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It's been another good year for books. I broke 100 again this year, and continued with my focus on POC and LGBTQI2A+ authors, with a good amount of success, I think. Emotional exhaustion and near-burnout have definitely increased the number of books I've read, so I guess there's a bright side? I also started using GoodReads again, with more success than last time (mostly egged on by book-obsessed coworkers and curiosity about what they were reading). I don't post reviews much, but it's a great way to see what people around me are reading and figure out what I want to read next... GoodReads 2019 Reading Challenge
106 books total
94 fiction
12 non-fiction
16 manga/graphic novels
5 in French
23 by POC and/or LGBTQI2A+ authors
This year's favorites were:
* The Song of Achilles by Madeleine Miller - an absolutely stunning retelling of the story of Patroclus and Achilles. I was blown away and can't wait to read "Circe"
* Laura Dean Keeps Breaking Up With Me by Mariko Tamaki and Rosemary Vallero-O'Connell - a hard-hitting graphic novel that really hit me, about a girl who just can't seem to see how her relationship is tearing her life apart.
* The Starless Sea by Erin Morgenstern. Now, I'll confess that I've been waiting for this book for over a decade, since "The Night Circus" first came out and created a sensation. I approached this one cynically: I never believe the hype and have been burned before. But for once, it's true: it was better than the first. Following Zachary (never Zack) into a world of secret societies, magical books, and an entire underground world, I was entirely captivated and didn't want it to end. I loved this book so much that when I finished, I wondered who I could share it with, and ended up buying copies to give.
* Call Down the Hawk by Maggie Stiefvater - following in the footsteps of the Raven Boys series, this first book in a new trilogy was everything I wanted and so many things I didn't even know I wanted. There is something about this author's writing, and this particular series, that I just adore.
Monstress by Marjorie M. Liu and Sana Takeda - a dark, rich graphic novel about a girl who shares a body with an unspeakable terror.
I also managed to see 42 movies (new and new-to-me), despite rarely making it to the movie theatre. My favorites for the year were:
* Angry Indian Goddesses (2015) - I have wanted to see this movie for years and finally managed. It is AMAZING, though it has also left me more than a little traumatized. It follows the story of 7 very different women who spend a few days together to celebrate a wedding. The movie casts a sharp eye on gender, culture, and sexuality, exposing the misogny all of the women have to face on a daily basis and how they have chosen to attack that head-on.
* On the Basis of Sex (2018) - another feminist-themed movie, I really enjoyed it, enough to seek out the RBG exhibit in Philadelphia while I was there...
* Colette (2018) - a surprisingly good biopic on the life of Colette. I have a weakness for Kiera Knightley, I must admit...
* A Silent Voice (2016) - an adaptation from the manga that I read a few years ago, this anime follows a young man trying desperately to make up for bullying a deaf girl when they were kids.
* Fast Color (2018) - I just watched this a few weeks ago and loved it. This post-apocalyptic story centers around the main character and her inability to control powers she has inherited. As she runs from the government, she finds refuge with her family, and tries to mend relationships long torn apart.
Finally, not a lot of concerts or exhibits this year, as I didn't get out as much as I wanted to. However, I did travel to Philadelphia, where I got to see a lot, and
Shows:
- Port Cities in concert at the Azrieli studio (NAC): this band rapidly skyrocketed to one of my favorites, and I was thrilled to see them in concert. Great venue, great show, great dynamic between the 3 band members. However, they announced they were breaking up a few short months later.
- The King & I broadway show at the NAC: a decent show, nothing great.
- Kodo at Place des Arts: I first saw a taiko show years ago, when the friend of a friend was drumming, and fell in love with it. This was a grander, more majestic version of the local shows, visually stunning and rhythmically enchanting.
- Kinky Boots at Cineplex: a fun show, glad I finally got to see it.
