March / April 2025 Reads

 

March / April 2025 Book Reads

 

1.       Slow Dance by Rainbow Rowell

a.       Format: Hardcover Large Print

b.       Series: Nope

c.       Thoughts:  I’ve had this author recommended to me before but this is my first book.  It just so happened to be in the new books area of the library and due to sitting on it for a bit, well I picked it back up to see if I still wanted to read it since it was about to be overdue.  Well, I picked up the book and remembered WHY I got it from the library in the first place, amongst the hold stack I’d already been retrieving that day.  It’s quite easy to fall into this second-chance romance and I can see there is something about this author’s writing that drew me in… All this is to say I will likely pickup the other two books I’d been recommended in the past at some point this year.  If you’re a fan of the second-chance romance, long time friends to lovers type trope, this is a quick fun read.

2.       A Kingdom of Venom and Vows by Holly Renee

a.       Format: Paperback

b.       Series: Yep

c.       Thoughts:  I struggled… March was rough reading wise in general but this...  At some point I skimmed.  This is my second series by this author and have observed a pattern.  We all start somewhere, that there is a choice in what we put out and there is an opportunity for learning. That said there is one book left in this series and one left in the other.

3.       Fearless by Lauren Roberts

a.       Format: Audiobook

b.       Series: Yep

c.       Thoughts:  Overall, I enjoyed the series… I did ugly cry suspecting a certain character would die and they did.  There was a scene or two I was confused by the happenings of it but it was a satisfactory ending.  Still makes me wonder if I should go back and finish the Red Queen series…

4.       The Message by Ta-Nehisi Coates

a.       Format: Hardcover & Audiobook

b.       Series: Nope

c.       Thoughts:  This book ranged across different topics I felt like; stories and antidotes given to bring it full circle.  I admit there were some things that resonated and other points that makes me question what I picked up.  I do remember feeling at some point I’d have to revisit this book again.  But it was this book that had me looking into books on Palestine and understanding the various sides of what is happening when it comes to these holy nations/sacred lands.  Between reading this book and the John Oliver episode on the West Banks, there is much to understand and I can’t help but think about the importance of narrative, whose telling it, and the motives that could be at play. 

5.       The Wood at Midwinter by Susanna Clarke

a.       Format: Hardcover

b.       Series: Sort Of

c.       Thoughts:  This was a very quick read.  I LOVED the illustrations and was inspired by them as it relates to some of the art I’ve been working on for my next illustrated ACB.  It also is a reminder that I plan to read Jonathan Strange & Mr. Norrell one of these days. 

Books on deck for May include –

-          Finishing Sunrise at the Reaping

-          Finishing My Life as Myself

-          Finishing The Body Keeps the Score

My official May read is A Curse Carved in Bone

 

 

"Dead Presidents" Film Thoughts

     

Language: English

1995

Running time: 1hr 59min

From IMDb:

A Vietnam vet adjusts to life after the war while trying to support his family, but the chance of a better life may involve crime and bloodshed.

Dead Presidents (1995) - IMDb

Quote:

Delilah:  "It's not your fault you've been brainwashed by America."

Thoughts:

I had always thought I'd seen this movie before but once it started, I quickly realized while being familiar/having heard of the title, I'd never actually watched it and it wasn't what I thought it was.  

I expected to see a movie about a heist, but the heist itself is about the last twenty or so minutes of the film.  Then I thought perhaps it was going to be a film laying the groundwork of how all those involved came to contribute to being part of the heist.  Which is sort of true but giving how the story starts and how it ends, perhaps it's a character study of how/what America takes.

Again, I found myself thinking back to a recent book I read given the effects of the war (during and after) for several of the characters but I also feel like this film was marketed one way intentionally.  This is a heist movie but not in relative sense usually think of heists movie.

There was also something heartbreaking, got the waterworks going, during one part of this movie. This Hughes brother film is worth watching with a friend in order to talk about afterwards.

Same same, but different

 

Was updating GR and saw "The Wind Weaver" I thought the cover familiar... LOL

/update

OH!  I am grateful for:

-water

-access to hot water

-my uncle

^_^

"Captain America: Brave New World" Film Thoughts

    

Language: English

2025

Running time: 1hr 58min

From IMDb:

Sam Wilson, the new Captain America, finds himself in the middle of an international incident and must discover the motive behind a nefarious global plan.

Captain America: Brave New World (2025) - IMDb

Quote:

Bucky:  "Steve gave them something to believe in, you give them something to aspire to."

Thoughts:

I didn't hate it.  And I feel that says something in of itself because I feel cinema was inundated with superhero movies.  I realized I too was hitting a bit of a wall when there were ones coming out and t thought I'd go to the movies to see them only to not see them.  

