bookgazing (![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png)
bookgazing) wrote2013-10-13 01:09 am
bookgazing) wrote2013-10-13 01:09 am
No Readathon, some reading
A lot of people are readathoning this weekend. Not me, but I did read nearly 100 pages in one go today so I am at least reading.
In other recent reading news:
This week my bus book was Laurie Halse Anderson's "Wintergirls". The prose is sooo good, but it was impossible to slow down for it because Lia's plight is so desperate I just flew right through to the end. One of those books that deserves a second read through.
Just before that I finished "How I Live Now" (this book is what led me to pick up "Wintergirls", which contains related subject matter) and as a consequence am absolutely gutted that the film is not on at a reasonable time in our area. The only showings now seem to be at mid-afternoon on weekdays - the film came out a week ago. The blurb on the copy I bought was both accurate in one way and super weighted towards making this book look like it was only about romance. I am really sick of this trend for disguising books through marketing - it just makes it look like your marketing department thinks ordinary readers are stupid and don't have a broad range of interests. Anyway, if you like your romance with SFF and apocalyptic war conditions and family bonding then definitely get on this one.
And today I started "The Girls of No Return" by Erin Baldin. Did everyone else know the main character in this was a lesbian? I don't think I had heard any chatter about that around the web. It's great so far, very into its nature descriptions and keen on showing how complicated the relationships can be between girls who meet in highly pressurized situations (like being sent to a camp to live with complete strangers).
So, it seems I have been recently been way into stories about teenage girls working out complex feelings. I like this kind of story best when they come without a hint of over the top dramarama but still show how dramatic life can be, and all of these books achieved that. I'm not sure if this reading trend will continue after my current read - I feel like a big slice of epic fantasy or historical drama might fit next.
In other media stuff:
Can we talk about Agents of SHIELD? I thought the cast was great for a Whedon project diversity wise, but the first episode was dull and muddled apart from Coulson's snappy chat. I missed the second ep because for some reason the catch up player is only keeping episodes of this show for seven days, not twenty one as per usual and I'm wondering if it's worth going on. I want to know the answer to all the secrets, but do I want to know the answers enough to wade through a lot of episodes like the first one. Maybe not... It depends how much Agent Hill there would be in those episodes (I imagine not enough for me). I was so excited for this program but it hasn't quite worked out as I'd hoped. Also it seems there will be no reunion between Coulson and Captain America any time soon :(
Peaky Blinders is the best and everyone in the UK should catch it before it goes away (last episode is on Thursday so get to your catch up player). I would really like to write about it but would probably just end up typing 'hot boys and cool women' over and over.
Orphan Black also continues to be impressive and I am committed to writing something about it for LB (female fronted SF TV program where the British aren't villains is just calling out to me).
And I am gathering recommendations for a project. Tell me, if you haven't already dropped a list on Tumblr, which "classic" (in this case meaning, first shown more than ten years ago and considered by a reasonable amount of people to be a classic)SFF film would you most like me to watch and write about? Jurassic Park is already on my project list btw.
Hope everyone taking part in Dewey's Readathon has a great time and see you after you emerge from your reading hangovers :)
In other recent reading news:
This week my bus book was Laurie Halse Anderson's "Wintergirls". The prose is sooo good, but it was impossible to slow down for it because Lia's plight is so desperate I just flew right through to the end. One of those books that deserves a second read through.
Just before that I finished "How I Live Now" (this book is what led me to pick up "Wintergirls", which contains related subject matter) and as a consequence am absolutely gutted that the film is not on at a reasonable time in our area. The only showings now seem to be at mid-afternoon on weekdays - the film came out a week ago. The blurb on the copy I bought was both accurate in one way and super weighted towards making this book look like it was only about romance. I am really sick of this trend for disguising books through marketing - it just makes it look like your marketing department thinks ordinary readers are stupid and don't have a broad range of interests. Anyway, if you like your romance with SFF and apocalyptic war conditions and family bonding then definitely get on this one.
And today I started "The Girls of No Return" by Erin Baldin. Did everyone else know the main character in this was a lesbian? I don't think I had heard any chatter about that around the web. It's great so far, very into its nature descriptions and keen on showing how complicated the relationships can be between girls who meet in highly pressurized situations (like being sent to a camp to live with complete strangers).
So, it seems I have been recently been way into stories about teenage girls working out complex feelings. I like this kind of story best when they come without a hint of over the top dramarama but still show how dramatic life can be, and all of these books achieved that. I'm not sure if this reading trend will continue after my current read - I feel like a big slice of epic fantasy or historical drama might fit next.
In other media stuff:
Can we talk about Agents of SHIELD? I thought the cast was great for a Whedon project diversity wise, but the first episode was dull and muddled apart from Coulson's snappy chat. I missed the second ep because for some reason the catch up player is only keeping episodes of this show for seven days, not twenty one as per usual and I'm wondering if it's worth going on. I want to know the answer to all the secrets, but do I want to know the answers enough to wade through a lot of episodes like the first one. Maybe not... It depends how much Agent Hill there would be in those episodes (I imagine not enough for me). I was so excited for this program but it hasn't quite worked out as I'd hoped. Also it seems there will be no reunion between Coulson and Captain America any time soon :(
Peaky Blinders is the best and everyone in the UK should catch it before it goes away (last episode is on Thursday so get to your catch up player). I would really like to write about it but would probably just end up typing 'hot boys and cool women' over and over.
Orphan Black also continues to be impressive and I am committed to writing something about it for LB (female fronted SF TV program where the British aren't villains is just calling out to me).
And I am gathering recommendations for a project. Tell me, if you haven't already dropped a list on Tumblr, which "classic" (in this case meaning, first shown more than ten years ago and considered by a reasonable amount of people to be a classic)SFF film would you most like me to watch and write about? Jurassic Park is already on my project list btw.
Hope everyone taking part in Dewey's Readathon has a great time and see you after you emerge from your reading hangovers :)