Blue Beetle Movie Review

Superhero shows are everywhere. They are inescapable. There are always shows based on Batman, Spiderman, Avengers, Justice League, etc.,. Then, last week, another one arrived in the form of the Blue Beetle – a superhero that I’ve never heard of until I started seeing the previews for this year’s flick Blue Beetle directed by Angel Manuel Soto. Now that I’ve watched that film, I can say that I’m glad that I did because even though it doesn’t reinvent the wheel, it certainly stands out from other superhero movies with its emphasis on heritage and family.

Blue Beetle is about Jaime (pronounced Hi-may) Reyes (played by Xolo Maridueña) and how he becomes the titular superhero. An alien scarab chooses the recent college graduate to be its symbiotic host, providing him with a suit of armor that’s capable of extraordinary and unpredictable powers. This forever changes his destiny.

Like I said before, I never heard of Blue Beetle until this film came out this year. I did some research, and it turns out that Jaime is the third person to have done the suit since the character first appeared in the DC Universe in 1939. The other two are Dan Garrett and Ted Kord, whose suits actually appear in the flick while Jaime, Jenny (Ted’s daughter and played by Bruna Marquezine), and Uncle Rudy (played by George Lopez) explore Ted’s lab. This is a nice and clever way to acknowledge the Blue Beetles who came before the current one.

The flick itself is not particularly innovative, which is not necessarily a bad thing in this case. While watching it, I noticed that it took elements from other superheroes films from the last 5-10 years. There always has to be romance even if it’s not all that necessary. In this film, it’s between Jaime and Jenny. The latter’s aunt (played by Susan Sarandon) runs Kord Industries and is the main antagonist, but Jenny wants nothing to do with the company, especially ever since her father’s disappearance. I get her involvement since she is the reason why the scarab gets into Jaime’s hands, but I don’t know if the romance was all that necessary. They could’ve developed a friendship based on justice and family. The sibling relationship between Jamie and his younger sister Milagro (played by Belissa Escobedo) is very reminiscent of that between T’Challa and his sister Shuri in the first Black Panther movie, mainly how annoying, blunt, smart, and loving the women are. It was still entertaining to see the siblings interact, especially when they are on the rooftop. 

There are also tropes that are present in the film that audiences have definitely seen before. For example, there’s a scene between Jaime and his recently deceased father Alberto (played by Damián Alcázar), in which the latter convinces the former that it’s not his time while the superhero is on the brink of death. I’m sure there are many people who have watched similar scenes in other flicks like Black Panther. In another example, the grandma Nana (played by Adriana Barraza) is a sweet old lady, but with a colorful past. The latter comes out when the family comes to rescue Jaime from the villains. Again, people have seen this before, but I enjoyed how Adriana fully commits to the part, especially when she yells, “Down with the Imperialists!” in Spanish.

 Despite not being reinventive, Blue Beetle still has many things going for it: the Latine heritage and family. This film marks the first time that a Latino superhero has been depicted on screen, which Soto doesn’t take lightly. The Latine experience is depicted in multiple ways in the flick. This ranges from the poor, but colorful neighborhood, in which the Reyes reside in, to the acknowledgement of systematic racism that Jaime and Milagro endure even though he has a college degree. My favorite is the soundtrack, which features plenty of Latine-inspired songs including “Tú Serás Mi Baby” – Spanish version of “Be My Baby” – by Juvented Crasa, which plays during a party thrown by the evil corporation Kord Industries with Latine waiters.

The strongest element that the movie has going is the theme of family. Jamie’s means everything to him even if they drive him up the wall. Also, they may or may not inadvertently had a hand in the scarab choosing him. Besides that, what makes this work is the chemistry among the cast. They are insanely believable as a family because of how comfortable they are around each other, and the best scenes involve them in some form. In addition, there’s a villain named Carapax (played by Raoul Max Trujillo) who taunts Jaime by saying that family makes him weak. Later, Jaime discovers Carapax’s backstory, which involves his own kin and how he was abducted into war. This gives him understanding as well as the courage to say to the antagonist that family is what makes him strong and not to kill him. In addition, one of the first shots of the movie is of the necklace containing a photo that Carapax wears. It’s later revealed that the picture is of his own family.

Because this is a superhero film, I have to talk about the performances. Xolo Maridueña, who is best known for his television work in Parenthood and Cobra Kai, is fine as the titular character. He has some charm and works best with the actors who play his family as well as in scenes where Jaime is struggling with his powers. If Blue Beetle gets a sequel, I would like to see him grow into the suit, uh I mean character. The standout performer of the movie is George Lopez, who plays the anarchist eccentric Uncle Rudy aka the Mexican Doc Brown. He infuses Rudy with elements from his standup comedy and surprisingly with a lot of heart. Also, I dig his long beard; it really suits the character.

All in all, while Blue Beetle may not be the most original superhero flick, it stands out in all the right places. Since it’s the first movie with a Latino superhero, the film embraces its Latine heritage in every way. It’s also at its most powerful when family is involved. It uses a lot of tropes from other movies, yet it executes them in a delightful way. I would recommend this movie to those who love superheroes, DC Comics, and flicks with a Latine lead and themes about family. I went into watching this film knowing nothing about Blue Beetle himself, but that didn’t stop me from enjoying it.

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Barbie Movie Review

July 21st, 2023 will no doubt go down as one of the most important dates in cinema history. Not only were two of the most highly anticipated movies of the year released, but also they were critical and commercial successes. One was Oppenheimer, and the other was Barbie. The latter directed by Greta Gerwig is a campy and honest look at the iconic doll and her complicated legacy.

Barbie follows the titular character (played by Margot Robbie) and her kinda boyfriend Ken (played by Ryan Gosling) as they go on a journey of self-discovery after she has an existential crisis.  

One of the things that I’ve noticed and that not many people have talked about is how the film has the same vibe of a Golden Age movie musical. It’s campy in how colorful it is and fully committed to its premise, no matter how self-aware it is. The sets in Barbieland are designed like Barbie’s dream homes. Even the title character has a water slide. On top of that, they are actual physical sets and not computer generated. They look so fake in the best way possible. Even the waves at the beach are fake, which makes the scene in which Ken tries to surf funnier. This is only one way that the people who worked on this flick demonstrated their love and understanding of the concept.

