Thought Corner: What I've Been Watching

 

It’s already April, so I thought it was time to talk about some of the shows and movies I’ve been watching in the first part of 2022. 

• Encanto

I finally saw Encanto. This movie was fantastic, and the music was great. I could go on and on about the characters and the themes, but this film is so fun to watch. And if you haven’t seen it, I don’t want to accidently spoil it.

• Erax (Netflix short film)

Erax is a short supernatural/horror film about a girl, her aunt, and a magical book. Given how short this was (at just 15 minutes long), I was interested to see what they would do with the concept under such constraints. The Erax were suitable troublemakers who posed somewhat of a threat. There was a race-against-time component, which kicked the tension up a notch as the proverbial ticking-clock rushed toward its end time. I liked the casting choices, as well as the monster design.

• Abbot Elementary

What can I even say about Abbott Elementary that hasn’t already been said? It’s such a great and enjoyable series. It’s funny too, and there’s always a moment in every episode that makes me laugh.

• The Matrix (1999)

After so many years, I finally rewatched The Matrix. I can’t believe I forgot how good the movie was. But there’s something about some classic sci-fi films (like E.T., Logan’s Run, and the original Star Wars trilogy) that makes rewatching them appealing. There’s always some detail that I missed during my initial viewing that I noticed the second time around.

• The Adam Project (Netflix)

Next, I checked out one of Netflix’s new films: The Adam Project. I like fun sci-fi films, and The Adam Project falls into that category. There’s a lot of future tech, flashy action scenes, and a hefty dose of time travel combined with endearing characters and a dash of topics such as bullying, growing up, and unexpected change. It was a race against time (literally), as well as the kind of story that featured a cat-and-mouse type chase. It was both heartwarming and an exciting action flick.

• The Cuphead Show! (Netflix)

One of my most anticipated animated shows of the year was Netflix’s adaptation of the 2017 game, Cuphead. This show was delightful. I’m glad they kept the look of the game, while adapting the location, some of the story, and the characters for the series. The episodes were on the shorter side and episodic in nature with some overarching plot points, which reminded me of old cartoons. I really enjoyed how stylistic it was, as well as the performances by the voice actors. I’m looking forward to the next season.

What shows or movies have you recently watched? If you have any recommendations, leave them in the comments. 

Witchlings by Claribel A. Ortega

Title: Witchlings
Series: n/a
Author: Claribel A. Ortega 
Source/Format: Publisher; ARC
More Details: Fantasy; Middle Grade
Publisher/Publication Date: Scholastic Press; April 5, 2022 

Goodreads     Amazon     Barnes & Noble   

Synopsis from Goodreads...

A magical adventure for fans of Amari and the Night Brothers and Nevermoor, about three witchlings who must work together to do the impossible if they have any hope of earning their full powers...

Every year, in the magical town of Ravenskill, Witchlings who participate in the Black Moon Ceremony are placed into covens and come into their powers as full-fledged witches. And twelve-year-old Seven Salazar can't wait to be placed in the most powerful coven with her best friend! But on the night of the ceremony, in front of the entire town, Seven isn't placed in one of the five covens. She's a Spare! Spare covens have fewer witches, are less powerful, and are looked down on by everyone. Even worse, when Seven and the other two Spares perform the magic circle to seal their coven and cement themselves as sisters, it doesn't work! They're stuck as Witchlings—and will never be able to perform powerful magic. Seven invokes her only option: the impossible task. The three Spares will be assigned an impossible task: If they work together and succeed at it, their coven will be sealed and they'll gain their full powers. If they fail... Well, the last coven to make the attempt ended up being turned into toads. Forever. But maybe friendship can be the most powerful magic of all…

I read Ortega’s previous book, Ghost Squad, which was one of my favorite horror MG stories of 2020. So Witchlings was one of my most anticipated books of this year.

Overall, I liked Witchlings. It was overflowing with magic, and the themes and ultimate messaging explored in the story were topical.

The characters—Seven, Valley, and Thorn—were great. They were stuck in a situation that wasn’t the best: Spares whose coven wasn’t sealed, and given a task that truly seemed impossible to accomplish in such a short amount of time. There was a lot going on, but I appreciated the hopeful tone of the story, as well as the determination and friendship displayed by the characters. The bonds were hard earned, and I liked Seven’s decision to do the right thing, even though it was tough.

As the story progressed, and the revelations began to take shape, the situation wasn’t as simple as it was originally presented. And the characters had to learn to work together, or they risked failure in a situation where an error could cost them their lives. There was a little bit of horror to the story too, especially the aspects that concerned the Nightbeast. But the threat came from not only the creature but from other witches as well. The treatment of Spares was truly abominable, and it illustrated the rampant inequality in Ravenskill.

