Where-To-Go Wednesday - Hall of Asian Animals

We received complimentary tickets to the American Museum of Natural History for review purposes. Any and all opinions expressed here are our own.

What: Hall of Asian Animals

Where: American Museum of Natural History

            200 Central Park W.

            New York, NY

Who: All ages

The Hall of Asian Animals at the American Museum of Natural History highlights animals from countries such as India, Myanmar, and Thailand. Featured species include lions, tigers, rhinoceroses, various kinds of bears and deer, and more. The centerpiece of the exhibit, much like the Hall of African Animals, is a herd of elephants, except, of course, in this case, they are Asian Elephants. 

There is plenty of signage throughout the exhibit that provides more information on the animals in the hall. Available information may include the historical background of the animals featured, where they are currently found, what makes them different from similar animals, and their conservation status. Many of the animals showcased in the exhibit are on the endangered species list. In fact, the Siberian tiger and the giant panda were both moved from this hall to another location, the Hall of Biodiversity, where they are featured in an exhibit specifically focusing on endangered species.

And that's our view. For more about Hall of Asian Animals, go to www.amnh.org/exhibitions/permanent/asian-mammals. For more about the American Musem of Natural History in general or to purchase tickets for a visit, go to www.amnh.org.

All pictures used in this post are our own.  Any concerns regarding image usage can be addressed here.

Tips for Tuesday - Books: Girls Girl , Marian, and All the Little Ways; Movie: Premarital

We may have been given complimentary copies and/or access for review purposes to any books, products, and/or any other visual or audio media mentioned below. Any and all opinions expressed here are our own. 

Books: Girl, Girl, Marian & All the Little Ways

Me - Girl's Girl by Sonia Feldman is a poignant book about intense friendships and navigating your identity as a teenager.

The main character, Mina, narrates the story of the summer when she was 15, from the perspective of her grown-up self. She reflects on the internal and external changes that occurred during those months, primarily regarding her relationships with her two best friends, Eleanor and Margaret. The three of them are inseparable, but after Mina and Eleanor kiss, they must contend with the shifting dynamics between their whole trio.

I enjoyed reading from the perspective of Mina. Her words and actions felt very true to the way real teenagers today behave, and the juxtaposition between that youthfulness and the reflections from her older self in her narration made for an interesting story structure. Margaret and Eleanor felt like similarly realistic portrayals of the teenage girl experience. Each of them was deeply flawed, often making rash or selfish decisions or causing each other unnecessary pain, which could be frustrating at times. However, they were young, they were still learning, and I appreciated that the author didn't shy away from the sometimes harsh realities of interacting with others who are close to you at an age when you have yet to fully understand yourself.

Despite the frequent tension and periods of awkwardness or estrangement between Mina and her friends, it was abundantly clear that the three of them loved each other immensely. The moments when they got along seamlessly, acting as their truest, silliest selves, made me nostalgic for my own childhood, and when they let down their guard to be vulnerable with each other, it warmed my heart.

The depiction of the budding romance between Mina and Eleanor was much the same. Their communication was far from perfect, and they often handled their feelings in an immature or avoidant manner; it was understandable given that neither of them had ever experienced strong romantic feelings before, let alone for someone who was already their best friend.

Not only was Mina trying to make sense of her feelings for her best friend, but she was also realizing for the first time that she was attracted to women. I liked that her queerness was never treated as an obstacle or a conflict and that her turmoil stemmed from the specific girl she had feelings for rather than her attraction to girls in general. However, I can't help wishing her queerness had been addressed more throughout the story. After kissing Eleanor, Mina's interest in women immediately clicked into place in her brain and was barely touched upon again beyond her relationship with Eleanor. Considering she had never really taken the time to reflect on her sexuality prior. I would have liked to see it figure more heavily into her frequent assessments of her own identity.

This book featured little plot, instead being extremely character-driven, with all of the conflict being interpersonal. Yet, I found myself flying through it. The writing was simple yet beautiful and kept the pace moving steadily from start to finish. Additionally, while the time period seemed to be relatively modern– though no exact year was provided– something about the almost-lyrical prose gave it a timeless feeling.

If you prefer stories that are full of tense action scenes or sweeping romances, this book is unlikely to be for you. However, if you enjoy coming-of-age stories, particularly those about girlhood and female friendship, I'd recommend giving this one a try.

Mom - Today, I am talking about Marion by Leah Rowan. Desperate to help her sister out of an abusive marriage, Marion finds herself fleeing with money inadvertently stolen from the firm she works for. When the bus she's riding in breaks down, she finds herself in the isolated, out-of-the-way Billings Hotel for the night. When the charming but also somewhat creepy hotel owner, Norman Billings, comes after her with a knife as she's in the shower, she fights back and ends up killing him instead, and that's only the beginning.

This reimagined feminist retelling of Psycho is quite intriguing; it is also surprisingly hard-hitting and thought-provoking. The main character, Marion, and that isn't even her real name, although her real name is never revealed, treads the thin line between hero and villain. In fact, at times, she stomps all over the line. 

