: “Jaded” by Miley Cyrus, “The Grants” by Lana Del Ray, “All Of The Girls You Loved Before” by Taylor Swift, “The River” by Daisy Jones & The Six, “Feather” by Sabrina Carpenter, and “Heaven” by Niall Horan.
I am so looking forward to Niall’s new album, The Show, coming out on June 9th. I cannot wait for more music from him! There are rumors that he and Harry Styles collabed on a song, so fingers crossed! Also four new Taylor songs dropped before her opening night of The Eras Tour in Glendale Arizona! I am obsessed with “AOTGYLB” and her re-release of “Safe and Sound” (Taylor’s Version) is what sparked my annual Hunger Games rewatch. She sounds so angelic and that song brought me right back to 2015 when I first read the books. Go check out those and Lana’s new album, you won’t be disappointed I promise!
That’s all for now! Here’s to April showers and May flowers. Go spring into spring and listen/read/watch some new stuff :)