Month: August 2022

August 2022 Wrap-Up

Kat Impossible10 Comments

I started August really motivated to blog, which, in hindsight, is not reflected at all in the content I provided. I don’t know what exactly happened, but I got busy? First things first though, let’s check out the books I read during August. I thought I wouldn’t have anything to show in this section, but there’s actually a lot – including some new favorites! I indulged in some poetry and audiobooks though, which is very unlike myself.

As per usual, click on the covers to get re-directed to Goodreads, where you are always welcome to add me as a reading buddy! OR find me on Storygraph, where I have become more active this year. My own reviews you’re able to find by clicking on the titles in the list above, if there are posts for them.

I have no idea why this is so shocking to me, but I’m actually doing really well on my reading challenge still. I know I just showed how many books I read this past month, which was a sum that was actually a lot for me in general, but I always feel like I’m behind somehow. In reality, I’m ahead by 4-5 books (depending on whether you look at Goodreads or Storygraph for the info), but unfortunately, I’m behind several hundred pages on my page goal. Still, it could be worse. I just need to not read poetry and short stories.

A graph showing 76% (34 books out of 45 books) read. Brilliant! You are ahead by 4 books!

A graph showing 61% (34 books), 9,201 pages out of 15,000 pages read. 785 pages more until you're caught up! You've got this!

 

In Other News

As stated in the intro of this post, I was actually really motivated to get creative this month, but somehow I didn’t end up doing much on the blog. Still, that doesn’t mean I wasn’t a busy, busy gal! Here are some of my monthly highlights from August!

My birthday!

I “celebrated” my 29th birthday at the beginning of August. I’m not trying to say it in a weird way just to be weird, but I didn’t throw a party or anything like that. Instead, I took some time off work, had my parents visit with my grandmother – who saw my apartment for the first time since I moved in last October, donated to a local charity and relaxed. Creating a fuzz around a number isn’t my thing, but I guess I’m going to have to do something when I turn 30 next year. We’ll see …

I DMed my first DnD game!

I never thought that being a Dungeon Master (or Game Master, if you prefer that term) would be easy, but dang it was hard! I coerced my cousins into playing with me and I made miniatures for their characters as well as other NPCs and enemies, created maps (that were slightly off scale), tried to remember everyone’s powers, abilities and stats and did my best to explain rules that I didn’t always fully understand myself. It wasn’t necessarily chaotic, but there was 100% room for improvement. So, while I’m glad I did it, please, someone else be the Game Master next time, okay?

various miniature Dungeons and Dragons character made out of paper

I got a Fitbit!

Promise, this is not going to turn into a commercial and I’m pretty sure I gave away so many rights to my data when I signed up, but I’m super happy to have a Fitbit now. It’s a fitness bracelet that monitors and tracks various health and exercise data and I feel like that was a push I needed to get more active again. Working from home has taken its toll and while I was grateful for the safety measures that were implemented at my work, I feel so much better when I have a reason to get out of the house. Let’s see how long my fascination with it will last. The first 1.5 weeks have been great so far!

I finished the Outline for my Fantasy WIP!

THIS is something I’m super proud of! I’ve really put in the time and effort, despite being a very impatient person, to create an outline I can work with. Of course, there will be some fine tuning of certain elements as I go along, but I now have somewhat of a “character bible”, an explanation for my society, government, geographical make-up, magical system and religion of my world AND a super solid plot structure. I’m about to dive into the actual writing process and I hope to make progress with it at a steady pace as well.

I’m not yet ready to talk details, but here’s my main character (which I shared last month too) as a reminder:

A girl with pointy ears, light blue skin, almost white hair with faint traces of pink in a lilac dress looking off into the distance, holding a book tight to her chest.
The main character vibes are strong with her.

Because this is already much longer than usual, I will forgo sharing the most popular posts of the month (you’ve heard about all of them before) as well as my favorites of the month (The Sandman) and posts from around the blogosphere. I hope you understand and vow to bring those back again next month, when I’ve hopefully had more time to blog hop and dive into what everyone else was up to!

MY OTHER POSTS

TV SHOW/MOVIE RELATED

TRAILER POSTS

I hope you all will have a great start into the month of September! I, for one, can’t wait to be able to wear layers more often again.

Mini Reviews: Audiobook Edition!

Kat Impossible11 Comments

Mini Reviews

As I’ve now mentioned countless times, I really slacked on the bookish content in August. That doesn’t necessarily mean that I didn’t read anything (more about that in the monthly recap), but I astonishingly checked out TWO audiobooks. I’m notorious for struggling with audiobooks (I wrote a whole post about it, which you can find here), because I find it so tough to focus on just sound without having anything to visually focus on. However, I got some free Audible credits this month, so I want to talk to you about the books I checked out!

