Category Archives: redtailhawk

Friday Favorites: Recent Audiobooks

A quick list of audiobooks I’ve enjoyed over the last several months: The Vegetarian and Human Acts by Han Kang. Both of these were a tough listen for different reasons, but I’m glad I had to really slow down and pay attention to the way that Kang develops her characters. Even in translation, Kang’s layeringContinue reading “Friday Favorites: Recent Audiobooks”

Letter of Recommendation: Fabric Stores

Much like feed stores, fabric stores are one of those pre-Internet gathering places where our social life in this country used to be knitted together (har har). There aren’t so many of them now: that gorgeous Lucky Jeans Brand bandana-print Lycell denim fabric up there (all 9 yards of it!)–part of Joann Fabrics’s going-out-of-business saleContinue reading “Letter of Recommendation: Fabric Stores”

Drama Queen/I have Notes For…Doom at Your Service

This show is better than I wanted it to be. I’m not into twoo wuv shows in general, in particular ones whose main plot driver is terminal illness. So, I honestly have no idea why I started watching Doom at Your Service several months back: I suspect it was because I really liked Seo In-gukContinue reading “Drama Queen/I have Notes For…Doom at Your Service”

Loading…Review of Xenoblade Chronicles 3 (for Switch)

I’ll just get straight to it–the reasons to play this game are (1) the characters and their development (2) the design of the world and how it looks on the Switch (3) the combat dashboard, which manages to winnow a quite technical JRPG combat system down to something that’s not only playable but enjoyable. ReasonsContinue reading “Loading…Review of Xenoblade Chronicles 3 (for Switch)”

Wednesday’s Child/Loading…Review of Gris

This is the most beautiful game I’ve ever played, and I’ve played a lot of beautiful games. In fact, art style is a major factor for me in choosing a game in the first place and in my ultimate rating of it. For example, Final Fantasy 7 makes pretty much every list of best gamesContinue reading “Wednesday’s Child/Loading…Review of Gris”

Cartoons for Grownups: What Does It Mean to Be a Woman? (Apothecary Diaries and Raven of the Inner Palace)

These two shows have a lot in common: they’re both based on light novels written by Japanese women authors; they both follow quirky harem residents in an alternate/fantasy version of Imperial China; they both have an episodic mystery structure where the heroine plays detective; they both build romantic tension between the heroine and the EmperorContinue reading “Cartoons for Grownups: What Does It Mean to Be a Woman? (Apothecary Diaries and Raven of the Inner Palace)”

Loading…Review of Death’s Door

As I sat down to write this post, I was reminded of the Portlandia skit, “Put a bird on it!” Because truly you can get me to buy almost anything with a raven or crow in/on it (or any corvid, really–I’ll take that magpie print and those piñon jay dishtowels, too, thank you). I’ve lovedContinue reading “Loading…Review of Death’s Door”

I Have Notes…for The K2

You may be sensing a theme, and that’s Ji Chang-wook. I’ll admit it—he’s so pretty and talented that it annoys me when a show he’s in doesn’t rise to his level. But truthfully, I get annoyed whenever a story draws me in and then lets me down, whether the particular actors in it happen toContinue reading “I Have Notes…for The K2”

National Cowboy Poetry Gathering

Not the most inspiring pic, I realize. But for probably very good reasons, you’re prohibited from taking pictures or video in the actual sessions unless you have written permission. So, I figured I’d get a picture of the lines you have to wait in (not very long) to get into the performances at the NationalContinue reading “National Cowboy Poetry Gathering”