The Queen's Gambit - a Netflix miniseries review

by Alison DeLuca

I'm still on the eternal quest last week for entertainment that doesn't involve travel or crowds. Flicking through the new arrivals on Netflix, I noticed The Queen's Gambit but didn't pay much attention.

Quarantine Marathon

by Alison DeLuca

My sincerest hopes that you and your families are safe and well.

Quarantine has been interesting, to say the least. It's like being in a cocoon, and perhaps that has become the time for people to reveal themselves. Have you grown wings by learning how to cook a great curry or brushing up on those sewing-machine basics?

Summer Date Nights with my Husband

by Alison DeLuca

Raising children takes a lot of energy. Just the logistics of getting the kid to practice, to school, and to the dinner table is exhausting.

Dumplin’ Movie Tie-in Edition by Julie Murphy ~ a Review

by Susan Roberts

I don't read much YA literature but made an exception with this one because I want to watch the Netflix movie made from the book. I was very pleasantly surprised with the book -- it was told from a YA perspective but was a story for any age -- be proud of who you are and live your life to the fullest.

Bird Box: A Netflix Film Review #MondayBlogs

by Alison DeLuca

Two summers ago I wrote a column about Bird Box, the book that exploded on Netflix as a film. (If you missed my original post, read it here. It includes a recipe for a Caesar Salad bar, which you really need in your life.)

Back to the Past - Stranger Things 2

by Alison DeLuca

Stranger Things 2

I reviewed Stranger Thingswhen the series first appeared on Netflix and took over the summer. It was an homage to Stephen King, E.T, Star Wars - all things 'Eighties.

The miniseries took over my life for the next few days as I marathoned it with my daughter. We grew thought of the characters as old friends. Both of us loved Eleven, the girl who appeared from nowhere when a government facility had a massive accident.

Both of us also loved Dustin, the boy with a lisp due to his cleidocranial displasia. We loved Mike, we adored Nancy, and we shouted at the TV during what happened to Barb.

Eleven sees the Upside Down.

I was sucked in by the science fiction (Eleven's psychokenesis, the Demogorgon, a parallel universe known as the 'Upside Down'.) My daughter and her friends couldn't get enough of the relationships: Mike and Eleven! Nancy and Steve! Hopper and Joyce!

And, when the first season was done, we realized we had to wait an entire year for the next one.

Stranger Things 2 arrived in October, complete with all the excitement and incredible characters we became addicted to the first time around. Nine more brand-new episodes were in the queue, and of course we sat down to watch.

(Mom's Note: It was really hard to wait for my kid to get home the first day so we could see them together. I hope you appreciate my excellent parenting skills.)

The second season has just as much retro excitement and eerie fun as the first. There's no question of the timestamp, between the 80's fashions, boys with mullets, and Reagan / Bush signs on the front lawns.

Mullets! 

A year has passed in the show's timeline as well as in real life. The characters return, and there are plenty more adventures and mysteries.

And, yes, there's another concept like the Christmas lights, also set in Joyce's long-suffering house.

I have to say the second season isn't quite as successful as the first. It makes sense: origin stories are always gripping, and a few of the new plot arcs just didn't work as well for me. For example (SPOILER ALERT) the story of what happens to Eleven and another girl called 008 was, in my daughter's opinion, too over the top - and I agree.

Perhaps it was because that section left the hometown of Hawkins and went on a voyage. Another storyline around Nancy and Johnathon, also out of the Hawkins' boundary lines, wasn't as interesting as it should have been. In fact, I found their journey was incomprehensible.

However, the series is still amazing. MadMax, a new character, is an incredible addition. A kickass redhead with her own problems, my kid and I liked her from the start.

Mad Max

But what really stood out, in my opinion, was Steve Harrington, version 2.0. In the first season he was stuck-up, violent, and thoughtless. Let's just say in Stranger Things 2 he becomes the Best Babysitter Ever, and the way he wields a nailed baseball bat is quite something.

Also, his hair is practically a character in its own right. Tune in just to see how he talks about the 'Farrah Fawcett spray', if nothing else.

If you liked the first season, definitely see the second. And if you haven't seen either, run to watch them both, especially if you like the 1980's, Star Wars, and urban sci-fi / horror with character-driven twists.

Alison DeLuca is the author of several steampunk and urban fantasy books.  She was born in Arizona and has also lived in Pennsylvania, Illinois, Mexico, Ireland, and Spain.
Currently she wrestles words and laundry in New Jersey.

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Summer Splash – A Wave of #SummerBooks for the Beach, Pool, and Lake

by Alison DeLuca

photo courtesy of Pixabay

Summer means water in various forms: the lake, the pool, the beach. And of course, I’m going to need books while my husband and daughter wakeboard, skim board, surf, and waterski. Those two are athletic and love challenging themselves on the water. As for mom, not so much.

