So Playing House has officially been canceled. Anyone who has been following the show has been expecting this news, given how long the show was (unavoidably) on hiatus in between seasons. It didn’t stand a chance after that which is really unfortunate because this show was so good. It’s the kind of show that really warmed your heart. Playing House gives you the feeling of having the best homemade chocolate cookies you’ve ever had, that will also give you a slight buzz. I’m really going to miss this comedy but I’m also really happy that we got all of the episodes that we did get. That in itself is a really great TV accomplishment and everyone involved in the show should be really proud. ABC’s Ten Days in the Valley has also been essentially canceled (since it’s been moved to Saturdays). I have no idea why ABC didn’t promote this show and I hate that they let such a fantastic drama fade into oblivion. I could understand dropping the ball on a show you realize, as the network, was a mistake to make but this show was good. It didn’t deserve to be the show’s middle child, so to speak.
Enough about being bummed over canceled shows though because that is legit bringing me down. October brought the premiere of ABC’s new comedy, The Mayor which I LOVE love love oh my goodness. I LOVE this show. Did I mention that I love this show? It’s so great! The characters are fantastic (minus the Rachel Berry reincarnate), the comedy is A+, and every moment that embodies the Black experience speaks to my heart. I really hope this show has enough viewers to get renewed because I will need a sick day to re-watch the show in mourning if it does end up getting the boot. Anyway…the entire episode of Bob’s Burgers season 8 premiere was animated by over 60 fans. Fans! What a way to show the viewers they’re appreciated. Love it. This was truly the most creative episode of animation you’ll see in 2017. Bravo! Also, Jane the Virgin and Crazy Ex-Girlfriend are back! Woo!!!! Watch both shows on Netflix and catch up if you have yet to check them out. They are the best dramedies on television so you DO NOT want to miss out. Don’t you dare give up on these shows either, really give them a chance. You’ll fall in love. And of course I can’t let October pass without mentioning Season 2 of Stranger Things dropping on Netflix. I flew through the second season (which was so great!) and am highly anticipating the third season!
As for movies and the like, if you haven’t seen the HBO documentary, Spielberg about the legendary Steven Spielberg, get a friend’s HBO password and watch it for goodness sake. I lay out my favorite quotes from the doc here.
When it comes to books, I’ve been drowning in books for research purposes since I’m working on a nonfiction pop culture manuscript at the moment. So the books that I am reading this month I have not yet finished. Which is why my Read count is so low this month. On the plus side, I did zoom through a trilogy this month on my commute to/from work, all in audiobook format thanks to my local library. Libraries rock, man. Especially the overdrive app which totally changed the game for me when it comes to my audiobook listening (and I will never stop reminding you about it). Can’t wait to see what I get to listen to next month!
How was your month in TV, movies, and books?
Book Reviews
* Pashmina by Nidhi Chanani
* Dear Martin by Nic Stone
E-book/Book/ARC (Advanced Review Copy)/Audiobook Haul
* Beyond Belief: My Secret Life Inside Scientology and My Harrowing Escape by Jenna Miscavige Hill with Lisa Pulitzer
* The Minus Faction: Complete Omnibus Edition by Rick Wayne
* Between a Rock and a Hot Mess by Phyllis Bourne
TV & Movie Reviews
* Movie: Geostorm starring Gerard Butler & Jim Sturgess
* Movie: Trafficked starring Ashley Judd
* TV: Hulu’s Freakish Season 2 Premiere
Books I Read
If you’d like to keep track of my reading progress as it happens and reviews as they are posted, feel free to follow me on Goodreads!
Audiobooks That I Listened To (Own/Library):
1. Across the Universe by Beth Revis
2. A Million Suns by Beth Revis
3. Shades of Earth by Beth Revis
4. American Heiress: The Wild Saga of the Kidnapping, Crimes and Trial of Patty Hearst by Jeffrey Toobin
Graphic Novels That I Read (Own/Library):
1. Monstress, Vol. 2: The Blood by Marjorie M. Liu, Sana Takeda
My favorite read this month: American Heiress: The Wild Saga of the Kidnapping, Crimes and Trial of Patty Hearst by Jeffrey Toobin
Movies & Documentaries I Watched
Watched in October 2017
Spielberg (HBO Go)
Geostorm (Movie Theaters)
Trafficked (Press Screener)
My favorite movies/documentaries this month: Spielberg
Until the end of this month, happy reading and viewing!