Kat's Got Your Culture

I've been really diving into Sherlock Holmes lately (same kind of relaxation as Agatha Christie). Compared to Dame Agatha, some of his mysteries have little to no opportunity for you to guess the solution yourself, which can feel like Sir ACD was cheating. The novels especially have huge stretches of backstory you couldn't know about, and the murderer is someone you've never heard of. That being said, there's something charming and cozy about most of them. I particularly enjoy the shorter stories that are more in the style of Poe's "Murder in the Rue Morgue," where you start out with a seemingly inexplicable situation and then gradually arrive at the solution. We'll see whether I'm tired of Sherlock by the end of Volume 1 or want to continue.

Who knew a trip to the underworld could be so much fun? Not for the characters, but for me reading this. I enjoyed Katabasis so much. I don't read much fantasy so I only bought this because Yellowface is so fantastic I wanted to read something else by R. F. Kuang. The worldbuilding in this alternative history where magick is an academic discipline like other sciences and Dante, Orpheus, etc. provide actual literal reports about journeys to hell is great in this it just works seamlessly in the background so you focus on the complex characters and their struggles (mentally, magically, with each other and trying to survive hell). The metaphysics of hell are surprising and make this feel more like a thrilling adventure narrative than you might think when you first hear "book about burned-out grad student going to hell." Have to read more of her books! Oh and because I keep mentioning this lately, I think the word count is like 160k, and I wouldn't want it any shorter.

I don't usually watch much body horror, but the premise of this one looked clever and original. The setup is good with realistic insecurities within the relationship and partners growing apart. The acting is very good, and the body horror aspects work well because they focus more on the situational horror of it rather than grossout gore. The horror backstory could've been a little more developed, but overall this was fresh and entertaining. Not as good as Obsession, but solid relationship horror in its own right.

Reading this after seeing the 90s movie is kind of like reading Go Set a Watchman after reading To Kill a Mockingbird. You thought the musketeers were doing heroic deeds all the time? Actually, they're constantly drinking and getting into pointless fatal streetfighting over extremely minor perceived slights, and trying to seduce married women to get them to pay their gambling debts. I was also surprised that the cardinal isn't even the main villain. But anyway it's a fun adventure/coming-of-age story that's playful and silly most of the way and then gets surprisingly dark. Because I think it's a shame the industry is so discouraging to longer novels atm, I also want to point out that this one is over 160k words and it needs that space. Interested to read more Dumas now.

One of the most relaxing things to do in Wroclaw is take a ride on the river Oder. There are several harbors where you can board, and I love anything you can arrive at spontaneously without booking ahead. I got on a Tourist Harbor. Despite the name, it wasn't crowded at all (on a weekday). The boats are dog-friendly in case anyone's wondering (Wroclaw is pretty dog-friendly overall). The ride I took was about 45 minutes and a nice combination of the old town seen from the water and more natural parts of the riverbank. Especially pleasant if you need to cool off on a hot day or sit for a bit after walking around looking at things.

Kawiarna Filmowa is fairly small but has a little movie theater in the basement and lots of quirky old furniture. Czarnia Magia is one of the nicest cafes in the center. It has a whimsical courtyard where you can get out of the rush and sit reading with your coffee.

So many good ones! Shakshuka is a good laidback brunch spot. I liked the quiet, airy feel and how a lot of people were there eating by themselves with a book. Grain is a cozy corner spot with nice couches and comfortable chairs. Naleśniki Babci has great international-themed crepes and pierogis (even if it's sometimes hard to understand what the crepe has to do with that country). Nothing special about the coffee so only go for the food and nice little patio. ARTCAF has a good brunch menu, good indoor and outdoor seating and an artsy vibe as the name suggests, including several exhibits. El Gato is one of the more central ones on this list. Good iced lattes. I appreciated Gniazdo's peaceful interior courtyard. ParaLab was a bit out of the way but maybe the best iced latte. They also have brunch. Smallish, quiet and relaxed.