musingsofaprofessionaldaydreamer - Tumblr blog

[musingsofaprofessionaldaydreamer]

If your “childhood” is more important than someone’s mental and physical health

You’re a sicko who needs to grow up

[musingsofaprofessionaldaydreamer]

Hey all! So update ! It's been quite a ...year . Unfortunately, I didn't get to post any reviews of books I've been reading. At first, in solidarity with WGA /SAG-AFTRA strike. and much of what I was reading being adapted to film or rumored to be.

Then a whole lot of nothing because * gestures vaguely *

I do apologize for the absence and hope you all are still here with me !

But this upcoming year, I am going to do better at posting more frequently . I can't promise a lot but I promise more than what's been done so far.

Happy New Year, everyone! Take care of yourselves and each other.

[musingsofaprofessionaldaydreamer]

Me: I should write

Also me: 

[musingsofaprofessionaldaydreamer]

🏳️‍⚧️

[musingsofaprofessionaldaydreamer]

Eid Mubarak to all you lovely humans celebrating. May your days be filled with all the love and happiness that you deserve ☾☀︎︎❣︎

[musingsofaprofessionaldaydreamer]

Hey all, Andi here. Just popping in with a personal update: Sorry for being absent for so long 😅 I got a new left hip in January so I have been recovering. I thought I'd be doing a lot more reading in that time but unfortunately, I haven't. my TBR list is a mile long. But I am feeling up for tackling it now and I promise back with more reviews soon.

Until next time remember: You are loved, stay safe, and take care of yourselves and each other!

[musingsofaprofessionaldaydreamer]

Movies to watch During Black History Month

Hey all and Happy Black History Month Andi Here to give you all a list of my all-time favorite Black movies that I hope you can enjoy this Black History Month.  I initially intended Creating a list with just 28 films   for a film a day type of deal but that was HELLA difficult considering the plethora of Black films that exist that I love.  Instead, I categorized the films. This still isn't everything Just some of my favorites and mostly cover U.S. based Films

 Hopefully you enjoy them as much as I do! Let's get into it: Action: The Equalizer Devil in a Blue dress Dope

Shaft

B.A.P.S

Without Remorse

Sci-Fi Fantasy:

Black Panther

Spiderman: Into the Spider verse

Blade

I am legend Book of Eli

Horror:

Night of the living dead The People Under the Stairs

Get Out

Us

Nope

Candyman

Comedy :

Harlem nights

Coming to America

CB4

Car Wash

National Security

Im Gonna Git You Sucka

Beauty Shop

Do the Right Thing

Attack the Block

Musical:

The Wiz

Dreamgirls

Cinderella

Jingle Jangle

Sister Act

The Fighting Temptations

Joyful Noise

Documentary:

Paris is Burning

Summer of Soul

13th

Aftershock

Becoming

Whose Streets?

LA 92

The Black Panthers : Vanguard of the revolution

Kiki

Black Art : in the absence of light

Drama:

The Pursuit of Happyness

Whats Love Got to do with It

Fruitvale Station

Fences

John Q 

Holiday Heart

Blind Spotting

Romance:

Woo

The Photograph

Moonlight

Best Mans

Poetic Justice

Naz and Maalik

Deliver us from Eva

Love don’t cost a thing

Shes Gotta Have It

Guess Who

Idlewild

Historical:

Red Tails

Da 5 Bloods

The Color Purple

Beloved

Hidden Figures

Harriet

One Night In Miami

Judas and The Black Messiah

Malcom X

The Butler

Loving Watch with the family:

Soul

Good Burger

Daddy Day Care

Dr. Dolittle

Johnson family vacation 

Haunted Mansion

Drumline

Akeelah and the Bee

Fatherhood

Cool Runnings

The Princess and the Frog

Kazaam

The Sea Beast

Home

A wrinkle in time

The Curse of Bridge Hollow

Canvas

ERAX

Cheaper by the Dozen 2021

King Richard

Fearless

[musingsofaprofessionaldaydreamer]

ANDI REVIEWS : Gather The Daughters .

Hey All Andi here with another Book Review ! This time I've read Gather the daughters by Jennie Melamed

***Tw : Domestic Violence , implied Rape ,Child abuse, incest , Sexism ,Death ***

First things first as usual our TRIGGER WARNINGS:

Gather the Daughters is a 2017 science-fiction novel by Jennie Melamed.  About a cult on an isolated island, where nothing is as it seems.

Years ago, just before the country was incinerated to wasteland, ten men and their families colonized an island off the coast. They built a radical society of ancestor worship, controlled breeding, and the strict rationing of knowledge and history. Only the Wanderers -- chosen male descendants of the original ten -- are allowed to cross to the wastelands, where they scavenge for detritus among the still-smoldering fires.

