Blog
My Posts:
Shadows
Review: "Show Me A Sign" by Ann Clare LeZotte
Baby Goats: Round 2!
Review: "Lovely War" by Julie Berry
Cover Review: "Sins, Sons, and Siren Songs" by Sarah Rodecker and Helena George
Announcing Catholic Blog Week!
Lewisian Musings: Oppositional Friendship
Review: "A Deadly Education" by Naomi Novik
Behind the Blogger Tag + Meet the Blogger Tag
Review: "The Chosen" by Chaim Potok
Around the Blogosphere:
- Ceci from Ceci Creates came back from an unofficial very-long-hiatus-thing and started a new blog!
- The Temperamental Writer introduced her WIP, and it sound AMAZING!
- Megan Chappie talked about some of her favorite sin-sick characters, and it was amazing!
- Elizabeth @ Autumn Ink talked about romance tropes that are the absolute worst.
- Sarah Seele did mini book reviews, and it was fantastic and hilarious.
- Bernadette Benda talked about why things should go wrong in fiction, and just YES.
Books
Gah, I read so few books this month and it's driving me nuts. I blame Charles Dickens, Johann Goethe, and school.
*The Lost Baron by Allen French
The Grand Sophy by Georgette Heyer
*The Face of the Nazarene by Noel Trimming
*All Creatures Great and Small by James Herriot
When Stars are Scattered by Victoria Jamieson & Omar Mohamed
On Stories and Other Essays on Literature by C. S. Lewis
The Chosen by Chaim Potok
Adorning the Dark by Andrew Peterson
A Study In Scarlet by Sir Arthur Conan Doyle
Faust by Johann Wolfgang Von Goethe
The Sign of Four by Sir Arthur Conan Doyle
Our Mutual Friend by Charles Dickens
Heartless by Anne Elisabeth Stengl
Cotillion by Georgette Heyer
Sorcery of Thorns by Margaret Rogerson (DNFed)
A Branch of Silver A Branch of Gold by Anne Elisabeth Stengl
Movies
(Possible spoilers for The Chosen Ep. 5 & 6, Black Panther, Dr. Strange, and Infinity War.)
Image credit to owner |
Slowly making our way through the first season to try to get to the second season! (On a complete tangent...I'm on Nadine Brandes's newsletter list, and it made me RIDICULOUSLY happy that she and her husband are also watching The Chosen.)
Anyhow, all tangents aside, this episode was so sweet! I can already tell I'll love the brothers/sister relationship between Mary Magdalene and the Apostles. It's gonna be amazing.
Also, there was just so much fun stuff in here. Like, Andrew freaking out about giving the right appearance when meeting the rest of the Apostles. And Thomas being so Thomas-y. Thomas honestly makes a lot more sense in this context. (Although I'm interested to see how they square this Thomas with the "we are going to die with you" Thomas.) And PETER AND EDEN why are they so cute.
Mary Mary was in this one! I generally liked their depiction of her...but there were a few moments where I could tell that the Protestant filmmaker didn't share the Catholic doctrine of the Immaculate Conception, let's just leave it at that. That bugged me a bit, but apparently not the rest of my family, as I was shouted down when I tried to complain about it?? XD
The actual wedding itself was also really cool! It's just...so strange but awesome to see Jesus in His humanity?? I think that's what this show mostly emphasizes. I'm hoping more divinity stuff gets worked in later, though.
And I love the emphasis on joy, as well. I think some sects have chosen a very straight-laced view of Jesus and the Gospels (looking at you, Puritans) and this show shows very well the opposing (and, in my opinion, correct) view that things like food, and drink, and dancing are Very Good when used in the right way.
T'Challa is the best ever. (I still like Tony Stark and Natasha more, but I admire T'Challa most, I think.) He's like Captain America, minus the defiant and reckless ends-justify-means streak. (Yes, I just said T'Challa was better than Cap. Fight me.) Just...he is doing his best to do what his country needs. He's focused on something other than himself. He's listening to his advisors and his elders. And he openly admits his own weakness and that he doesn't know what he's doing. I...my heart loves him so much. He's the perfect superhero for a young adult going out into the world for the first time.
Ahhh I could talk about this boy all day. He has this tremendous humility that is so very attractive (not in, like, an eros sense, but in an agape/philia sense). And he is merciful, in the classical sense of the word--not in the way that means pity or compassion, but in the way that means justly turning evil to good. The ending is the most merciful thing I've seen in a long time.
(For the record, I love Cap, and see that he has many of the same excellent qualities that T'Challa has. I'm just kinda angry at him right now. And do legitimately think that T'Challa avoids several of Cap's worse flaws.)
