Round-Up

By Wendy

Girls Trip. Lots of stupidity, but also a lot of humor, warmth, and good acting. I'm also inclined to like any film with four women leads! At one point, all four women get down on their knees to pray together. I can't think of any "White movie" in which people do that, but it seems usual in "Black movies." Definitely a cultural difference!

Poker Face. Just watched the first episode. Found it intriguing enough to keep watching. Enjoyed Natasha Lyonne a lot, I'm happy to say. In Russian Doll season 2, she was really starting to be a caricature of herself.

Echoes. Exceptionally dumb even for a good twin-evil twin movie, which is saying something. 

Behind Her Eyes. (TV show) I don't know how I would rate this strange story of a woman who somehow ends up deeply involved in a couple's life, with each spouse not knowing the other is spending time with her. It takes a lot of left turns, and it's overall weird, but, damn, it has stayed with me and made me think.

As I Am. Cicely Tyson's autobiography. She's impressive, and egotistical, and humble, and not someone to mess with!

Art of the Con. By Anthony A. Amore. I like con artists in fiction, but the real ones are pretty much selfish scum. This book focuses on art-related cons; there are so many, that it becomes less and less possible to be 100% sure a piece of art is authentic.

The Verifiers. By Jane Pek. Entertaining story of a young woman who works for a company that investigates people on online matching services.

A Spool of Blue Thread. By Anne Tyler. Not her best, but she's nearly always worth reading.