April books + films

Books

I've never been a fan of audiobooks for fiction books, but this April, I changed my mind on this. I listened to my first fiction on Audible and actually enjoyed it. All of my April reads were via Audible this month. I listened on my daily morning walks, long drives, and while settling in for bed. I am finding that I am using my other leisure windows for painting and sketching, so audiobooks might be the move to keep up with my reading hobby.

Here’s what was in my ear this month:

So Far From God by Ana Castillo (1993) - I read this with my bookclub. I didn’t hate it. I didn’t like it. Just meh. Perhaps it was the magical realism elements. I did appreciate the historical elements and rich cultural aspects about the native people of New Mexico.

I listened to the following books back to back during a spell of being fascinated with the Royal family after the “Where’s Kate” news gate.

Spare by Prince Harry (2023), Endgame: Inside the Royal Family by Omid Scobie (2023), Diana in Her Own Words by Andrew Morton (1998)

There were some cringe-worthy parts in "Spare" that Prince Harry could've left out, but I found it to be a fair representation of his experience with his family. If you read news headlines, you would think he took low blow shots at his family with the book, but after reading it, I realized the media exaggerated this. He was quite balanced and didn’t really go toe-to-toe. His focus was really on his loneliness, trauma, and growth. Also, his book lines up with Diana’s perspective of the Royal family and her experience with Charles and the system. I really enjoyed Diana’s book. There were so many nuggets about her life that I did not know. All three books satisfied my curiosity about the family. I’d like to read King Charles’s authorized biography for balance.

Films

Baby Reindeer (Netflix) - this was disturbing on so many levels. Be prepared to feel a bit unsettled for a few hours after watching this and going down google rabbit hole to verify facts about this true story film.

O.J. Made in America (Netflix) - this is such a well done documentary that should be studied in history classes. I am not a fan of sport documentaries but this one is special. It is more than a sports story. It’s an American story on race. I was fascinated by the background information about the trial especially the dynamics about the two opposing Black lawyers - Johnnie Cochran and Chris Darden.

In the Mood for Love (YouTube) - the cinematography in this movie alone is worth watching. The aesthetic is a case study, just beautiful. It’s a film set in 1960s Hong Kong. It follows the complex relationship between two neighbors who suspect their spouses are having an affair. As they spend more time together, they develop a deep emotional connection but never fully express their feelings. The film feels like a very slow dance between two people. If you are into fast paced drama/rom-com, this is not your film. It’s slow, meandering and a bit boring but the visuals and the unspoken sentiments make it worth it.