Reviews
A week ago, I reached over to pick up an empty backpack after a night sleeping on a cot. A moment later, I was spitting swear words through my teeth as the muscles in my back felt like they were attempting to change places with each other.
In that week, I have spent more time not moving than I have spent in the whole rest of this year. So, just because nobody asked for them, here are my reviews of all the things Iāve watched, read, and done while unable to do just about anything else:
Books:
Star Wars Books:
Last Stars - Way good. Itās essentially a love story with space ships blowing up and stuff, following childhood BFFs that eventually love each other and then fight on different sides of the war.
Blood Line - The best Star Wars book I read. Just well written with characters that were easy to care about and some really thoughtfully done critique of polarized political debates as well as the idolization of horrific pasts.
Aftermath Trilogy - Yes, all three of them. Ā These were good. It felt a little like a Clive Custler novel or something like that. A group of scoundrels with good in their hearts traveling around and punching people in the face who suck at stuff. By the third, it is legitimately messed up and digs more into loyalty vs. fanaticism. One time, just one, thereās a side chapter that stars Jar Jar Binks. It is the most obnoxious thing that has ever happened.
Other Books:
American Street (by Ibo Ziboi) - This book was beautiful, just gorgeously well written with masterfully drawn characters. This was the best book I read, probably the best book Iāve read since The Children of Blood and Bone.
How Schools Work (by Arne Duncan) - Ā I have thoughts. Iām writing a whole piece about it.
TV and Movies:
Mindhunter - Ā FBI guys interview serial killer guys. Super good.
Extinction - Aliens blow everything up. Dude shoots his way out. Awful. Just, really freaking awful.Ā
The Signal - Idiots follow a signal, end up trapped and there are aliens and everything is crazy. Ā Pretty good. Way better than Extinction, which was awful.
Comedians In Cars Getting Coffee - I watched just about all of them. Often, while watching, I would say to myself, āwell, this is delightful.ā
Youtubers (generally listened to from the iPad across the room that my daughter was holding, or on as background on the TV while she was drawing). In the Venn Diagram of āYoutubersā and āPeople who are not the worstā the circles do not touch. I hate Youtubers. Iām worried that they are in her head too much, but also, itās not like we can go for a walk. Ok. I kinda like The Odd 1s Out.
Other Random Stuff:
Pokemon Go - Less fun when you canāt walk.
SocializingĀ - Ā I did not do this.
Social Media - Depending on my mood in the exact second, it was either great and helped me feel connected and stuff, or just sucked and I hated everything. So⦠my experience with social media did not change in the slightest.
Muscle Relaxers - Yes.
Racism - I spent a lot of time online, and my god. White people are super super pissed right now, and they canāt be quiet about it. They are shouting, sometimes in the same posts, that we all need to ignore Race and they just donāt see it and also that they are really upset when people of color are doing well. Or they are talking about Democrats ābuyingā the votes of Black people through Welfare. Whether itās the comments sections, twitter, or the actual, real world, everyoneās racist uncles took the summer off and wonāt shut up. Iām hoping this is a ādead cat bounceā sort of thing, the last gasps of a dying way of thinking.Ā
My Daughterās Art - Sheās been drawing and doing stuff all summer, and sheās getting super super good. Every time she finishes a piece and shows it to me, Iām blown away. I remember, before she was born, thinking about the fact that at some point there would be this new human that would make things that had never existed before, that would have original ideas and stuff. Now, on her way to turning 8, sheās doing it, and itās the most beautiful thing. She even started an Instagram, @junipermysticvlogs_art . Ā She will draw pictures of your cat for a small fee.
Back Pain - Iāve given this one a lot of thought. Ā Sure, this week has forced me to slow down in a way that I am generally terrible at doing, to the point that I sometimes just went and laid down on my porch without a book, phone, or computer, and just listened to whatever was happening in the world. Ā Still, in the end, Iām going to have to give back pain a big thumbs down.