*links to Goodreads and Storygraph will be provided after the ratings!*

I’m Glad My Mom Died by Jennette McCurdy

I'm Glad My Mom Died by Jennette McCurdyPublisher description:
Jennette McCurdy was six years old when she had her first acting audition. Her mother’s dream was for her only daughter to become a star, and Jennette would do anything to make her mother happy. So she went along with what Mom called “calorie restriction,” eating little and weighing herself five times a day. She endured extensive at-home makeovers while Mom chided, “Your eyelashes are invisible, okay? You think Dakota Fanning doesn’t tint hers?” She was even showered by Mom until age sixteen while sharing her diaries, email, and all her income.
In I’m Glad My Mom Died, Jennette recounts all this in unflinching detail—just as she chronicles what happens when the dream finally comes true. Cast in a new Nickelodeon series called iCarly, she is thrust into fame. Though Mom is ecstatic, emailing fan club moderators and getting on a first-name basis with the paparazzi (“Hi Gale!”), Jennette is riddled with anxiety, shame, and self-loathing, which manifest into eating disorders, addiction, and a series of unhealthy relationships. These issues only get worse when, soon after taking the lead in the iCarly spinoff Sam & Cat alongside Ariana Grande, her mother dies of cancer. Finally, after discovering therapy and quitting acting, Jennette embarks on recovery and decides for the first time in her life what she really wants.

My Thoughts:

The internet just about exploded when Jennette McCurdy’s book I’m Glad My Mom Died released. I think, despite the title, a lot of people expected a tell-all book on her life in showbiz, but it’s truly so much more personal than that. Yes, there are mentions of shows and movies we know as well as some other behind the scenes stuff that surely didn’t always better her situation, but the focus is really on her relationship with her mom and how that affected her relationship with herself and her body.

“She wanted this. And I wanted her to have it. I wanted her to be happy. But now that I have it, I realize that she’s happy and I’m not. Her happiness came at the cost of mine. I feel robbed and exploited.”

I can see I’m Glad My Mom Died being very triggering for many readers out there and I would caution them to pick it up if they struggle with detailed accounts of eating disorders and parental abuse. I, for one, am glad I chose to listen to the audiobook, which is narrated by Jennette McCurdy herself, but it made the situation all the more severe in my mind. This was such a vulnerable and raw account of her life and I wish her nothing but healing and love moving forward. Still, I completely emphasized with her conflicted feelings and am just in awe of what all she dared to share. She seems to be on a good track now and I bet she’s making more cash with this book than the Nickelodeon hush money could have ever been.

“Why do we romanticize the dead? Why can’t we be honest about them? Especially moms, they’re the most romanticized of anyone.”

CW: eating disorders, child abuse, emotional/physical abuse, death of parents, substance abuse

Fazit: 5/5 stars! Raw and emotional and brilliant.

Goodreads | Storygraph

Critical Role: Vox Machina – Kith & Kin by Marieke Nijkamp (narrated by Robbie Daymond, Laura Bailey and Liam O’Brien)

Critical Role: Vox Machina—Kith & Kin by Marieke NijkampPublisher description:
Written by #1 New York Times bestselling author Marieke Nijkamp, Critical Role: Vox Machina – Kith & Kin will follow a brand-new story, featuring the cunning ranger Vex’ahlia and the conning rogue Vax’ildan (and, of course, Trinket) years before they meet Vox Machina. After leaving the unwelcoming refuge of Syngorn, the twins become entangled in a web spun by the Clasp, and for the first time Vex and Vax find themselves on opposite sides of a conflict that threatens the home they have carried with each other for years.
This story lands in the canon timeline of Exandria before any of the events of both the home and livestreamed campaign and even prior to Vox Machina’s first meetings in Vox Machina Origins, our comic book series with Dark Horse Comics. Simply put, even if you’ve never met Vox Machina before, you can dive in right away and breathe in that fresh book scent without missing a beat. If you’ve already joined Vox Machina on any of their adventures, this novel grants a nostalgic return to these characters we love.

My Thoughts:

You know me, I haven’t shut up about Critical Role in MONTHS. I probably won’t shut up about it for a long time to come, because I really enjoy it with my whole being, but I’m not entirely sure I love it in all its iterations.

