Eyes of squareness and other rambles
Apr. 15th, 2014 05:09 pm![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png){kind=small}
susie_floIt's been a while since I popped in here for a square-eyed/bookish ramble, so here we go...
I shall start with TV (spoiler-free)
We have season 3 of Thronesy Goodness at home. I think I might have to re-watch the last ep of season 2 tonight as a reminder, then break into S3. (Kindly applaud my restraint. Not only for waiting this long to watch season 3, but also because I had the box set at home all week while G was away without taking a single peek.)
The Blacklist is still ticking along on regular (non-box-set) TV. The villain-of-the-week story is usually a bit ludicrous, but the trickling back-plot is keeping us both hooked. Also G and I like to spend time debating what colour Reddington's new anorak will be, or who'd win in a wobbly-head competition between James Spader and Kevin McCloud. (I say Kev, every time).
Only C is back! Just in time to soothe the raw wound left behind by Uni C. Sigh. Also still loving Pointless, which has to be recorded for being on at commute o'clock.
Inside No. 9 has been fun to watch, with each episode nothing like the one before. Not quite the pinnacle of dark humour that Nighty Night achieved - it's more like a modern and knowing replacement for Tales of the Unexpected.
We did season 1 of House of Cards: the Spacey years. It was quite good, but not in a world-rocking way and we're not in a mad rush for season 2.
So, what else is good? (We haven't got Sky Atlantic, but we've got Netflix and Tivo and Amazon's new video-streamy-thingy)
In film news, I still haven't watched Gravity and probably won't catch it in 3D now - tsk. I'm also keen to see Beneath the Skin at some point. I read the book years ago and found it intriguing, especially as I had no idea what it was going to be about when it started. This week I've started seeing a lot of posters for something called Locke, which is supposedly thrilling. Alas I watch almost everything on the small screen these days but would make an exception for something decent.
Moving onto books...
I haven't read a truly excellent novel since my little fad on Hilary Mantel a few months ago. She somehow managed to break through the omnipresent background tiredness that makes it hard to focus on anything decent, post-microbe.
My last couple of "women's novels" (The Woman Upstairs and Apple Tree Yard) have been pot-boilers masquerading as literary fiction. Both have female protagonists prone to obsessiveness and navel-gazing, like 16-year-olds in the bodies of middle aged women. Is this the definition of literary fiction? Being treated to a stream of someone's angsty inner pontifications?
And, more to the point, is this what it's actually like inside other women's heads? If so, how does anyone bear the noise? I rarely give my brain enough down-time to slip into lengthy ponderances but, on the odd occasion when I do, my default topics are more or less:
a) What would I do in an apocalypse
b) How will I escape the authorities if/when I go on the run
c) Dinner
d) Slushy thoughts about tiny boys
e) Ooh, cat!
...and that's pretty much it. G's response was "You should be reading what I'm reading" (I might just do that, actually.)
I'm idly on the lookout for another dystopian thriller or a ripping WW2 espionage novel. For now I've started Ben Macintire's bio-yarn about Kim Philby. I never read biographies and would far rather read the same story told as a novel - but I'm enjoying it nevertheless.
Has anyone read anything by Jim Crace? This book, Harvest, caught my eye recently on the Man Booker list and it looks intriguing, despite the awful cover.
I also quite like the look of The Luminaries (which has a beautiful cover) but I'm wondering whether it might suffer from being a bit self-conscious, in an English Lit 'exercise' sort of way.
My kindle queue appears to include a couple of novels that I've bought at some point on a whim but am now peering at through narrowed eyes...
Kiss Me First was recommended on FB by one of you, and looks like an honest pot-boiler about FACEBOOK DRAMAZ with no literary pretensions. (It might be a fun read, actually.)
The Amber Fury was recommended by someone somewhere (and not just Joss Whedon) who raved about it - but now I look at the Amazon reviews I'm not entirely convinced. Hmmm.
If you've read anything good lately, do feel free to recommend. (I have already filed away one person's suggestion of this YA skiffy number for the next time I'm in the mood for teen/alien thrills.)
I shall start with TV (spoiler-free)
We have season 3 of Thronesy Goodness at home. I think I might have to re-watch the last ep of season 2 tonight as a reminder, then break into S3. (Kindly applaud my restraint. Not only for waiting this long to watch season 3, but also because I had the box set at home all week while G was away without taking a single peek.)
The Blacklist is still ticking along on regular (non-box-set) TV. The villain-of-the-week story is usually a bit ludicrous, but the trickling back-plot is keeping us both hooked. Also G and I like to spend time debating what colour Reddington's new anorak will be, or who'd win in a wobbly-head competition between James Spader and Kevin McCloud. (I say Kev, every time).