How EDNOR SCARDENS Prepared Me to Watch THE KEEPERS

by Kathleen Barker

I recently finished viewing all seven parts of the documentary film, "The Keepers" on Netflix.  Tears ran down my face as an immense well of anger overflowed.  Was is because I knew these women personally?  No.  Was it because I was a survivor of abuse?  Yes and no.

Amazon affiliate links are used in this post.

To explain that last answer, I'm going to do something that an author just doesn't do.  I'm going to review my own book, Ednor Scardens.

It all started when I went to a funeral a few years ago, and the eulogy that was delivered gave me pause because it didn't really capture the deceased.  I felt that the speaker didn't know much about her loved one's past.  Then a germ of fear took hold that my own kids didn't know many things about me before I was their mother.  So, I sat down to write down some facts as well as some anecdotes, and, before I knew it, I was typing into the night, and many more nights, as it poured out.

A story began to form, beginning with a girl in the sixth grade, who lived in a Catholic, blue-collar neighborhood, and attended Catholic school.  She gradually learns of the abuse of one of her friends by a parish priest, and then slowly realizes that she could become the next victim.  Some of the characters and material were autobiographical and some were fictitious, to provide a more cohesive story.  As Kate navigates middle school and high school, she moves through the minefield of friendship with her classmates.  Her physical maturity attracts the attention that her emotional immaturity is not equipped to deal with.  The scars slowly accumulate on her psyche.

When Kate moves past a puppy-love relationship with a boy named Gabe, and falls in love with his older brother Michael, her ghosts come out from hiding.  No one ever went to counseling in the 1960's.  No one spoke out against the Catholic Church.  You learned to stay quiet and bury it deep so you could act normal like everyone else. Until...

And the story just won't end.  So you write three more books to get it all out.

Buy Ednor Scardens at Amazon

Kathleen Barker was born and raised in Baltimore, Maryland. A graduate of Blessed Sacrament, the Institute of Notre Dame and Towson University, she spent twenty years as the much-traveled wife of a Navy pilot and has three children. While working for a Fortune 500 insurance company in New Orleans, she wrote feature and human interest articles for their magazine and received the Field Reporter of the Year award. After Hurricane Katrina, she returned to her beloved state of Maryland where she started work on "The Charm City Chronicles". All four volumes, "Ednor Scardens", "The Body War", "The Hurting Year", and "On Gabriel's Wings" are available in Amazon's Kindle store.

   

Get even more book news in your inbox by signing up for our newsletter: http://eepurl.com/mHTVL. Girl Who Reads is an Amazon advertising affiliate; a small commission is earned when purchases are made at Amazon using any Amazon links on this site. Thank you for supporting Girl Who Reads.

Streaming Fantasy: Magical Series to Marathon

by Alison DeLuca

Marathoning television shows is a relatively new concept. Remember waiting to find out what happens? Viewing parties for Picket Fences? Entire summers wondering who killed JR or what the hell Lost was about?

Many series are now designed to be watched in a few days, if not 24 hours.

Amazon has become a Marathon Master. Mozart in the Jungle (Amazon) is an award-winner, and the site's Man in the High Castle was one of the first marathon feasts.

Netflix was one of the first in the marathon stirrups, showcasing works like Orange is the New Black and Jessica Jones. The second, a tie-in from Marvel, followed the amazing Daredevil series.

I work from home, and often I'll run a marathon of a show as background while I write, clean the house, set up for dinner, or edit a project. When I have free time and can actually watch with undivided attention, I like to lose myself in a series with spectacular fantasy writing and amazing acting.

Luckily, they are easy to find.

Here's a list of great marathon fare, for those who are late to the genre. It includes channel originals like Luke Cage from Netflix as well as television offerings I would have missed if it weren't for Apple TV.

Eleven in Stranger Things

1. Stranger Things: I wrote about this series before. To date, I think it stays as the finest example of a marathon series. The characters (Eleven, Mike, and even poor Barb) were vivid, and the action was electric. If somehow you've missed this one, clear about ten hours and watch the entire series. You won't want to stop once you start.

Summary: When a young boy disappears, his friends investigate with the help of Eleven, a telekinetic girl. 

Their adventures lead to government experiments and alternate dimensions. (NETFLIX)

Influx of moths in The Kettering Incident

2. The Kettering Incident: If you like dense Scandinavian crime drama, The X-Files, and Fringe, you might enjoy this dark series from Australia.

I owe Rachel Tsoumbakos eternal gratitude for turning me onto this gem.

You do need to pay attention - in fact, I watched this twice through to pick up on the hidden clues, and I'm still mystified. Looking forward to the next season!

Summary: Anna Macy returns to Kettering years after her friend disappeared. When another girl goes missing, Anna has to try and discover what happened all those years ago. (AMAZON)

3. The Magicians: Originally from SyFy, this adaptation of Lev Grossman's novel showcases fascinating concepts, addictive magic, and an incredibly rich universe. This is a good one to stream if you have work to do - you can miss a few scenes and still keep up.

