Wednesday media consumption report
This week began my two-week-and-change break from work. I decided to read as many books as possible, because it's been a long time since I had an extended break that wasn't chock-full of social obligations. I'll be going to see 
stonebender for a couple of days, but other than that, it's stay home, putter around, do some cooking, and read read read.
Usually, I only report on the books I finish here, but I thought I'd note the ones I tossed aside, too. In reality, this is how my reading tends to go -- I read for a few chapters, and if I don't like the book, I quit. I mightn't do that if there weren't always SO MANY books on my to-read list, but there are.
Anyway, so far:
Insurgent, Veronica Roth -- YA adventure; sequel to Divergent. Finished it. The series is fine, standard YA stuff. Kick-ass heroine, which I like. Dystopian adventure, which isn't my fave thing but which I don't mind. The writing is fine. The romance isn't central, but it does occasionally take up too much of the emotional heft of the book for me, but hey, it's a thing a lot of YA readers like, so I'm not complaining.
Waiting for Snow in Havana, Carlos Eire -- my town's "One Book" selection. Memoir. My ebook reader tells me I made it 25% of the way through. Well written, but I couldn't get traction on it, and never stopped checking to see how far I'd read. Not a good sign, for me, so I gave up. May return to it later. Part of it was that it was about a bloody revolution, and political stuff in my country is really fraught for me right now.
Faceless Killers, Henning Mankell -- one of the early Wallander novels. I like both versions of the TV show (the Swedish one is better, IMO, and doesn't rely as much on the bleak protagonist-is-hopelessly-fucked-up thing that is wearing on me these days), so I thought I'd read the books. Unfortunately, the one I chose was one with a plotline of ethnic hatred. I've seen the TV episode, but in the book, unlike the BBC episode (if I remember right), our protagonist actually agrees with the anti-immigrant sentiments. It may change later in the book, but I'm not up for it. I'll return to it later, probably.
Akata Witch, Nnedi Okorafor -- Magical and beautiful. I loved the story and the characters, though after Who Fears Death and Binti, it felt slightly thin in comparison. But it was really a wonderful YA-quest sort of thing, and I found the heroes to be a good blend of teenager and savior. Not sure that makes sense outside of my head.
Private: #1 Suspect, James Patterson/Maxine Paetro -- pretty standard detective novel. They're my "beach reading" and I read so many of them that they all seem to blend together after a while. I'm about halfway through and I'll probably finish it, though it's nothing special.
I'm a way-late-adopter for YouTube. At any given time, I usually have a hundred or more videos on my "Watch Later" queue. I'm not always in the mood to watch videos, but when I do, I usually watch cooking videos, slam poetry, Last Week Tonight, or something from one of my manymany subscribed channels. I'm especially fond of the Facts videos where Irish people try foods from around the world. Not sure why I love those.
On Netflix, I've finished with Jack Taylor (Irish TV detective drama), and am looking around for something else to chain-watch. The OA is a possibility -- I think it may be trying to be the next Stranger Things. Things I watched a little of and turned off include Narcos, Run, Doctor Foster, the original Gilmore Girls, and Girlfriend's Guide to Divorce.
I am still playing Two Dots and Dot & Co. exclusively. Haven't gotten tired of either one yet.
Finally came out of my All-Hamilton-All-the-Time rut, though I still listen to it a lot. LOVE Beyonce's Lemonade and am enjoying Chance the Rapper's Coloring Book. On YouTube, enjoying Tiny Desk Concerts. Also having some other soundtrack love, especially Waitress, and especially When He Sees Me, which is sung by the woman who plays Soso on OITNB, but in the accent of Yoga Jones. It's fun.
This entry was originally posted on Dreamwidth (DW). I welcome comments here or at the original post, where there are currently
comments. If you don't have a DW account, you can post using your LJ name as an OpenID account, or feel free to comment anonymously and I'll unscreen.
stonebender for a couple of days, but other than that, it's stay home, putter around, do some cooking, and read read read.
Usually, I only report on the books I finish here, but I thought I'd note the ones I tossed aside, too. In reality, this is how my reading tends to go -- I read for a few chapters, and if I don't like the book, I quit. I mightn't do that if there weren't always SO MANY books on my to-read list, but there are.
Anyway, so far:
Insurgent, Veronica Roth -- YA adventure; sequel to Divergent. Finished it. The series is fine, standard YA stuff. Kick-ass heroine, which I like. Dystopian adventure, which isn't my fave thing but which I don't mind. The writing is fine. The romance isn't central, but it does occasionally take up too much of the emotional heft of the book for me, but hey, it's a thing a lot of YA readers like, so I'm not complaining.
Waiting for Snow in Havana, Carlos Eire -- my town's "One Book" selection. Memoir. My ebook reader tells me I made it 25% of the way through. Well written, but I couldn't get traction on it, and never stopped checking to see how far I'd read. Not a good sign, for me, so I gave up. May return to it later. Part of it was that it was about a bloody revolution, and political stuff in my country is really fraught for me right now.
Faceless Killers, Henning Mankell -- one of the early Wallander novels. I like both versions of the TV show (the Swedish one is better, IMO, and doesn't rely as much on the bleak protagonist-is-hopelessly-fucked-up thing that is wearing on me these days), so I thought I'd read the books. Unfortunately, the one I chose was one with a plotline of ethnic hatred. I've seen the TV episode, but in the book, unlike the BBC episode (if I remember right), our protagonist actually agrees with the anti-immigrant sentiments. It may change later in the book, but I'm not up for it. I'll return to it later, probably.
Akata Witch, Nnedi Okorafor -- Magical and beautiful. I loved the story and the characters, though after Who Fears Death and Binti, it felt slightly thin in comparison. But it was really a wonderful YA-quest sort of thing, and I found the heroes to be a good blend of teenager and savior. Not sure that makes sense outside of my head.
Private: #1 Suspect, James Patterson/Maxine Paetro -- pretty standard detective novel. They're my "beach reading" and I read so many of them that they all seem to blend together after a while. I'm about halfway through and I'll probably finish it, though it's nothing special.
I'm a way-late-adopter for YouTube. At any given time, I usually have a hundred or more videos on my "Watch Later" queue. I'm not always in the mood to watch videos, but when I do, I usually watch cooking videos, slam poetry, Last Week Tonight, or something from one of my manymany subscribed channels. I'm especially fond of the Facts videos where Irish people try foods from around the world. Not sure why I love those.
On Netflix, I've finished with Jack Taylor (Irish TV detective drama), and am looking around for something else to chain-watch. The OA is a possibility -- I think it may be trying to be the next Stranger Things. Things I watched a little of and turned off include Narcos, Run, Doctor Foster, the original Gilmore Girls, and Girlfriend's Guide to Divorce.
I am still playing Two Dots and Dot & Co. exclusively. Haven't gotten tired of either one yet.
Finally came out of my All-Hamilton-All-the-Time rut, though I still listen to it a lot. LOVE Beyonce's Lemonade and am enjoying Chance the Rapper's Coloring Book. On YouTube, enjoying Tiny Desk Concerts. Also having some other soundtrack love, especially Waitress, and especially When He Sees Me, which is sung by the woman who plays Soso on OITNB, but in the accent of Yoga Jones. It's fun.
This entry was originally posted on Dreamwidth (DW). I welcome comments here or at the original post, where there are currently
comments. If you don't have a DW account, you can post using your LJ name as an OpenID account, or feel free to comment anonymously and I'll unscreen.