Filed under: Uncategorized | Tags: AWESOME, Books, Contemporary Fiction, Defunct WB, Documentaries, Editor, Middle Grade, Reality, So New It Hurts
I started this blog post last week so that I wouldn’t forget what I had watched.
Yeesh. Inspiration, man. You get it.
Any how, so I’m leaving the title. Because at the time I was halfway through, though now I’m closer to 3/4 of the way though, but whatever. I have watched a ton of shiz. Now that my sister is here, we’re rehashing Supernatural (because as I said earlier, I have a freaking problem). I won’t go too much further into it as I’ve already exhausted the topic IRL. (That’s “In Real Life” for you real life breathing people who don’t spend all day on the internet.) Just know that it is way more awesome than the screaming girls would have you believe.
I really have been putting this post off because of the World Cup. Unfortunately, as it is happening in South Africa, the games are all during the work day … so, uh, thank you streaming websites and the slightly racist Guardian live bloggers. Let’s relive the last 2 minutes of stoppage time in yesterday’s heart attack inducing game, shall we:
Goddamn chills. CHILLS. How does the rest of America not understand how exciting this game is?
So far as fictional television habits go, I stuck with the out of this world theme with my British television viewing by rewatching the first half of the e4 series: Misfits. Robert Sheehan’s got a bit of a Colin Farrell before he got clean thing going for him. It’s lovely.
It’s a gang of delinquent British kids suddenly set upon by powers. However, unlike their American counterparts, it does not devolve into a political power play between good and evil, but rather – how these kids can still dick around and fuck up even though they have these super-ish abilities. If you want a replacement for Skins, that’s just a little more surface level fun, then this is for you.
Last visual item I want to highlight is I finally got my hands on the Blur Documentary: No Distance Left to Run. It only took me three freaking months. Despite their history being quite romanticized, I can’t say that I was at all disappointed. This is already getting long, so I’ll cut this bit short, but I’d suggest this for anyone who enjoys the britpop … er… awesomely indie Blur! … yeah.
Ugh. This is long. I also deserve it for waiting so long. So words.
I finished The Kneebone Boy and that second Brixton Brothers book. The former was fun, though I wasn’t crazy about the last twenty pages or so. The latter was freaking hilarious of course, because my boyfriend wrote it. JAYKAY Y’ALL. It was just funny for being funny’s sake. I can haz jewlree?
What I really want to talk about is how I just started A Visit from the Good Squad by Jennifer Egan. Oh. My. God. I’m only about a hundred pages in or so, but my goodness.
Jennifer Egan happened to speak at the 7x20x21 panel I went to at Book Expo America. Jennifer was one of seven speakers who had 10 minutes to present a 20 slide powerpoint presentations with 21 seconds per slide. She presented a chapter of her book written entirely in powerpoint form. It was awesome. I won’t go on and on about how people who are using new mediums for literature are so intersting – that’s for my other soapbox. Instead, I’ll just say that the narrative Egan employs in this novel is one of the most unique voices I’ve read in quite some time. Despite only getting glimpses of characters, just a few short pages or maybe even paragraphs, I’m hooked one everyone.
… I almost fell down the stairs in the subway station because I just wanted to get one more page read.
Yeah, I’m awesome.
Next time: I’ll maybe mention the Knights of the Templar nonsense I highlighted in my “Read” section. Well, if it gets any better. Egh.
SUMMARY, BITCHES:
Watched: 12 episodes of supernatural, 3 eps of misfits, 7 world cup games, 6 episodes of the wire, Blur documentary (No Distance Left to Run), Toy Story 3, 1 episode of The Middle, 3 episodes of So You Think You Can Dance, 2 episodes of Party Down, 2 episodes of Arrested Development
Read: world cup live blogs, completed The Kneebone Boy, 54 pages of Knights of Templar, completed 2nd Brixton Brothers, 102 pages of A Visit from the Good Squad, Edited a few pages of a friend’s manuscript
Filed under: Time Spent | Tags: AWESOME, Books, Editor, Hulu, Middle Grade, Musical, Reality
But not really. I’m still you know, reading and watching stuff, but life got a bit too crazy to write about it.
So here I am. I both started and finished Hold Me Closer, Necromancer. It was good, just not as good I would have hoped. It was funny though, so that was wonderful. Sam LaCroix, despite the unfortunate name, makes quite the compelling main character. I’d have been his girlfriend if I was 19. In a hot minute.
I also finally finished the awful, awful piece of horrifyingly rancid shit that was Fallen Angel. I would not link that title any where even if the page existed somewhere, because oh man. Painful. So, so painful. I didn’t think it would ever get worse than Twilight. But oh man did it. Did it ever. Bella Swan, meet your match in Ellspeth Fanieul whateverthefuck. And that’s all I’m going to say about it because I don’t want to relive a single moment of that travesty.
Since I managed to snag a copy at BEA, I’ve started The Kneebone Boy by Ellen Potter and am so far thoroughly enjoying it. The narrative is a nice throwback to old school Children’s authors (a la Enid Blyton or Madeleine L’Engle), but has all the snark and cleverness of Lemony Snicket. So far, I’m a big fan.
