Nooo, the summer holidays are already over! WHY does time always move faster in August? Why? WHY? I guess our queen Taylor Swift said it best: “August slipped away into a moment in time… Back when I was livin’ for the hope of it all”.
Anyway, enough dramatics and wallowing, on to my August favorites:
I Read…
ONE FOR ALL by Lillie Lainoff, an #OwnVoices, gender-bent retelling of THE THREE MUSKETEERS, in which a girl with a chronic illness is trained as a musketeer and uncovers secrets, sisterhood, and self-love.
I was excited to read this story since it features a chronically ill MC in a historic adventure story. Both Tania and I have an invisible chronic illness, and reading about the impacts of her illness on every part of her life was very interesting—though I couldn’t identify with Tania as much as I had hoped (I guess we all have our own experiences with chronic illness, and that’s okay 🙂 ).
Still, if you’re looking for an empowering, female MC in a historical fantasy setting filled with epic fencing, espionage, ride-or-die friendships, and a ton of court intrigue: this is a must-read! Also: if you looove an adventure story in 17thcentury France ever since you watched THE MAN IN THE IRON MASK when you were a tween (which had nothing to do with beautiful young Leo or this “magnificent valor” scene *ahem*): please read this book so we can be soulmates forever 😉
I Watched…
A GOOD GIRL’S GUIDE TO MURDER on Netflix!
Confession: I never read Holly Jackson’s book; I jumped into this British small-town murder-mystery-with-a-teenage twist completely blind.
Even though the series’ MC puts herself in harm’s way A LOT and makes bizarre decisions, she is extremely likable. Her chemistry with the romantic lead is a bit off and the “easy” confessions from the murder suspects don’t feel super believable, but the series does a good job examining issues like race, rage, sexuality, obsession, friendship, drug use, and assault.
The six episodes flow and are fun and binge-worthy if you like PRETTY LITTLE LIARS, THIRTEEN REASONS WHY, or a high school drama version of MIDSOMER MURDERS.
I Listened to…
The MIGRATION original motion picture soundtrack by John Powell!
A few months ago, I watched the MIGRATION movie with a friend. The movie is fresh, vibrant, weird, and brilliant—as is the soundtrack! Mack is a hesitant, overanxious mallard duck content with never leaving the safety of his pond until he is prodded into a more exciting lifestyle by his wife, Pam, his curious children, and a wacky elderly uncle. Cue 1,5 hours of ridiculously fun adventures.
The score is a feast for woodwind enthusiasts (like me): Powell uses clarinets and flutes to echo the various sounds of birds and flight. There are also little fragments that pay homage to Sergei Prokofiev’s PETER AND THE WOLF, most notably a neurotic oboe as the musical voice for Mack.
In a soaring finale, Powell connects the characters in the film with a main theme for flying that is gloriously melodic, propulsive, and dramatic (and POM POM POM).
All in all, this is a wonderful, fun score and it gets better with each subsequent listen!