Just remember to keep this one for adults-only, since the series is like Harry Potter for college students.

Summary: Quentin's fascination with the fantasy land of Fillory gets him into the magical college called Brakebills. There he discovers Fillory is real and very dangerous. (NETFLIX, SYFY)

4. Jonathan Strange and Mr. Norrell: This BBC miniseries does a wonderful job of condensing the huge novel about magicians in 18th-century England. Watch it for incredible acting and beautiful scenery/ costumes / CGI. This little sleeper is worth your time.

Summary: Strange and Norrell struggle to right things after Mr. Norrell raises a woman from the dead. There's so much more - including a lovely romance between husband and wife, as well as the POV of an African character who might be one of my favorite people ever. (NETFLIX)

Alison DeLuca is the author of several steampunk and urban fantasy books.  She was born in Arizona and has also lived in Pennsylvania, Illinois, Mexico, Ireland, and Spain.
 Currently she wrestles words and laundry in New Jersey.

Get even more book news in your inbox by signing up for our newsletter: http://eepurl.com/mHTVL. Girl Who Reads is an Amazon advertising affiliate; a small commission is earned when purchases are made at Amazon using any Amazon links on this site. Thank you for supporting Girl Who Reads.

Streaming on Netflix by @AlisonDeLuca

The beginning of the month brings chores, bills – and a rotating selection of Netflix movies. There are a few I queued up, including The Interview, Silver Linings Playbook, and Snowpiercer.

Let’s start with the last one. I actually rented Snowpiercer because, hey, Chris Evans, and it blew up on Tumblr over the summer. If I had gone in with the mindset that it was a political allegory with heavy social commentary I probably would have enjoyed it more. Instead I expected a well-written sci-fi/fantasy, and Snow was far too heavy for that. Tilda Swinton is one of my favorite actresses, and she was incredible in her demeaning part, the Maggie Thatcher representative who gets her ill-fitting false teeth taken away and is forced to wear a shoe on her head. 

Does Tilda’s character deserve it? Well, yes. Still, Snowpiercer didn’t capture my imagination the way I thought it would, although now I’ve read some articles about the film I see some redeeming qualities. If you don’t mind studying a bit to understand the theme of the movie, give Snowpiercer a try.

Next up was The Interview. Famous for causing a North Korean meltdown with resulting embarrassment for Sony and the company’s CEO, this movie had perhaps the greatest accidental publicity campaign ever. And, like most accidents, its star status was finished in days. Still, I thought I’d have a look at it to see what ‘all the fuss was about.'

The result is, as I expected, Not Really Worth It At All. If Kim Jung Un had ignored the film and gone on about his business, the movie would have died a natural death. Those of you who like James Franco (which I do) you will enjoy his over-the-top interviewer portrayal. You may get annoyed, as I did, by the continued Hollywood portrayal of Asian women as slinky beauties just dying to sleep with Americans. I’m talking to you, Sony - Diana Bang deserves a much more subtle role than the pretty Korean who falls for the dude from the US.

However, I really enjoyed Randall Park as Kim Jung Un. It takes a damn clever actor to make the dictator at all sympathetic, which the script calls for in the beginning. Randall delivers nicely, and I’m going to check him out in the upcoming Off the Boat series to get more of his acting.

Both of these pale in comparison to the luminous Silver Linings Playbook and, yes, its still free on Netflix if you have a streaming account. I found myself sucked into the story with its unreliable MC – Pat - and the unreliable woman he meets, Tiffany. Jennifer Lawrence plays her to perfection, all determination with an undercurrent of fragility. I haven’t always been a JLaw fan, but she won me over with this performance. 

As for Robert DeNiro as the seemingly put-upon dad who’s just as (or even more) out of it than his son, I was blown away. Let’s not forget Jacki Weaver offering Crabby Snacks and Homemades, I loved her worried, hopeful face. And Chris Tucker offers incredible, sexy madness.

Now for my Netflix marathoners - don’t forget the next season of House of Cards coming up at the end of the month. Queue your iced coffee, Junior mints, and popcorn (or baked kale snacks for those of you trying to be healthy.) I have a few shows in my list to be marathoned – like Bomb Girls – so maybe we can have a Netflix weekend together and fangirl over The 100 and Scandal. 

Until then, watch The Interview with a few beverages and some silly friends, save Snowpiercer for when you’re in a really good mood, and stream Playbook anytime. That movie is, according to one of my friends, the kind to suck you in no matter how many times you watch it.

About the author

Alison is the author of several steampunk and urban fantasy books.  She was born in Arizona and has also lived in Pennsylvania, Illinois, Mexico, Ireland, and Spain. Currently she wrestles words and laundry in New Jersey. 

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Related articles

• Silver Linings Playbook (review) (everything2.com)
• Tilda Swinton: the art of the everyday (dazeddigital.com)