This self awareness is also extended to the music and the performances. “Pink” by Lizzo starts off the movie as Barbie wakes up and goes about her morning in the most imaginary-like ways. Its lyrics describe how pink, perfect, and fabulous the titular doll is (yes, I am aware of the sexual harassment allegations that Lizzo is currently facing, but she is the perfect artist to say those things about Barbie), and it’s accompanied by shots of Barbie doing the things that the song lists. That and its pessimistic version “Pink (Bad Day)” almost have a literal video vibe. For those who don’t know, those were ones in which people would change the lyrics to various tunes in order to describe what’s going on in the music video. Along with the homage to “2001: A Space Odyssey,” this perfectly sets the campy tone of the movie.

Also, I loved how the movie uses the wonderful “Levitating” knockoff “Dance the Night” by Dua Lipa. It plays during the choreographed dance scene (yes, the flick acknowledges this) at Barbie’s Dream House. The song talks about dancing while looking gorgeous despite going through some possible struggles. This fits Barbie’s state of mind as Margot Robbie struts around like she owns the entire place, which makes the memed line, “Do you ever think about dying?” out of place. Afterwards, Barbie brushes off that statement even though it’s clear that she is disturbed by that through Robbie’s performance.

With all of the bright and silly songs that are wonderfully performed, there is one that will definitely punch people in the gut. That ditty is the ballad “What Was I Made For?” by Billie Eilish. It comes at the climax, in which Barbie and her creator have a conversation. The former wants to know what it means to be human, so the latter shows what it’s all about. That song soundtracks the sequence, and I’m not going to lie, but I got sort of emotional. In addition, it’s all the more impactful because “What Was I Made For?” sounds differently from the other tunes.

Many of the actors did a fantastic job because they completely understood and loved the concept that Gerwig and husband Noah Baumbach wrote. Even Helen Mirren is having fun narrating the story and providing cheeky commentary on the side. But of course, I have to single out some who were the best. One of them is Margot Robbie. Robbie embodies the Barbie that everybody is familiar with for good or for worse. She is funny, for she takes herself so seriously. An example of this is when Barbie and Ken arrive in Venice Beach, she gets hit on by a lot of dudes. Some male construction workers cat-call her, which results in her explaining that those are sexual innuendos and openly declaring that she doesn’t have a vagina. Even the low point that Barbie has once Ken took over Barbieland (and naming Kendom) is hilarious and sad at the same time as she falls down and rolls over like a plastic doll (yes, I am aware that Barbie is a plastic doll). 

The other person who did an excellent job is Ryan Gosling. His Ken is someone who at first defines himself through his relationship with Barbie. Then, when he and Barbie go into the real world, he discovers that men basically rule it. As a result, he tries to get a job by telling people that he is a man. Even though that doesn’t work, he brings patriarchy to Barbieland and turns it upside down. While Ken becomes an antagonist force, viewers completely understand his intentions through Gosling’s thoughtful performance and commitment to playing a character whose main thoughts are beach, Barbie, and horses. Speaking of devotion, I have to discuss the song he sings called “I’m Just Ken.” Gosling sells that tune about being not good enough hard. He does this not only emotionally, but also vocally. When I was watching that sequence, I wondered where Gosling was when he was in La La Land – an actual movie musical. It’s almost as if he received more training as a vocalist, became more confident in his singing, or both. Either way, it’s wonderful to hear him sing while dancing and “fighting” with the other Kens.

Finally, I have to discuss the crux of Barbie: its commentary of the doll’s complicated legacy. Throughout the film, the Barbies, especially the stereotypical one, are seen as either empowering or detrimental to a girl’s or woman’s self-esteem depending on who the person is. Sasha (played by Ariana Greenblatt)  – the tween – hates Barbie because how much the latter makes women feel bad about themselves. Yet, her mom Gloria (played by America Ferrera) plays with Barbie (and thus responsible for putting thoughts about death into the doll’s head) to remind herself of better days while working as a secretary for the male-run company Mattel. This adds plenty of layers to the overall legacy. On top of that, Barbie spends the beginning of the movie not fully aware of Ken’s needs. It’s only after Ken takes over Barbieland that she realizes that she didn’t value him in a way that she should have. Hence, the movie is really commenting on how men and women should work together to make a better place and how one shouldn’t have to be defined by another. After all, Barbie says, “It’s Barbie, AND it’s Ken.”

Overall, Barbie the movie is excellent in many ways. It’s fun and campy in a way that feels like one is playing with a Barbie while watching it. It also can be serious at times, which makes the film surprisingly impactful. Although I’m sure that everybody and their mom has seen it already, I would still recommend it to anybody to watch it, especially with their mother. This flick deserves all the praise and hype it got.

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149 Books* Ranked From Worst to Best

*I know that some are adaptations, but that’s besides the point.

I can’t believe that I’m now approaching my 150th review. Additionally, I’m going to be celebrating my 5th Anniversary of reviewing novels in October, and I’ve got a something special plan for that.

Just like before, I will rate each of the 149 books that I have reviewed on this site. These are based on the ratings that I gave them on Goodreads, Letterboxd, and IMDb, but some have changed since their initial postings.

Here is the chart that I used to rate^ them:

* = Bad

** = Meh

*** = Decent

**** = Good

***** = Great

^Note: The books within each rating are only in alphabetical order.

Now, let’s begin!

*

**

***

****

*****

And there you have it! Let me what you think via Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, or email!

I plan on expanding my repertoire, for I have been writing reviews of movies with “original” screenplays. Two of them will show up this week, and they are of newly released films!

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The Book Woman of Troublesome Creek Book Review

As someone who has worked in libraries for many years, I will always get my hands on books about librarians. There are plenty of titles about this line of work, so they have to find some way to stand out from the rest. The Book Woman of Troublesome Creek by Kim Michele Richardson does just that with a story that incorporates the Blue Fugates and the real-life Pack Horse Library Project of Kentucky.

