I've been thinking about reading recently. This thinking was spurred on by the Host's recent post concerning half-remembered books that may or may not exist. And what I'm thinking is: I should really be reading rather than thinking about reading. Especially as I haven't actually read a book since November's The Very Mistress MJ Diari-
Well, what about back in October when I read Delilah Smythe's Pulverised Pumpkins?
No. Deciphering second-hand recipes from the "words" that vindictive cow has strung together using profanities is not reading!
When did we read Anne McCaffrey's The Rowan, then?
"We" didn't read it - I did! You got irritated and restless with the Rowan's caterwauling when she got swept up in that mudslide only a few pages in, and disappeared to torment Beaky, as I recall. And I read that this year. Back in January.
No. Mostly me again. And that doesn't count either as we only looked at the Night Sky chapter for the constellations.
Fine. So I haven't read a book in an age. But other than The Rowan, you haven't either!
Well, no. Ah... It's just that... Well, since November, Evil Edna has been full of great shows that need watching...
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The BBC:
Strictly Come Dancing (S15) - Watched
Strictly - It Takes Two (S15) - Watched
Blue Planet II - Watched
The Creepy:
Stranger Things 2 - Binge Watched
Dark - Binge Watched (a gripping German drama about how three generations of four families in a small town are inextricably linked - warning: includes time-travel)
Black Mirror (S4) - Abandoned (after episode 1, "USS Callister" - still too dystopian, miserable and downright disheartening)
Residue (Ep 1) - Abandoned (after episode 1 - more miserable, grimdark negativity)
Violet Evergarden (S1) - Abandoned (after episode 1 - I thought this was going to be a delightful anime about a young witch, but it was about a girl-as-a-weapon learning to live outside of war)
Inside No.9 (S1) - Binge Watched; (S2) - In Progress (a very darkly comedic anthology show: each episode is set in a house/room/cabin numbered 9 - written by and starring Reece Shearsmith and Steve Pemberton of The League of Gentlemen fame)
Comedies:
The Windsors (S1) - Binge Watched
Miranda (S3) - In Progress
Don't Trust The B---- in Apartment 23 (S1 & 2) - Binge Watched (hilarious sitcom starring Krysten Ritter in which she is such an amazing bitch!)
Sci-Fi:
Star Trek: Discovery (S1) - Watched (it was OK... Jason Isaacs as Captain Lorca is outstanding. However, my favourite characters are Commander Saru, Cadet Sylvia Tilly, and Doctor Culber becauase they bring some light and warmth to this otherwise grim show. Plus Ronnie Rowe Jr is exceedingly foxy as Communications Officer Bryce!)
The Expanse (S2) - Watched (a very gripping space opera full of engaging characters. Season three is out soon!)
Space Dandy (S1) - Abandoned (after episode 1, "Live With The Flow, Baby"- bizarre anime which I may revisit)
Homo Superior:
The Gifted (S1) - Watched
Dirk Gently's Holistic Detective Agency (S2) - In Progress (this second season is even more bizarre than the first - I love it!)
New Films:
The Cloverfield Paradox (Netflix)
The Shape of Water (cinema)
Black Panther (cinema)
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Has anyone else managed to read anything this year?
Not much reading or movie watching recently due to the Olympics. I did slip out yesterday morning to see Annihilation. Good acting, visuals, plot. I did not enjoy it as much as his previous, Ex Machina.
ReplyDeleteAnnihilation is on my radar, however it's not out in Cromer yet (The Shape of Water didn't come to Cromer until months after it was out in the US, although we do tend to get the expected blockbusters at the same time, if not before the States).
DeleteSpace Dandy is weird and ridiculous and entertaining and confusing like a lot of animes. I liked it for the action and outrageous plots. It was a more comedic production of the drifter/cowboy genre of Outlaw Star and the more serious Cowboy Beebop. Japanese animes are either brilliant or confusing, but they are innovative and highly creative at times, redefining what animation can be. There were some hilarious episodes of Space Dandy.
ReplyDeleteOn a surprising note, I gave The Magicians another look. And this season 3 is parsecs ahead of the gawd awful season one. Season two was promising but season three has been entertaining and better in that the plots are more interesting and the characters are less whiny and have grown into intriguing people you actually start to feel something for other than disgust and disappointment.
Blue Planet is awesome! I love the drama of The Expanse and I am pissed off at SyFy for cancelling Dark Matter, not because of ratings (it was one of top watched shows), but because they couldn't make merchandising money off the show they didn't create in house!
As far as iTV productions, I quite enjoy Victoria on PBS. I like the characters and the plots. But every now and then, I cringe in disgust when I watch Victoria and Albert get it on, and I realize, "Ewww! They're first cousins! Their parents are siblings!!!!" Gross!
Dark Matter was cancelled for lack of merchandising $$$ ?!?!? Noooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooo!!!!!!! I HATE YOU, SyFy!!!!
Delete*pout*
*sulk*
I've done more reading than watching telly so far this year.
ReplyDeleteI've read 18 books since January 1st! A record!
Another record... 13 of those books were Fiction! Usually, I'm top-heavy with Non-Fiction but this year has taken a different and inexplicable turn.
18 books already?!? And 13 of those fiction? Next you'll be telling me you're reading a Star Trek book (which would be quite inexplicable)...
Deletebtw, I'm so disgusted with my lack of reading, that I've started re-reading The Long Way To A Small, Angry Planet (for the third time).
If I'd read a Star Trek book, you would have been the first to know about it.
DeleteI'm disgruntled at my lack of reading too... AND, disgruntled that you abandoned Black Mirror. I see your point though. God, I love Inside No.9. It's genius. And I enjoyed The Cloverfield Paradox... I like everything related to Cloverfield.
ReplyDeleteFor some weird reason I've been watching Prime Suspect... Danny Dyer as a small boy in 1993... Ralph Fiennes as a teenager.... Peter Capaldi in drag, what's not to love? But I'd like to read again.
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Disgruntled is a much better word than disgusted. I am now disgruntled that it barely features in my vocabulary.
DeleteInside No.9 has been consistently excellent and surprising. I've seen the first two series on Netflix, and now need to find the rest on BBC iPlayer. As for The Cloverfield Paradox, I really liked it, too - especially Chris O'Dowd's arm! I loved the first Cloverfield film when it was first out, but I can barely stand to watch it now as I despise all the characters as they're so whiney and useless (except Mike Vogel's Jason Hawkins) and keep wanting Clover to squish them! I have yet to see 10 Cloverfield Lane, though - is it any good?
Prime Suspect? I've never been interested in it or even seen it, but now I may have to!
Oh yes, 10 Cloverfield Lane is good, I think on C4 or Film4 at the weekend. It's very different from the other two - but that's what I like about these vaguely connected films.
ReplyDeleteHonestly, I'm hooked on Prime Suspect for nostalgia reasons, and for 'before they were famous' moments! It's incredibly dated, but I'm wading through it.
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