Project Hail Mary

tags: mystery, science fiction, thriller

⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐

from GoodReads

Ryland Grace is the sole survivor on a desperate, last-chance mission--and if he fails, humanity and the earth itself will perish.

Except that right now, he doesn't know that. He can't even remember his own name, let alone the nature of his assignment or how to complete it.

All he knows is that he's been asleep for a very, very long time. And he's just been awakened to find himself millions of miles from home, with nothing but two corpses for company.

His crewmates dead, his memories fuzzily returning, he realizes that an impossible task now confronts him. Alone on this tiny ship that's been cobbled together by every government and space agency on the planet and hurled into the depths of space, it's up to him to conquer an extinction-level threat to our species.

And thanks to an unexpected ally, he just might have a chance.

Part scientific mystery, part dazzling interstellar journey, Project Hail Mary is a tale of discovery, speculation, and survival to rival The Martian--while taking us to places it never dreamed of going.

I loved Andrew Weir's The Martian but his second novel Artemis failed to entertain me. Project Hail Mary has redeemed him in my eyes. He is back in this fascinating science fiction adventure with a lovable and admirable character who is enthusiastic, witty, and has a great sense of humor, to finish his job regardless of his current situation. 

Ryland Grace is forced chosen to go on a space trip mission to save the sun, earth, and humankind. The sun is losing power because of tiny organisms sucking up its energy. [Nope, not by crazy creepy Bill Gates who wants to shield the sun to stop bogus climate change.] Ryland is alone in a small spaceship with his memory gone but slowly regaining them. He becomes a friend/ally with a non-earthling during this desperate suicide Hail Mary mission and the two of them work together for the same goal - to save their planets. Ryland calls the space alien Rocky who is the very definition of adorable. Rocky reminds me of Baby Groot from Guardians of the Galaxy because he/it acts like a cute genius child. There are loads of math and science stuff going on but they are interesting instead of boring, just like The Martian. The ending is a little bittersweet because EE can't phone home.   

Highly recommended for science fiction fans.

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From Wiki

Hail Mary refers to the Hail Mary pass, a very long forward pass in American football, typically made in desperation, with great difficulty of achieving a completion. Due to the small chance of success, it makes reference to the Catholic Hail Mary prayer for help.

Oxygen

tags: mystery, Netflix streaming, science fiction

from Netflix

A young woman wakes up in a medical cryo unit. She doesn’t remember who she is or how she ended up sequestered in a box no larger than a coffin. As she’s running out of oxygen, she must rebuild her memory to find a way out of her nightmare.

I was bored to death watching this French science fiction dreck but I finished it hoping the ending will be mind blowing like Oblivion and Vanilla Sky. Unfortunately, it isn't. I had to friggin' endure 91 minutes of mediocre script, acting, and movie set. The actress constantly licking and biting her lips is so irritating. 😒

The reason why she is in a small box with oxygen running out doesn't become clear until almost at the very end. This has been done before but with better story, writing, deeper meaning, more suspense, and obviously better actress. Is there any point to this movie? None that I can think of. It is pure garbage IMHO. Goose egg.

Avoid. It's Ugly.

Arsenic And Adobo

Filipino author, murder mystery, new series

⭐

from GoodReads

When Lila Macapagal moves back home to recover from a horrible breakup, her life seems to be following all the typical rom-com tropes. She’s tasked with saving her Tita Rosie’s failing restaurant, and she has to deal with a group of matchmaking aunties who shower her with love and judgment. But when a notoriously nasty food critic (who happens to be her ex-boyfriend) drops dead moments after a confrontation with Lila, her life quickly swerves from a Nora Ephron romp to an Agatha Christie case.

With the cops treating her like she’s the one and only suspect, and the shady landlord looking to finally kick the Macapagal family out and resell the storefront, Lila’s left with no choice but to conduct her own investigation. Armed with the nosy auntie network, her barista best bud, and her trusted Dachshund, Longanisa, Lila takes on this tasty, twisted case and soon finds her own neck on the chopping block.

I really really wanted to like this mystery novel by a Filipino author. Unfortunately, I hated it, really really hated it. *Sigh*

A lot of Filipino food are mentioned throughout the book and a few recipes at the end. It is understandable because the main character Lila works in her Aunt's Filipino restaurant. But the food got too distracting. 