The Book Woman of Troublesome Creek is about 19-year-old Cussy Carter – the last living female of the Blue People ancestry – who lives in Kentucky. In 1936, the lonely young Appalachian woman joins the historical Pack Horse Library Project of Kentucky and becomes a librarian. She rides across slippery creek beds and up treacherous mountains with her faithful mule Junia to deliver books and other reading material to those most in need in Eastern Kentucky. To the mountain folk, Cussy is known as “Bluet.” She confronts those suspicious of her blue skin and of the unique government program. Also, she befriends a cast of colorful (no pun intended) characters. Cussy is determined to bring comfort and joy, instill literacy, and give those who have nothing something that will take them to faraway lands.

Before I get into this review, I want to say that I’m fully aware that The Giver of Stars by Jojo Moyes has similar plot elements to this one. I have read that novel, so stay tuned for a review of that in two weeks.

This book is loosely based on the Blue Fugates – a family who were known to carry a genetic trait that led to the blood disorder methemoglobinemia, causing skin to appear blue. I never knew about this family nor about the aforementioned condition. The novel briefly divulges into their medical history. When the doctor takes Cussy to Lexington, he peforms experiments on her. He then gives her a pill that turns her skin white even though it has some queasy side effects. However, it’s more focused on how Cussy deals with prejudice and how she proves she’s a worthy member of society despite the unusual skin color. Richardson provides more backstory about the Fugates and the discrimination that they likely faced in the afterword. 

I found it interesting that when Cussy takes the pill, she still gets stigmatized by the people of Troublesome Creek. I thought they would be intrigued by and more accepting of someone of color who has the ability to turn themselves white. I guess that was just Hollywood, just look at Rita Hayworth.

In the meantime, I knew about the Pack Horse Library Project of Kentucky and how the Franklin Delano Roosevelt administration set it up prior to reading this book. Not only did they allow the less fortunate to obtain books and other reading materials, but they also provided jobs for women in the area. Richardson constantly stresses how scarce the books were since a. People in Kentucky didn’t take the Works Progress Administration seriously and/or held it in disdain and b. It was the Great Depression. This adds more of Cussy’s urgency to obtain novels for her patrons like a boy who is severely malnourished. Like with the Blue Fugates, the back of the novel explains more of the history of this highly unique program, which is always necessary whenever an obscure event or organization is discussed in historical fiction.

With this background information, Richardson does a good job with incorporating them into the plot without shoehorning them. She usually does this with Cussy remembering something like how the miners negotiated in the past and previous lynchings of blue people for petty crimes while she’s in a situation where those circumstances apply. With the library stuff, Richardson shows readers the obstacles that the Pack Horse Librarians had to go through, especially the terrains they pass through and the scarcity of physical reading materials.

Since The Book Woman of Troublesome Creek deals with books, I love how it incorporates various classic titles into the story. My favorite is when the malnourished boy reads Peter Pan to his family as he sadly lays dying. I don’t need to explain the correlation, do I?

I will automatically like any main character that’s a librarian, but Cussy is more than that. She’s willing to do anything for her patrons even if that means traveling through the toughest terrain that Eastern Kentucky has to offer. And yet, she’s a gentle and empathetic soul. Some of my favorite scenes in the novel involve her kindly recommending books that they could read and use. She’s willing to defend others, but she’s not as capable of doing that for herself. The book can be a little too melodramatic in showing her struggles (ie her getting raped by her now-dead husband, attacked by his perverted priest cousin, and her clothes stripped by nuns in the Lexington hospital), but it retains the emphasis on her survival as opposed to her suffering. She’s a passive character, but she slowly realizes her own worth and gradually sets boundaries and fights for herself.

Majority of the other characters tend to be shallow, as in they are either really nice (like the patrons) or mean (like Harriet and Eula at the Library Center) to Cussy, yet they are some characters that are more in the gray matter. The sheriff doesn’t like the Fraziers because of how slimy and cruel they can be even though he’s related to them. At the same time, he’s willing to uphold the law even when the law in question feels unnecessary and outdated. Doc, as mentioned earlier, is fascinated by Cussy and her dad’s blue skin. This is to the point that he goes to their house for checkups and to ask about the skin color. At one point, the Doc and Cussy’s dad agree to have Cussy undergo some experiments. At first, his main concern was to find the cause of the pigmentation, but after he gets to know Cussy more, he defends her humanity even against a black colleague. He also stands up for Cussy when the town was up in arms against the marriage between her and Jackson – a white guy – even if his argument was just, “There’s a pill that makes Cussy turn white!”

The most interesting character outside of Cussy is her dad Elijah. He’s a sick coal miner, who wants Cussy to be taken care of. Sometimes, he doesn’t realize right away that the people he trusts mistreat Cussy in various ways. These include Cussy’s first husband and to an extent, Doc. In addition, his tactics of ensuring Cussy a better life through marriage put him at odds with his daughter who simply wants to continue working as a librarian. Through these instances, Richardson makes it clear that Elijah has good intentions, but goes about it in ways that come off as terribly old-fashioned.

The only thing that I have to nitpick is how predictable it can be. I could see various plot points from miles away. These include Cussy showing off her white skin to her co-workers and Jackson showing up to propose to her while the courting candle is burning. But then again, these are nitpicks. There are other scenes that I didn’t see coming or didn’t go the way I expected it to.

In summary, The Book Woman of Troublesome Creek by Kim Michele Richardson is a book that stands out because of its inclusion of the Blue Fugates and the Pack Horse Library Project. Even though it can be melodramatic and predictable at various points, I was emotionally invested in Cussy’s journey for acceptance and to get more books for her patrons. I would recommend this to readers who want to read stories about the Blue Fugates, prejudice, racism, the Pack Horse Library Project (like The Giver of Stars), Kentucky, and of course, librarians. I’m glad that novels like The Book Woman of Troublesome Creek appreciate libraries as much as I do.