The SETTING of this movie was also fantastic. All of the views of Wakanda...gorgeous. And I love how the city is so modern while still being so very African. They don't lose their culture in their tech...they enhance it. And I like that a lot.
SHURI! And NAKIA! And OKOYE! Even though this movie is about T'Challa, there are so many fabulous female characters who feel real and not just "I'm kick-butt for the sake of being kick-butt". I especially loved Okoye's conflict between being loyal to the throne and being loyal to the person. And I think she made the right choices.
Also, the sibling relationship between Shuri and T'Challa makes me ridiculously happy. It's PERFECT.
And the relationship between him and Nakia, as well--it was so SWEET in a way that superhero movie romances are not always sweet.
As many (maybe even most) Marvel movies do, this one also incorporated a thought-provoking philosophical theme...in this case, the question of what an uber-powerful Black monarchy should do about the problem of worldwide racism. (That doesn't sound like a philosophical theme. Consider, though--it's made up of the perennial philosophical questions of how shall we live, and golden rule vs. revenge). And it's handled so well. Because it's really a question. And yet, there is a right answer. And T'Challa figures it out.
I also thought that the theme of the pain of finding out that one's elders are not infallible was artfully woven in.
Image credit to owner |
This felt like a bit of an in-between episode (no big callings...no weddings...so boring! Jk, jk, jk!) but I still really enjoyed it!
Peter is perfection. I love him and I want to slap him at the same time. (I think Eden feels the same way, a lot of the time. XD)
I loved the Abigail cameo--and how kind she was to Matthew!
The preaching and the healings were really cool!
Nicodemus. Love that man.
I'm still...not entirely sure how I feel about this movie.
On the one hand:
I LOVE STEPHEN SO MUCH. AND ALSO CHRISTINE. Stephen is just...such an amazing hero, and so different from many of the other MCU heroes (although I guess his arc is a bit Tony Stark-ish, which might explain part of why I love him so much. XD). He's just...so realistic and human and himself, and I love him a lot. (The way that he still sees himself as a doctor, and subject to the Hippocratic Oath!) (Also. The part where he bursts into the hospital through a portal when he's stabbed, and everything that ensues...absolute perfection. That was probably one of my favorite parts of the entire movie.)
I also am a strange bird and really, really liked all of the medical stuff that was worked in. Yes, even the surgery scenes. Perhaps especially the surgery scenes? And the scene with the huge needle in his chest. Interdimensional fighting is going on, and all I'm thinking about is "what is Christine injecting/removing from his chest? is she injecting saline to try to isolate...things, or trying to pull blood out of the pericardium? I can't tell." Yes, really. (ALSO DID ANYONE ELSE NOTICE THE PART WHERE RHODEY IS WORKED IN BECAUSE I SQUEALED SO HARD.)
The romance is just how I like it in books, i.e. just there enough for one to want more, but not there enough for me to get tired out it. (I have slightly different criteria for movie romances, but they're pretty similar.) I also absolutely loved how Stephen knew that he had to become a better person AND apologize before he could go back to Christine. It was awesome. (And the fact that it wasn't a kiss on the lips...I liked that a lot.)
The visuals are AMAZING!
The cape. And the library.
Two words: Tilda. Swenton.
But on the other hand:
They were SO CLOSE with the spiritual/moral/etc. content! So close! There were so many times where I was nodding and seeing how I could imagine their world fitting into The Real Moral World...but then they throw in the random Very. Weird. Thing. that just...was very frustrating.
Also, The Ancient One praises Dr. Strange for his willingness to break the rules for the greater good, and...??? I'm sorry, what? Not only do I Not See This In Him At All, but THAT'S NOT HOW IT WORKS. The ends don't justify the means. Sorry, Ancient One.
They were so close to admitting that the characters have souls, and then the Ancient One's soul vanishes when she dies?? I'm confused.
And also...I'm confused about the distinction between what the "bad guys" were doing, and what the Ancient One was doing? If there even is one?
AND WHY ARE THEY DOING BAD THINGS IN CATHEDRALS.
This seems to kinda mess up the other intergalactic MCU...stuff? If Dormammu actually did eat most of the other worlds? Which doesn't make sense at all, because wouldn't we have heard about it?? I'm so confused. HOW DOES THIS FIT.
I disliked their choices with Mordo. I really, really liked him...even at the end. Until the after-credits scene.
Um. Help. I. What. Even. Feelings.
Okay, now that I've gotten all of my astonishment/hurt/surprise out of the way...I actually...enjoyed a lot of this? Especially the humor?
