Well, I spent most of the week watching Megan do virtual talks via various bookstores. I didn't plan to watch all (11, I think) of them but I found it interesting how various writers interviewed or talked with her. And how people concentrated on different aspects of the book. For instance, Tasha Alexander, hosting for Poisoned Pen, took dance for 17 years and they talked a lot about dance instruction and discipline. Several of the talks were more like conversations (Laura Lippman and Gillian Flynn) than traditional book tour talks. All of the interviewers were terrific and I especially enjoyed Jonathan Lethem, who I didn't know at all and Rumaan Alam, whose book Leave the World Behind last year I especially enjoyed. Most of them are online if you're interested. As well as book talks with pretty much anyone who debuted a book this year. So far, the book has gotten good reviews from every newspaper or magazine and was chosen as the book of the month in several places. No one works harder than Megan so good on her.
Really enjoyed WE BEGIN AT THE END, by Chris Whitaker. It strains a bit too hard in places to seem like a western but on the whole it is pretty terrific. Been watching THE SINNER, third season, which is scary. Bill Pullman is fine in it. He never quite became the box office star he should have been but his IMDB is full of roles. Also finally getting into WHITE LOTUS as it ends. It took me this long to understand what Mike White was going for. LA PISCINE was gorgeous as were its stars. I think I may have seen it before but it only became familiar in the last third.
Anyway what's up with you?
19 comments:
Read Megan's The Turnout and highly recommend it. Very well written. Saw the interview with K
Jonathan Lethem. Also working my way through several short story collections. Haven't been watching many series. Binged on several fine movies by Stephen Frears-The Grifters, The Hit and High Fidelity. All rewatches. Watched Suicide Squad on HBO Max. Cartoonish and very silly at times but I found it very entertaining.
More rain today and more on the way. I sometimes feel like I'm living in Seattle.
Just back from Cape Cod and I'll be spending the next few days catching up. Fried clams, yum yum. And the weather was great.
Met up with my brother Ken and his daughter Julia at Kimball Farms Ice Cream. Ken and I both ordered the gigantic banana splits; Ken had his without nuts to bring back to his wife who couldn't make it. He ended up eating the entire thing. I would have eaten my entire split but Jack got at the whipped cream and Kitty got at the hot fudge. **sigh** Julia is recently married and bubbled about her wedding; it's greaat to see someone ao happy and excited -- she just glowed. Also met up with a friend I have known since first grade, one of the sweetest people God has ever placed on this Earth.
Our last day there, my nephew Dennis showed up with his boat, a paddle boat, a rubber raft for tubing, and a giant inflatable swan. Jack, Erin, and Erin's boyfriend Trey went tubing -- Jack went five times (!) and could not thrown off the tube no matter how nhard Dennis tried. Trey tried his hand at waterskiing and did amazingly well for his first time.
The whale watch went well. They saw seven or eight od those magnificent behemoths.
Kitty and I stayed at nearby hotel because trying to get eight people to sleep in a very small cottage is a lesson in futility. Our room was small but comfortable. The choices on the television were limited and we ended up watching old episode of LAW & ORDER and SCORPION. We did catch an old Bela Lugosi film on something called JLTV -- which stands for Jewish Life Television -- which had commercials for Israeli Krav Maga and informational bits called "Would Jew Believe."
Packed a handful of Science fiction novels for the week and read six books by James Blish and one by Frederik Pohl and Jack Williamson...and I bought a few books to add to Mount TBR.
Flew both ways on a bargain airline. "Bargain" means the you have to be a few inches shorter than I am to fit into one of their seats. Driving to Llogan Airport, christina set her GPS to avoid all tolls and we ended up jaunting through many parts of Boston and Charlestown that I never knew existed --areas where there seemed to be no roads, only potholes.
Now it's time to go back to bed and sleep off the vacation. School starts tomorrow and we have to drop Jack off bright and early.
Have a fantastic week, Patti!
Very happy Megan's doing so well, Patti - she really is talented. As tiring as it must be, I'm glad she's 'making the rounds.'
Jerry, sounds like you had a great time. Certainly, the weather was better than the heavy rain we had in Boston and the Cape just before July 4.
Patti, agree on THE SINNER. We're watching series three too, and so far, so good. Harry's personal life is kind of pathetic, probably why he throws himself into these cases. We're really enjoyed UNFORGOTTEN, and will be sad to see it end next week, especially after what happened at the end of this episode. Still watching the French/Israeli THE ATTACHE, and still dislike the main character to the point where it totally undermines the show for me. Jackie and I have 100% different opinions on this and she likes it a lot. Another we disagree on so far, surprisingly, is JACK IRISH. We watched the second and third movies, and though I like Guy Pearce a lot and most Australian shows, I just did not enjoy either of these much, though Jackie did. By the way, we have started using Closed Captions on Aussie and New Zealand shows - this, THE GULF, HALIFAX: REDEMPTION, THE HEART GUY (DOCTOR DOCTOR) as Jackie finds them harder to understand. Still watching all the shows I mentioned last time and have added HIT & RUN, an Israeli show set mainly (in upcoming episodes, as the first was in Tel Aviv) in New York, and in English. It is by (and starring) the guy who did FAUDA. This time his new wife and run down in a brutal hit & run just as she was going to New York to audition for a dance company, and he starts finding out secrets about her almost immediately. Up next: season one of MR. INBETWEEN, a series about an Aussie hitman we missed in its three seasons on FX, but was recommended in the NY Times as comparable to BOSCH and JACK IRISH. The library has the first two series and the third is available On Demand. We'll try it.
