Books and More
I've finished a lot of books lately (though I've just started "Beautifully Unique Sparkleponies," because my son ran off with it to his room and hogged it for the last 3 weeks).
Blood Work, by Michael Connelly. This is a non-Harry Bosch book, but almost as good as that series. The main character is a former FBI-agent who solves the murder of the woman from whom he got his transplanted heart. The character is as wonderfully persistent as Harry Bosch, but otherwise a very different guy. This was a compelling story, and it inspired me to put another one in this series on hold.
Gone Girl, by Gillian Flynn. A gripping story about an unhappy wife who disappears, and whose husband is charged with her murder. The book alternates chapters between his and her POVs, and your opinion of the characters changes several times along the way. I didn't really like the ending, but it wasn't "wrong" or unrealistic, just not as personally satisfying as I would have preferred. Terrific read, though.
I've finished some random mysteries as well (gym books), and am about halfway through Fire In The Hole, and other stories by Elmore Leonard. I can see why that last story got picked up and made into the Pilot for Justified. There are lots of vivid characters and a riveting setup in it, and it's easy to extend what you see of that story into something larger. Much better than the longer "Raylan," I think, at least for my tastes.
TV-wise, we finished BBC Sherlock, S3. Episode 2 was far too wedding-centric for me (fans wait for multiple years, and you spend the middle of only three episodes on a wedding rather than a case?), and Episode 3... eh. I don't know why the show went there. It seemed an improbable stretch, and I don't really care for what it all set up. On a complete side-note to the series, I really disagree with the characterization of Sherlock's parents. As untrusting and misanthropic as both Mycroft and Sherlock are, you KNOW they did not have nice, loving parents-- particularly not two of them. It defies the characterization of both sons, so I call "sloppy work" on that entirely. Just because you, as an official creator, CAN write things that aren't true to your characters and their canon does not mean that you should. This isn't the first incidence of this I've seen, but I still dislike it, regardless. Many fanfic writers go to great lengths to NOT do that-- so for me, official writers/creators have no excuse for it. Nor for things like headless characters coming back from the dead (as in Prison Break), which used to just be a joke from the movie "Soapdish."
In other TV news, we keep meaning to try start True Detective, but have gotten sidelined. I've watched virtually none of the Olympics-- too much mopey distraction, and the Winter Olympics aren't a big draw for me (figure-skating and the slalom are about it). Plus, I know NBC's trick of stringing viewers along too well, where there are teasers for figure-skating all night long, but real coverage doesn't start until the end of the program. That is especially annoying on the West Coast, where the "end" is 11-12 pm. ;)
therealljidol starts up again in a little over a week. If you've ever thought about trying it, this is supposed to be the final season, so don't put it off any longer!
Now... back to work. :O
Blood Work, by Michael Connelly. This is a non-Harry Bosch book, but almost as good as that series. The main character is a former FBI-agent who solves the murder of the woman from whom he got his transplanted heart. The character is as wonderfully persistent as Harry Bosch, but otherwise a very different guy. This was a compelling story, and it inspired me to put another one in this series on hold.
Gone Girl, by Gillian Flynn. A gripping story about an unhappy wife who disappears, and whose husband is charged with her murder. The book alternates chapters between his and her POVs, and your opinion of the characters changes several times along the way. I didn't really like the ending, but it wasn't "wrong" or unrealistic, just not as personally satisfying as I would have preferred. Terrific read, though.
I've finished some random mysteries as well (gym books), and am about halfway through Fire In The Hole, and other stories by Elmore Leonard. I can see why that last story got picked up and made into the Pilot for Justified. There are lots of vivid characters and a riveting setup in it, and it's easy to extend what you see of that story into something larger. Much better than the longer "Raylan," I think, at least for my tastes.
TV-wise, we finished BBC Sherlock, S3. Episode 2 was far too wedding-centric for me (fans wait for multiple years, and you spend the middle of only three episodes on a wedding rather than a case?), and Episode 3... eh. I don't know why the show went there. It seemed an improbable stretch, and I don't really care for what it all set up. On a complete side-note to the series, I really disagree with the characterization of Sherlock's parents. As untrusting and misanthropic as both Mycroft and Sherlock are, you KNOW they did not have nice, loving parents-- particularly not two of them. It defies the characterization of both sons, so I call "sloppy work" on that entirely. Just because you, as an official creator, CAN write things that aren't true to your characters and their canon does not mean that you should. This isn't the first incidence of this I've seen, but I still dislike it, regardless. Many fanfic writers go to great lengths to NOT do that-- so for me, official writers/creators have no excuse for it. Nor for things like headless characters coming back from the dead (as in Prison Break), which used to just be a joke from the movie "Soapdish."
In other TV news, we keep meaning to try start True Detective, but have gotten sidelined. I've watched virtually none of the Olympics-- too much mopey distraction, and the Winter Olympics aren't a big draw for me (figure-skating and the slalom are about it). Plus, I know NBC's trick of stringing viewers along too well, where there are teasers for figure-skating all night long, but real coverage doesn't start until the end of the program. That is especially annoying on the West Coast, where the "end" is 11-12 pm. ;)
therealljidol starts up again in a little over a week. If you've ever thought about trying it, this is supposed to be the final season, so don't put it off any longer!
Now... back to work. :O