The BookTube Spin #3 - My List

  Back on January 28th I posted here about the BookTube Spin, round one. Through Rick MacDonnell, the BookTube Spin is a challenge he's hosting through his channel (as well as Instagram) for bookaholics who A) want to work at clearing up their TBR list; and B) are up for a little randomness/game of chance in their reading life. I was all for it, after watching his post explaining how it works (which you can find HERE). The premise:

1)Red, White & Royal Blue; 2) The Plot; 3) The Taking of Jake Livingston; 4) Fatal Fried Rice; 5) One by One

Essentially, you choose 20 books off your current TBR. Books you already own, in particular books you have maybe been putting off reading ... maybe feared reading, due to their size, or content ... maybe been a bit intimidated to read for some reasons - whatever. Choose 20 titles, assign each a number, then post your list somewhere PUBLICLY (your blog, Instagram, Facebook or Twitter, do a video on your own YouTube channel) to hold yourself accountable. You do NOT have to have a YT channel or be a book tuber in order to participate (neither apply to me), and you can even get in touch with Rick with your list as he wants to see them; nope, it's just a fun challenge, and round three (which has an extra month, due to a clerical error) begins on July 1st; in a few days, on June 25th, Rick will post a video on his channel, spinning a virtual wheel with numbers on it, 1-20, and whatever that number is - you read the corresponding title on your list between July 1st and September 30th. That's THREE MONTHS, for round three, to read the one book (and thank God, because I haven't yet read round two's book, as I knew we had more time - pre-clerical error), at which time Rick will do a round four spin and start another challenge.

6) The Final Girl Support Group; 7) The Lions of Fifth Avenue; 8) Billy Summers; 9) Murder in a Teacup; 10) The Only Good Indians

Onto the books: check out Rick's post above - they can be 20 you've been wanting to knock off your TBR for ages, or you can break them down, say 5 titles in four different genres or categories (classics, LGBTQ+ fiction, biographies, cozy mysteries, etc.) for variety; shoot, you can even only choose 10 titles and just double up on their places on your numbered list (again, watch Rick's post above, he explains it much better than I do).  For round three I shook things up, keeping a number of previous titles and shuffling them around, but also adding some of my most hugely-anticipated new releases due out within the same time frame. Again, this is all just to put a little spark of randomness in your reading life, as well as knock a much-needed title off your TBR.

11) Into the Drowning Deep; 12) Bath Haus; 13) My Heart is a Chainsaw; 14) Razorblade Tears; 15) Cemetery Boys

So, now my round three list is officially public. Hope fellow book nerds will come aboard, and check out Rick's wheel spin in a few days to join in on the new round, as well. Welcome to the BookTube Spin, and keep reading!

16) Skulduggery Pleasant; 17) The Guncle; 18) If the Shoe Fits; 19) Velvet Was the Night; 20) Swimming in the Dark

Watching: MONSOON (2019)

Director: Hong Khaou

85m/Not Rated

Prose (Story): Kit (Crazy Rich Asian's Henry Golding) is a British-Vietnamese man who is returning to the country of his birth for the first time since he and his family fled over three decades earlier, when Kit was just a small child, during the Vietnam War. Once in Saigon, he connects with a second cousin, Lee (David Tran), whom he used to play with as a child (which Lee remembers, though Kit does not), but Kit's unfamiliarity with everything from the language to the geography to the culture of his long-ago home - which he's returned to in the hopes of finding a place to scatter his parents' ashes - weighs heavily on his weary shoulders. Though finding both solace and unexpected romance with another American in Saigon named Lewis (Parker Sawyers), who's living in Vietnam to work on starting up his own clothing company, the story remains the study of a man come home ... to a home he doesn't recognize, as he seeks to do the right thing by his parents and family.

Don's (Review): There are so many wonderful points that make up Monsoon, but the best of it can be summed up in two words: Henry Golding. So far removed from his obscenely-rich, jet-setting, most-wanted bachelor from Crazy Rich Asians as to be a bit of shock (in the best way), here Golding turns in a masterful performance in which he conveys, with a gesture or a look, a level of emotional countenance that many lesser actors couldn't put out in half a page of dialogue. Kit is a man on a mission, trying to do the right thing yet clearly so much a fish out of the proverbial water, you can feel his confusion, angst or resignation in every frame. Quite smartly and beautifully, the film plays up the fact that Kit is gay with zero fanfare; it is simply a part of who he is as a person, not a vital or even secondary part of the story - a genuine relief to find in a film today. Those expecting this to be a romance, or some high-concept exploration of race or the Vietnam conflict, will be sorely disappointed; Monsoon is a simple, straightforward, slow-moving (maybe too slow, for some) character study of a man searching for threads to a past he barely remembers, to better understand his present. And, in Henry Golding, it contains one of the most beautiful, understated performance this reviewer has seen in years.  4/5 stars

Reading: I AM PERFECTLY DESIGNED - Karamo Brown & Jason "Rachel" Brown (authors), Anoosha Syed (illustrator)

1st line: "First there was you, Dad."

