Just a short post today to say Happy Father’s Day to my dad. Hi dad! *waves from here* I hope it’s a great day. Thanks for everything. You’re the best. 🙂
Today is a reading and editing day. I have big plans, big plans I say! I’m plan to finish editing two personal pieces and read more of The Last Page by Anthony Huso (so good!). After that, we’ll see.
So, to all the fathers out there, a happy day to you.
There’s a club by our house called the Black Cat. On Friday nights, they do a Doctor Who happy hour. Basically, you get a beer, find a seat, and watch an episode of Doctor Who in the back bar. This week’s showing was the Planet of the Ood. My husband, admittedly, not a fan of the show, went and enjoyed it (at least he said he did). About five minutes in, he leaned over and said, “Wait, isn’t this your favorite Doctor?” Yes, it was the 10th Doctor. I smiled, “Yep, he’s my favorite!” He nodded and then said, “He’s wearing red cons.” Yes, yes he is. It was a good evening.
So, yesterday I learn, like the rest of the planet, that there is to be a new Doctor. I’m not sure how I feel about this. I heart Doctor Who, even when I don’t always think the show is at its best. I was slow to love the 11th Doctor. Not because he wasn’t good (some may not agree but I think Matt Smith was a great embodiment of the Doctor) but because he wasn’t the 10th Doctor. I do love me some David Tennant. In the end, I came to love the 11th Doctor, and in a little way, believe that bow ties are cool. I still can’t get on board with the fez though… Now, there will be a new Doctor. *sigh*
Well, here’s to looking forward to the Christmas special, a return of the 10th Doctor, and a thank you to the 11th Doctor for making it so much fun. Hats off to you, Matt Smith, for joining in the fun as Doctor Who.
Today, I’m off to watch the USA vs. Germany soccer game. Funny story about this, my husband spent yesterday morning frantically searching for tickets. He finally found some good seats and we met up with a friend and off to the stadium we went. Traffic was a nightmare. Construction made it worse but we finally arrived at 2:15 for a 2:30 start ready to run to the gate tickets in hand. As we pulled into the parking lot, a large sign alerted us to the fact that the game was indeed today, Sunday, and not Saturday. After laughing off the mistake, we decided a drink was in order. Today, we plan to actually be there on time. On the correct day. Yeah…
With that, I wish you all a happy Sunday.
We don’t go see many movies but my husband really wanted to see The Place Beyond the Pines so we went last night. I should say first that this movie was beautifully shot and the acting was phenomenal. However, it was the most difficult movie to watch. I wanted to leave about 45 minutes in and when it finally finished, I’m not sure but I think I pretty much yelled thank god and ran out. People might have thought I was heading for the ladies room, but I was heading for the door. As we were walking up the street to get a cab home, I told my husband I needed some happy soap to scrub my brain. Not a date night movie.
If you don’t know what this movie is about, go here. I don’t want to re-live this one. Many people liked it and you maybe one of them. It’s just not my kind of movie. Iron Man will be out in a few weeks and I’m looking forward to that one.
It got me thinking though. As I said to my husband last night, I like my entertainment to be on the happier side. In movies, I like silly, I like action. I have to be in the mood for a movie like The Place Beyond the Pines and last night wasn’t the mood. It was too heavy. Very smartly done, but sad all the same.
I tend to be the same with reading. Not everything has to be happy, and some of what I read tends to be on the violent and scary side, a good deal of it is fantasy equaled out by historical fiction. When I read I want to forget all about real life. I want something outside of reality; something that won’t happen to me but will ruin and redeem the characters in the book. I don’t read much contemporary fiction; I quit one last week because it was all too real. When I want to be entertained, I want it to outside of my own experiences.
I don’t even want to think about what this says about me. Probably nothing. Later today, I plan to start The Golem and the Jinni by Helene Wecker. I finished Silent on the Moor by Deanna Raybourn yesterday and it was exactly what I needed.
I promised myself I’d post some reviews this week and I plan to do that, if I can draw myself away from the horrible TV show I’m watching. So, off I go to edit.
Happy Sunday.
I had grand blogging plans for today but those plans have been tossed. We have people arriving soon for Easter dinner. A turkey is in the oven and sides are going in soon. It’s been a busy morning but a good one so far.
If you’re celebrating today, best wishes for a happy Easter with family and friends.
Tomorrow, blog things will happen!
I’ve been slow on the writing front but today the words are all working. Not only did I wake up with something already written in my head, I actually got out of bed and wrote it down on paper. And I finagled three reviews out of my brain. They’re in rough shape but the words are on a page. I call that progress.
Reading has been slow this week but I have managed to get a lot done personally so I’m willing to call it fair play and move on. It’s not even the reading, which is good, it’s just being busy and somewhat tired and I went with sleep this week. Sometimes it’s the only choice.