Before I go, I want to everybody know this is my 149th review, which means the 150th one is coming up! To celebrate, I will add 50 more titles to my rankings of every title I’ve looked at next week, so keep an eye out! In case, one is not familiar with that series, take a look here.

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Late Bloomer: Finding My Authentic Self at Midlife Book Review

Full disclosure: I was given a free advance reader copy of this book by Books Forward in exchange for an honest review.

There’s always that one book that speaks to someone in such a way that it’s hard to put it into words. One simply feels that they are being seen and heard while reading it. Late Bloomer: Finding My Authentic Self at Midlife by Melissa Giberson did that for me. It’s a truly genuine memoir about a middle-aged Jewish wife and mother who realizes that she’s gay; it guarantees to make people root for her and her journey. 

Late Bloomer: Finding My Authentic Self at Midlife is the coming of age story of the author herself. Melissa is a middle-aged wife and mother who is planted in the life she wanted. However, she always thought that something was missing until one day at the Young Men’s and Young Women’s Hebrew Association, she was mesmerized by a painting of a naked woman. She asked herself, “Am I gay?”

This revelation sent her on a journey of self-discovery, which challenges everything she thinks she knows about herself. Over the course of 10 years, she discovered hope, love, and more courage to live as her authentic self.

It’s going to be hard for me to explain why I like this book so much, but I will try. This memoir is gut-wrenching and beautiful at the same time. I felt anxious for Melissa when she expressed her anxiety about coming out to her family and trying to keep them together afterwards. In addition, I was excited whenever things fell into place for her like meeting and falling in love with her current partner Vivian. I even felt grateful when she received help from various support groups.

This is all because the memoir is raw. In a way, I was shocked that Melissa could remember all of the things that happened while she was on her self-discovery journey. But then again, she later realized that she is a highly sensitive person, which she addresses later on. She could easily recall how she felt when she asked herself the important question of if she was gay, when her husband unexpectedly served her divorce papers, when she fell in love with Raia – the first woman she slept with, and when she went to the lesbian clubs for the first few times. Even with hindsight, Melissa makes readers feel like they are in the same room expressing the same emotions as she is.

She can also be funny. There was a part in which her ex-husband confirms that he met someone else, and she resists “the urge to roll her eyes.” (p. 118). 

A nice touch to the book are quotes that begin every chapter. Lines come from places like the Chaos Theory and the Talmud to people like Eleanor Roosevelt and Carrie Fisher. My favorite is the one from Shirley Chisholm that starts the Afterword and reads “If they don’t give you a seat at the table, bring a folding chair” (p. 271).

 This shows how Melissa has changed in order to live as her authentic self and how she is willing to fight for herself and her family even if she and others still face prejudice as part of the LGBTQIA community.

Even though I’m not a lesbian, middle-aged, nor Jewish, I saw myself in Melissa. I have some signs of Autism, and I spent years pleasing others just so I could be liked. But after a while, I decided to live my life the way I wanted to. Granted, I didn’t have my life uprooted in the way Melissa’s was when she realized that she was a lesbian. At the same time, I get the emotions of trying to keep both worlds balanced like she does when she and her ex-husband separate, the fear of having a contentious divorce since my parents went through a tough one over 5 years ago, and the struggle to advocate not only for myself as well as for others since Melissa has an epiphany about the things she said and did when she considered herself straight. I have a feeling that many readers will react in a similar way as I did because of how honest and powerful the book is written.

All in all, Late Bloomer: Finding My Authentic Self at Midlife by Melissa Giberson is a true one-of-a-kind self discovery memoir. The author writes about her coming out story with rawness and beauty. She makes readers feel what she expressed when she went through her journey in becoming her real self. There are certainly other books that are about coming out of the closest, but how many are they written in the same way? I would recommend this to all readers, especially to those who have been or going through a transition into becoming their purest selves. This memoir made me feel seen and heard, and I know it will do the same for others. It will be officially published tomorrow, August 8, so go check it out!

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Literary Travel – Wisconsin Edition

Hi Everyone,

It’s been a long time since I made an entry in this series, but I have to show you some cool things that I found on my most recent trip!

Two months ago, my husband and I went on our annual trip to Milwaukee, Wisconsin. While in that state, I explored two separate libraries, one with the relative I stayed with and the other with my husband. All of the photos used were ones that I took.

First up is the Lake Geneva Public Library.

The Lake Geneva Public Library is situated in Lake Geneva – one of the most beloved cities in Wisconsin. Its prairie style building was constructed by Frank Lloyd Wright protege James R. Dresser in the mid-1950s. It contains an open space as well as long and wide windows, so patrons can see what’s outside on both sides of the library. Plus, the library is located close to Geneva Lake itself, so it’s pretty to see the lake from that location.

My relative and I took a day trip to Lake Geneva to explore what it had to offer. This included a church-turned brewery that we had lunch at. Once I knew that it had a library, I wanted to check it out. Inside, the library stretches as long as Geneva Lake.

When we walked through the door and past the new books section, we saw a small Library of Things (LoT). The items included a bocce set, disc golf, a bird watching kit, and a musical instrument. Even though I’ve seen more extensive LoTs (*cough Ann Arbor Public Library in Ann Arbor, Michigan), the things offered here are just right for a community in sync with nature and having fun.

Other unique items that the library had to offer were memory care kits for those that have those kinds of issues.

I also couldn’t help but notice the cute stuffed penguin hidden by one of the plants!

The decorations in the library made use of the space while still indicating its purpose. For example, the stained glass separators between sets of tables and chairs were a unique touch. One could always make study rooms, but it might be too isolating for certain communities. After all, libraries are always encouraging their patrons to come together. While some might disagree with this approach with the separators, they still accomplish this by allowing people to study but in an open area.

In addition, I love how the library has lots of end caps on their shelves. This is most apparent in the children’s section, where each one displayed the kinds of the books in that particular spot. That part of the library was also spacious and colorful as a juvenile section should be.

