Alan & Jono's Watching/Reading List: September 2024
Added 2024-09-25 19:00:09 +0000 UTCAlan:
Hello Heroes!
It’s officially autumn up here in the northern hemisphere, and I couldn’t be more excited to get to pull out my sweaters, sip some warm beverages, and just get cozy as fuuuuuuun.
What I’m reading!
Mr. Midshipman Hornblower - by C.S. Forester. I’ve read the Hornblower books before, and they’re cracking-good adventure yarns set in one of my favorite historical periods (the Napoleonic Wars). But uh… There’s going to be a lot of sailing lit for the next long while, since I finally, after a lifetime of wanting to, bought a sailboat. A small one. But it has sails, and it goes splashy-splashy!
Lieutenant Hornblower - by C.S. Forester. See, more. I told you this was going to be a thing.
Black River Orchard - by Chuck Wendig. Holy crap, this was so, soooo spooky, and terrifying, and kinda gross, but mostly just spooky and terrifying. I loved it. Can’t recommend highly enough. I’d actually really love to adapt this as an eight-part (not long enough to make it a 12 parter, 10 is probably too long as well) horror limited series, like Mike Flanagan does. Anyway, not to spoil anything, but it’s kinda like, “What if IT, but apples!?” So yeah. Check it out if you need a good scare!
What I’m watching!
Bad Monkey on Apple TV+. This is one of my favorite genres: sun-drenched tropical noir mystery. And this one is super fun. I haven’t finished it yet, but there are a bunch more novels, and I’d love for this show to go for 10 more seasons. Super fun!
What I’m playing!
Nothing this month. I think I might actually try to finally play through The Witcher 3. Since it’s only like… 10 years old.
Watch Movies! (And television, and read books, and play video games)
Jono:
Hi everyone! I've been imbibing lots of good movies/shows/games this month!
What I'm watching:
Have you heard of our new YouTube channel? Cinema Therapy Reviews finds Alan and I talking about the most recent movies in theaters! Beetlejuice Beetlejuice was so much fun that I didn't care about underdeveloped characters or plot threads. Speak No Evil gave us an unhinged James McAvoy and a potent warning about boundary setting. AMC Theaters does "fan favorite" screenings of classic movies for $5, so I took my kids to Encanto and Batman (1989), both of which are fantastic on the big screen.
What I'm reading:
The Emotional Lives of Teenagers by Dr. Lisa Damour, is a fantastic deep dive into the psychology of adolescence with wonderful advice for teens, parents, and educators. Practical and moving. Dr. Damour was a consultant on Inside Out 2 and helped with capturing Riley's inner experience as a teenager. Well worth reading.
What I'm playing:
I'm getting back into video games! I bought arcades for my house, with Time Crisis and Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles bringing me back to my youth!
What about you lovely folks? What have you been watching and reading this month?
Comments
Megan, Thanks for recommending The Lost Bookshop. I finished reading it a few days ago and am now reading another of Evie's books, The Story Collector. It's got a similar format with two timelines, is set in Ireland, and is about The Good Folk, (Fairies). I am enjoying it. I think I've found a new favorite author. Both stories would make wonderful movies. Thanks again for your suggestion.
Lucinda Sage-Midgorden
2024-10-09 18:23:57 +0000 UTCHave you ever thought about having like a community episode where users submit content and you analyze it? Like short clips from television or movies? That way you wouldn't need to have the whole effort of watching a whole show but could look up just short context clues.
Duaani Grey
2024-10-01 11:59:40 +0000 UTCDo y'all have plans to play Veilguard when it comes out? I'm here for the gaming content! It would be kind of fun to see you occasionally do a therapy takedown for characters in a setting like Dragon Age or Mass Effect, even if it's only something like a special bonus drop every few months.
Amy Petty
2024-09-28 04:37:57 +0000 UTCYears ago, I read a book called Whale Hunt. It was a diary of a young, intelligent sailor on a whaling ship. You might like it Alan. https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/1348231.Whale_Hunt
Nancyjane Bailey
2024-09-27 21:30:21 +0000 UTCI just re played the witcher 3 it is my favorite video game!!! It is sooo good. Definitely mature and not safe for the kiddos but it is a fantastic game. Such great characters and lore!! I also recommend reading the books they're incredible!!!
