What This Week: February 20
Another week has flown by, leaving me wondering where in the world the time went. Maybe it passed while I was watching one of the most insane cult stories ever (see below) or while I was deep diving for recommendations for our trip to London. Either way, the bottom line is another week is here, and that means another edition of What This Week: February 20! Check out what books and shows should be on your radar right now!
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What This Week: Reading
I’m completely enamored by Where Darkness Blooms, a brand new YA gothic horror book that publishes this week. I had every intention of finishing this book in time to share a pub date review, but life had a different plan for me. Rest assured, if the rest of the book is as good as the first half, I will be shouting from the rooftops about it, so stay tuned for a full update.
Also publishing this week is Nocturne, a YA historical fantasy set in Depression-era Chicago. It tells the tale of an orphaned ballerina whose new Master has one foot in this world and one foot in the dreamlike world of Nocturne. I’ll be listening to this one soon, so stay tuned to my social media for thoughts.
The Woman with the Cure is another book on my shelf that publishes this week, and I can’t wait to read it! Like the B&N Book of the Year, Lessons in Chemistry, this new book features a female protagonist who works in science. Women in S.T.E.M. is a growing subgenre of fiction, and I’m here for it! Berkley sent me a gifted final copy that I plan to start on as soon as possible.
What This Week: Watching
Run, do not walk, to watch the new Hulu documentary, Stolen Youth! It’s absolutely insane and pretty much all I can think about since finishing almost a week ago. Cults are fascinating, but this documentary held a particular fascination for me. I was drawn into one character’s storyline in particular, as she gave up her career in psychiatry after studying at some of the finest institutions in the country to follow some dude. It’s absolutely mind-boggling that a professional psychiatrist-in-training could fall for a cult leader’s snake charms, but who knows why people do what they do? If you have any interest in cults or psychiatry at all, this is a MUST-watch. And when you’re done, please email or DM me so we can discuss it. The mental health clinician in me is dying to process my thoughts!
While we try to stay on top of current events/releases, it’s hard to fit in all the things right when they release. Sometimes we are late to the party, and that’s exactly the case with Maverick, the Top Gun sequel. We finally sat down to experience the movie that may or may not have saved theaters single-handedly, and, surprisingly, it didn’t suck. Sure, it was cliche at times, and highly over-acted, but what do you expect from a Tom Cruise film? The fact is it’s highly entertaining, suspenseful, and even a little sad. Bottom line: the adrenaline-fueled moments of the movie help to keep you engaged, just like the original. If you were a fan of the first film, you’ll love the sequel. Mission accomplished.
What This Week: Culture
We are starting to look forward to our European adventure (late April), which means we are deep into planning and researching the best things to do, see, eat, and drink. One of the things we are most looking forward to is experiencing Fish & Chips in London, the UK’s national food. I’ve had Fish & Chips in Dublin (which was insanely good), but I have a feeling what we find at the local chippies in London will be even better. I stumbled onto this fun article about the dish’s history while researching where to find the best Fish & Chips in London that I had to share. And this video has me craving malt vinegar!
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