📺 ~ Suits (Season 1)

rating: 8.75/10

it's solid. i like it very much tbh. uhh idk what to say about it. that last minute of the finale made me want to murder trevor. i hate that guy. mike ross is cool.

even harvey spector is cool. donna is iconic and a mood. i wanna see where donna and harvey go hehehehehehehehe. i saw a lil season 8 photo and i was like umm yes donna x harvey shipper here. they've got IT. law school finna be tough. every episode builds up into an overarching plot, which was good to see. i don't think i've ever seen a regular cable show like this lol, except The Good Doctor, so this was nice. i wanna see more good writing and episodes soon. i can't wait to see what the later seasons hold. this was a good season. every character except trevor has understandable motivations.

📖 ~ The Invisible Life of Addie Larue

rating: 5/5

to quote what i wrote on my goodreads review: "there's a book, and then there's a BOOK. This. Is. A. BOOK." and what a book it was indeed. reading this felt like i was actually reading and feeling a tangible embodiment of what a book—a story—is supposed to feel like. i haven't the slightest idea if that sentence makes sense, but it does to me. i knew as soon as i saw the page count that this story was one of patience, and as i write this i realise that yes, LITERALLY, it's about patience. i took six days to read it patiently, and not once did i feel like something was not right. on the contrary, everything felt RIGHT. it clicked well. i know this book is perhaps not for everyone—i have seen the reviews, most people just put-off by the slow pace, but that's the essence that makes this book as good as it is; the slow build, the payoff—that's what makes it feel deserved. i went into the book with an open mind. my expectations were not high, just there, and having finished this book what, ten or fifteen minutes ago, i feel satisfied. i don't feel like elaborating more about my thoughts. i know i tend to jump into a very informal take of my thoughts in most of my reviews but i think what i have written so far for this is fitting enough, and does not need further explanation.

🎬 ~ Glass Onion

rating: 6.5/10

two movies in one day haha nice. another fun time movie. i think i love benoit blanc coz he's kinda slay in both ways ykwim— n e way, JANELLE MONAE WAS IN THIS MOVIE!? like bro i was like hmmm girlie be lookin familiar and even who's that miles guy and i search on google and it's Ed Norton!?!??? even Kathryn Hahn bro i wasn't expecting her. AND THAT VERY CONFUSING ETHAN HAWKE CAMEO LMAO. so anyway let's get to the mystery itself shall we? this movie did sumn that i do not like: infodumping something that is totally unrelated and producing information that we previously weren't aware of, in this case, the twin sister plot. so the movie has good parts, and odd parts, but ok. another fine movie ig. not vry ground breaking. would love to see more of benoit blanc tho.

🎬 ~ Knives Out

rating: 7.75/10

this is a fun feel-good vibe movie. i loved the first half of it. dunno abt the second half. i just KNEW the murder had something to do with marta (who's ana de armas btw damn) and I WAS PROVEN RIGHT coz it's always the one we least suspect. the beginning half: it was fun to catch the little discrepancies in everyone's stories lol. benoit's southern accent caught me off-guard Imao even his personality in general. he's a lot more fun. i was expecting a more james bond approach with a british accent coz of his earlier role haha. jaeden martell was funny even though he had a small role. i wasn't expecting jamie lee curtis hehe it's my second time watching a movie with her in it.

all-in-all, yea solid sure. i think my expectations for whodunnits tend to be off the roof sometimes. this type of movie concept has a lot potential. i love whodunnits, even though this was my first movie of this genre haha.

