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The Anthropocene Reviewed - John Green (2024) // 22/JAN-04/FEB

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I adored this collection of essays. The amount of range within the book is astounding to me, both in topic and emotion that John Green was able to claw out of me. I have many quotes written down in my commomplace book (just started reading one and welling up). Some of my favourite essays include (1) Sunsets (2) Auld Lang Syne (3) Viral Meningitis (4) The Ginkgo Tree.

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If I had to pick top one, I'd say Auld Lang Syne. I remember watching the video that John made where he read the chapter when it came out in December of 2023 (I read the book over two weeks at the end of January) and I cried. I cried so hard at the video and had the privilage of crying again at the book. The whole book is quite personal but this one, where he talks about his friend Amy Krouse Rosenthal is so touching. I liked learning about John's mental health and how the film Harvey spoke to him. The hedonism that is giving in to a diet coke. And how our lives are like the world's largest ball of paint.

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On Earth We're Briefly Gorgeous - Ocean Vuong (2019) // 25/MAR-24/APR

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The way Vuong writes is incredibly beautiful, his poetic voice is clear but not overwhelming. He conveys the beauty of Little Dog's life (the title character) with such honesty, he almose shows it as mundane. Little Dog felt so real, I think a definate pro of this being semi-autobiographical, and so did his family.

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To show a Vietnamese American experience, and a young queer man's experience, and the amount of grief that circles Little Dog is admirable. Despite the retellings of Little Dog's queerness and his family dynamics being quite separate stories, I never felt taken out of one by the other. I think to show the way him and Trevor explored each other and their relationship but in such a way where they never spoke of it was so interesting. Reading it, it was clear the taboo nature of what they were doing yet it always felt honest. Vulnerable. It was odd to pry into such a private and personal experience.

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The story of his mother, Rose, and the way she raised him. The relationship he has with his grandmother who is shown to experience breaks from reality. And learning about Vietnman and the strange relationship Little Dog has with his home country is all so beautifully and sometimes heartbreakingly told.

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Record of a Spaceborn Few - Becky Chambers (2018) // 26/JUN-09/JUL

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(I wish the UK had these covers. Like I do love the 2010s galaxy tumblr aesthetics but come on! This conveys the epicness of these books so much better) The third book in the Wayfarers series hit so hard. I loved the central theme and story of the book. The way disaster and individual and collective grief can effect us.

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I love the world building of Chambers. The futurism of it all is never overly explained but there is an easy understanding of the ships, the workings of commerce, and the struggles of the same people being spread across plants, ships, and origins. This is one of the most human centred of the tetralogy and I think that's why I connected with it the most. Having the archivist Isabel explain to Ghih'loloan (a Hermagain) the ways of human life on their homesteader and seeing this alien ask really big questions about humans was in some way beautiful. I always feel so connected and hopeful when I read this series, yet not because Chambers has created a utopia to escape into, but she has made a world in which I want to work towards.

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Nona The Ninth - Tamsyn Muir // 23/JUL-26/JUL (2022)

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I adore The Locked Tomb series and this did not disappoint. Each book is so different thanks to each very different perspective but I love Nona. I truly understand that Nona does love us all and love really is the central theme of this book. The "unconvential" love between Nona, Camilla and Palamedes, and Pyrra is so beautiful yet sad. Pyrra and Cam/Pal are living through their own kinds of body horror that mean there is always a certain barrier between the four of them.

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The way Nona sees the world and the way her feelings are conveyed are phenomenal to me. There is something quite autistic about it and so I feel a large kinship to her. Again this book has multiple stories within it and so it was cool to learn SO much about Jod thorugh his conversations with Harrow.

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Some of my favourite quotes from the book are: "what's like except a love that hasn't been invited indoors" because oh my, the way I would etherally scream this to the people I love // "life is too short and love is too long" ,, Nona my beloved // "you can't take loved away" ... I keep this one close to me, it's important to keep this close.

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Nineteen Eighty Four - George Orwell (1949) // 17/JUN-24/JUN

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Finally read this seminal classic. After I read Animal Farm in Y10 and loving it I'm glad to have finally got on the Orwell train properly. There are many references I can get now lol, I didn't even know what Room 101 was before reading it (gotta watch that one ep of TNG now). I love the eternal sense of panic felt when reading this book. Even in supposed moments of rest there is an everpresent anxiety that I'm not even sure I know how was made.

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The atmosphere of bleakness was created really well by Orwell, and when the contrast to nature and the serenity found within it was made, it made me feel all the more triumphant for Winston. Winston my beloved, Winston my sad wet tortured man.

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Dream Work - Mary Oliver (2014) // 19/AUG-10/SEP

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I've always thought myself to be not clever or artsy enough to get poetry but I'd heard Mary Oliver's name a lot so when I saw it in my local library I wanted to give it a try. I loved this collection. Most of the poems were nature-related, and to me was very accessible as a poetry noob. I read most of the book whilst in a hostel with 23 of my friends out in nature, so it was a beautiful time.

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Oliver's most famous poem (I believe) is in this collection and it definately is the one that hit me the hardest. Wild Geese really does something. The opening is something I try to remind myself. To keep the self in reference to animals that we are is important. To share despair is crucial to our survival. And to know the world goes on, to feel the call of it, of nature, of people, and truly listen is something I think we could all benefit from.