What I didn't like

• The writing style and first person narration.
• The author tried too hard to make Lila witty and funny. I didn't find her witty nor funny. Lila comes out as character who lacks empathy by making light of someone's death that happened right in front of her. The scenario is utterly unnatural. She barely reacted to the second death and the head injury of her frenemy.
• Lila's lawyer and the detective investigating the murder are both incompetent and inconsistent. 
• Lila mentioned a few characters related to her and her current circumstances but they never showed up nor were explained further.
• The author tried to add romance into the murder mystery with boring people.
• The author's wokeness which is in-your-face obvious with the "diverse" characters, just like several  insufferable Hollywood movies that include all races in the universe for inclusiveness. The author probably had a checklist of all the necessary people aside from Filipinos that she believed should be in her first book: Japanese, Pakistani brother and his lesbian sister, lesbian Mexican, mixed Korean/White, Black, Greek. 🙄🙄🙄
• The baddies are pure white which she emphasized very early on. Yes, she said pure white. Sheesh! Two of her ex boyfriends are no-goodnik white people, one was the murder victim. Remember, white people are bad, bad, bad. Others are fine, noble, and if flawed, are redeemable.
• Story is not compelling; no real tension; amateurish. 

Do not read if you like murder mysteries. It is awful and will give you a headache due to excessive eyerolling. 

The Unkindness Of Ravens

tags: mystery, new series, M E Hilliard

⭐⭐⭐⭐

from GoodReads

Greer Hogan is a librarian and an avid reader of murder mysteries. She also has a habit of stumbling upon murdered bodies. The first was her husband's, and the tragic loss led Greer to leave New York behind for a new start in the Village of Raven Hill. But her new home becomes less idyllic when she discovers her best friend sprawled dead on the floor of the library.

Was her friend's demise related to two other deaths that the police deemed accidental? Do the residents of this insular village hold dark secrets about another murder, decades ago? Does a serial killer haunt Raven Hill?

Though Greer admires the masters of deduction she reads about in books, she never expected to have to solve a mystery herself. Fortunately, she possesses a quick wit and a librarian's natural resourcefulness. But will that be enough to protect her from a brilliant, diabolical murderer?

And even if Greer manages to catch the Raven Hill killer, will living with her conscience prove a fate worse than death?

I probably have found a new mystery fictional character to replace M. C. Beaton's Agatha Raisin. Greer Hogan, like Agatha has the unlucky habit of finding dead bodies. Her natural interest in solving the murder opens herself to becoming a victim also. There are other similarities between Agatha and Greer that are worth noting:

• have a police officer as a friend/ally - Agatha has Bill Wong and Greer has Jennie Webber 
• moved from city to a quiet village - Agatha to the Cotswolds, Greer to Village of Raven Hill, a small town in Connecticut 
• had high-paying jobs before quitting - Agatha was in public relations in London, Greer was a buyer for a cosmetics company in New York
• have a bit of sense of humor but Agatha is funnier, more biting and politically incorrect which I love, Greer is also funny but tamer, IMHO

I like this first of a series. It held my interest and I finished reading (336 pages) in one sitting. Although it reads like a cozy mystery, the murderer turned out to be a truly evil character. My only complaint, and the reason for the 4 stars, is there are too many red herrings, 2 of which are completely unnecessary.  I hope the succeeding books will be much tighter and have more humor.

Recommended for mystery readers.

  

Real Crazy Rich Asians

There might be a sequel to the popular movie Crazy Rich Asians. I'm not excited about it because I find the rich people in the movie don't have much style and taste. But it's just me, I guess. If they feature beautiful people like the women in this 10-minute video of real crazy rich beautiful Asians, I might watch it and even the third if they decide to make. 

These 4 women are gorgeous, rich, elegant, posh.

Heart Evangelista - 36, Filipino, parents are crazy rich, TV and movie actress, visual artist, philanthropist, married a politician. She dirtied her Birkin bag while eating fries at Chili's so she rescued it by painting her artwork on the bag.

Twin sisters Rachel and Michelle Yeoh - 25, Malaysian, come from old money, fashionistas, fashion models, trendsetters, influencers

Feiping Chang - 30, Taiwanese, blogger, fashion trendsetter, influencer, married a rich financier

The Way Of The Househusband

Streaming on "Netro-fricks" (Netflix) - 5 16-minute episodes Japanese anime comedy. 

A yakuza quit his job, got married, and became an earnest househusband. Very funny and great animation.

⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐

 

There's also a live action series based on the anime, search Gokushufudo if you can't find the English title.

South Korean Series Coming To Netflix Streaming

Hello, Me!

February 17, 2021

Wednesday and Thursday

comedy, drama, fantasy

Ban Ha-Ni (Choi Gang-Hee) is 37-years-old and a single woman. She holds a temporary position at work, which makes her nervous that she might get fired. She is generally servile and timid. Considering her current state, she does not want to be single. One day, 17-year-old Ban Ha-Ni (Lee Re) from the past comes to 37-year-old Ban Ha-Ni. 17-year-old Ban Ha-Ni is totally different from her older self. The younger Ban Ha-Ni is bright and optimistic.