📖 ~ Iron Widow

rating: 2/5

bestie, why. ok so context as to WHY i picked up a booktok book (i absolutely will not call this a novel even at gunpoint): one, i saw multiple tiktoks by a funny booktoker whose videos i liked telling me abt this being one of her favorite books w "badass" mcs, and two, i saw a reel by the author describing the book and the polyamorous relationship and i was SOLD. downloaded the epub, started reading yesterday, first few chapters were promising, the writing was not too bad, but then, after she kills the guy responsible for her sister's death—everything starts to go downhill. THERE IS NOTHING NATURAL ABOUT THE PROGRESSION IN THIS BOOK. first damn interaction between one of the love interests and the mc, and he is infodumping on her, mc speaks miles and miles of feminist ramblings (how did she become so feminist in that society anyway???) but constantly gets thrown around and ordered around by men, she is delusional, doesn't do SHIT, no character growth in her AT ALL. she is such a mary sue, not even a fun one, the kind that pisses me off. always the damsel in distress, always needs a man, always cries at everything and takes every damn thing seriously. bro i have read fanfiction like this and I DO NOT LIKE THIS. THEY BECOME THE VERY THING THEY HATE AND NOT IN A GOOD WAY. i liked no one in this, maybe yizhi, he was nice and pretty, and also the emperor guy uhh qin zheng i think. mc had like two proper badass moments and then was groveling all the other times. at least the last few pages unlocked a few ideas for elementalists' final arc for me. btw i was extremely uncomfortable at her stripping for the video she's forced to take and her attitude of "lol what's wrong w being naked i was born naked it's my body haha" it was not consensual and basically a form of SA and my conservative brain was pissed off. ew. n e way, the polyamorous relationship wasn't that good. vanilla and execution was off-kilter. i ain't touching the second book in this duology. i'm done. moral of the story: never trust booktok.

📺 ~ The Last of Us (Season 1)

rating: 8.85/10

took my time watching this one. i think my mind was corroded by the game so i disassociated a bit in the last episode. but this show was solid y'all. i teared up in a lot of moments. got me all emotional and shi. finally saw Pedro Pascal on the screen hehehehe he's a very good actor. even Bella Ramsey was slaying. her absolutely demolishing david was peak. serves that pedo ass cannibal right ugh.

BRO THAT OPENING THEME HAS GOT TO BE ONE OF MY FAVS COZ THE MUSIC AND THE VISUALS UFFFFF. the opening scene of the show in the pilot was MWAH LOVED IT HEHEHE. that scene itself is a 10/10. i rlly wanna see what happens in season 2 bro this season was a massive success. BRO BILL AND FRANK WAS SO SAD AND CUTE AND WHOLESOME AND TRAGIC i shed tears at the scene where they're on the couch talking abt the cancer frank's got on his last day. "i was never afraid before i met you." JDJDJDJSJWJA it was a really good show. i loved it and didn't feel bored in the slightest. would watch again w someone if prompted.

i still don't get the point of sam and henry dying and tbh i have no idea what the whole point of this story is (edit 2025: since then i've realised it's about the cycle of violence). but i wanna know so i'll try best to find out. kudos bye then.

📖 ~ The Toll

rating: 4/5

so, that was the final book. huh.

don't get your panties in a twist just yet, i liked the book so don't go shit on it just coz of the rating. let me lay down my gripes with the book first.

IT WAS SO LONG. over 600 pages, but i got through it in 4 days reading it on and off.

the testament of the toll thingies were weird. i didn't get the proper purpose of it. they were little more than fillers.

constantine my bae was done dirty this book. he disappeared as soon he couldn't serve the plot anymore.

the good-bye between citra and faraday was so half-assed bro like what? everything got forgotten as soon as rowan showed up. it was slightly irritating.

AND NOTHING EVEN PROPERLY EVER HAPPENS BETWEEN ROWAN AND CITRA???? ik that romance isn't a main point but i would never even call it a subplot for them. character really is not a strong point in these books. the ending was so ambiguous on all fronts—we never really get to see what happens properly. the last seene did feel like it was out of a nolan movie, though, in a good way. kudos to that. 

yes, it was a rather stretched out book but ok.

let's get into stuff i liked.

GREYSON AND JERICO FJDKSKKS. I WANT THEM TO BE ENDGAME AND GOOD THING I GOT A HINT FOR IT. their first interaction was >>>> ik it rlly may not seem like much but bro the chemistry was palpable. i thought there was sumn btwn possouelo and jeri and was rooting for them BUT IM ON TEAM GREYSON SORRY.

i can't really say much proper about the book anymore. rand's obsession w tyger was not properly explained, and she never rlly does anything about it until at the end for plot purposes. i have mixed feelings about this book now that i think about it. i did expect there to some time jump but the timeline was very nonlinear in the beginning and at times confusing. i don't know if the execution was done well or not. it just fell a bit short of well, hmm yk what i'm changing the rating. 

n e way, i don't got much to say. some things were good, some were meh, i didn't rlly care as much as i did in the second book.

the thunderhead and greyson had a sus relationship btw but JERI yay. greyson and jerico rlly saved this book for me. can't wait for the movies.