Still, she does have many admirable traits. She is feisty, brave, and fiercely loyal to her sister. Plus, it is refreshing to have a female character who stands up for herself. She neither holds back and allows herself to be victimized, nor, even worse, waits for a man to step in and save her. 

Still, it's hard to completely embrace her. Just because she does what she thinks she needs to in the moment doesn't always make her actions right or acceptable, and failing to take responsibility for them makes it even worse. However, anyone who loves an antihero should particularly enjoy this book, although anyone who doesn't may not.

Mom again - Today I recommend All the Little Ways by Laura Lekkos. Career-minded Victoria never imagined herself with a child. Meanwhile, the much younger Liz always wanted to have a child to make up for her own terrible childhood, but she's stuck in a job she hates and dating a man who is less than committed. When they both find themselves unexpectedly pregnant, they meet in parenting class and, as two outsiders, form a deep and unique bond.  However, when an unexpected connection is revealed, it has repercussions not only for their friendship but also for their entire lives and futures. 

This book is quite heartwarming. The story is unique and exciting, and the characters are very likable. Although Victoria can be a bit overbearing at times, she has a good heart and is extremely loyal, and it is admirable the way she takes Liz under her wing. Liz, scarred by her free-spirited mother and nomadic childhood, clearly lacks Victoria's confidence and take-charge attitude. Victoria inspires Liz to take charge of her own life, while Liz inspires Victoria to be less brash and take others' feelings into consideration. The two women are really good for each other, and the bond they form is extremely heartwarming. 

The plot is pleasantly unpredictable, and the big twist is genuinely shocking. It sets up a third act conflict that actually makes perfect sense in terms of story and character and does not seem like an unnecessary contrivance. This is a surprising but refreshing rarity which makes this particular book even more enjoyable.

Movie: Premarital

Today, we're talking about Premarital. When a young woman brings her fiancé home for her wedding, her very religious family schemes to convert him before the wedding. This film is not as amusing as it would like to be, and both sides of the issue will likely find themselves offended at times. However, it does have some nice moments between family members and/or friends, and the central relationship is particularly sweet. Plus, it exposes the hypocrisy of nitpicking religious doctrine to follow and ultimately promotes tolerance and acceptance. 

And that's our view. Girl's Girl and Marion were published last Tuesday, June 2. All the Little Ways published today. Premarital is now available digitally for purchase or rental.

Tune in tomorrow for Where-To-Go Wednesday.

All images other than film images used in this post are our own.  Film images have been sent to us from publicists, artists, and/or  PR firms. Address any concerns regarding image usage here.

More Theater Monday - Girl, Interrupted

We were given complimentary tickets to Girl, Interrupted for review purposes. Any and all opinions expressed here are our own.

What: Girl, Interrupted

Where: Public Theater

             425 Lafayette St.

             New York, NY

Who: Recommended for Ages 17 and Up Due to Subject Matter

When: Through July 12, 2026

Girl, Interrupted is more akin to the original 1993 memoir of the same name by Susanna Kaysen than the 1999 film based on it, even the author of the book was said to be displeased with the film version. Still, there are differences in plot and character between the book and the play. However, in both cases, the story revolves around a young woman, Susanna, who is confined to a mental hospital for a time following a suicide attempt.

The show explores not only the treatment of mental illness, but the way young women are much more likely to be diagnosed and hospitalized for the same than men. Even though the show is set in the late 1960s, in some ways, things haven't changed all that much, even though long-term mental institutions have gone out of favor. Women are still much more likely to get diagnosed with and hospitalized for mental illness, whether it is deserved or not. For instance, there is a character in the show (and the book) who is clearly being sexually abused by her father, and rather than being in a continuous cycle of drugs and hospitalization, the root cause should have been dealt with by keeping her away from her father and putting her in therapy.

In general, the characters and performances are both extremely touching and sometimes even heartbreaking. Although there are moments of lightness within the show, it is overall dark and permeated by a kind of sadness. It might also be triggering to some people not only because of its overarching theme of mental illness, but also because it deals with such things as self-harm, attempted suicide, actual suicide (although this occurs offstage), and more. These things also make the show extremely unsuitable for children.

 

The show is described as a play with music. However, it is full of thoughtful, original plot and character-based songs. Thus, to call it a play with music rather than a musical is kind of slight to the composer, Aimee Mann. After all, musicals neither have to be light and happy nor full of joyful, energetic dance numbers. The propensity to categorize productions as "a show with music" rather than an actual musical is really reaching ridiculous proportions these days.

This is not always an easy show to watch. However, it remains extremely relevant. Thus, both the issues that it raises and the cast's performances make it worth seeing.

And that's our view. For more about Girl, Interrupted or to purchase tickets, visit publictheater.org/productions/season/2526/girl-interrupted

Tune in tomorrow for Tips for Tuesday.

Photo credits:

All Girl, Interrupted production photos by Joan Marcus.

Images used in this post were sent by publicists, artists, and/or  PR firms and are used by permission.  Any Concerns regarding image usage can be addressed here