In this case, I hadn't intended to go see this whatsoever.  But I'm glad we did.  Everyone enjoyed it, I enjoyed the scene between Sam and Bucky as well as like this go around might be set up better(?)... like more planning/thought went into this round of Marvel and there are some intentions despite having to make some changes with casting in the overall universe.  Not that I'm the authority on Marvel, just know enough to be dangerous ^_^

The one takeaway I'll say is that the film did not shy away, let alone the character of Sam, of feeling the weight/pressure of the comparison.  It's thrown in his face, it's in his own mind and there can be something maddening when you think about times you've set yourself up for that kind of failure.  There are ways to elevate. that a predecessor or even you can't recognize, it's just one of those leaps of faiths you step into, bit by bit.  

There's also the mystery of Celestial Island, that if Marvel does it right, can probably keep evasive for it, for a bit, maybe 3 or 4 movies depending on how they drop them nugz.

Anway, this was worth the watch.  

"The Boy and the Heron" Film Thoughts

     

Language: Japanese/English

2023

Running time: 2hr 4min

From IMDb:

In the wake of his mother's death and his father's remarriage, a headstrong boy ventures into a dreamlike world shared by the living and the dead in search of his missing stepmother.

The Boy and the Heron (2023) - IMDb

Quote:

Noble Pelican:  "We did not choose this life..."

Thoughts:

I'm not going to lie.  The animation, especially that fire scene was FIYAH!  To be a Studio Ghibli artist....

But.  But the storyline.  This plot.  I-

This isn't my favorite Miyazaki film.  And I'm such a nerd.  Such a FAN of his work that I'm thinking maybe it's me... maybe I need to re-watch in Japanese.  Even though I had the subtitles on since it automatically was on the English speaking when it started.  I suspect I will watch it again before returning to the library but the story, so many threads, it felt all over the place, not really closing out but having something of an ending?  Maybe it's not complete because that new world is still being built, because Miyazaki, as I've come to understand that this is semi-autobiographical, is still with us and has not passed the baton on.

But when I think back to this film, the interaction of Mahito with the Noble Pelican, I felt in that little exchange, that here was the story...

I'm likely to rewatch this before I put this post up so if I do, there'll be an update below this...

"Won't You Be My Neighbor" Film Thoughts

    

Language: English

2018

Running time: 1hr 37min

From IMDb:

An exploration of the life, lessons, and legacy of iconic children's television host Fred Rogers.

Won't You Be My Neighbor? (2018) - IMDb

Quote:

Fred Rogers:  "From the time you were very little, you've had people who have smiled you into smiling, people who have talked you into talking, sung you into singing, loved you into loving... They've always cared about you beyond measure and have encouraged you to be true to the best within you.  Let's just take a moment of silence to think about those people now."

Thoughts:

Even rewatching that trailer tears me up.  And this quote at the end.  Yep, another water works showing but in my recent self-studies I am again reminded of what I've been reading, especially with the development of children and this inner connective tissue we share.  Unconditional love, if you believe all that you consume of the world via the media, seems to be rare.  In fact, I felt myself even falling to this with some recent family events but then I remembered there's a lot of hurt happening.  And hurt people hurt people.  As I type this, I even remember Pharrell Williams documentary (that had me reaching to pick up 'Won't You Be My Neighbor") had talked about what he came to realize about his song "Happy".  There are a lot of battles people have going on, both seen and unseen.  Though there was some controversary and I have my own thoughts, I recommend checking this out if only to remind yourself that there is kindness out there. We are all doing our best and our best will vary from day to day but each morning you wake up, every deep conscious breath you take is a moment to reset.

"Wild Robot" Film Thoughts

    

Language: English

2024

Running time: 1hr 42min

From IMDb:

After a shipwreck, an intelligent robot called Roz is stranded on an uninhabited island. To survive the harsh environment, Roz bonds with the island's animals and cares for an orphaned baby goose.

The Wild Robot (2024) - IMDb

Quote:

Longneck:  "...Sometimes hearts have their own conversation."

Thoughts:

Watching this was not on my movie bingo card.  I had no intentions of seeing, didn't care to see it, only picked it up for someone else to watch and never even got around to letting them see it before I took it back to the library.  

That said, as much as I thought I was going to turn this one off, something about it kept me glued.  I hadn't even realized the actress who voiced Roz was until I went through the extras because yes, I indeed peeped out the extras for this film because there was something beautiful about the art and story and true to form, I did cry a bit.  I have to say I am curious about the book having seen some of the stills from the extras with the dvd.  But one of the funnier lines was when Roz was like "mothering isn't included in my programming" or something to that effect, lol.  There was cute/funny moments in the form Catherine O'Hara's character, Pinktail, as well as with Fink voiced by Pedro Pascal.

It's a family movie but like with most kid's movies, there's stuff baked in for adults too.  

WTW.