Mikayla's Media Corner #6

Another week, another chance for me to plug random media that rotten tomatoes wouldn’t even review. Kidding. Kind of. Nevertheless, here I am just a girl standing in front of a computer screen asking you to read my media corner.

• I read Mr. Penumbra’s 24-Hour Bookstore by Robin Sloan a few years ago but recently rediscovered it. The novel spoke to my inner nerd and is a fun read involving a secret book society, technology, and cryptography. The main character, Clay, is a design school graduate who gets a job at an independent bookstore that is severely out of date. As Clay continues to work in the shop, he develops a computer data visualization program that models the books on the shelves. The novel was a fun read that spoke to my wannabe coder aspirations and love of bookstores. The beginning of the novel is slow-paced but once the puzzle starts unfolding it gets faster and more engaging. (Link to image)

• "Awake" is a single released by Chiiild featuring Mahalia. I hadn’t heard of Chiiild before but am a fan of Mahalia and this song has been stuck in my head since it was released. Chiiild and Mahalia blend so well and I really enjoy the production elements that are used and how at times it warps and echoes their vocals. The single is chill and soulful with the instrumentals that pierce through the song's relaxed haziness. Also, after you check out the single be sure to give Chiiild and Mahalia’s respective albums a listen because they are both absurdly talented. (Link to image)

• With the success of WandaVision, I wanted to plug Elizabeth Olsen’s 2017 satirical stalker comedy Ingrid Goes West which she co-stars in with Aubrey Plaza. I think this movie is hysterical in a cringey and unsettling sort of way. It explores social media addiction and the problem with tying your value to increasing likes and growing followers. Plaza’s character Ingrid moves to LA and inserts herself into the life of her favorite Instagram influencer, Taylor Sloan (Elizabeth Olsen). Watching Ingrid vie for the love and approval of Taylor gave me major second-hand embarrassment, which only made me want to watch more. Taylor’s narcissism was sickeningly enjoyable. I’ve known people like this and can sympathize with Ingrid’s need to be liked, but her obsession was one murder away from single white female. For all my fellow Olsen and Plaza enthusiasts this movie will make you laugh, cringe, and, hopefully, inspire a social media detox. (Link to image)

• Tonight I will be rewatching Someone Great starring Gina Rodriguez, Brittany Snow, and DeWanda Wise, my favorite breakup movie on Netflix. Someone Great follows Jenny in the aftermath of her breakup with her longtime boyfriend as she distracts herself with hunting down music festival tickets with her friends. The movie intertwines flashbacks to the relationship and the moments leading to the breakup which allows viewers to experience the breakup as Jenny would. It mirrors how people process breakups and reminds me of how memories work and how I look back on my own relationships that have ended. I really enjoyed the feeling of the movie, and it introduced me to my first Lizzo song (so major bonus points). (Link to image)