The last thing that I want to mention is the big red chair. One of the things that Lake Geneva is known for is that it’s the birthplace of the Dungeons and Dragons (DND) game. Even though the library didn’t have any outwardly DND items out, it contained a huge red chair that had designs which reminded me of its aesthetics. It was located on the second floor, where the adult fiction collection is at. And reader, it was also comfortable. In fact, I asked the person working at the circulation desk about that piece of furniture, and she mentioned that it was recently donated.

Overall, it’s clear to see that the library was designed in a way that catered to its community in a unique fashion. It relies on open spaces and helping out the patrons when it can. Plus, it gives nods to the history of Lake Geneva. Along with their website, you can check them out on Facebook and Instagram!

And now, the second and last library of the trip: the Whitefish Bay Public Library!

Located about 15 minutes north of Milwaukee, this library in Whitefish Bay was established in 1937, but it has been its current building since 2002. Its goal is to make a difference in their patrons’ lives by creating connections, building communities, and collecting stories, and they follow through with that.

My husband and I found this library while we were on our way to his childhood friend’s house nearby. When we went inside, we were greeted by a very nice lady at the circulation desk. I told her what I was doing, and she gave me the go ahead to take photos.

In addition, there was scooter parking inside the library in the lobby area. This automatically made me realize that this library was indeed a safe space because they are saying to kids that they can keep their scooters INSIDE the library rather than the usual bike rack outside. Plus, I love the colors on the scooter rack.

I first went on the children’s side. It was there that I found a bunch of letters and symbols of different sizes and colors coming together that stretched along the wall. I thought that it was a nice aesthetic touch.

Also along the walls was art done by local illustrators like the famous Lois Elhert.

In the alcove, I found a space painted with various animals. I soon discovered that it was an “I Spy” mural painted by the Timothy Haglund Studio in 2005. I can see it peaking the curiosities of many children and challenging them to find all 30 animals in that area.

In the adult area, I first noticed the display of games that people can check out as well as information on various Wisconsin state parks on top. I was there right before summer began, so I’m glad that the library was thinking ahead when it comes to suggesting summertime activities.

Furthermore, it offered walking historical and architectural tours of Whitefish Bay and a Take and Tinker collection. The latter lets patrons check out a kit to learn a new hobby or skill all while having fun. I had never seen a collection of that kind in a library, and I hope the patrons are having a great time with those kits.

In addition, I like the architectural design found in the adult section. The supports that were holding up the ceiling looked like buttresses that held up medieval or Tudor-era buildings.

Moreover, I found a scrapbook that detailed the history of the Whitefish Bay High School and was put together by its students for its 75th Anniversary. They were also kind enough to put that history into context of what was going on nationally. Although I had to be careful while turning the pages, it was well put together.

The adult side was very spacious, which allowed people to browse through the collections, to study by natural light, and sit in red and blue comfy chairs.

I also noticed three things that were present on both sides of the library: color-coded labels; cement hands on the end caps; and art, lots of art. The former indicated where titles were within a section. The picture below is from the adult section, and the one underneath is from the kids’ side.

The second was on end caps that faced the public areas. I thought that these were a cute way to represent the people who donated to the library.

Finally, both contained plenty of art in various medium on its walls. I already talked about the ones in the children’s section. The ones on the other side contained photography, acrylic paintings, and prints (also, the portrait done by Glenn Meyers eerily looks like me). These made for a consistent image of a library that was fully dedicated to art.

And of course, when my husband and I left the library, I spotted a library holds locker. It’s a relatively new thing in the library world, yet it helps patrons to grab their already checked-out items if the library is closed or if they are in a hurry. I fully support these lockers.

All in all, just like the Lake Geneva Public Library, the Whitefish Bay Public Library is spacious and caters to its community in specific ways. It knows that its patrons are into art and history and are plain curious. The library also actively engages the patrons with the unique items it offers and lets people know that everyone is welcome. Along with their website, you can check them out on Facebook, Instagram, Twitter, and Pintrest.

And that concludes the third installment of “Literary Travel!” I hope all of you had a fun time on this trip. I will be posting a new one, this time to Cincinnati, Ohio, after Labor Day, so stay tuned for that!

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The Cinematic Voyage of The Pirate: Kelly, Garland, and Minnelli at Work Book Review

Anytime that a movie becomes iconic, there will probably be a book or a documentary about the making of it. Films that have gotten this treatment include The Wizard of Oz, Gone With the Wind, The Godfather, and The Pirate. What? Yes reader, I did say The Pirate – a 1948 movie musical starring Gene Kelly and Judy Garland. Unlike the three previously mentioned, The Pirate doesn’t have a strong cultural legacy, but authors Earl J. Hess and Pratibha A. Dabholkar argue that it should because of its stunning sets and costumes; use of Technicolor; how it helped the careers of Kelly, Garland, and director Vincente Minnelli; depicted race relations at the time of its release; and the choreography. They successfully make their case in their 2014 book The Cinematic Voyage of The Pirate: Kelly, Garland, and Minnelli at Work with thorough research and undying love for the picture.

The Cinematic Voyage of The Pirate: Kelly, Garland, and Minnelli at Work details the making of one of the most dazzling musicals that the Arthur Freed Unit made at Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer (MGM). Through a diverse use of research, authors Hess and Dabholkar examine the original conception of the story from the mind of German playwright Ludwig Fulda, Samuel N. Behrman’s Broadway production starring Alfred Lunt and Lynn Fontanne, and the multiple drafts of the MGM screenplay that took 3 years to develop. It also addresses the behind-the-scenes issues like Garland’s personal problems and how the collaboration between Kelly and Minnelli shaped the movie. They dive deep in how 1948 audiences actually reacted to the film as opposed to what the common perception of it was. Since then, the picture has grown in public and scholarly appeal and has been recognized as one of the most significant musicals from the Golden Age of Hollywood.

Before I get into the book proper, I must provide a brief plot outline for anyone not familiar with the flick. The Pirate is about a girl who is engaged to the mayor of a town on a Caribbean island, yet she has dreams about the legendary pirate Macoco. A traveling actor strolls in and falls in love with her. To impress her, he masquerades as the pirate, and hilarity ensues.

