Heleth
All right, let’s do this!
Nothing earth-shattering planned for today. I was considering going to see Wolverine, but given the fact that I woke up at 1pm today (unprecedented for me), my plans for the day have been altered. The truth of the matter is I desperately need to get my room in order (and I’m my only hope). There are papers and luggage and gifts to sort through, I really need to vacuum in here, and, yeah, just generally make this place look habitable again.
On a separate note, I’m all caught up with my TV. That is to say, I saw the last two episodes of Dollhouse (“Briar Rose” and “Omega”), and the last three episodes of The Big Bang Theory (“The Vegas Renormalization”, “The Classified Materials Turbulence”, and “The Monopolar Expedition”). Colbert and Stewart I will simply pass over in silence.
I really enjoyed the end of the season for Dollhouse, and I was tremendously relieved to hear they’re picking it up for another season. Poor Joss said he was up in Canada doing some other project, and was in a real Zen place, not really caring if the show was renewed or not, so he was thrilled when he got the go-ahead for season 2. Apparently, the suits were worried about the deluge of fan hate-mail. Go, us! They did cut his budget, though; hopefully that will mean less of Whats-her-face doing stupid things we don’t care about each week. I’m gonna miss Mellie… :_( And poor Vic… :\
The Big Bang Theory had some fun end-of-the-season episodes, although Penny’s renewed interest in Leonard seemed to come out of nowhere. I keep saying I don’t care about that aspect of the show, and that I’ve accepted it’s really “The Sheldon Show”, but I can’t help rooting for Leonard, even though I think he deserves better than Penny… O hwell…
Book-wise, I read “The Forever War” while on my trip, and it wasn’t bad, but it also wasn’t great. There was a lot gratuitous sex stuff, and I didn’t feel like I really connected with the characters and their plight. Also, the ending is uncharacteristically happy, and so the book ends on a too-cheery note that didn’t ring true compared to the rest of the book. 5/10.
I also started on the Temeraire series, with “His Majesty’s Dragon”. Now, this I’m thoroughly enjoying! Dragons in the Napoleonic era? I’m in Heaven! I just wrapped up book 2 (“Throne of Jade”) last night, and read the prologue for book 3 (“Black Powder War”). I also only just noticed the reviews on the first page, one by Anne McCaffrey (whom I respect, but do not enjoy) and another by David Weber (whose work I very much enjoy):
“Excellent, extraordinary… a new way to utilize dragons… Naomi Novik [will] be one to watch.”
â Anne McCaffrey
“Impressively original, fully developed, and peopled with characters you care about.”
â David Weber