PEPPER AND TONY and I know they ruined it like *snaps fingers* that, but THEY'RE GETTING MARRIED and TONY'S DREAM and I just...am so happy. But also sad. But also happy. And I'm driving Legolas crazy, because every so often, I'll just be like "Pepper and Tony are getting married!" in an excessively happy voice.
I may not actually like a lot of what happens in it, but dude, the plot was excellent.
It was so weird, because there was so much that was horrible, but also so much that was amusing, so it was such an emotional roller coaster, because I went from laughing to shock and back in a period of 30 seconds more than once.
I'm sorry, a lot of this is going to be super incoherent.
THAT PART WHERE THE AVENGERS WALK IN TO RHODEY'S WORKSHOP.
BRUCE BEING SO CONFUSED. "We have an Ant-Man and a Spider-Man?"
THE PARTS WITH PETER AND GAMORA. And also, excuse me, DID YOU JUST KILL GAMORA? THAT HURTS. (I seriously was sitting there with my mouth open for a good minute and a half. And no, I didn't cry, but dang I was dead inside. Still am, come to think of it.)
Natasha. "She's not alone." Love that Avenger.
Also, the part where Steve calls Tony "Earth's greatest defender", and I just...<3 <3 <3
All the siblings relationships in this are just great. Gamora + Nebula and Thor + Loki. And oops, just realized that in both of them...one of them dies. Um. *weeping*
I LOVED the pro-life theme in this, especially the anti-population-control stuff. (I swear, there is an undercover Catholic working at Marvel. Probably more than one.) And the theme of "we don't sacrifice lives." Like, sure, self-sacrifice is okay. But save the lives. Ever person is worth an infinite amount. (Ha! See what I did there?) And just...there was so much playing around with this theme. Vision. Dr. Strange. Gamora. And it was excellent. Can we do this more often in modern movies?
THE PART WHEN TONY GETS STABBED ACK I was very scared. Except, he's on the cover of Endgame, soooo....XD
Wanda and Vision and GAK. <3 *crying again*
If you give your villain the ability to do something horrible, they kind of have to do it. Chekhov's Gun. So I wasn't all that surprised when Thanos snapped. But that didn't mean it was ANY less devastating. At all. I was...not surprised, but yes, sad. Peter Parker...he broke me. 100%. But there was so much overwhelm of grief that I didn't cry at all...I just kind of died. (I kept count--sixteen major characters died in this movie. And I just CAN'T mourn all of them at the same time. So I'm just mourning Gamora.)
But, the thing is, a bunch of the characters who were Thanosed have their own TV shows now? So I can't exactly think that they're really dead...but maybe they are? IDK WHY ARE THERE SO MANY FEELINGS.
I love the BBC P&P. Very, very much. Lizzie and Jane and Lydia and the Bennet parents are all PERFECT and so is Mr. Darcy.
It's actually a little creepy how much I relate to Mr. Darcy, too. I can see myself saying much of what comes out of his mouth. XD
I had forgotten how awkward Mrs. Bennet is, and it's very, very painful.
Life
I don't know that I ever had worn pearls before? I liked it. :) |
Dora is SUCH a helicopter mom. *eyeroll* |
Holy Thursday, which always makes me cry.
Good Friday, which was just as solemn and beautiful as it should have been. The sung Passion of John! *quiet and reverent screeching*
The actual Easter Vigil which was unbelievably beautiful and fantastic and just YES.
Yep, just like that. |
- Visit with grandparents (who are going to be here for the first week of May, but arriving today) and cousins (who are also coming this week, which was just sprung on me three days ago. XD)
- See our friend Fr. JJ who we haven't seen in AGES!
- Consecrate myself to St. Joseph. And also consecrate myself to Mary! It'll be a month of consecration, that's for sure.
- Celebrate my blogoversary (stay tuned!)
- More. Paperwork. For. College. *groan*
- Host Catholic Blog Week with Megan Chappie!
- Find a summer job?? (We'll see.)
- School, school, and more school.
- Write a ten page paper comparing and contrasting two works of literature...probably Dante's Divine Comedy and Lewis's The Great Divorce, but we'll see.