Exhibits & Museums:
- Cabinet of Curiosities exhibit at Pointe-a-Calliere
- Expo 67 exhibit at Centre d'histoire de Montreal
- Chateau Dufresne
- Notorious RBG exhibit at the National Museum of American Jewish History
- The Barnes Foundation
- Eastern State Penitentiary
- Rodin Museum
- Penn Museum
- Academy of Natural Sciences at Drexel University
- Elfreth's Alley
106 books total
94 fiction
12 non-fiction
16 manga/graphic novels
5 in French
23 by POC and/or LGBTQI2A+ authors
This year's favorites were:
* The Song of Achilles by Madeleine Miller - an absolutely stunning retelling of the story of Patroclus and Achilles. I was blown away and can't wait to read "Circe"
* Laura Dean Keeps Breaking Up With Me by Mariko Tamaki and Rosemary Vallero-O'Connell - a hard-hitting graphic novel that really hit me, about a girl who just can't seem to see how her relationship is tearing her life apart.
* The Starless Sea by Erin Morgenstern. Now, I'll confess that I've been waiting for this book for over a decade, since "The Night Circus" first came out and created a sensation. I approached this one cynically: I never believe the hype and have been burned before. But for once, it's true: it was better than the first. Following Zachary (never Zack) into a world of secret societies, magical books, and an entire underground world, I was entirely captivated and didn't want it to end. I loved this book so much that when I finished, I wondered who I could share it with, and ended up buying copies to give.
* Call Down the Hawk by Maggie Stiefvater - following in the footsteps of the Raven Boys series, this first book in a new trilogy was everything I wanted and so many things I didn't even know I wanted. There is something about this author's writing, and this particular series, that I just adore.
Monstress by Marjorie M. Liu and Sana Takeda - a dark, rich graphic novel about a girl who shares a body with an unspeakable terror.
I also managed to see 42 movies (new and new-to-me), despite rarely making it to the movie theatre. My favorites for the year were:
* Angry Indian Goddesses (2015) - I have wanted to see this movie for years and finally managed. It is AMAZING, though it has also left me more than a little traumatized. It follows the story of 7 very different women who spend a few days together to celebrate a wedding. The movie casts a sharp eye on gender, culture, and sexuality, exposing the misogny all of the women have to face on a daily basis and how they have chosen to attack that head-on.
* On the Basis of Sex (2018) - another feminist-themed movie, I really enjoyed it, enough to seek out the RBG exhibit in Philadelphia while I was there...
* Colette (2018) - a surprisingly good biopic on the life of Colette. I have a weakness for Kiera Knightley, I must admit...
* A Silent Voice (2016) - an adaptation from the manga that I read a few years ago, this anime follows a young man trying desperately to make up for bullying a deaf girl when they were kids.
* Fast Color (2018) - I just watched this a few weeks ago and loved it. This post-apocalyptic story centers around the main character and her inability to control powers she has inherited. As she runs from the government, she finds refuge with her family, and tries to mend relationships long torn apart.
Finally, not a lot of concerts or exhibits this year, as I didn't get out as much as I wanted to. However, I did travel to Philadelphia, where I got to see a lot, and
Shows:
- Port Cities in concert at the Azrieli studio (NAC): this band rapidly skyrocketed to one of my favorites, and I was thrilled to see them in concert. Great venue, great show, great dynamic between the 3 band members. However, they announced they were breaking up a few short months later.
- The King & I broadway show at the NAC: a decent show, nothing great.
- Kodo at Place des Arts: I first saw a taiko show years ago, when the friend of a friend was drumming, and fell in love with it. This was a grander, more majestic version of the local shows, visually stunning and rhythmically enchanting.
- Kinky Boots at Cineplex: a fun show, glad I finally got to see it.
Exhibits & Museums:
- Cabinet of Curiosities exhibit at Pointe-a-Calliere
- Expo 67 exhibit at Centre d'histoire de Montreal
- Chateau Dufresne
- Notorious RBG exhibit at the National Museum of American Jewish History
- The Barnes Foundation
- Eastern State Penitentiary
- Rodin Museum
- Penn Museum
- Academy of Natural Sciences at Drexel University
- Elfreth's Alley
