Top 6 Entertainment Recommendations (August 2014)

Labour Day is fast approaching, and with it the crisp weather and colourful foliage of fall. If, like me, you work in academia or education, the more intense part of your job is on the horizon (or already here, depending on whether, like me, you left all your planning for the end of the break). But there’s still time to slip in one last summer indulgence. And since we all know actually getting out of your chair is over-rated, here are the top six entertainment media I’ve enjoyed this spring and summer.

6. Boxers and Saints by Gene Luen Yang
Medium: Graphic novel
Genre: YA historical fiction
What It’s About: These companion novels tell the story of two young people during the Chinese Boxer Rebellion of 1899-1901, one on each side of the conflict.
I Recommend It Because: … it’s affecting and interesting. I liked seeing the same story from two vastly different viewpoints. And I didn’t know much about the Boxer rebellion, so it was neat to learn about it at the same time.
But You Might Not Like This Item If: … you really need to know who’s right in a conflict or what the “truth” is. Sometimes, supernatural events happen, at least according to the viewpoint characters, and the reader never really knows if they actually occurred, especially since the two protagonists’ perspectives contradict each other. Also, if you prefer upbeat stories, um, you probably shouldn’t read historical fiction based on devastating real-life events.

5. The Lego Movie directed by Phil Lord and Christopher Miller
Medium: Animated film
Genre: Action-adventure
What It’s About: In a world made of LEGO, ordinary Emmet finds the Piece de Resistance and accidentally becomes the Chosen One who must save the world from evil Lord Business.
I Recommend It Because: … it’s funny, creative, fast-paced, and just plain awesome. This movie used every one of its many licenses to poke fun at just about everything, and the message is one I can get behind: nobody is the Chosen One, but everyone has the ability to be the Choosing One who uses his or her creativity to add something new to make the world a better place. Also, “Everything Is Awesome” is really catchy, and the animation looks fantastic — just like real LEGO stop-motion.
But You Might Not Like This Item If: … you require it to be diverse. Most of the characters are white (yes, they’re LEGO, but we see black LEGO characters in the movie, so…), and without giving away the plot, let’s just say we see dads and sons as the people who play with LEGO and moms and sisters as the people who call you in for dinner while you’re playing. Also, no more “loser of the love triangle” telling “winner of the love triangle” that he [winner] deserves [the girl] more. 

4. The Bletchley Circle produced by ITV, written by Guy Burt
Medium: TV series
Genre: Historical mystery
What It’s About: In 1952, years after they served as codebreakers in Bletchley Park, four London women must track down and stop a serial killer.
I Recommend It Because: … smart, interesting female characters! Played by talented performers! Tracking down a creepy serial killer! In roughly the same area and location as the Chronicles of Narnia! This series knows all my weaknesses.
But You Might Not Like This Item If: … your interest in serial killers is inversely proportional to whether they’re a type you’ve seen before. Or if you need every single step of the detectives’ reasoning to be laid out for you in a way that makes sense. 

3. Consider the Fork: A History of How We Cook and Eat by Bee Wilson
Medium: Book
Genre: Non-fiction
What It’s About: This book is a history of kitchen technologies such as the utensils with which we eat and the tools we use to make food.
I Recommend It Because: … I am an historian of technology? Yeah, that’s probably the reason. Also, this history combines interesting social observation with evocative food writing. If you like to cook and also like to know what people did in the past, this is the book for you.
But You Might Not Like This Item If: … popular, not-robust historiography bothers you. I was going to explain what I meant, but chances are if you don’t know what “historiography” means, you’re fine.

2. Beauty Queens by Libba Bray
Medium: Book
Genre: YA fiction
What It’s About: A bunch of teenaged beauty-pageant contestants fight to survive after their plane crashes on a not-so-deserted island in this comedic subversion of Lord of the Flies.
I Recommend It Because: … it’s hilarious without being mean. In Beauty Queens, all types of femininity are valued, even the kind that might normally get dismissed as “ditzy” or “dumb blonde.” The book makes readers laugh at the ludicrous culture that values only the type of womanhood that can be sold as a product without making us look down at the people caught up in that culture.
But You Might Not Like This Item If: … you don’t like writing that’s too on-the-nose. If books can break the fourth wall, this one does. On occasion, it even strays close to “AND NOW WE WILL MODEL CONSENT IN A HEALTHY RELATIONSHIP.” Oh, yeah, incidentally, there’s sex in this book. If you’re not comfortable with that, some scenes might not be for you.

1. The Legend of Zelda: A Link Between Worlds, published by Nintendo
Medium: 3DS game
Genre: Action-adventure
What It’s About: You are the little dude in green whose name is not Zelda, and you have to explore, solve puzzles, and kill monsters to save the blonde princess whose name is Zelda.
I Recommend It Because: … it’s everything about the classic top-down Zelda that was awesome and none of the parts that sucked. From the moment I pressed my first button, I was delighted: omg, Link walks fast by default. The changes — you can rent all the items for most of the game, you can attempt dungeons and exploration in any order you want — rock. I loved the mechanic that allows Link to change from 3D walking-on-the-ground to 2D walking-in-paintings-and-on-walls, rendering previously inaccessible areas a transformation away.
But You Might Not Like This Item If: … you mind a relaxed start. There’s no hourlong tutorial (like some Zelda games we all could mention) but you do run around on a little fetch quest before the action begins. Also, if you’re married to every new Zelda game being exactly like your favourite Zelda game… uh, maybe save your money and replay that one.

Runners Up:

Bitterblue by Kristin Cashore (YA fantasy novel) — This sequel to Graceling delves into the ramifications of rebuilding a kingdom when your father, the previous king, was an abusive sadist who could manipulate people’s minds. Great, complex stuff that stays hopeful.

The Shambling Guide to New York City by Mur Lafferty (urban fantasy novel) — Funny and clever urban fantasy in which a regular travel writer winds up working for the publisher of guides for vampires, zombies, succubi, faeries, etc. whilst figuring out what dastardly plot is underfoot in her beloved Big Apple.

Hyperbole and a Half by Allie Brosh (humorous graphic novel) — This. But with even more new stuff. Always honest, always funny.

The October List by Jeffery Deaver (thriller novel) — Regular thriller with one major twist: the story is told backwards, Memento-style. It’s fascinating to see how the basic structure of a thriller still works even when the author upends the typical narrative order.