The daughters of these men are wives-in-training. At the first sign of puberty, they face their Summer of Fruition, a ritualistic season that drags them from adolescence to matrimony. They have children, who have children, and when they are no longer useful, they take their final draught and die. But in the summer, the younger children reign supreme. With the adults indoors and the pubescent in Fruition, the children live wildly -- they fight over food and shelter, free of their fathers' hands and their mothers' despair. And it is at the end of one summer that little Caitlin Jacob sees something so horrifying, so contradictory to the laws of the island, that she must share it with the others.

Born leader Janey Solomon steps up to seek the truth. At seventeen years old, Janey is so unwilling to become a woman, she is slowly starving herself to death. Trying urgently now to unravel the mysteries of the island and what lies beyond, before her own demise, she attempts to lead an uprising of the girls that may be their undoing.

As a lover of  dystopian sci fi and the handmaids tale,   with a morbid fascination with cults. Gather the daughters immediately  caught my attention . It's   A story told from the alternating perspective  of  the daughters that call an isolated unnamed Island home. 

The story itself was very unsettling. These daughters lived restricted lives in a world where Domestic violence and  incestuous pedophilia  are completely normalized .Training to be faithful to the ancestors, obey their fathers  and fully once puberty hit they were expected to immediately  become an obedient wife and and bear   children.and die. *

The world building through  the eyes of the young daughters added a more sinister tone and although most of the abuse was  only implied with  such a  matter of fact delivery that  it breaks your heart. 

 This book was one of the hardest reads I've had in a while.i nearly didn't finish it . But   I was so invested in the story. So invested  in the daughters. Fascinated by the wastelands that I pushed through it. 

Am I did ?  Absolutely and with there being whispers of a sequel coming soon I'm looking forward to the next chapters of this book .

I would recommend this book to those who enjoy dystopia novels.  And although it is told from the perspective of children  due to its dark themes and heavy subject matter I think it's best suited for a more mature audience.

[musingsofaprofessionaldaydreamer]

Starting this baby tomorrow. See you all soon ! 😘

[musingsofaprofessionaldaydreamer]

ANDI REVIEWS : The Orphan Collector by Ellen Marie Wiseman.

****First and foremost let's cover our TW for xenophobia , racism, child abuse, and Death ****

RIGHT , Let's get into it shall we?

Between the pages of The Orphan Collector  the author weaves the stories of two very different women into a page-turning novel as suspenseful as it is poignant, set amid one of history’s deadliest pandemics.

thirteen-year-old German immigrant Pia Lange longs to be far from Philadelphia’s overcrowded streets and slums, and from the anti-German sentiment that compelled her father to enlist in the U.S. Army, hoping to prove his loyalty. But an even more urgent threat has arrived. Spanish influenza is spreading through the city. Soon, dead and dying are everywhere. With no food at home, Pia must venture out in search of supplies, leaving her infant twin brothers alone 

Bernice Groves. lost in grief and bitterness after her son succumbs to the flu makes a shocking, life-altering decision that leads her on a sinister mission.

even as Bernice plots to keep the truth hidden at any cost. Only with persistence, and the courage to face her own shame and fear, will Pia put the pieces together and find the strength to risk everything to see justice at last.

 The Orphan Collector  is simultaneously  heartbreaking and heartwarming . A historical fiction set against the backdrop of the flu pandemic It was well researched,honest and handled with the care I would hope future writers would  take when they write about the covid 19 pandemic . 

Under her fretful exterior  Pia Lange is such a resilient, brave   character . A shy  empathetic teenage girl. With hopes, dreams and a longing  for her family to be at peace. Stopping at nothing to find her brothers .

Bernice Groves was a stark contrast to Pia: bigoted,cruel, narcissistic and most horrifying of all..beloved by those around her . This  woman could just as easily be one of your neighbors , a pillar of your community chefs kiss  for creating the PERFECT villain and big kudos for keeping her that way. 

I recommend  this book,( and Author)  fans of historical fiction. I cant give an opinion on how age appropriate  it may be for young readers due to different levels of reading comprehension . If your child shows an interest I suggest reading along as it does have heavy themes.  It does come with a handy discussion  guide at the end!  

Overall a stellar read!

[musingsofaprofessionaldaydreamer]

Stay Tuned Ya'll

After a very busy couple of weeks and a long period of indecision in regard to my TBR list I finally finished my first pick of the month. Review coming tomorrow afternoon.

[musingsofaprofessionaldaydreamer]

ANDI REVIEWS : Mexican Gothic by Silvia Moreno-Garcia

*******FIRST THINGS FIRST I am including a trigger warning for sexual assault. It's a small part of the story ( a few pages in total throughout the novel )  it was still there and can be very  triggering to some readers.******

Mexican Gothic is a 2020 gothic horror novel by Mexican Canadian author Silvia Moreno-Garcia. It centers on a young woman investigating her cousin's claims that her husband is trying to murder her.