Only C is back! Just in time to soothe the raw wound left behind by Uni C. Sigh. Also still loving Pointless, which has to be recorded for being on at commute o'clock.
Inside No. 9 has been fun to watch, with each episode nothing like the one before. Not quite the pinnacle of dark humour that Nighty Night achieved - it's more like a modern and knowing replacement for Tales of the Unexpected.
We did season 1 of House of Cards: the Spacey years. It was quite good, but not in a world-rocking way and we're not in a mad rush for season 2.
So, what else is good? (We haven't got Sky Atlantic, but we've got Netflix and Tivo and Amazon's new video-streamy-thingy)
In film news, I still haven't watched Gravity and probably won't catch it in 3D now - tsk. I'm also keen to see Beneath the Skin at some point. I read the book years ago and found it intriguing, especially as I had no idea what it was going to be about when it started. This week I've started seeing a lot of posters for something called Locke, which is supposedly thrilling. Alas I watch almost everything on the small screen these days but would make an exception for something decent.
Moving onto books...
I haven't read a truly excellent novel since my little fad on Hilary Mantel a few months ago. She somehow managed to break through the omnipresent background tiredness that makes it hard to focus on anything decent, post-microbe.
My last couple of "women's novels" (The Woman Upstairs and Apple Tree Yard) have been pot-boilers masquerading as literary fiction. Both have female protagonists prone to obsessiveness and navel-gazing, like 16-year-olds in the bodies of middle aged women. Is this the definition of literary fiction? Being treated to a stream of someone's angsty inner pontifications?
And, more to the point, is this what it's actually like inside other women's heads? If so, how does anyone bear the noise? I rarely give my brain enough down-time to slip into lengthy ponderances but, on the odd occasion when I do, my default topics are more or less:
a) What would I do in an apocalypse
b) How will I escape the authorities if/when I go on the run
c) Dinner
d) Slushy thoughts about tiny boys
e) Ooh, cat!
...and that's pretty much it. G's response was "You should be reading what I'm reading" (I might just do that, actually.)
I'm idly on the lookout for another dystopian thriller or a ripping WW2 espionage novel. For now I've started Ben Macintire's bio-yarn about Kim Philby. I never read biographies and would far rather read the same story told as a novel - but I'm enjoying it nevertheless.
Has anyone read anything by Jim Crace? This book, Harvest, caught my eye recently on the Man Booker list and it looks intriguing, despite the awful cover.
I also quite like the look of The Luminaries (which has a beautiful cover) but I'm wondering whether it might suffer from being a bit self-conscious, in an English Lit 'exercise' sort of way.
My kindle queue appears to include a couple of novels that I've bought at some point on a whim but am now peering at through narrowed eyes...
Kiss Me First was recommended on FB by one of you, and looks like an honest pot-boiler about FACEBOOK DRAMAZ with no literary pretensions. (It might be a fun read, actually.)
The Amber Fury was recommended by someone somewhere (and not just Joss Whedon) who raved about it - but now I look at the Amazon reviews I'm not entirely convinced. Hmmm.
If you've read anything good lately, do feel free to recommend. (I have already filed away one person's suggestion of this YA skiffy number for the next time I'm in the mood for teen/alien thrills.)
![[identity profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/openid.png){kind=small}
no subject
Date: 2014-04-15 06:18 pm (UTC)On TV, The Blacklist is still great fun, and yay! for Only Connect. If you've seen House of Cards S1 then S2 is available - haven't seen it yet. We've been watching a series called Scandal, but it's only on US Netflix at the mo, not UK (there are ways and means...)
no subject
Date: 2014-04-16 07:54 am (UTC)Hmmm, now I am unsure whether it's best to read or watch WWZ first (have done neither so far)
no subject
Date: 2014-04-16 07:17 am (UTC)Inside No9 - only saw two but have been told that the rest are worth catching up with. and yes, totally "Tales of the Unexpected" , even the music was an homage.
no subject
Date: 2014-04-16 07:56 am (UTC)Did you see the tramp ep of inside no. 9? (I think that's my fav of the ones I've seen.)
no subject
Date: 2014-04-16 02:44 pm (UTC)We saw the first one (which was utterly brilliant) and the theatre one. Forgot to set the recordy-box for the rest.
no subject
Date: 2014-04-16 07:59 am (UTC)no subject
Date: 2014-04-16 08:01 am (UTC)no subject
Date: 2014-04-16 08:06 am (UTC)no subject
Date: 2014-04-17 05:40 am (UTC)no subject
Date: 2014-04-25 11:56 pm (UTC)I'd also recommend Gone Girl for a thriller though the ending is a bit marmite-ish.
no subject
Date: 2014-04-26 08:00 am (UTC)Thanks for the suggestion