Books
Hunchback
Saou Ichikawa, (Polly Barton)
Contemporary Fiction
112 pages
★★★★☆
What a read. I find myself relating to the main character; not in severity of disability by any means, but a lot of the surrounding factors and themes. A real: she’s just like me!!!! character for me.
Stunning writing style, amazing disability representation. I wish there was more to this little gem! I wish it dived deeper into the sexual aspects, too. Challenging in the way that it provides discomfort that is otherwise mundanity to a lot of dsiabled people, offering light patters of laughter and always so, so intelligent. A very honest and informative glimpse into a world that most aren’t aware of, or even comfortable with. The ending mistified me a little, but I still enjoyed the vibes. And I thoroughly enjoyed the main characters thoughts/way of telling the story.
Hex
Jenni Fagan
Historical Fiction
112 pages
★★★★★
Stunning. I wish I had the right words to communicate exactly how special this book feels to me. Set in a familar place, perhaps my reading of this novel is biased given that the history it depicts is something I have spent a lifetime learning, loving, and expressing anger through just like this novel.
I love that the whole book takes place over one night, and how effortlessly it weaves reality and magic together into this amazing, lesbian, tragic tale. It was recommended to me as something along the lines of “gay Scottish witches” and I left with such a deeper appreciation—though it is also gay Scottish witches! I too love you Geillis Duncan. I loved how dialogue heavy it was because it didn’t necessarily feel like dialogue, and when it did, it felt so natural. Extremely moving, and relatable, and angering, and honestly made me cry! I loved every second of this book and will be looking to read more from this author!
Rosarita
Anita Desai
Literary Fiction
96 pages
★★☆☆☆
All icing and no cake unfortunately.
I read this during a heatwave which definitely helped! And don't get me wrong, the writing style is gorgeous… Stunning prose at such a sweet melancholic pace that matched the setting and helped me connect primarily. But I could not tell you what actually happens in this story. It's short and sugary sweet, but so languid which feels double edged for me. Pretty, but felt rather empty. The ending landed so flat in my opinion and I was left hungry for more... ( ◞ ⌓ ◟)＝3
Petty Lies
Sulmi Bak (Sarah Lyo)
Fiction, Thriller
160 pages
★★★★☆
I thoroughly enjoyed this book and finished it in one day! It helped kickstart my love of writing and reading again and I honestly wish it was longer!
Throughout reading, I felt so many emotions. Joy, empathy, disgust—it even made me cry! The animal cruelty is this book is not the most grotesque described, but it left a mark on me because it was a child that was enacting the violence, and the dichotomy between childhood innocence and violence left me a bit stunned. Not that I don't know it unfortunately happens in real life, but the callousness of the child in question left me speechless. The story was told so matter of factly, the cruelty no different, which I think helped the novel strike a chord with me. Despite the subject matter, the novel made me feel sympathy where I thought I wouldn’t, and then ripped it away a moment later, terrifying down to the details. The ending left me feeling incredibly satisfied!
Movies
Obsession
Curry Barker
Thriler, Horror
2025
★★★★★
I can't even pick the bear.
Nice guys. The bear. Bear. Autonomy. Womanhood. Art. Womanhood in the eyes of a hungry culture is most convenient when severed from thought.
Both leads were fantastic, I cannot stress this enough. I cannot hate Bear more than I do, and I cannot love Nikki more than I do. Nikki, the devil couldn't reach you so he sent you a nice guy. And for a movie called 'Obsession' it's ironic that I find myself unable to stop thinking about it. Originally, I had assumed it was overhyped... However, I'm glad I sat down to watch it despite my judgement.
I have soooooo so many thoughts about this movie and the characters and the real life comparions and other peoples reactions to all of it and more. I could gen sit here for hours just lamenting, sobbing.
There's so much to love here... The performances, the creepy too long shots, the weird backwards almost claymation-like movements, the screams, the lighting, the facial expressions, the sound design, the pacing. Sure, Nikki is terrifying for most of this movie, but I think the real horror lies elsewhere. We know where.
Horrifying in how closely it hits to home, especially for women worldwide. I can't stop thinking about Nikki, and every other Nikki I know, and the Nikki that is me. And how even in death, a man gets off lightly. To leave Nikki all alone with the mess Bear's caused? Her screams were horrifying omfg... I feel for you girl...
Inde Navarrette deserves every award possible idk. IDK bro! I don't know!!!!!!!!
Mulholland Drive
David Lynch
Drama, Mystery, Thriller
2001
★★★★⯪
Most of the film: let's go lesbians!
The last 20 minutes: oh no!
I really, really love Lynch media. The whole time I was watching I had no idea what was really happening or where the plot was going, but I went for a smoke before the final 20 minutes thinking "Damn, it hasn't really been that weird yet... And there's not long left..."