And of course, I have included my own review of it, and here it goes. It’s a fun and campy film with wonderfully over-the-top performances from Kelly and Garland, lots of vibrant colors, and great dance sequences. Also, it will get “Be a Clown” stuck in one’s head for a while.

This film may not be for everyone because of how tongue-in-cheek it can be. Likewise, readers might get slightly annoyed at the authors’ love for it if they don’t feel the same way. Moreover, there are times in which Hess and Dabholkar critique other films by Kelly and Garland in order to make their points about The Pirate that might ruffle some feathers. For instance, in the preface, they discuss the reasons why they chose the film in question. They claim that it’s a  “delightfully watchable” musical with an appealing story and well executed dances all the way through (p. xi). In contrast, even though they commend the 1949 Gene Kelly film musical On the Town for its plot and choreography, they felt that it had several weak segments that viewers could skip over in order to see the better ones (p. xi). They wisely don’t list which scenes fell short.

Nevertheless, they show a great deal of impartiality with the evidence they present. They point out the goofs and gaffes that are present in the movie towards the end of the book (p.176-181). This objectiveness is especially present when they discuss Garland’s personal problems during the filming. She was addicted to drugs, which for the most part resulted in her missing several days of shooting and occasionally having to leave early due to sickness and/or anxiety. A common conclusion that many people proclaim is that the studio was responsible for her addiction. They debunk this with excerpts from Judy Garland’s daughter Lorna Luft book Me and My Shadows. In them, Luft reports that while MGM first gave her mother benzedrine – an amphetamine to curb her appetite – when she was 16 in 1938, she notes “that amphetamines were widely used everywhere in America at that time.”

Once the studio realized that Garland had a problem, the executives “tried in every way possible to help her get off drugs” because she was a much-loved and respected entertainer. On top of that, she had a “boiling mixture of emotions” due to trauma associated with being a child performer (p.63-64). While Luft’s book is a secondary source, the authors used primary research like the internal MGM memos sent by Al Shenberg – the production manager who kept record of how many days Garland missed and the reasons why – and newspaper articles that reported on her emotional state (p. 76, 88, 91). Furthermore, The authors make it clear that while they understand why Garland had the issue to begin with, they make no excuses for it and acknowledge the trouble with keeping her in line, especially for Minnelli whom Garland was married to at the time.

Much like with The Beat, The Scene, The Sound, the strongest part of The Cinematic Voyage of the Pirate is the variety of sources that the authors utilize. In fact, the latter is not Hess and Dabholkar’s first book of that kind since they wrote Singin’ in the Rain: The Making of an American Masterpiece (oh hey, another Gene Kelly movie) earlier, and it shows. They sail broad and deep with archival research, newspaper coverage, memoirs, and interviews in order to create a more nuanced story about the making of the film and to disprove some common misconceptions surrounding it. For starters, many film commentators praise it for its witty dialogue and actions. Hess and Dabholkar expertly point out that while there were plot and character changes, many elements of the final script written primarily by Frances Goodrich and Albert Hackett come “directly from Behrman’s stage play” (p. 45).

In fact, the authors devote an entire appendix to the overlap between the Goodrich-Hackett script and the Behrman play. This includes verbatim incorporation of Behrman’s lines in critical scenes, other direct use of his words, using dialogue in different contexts, and lines spoken by other characters (p. 197-205).

One core argument made throughout the book is that the musical was a commercial failure, hence why nobody spoke more positively about it until years later. However, they utilize archival research from the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Silences collection at the Margaret Herrick Library and newspaper clippings to demonstrate that the movie made a profit over time. They point out that the movie grossed $85,758 after four days at Radio City Music Hall, “the most that any M-G-M film did in that venue for that length of time.” (p. 141).

Despite this, they acknowledge that the initial release in 1948 only amounted to $2,956,000 although it cost $3,768,496 to make (p.141). 

In addition, critics at the time also were mostly positive about it. For instance, a Newsweek critic thought that the picture was a “rare and happy combination of expert dancing, catchy tunes, and utterly unbelievable plot which manages to achieve pure escapism without becoming either sentimental or corny” (p. 137).

I couldn’t have said that better myself.

Since the book’s release in 2014, The Pirate has grown more in cultural relevance. There have been more analyses on the movie, specifically how it depicts sensuality and romance. Furthermore, in 2022, several clips, particularly the one where Kelly blows smoke in a woman’s face, went viral after news came out that Chris Evans was going to play the famous dancer in an upcoming film. I’m curious as to how the authors feel about that.

Overall, The Cinematic Voyage of The Pirate: Kelly, Garland, and Minnelli at Work by Earl J. Hess and Pratibha A. Dabholkar sails high. They go deep into research to show a more nuanced story of how the picture was created as well as to dispel some misconceptions associated with it. And obviously, they are not afraid to show their love for the film. I would recommend this to those who enjoy reading single film production histories as well as movie musicals. It’s a treasure chest of facts and love for The Pirate.

Before I go, I want to let you know that I’ll be talking about the film in more detail with Zita Short on her The 300 Passions Podcast! We’ll be discussing specific aspects like the campiness, the chemistry between Kelly and Garland, and why it failed to make the cut on the American Film Institute’s 100 Years…Passions list. It’ll be my fifth time on that podcast, and I can’t wait for all of you to hear it! Check it out at this link!

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Writers & Lovers Book Review

There’s always a book about the life of a writer, how being young sucks, and/or both. Some may come off with the oh-woe-is-me mentality. I guess some of it is warranted, but others are smart enough to focus on the actions of the protagonists. Writers & Lovers by Lily King is a case of the latter. It can come off as depressing at times, but it’s worth the read because of its compelling main character and its focus on how she pulls through.

Writers & Lovers is about Casey Peabody – a 31-year-old struggling writer. After the sudden death of her mother and end of her most recent relationship, Casey arrives in her home state of Massachusetts in the summer of 1997 without a plan and with piles of student debt. A former child golf prodigy, she now waits tables and rents a tiny, moldy room at the side of a garage while trying to pen a novel that she’s been working on for the last 6 years. At her age, Casey holds on to what her old friends have let go of: the determination to live a creative life. When she falls in love with two different men, her world falls apart even more. Casey’s fight to fulfill her creative ambitions and balance the conflicting demands of art and life is challenged in ways that push her to the brink.