Right on schedule, Sam! I didn't need to go to my blogger feed I just came right here. :)
ReplyDeleteI don't even know where to start with all of the Marvel screaming. XD Ack!!!! T'Challa is one of my absolute favorite characters and Black Panther is my fourth favorite movie. On a technical scale it is brilliant, but plus the story? THE STORY. I loooooooooooove it! And now you've met Shuri (I can never spell her name for some reason)! Her and T'Challa are the best siblings! And Nakia and Okoye are fantastic in all ways. T'Challa is so wise and majesty and fights through his struggles in the best way and AHHHHHHHHHH! *deep breath*
Hey, some else who agrees with me about Doctor Strange!! His character arc might be one of my favorites in Marvel if not of all time. I love him, and I love Christine (my sister doesn't. Can you believe that??), and the emphasis on time, and it is funny and deep at the same time! Yet...it's one of my least favorites just because we go into some weird areas. I still like it, but I agree with everything you said. (Wait, Rhodey? Rhodey is worked in?? WHERE? I know that Doctor Strange is mentioned so often leading up to this movie but I did not know this about my precious Rhodey.) (Speaking of, have you ever gotten used to this actor?)
INFINITY WAR. *incoherent screaming noises that sound like I'm dying* The movie that I both love and hate. 'Cuz, WHERE IS CLINT?? IT CAN'T BE AN AVENGER MOVIE WITHOUT HIM. *coughs* Sorry, please excuse that. XD All the parts that you mentioned are my favorites, too! I always cry when Nat says, "She's not alone." My girls!!! <3 I don't like Vision a lot, but that part (you know the one) gets me a tad weepy. Did I say that you should watch Spider-Man: Homecoming only because having seen it, that part will make you more broken? Umm, guilty. But you seem broken enough. (When did I become this cruel? I have no idea. Sorry. XD) Also, my younger sister didn't see Homecoming until after IW yet she is the biggest Spider-Man fan in the universe so it works out. I love the plot of IW and the character dynamics and the humor! Then the ending. WHAT!? I do like that they carried through and used it (btw, your term of "Thanosed" had me laughing. I like it!) because I hate in stories when there are these threats yet you know that the characters will be fine at the end of the day. The stakes need to be real!! And Marvel fulfilled that!
(In response to a comment from last month's wrap up: My family quotes the second Men in Black movie the most as the lines are ICONIC. The plot itself isn't my favorite, but it's worth a try. And the third movie might be my favorite. It still has creepy alien stuff (which is to be expected) but I really like it)
Episodes 5 & 6 of The Chosen are my favorite! Abigail's cameo made my day. It was the best. The story of the man whom they lower through the roof has a special meaning for me and they pulled it off amazingly!! I can't ask for better. You're reminding me that I need to start the second season!
P&P '95! I haven't seen it in ages! I need to fix this. Favorite Jane Austen.
How was When Stars are Scattered by Victoria Jamieson & Omar Mohamed? Am I interested purely by the pretty title? Um, sometimes I've shallow like that. XD
That wedding sounds like such a joyous occasion! :D Oh, those bell chimes sound fun, too! Good luck with all of your May plans! Especially the 10 page paper. You've got this!!
Oh my goodness, that's hilarious! I guess it's good to be predictable? XD
DeleteACCKKKKK T'CHALLA!! And yes, the movie is technically amazing, but ALSO has amazing story and characters and just YES. Honestly, Marvel is so good at sibling relationships (the good (T'Challa and Shuri), the bad (Thor & Loki), and the ugly (Gamora and Nebula)) and I am very, very here for it. The way T'Challa handles his difficulties, GAK I JUST LOVE HIM. *ahem* Yes, I am a dignified almost college student. XD (Lies. All lies.)
I know, his arc is the BEST and Christine is also the BEST and their relationship arc is the BEST (your sister is just wrong. No offense. XD) and I love all the time-fun! But yeah, the weird areas are...weird. (Okay, so when Dr. Strange is in the car right before the accident and on a call with one of his subordinates who is reading off neurosurgery cases for him, one of the cases is Rhodey after the events of Civil War! I caught it and absolutely SCREAMED and Legolas was very irritated. XD) (I'm coming around to him after Infinity War and how awesome he is in that. At that one part where the Avengers come back, especially. I liked that a lot. :))
AHHH YES. Okay, I missed Clint too--not as much as you, I think, and I do understand him not being there, but seriously I NEED MY HAWKEYE. And also Wanda needs him. I KNOW THAT PART IS AMAZING! Nat is the absolute best. I have mixed feelings on Vision (I mean, he's supposed to be this totally upright moral being and then he's in a relationship with Wanda without being married? What?) but that one part...
Legolas and I are definitely planning on watching the Spider-Mans! I think we can get them on Prime...but I think it'll be after Endgame. We'll see...
