Hi lovely readers! I hope everyone is staying healthy and safe. We have reached the end of April, which means it’s time for my monthly favorites list. Enjoy! And as usual, feel free to comment with your thoughts or recommendations.
Books
House Without Doors (Peter Straub) – Peter Straub is a well known horror writer, whose style is in the same vein as Stephen King’s, and Houses Without Doors is one my favorite book by him. It’s a collection of short stories, each one dealing with the terrors that lay underneath the ordinary world. The horror is mainly psychological and even when there’s nothing outwardly scary going on, there’s a pervasive tone of dread and darkness that courses throughout the work.
Music
The Sex Education Soundtrack – The Netflix original has become one of my favorite shows as of late, and that includes its soundtrack. The music, largely consisting of 80’s/90’s alternative rock/pop (especially British), adds to the show’s vintage feel. Included are: the Talking Heads, Velvet Underground, New Order, Ezra Furman, The The, The Clash. Ezra Furman wrote a few original songs for the show, and one of them- “Every Feeling”- is one of the most beautiful songs on the soundtrack.
T.V./Film
Sex Education – This show is fearless, it’s bold and smart and wickedly funny. Sex Ed goes beyond a typical teenage sex comedy, and delves into the intricacies of sexuality and youth, while exploring the meaning of friendship and family. There’s a wealth of actually educational and insightful commentary on sex, and it’s presented in a fresh way. The writing and acting are two of the best things about the show; each character is fleshed out and refreshingly free of stereotyping. (available on: Netflix)
Bright Star – Along with Sofia Coppola and Greta Gerwig, Jane Campion has always been one of my top female filmmaker role models. Her films tend to have female driven stories with themes relating to love and passion, accompanied by beautiful cinematography. Bright Star has become my second favorite film of hers (The Piano is number one), with its luscious cinematography (the natural scenery itself is beautiful) and a superb performance by Abbie Cornish. Campion tells the story of the three-year romance between 19th century poet John Keats and Fanny Brawne near the end of his life (he died at a very young age, in his 20s). The film is a love letter to poetry, it is poetry, slow moving and lyrical, and focused on conveying feeling and atmosphere rather than story. (available to rent on Amazon)
Ozark – This is an incredibly taut and fast paced thrilling show, with outstanding performances, especially from Laura Linney and Julia Garner. The story of an everyday family entangled in the drug cartel is compelling to watch, with many twists and turns. While there are some faults, such as unimaginative cinematography and dubious plot points at times, the acting and sheer thrill certainly makes up for it. The latest season, season 3, is by far the best season, as it finds solid footing with tone and character development. Fair warning to those who deal with mental illness- season 3 delves into the bipolar disorder a bit and it gets pretty intense, I found some stuff hard to watch as someone who’s had similar experiences. (Available on: Netflix)
Quote of the month
“Therefore, let us be happy while we are happy. Let us be kind, generous, affectionate, and good. It is necessary and not at all shameful to take pleasure in the little world.” ~
Fanny and Alexander (film)
A World Noticed 
loved reading this 🙂