killing hope by william blum

This history book has a very strong tankie bias that was evident to me almost immediately, at which point (10% into the book, in the section on the greek civil war) I checked a random citation and discovered a fairly obvious error in research right away - so probably 90%+ of the book is accurate and obviously quite damning of the US manipulation and ruination of other countries around the world over the last 100 years, but I personally can’t trust this book, and can’t commit to spending any more time on it. 

the constant gardener by john le carre

reading this long british spy drama is an exercise in verisimilitude - one feels, with each patient, slow, wonderfully written page, that one is joining the story, or at least helping create it, a story which, like life, plods along at its own inexorable pace, bringing one with it, teaching harsh lessons the whole way. 

the hobbit by j r r tolkien

still a classic, still fun and easy, still darker than it seems at first once you stop and think about it. 

cube 2: hypercube (2002)

This is basically just the same movie as cube 1 but computer graphics, which is fine because it’s still hilariously bad and a lot of fun. 

the circle by dave eggers

I couldn’t get thru more than the first tenth of this web startup dystopia book - too played, too internally inconsistent, clunky writing, wasn’t for me. 

the night manager by john le carre

The tv version of this 90s le carre standalone spy thriller absolutely entranced me when I watched it last year, and I must say the book did as well - slower, more enigmatic, but incredibly effective, had me hooked from the start. 

straight time (1978)

Dustin Hoffman is amazing as always in this thrilling, dramatic crime caper, but man is it stressful and sad. 

touch of evil (1958)

I know this international detective thriller is famous for welles’s amazing camerawork, but it’s also an interesting, arresting, touching story, in a sort of masculine cop drama kind of way. 

dark star (1974)

Carpenter's early sci-fi comedy movie is so deeply ahead of its time it loops back around and comes out early, if that makes any sense - for me it's an enduring classic.

Steven Universe seasons 1-5

Altho this animated space adventure tale starts off a kids show, it gets deeper and more mature as it goes on and ends up incredible, spectacular, deeply moving, one of the most special stories I’ve ever watched. 

the space between worlds by Micaiah Johnson

I think there are a lot of people for whom this dramatic thriller-type light sci-fi story would really work, as it has some interesting and interestingly broken characters and a satisfyingly twisty story - but for me it was a bit overwrought, a bit cheesy, and as a result never fully captured me.