Booknotes: August 2024
In which I briefly comment on the books I read each month, so a few years from now when I’m trying to remember one of them, I’ll be able to find it here. I’m a media omnivore so this immediately evolved into more than just books, but I’m sticking with the book-first theme anyway.
Do we have similar tastes, or will you be questioning how we ever got connected? Let’s find out!
Book Notes
Tomie by Junji Ito
- (3.0; print) Like a TV show that starts out interesting and ultimately runs way too long, there’s some really good vignettes that stand out, but the overall story doesn’t really go anywhere or say anything, and it gets repetitive after a while. Ito is an intriguing talent, though, and you get hints of his potential here. While Uzumaki remains my favorite so far (and I’m looking forward to the new anime), I’m optimistic about the two short story collections I bought immediately after finishing this.
{STAR} Wonder Woman Historia: The Amazons by Kelly Sue DeConnick, Gene Ha, Nicola Scott
- (4.0; print) A stunningly beautiful example of Sequential Art, and also a compelling reimagining of Amazonian mythology that exceeded my wildest expectations. I’ve never been a big DC fan, and Lynda Carter will always be my Wonder Woman, but this kind of standalone story, freed of Intellectual Property and continuity constraints, is where they should have refocused their movie efforts, too.
They Came Before Columbus: The African Presence in Ancient America by Ivan Van Sertima
- (3.0; print) A compelling argument that, while being an engrossing read, uses loose citations and heavy-handed speculation to make its case — as one might expect from the enthusiastic graduate student Van Sertima was when he wrote this in the 70s. I’d love to read a more recent assessment of his evidence because his core thesis seems plausible, although his theory on the Olmec statues appears to have been officially debunked. Ironically, those heads were the least interesting part of the book for me, and he was careful (but not always successful) about not overstating his argument to diminish the Indigenous cultures’ own accomplishments. I was more intrigued by the potential for pre-Columbian African crossings and contact than any claims of major cultural influence. Ultimately, it’s a well-intentioned but insufficiently researched attempt that raises interesting questions it fails to answer.
Media Notes
Evil, Seasons 1-2 (Paramount+)
- This is one of the weirdest shows I’ve watched in a while, straddling the line between campily stupid and creepily good, often in the same scenes. I really like the main cast’s chemistry, the story’s awkward dance with Catholicism (and religion in general) and demons, the “evil” of the week approach (including its surprisingly frequent lack of closure), and the random shade it throws at a broad range of topics. The main (?) baddie is often simultaneously excellent and ridiculous, though, and the subplot with the grandmother gets increasingly annoying throughout. The shift from regular TV to streaming kicks in halfway through the second season, primarily with the coarse language and sexuality notably ramping up to cable TV levels, but the episodic pacing has thankfully continued, keeping me engaged enough to jump right into Season 3.
Abigail (Peacock)
- Dumb, campy fun, most notable for Alisha Weir’s all-in performance as the titular vampire.
Alien Romulus (Theatrical)
- The original Alien remains one of my all-time favorite movies, and I’m in the small (but steadily growing) minority of people who recognize Alien 3 was the second-best installment in the franchise. The trailers were intriguing, but I mainly went into this one as a fan of Fede Alvarez’s Don’t Breathe, hoping he’d deliver a solid return to the original’s thriller-horror roots — and I wasn’t disappointed. I didn’t mind the nostalgic callbacks (including THAT appearance) and was impressed by the effort to connect a variety of dots across the franchise, but ultimately, the movie itself succeeds on its own merits. I would love Alvarez to do a sequel remaking Alien 3, developing its excellent themes and ideas into a stronger final product, but please let him (or Ridley Scott) resist the urge to repeat the one ridiculously bad call in this one, where a character inexplicably uses one of Ripley’s most famous lines.
Persona 3 Reload (Xbox)
- I’ve noted before that I’ve never found a JRPG that worked for me… until now! I’m only about six hours into this one and it’s still introducing mechanics, the pacing is really weird, and the very 90s dialogue has not aged well — but I’m really enjoying the gameplay and narrative more than I expected. It’s also got a surprisingly good soundtrack that I’ve been listening to when I’m not playing the game! Bonus: There’s a manga series that I’m definitely going to check out once I get far enough into the game to avoid spoilers, although I have no idea when that might be.
The Rumble (Vinyl)
- A random recommendation that claimed an intriguing mashup (“The J Geils Band as a New Orleans Funk act“) caught my attention right before my birthday trip earlier this month, and I ended up buying the album while we were there after giving it a listen at one of my favorite music stores: Louisiana Music Factory. I’m not sure about the J Geils angle, but they’re definitely a damn good NOLA funk band.
Your Notes?
If you’ve engaged with any of these, let me know what you thought. And if you have any related recommendations, drop ’em in the comments like we used to do in the good old days! Some of you prefer email, which is cool, too. You do you!
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