KrissyArtist
2024-09-27 00:59:25 +0000 UTCHiya 👋🙂 Reading “The Guernsey Literary and Potato Peel Pie Society”. 🥔🥧📚🤓😋 There’s also a movie which I’ll probably watch. Can’t wait for “Jocker 2” at the movies. 🎬
Ana Bulat
2024-09-26 20:02:11 +0000 UTCI'm sure it's hundreds of hours, but honestly what's the point of owning all of them if not to watch them 🤷♀️
Lydia Hartzler
2024-09-26 11:04:07 +0000 UTCA friend and I are going to have watch parties when s2 is released 😂😍 we just need go be able to discuss in real time.
Sara Wagiström
2024-09-26 08:39:45 +0000 UTCAlso looking forward to S2, because that cliffhanger was a banger!
Lynettra
2024-09-26 07:47:37 +0000 UTCReading: “The Mercy of Gods” by James S A Corey next… “You Like It Darker” by Stephen King then… “Hip-Hop Is History” by Questlove “The Weary Blues” by Langston Hughes “The Complete Western Stories of Elmore Leonard” (because 3:10 to Yuma, Be Cool, and Jackie Brown are some of my fav movies) Watching TV: The Presidential Debate (with a bowl of popcorn and wine and a chat group 😆), “A Discovery of Witches”, “The Batman” (2007), and “High Potential” Watching Movies: Rebel Ridge (highly recommend for realistic action junkies like me) Viking Wolf (really good) HOWL (a “characters in crisis” study as much as a werewolf nightmare) and rewatched The Platform to get ready for The Platform 2 (very good & very disturbing) I know my choices seem to lean dark but I promise I’m ok lol…it’s exactly what I love 💗 dark, dramatic, thrillers
Lynettra
2024-09-26 07:31:24 +0000 UTCWhoa, Lydia. How long does it take to get through your movie library? Ours is so big we might not ever watch anything else. 🤔
Lucinda Sage-Midgorden
2024-09-26 05:22:45 +0000 UTCYes, that book is on my list too. That and The Lost Apothecary were both recommended by one of my podcast guests. I get so many great recommendations from the authors I chat with, both their books and ones they recommend. By the way Jay told me today that he and Kyle are writing a sequel to *The Dead Rock Stars*. Thanks, Megan. I hope you enjoy my suggestions. Love your content.
Lucinda Sage-Midgorden
2024-09-26 05:20:09 +0000 UTCI have watched soooo many things this month, some of it because of the panels for FanX, so I'm just gonna list them out: 24 - season 6 and 7! Clone Wars - season 2, and I'm on episode 16 of season 3 now The Running Man Terminator 1 & 2 Forrest Gump Big Fish First Blood The Mummy (1999) LOTR: Extended Cuts (first time!) The Hobbit trilogy Superman 1, 2 (both cuts), and 3 Beetlejuice Beetlejuice The Matrix (in theaters!!!) Speak No Evil Justice League: Director's Cut The Batman I loved everything I watched except for season 6 of 24, and I didn't enjoy the Running Man much. I will say that I loved seeing my favorite game show host/player, Richard Dawson in it. He was GREAT in Match Game! Oh, and the Donner cut of Superman II was soooo much better than the original. I also probably wouldn't watch the Justice League movie again in my own time, either. It was better than the original cut, though. Read: How to Avoid Falling in Love with a Jerk! Such a great guide that I'm hoping to be able to follow if I ever decide to have another romantic relationship again! I also just started Secure Love. I'm barely into the intro of it so far. I can't wait to see what all it covers! Gaming: Literally nothing. I've barely remembered to even do my Wordle 🤣. Having said that, I have comments for both Alan and Jono. For Alan, Witcher 3 may be an older game, but it holds up so well, still! You'll enjoy the storyline, and will likely fall into many amazing side quests... like Gwent lol. The core story is still such a blast, too. I wouldn't recommend playing around kids 😅. There's no censorship for the few nudity scenes that exists in the game, so if that's not something you're comfortable with the kids being around for, that could be a concern. For Jono, SUPER JEALOUS. I love Time Crisis, and always play it whenever I go to any arcade game. Doesn't matter which number in the series it is, I'm playing it. I used to play both Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles and Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles: Turtles in Time a bunch when I was younger! I'll have to do a rewatch of TMNT (1990) soon. I absolutely love that movie. Smidge and I and friends are all super looking forward to seeing you guys during FanX! It'll be a blast!