As the universe grows, the team of Critical Role seems to try and expand their way of telling the story of these fantastic characters in different media. We have comic books (which I’m yearning to get my hands on), games (the Mighty Nein Clue game is all I want for Christmas) and now also books/audiobooks. It makes sense, because the narration of Robbie Daymond with Laura Bailey and Liam O’Brien voicing the twins again was all flawless. I adore their voices and will never not rejoice at hearing them in character, but the story itself? Unfortunately, it didn’t grasp me as much as some of their other content has.

Kith & Kin is part of Vex and Vax’ backstory and shows several crucial moments in their life. Now, I don’t know if it was the format, but it just sort of felt dragged out. Ultimately, w weren’t really telling the tale of the twins, who got separated in a conflict and ended up on opposing sides, but rather these NPCs we met along the way. There were several hooks to create an emotional connection, but I still felt like an outsider looking in rather than really invested. It’s a shame, because I love supporting all things Critical Role, but this was mostly just a joy because of the voice acting.

CW: violence, blood, slavery, racism, death of parent, grief

Fazit: 3.5/5 stars! It wasn’t not interesting, just a bit too dragged out for my taste.

Goodreads | Storygraph

Have you listened to a good audiobook as of late? Let’s chat!

Kat’s Weekly TV & Movie Recap #32

Kat Impossible13 Comments

I’ve been doing a lot of stuff this week, but very little of that involved reading, so here we are again with a round-up of what I have watched. Check it out!

FINISHED TV SHOWS/SEASONS

Selling the OC (Season 1)

Not going to lie, I was a bit bored with some of the interpersonal drama on Selling the OC, but they had some really nice houses to show and the beach vibes were impeccable. It’s not up there with Selling Sunset yet, maybe because it’s so much more people at the office, but I enjoyed myself. I’d definitely watch more of all of that go down. Someone tell them that it’s okay to not wear heels all day and that you, in fact, shouldn’t wear them on a boat though. That hurt my heart.

Only Murders In the Building (Season 2)

I love Only Murders in the Building so much! It’s a great show and I was really worried about it feeling played out in the second season. They did a great job though and kept it fresh, while still retaining the spirit from the first season. What I enjoy so much about the show is that you can have an inkling of an idea as to who the killer might be, but in the end, it still feels like surprise somehow. It makes total sense, but it also doesn’t feel like everything pointed to it the entire time. That’s what makes it good entertainment!

I’m so glad it already got renewed for another season and that we’ll get to see more of the latest murder victim. I really want to know what the deal with that character was. Also, I’m keeping my fingers crossed for more Theo! His interactions with Mabel were the best.

The Cuphead Show (Season 2)

I’ve never played the game that The Cuphead Show is based on, but I always really like having it on in the background. The art style reminds me of my childhood, but it’s definitely made for adults. Season 2 sometimes felt a bit more cohesive than Season 1, but overall, I have very little to say about it. It’s neat, but with its 15-minute-long episodes also a bit forgettable.

WEEKLY TV SHOWS

She-Hulk: Attorney at Law (Season 1)

So. much. fun! I know I’m a week late to the party, but I thought the first two episodes were great, albeit a bit short. I don’t know what all the bros are complaining about, because all of it made sense to me so far.

High School Musical: The Musical: The Series (Season 3)

Well, well, well … I’m glad the cat’s finally out of the bag. If we had dragged this Maddox/Jet-secret out for much longer, it would have not been great. So looking forward to what happens next, because Jet’s song was great.

Star Trek: Lower Decks (Season 3)

So happy to have my chaotic team back! That’s what you get for not believing in Starfleet though, Beckett.

Good Trouble (Season 4)

This was the most jealous I have seen Dennis ever and it makes me mad, because it was so obvious that as soon as Davia would move on, he’d be back to pining.

Roswell, New Mexico (Season 4)

My girl Heather Hemmens directed the last episode and she did a great job, even if that meant no Maria on screen. They can’t do that to Malex though, can they?

MOVIES

As always, don’t forget to add me on Letterboxd if you want to be up to date on all my movie experiences! 

I rewatched Top Gun: Maverick. Still love that movie!

Did you watch anything I’ve watched? Let’s talk about that!

Kat’s Weekly TV & Movie Recap #31

Kat Impossible14 Comments

It’s been an adjustment to return to work this week, so my mind has been all over the place. Before you go looking for it in the list, I have not yet started She-Hulk, but I will definitely watch it! For now, let’s check out what I’ve been able to binge and view this week.

FINISHED TV SHOWS/SEASONS

The Sandman: Dream of a Thousand Cats/Calliope (Bonus Episodes)

This was a nice surprise! Seen as I still can’t stop thinking about this The Sandman two weeks after its initial release, just dropping bonus content was a genius move. It did feel a little bit like “ooops, we did some extra work, but had no idea how to fit it into the season narratively”, but I’m not mad at it.

