one of the best agatha christie novels, with a very interesting twist, but the blurb on the back kinda spoils it if you know what to look for (you'll be able to deduce the murderer once they supposedly find them). all of the characters are interesting, and at one point in the book i suspected nearly all of them. however, it does lean more into a detective story type of narrative, which i don't particularly enjoy (unless it's a certain detective). the less you know about this book, the more you will enjoy it, so i won't spoil it too much.
the meaning of mary magdalene
type: book
stars: ★★★★☆
date: august 2025
i am not religious. i've read parts of the bible when bored in hotel rooms, but i've always gravitated more towards the old testament, because i don't like how jesus's words are told through secondhand sources in the new testament. it's annoying. i'm a historian. use direct sources! so, i was a bit confused while reading this very religious book by a priest, and it didn't help that i was in alaska, with no internet access, surrounded by my buddhist relatives, trying to figure out what the heck the "pascal mystery" was. (i still don't understand it after googling it). however, even without much religious knowledge, i was able to follow the argument that mrs. borgeault was making, because she is an incredibly talented scholar who is unafraid of speaking her opinion, even when it goes against the views of traditional christianity. this is not necessarily an autobiography of mary magdalene, but moreso the argument that christianity, and humanity as a whole, needs to start discovering how to love again, and she argues this with tact and beauty. an excellent read, but probably not recommended until you read the bible first (and the noncanonical gospels).
the tea girl of hummingbird lane
type: book
stars: ★★★★★
date: august 2025
where do i start with this book? "the tea girl of hummingbird lane" is essentially about the love between a mother and a child, and the concept of coincidences. it has a very compelling story that i wasn't able to put down at all, and an extremely well researched portrayal of a rarely talked about ethnic group in china, the akha people. historical fiction books should teach the reader about real events in history. good historical fiction will make you realize that people in other countries who were just statistics in your history class, are humans, despite how long ago they lived. the narrator feels incredibly human, with her own flaws and desires, but we also see the humanity of the people around her - her lover, her mother, and the other people of her village. i couldn't put this book down, and i heavily recommend you read it, as long as you're alright with learning a lot about tea.
the village of eight graves
type: book
stars: ★★★☆☆
date: august 2025
when i picked this book up at the library along with "towards zero", the librarian mentioned that he was like japan's version of agatha christie. i don't think that's entirely true - the only similarity is the complexity of their murder mysteries. this book takes a very dark turn with themes like rape and child abuse, while agatha christie's books, although being about literal murder, are often oddly lighthearted, which gives her books a much more unique feel and defines the classic "murder mystery". village of eight graves, on the other hand, although technically being a murder mystery, honestly seems more like a horror. that being said, it's an entertaining read with an eerie atmosphere that reminds me of old horror video games like silent hill and project zero, which is an impressive feat for a book to pull off. i honestly felt like i was tatsuya trapped in the underground caves. it's a great read that's surprisingly well translated (japanese translations often leave a bit to be destired) and i'll definitely be putting some more of his books on my tbr for the spooky season. an excellent introduction to mr. yokomizo's books.
ender's game
type: movie
stars: ★☆☆☆☆
date: august 2025
this might be the worst movie i have ever watched. it seems like it should be a good movie, and that's what is so awful about it. there's so much potential and it was executed horribly. one of those movies that should've stayed as a book, i think...
joan he - the ones we're meant to find
type: book
stars: ★★★★☆
date: august 2025
This is a very depressing book with robot sex. It's not a YA book, despite the age of the protagonists, and would definitely benefit from a reread after the twist is revealed. Unfortunately, I have to return it to the library, but may revisit it sometime. The first half of the book isn't necessarily bad, but confusing. The second half is very good. The themes probably hit too close to home - it leans more in the direction of hard sci fi/post apocalypse, and the overall vibe reminds me of the book "How High We Go in the Dark". There is no heavy worldbuilding, and that deliberately confusing aspect is, I think, the author's intention.
superman (2025)
type: movie
stars: ★★★★☆
year: july 2025
just a good movie. it's not anything particularly thought-provoking or artistic, it's just a superhero movie with positive messages. absolutely mogged "the batman". and i love you batman so i'm sorry about that.