I’ve been reading bits and pieces of Behemoth (the sequel to Scott Westerfield’s incredible Leviathan) for a few weeks (maybe months) now. I think I only read about 20 pages or so this week, and it is good! Don’t get me wrong, it’s just a little slow for some reason. But illustrations are just as beautiful, and the story just as interesting.
Let’s see. Also caught up on some Full Metal Alchemist action. Just found out there’s only one (100 pg!) chapter left. Excuse me while I go fangirl like a little otaku monster. (omgomgomgomgomgomgomgomgomg).
Lastly, I already read and reported on an untitled by unnamed manuscript. I’ll keep my opinions to myself on that one.
As far as the visual arts go, I started THE WIRE. You know, the greatest television series of. all. time. Or so I keep freaking hearing. I’m about six episodes in so far… and it kind of really is. The Wire is what I would say is the television equivalent of a literary novel. It doesn’t need that hook to get you in – like, Supernatural has super pretty boys or awesome, awesome epic story lines of faith and destiny versus free will and … what was I talking about again? Oh right, The Wire.
So yes, The Wire is this masterfully executed show- from the cinematography, to the characters, to the exposition- but I’m not addicted. I’m not going to feel like I have to lose sleep to catch up on this show. It’s okay to take it slow, son. It’s a-okay, even.
Also caught up on Party Down (Kristin Bell should be on this show all the time), watched the season finale of Glee (you’ll always be in my heart, Jesse St. James), and I’m halfway through this week’s second So You Think You Can Dance episode (and I haven’t cried yet). Speaking of awesome things:
So, I read, gah. A ton. Probably around 6 – 7 hundred pages of fiction.
I watched 6 episodes of The Wire.
I watched one episode of Glee, So You Think You Can Dance, and Party Down.
Filed under: Time Spent | Tags: AWESOME, Books, Hulu, Middle Grade, Musical, Netflix, Reality, Trailers, Young Adult
I love days when I can leave work after a shitty, shitty day, read the whole way with out disturbance (and in a seat!) and then come home, change into my pajamas and watch some goddamn tv.
So, I fiiiinally finished The Case of the Case of the Missing Identity. It was everything I could have hoped for and more. I now cannot wait to read the next one: Ghostwriter. Someone needs to finish it first though, cough. Any how, so I’m thrilled that CASE didn’t disappoint (boyfriend, remember?) and I no longer mind that people realize I’m laughing at a book written for fifth graders. Because you know what? It was funny. Hilarious, even! Now that I’m finished, I plan to move on to the fantastically titled Hold Me Closer, Necromancer. (A quick Google search brings up this as the first result, which incidentally, has nothing to do with the book – but distracted me for a good 15 minutes.)
I also continued on my angelic path with Fallen. Sadly, it has gotten no 
better. It is now more ridiculous and insulting than Twilight. Depressed Indian is deeeepressed. While Michael still thinks they’re vampires, and they haven’t said the word “angel” yet – I’m still fairly certain that they are angels. You know, because it’s called Fallen. And we all saw City of Angels. What did Nic Cage do for Meg Ryan? He fell. Literally, if I remember correctly. Off a building. Good riddance to bad rubbish.
So far, my biggest frustrations with this book is from the awful, awful mess that is the main character. Think Bella, but with even less independence and emotional stability. Sigh. I’ll finish it though, because I just have. to. know.
On to TV!
Thanks to Hulu not sucking, I was able to watch this week’s Glee episode. I’m not sure I’m ready to rehash it yet – Jesse St. James’ betrayal may just be too fresh. In my mind, Jesse + Rachel = 2gether 4ever. Shut up, I’m a girl. I ship. I enjoyed a few of the numbers, Another One Bites the Dust and Loser were my favs this time around. I can do without ever, ever seeing dbag schooface hitting on Sue Sylvester ever again. Most awkward four minutes of Television ever. Gives me the shakes.
Also! IT’S SUMMER! WHICH MEANS! A brand new (hopefully not as awful as the last one) season of So You Think You Can Dance. Squee. No really, no sarcasm there. Squee. I refuse to apologize for enjoying the awesomeness of people dancing. It’s already made me cry like four times.
Lastly, I spent some time with my favorite catering team by watching the newest episode of Party Down. Thank you Netflix Instawatch. If you are not watching Party Down, you need to stop what you’re doing and watch the hilarity that is this show. It’s a great replacement for Arrested Development (since we all know how Fox dicked us over there). This week, they catered an Actor’s party, and Roman got his bacchanal. Words cannot describe the funny. Go watch it.
So there you have it. Day 3 covered! See you kids tomorrow. If I’m not too busy getting married off to some dude in Queens.
I read 69 pages of fiction.
I watched one episode of Glee.
One episode of So You Think You Can Dance.
One episode of Party Down.
Two trailers: Gulliver’s Travels and Mao’s Last Dancer. (The latter of which I desperately want to see.)