I’m in the process of going through several bookshelves in the house with the ultimate goal being that one of the shelves will leave the house at the end of the project. This is not an easy task and I didn’t realize how many books actually call that shelf home. There are probably a few hundred books there. It’s going to be a while before this project can be called done. However, progress has been made, slow though it is, and some books will be leaving the house in the next few days.
There is one announcement of great importance I must mention and that is The Shadow of the Sun Read Along which is all part of the Mercury Retrograde Press bloggy love project taking place this year. Here’s the schedule if you want to join us and you can find more information on Dab of Darkness. Needless to say, I’m really excited about this book and can’t wait to get started.
April 1st post: 1-7 (pg. 95)
April 8th post: 8-15 (pg. 187)
April 15th post: 16-21 (pg. 275)
April 22nd post: 22-28 (pg. 386)
April 29th post: 29-END (pg. 483) and then there’s a few pages of glossaries.
For as much as I want to keep telling you things, I did say it was a words day and there are other things to do and write so I leave you for today to do some posting and editing.
In anticipation of a major snowstorm that was supposed to hit my city last week, I went to the library to pick up a few things thinking I would be spending a whole day stuck in the house with loads of reading time on my hands. That storm turned out to be nothing (other places did get snow, just not my city), and I spent the day at work like any other Wednesday. I was disappointed as all hell but I still have some good books to read so there’s that.
Side note: Funny how I didn’t run to the grocery store for milk, bread, and toilet paper but went to the library for books instead. To be fair, I had all of the above. Also, I grew up in an area that got a lot of snow so snow panic doesn’t set in for me.
Oh, the books.
Lord of the North by Bernard Cornwell – I started this series probably two years ago and I’m finally getting back to it. It’s the third book in the Saxon Tales series and pretty good. I’m flying through it. Also, I just finished up Mary Stewart’s second book in her Arthurian legend series, The Hollow Hills, last week and wasn’t ready to say goodbye to this setting so this seemed like a good place to start in on the library haul.
Brown Girl in the Ring by Nalo Hopkinson – I blame Elizabeth over at Dark Cargo for this one. She was talking about it, evangelizing really, and it made me want to read it. My library, which doesn’t always have a great selection of science fiction (it’s getting better or I’m just discovering new authors, not sure, but either way it makes me happy) had a copy. Thanks to an early flip through the book, I can say it looks really interesting.
At the Mountains of Madness by H.P. Lovecraft – I read my first Lovecraft a few weeks ago. It was The Shunned House and so, so good. I needed more and it turns out my library had this one. Also, it has an introduction by China Miéville! China Miéville, people! And it takes place in the Antarctic. I think this might be the next to tackle in the library pile.
Swamplandia! By Karen Russell – I don’t read much contemporary fiction but this is one I’ve wanted to read for a while. But since it was on the bestseller lists and everyone was loving it, I had to avoid it. I’m like that. I don’t like to read books on bestseller lists or books that everyone seems to be in love with at any given point in time. So, I avoided. Russell had a new book out, everyone is raving about it again, and for as much as I want to read it, I’m avoiding and going back to the first one I didn’t read. We’ll see how it goes.
I’m now going to step outside and run some errands. My husband’s conference is in town this weekend and he’s been working non-stop the last two days and I’ve barely left the house. But, on the bright side, I did clean many things and read like a fiend ** so there wasn’t much reason to leave. However, the sun is out and it’s warm so I think I’m going to get some vitamin D. Besides, I hear books can be read outside.
Happy Sunday.
** I’m also reading Clockwork Phoenix 4 edited by Mike Allen and while I’m only a few stories in, I can’t wait to tell you more about it because you’ll want to read it too.
Do you ever have one of those days where all you want to do is stay cozied up in bed with a book? That’s me today and that’s what I’m actually doing. It’s just me and a copy of Dreams and Shadows by C. Robert Cargill. Monsters, wizards, djinn, and fairies all acting badly. So good. Yay for a lazy Sunday afternoon and a good book.
Happy Sunday. Enjoy whatever you’re doing, wherever you are.
Right now, I should be writing a piece for a class I’m taking. Obviously, that’s not happening because I’m clearly writing this instead.
I should get on posting a whole load of reviews that I’m saving for what I can only determine is a very special event.
I would like to finish reading Tana French’s Faithful Place. I also want to start Dreams and Shadows by C. Robert Cargill which came in the mail the other days and looks so good. That might actually happen since I’m obviously all about procrastinating on the writing efforts today. And really, the way I see it, finishing a book is always an accomplishment.
Maybe some tea and a nice warm breakfast will help me think. Yes, I’m sure that’s what I’m missing. Pancakes it is. And, no, this is not procrastination this is following dietary guidelines that say breakfast is the most important meal of the day. Yea, whatever, I know exactly what I’m doing.
Read any good books this week? February is turning out to be slow reading month for me but that’s not surprising with everything else I threw on my plate this month.
Just Book Reading 