This is going to be hilarious. The talented Eum Moon-Suk, who appeared in The Fiery Priest and Backstreet Rookie, is a great addition to the cast. First episode is already knee slapper funny. 

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Sisyphus

February 17, 2021 

Wednesday and Thursday

action, drama, sci-fi, time travel

A time travel story between a genius engineer Han Tae-Sool (Cho Seung-Woo) and his savior from the future Kang Seo-Hae (Park Shin-Hye).

Han Tae-Sool is a genius engineer and the co-founder of Quantum and Time Company. He is handsome and he produces innovative results. Thanks to his efforts, Quantum and Time has become a world-class enterprise. He is known as a miracle worker and a hero in Korea, but reality is a little different. After his older brother's death 10 years ago, he has exhibited eccentric behavior. The company's stock price has fluctuated accordingly. One day, Han Tae-Sool learns of an unreliable truth behind his brother's death. His dangerous journey begins.

Kang Seo-Hae is an elite warrior. She can take down the biggest men with just her bare hands. She is also a sharpshooter and able to make bombs. She learned these skills to survive in a world that is dominated by gangsters and military cliques. One day, after a long and dangerous journey, she comes to Han Tae-Sool to save him.

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Vincenzo

February 20, 2021

Saturday and Sunday 

dark comedy, drama, romance

At the age of 8, Park Joo-Hyeong went to Italy after he was adopted. He is now an adult and has the name of Vincenzo Casano (Song Joong-Ki). He is a lawyer, who works for the Mafia as a consigliere. Because of a war between mafia groups, he flees to South Korea. In South Korea, he gets involved with Lawyer Hong Cha-Young (Jeon Yeo-Bin). She is the type of attorney who will do anything to win a case. Vincenzo Casano falls in love with her. He also achieves social justice by his own way.

 

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One of the writers of Vincenzo, Park Jae-Bum, wrote in 2019 one of the funniest Korean comedy action drama series, The Fiery Priest. I hope Vincenzo will be as funny as Kim Nam-gil, Honey, and the cast of The Fiery Priest.

The Kingdom

tags: Jo Nesbø, mystery, thriller

⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐

from GoodReads 

In a rural village deep in the mountains, mechanic Roy leads a quiet, simple life, but when his little brother Carl, an entrepreneur, returns with a proposal for a grand hotel to revive the struggling town, dark secrets from their childhood threaten to resurface. As children, Roy defended his little brother against schoolyard bullies and vicious rumors, but his loyalty to family is tested when greed and betrayal saturate Carl's plans--not to mention when Roy's sister-in-law Shannon catches his eye. The farther he goes to protect Carl, the more Roy finds himself dredging up the town's shocking past. And when the town sheriff starts looking into Roy and Carl's parents' tragic deaths, Roy will have to reckon with how far he will go to protect his brother.

A tale of the worst family dysfunction I've ever read. Roy and Carl have a sort of love-hate relationship. Roy loves his younger brother and will do everything to protect him, including murder, but he also envies and covets whatever Carl has, almost like a Cain and Abel jealousy. But they stick together for better or for worse like a married couple.

Jo Nesbø again delivers with this new stand-alone novel which has lots of twists and turns. Roy gets out of all unfortunate situations with lots of luck and brilliant planning. 

Highly recommended for Jo Nesbø fans.

Space Sweepers

Coming to Netflix streaming February 5, 2021. Sci-fi movie from South Korea. 2 hours 16 minutes.

Chasing after space debris and faraway dreams in year 2092, four misfits unearth explosive secrets during the attempted trade of a wide-eyed humanoid.

Can't wait to see Song Joong-ki, nae sarang. 💘 

The Vanished

tags: Netflix streaming, psychological thriller

⭐

An idyllic family vacation turns into a living nightmare for parents Paul and Wendy when their young daughter disappears without a trace. When the local sheriff fails to chase down any new leads, the frantic parents have no choice but to take matters into their own hands. As tensions mount and the list of suspects grows, the search for the truth leads to a shocking revelation where nothing is what it seems.

I can't remember if I've seen any movies with Anne Heche. 13 minutes into the movie, I awarded her The Worst Actress In The Whole Universe. I was not wrong after watching the train wreck in its entirety. 

When the couple find their child is missing, she keeps shouting the name of the child in one spot and again in 1 or 2 feet away from the initial spot, instead of going around the whole area which is open space with just a few RVs. Bad acting seems contagious. Thomas Jane as the husband is also a poor actor. Jason Patric is fine as the sheriff, but why make him wear a fat suit and waddle like a duck when it's obvious he is not fat and far from obese? 

The twist at the end is not bad but the script and acting ruined the whole movie. Peter Facinelli is a lousy writer and director of psychological thrillers. 

 Not recommended.