Dream of a Thousand Cats didn’t have my favorite animation style, but kudos for getting some great voice actors to chime in.

Calliope on the other hand? That one hit all the right marks with me. It combines my love for stories about the publishing industry, mythology and more Morpheus backstory. I get why it wouldn’t have made sense to include it in the actual season, but I’m happy they shared it regardless.

WEEKLY TV SHOWS

High School Musical: The Musical: The Series (Season 3)

Not Carlos thinking Maddox has a crush on Jet. They need to not keep it a secret that they’re related. Also, EJ is manipulating his own relationship at this point and has no one to blame but himself if this goes awry.

Good Trouble (Season 4)

You all know that Davia is my favorite, so this was a great episode for me. I’m glad the FCGs are standing up for their beliefs, even if it has economic repercussions for now. They’ll figure it out. Lastly, for a second there, I thought Isabella was going to kiss Dennis and I was gonna flip.

Roswell, New Mexico (Season 4)

Still no Alex. A lot of this season is disappointing.

MOVIES

As always, don’t forget to add me on Letterboxd if you want to be up to date on all my movie experiences! 

Look Both Ways

Look Both Ways was such a cute movie. I was worried they were going to mess it up by declaring one of the life paths to be the better one, but they did no such thing. She lived different lives, different paths, but both were valid and equal. I think I can see myself rewatching this one at some point in the future. Also, everyone on the cast is hot. It’s just facts.

Jurassic World Dominion

Someone really should have told me Mamoudou Athie was in this movie, because I would have watched it much, much sooner. He’s one of my favorite actors and it was a nice surprise to see him here. The movie overall was alright. I didn’t have super high expectations, but it was an okay conclusion. It’s not that I didn’t enjoy it, it just felt so much less focused than the last one, which I really enjoyed.

Secret Headquarters

Walker Scobell is going places! The Adam Project Secret Headquarters, … he just delivers really fun performances and I cannot wait to see him in the new Percy Jackson series. I know he seems like a little Ryan Reynolds, but what’s wrong with that? It’s great to have kid actors with such great comedic timing. Also, the other young actors were great too, not trying to dismiss them either!

Did you watch anything I’ve watched? Let’s talk about that!

Kat’s Weekly TV & Movie Recap #30

Kat Impossible18 Comments

I’ve been really busy this week, doing as much with my family and friends and for myself as I can before returning back to work next Tuesday. But don’t let that fool you, I definitely still had time to get some shows and movies in. Check it out!

FINISHED TV SHOWS/SEASONS

Locke & Key (Season 3/Final Season)

As far as final seasons go, Locke & Key was underwhelming while still offering a good conclusion. I don’t really have actual proof, but I feel like they weren’t really able to get all the actors back. While it made sense for a lot of the characters not to reappear, I expected someone like e.g. Lucas to have a part and definitely also missed the presence of Griffin Gluck.

This could very much just be a me thing, but even though there was an overarching plot, I thought that a lot of elements were unnecessarily dragged out and could have probably been resolved in way less time, but they just couldn’t get into more or didn’t have more story prepared.

Anyway, Locke & Key ultimately ended on a satisfying note for the Locke family, while leaving that door open, should anyone ever want to continue the show after all.

Never Have I Ever (Season 3)

For some reason I thought this was going to be the final season of Never Have I Ever, but there is still one more coming and I’m glad for it. This show really found its footing and has matured over time. It’s not just Devi who has grown, but all her friends and family members as well and therefore also their relationships with Devi. I cried during about 4 episodes and think this was truly my favorite season yet.

While I don’t think Devi needs all those romantic prospects, I loved how balanced this season was. The way her interactions with Paxton, Ben and others have matured alongside her was actually really beautiful. The true love story of the show is between Devi and her mom though and that is the absolute best. Could you have seen us here at the beginning of season 1? I sure wouldn’t have.

WEEKLY TV SHOWS

High School Musical: The Musical: The Series (Season 3)

They’re pushing for Gina and Ricky and I get why, but … I’m just not sure I personally need it. Definitely did NOT see the twist about Jet and Maddox coming though, that’s some good stuff!

Good Trouble (Season 4)

Davia is a great teacher, but dang … those lines are gonna blur hard in a couple episodes. Asher definitely has a thing for her and if that is pursued, it might get weird. She’s already becoming a sort of mom-substitute. And Dennis? He’s getting really serious with Ryan and I didn’t expect them to really go that hard on this relationship. We rarely ever see them hang out, they were just suddenly a couple.

