Stories I Ate This Summer (May-August 2018)

Even though I took a break from blogging, which I explained in my Personal Update, I did read a lot of books and consume other forms of entertainment as well. So here we go...

Movies

• Life Of The Party
• I went and saw this at the drive-ins with one of my best friends. We both find Melissa McCarthy hilarious and thought that the previews for this looked really funny. Thankfully, it held up to the hype. We were laughing out loud the entire time. 
• A+
• Tully
• I hadn't heard of this movie before I went to see it with one of my best friends. This was a very different vibe than Life Of The Party. I certainly wasn;t expecting the turn that it took at the end. I can't say much without giving it away but if you like drama and unpredictable endings, watch this!
• A+
• The Book Club
• I really only went to see this because my best friend is obsessed with the actresses. However, it was hilarious. 
• A+
• Forever My Girl
• I got bored one night and decided to watch a movie on my laptop, which rarely happens,  I usually prefer to binge watch tv shows. However, this movie looked really cute and gave me Nicholas Sparks feels.
• A
• Heathers
• My friend was in the musical version of Heathers this summer at one of our local community theaters, so he had me watch the movie before seeing him on stage. It was good. It gave me nostalgic vibes and made me want to watch other movies set in the 80s.
• B+
• Incredibles 2
• I waited 14 years for this sequel! My best friend took me to see it for my 20th birthday present and it was beyond worth it. I  loved that it picked up where the original left off and didn't try to explain the gap in years. It was wonderful!
• A+
• To All The Boys I've Loved Before
• If you follow me on twitter (@abookishtweet), then you already know how I felt about this Netflix original film based off of Jenny Han's book by the same name: it was fucking perfect! One, Noah Centineo is an amazing actor that I've known for awhile but I fell for him hard while watching this. Representation = A+. Relatableness = A+. Book to movie adaptation = A+. 
• A+
• If you would want a full movie vs book comparison let me know. It's been a few years since I read the book, but I am game for a reread!

TV Shows

• Riverdale -season 2
• I won't say much about any of these shows because it would give away too much; however, I am so excited for season 3!
• A+
• Luke Cage -season 2- a Netflix original
• I was expecting a bit more from this season, but still loved it!
• A
• Supergirl -season 3
• WHY?!?!?! So much happened that had me asking that! I need season 4 right now!
• A+
• The Flash - season 4
• Wonderful as always! I am such a fan of Barry Allen that if he were real, I'd die happy. If I ever met Grant, I would probably die on the spot! Oh, and that ending!!! Like what!?
• A+

Audiobooks

• Between Two Worlds: Lessons From The Other Side - Tyler Henry
• I got sucked into Tyler Henry's show on E!, The Hollywood Medium because I saw the episode with Tyler Oakley and then I saw youtube clips with others. I don't really know if I believe in mediums, I want to.  Listening to his story about discovering his ability and the struggles he encounters on a daily basis, etc was really interesting. 
• A+
• We Were Eight Years In Power - Ta-Nahisi Coates
• It wasn't what I expected it to be. I had hoped it was more of one long political narrative; however, it was a bunch of political essays and stories written throughout Obama's presidency. It was good, just not what I wanted it to be. 
• B

