Friday, September 30, 2011

What I am into this month.

The trees are still green, but not for long!
On My Nightstand: September, really, has been a month of YA novels. Whatever. Don't judge.

I began September with a three-day race through the Percy Jackson and the Olympians series. I saw the movie when it came out (not knowing it was based on a book series) and left thinking, "That was a terrible movie, but I bet it would make a good book." I was right. It's no Harry Potter, rich with allusion and Story and clever bits that drive you to read them over and over and always find something new. But they are fun.

Next came Alice I Have Been, an exceptional piece of historical fiction. It's good, poignant and delightful. But depressing. Too much a reminder that real life too often doesn't have happy endings, even if it does have graceful ones.

I am intermittently working my way through Zeno's Paradox: Unraveling the Ancient Mystery Behind the Science of Space and Time. It's not quite as coherent or readable as I'd hoped it would be, but the subject matter is of course fascinating.

And I am ending the month with another series of YA fantasy novels, The Sisters Grimm. They're aimed at a younger set than the Percy Jackson books, and are, well, again, no Harry Potter, although Buckley, like Rowling, gets better as he goes on. I would be lying if I said I was not completely devouring them. The target audience is definitely Nine- To Eleven-Year-Old Girls, though. I was reading one at the ballet with a nine-year-old friend, and she said, "Is that The Sisters Grimm? I haven't read them but my friend LOVES them!" So I guess they're hitting the mark.

Want to Read: That list never ends, does it? I have a couple of books I've borrowed from work, one on Bernie Madoff and one on, I don't remember, something else financial. I might read those. We'll see.

Grautitous Jayne picture.
TV Show Worth Watching: The DDH and I, we are followers of the Hulu. Because if it's not free and available whenever we want to watch it, we just can't be bothered. So there's the usual: This season of Hell's Kitchen is down to the final four (I mean, I guess it's actually over, but we're down to the final four). I sporadically join the DDH for Royal Pains and White Collar and some British comedy about superhero delinquents that I can't remember the name of, and other things. He watches way more TV than I do, and has a whole list of shows he follows. I mostly join him for an episode here and another there. Castle has started back up and oh. my. GOODNESS. I had forgotten on what a cliff the series left us hanging last season, and it just charged right back in. Love.

BUT. We have a date every Wednesday night for the latest episode of Blue Exorcist. Yes, it's an anime. I don't care. If you like drama and adventure and moral dilemmas and slapstick comedy and cute animals and Story you. will. love. this show and should go watch it right now. All of it forever. It's an alternate universe-type setting where the church exists to fight literal demons. Priests are exorcists with nifty powers (though I guess you can also be an exorcist without being a priest; I'm a little unclear on that) and the Vatican controls this whole hierarchy of exorcists and the main characters are the twin sons of Satan reared by the most powerful exorcist in the world and OMGSOGOOD. The only criticism I have of it is it's only half-hour episodes, so about twenty minutes of actual content, and then I have to wait a whole! week! for more. It's amazing. Why are you reading this blog and not catching up on back episodes right now?

Movies I've Seen (in or out of a theater): The DDH and I went to see a special advance screening of Courageous for law enforcement personnel. It was...fine, I guess. It was not terrible. It was relatively interesting. It has a great message that really does need to be heard. I'm just not sure that an in-your-face, hit-you-over-the-head-with-our-message movie is the way to do it. I assume that sort of approach must work for someone or they wouldn't keep producing these sorts of movies and music and books and all the other trappings of a certain stream of American Christianity, but...it wouldn't reach anyone I know.

I will say that it was weird to watch it in a police station in a room full of cops. That definitely gave it a different atmosphere.

Anyway. I recommend seeing it unless you have a very low tolerance for being preached at, basically.

In My Ears: The DDH, cutting edge geek that he is, has had Spotify for awhile, and I am beginning to steal it from him. Mumford and Sons has really been singing my tune lately (I think "Little Lion Man" is my current favorite song). Also been enjoying some Florence + the Machine, a dash of Adele, a liberal sprinkling of some good old-school The Killers. I'm coming down off a loudrockingpartydancemusic phase (the CD in my car right now is still Ke$ha, don't hate). Raspy melancholy grooves seem more appropriate for fall, somehow.

Newest Blog Reads/Internet Interest: All of the blog-reading is new for me at the moment. Faithfully following Megan at SortaCrunchy; been enjoying Sarah Koller at Yoga For Breakfast. I know everyone else is raving about Pinterest, but eh. I have no interest in checking it out; I am not really a spatially visual person (as opposed to a verbally visual one, which I am). Oh, yeah, what happened to Google+? That lasted all of a month. Though with Facebook's changes, maybe it will make a comeback.

Lanterns on the back porch table.
What I'm looking forward to next month: October has always been my favorite month (or possibly tied with my birth month, the winningest July). So much goodness abounds in October, plus absolutely perfect weather almost no matter where you live (usually. Now I've probably jinxed it). Halloween! I vaguely recall going on a Halloween-decoration-clearance buying binge last fall, and am excited to find out what it is I bought. Also, the Fair! The Tulsa State Fair is a pale shadow of the glory that is the New Mexico State Fair, but it is better than nothing. I love Fairs. Also, Oktoberfest! Yusssss. Also, my mom's birthday! Which I will miss, being here, but, yay Mom! Yes, Oktober should be good times.

2 comments:

  1. Every time I think I have a favorite Mumford and Sons song, I change my mind a crown a new one favorite. I think Roll Away Your Stone is my current favorite. :)

    Castle looks good but we've never gotten into it. It's on the Hulu, yes? We are completely incapable of watching anything as it airs.

    Sorry I am so late getting to this. Thank you for playing along!

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  2. It's true! They are all my favorite. For now. ^_^

    It's on The Hulu, yes. SO ARE WE. But Castle--Nathan Fillion, you cannot be denied.

    This was an exceedingly optimistic post given my Oktober thus far--I am late on absolutely everything. Thank you for reading! And for the idea. ^_^

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