Roswell, New Mexico (Season 4)

Liz as a cowboy? Not gonna lie, that was dope.

MOVIES

As always, don’t forget to add me on Letterboxd if you want to be up to date on all my movie experiences! 

Not Okay

I’m not exaggerating when I say that I had to restart Not Okay about 5 times before I was able to finish it. Danni was one of the most difficult characters for me to watch, because she was selfish, had zero empathy and was ignorant in all the worse ways. The way she dug her own grave was so uncomfortable to witness and you, as the viewer, knew this was going to go so bad. It was just painful, but the sad thing is, it didn’t feel completely unrealistic? Rather the opposite and ultimately I thought it was worth watching until the end.
I’m pretty sure I wanted to see the movie because of Zoey Deutch and Dylan O’Brien, but Mia Isaac is the real standout. Her performance is real and vulnerable. She’s having a roll this year as I already loved her in Don’t Make Me Go. Mia Isaac is going places, I’m telling you!

Did you watch anything I’ve watched? Let’s talk about that!

Kat’s Weekly TV & Movie Recap #29

Kat Impossible24 Comments

I know, I know – I said that I’d post this feature on Thursdays or Fridays, but I really wanted to finish a show yesterday and just didn’t have the time. Also, I wanted to review Carrie Soto Is Back right away (check it out here), because I was so hyped after getting approved for the ARC. But now on to today’s topics, let’s check out what I watched!

FINISHED TV SHOWS/SEASONS

The Sandman (Season 1)

The Sandman adaptation is fantastic! I never read the comics, but I did listen to the audiobook/audioplay and this was such a faithful yet refreshing take on the story. There were scenes that were only described to me previously and somehow they managed to translate it to the screen EXACTLY how I had pictured it.

The casting was divine, the tension incredible, the atmosphere and vibes impeccable. I binged it in one go, which was obviously way too much, but I needed to see how they would picture things next. My favorite part of the season was probably episode 6 “The Sound of Her Wings”. For one, that was one of my favorite chapters in the audiobook as well and secondly, Kirby Howell-Bapitste was perfect as Death. While I understand a lot of people wanting a Johanna Constantine spin-off with Jenna Coleman, I just hope to see more of Kirby. I love her.

Kirby Howell-Baptiste as Death in the show "The Sandman". A black woman looking just off camera, with natural shoulder-length hair and a black tanktop on in front of a green blurry background, suggesting she is outdoors.
credit: Netflix

WEEKLY TV SHOWS

High School Musical: The Musical: The Series (Season 3)

Gina was my favorite since season 1, so I love to see her be more of a main focus this season. I don’t necessarily need any tension between her and Ricky anymore at this point, but we’ll see what they do with that.

Good Trouble (Season 4)

The wedding was so lovely! I can’t believe Isabella’s parents would seriously send the police for her. I realize she damaged their property, but they are trying to blackmail her into giving up her baby for adoption. WTF?
As for Dennis and Davia … ugh … they are so annoying. Can they just be on the same page for once and communicate properly? Dennis can’t read Davia’s thoughts and he’s 100% lying to himself if he says they’re *just* friends.

Roswell, New Mexico (Season 4)

This season doesn’t hit the same for me, but it’s the final one, so I’m sticking with it.

MOVIES

As always, don’t forget to add me on Letterboxd if you want to be up to date on all my movie experiences! 

Honor Society

This movie actually surprised me, which is not super easy to do! Honor Society seemed like the typical formulaic teen movie one would expect, and while it was exactly that in part, it actually had a great twist! Honor set out to do some really evil stuff and was lucky that most of it turned out in the favor of the people she was trying to manipulate, but I still loved the messaging of it all. It’s truly about the friends we make along the way.

Wedding Season

Netflix is really hit or miss with their romance movies, but this was a definite hit for me! The leads had great chemistry in Wedding Season and were fun to root for. None of the scenes felt too drawn out, even if we watched them dance together like a dozen times. It was just really fun to witness their love story – fake dating to real dating is a top tier trope!

Purple Hearts

Purple Hearts is military propaganda! There’s no other way to say it and I completely understand people being shocked at some of the dialogue that actually made it into the movie. I watched it because I like Sofia Carson and the marriage of convenience trope, but it was hard to overlook all the pro-military bits. I also didn’t understand the consequences to their full extent in the end.

Anyway, if you can somehow overlook certain parts, it’s an okay movie that will pass the time nicely.

Did you watch anything I’ve watched? Let’s talk about that!