This is a compelling character study. Even though not much happens throughout a good chunk of the book, I find Casey to be an interesting character. At age 31, she’s still trying to figure things out, while everything falls apart around her. This explains why she’s stuck in a rut. I think some readers might be annoyed with her since she doesn’t do much. At the same time, she’s experiencing a big writer’s block, so it’s understandable why she’s incapable of doing a whole lot outside of work. Also, she can be snarky and cynical, but these are mainly defense mechanisms from getting too vulnerable with others.

Another thing that makes Writers & Lovers stand out is the financial aspect of writing. Unless one makes it big, writers don’t get paid a whole lot of money, so it’s easy to comprehend why Casey is in $73,000 in debt from student loans. It would be so logical for her to give up writing and get a real job like a lot of her other writer friends have done. And yet, she has one, and she hates it. Much like a lot of young people these days, she wants to find a career that makes her happy, and writing does that since it provides an outlet for her emotions stemming from trust and abandonment issues.

Also, the two men that Casey falls in love with couldn’t be more opposite from one another. In one corner is Oscar – a successful author with two sons, and he adores her. The other is Silas. He’s Casey’s age and is also trying to figure out life. However, he is full of mixed signals. This is especially apparent when he drives across the country on the day of what was supposed to be their first date. There would be a clear choice, but once Oscar shows more of his true colors to Casey, she expresses her dislike pretty quickly. I won’t reveal which guy she ends up with, but all I’ll say is I would’ve been okay if she ended up with neither of them.

The one potential pitfall of the novel (depending on who you ask) is that it can feel depressing during the first third. Casey has a lot of anxiety attacks, bad days at the restaurant she works at, is deep in debt, and to top it all off, she discovers she has health issues through a good chunk of the book. This can be off putting for some who want a simple feel good story. Luckily, introducing Oscar and Silas reinvigorates her drive to finish her novel as well as to focus on her health and overall well-being. From then on, each of the burdens is slowly lifted from her shoulders, and she has a great payoff at the end. I was rooting for her throughout despite that oh-I-am-suffering aspect in the beginning.

I listened to the audiobook, which is narrated by Stacey Glemboski. Glemboski is a professional audiobook narrator who has recorded books from a variety of genres. In 2020, she was a Sovas finalist for Audiobook narration–fiction–best voiceover for this title, and I can see why. From the moment I heard Glemboski speak, I immediately imagined Casey being Charlize Theron in the movie Young Adult. This is very fitting since that movie also tackles the struggles of trying to figure out one’s life while in their thirties. Additionally, this vocal performance provides Casey’s snarky and vulnerable sides effectively. As for the other characters, Glemboski does a fine job distinguishing among them like Harry – Casey’s gay friend from work – with a posh British accent, Oscar with a Pierce Brosnan charm without the dialect, and Silas with a slightly slower and rougher tone. I can see why Lily King recruited her again for the audiobook of her 2021 collection of short stories Five Tuesdays in Winter. Overall, it’s the strongest vocal performance I’ve heard in awhile.

All in all, Writers & Lovers by Lily King is a good story about trying to figure out how to live the most creative life possible while tackling the obstacles that get in the way. Casey is a highly interesting character, and I would like to see her in future novels. Also, I enjoyed how the book discusses the financial aspect of writing. I recommend this novel for those who like reading stories about writers and writing, love triangles, and how being young sucks.

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The Tale of the Red Fox in the North Woods Book Review

Full disclosure: The author of the book that I am about to review is a patron at a library that I work at. All of the opinions stated in this review are solely mine.

It’s always good for an author to branch out in their craft. Whether that means writing in a different genre or audience, this allows them to test their skills. Robert C. Jones – an author known for his sentimental look at small-town life with older protagonists – challenged himself to write a book targeting a younger audience. It’s called The Tale of the Red Fox in the North Woods, and even though it feels by the numbers for a juvenile title, it has a clever twist, thus worth the read.

 The Tale of the Red Fox in the North Woods is a book detailing an incident that a child dealt with in northern Michigan. The North Woods has had an infestation of red foxes in recent years, and the citizens – including Bobby’s uncle – vow to do something to prevent them from encroaching on their land and their way of life. Even though Bobby has brief encounters with the animals in question, he doesn’t want others to eliminate them. He does what he can to protect the foxes while he keeps his secret about his interactions with them.

In his previous books, Jones’s audience were clearly older readers who like reading about small-town life and possibly watching Hallmark movies. This time, it’s clear he wanted to write for much younger readers. Bobby – the protagonist – is about 11 years old, and the book contains a glossary of terms mentioned throughout even though certain sections already explain what certain words are like culling. But hey, the glossary doesn’t hurt it. It’s also 57 pages with chapters, but it’s too challenging as a chapter book. Additionally, it contains black-and-white illustrations that are simple and get the scene across like the encounters between Bobby and the fox. Finally, it’s got a set of questions that can be used for a book club that should get young readers to think critically about what they read. I would say it’s more for the upper elementary audience since it contains a vocabulary suited for that age group and contains mentions of violence. 

I understand that it’s based on a true story, yet it feels by the numbers. I’ve seen this kind of plot play out in various media. A child tries to understand something that people want to destroy, while they keep their interactions with that person or thing a secret. The story expectedly hits the various beats associated with that story although I appreciated Jones’s emphasis on the books that Bobby reads to understand the red foxes.