Jackie said she didn't remember watching DE-LOVELY when we saw it some 15 years ago, so I got it from the library, and wow, it was terrible. Sort on a bad version of Fosse's ALL THAT JAZZ, with Jonathan Pryce as Angel Gabriel revisiting Cole Porter's life with him as he prepares to die. It was just flat, despite the music and Kevin Kline. First of all, when Porter married, he was 27 and his wife was 35. When this was made, Ashley Judd (miscast as the wife, in my opinion) was 35, but Kline was 56. We turned it off after half an hour.
Last night we took George's recommendation and watched Kate Beckinsale in the ridiculous but fun action movie JOLT. It isn't a plot you can take seriously, but Beckinsale seemed to be having a good time and I bet there will be a JOLT 2.
So as you see, we've been sitting in front of the television all night every night, and not watching any of the Olympics. Tomorrow we are NOT going to the Jimmy Buffett concert at Jones Beach. There is NO vaccine mandate, they just "ask" the unvaccinated to wear masks, there will be thousands of people milling around and crowding together, and I just don't feel like I want to risk my life, especially for a concert we have seen more than 50 times before.
Weather was good last week, most days in the 70s, though the heat is returning this week.
Jackie
Western NY is under a Heat Advisory with temperatures projected into the 90s this week. Very muggy, too.
Once again, I've managed to build a stack of a dozen Library books that are due in the next couple of weeks so I'll have to focus on reading not watching Netflix, HULU, HBO Max, Apple TV, and all the other network and streaming services.
Diane's sister, Carol, is coming to visit us later this week. Diane is busy doing Deep Cleaning in preparation for Carol's White Glove treatment.
The Delta Variant is sending infection rates and hospitalizations up here. We're wearing our masks every time we leave the house...which isn't often these days. Stay safe!
I am glad to hear that Megan's book talks are going so well. Not at all surprised that her book is doing well also. THE TURNOUT is one I really want to read.
Our streaming / DVD watching has been mostly older shows. Poirot episodes, Midsomer Mysteries, Stargate SG-1, Star Trek: Next Generation. Michael Palin's Himalayas. We have started BOSCH, only three episodes so far. We like to string it out.
I finished LOCKDOWN by Peter May and then read THE ART OF VIOLENCE by S. J. Rozan. Loved it. Reading short stories from DAMN NEAR DEAD 2 today.
I watched the first two episodes of MR INBETWEEN and the violence was pretty over the top but if you like it I will try it again. I give up too quickly sometimes.
It is hot here, George, but I try to get a walk in first thing if I can. Having dizzy issues though.
Bill did a nice job with DND 2 and was so kind to include me. I will have to dig that out and maybe read a story or two from it for SSW. I find the Aussie accent very difficult indeed.
I have two friends who have places on CC and I could visit either or both but it is not an easy place to get to. You have to fly into Boston or Providence and both a hours away. We went there many times and I miss it.
The guy who was the star of the MYSTERY ROAD movies and series - Aaron Pederson - plays Jack Irish's sidekick (although he has a pretty minor role) in the movies. It might be a bigger role in the series.
We were still probably an hour away from the end of Cape Cod (Provincetown) when we were on Cape Cod with my cousins. Went to Hyannis and Barnstaple and Dennis area.
We used to stay in Wellfleet, which is up near Provincetown. We have friends there and others near Hyannis. Miss going there.
I'm planning to catch Megan's Thursday night book talk. I'll tune in a little late because I'm at work right up until 7PM.
I finished POPPETS by Mo Hayder. I've enjoyed her books but the POPPETS was a bit weak. I started reading COYOTES OF CARTHAGE by Steven Wright. Author is a WI guy and the book has started strong about a political operative for hire and the need to have zero morals in the job.
I tried out one of Ken Bruen's and Jason Starr's MAX AND ANGELA novels a couple weeks ago. I've now teared through the first three and am on the fourth. Lots of jokes about other authors, book awards, and publishing mixed up with narcissists, multiple murders, and lots of herpes transmissions. Over the top stories and very enjoyable. Giving Laura Lippman a stalker was a bit unsettling. Maybe Lippman won a "Win a Spot In My Book!" auction.
Haven't gotten to the new Lippman book but am looking forward to it. Yeah, that time change thing is wicked. Most of them are on you tube if you miss it.
Or even They're not all!
Having gone to school with this kind of wealthy spoiled sort (they're not all pale Caucs, though many of the most smug are) in Hawaii made it impossible to miss what White was reaching for in THE WHITE LOTUS.
This was interesting: https://www.latimes.com/entertainment-arts/tv/story/2021-08-06/the-white-lotus-hbo-cast-mike-white-hawaii-resort-tourism
Thanks, Todd. Will look at it.
Jackie said to tell you, we tried MR. INBETWEEN last night and agree with you. Not for us.
It must get better but I just can't do it right now.
Been doing the Heat Advisory and Ozone Action Day dance here nearly every day for weeks now. It sucks.
Saturday morning I was honored to speak to the MWASW chapter here in Dallas via Zoom on the topic of reviews and reviewing. It was a lot of fun.
Thanks to the Covid surge here, Scott's follow-up appointment for his recent hospital stay was scheduled for next Tuesday or three weeks after the event. Not only are the hospitals overwhelmed, but so too are doctors.
Miserable hear, Heat Advisory in effect. Triple digits today through Saturday, over 50 days without measurable precipitation. PGE warns of power outages. Read Killing Trail, first in Timber Creek K-9 series. Not bad, have next from library. Amazed everyone (especially Jerry) seemed to be out and traveling and such with Covid on the rise. Other than a doctor visit today, I STAY HOME.
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