Media Matters

 Memoir by Ruth Reichl. I actually really enjoyed listening to this memoir! I found it fascinating how influenced she was by how she was dressed and how much it affected her actions. I loved that her son always immediately recognized her when no one else did. I loved that she was on the side of regular people rather than the restaurants or the snooty elitists. I thought it was fascinating that her alter egos seemed to come in contrasting pairs: the woman who gets walked all over by people (Molly) and the over assertive woman (Miriam, her mom); the attention grabbing blonde (Chloe) and the practically invisible older woman (Betty); the warm, generous redhead (Brenda) and the cold, judgmental woman (Emily). I loved her introspection about the kind of person she wanted to be and her recognition that what her son wanted most was family dinners together at home. The audiobook narration was excellent and was followed by an interesting interview with the author. My only complaint about th...

 Book by Ruta Sepetys and Steve Sheinkin. This was a fun audiobook listen! It is a solid middle grade mystery set in Britain during World War 2. It definitely leans more juvenile than the author’s other books.

 Book by James Ponti. This is a very fun middle grade mystery that had me guessing til the end! The audiobook was great, and there was no objectionable content. Would be fun for the whole family! Note: there are three books in the trilogy (Framed!, Vanished!, Trapped!) , and I have read and would recommend them all.

 Book by Gabrielle Meyer. This time travel romance was surprisingly good. The plot felt fresh,  the decisions felt difficult, and the characters felt real. I also really appreciated the faith-affirming, life-affirming, and motherhood-affirming messaging. I listened to the audiobook and it was quite good. Note: marital rape is discussed in vague terms, but there is nothing sexual described in any detail whatsoever. Definitely falls in the “adult themes but no adult content” category.

 Book by Kate Milford. This middle grade not very spooky mystery has lots of interesting characters and twists and turns. “It is not merely our adversaries we must investigate…. We must always work to know ourselves better, too.”

 This movie depicts the true story of Trudy Ederle, the first woman to swim the English Channel and beat the men’s record in the process. I thoroughly enjoyed the movie and marvelled at Trudy’s dedication despite those men who were determined to stop her. The movie is funny and heartwarming, but also eye-opening in terms of the way women and sports were viewed in the early 1900’s. Note: it briefly shows the bare buttocks of a man who swims nude or in a thong.

 Book by Olivia Ford. Utterly charming novel that shows it’s never too late to chase a dream or right a wrong or reconcile a relationship. I particularly loved the portrayal of Jenny and Bernard’s warm and caring marriage.  Note: contains adult themes (adultery, coerced adoption) but no adult content. There is a side character who happens to be gay but his sexuality is not a focal point.