the sunday morning coffee table

A while ago, I listened to a sunday scaries podcast episode where they described their ideal sunday coffee table — a place where they have everything they need to lie on the sofa and hibernate for a whole day, and every week since I’ve thought about mine.

FILMS

Cardinals choosing who the next Pope should be through webs of gossip should not be as engaging as it was. I loved almost everything about this film. Cinematography, set design, the cast, the script, it’s a delectable watch. When I first heard this described as “Mean Girls in the Vatican” I didn’t fully believe them, but there is a twist at the start of act three that will definitely have you rooting for the Cardinal version of Regina George.

I am a huge Robert Eggers fan so I wasn’t particularly surprised at how much I liked this. Eggers is a master of atmosphere, and when he puts that talent to work on gothic horror, well you’ve got a winner. Eerie, terrifying and, through pure narrative, manages the near impossible — it kind of makes you want your turn for the most physically repulsive vampire we’ve likely ever seen on screen to fall just a little bit in love with you.

Finally took myself down to watch this. As a casual fan of the musical, I wasn’t rushing to watch but I knew I’d have to go at some point. Honestly, I should’ve rushed to watch. I enjoyed this thoroughly. It’s fun, it’s camp, it doesn’t take itself too seriously while treating the political topics within the story with the importance they deserve. I love when fantasy stories build on their world and commit to it. Jonathan Bailey is beautiful. What else could we want?

BOOKS

A book about generational differences and fatherhood, this book follows a father and daughter. The latter has written a play depicting a holiday with her father years earlier. The narrative is split in three: the daughter and her mother having lunch while they wait for her father to watch the play, the father watching the play and flashbacks to the holiday being depicted.

There are interesting notes on artistry and what it means to be read by those we love, how we perceive others and our own moralities being as corrupt as the ones we judge most. I liked it, but it being about a subject that I find to be close to me, I found it less provocative than I thought I would. Perhaps it’s that the narrative style feels a little bit all over the place without having earned it, with rhythm and perspective changes that don’t quite pay off.

I’m glad I read this. I think it’s one of those books that underlies a lot of current literature and will definitely inform my reading in the future. Did I enjoy reading it? Absolutely not. I actually found it quite difficult to get through. Not because of its complexity, but because a lot of the rambling from the narrator is unbearable and without a real point to it. It didn’t feed its thematic concerns and it certainly didn’t build a credible sub-narrative. Nabokov is obviously doing it intentionally, making a point on literary academic circles, but that doesn’t mean it was enjoyable to read.

Tia Williams is one of those romance writers everyone is always waxing lyrical about, so it was time to get to one of her novels. I really appreciated this book. It’s what good contemporary romance should be. It builds on both characters enough, making them perfectly flawed people who genuinely make each other better. It depicts important societal issues in a way that feels organic to the experiences of the characters. The foil characters work in and of themselves. It was a lovely Sunday read.

ARTICLES

A really interesting dive into the world of Romantasy editors, the problems with writing and selling within a genre that has been so oversaturated with tropes that originality and creativity become impossible. I’m not even sure I blame the novelist for stealing someone else’s story, it seems in the inner workings of Romantasy publishing… she might not even have known.

Ruminating on the Pelicot case and the idea that it’s always the Everyman who perpetuates violence against women. The unearthing of hidden corners of the internet, such as forums titled without her knowledge, during the case was astounding yet somehow unsurprising. Wharton’s essay is rightfully angry and a call to action from the people who actually have power.

I’m endlessly fascinated by the aesthetics of reading and how quickly they can become vapid in order to be palatable. Over the last year my instagram feed has filled up with similar images of “thought daughters” and “hot lit girls”… but what do these actually mean? And are they offering any value if they’re not being at least somewhat contrarian?

ALBUMS

The sounds of Quiet Houses take me back to the indie sounds of 2014 in the best way. There is an innocence to their lyrics that I find really comforting. Also, I’ve seen them live twice and feel like they’ve made a space for themselves on my playlists for years to come — this is only their third EP so keep your eyes peeled for these two.

Let me start by saying if you have never listened to Ethel Cain before, start with Preacher’s Daughter, definitely not with this! Preacher’s Daughter is not totally dissimilar, but as a concept album it’s a lot easier to pierce through than Perverts.

I genuinely think Hayden Anhedönia is one of the greatest musical artists at the moment. Perverts is not afraid to do something so different it’s difficult to describe its aerial, whispery, eerie sounds. You can dive into so much lore, but I’d definitely recommend having Genius opened while listening.