The first thing I noticed about this book was its absolutely  gorgeous cover ( I mean ,look at it) The use of jewel tones , the beautiful dress. The woman with the flawless skin.  It was gorgeous and I had to read it immediately.  And when I tell you I was not disappointed AT ALL .  So let's get into it, shall we ?:

As a lifelong reader of gothic horror I was glad to see this novel stayed true to its  gothic horror roots: Young beautiful woman,  Big house that's so old it's falling apart, Strange family,  a handsome yet terrifying aristocrat . Paranormal elements.   What really added to the horror for me was the backdrop of  1950s Mexico.  The 1950s were a truly problematic and horrible era for BIPOC  and Women. Especially  the poor ones given the violent histories of colonialism, working class exploitation, and misogynist patriarchy and the novel touched  on those points in an Excellent  way that only made the novel scarier.

 It's very rare that I find myself  a fan of a book's main protagonist. Especially  in my favorite genres. In most cases I find  the MCs to be too harsh. So I end up attaching  to the nearest  side character  that  shows an ounce of warmth and softness like a limpet  but in this case  Noemí is so well  written. She's warm , intelligent , witty,confident, feminine and colorful in both spirit and style . As a person who needs a likeable protagonist  to stay fully engaged in the story  I was very pleased.

 i highly recommend this book as a spooky October read it was a thrill ride ride filled with mystery,  ghosts , and one  hell of an unexpected twist. If there ever were to be a sequel of Mexican Gothic,  be it a continuation of the story or a new cast of characters I would be first in line to get my copy.   In the meantime  I eagerly  await the Hulu series  Adaptation  !

[musingsofaprofessionaldaydreamer]

Watched the SpaceX launch tonight from my bedroom window. Pretty dope!

[musingsofaprofessionaldaydreamer]

ANDI REVIEWS : The Block by Ben Oliver. 

In the second book of The Loop trilogy , Luka is trapped in a fate worse than death. But now that he knows the truth about what he and his fellow inmates are being used for, it's more important than ever that he not only escapes, but that he builds an army.

In this second installment  of the Loop Trilogy: The Block continues its fantastic world building and asks the question: What happens when the line between what's real and  whats false blurs into nothingness?  Who or what  do you trust?  

 I think What I love most of all about this Trilogy so far are the characters.  I  appreciate that I never forgot  that I was reading about a group primarily  made up of teenagers from the  point of view of a teenager. We get to see more raw emotions, joys and   I particularly  enjoyed that we got far more humor in this installment. I  found myself laughing and crying with them as they continued  their fight for a better world. 

This book is not a long read . And can be easily  read in one sitting . It's fast paced and thrilling and I cannot wait to read the final installment : The Arc 

[musingsofaprofessionaldaydreamer]

Third book finished. Another review upcoming .

[musingsofaprofessionaldaydreamer]

ANDI REVIEWS : The Culling. By Sian B. Claven

"Twenty Elders came to their rescue.

Twenty cities across the world were established. 

Twenty cities across the world were safe.

Twenty cities middle children went to Nirvana.

In a world enveloped in darkness, where demons surround every inch of the globe. Twenty safe Zones have been set up and are protected by the Lord, and his Elders. Each year one Zone sends out their next generation of Middle Born Children to reach Nirvana and spend the rest of their lives with the Lord.

Only once outside the Zone, they are left to wonder if faith alone is enough to protect them from the darkness of the world."

Let me just say that Sian B Claven has yet to disappoint.  I am a huge fan of her work. And The Culling is a wonderful addition to my collection.

From the first page of The Culling I was immediately drawn to the lives of the middle born children : Their unwavering faith in the Lord , in the elders, coolness in face of reaching their purpose in life as they ventured out of the safety of their home into a dangerous world  to travel to nirvana.   Sian B.Claven takes us along on a one hell of a twisted journey   through the eyes of  Middle born children as they travel  down the path to Nirvana as  every moment  tests their faith. And the pressure of ensuring the safety of  their fellow middle born and ultimately their zone envelopes around them like the  dark , suffocating forest that lines their path. 

This book is a definite favorite. I can see myself revisiting it for years to come and it is a must read for fans of supernatural  horror , paranormal and the occult.  

[musingsofaprofessionaldaydreamer]

Andi Reviews: The Loop by Ben Oliver "16-year-old Luka Kane has been inside hi-tech prison the Loop for over two years.

A death sentence is hanging over his head, but his day-to-day routine is mind-numbingly repetitive, broken only by the books brought to him by the sympathetic warden, Wren. Then everything starts to change rumors of war are whispered in the courtyard and the government-issued rain stops falling.

On Luka’s last, desperate day, Wren issues him a terrifying warning: breaking out of the Loop might be Luka’s only chance to save himself – and the world …"

 In the vein of The Hunger Games and I, robot. Ben Oliver builds a perfect post war utopia in the future where everything is as it should be: There is no war, no famine, no sickness, all of humanity united for the greater good, together under the World Government asking the reader how far are we willing to go to achieve perfection? What injustices are we willing to turn a blind eye to stay comfortable.? And in the constantly evolving world of technology how long before the very things we use to distinguish ourselves from artificial intelligence, the things that make us Human, become obsolete? It is a hard to put down fast paced read that I recommend to fans of the YA, Dystopian, and Sci- Fi genres.