SaucyJTD
2024-09-26 04:04:12 +0000 UTCI read The Lost Apothecary a couple years ago, and really enjoyed it! You might also like another one I just finished - The Lost Bookshop (similar title, similar dual timeline, but not too similar of a plot/characters. Lovely book.) I'm definitely going to look up some of these others on your list! - Megan
Cinema Therapy
2024-09-26 03:15:19 +0000 UTCYes! Such a great show. Can't wait for season 2! - Alan
Cinema Therapy
2024-09-26 03:10:54 +0000 UTCSpeaking of Apple TV+, have you guys watched Severance? It’s a really interesting show, I highly recommend it. Unfortunately, there doesn’t seem to be much talk about it.
Sara Wagiström
2024-09-25 21:08:09 +0000 UTCI'm reading Way of Kings by Brandon Sanderson (and I swear it's not because of the upcoming release. It's just time I started). It's amazing, but I'm not a fast reader (decent, not slow, but not fast). I just finished part 2. Finally watching The Crown on Netflix with family. I wouldn't watch it on my own, it's way too drama-y for my liking. I do love the scenes with Queen Elizabeth, there's just not enough of them.
Ayesha Ali
2024-09-25 20:30:47 +0000 UTCIf you weren't aware, John Jackson Miller has a new book coming out in three weeks called Batman: Resurrection which bridges Batman 89 and Batman Returns. I've had my copy on preorder.
Ben Sheppard
2024-09-25 20:06:19 +0000 UTCI've read a couple of great books recently. The first is *The Lost Apothecary* by Sarah Penner. It's a dual timeline book taking place in the 1700s and the present. It's kind of noir mysteryish, at least in the past. Loved that book. Then I read a book by a couple of Story-Power podcast guests, Jay and Kyle who wrote the book, *The Dead Rock Stars* about rock stars who faked their deaths to become secret agents. This book is a hoot and leaves the story open for a sequel, which I hope they write. I suggest you watch *Sugar* on Apple+. It's noir with lots of clips from old film noir movies and it has a surprise in store for the viewers. I hope they approve a second season because I thought Colin Farrell was fantastic. I love fantasy stories and I recently saw one I plan on watching again, *Three Thousand Years of Longing*. You can't go wrong with Twilda Swinton and Idris Elba playing a Djinn. I'll be watching more movies. Thanks for the Director's Cut of *Galaxy Quest*. We watched it after watching your video about it. Both were fun!
Lucinda Sage-Midgorden
2024-09-25 19:53:52 +0000 UTCHaven't really been reading much this month, probably because of rewatching Hotel Del Luna with my husband, discovering and catching up on Will Trent, and doing something I do every few years, which is rewatch all the movies we own in alphabetical order. Sometimes I get tired of the constant overload of choices and just want to lock myself into a path where I don't have to choose anything lol.
Lydia Hartzler
2024-09-25 19:40:30 +0000 UTC(the other reason I'm kind of interested to start legend quest is that I heard it's a Mexican-lore based show and I actually have Mexican heritage on my Nana's side!
Ravenclaw 14
2024-09-25 19:31:28 +0000 UTCHaven't started it yet, but someone recommended "Legend Quest" to me so I thought I'd give it a try currently reading the Percy Jackson series (love it so far, I'm on the third book already) and last games I've played recently are Subnautica and Deltarune (chapter 2)
Ravenclaw 14
2024-09-25 19:29:28 +0000 UTCI watched, 9/11: One Day in America. Extremely well made, and one of the saddest/most haunting things I have ever watched. I was a freshmen in HS when 9/11 happened and recently went to a 9/11 memorial in my state. I found myself wanting to know more about it as an adult. It's on Disney+ or for purchase on YouTube. (First 4 episodes are free, but you have to buy the last two and/or the series). Whoever did the music/sound mixing for it deserves an Oscar.
Leets-bo-beets
2024-09-25 19:25:03 +0000 UTC