"You seem broken enough". Yes. Oh yes. So broken that I don't even feel broken anymore. XD
The plot is so compelling, and definitely the character dynamics and the humor! (Haha, I'm hoping that'll catch on!) Yeah, it's good that the stakes are real, but that doesn't mean I need to like it. XD XD
(Oh cool! I may have to try those two, because I really enjoyed MiB, and I would not complain about another super-quotable movie. :) :))
Those Episodes are both so awesome! Yes, it worked so well! I can't wait until we finish the first season and can start the second!
It's the best EVER. :)
I really enjoyed it--it was a graphic novel about two boys in an African refugee camp (quick read) and the art was great, and the issues presented were real, but handled in an child-appropriate way. (I started it because of the title, too. XD) (But be warned--one of the goats dies. I was having a bad day and reading it, and that just about made me cry. It was kind of a mess, lol.)
It was a very, very joyous occasion! Thank you! I'm actually really looking forward to the paper--so much fun discussion of purgatory and parallels! (I might consider publishing it on here, if it ends up being good...)
I find myself relating to Mr. Darcy a scary amount too. All great movies! Haven't seen The Chosen, but it seems really good. The goats are too cute!
ReplyDeleteWhat are your thoughts on Sorcery of Thorns? Just curious because I think I own that one but haven't read it.
Glad I'm not the only one! Yes, they all were! And I would definitely recommend The Chosen. I know, they're ridiculous!
DeleteI stopped reading it because I didn't like the magic system--the worldbuilding was really, really cool EXCEPT for the invocational magic system with fictionalized demons, and I was just Not Feeling It after just reading Faust and being in the middle of Picture of Dorian Gray. But I liked the MC and the world, so I was kind of disappointed to stop.
Me, when I saw Black Pantherππππ that film is AWESOME. And Shuri! Okoye! Nakia! Haha I find myself relating to Darcy too! I haven't watched infinity war but I read this anyway because all my friends have spoiled it *sighs, thank you* lol 'thanosed' should be a verb. There's even a TV show for Loki and I'm pretty sure no one in Marvel who's dead ever stays dead.
ReplyDeleteI know, it was amazing! And all the characters!!! <3 <3. Oh hey, I think more people relate to him than we might think! Ahh, I hate it when that happens, but it happens. Lol, I think so too! Yeah, I really don't know about Loki! He looked pretty dead...
DeleteYou're reading Sherlock Holmes! Do you like it, hate it?
ReplyDeleteI've been meaning to read Our Mutual friend. What do you think of that one?
Thanks for the shoutout! I didn't realize that post stuck out to anyone that much, I was just feeling ranty that day.
Sounds like you've had a really good month! Scares aside, glad Caspian's okay.
I've liked some of it and disliked other parts! Some of it is interesting, some of it is boring, and the fact that Sherlock abuses drugs caught me by surprise. XD But I think I'll be reading some more!
DeleteI really enjoyed it! It was long, but engaging, and I really cared about several of the characters, which isn't always true with Dickens.
You're welcome! I have days like that, too. :)
I have, yeah, except for that!
YOU WATCHED INFINITY WAR. Oh you poor thing. *sends hugs and chocolate and raspberries*
ReplyDelete(I totally get that dead-inside feeling. After Loki died I was just...dead, for the rest of the movie. I still LAUGHED at the funny parts [cuz there are a LOT of funny parts, WHO GAVE THAT MOVIE PERMISSION TO BE SO FUNNY], but then I'd go right back to feeling...just...kinda...sick. Darn it, Marvel.)
It's been a long while since I've seen Black Panther and Doctor Strange, but I feel like I would agree with your reviews if I remembered enough about the movies, lol.
Ack the hand chimes sound so lovely.
Thanks for the mention! Give the baby goats my love. :)
YEAH I DID. *enjoys the hugs, and shoves chocolate and raspberries into mouth simultaneously*
Delete(I KNOW it's so rude that there's so much to laugh at while our favorite characters are lying dead in space!! Who thought that was a good idea?? Marvel is simultaneously the best and the worst. Also, Loki's death totally caught me by surprise...like, ohmygosh now he's dead?? THIS IS NOT OKAY.)
Haha, I know that feeling!
They are so beautiful and fun to play!
You're welcome! And of course. :)
It looks like you had a great April.
ReplyDeleteMy feelings about Infinity War were pretty much the same. I both love and hate that movie.
The '95 Pride and Prejudice is so good! I need to see it again.
And, ooh, you got to go to a wedding! That sounds like fun.
Oh, I'm so glad that Caspian's okay! That must have been scary. Glad he's fine now, though.
I did!
DeleteYeah, it's both great and horrible!
I know, I'm so excited to be rewatching it!
It was excellent!
I'm really glad that he pulled through, too. It was no fun.