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Equal Rites - Terry Pratchett (1987) // 09/AUG-18/SEP

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I'll start by saying that I am a huge Discworld fan. I've read 8 of the 41 books in the series and Pratchett's humour and heart never fails to amaze me. Out of all the starter books I've read I think this is the best to jump into the Discworld (despite it not even being catagorised as a starting book).

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It does a great job of straight away telling you where the Discoworld is, how many animals it's riding atop of, and that there's magic. It does well to allude to the Gods and bigger workings of the world without throwing you in the deep end. And it has one of the strongest most subborn leads a book can have - a Granny. Granny Weatherwax is such an awesome character to experience the Discworld with. She's no nonsense and understands people and magic better than most. This book being a breaking down of gender roles with the backdrop of quintessential British humour makes just a great book on its own.

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Constantine (2005) dir. Francis Lawrence

Constantine 2005, I love you Constantine Two Thousand and Five (I have to say it in full every time). I love Keanu Reeves and had this recommended via Tumblr so had to watch it. The story itself is a little lack-luster. I didn't care too much for central characters of the story Angela and Isabel. I did really like the magic system happening, all the Biblical-ness was fun to me and felt grounded in the world, and learning about John Constantine was cool. The visuals do give away that it was made in the early 2000s but it never pulled me out of the story (unlike some films made at that time... I'm looking at you Hellboy).

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I need a moment to discuss Tilda Swinton in this film. Oh my goodness as the Angel Gabriel she is so!! gender. The androdgy of them and the other angels is I think very fitting to the angel character and also one of my style icons. Love an evil angel, love being given some one so hot to hate. Also love being given someone so hot to love! I love you John Constantine. I think Keanu Reeves is perfect. The way he delivers lines and interacts with the other characters is so Keanu Reeves of him, it's great.

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Druk / Another Round (2020) dir. Thomas Vinterberg

This may be the only film I've put on here based on it's quality, and is here because I think it's something everyone should watch. I said "It felt like a genuine look at life whilst having this almost absurd alcohol experiment attached to it" and I think that's why it's so good. The lives of the teachers and their students and the struggles each character clearly has is fascinatingly changed and displayed by the experiment. Although it's absurd there is a relatability to it. The way alcohol is ultimately a drug that can do a lot of harm, yet it's not made out to be wrong.

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I do wonder if Danish teens have an absolute blast like that after their exams, we do here in the UK when we turn 16 (some start before that,,) but it's of course not looked upon with the same neutrality that the film shows alcohol to be at the end of the film. Of course I loved Mads Mikkslsen's performance, the range he had, but I also loved everyone else's. The other teacher's doing the experiment, and having to pretend to be out of their minds drunk, and all the kids were great.

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The Rocky Horror Picture Show (1975) dir. Jim Sharman

I cannot believe it took so long for me to watch this in full. I went to a screening at my University put on by our LGBT and Trans support groups and it was so fun! I dressed up, I felt great in Frank N Furter makeup, and it was awesome to be in a space having fun with so many other queer people. This is a classic. I'm a big fan of camp and this didn't disappoint.

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The music!! So fun. On a weekly basis I remember Touch-a, Touch-a, Touch Me. All of the actors have such distinct and strong voices and so the songs are all awesome. I loved seeing more of Tim Curry on screen (I adore the 1985 film Clue), but I also loved all the cast! The Meatloaf cameo was kinda insane. I found Riff Raff oddly attractive (Richard O'Brian's transphobia not so much). And my beloved Brad and Janet!! Their transformations were beautiful and both the actors were superb.

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The Rock (1996) dir. Michael Bay

This was such a bizarre watch. My Dad told me it was a classic after I watched it (I would not describe it as such) and although I found it so weirdly put together, it was hilarious. I watched this with a French exchange student who was trying to watch every Nicolas Cage film. The Nicolas Cage and Sean Connery half of the film was fantastic. It was action filled but funny, despite trying to be serious you could tell how much fun it was.

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But I do stress half. The plot of the film is about that some veteran has captured Alcatraz and is going to detonate chemical weapons on San Fransico, but every time this main plot was taking place and we're seeing the disollusioned captain on screen I was bored. Toneally it felt so different to when Cage and Connery were Jonny English-ing their way onto the Island and developing a weird mentor/mentee relationship. I want to see if I can just watch their parts and still understand and enjoy it.

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Cabaret (1993) dir. Sam Mendes

I love this version of Caberet so much! I went into this completely blind, only knowing I wanted to see Alan Cumming in lipstick doing a shitty German accent. I watched this one on yt so the quality wasn't great but I loved it. Of course Alan Cumming being the EmCee was *beautiful*, but the entire cast was beautiful too. Jane Horrocks' Sally Bowles was divine. I also adored Sara Kestelman's Frauline Schneider. I was originally confused at the "side story" of her and Ernst Ludwig's romance yet that touched me the most.

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As I had no idea when it was set or what the story was about, so when I fully realised the "twist" I was gobsmacked. Seeing EmCee take off the leather jacket to reveal their detention uniform was tragic. The way antisemitism slowly builds over the film and is dropped in to reflect the growth of hatred in Nazi Germany was very well done. I think it's an essential watch.