Prose (Story): Written after dealing with the experiences of Queer Eye alum Karamo Brown's reaction to his own son's coming out to him, I Am Perfectly Designed is a picture book following a man and his young son as they explore the city around them ... and the bond they will always share.

Don's (Review): A loving story of bonding between father and son, in which the dad seeks to emphasize to his chld that he is perfect exactly as he is - and always will be, no matter what - I Am Perfectly Designed, beautifully illustrated by Anoosha Syed, ultimately (and sadly) becomes a one-note wonder fast, seemingly unwilling to really "go there" as the same initial message given in the book's title is simply repeated over and over again throughout; no elaboration or exploration. Anyone seeking anything deep, especially knowing that the book was written by a father-and-son duo who had to overcome a couple hurdles of their own when the son came out to his dad, identifying as pansexual, will be disappointed by what appears to be little more than a catchphrase accompanied by great art, as opposed to what it could have been by way of real substance - especially in light of the real-life story behind it.  2.5/5 stars

Reading: HAM HELSING #1: VAMPIRE HUNTER - Rich Moyer

1st Line: "Even a long, long time ago, vampire hunting was a Helsing family obsession ... "

Prose (Story): Ham Helsing, a painter and writer of poetry whose refined ways belie the centuries of vampire and monster hunting heritage behind him, is forced to take over the family business when his roguish hunter brother Chad is killed, leaving him the last of his line. Determined to do his family proud, Ham sets off to a small village on his first mission, little realizing both the dangers and dorks awaiting him. 

Don's (Review): After a brief introduction, in which we are introduced to the short and happy lives of some of Ham and Chad's monster-hunting ancestors, it becomes clear right away that the Helsings mean well, but that these pigs are not exactly the brightest crayons in the box. Ham, soft-spoken and kind (though he steps up to any challenge when riled), arrives for his first kill seeking the castle of the vampire on the hill, and right away builds hiimself a team via a female ninja tree-pig, a pair of greedy (and snarky) rats, and a small boy who happens to turn into a big snarling ... well, wolf technically, but he's more like a big, sloppy, doofy dog, whenever the moon comes out. But with a diabolical hench-hen, an army of spiderlings, and townspeople who don't believe Ham could fight his way out of an argument going against him, it will take all this courageous pig's will to complete his mission - and the laughs along the way make this book a joy. Author Moyer sets up a Looney Tunes-style premise and look to this brilliant graphic novel from the start, but then tempers that humor to a more sarcastic, mature (and funnier) feel, in between the physical comedy, that really makes you care about Ham, Ronin (the aforementioned piglet ninja), Lobos (the wolf-dog); all the characters really. Better still, amidst a book that's funny to read and an animated series on paper to look at (seriously love the art), Ham Helsing also has some nice messages about how both life and people can fool you - in the best way - and that when you have friends  you have it all (none of it ever coming across on the page as obvious or preachy). If you hate spiders, a couple scenes toward the end in particular may cause some glee, but this reader devoured Ham Helsing wearing a huge grin throughout - even more so thanks to a surprise twist, in the end, that leads to setting up what appears will be an even larger-scale sequel. Absolutely loved this one, which can be enjoyed by kids of any age - even mine!  4.5/5 stars

NOTE: I received a free ARC of this title from NetGalley and the publisher, in exchange for an honest review.

May Wrap-Up: Kidlit & Graphic Novels - Light, but Quality!

Another month that sort of got away with me; just light reading, including some kidlit and graphic novels, but some genuine quality here: another run-in between Batman and the Scooby Gang completely resurrected some favorite childhood memories, and I would never have thought it but reinventing Cinderella as an elephant easily led to one of the funniest kids books I've read in ages.

Top of the Charts for the month? Definitely the m/m love story Cheri, My Destiny! fast became one of my favorite mangas ever upon finising it, and Wynd ... oh my goodness, Wynd; one of my favorite graphic novels of all-time, full of heart and adventure and with a lead character you can't help but love; I can hardly wait for book two! Kidlit-wise, The Treasure Troop's first mystery was terrific; between this and her Haunted Library series, I am at the point where I'd read anything Dori Hillestad Butler puts on the page. And Ghoulia; how I love dear little Ghoulia (think Wednesday Addams as a softhearted zombie full of love), and her second adventure was easily as great as the first.

Filmwise, only three, none of them outstanding. And don't get me started on Things Heard & Seen, as this film qualifies for neither.

Hoping to have a bigger crossover between kidlit and adult fare in coming months - though for some reason, my Mood Reading switch has kicked into overdrive and I'm navigating my readig life without a map. But hey - long as I'm reading, I'm happy there (and yes, always catching up on reviews, so keep checking back if you don't see someting here!). Happy Reading and Viewing to All, and welcome to summer!