Anyway, the final 20 minutes did NOT disappoint. Not that the previous like 2 hours were bad as such, just that I finally got what I was expecting. A confusing mass of disconnected dream-like sequences that left me more confused than ever!
I have a theory for what I saw... something about Betty actually being Diane, and the final 20 minutes of the movie being flashes of her actual real life. The previous majority of the film being how she wishes things would have happened; her lover suddenly relying on her 100% due to amnesia, Diane getting immediately loved for her acting versus the reality of her losing roles, etc etc. What I'm saying is that most of this movie is just fantasy, and we only see true reality during the final stretch.
It's not my fav Lynch media... I still prefer Fire Walk With Me. But like, I immediately gave it 4.5 stars anyway LOL. No questions asked like yeah... This is a good movie thank you...
Backrooms
Kane Parsons
Mystery, Sci-Fi, Horror
2026
★★★☆☆
This movie could have been so much more... I am thoroughly upset.
Should have been a youtube video if I'm honest, even if in multi parts. I remember watching a youtube video a while ago about how a lot of youtubers seem to aim to be a movie director as an end goal, and I do definitely think that Kane excells in movie making. But the idea is that being viewed as a youtuber is somehow dirty, or a lower form of entertainment as compared to movies. There's a lot more deeper and nuanced discussion here that I don't wanna ramble on about, but for the small glimpses of strength seen in this film, most of it is outshined by the negatives for me. It would have been such a great youtube video, or a mini series within the larger backrooms idea, focusing on more spooky aspects instead of force feeding the audience some tale about trauma or whatever.
Most of my stars are given because it truly was visually stunning, and the shots are so pretty to look at. It was really cool to see places I've explored in games on the big screen too; Me pointing at every scene like: IVE BEEN THERE!
I just can't help but to think that this movie was so weak otherwise though. I love the YouTube series so much, and I think this setting is far more suited for YouTube. The last third was incredibly jarring and not fun to watch, the switch up had me confused with lack of context. It either needed to be less wide in its scope, or like an hour longer to provide a decent set up for the end. As it stands, it felt so incredibly lacking that I ended up getting bored.
I kept getting confused about the characters but that's my fault. I'm stupid I guess.
Also, no one was as scared as they should have been. Why are we barely running from the horrors? I wanted to see the ball pit birthday world so bad omg... I understand why it wasn't included, but it's my fav backrooms level. They included parts of the pool which was cool, but I always love seeing the birthday rooms!
OH also also, I missed mr squiggle monster too where was he!!!! Don't get me wrong, the pirate guy manifestation was also cool to look at, but I spent the whole movie eagerly awaiting an old friend only to be left sorely disappointed. I need to play a backrooms game again just to give him a hug :D...
Tusk
Kevin Smith
Horror, Comedy
2014
★★⯪☆☆
So me and my friends host a weekly movie night over discord where we all suggest movies to add to a spinning wheel, and we watch whatever shit was picked by the wheel. I, unfortunately, added tusk to the wheel. I've been wanting to see how bad it might be since it came out, but never got around to it. Perhaps that was divine intervention!
Anyway, Tusk was chosen by the wheel, and 8 minutes in I said to my friends "He deserves to be tuskified." I still stand by that.
This movie was actually so unironically funny to me though... Not because it's a funny film, but from the sheer stupidity and absurdity. I had a very fun time watching this movie from just how much I laughed throughout, though I do think it sucks overall. Everybody sucks. Everybody had it coming. I went for a smoke half way through the film and just heard intense screaming, and I think that sums up my feelings about this movie. The accent work is so atrocious too omfg...
This movie is a comedy first and foremost, don't forget.
Ahoy matey :D [incoherent screaming]
Also, like... Why the fuck did they keep him as a walrus? I can understand from the point of view that maybe he'd be significantly hurt by the process of removal, but I don't think this movie is working on actual logic. If it were, then he'd have rotten away by the attachment of all that extra skin in the first place. The psychological aspect mentioned in the credits with that stupid podcast voice over just seems so weak in my opinion, and I truly think Wallace would have been better off dead. Johnny Depp should have gunned him down while he had the chance!
The Room
Tommy Wiseau
Drama, Romance
2003
☆☆☆☆☆
Oh hi Mark.
Anyway, if I could give this movie negative stars then I would. It's not even a case of "so bad it's good", it's just bad. I'm glad I watched it for context for the memes, but the whole time I felt as though I was being hypnotized into a dissociative state.
All of the budget went into the sex scenes and none into plot.
21 Jump Street
Phil Lord, Christopher Miller
Crime, Action, Comedy
2012
★⯪☆☆☆
I hate guy humour. Ass titties drugs haha gay!