They are two things that make The Tale of the Red Fox in the North Woods stand out. One is that it feels like it could be an episode of The Andy Griffith Show. The uncle likes he could be Andy, who always tries to do the right thing. Bobby feels like he could Opie as he tries to protect the red foxes. In fact, I wouldn’t be shocked if Jones cited the “Opie the Birdman” episode as an influence as both involve their child protagonists understanding the animals they encounter. For Opie, it’s the baby birds that he has to raise after he accidentally kills their mother, and for Bobby, it’s the red foxes that are present in the area. The rest of the supporting cast felt defined by their one trait whether it’s the aunt’s friend who is a librarian or the “foul-mouthed” plumber who always has an excuse of not doing a job. This tone fits well with Jones’s other books since they are sentimental, firm when they need to be, and contain kooky characters.

The other element that makes this book stand out is the twist at the end. I wouldn’t spoil it. All I will say is that it reveals a big misunderstanding between Bobby and the North Woods residents. It also leans into a message about coexisting, something that Opie had to learn as well. The ending made me reconsider the book. For a good chunk of it, it was predictable, but once that twist happened, I didn’t see it coming. This made the title worth the read.

Overall, The Tale of the Red Fox in the North Woods by Robert C. Jones is a good attempt at writing for older children. The story is one that has been done time and time again, but the tone and the ending make it worth the read. I would recommend it for 10-12 year olds, especially if they like foxes and The Andy Griffith Show, and their grandparents who want to relive their younger days and love Jones’s other books. I’d love to see how the author branches out in other ways to enhance his craft.

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Open for Interpretation: A Doctor’s Journey into Astrology Book Review

Full disclosure: I was given a free advance reader copy of this book by Books Forward in exchange for an honest review.

A good chunk of nonfiction is littered with spiritual memoirs. For those are not familiar, these are titles in which the author expresses unfulfillment in life. Then, something happens, and they are off on a journey to find themselves. The most well known example of this is Eat, Pray, and Love by Elizabeth Gilbert. However, I found a unique title in this subgenre that I want to share with you today: Open for Interpretation: A Doctor’s Journey into Astrology by Alicia Blando, MD. It’s a wonderful book which explores astrology through many capacities with great respect and asks questions about the choices made in life.

Open for Interpretation: A Doctor’s Journey into Astrology is the memoir of a doctor who finds herself and solidifies her choices in life through astrology. As a young medical practitioner during the middle of the HIV epidemic, Alicia felt unsure about the effectiveness of profession. To ensure that she made the right choices, she sought advice through unconventional places and eventually landed on astrology as her way forward. Her curiosity and search for new teachers and past knowledge took her from Manhattan to Peru, Belize, and Bolivia. At those places, she discovered ancient ways of healing among people who consider the sky as a continuation of nature on earth. She realized that astrology is the language that describes one’s connection to the sky environment. Not only can the horoscopic map give information that can assist in making better decisions in life, but it also, as Alicia finds out, can analyze a person’s strengths, weaknesses, and opportunities. Her adventure off the beaten path allowed her to truly discover herself, the connections all around her, and the need to share her knowledge. 

I wasn’t sure what to truly expect while reading Open for Interpretation. I knew it was going to be about a doctor who explores astrology, but I didn’t know a whole lot about medicine nor astrology (by the way, I’m a Libra in case anybody is wondering). In other words, I didn’t know if I was going to understand it or not. Luckily, Alicia (a Gemini) made sure that even audiences who aren’t familiar with the topic would get what she is saying. It may seem that she’s overexplaining, but I would rather have that than putting in a bunch of terminology that I was going to look up afterwards. Alicia also lists resources for in-person and online education and research on astrology at the very end of the book.

Speaking of astrology, one strength this book has is the sheer and genuine curiosity that Alicia possesses towards that subject. She explains that she first became interested in the subject through the newspaper horoscopes. Then, during her journey, she realized that those astrological blurbs only revealed so much about the person in question. Many other types of astrology like Vedic and more indigenous-based practices use date, time, and place to determine how a person would turn out as well as how the signs affect each part of the body. Her first teacher Iris came up with a diagram that represented the latter aspect called “The Astro-Man” (p. 47-53). Iris used this for those who wanted to make sound medical decisions like when to schedule surgeries. Alicia makes it clear that she didn’t nor would never use that to determine medical diagnosis or treatment. Granted not all of her experiences were perfect. For example, when she tried to build a mesa (an altar ground) like the one her indigenous teacher Oscar Miro-Quesada demonstrated and called for her ancestors and the spirits of the plants and animals, her window shade rolled up to the ceiling and “the glass on the candle cracked on the image of Jesus Christ” (p.136-137).

She was eventually told that she needed to burn sage to clean out the bad spirits before saying her prayers. 

Another aspect I found intriguing was how much Alicia doubted working in a medical profession. She had wanted to become a doctor since she was hit by a moving car and suffered internal organ damage as a child. However, her experiences in the medical field lessened her enthusiasm like finding out a colleague who didn’t have the credentials to be a doctor, yet he fooled everyone by having the confidence of one (p. 13). This, politics, and not being taken seriously as a female doctor whose family came from the Philippines led her to drop out of the resident training program in New York City. Later on, when she worked at the Miami Veterans Administration Medical Center, she tried to improve the work environment by holding a meeting among rehabilitation therapists to promote communication regarding patient care. The department administrator got upset not because Alicia didn’t inform her of the meeting, but because according to Alicia, she wasn’t the center of attention. This led to Alicia crying and later lashing out at that superior (p.163-164). She wanted to use her Mars energy to improve patient care and work harmony not battling egos. Before she left for good, Iris told her this following a reading, “Follow your gut. If you don’t change, change will still happen. Now, you have a choice.”

It’s this struggle that made me emotionally invested in Alicia’s journey and made the book worth reading.

All in all, Open for Interpretation: A Doctor’s Journey into Astrology by Alicia Blando, MD is a spiritual memoir that passionately explores astrology from a medical perspective. Alicia dives deep into the subject whether it’s from a western or indigenous practice and uses it to affirm the decision to be in the medical field despite the many hurdles she had to go through. It’s the self-doubt that makes her all the more human while she goes on her journey. I would recommend this to those who want to read books on astrology as well as stories about the medical field. And of course, I would suggest this title the most to people who want to read spiritual memoirs because there are plenty of ways that they can find themselves, and this book proves that astrology is one such outlet.

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