Books

• Civil Action - Johnathon Harr
• I had to read this for a law class at the end of May. It was nonfiction. It was solidly written and pretty interesting as far as school readings go. 
• B+
• The Nightingale - Kristen Hannah
• One of my favorite reads of 2018 thus far! I don't read historical fiction often but if you can find me anything similar to this, I am game to read it all!
• A+
• the witch doesn't burn in this one - Amanda Lovelace
• Last year I read the first collection in this series, the princess saves herself in this one, and loved it! I was so excited when I picked this one up that I read it in one sitting. 
• A+
• The Power - Naomi Alderman
• I heard that this book was incredible and it was one of President Obama's favorite reads of 2017, so I was excited to pick it up. It was really amazing. It started out rather slow for me, but once I found my groove with the book, I never wanted to put it down. The sci-fi aspects were really interesting and I could completely understand the political message that the book was making. 
• A
• The Last of August - Brittany Cavallaro
• The second in a gender-bent Sherlock Holmes series. I loved the first one... here's my review for that. Therefore, I was really excited to pick this one. I wasn't at the edge of my seat as much throughout this one; however, seeing the progression in the friendship between Holmes and Watson was really amazing. 
• A
• Made You Up - Francesca Zappia
• An amazing YA perspective of schizophrenia! We need more books about the lesser discussed mental illnesses. 
• A+
• Stalking Jack The Ripper - Kerri Maniscalco
• I've heard incredible things about this book and his sequels from so many booktubers that I wanted to pick it up and I am thrilled that I did! It was so riveting, from the way the female lead in te early 1900s is so independent when she isn't supposed to be and exploring the sciences when she is supposed to want to get married to the crime details to the flirtatious relationships brewing, and so on. 
• A+
• A List of Cages - Robin Roe
• I discovered this book with a very interesting premise a few months ago. It deals with foster brothers being brought together years after the younger one was torn away to live with his abusive uncle. We don't know the extent of the abuse until much later,  but we know that something dark is going on there. The relationship between the brothers and the glimpses into this abused boy's mind are very eye-opening. 
• A+
• They Both Die at The End - Adam Silvera
• This man just can't write happy endings can he?! He gives me all of these wonderful, sweet, and enduring scenes and then proceeds to break my heart!
• A+
• Under Rose-Tainted Skies - Louise Gornall
• Featuring another underrepresented mental illness, OCD; the story was eye-opening, heart-warming, and very important to tell. 
• A+
• The President Is Missing - James Patterson and Bill Clinton
• Such a good thriller/mystery. I feel that the fact that a former president was the co-author really helped the validity of the story. It was such a fun read!
• A+
• Heretics Anonymous - Katie Henry
• I really enjoyed this story. I felt that there was a lot of religious representation (atheist, Jewish, Catholic, Celtic Reconstructionist, etc.). It was an interesting take on the Catholic school experience. Breakfast Club set in an overly strict Catholic School with the main characters trying to make a change. 
• A+

Personal Update

I haven't posted in a while and before I took a break, I wasn't posting regularly. I have read a lot of books and will be doing a Stories I Ate This Month (summer version) soon. And I want to write a few book reviews as well. However, this summer was very difficult for me and I needed the break.

At the beginning of the summer, I moved in with my Grandma in order to help care for my Grandfather. When I originally moved in, he was still getting up on his own, using a cane. However, he declined very quickly. He had been suffering from COPD for a while and had been slowly declining for a few years. However, he still had some good days. Soon, even those good days became nonexistent. For the last few weeks of his life, he was completely bedridden and suffering. We were going by his wishes to keep him home with no other interventions except Hospice in order to keep him comfortable. At the end of July, we lost him. Prior to his passing, I wasn't leaving the house very often. I wanted to be there in case he or my grandmother needed me. After losing him, I have just been trying to understand the world without him in it and trying to take care of my grandmother now. She is 20 years younger than him and has been with him since she was 18. She has spent more than half of her life with him and doesn't know what to do without him in her life. Therefore, I want to make sure she is taking care of herself before I head back to university.

Since he left this world, I have found a lot of solace in books. Entering a new world or dealing with a fictional character's fictional problems have helped me distance myself from what I am feeling. It may not be healthy at all times but it is how I am dealing with everything at the moment. Due to using books as an escape I have read quite a bit in the past few weeks, even with working. Therefore, my wrap up at the end of the summer will be pretty extensive and I have some reviews that I will be writing before I start school at the end of the month as well.

I want to get back into blogging again and move forward with my life a bit; however, I would appreciate all of your kind thoughts and encouragement at the moment as well. I am so excited to be interacting with you again.

I have my twitter(@abookishtweet), my Goodreads (@abookishgoodreads), and my Instagram (@abookishinsta) which used to be my personal Instagram but I have since changed it to a more book related Instagram. Follow me on those platforms and feel free to interact with me! I would really love that!