I only watched this because my partner put it on. I'd have never wanted to watch it by myself—and for good reason apparently. This shit sucked so much ass omfg... And I have no other means to describe it beyond just 'guy humor' like... It pmo so bad. I'm happy other people find it funny but I don't think I laughed ONCE.
The penis scene is when I decided the rating. I'm no prude by any means I promise, it was just so egregiously stupid that it honestly single handedly secured the low score for me.
Elephant
Gus Van Sant
Crime, Drama
2003
★★⯪☆☆
I wanted to watch this because it seems like the majority of viewers hated it, but the ones who liked it LOVED it yknow? And I wanted to know what was so polarizing about it...
In the most neutral way possible, this felt like 'walking simulator the movie'. SO many long shots of just straight walking and nothing else. I don't particularly care for them, but I also don't love them. On the contrary, the casual reveal of the Dylan and Eric stand ins genuinely made me anxious. Got my heart racing with fear omfg...
I do not hate nor love this film. It was fine. A bit slow for my liking but that felt like a stylistic choice so I respect it. The utter normalcy of it all is a bit frightening. The ending pmo.
Trainspotting
Danny Boyle
Crime, Drama
1996
★★★★★
Renton looks exactly like my dad when he was younger. Acts like him too. As such, I have complicated feelings about this character, but mostly sheer pity.
An incredibly harrowing film. The withdrawal scene is so cool, and so, so sad... Relatable too. I saw someone say that the baby scene is a bit too much, but I'd like to strongly disagree! While the tone of the film is generally depression with a slice of the classic self-depricating Scottish humor, moments of reality like the baby scene felt necessary to include given the main theme of addiction. Amazing soundtrack too omfg... I had a fun time despite it all!
I wish Begbie a very slow death.
Games
Nophenia
lane
Exploration, Walking Sim, Atmospheric
26 Jun, 2026
★★★★☆
Such a lovely little treat of a game! Very reminiscent of Yume Nikki, an all time fav of mine, so it's no surprise that I thoroughly enjoyed this title too! I bought it in the sale, though I'd recommend it outside of sale pricing too.
I didn't know what to expect before opening the game, but right from the beginning this game is so super stylish... The pause menu is a particular fav of mine, resembling an old flip phone, complete with an amazing soudscape and cute keychains to match. And as is included with the atmospheric genre tag above, all of the music in this game is soothing and pleasant to listen to, if a bit quiet.
Where this games strong point lies is its absolutely stunning visuals! This is important, seeing as the main point of the game is exploration, and I'd like to state that the exploration is so fun! You'll see familiar sights, especially if you were born in the 90's, and some comforting views to contrast the otherwise dark oppressive atmosphere felt throughout gameplay. It is an all round mysterious and captivating experience, one that I'd recommend!
It's a bit short for my liking, but maybe I'm just being selfish. I'd have loved to explore more, or to have a few more interactions in game, but the camera mechanic is really nice and I did thoroughly enjoy my time with this game. It took me only an hour to complete and that's including the times I got lost.
Wizardry: Labyrinth of Lost Souls
ACQUIRE Corp.
JRPG, Dungeon Crawler
15 Jan, 2020
★★★★★
I don't know where this game lands in the series titles, but it's my first experience within Wizardry, and I must admit that it has been so so fun!
It's tedious and rather grindy, which is exactly the kind of playstyle I enjoy! For example, I am currently 5ish hours into my current save file, and I have completed four quests only. The gameplay isn't for everyone, but if you like the general style and vibe, then I'm sure you'll love it!
Currently, my save is on a fighter elf, and I'm level 12. I don't think I've experienced much of the game, which honestly just makes me excited to play more because I believe it is deep and long and I cannot wait to experience the whole story! I have a blog entry about the game in my aptly named blog which I recommend checking out for more info regarding my playthrough if you're interested. But I don't wanna spoil too much... You should experience everything for yourself!
The characters are gorgeous, monsters are so grossly (positive) designed, the music is decent, and the 3D dungeon designs are soooo pretty omg...
Please check it out. I'm having so much fun!
Deadlock
Valve
MOBA
TBA
★★★★★
For the simple reason that this game got me off LoL, I have to give it 5 stars.
I don't remember getting into the beta for this game, but I did, and my partner wanted to try actually playing it together. Since then two months ago, I've played at least one game a day; though usually more! I main Rem, but don't mind playing Graves or Seven either. I'm not the best aimer in the world, but the game is still a lot of fun and I'm steadily progressing through the ranks of this title! Not that ranking up is any of my concern, but it's nice regardless.
It's still in development, but it already feels polished enough to be considered finished in my opinion. I've not ran into any bugs or anything as of yet, and the playerbase is pretty strong. If you're able to get into the beta, I'd strongly recommend it! ദ്ദി ( ᵔ ᗜ ᵔ )