All that to say: I liked Witchlings.

About the author....

CLARIBEL A. ORTEGA is a former reporter who writes middle-grade and young adult fantasy inspired by her Dominican heritage. When she's not busy turning her obsession with eighties pop culture, magic, and video games into books, she’s co-hosting her podcasts Celebrity Book Club and Write or Die. Claribel has been featured on Buzzfeed, Bustle, Good Morning America and Deadline. ​Claribel’s debut middle grade novel GHOST SQUAD is out now from Scholastic and is being made into a feature film. Her forthcoming books include Witchlings (Scholastic) and the graphic novel Frizzy (First Second.)

Goodreads     Website     Twitter     Instagram

Disclaimer: this copy of the book was provided by the publisher (Scholastic Press) in exchange for an honest review, thank you! 

Music Monday (194): Charli XCX, Lecrae, Tori Kelly, Soul Central

Rules:

• Music Monday is a weekly meme hosted by Lauren Stoolfire at Always Me that asks you to share one or two songs that you've recently enjoyed. For the rules, visit the page HERE 

Breana: I wanted to share another one of my favorite songs from CRASH. Constant Repeat is so good. The whole album is a vibe, and I've had it on repeat. 

Adri: I'm currently listening to In-Ten-City by Soul Central. I  didn't realize that there was an instrumental version.

Andrea: Hi all! This week I'm listening to I'll Find You by Lecrae featuring Tori Kelly. Have an amazing week!

What are you listening to this week?

Quarterly Recap: January-March

 

It’s already April, so it’s time for the first quarterly recap of the year. As always, I’m starting with reviews. 

January Reviews:

• Crimes and Covers by Amanda Flower
• Daughter of the Moon Goddess by Sue Lynn Tan
• The Appeal by Janice Hallett

February Reviews:

• Washington Square by Henry James
• Daughters of Chivalry by Kelcey Wilson-Lee

March Reviews:

• All the Horses of Iceland by Sarah Tolmie
• A Thousand Steps Into Night by Tracie Chee
• A Journey to the Center of the Earth by Jules Verne

Other January Posts:

• I Listened to Pop?, Rap?, and R&B? by Tierra Whack
• Happy New Year! It's 2022!
• I'm Back
• Most Anticipated Books & Music of 2022

Other February Posts:

• Short Stories I Read in January
• I Listened to Caprisongs by FKA Twigs
• I Listened to The Gods We Can Touch by Aurora 

Other March Posts:

• Short Stories I Read in February
• Upcoming Music I'm Waiting For (Part 2)
• I Listened to Motordrome by MØ

Looking ahead, I’m probably going to reread The Cruel Prince sometime in the next three months. It’s one of my blogging goals to finally finish that series. It’s been a while since I read it, and I want to refresh my memory of how the trilogy starts before I move on to The Wicked King and The Queen of Nothing. I also want to read The Purgatorio, the second part of The Divine Comedy.

Some upcoming reviews in May and June include Melissa Albert’s next young adult novel, Our Crooked Heats, as well as Shadow Grave by Marina Cohen, and Monsters in the Mist by Juliana Brandt.

Short Stories I Read In February

It’s the twenty-ninth of March. So it’s time to talk about the short stories, miscellaneous posts, and podcast episodes I read or listened to in February.

My Double, My Brother by Averi Kurth (Strange Horizons; Issue: 24 January 2022)

To start this month, I read some poetry over on Strange Horizons. One of my favorites from the bunch was My Double, My Brother by Averi Kurth. I liked the way it was written, as well as the way Kurth handled the theme.

Sestina For A friend Misplaced and Recovered by Katy Bond (Strange Horizons; Issue: 24 January 2022)

This was another good piece of poetry. I really liked what Bond did with it. It was lyrical and emotive, and a treat from beginning to end.

Gentle Dragon Fires by T.K. Rex and Lezlie Kinyon (Strange Horizons; Issue: 17 January 2022)

And finally, the short story I read on Strange Horizons was Gentle Dragon Fires. This story was excellent. The writing had me from the first sentence, and the narrator, Let, was one of my favorite aspects about the story besides the fantastical elements. In a lot of ways, the story felt close and personal, emphasizing things that are forgotten—knowledge, memories, traditions, and etc. that fall through the cracks—it was the changing times and the cost of modernization and the consequences of greed that painted the smoky imagery of Gentle Dragon Fires.

From Around the Web...

• Our Opinions Are Correct Episode #100: Journalist Superheroes
• Book Review: She Who Became the Sun by Shelly Parker-Chan (Aigner Loren Wilson; Lightspeed Magazine, Issue 141: February 2022)