What I watched: We started the Magicians, a 16-episode per season, five-season series. It is based on the books of Lev Grossman, first published in 2009. It is airing on Netflix but ran on SyFy from 2015-2020. The Magicians is a mash up of a Potter-esque school, a coming-of-age plot, The Chronicles of Narnia, and generic superhero themes. (Plus fun magical fighting – I want to throw magic, I have my victims enumerated.) It is also engaging and big on the flawed character thing; none of the roles descend into cliché although they toe the line. Fun extracurricular activity: take the personality quiz to see which character you most resemble. Yup, I’m Eliot – thank goodness he is fabulous.
Here’s a trailer from season one.
What I read: I read a few books, including the new Ilona Andrews, but the one worth talking about was The Flatshare: A Novel by Beth O’Leary. It is a rom com, not my usual cup of tea, but my gracious I must recommend this book (especially to the good wife of @BryanLSplinter).
The premise – a man and woman share a flat in rent-mad London without ever meeting, due to working different shifts and weekend plans. They communicate via post it notes, which reflect their growing friendship and affection. This premise reminded me of those we have come to love and respect via the internet, communicating through the written word, without a hope of ever meeting in real life, due to current circumstances, time, and location.
The book is written from a split point-of-view, with chapters alternating between Leon and Tiffy. Tiffy works in genre publishing, specifically arts and crafts, and one can tell from the warm descriptions that Ms. O’Leary once worked in children’s publishing. There are weighty subplots, including the end-of-life reunion of lost war-time lovers, emotionally abusive relationships, hospice work, insidious coworkers, and wrongful incarceration.
The banter in the notes and thoughts of the protagonists, the vivid descriptive language, the indefatigable inner strength, the support and hope found among a circle of friends, and yes – the happily ever after ending – well, they help to make this book a little gem.
Should you read this book? Absolutely, and as a bonus it is on sale for $2.99 at Amazon.
What I listened to this week: Music for nihilism seemed to fit my mood: Otzeki – Already Dead
“There are people that believe in truth, who are acting out a lie to you. We all succumb to an unknown fate; did you hear what I said? I’m already dead and this life is but a stranger’s bed. I’m already dead and this life is all in your head.”
So, darling ones, dearest DeadSplintertarians, how are you? Are you doing okay during year 357 of pandemic isolation and trauma? What have you watched, read, or listened to? Did you do anything fun? Please do let us know what is up with you!
Watched: We finished Season 3 of The Crown on DVD so it’ll be a year probably before we can get Season 4. In the meantime, we’ve started watching Frasier again. That show is fucking hilarious. Written and acted so superbly, especially during the first couple of seasons. The show eventually gets mired in a sort of I Love Lucy-esque cycle of Frasier cooking up some stupid scheme and it going to hell during the mid-late seasons, but the early episodes are pure gold.
Read: Nothing. Nada. Nunca. Diddly. Bupkis. Niente.
Listened: I’ve been on a Sammy Davis Jr. kick lately. I wish I had seen this guy perform because he was just straight up genius.
Sammy Davis, Jr. on Ed Sullivan:
https://youtu.be/i3FqyPeUaDE
There’s this clip of Sammy dancing with Gregory Hines Jr. Sammy is going to be dead in 4 months from cancer and Gregory is at the top of his game. Gregory is still no match for Sammy.
…even in the later years there was something almost classical about the way the farce played out, I think…although I guess it started to feel more like theatre than television in some way?
…either way I was always fond of fraiser
I watched this amazing 3 part special about QAnon
Listened to some Bayou music…
Toe tapping music!
I watched Painting with John [hilarious] and that led me to watch Oz [harrowing], also watching CB Strike [yummy Tom Burke] but I’m super pissed that earlier seasons aren’t free on HBO. Read my collection of asian cookbooks because I bought stuff from justasianfood.com. FYI Doenjang can be used as a base for a tasty dip for steamed broccoli. Listened to clips from DUAN!
I had a surprise dinner with my friend but of course she kind of ruined it by yatting on and on about her husband. Jesus fuck, i am losing my patience, i want to scream. Please please please, do not stay in a miserable situation because of money, money can be made, know what can’t be made, time. Please please please, if your plan for the future hinges on someone else’s demise it is not a good fucking plan. Why do I have to even say these words out loud?
You are inspiring with your Asian cook books and ordering…I may follow your lead.
Do it! They get me everytime with that spend $x and get free shipping!
…I watched oz years ago…a lot of amazing performances but damn it was brutal…for now I think I prefer my horrifying consequences a little more removed from reality…like the expanse?
I read the magicians books when they first came out but haven’t watched the show yet although its been on my list. I took the quiz and got Alice –
You’re an Alice. Smart and self-confident — sometimes to a fault — you find most of the solutions to life’s problems at the library.
I do love a library but am not self-confident!
I’m currently reading the Shel Silverstein book Uncle Shelby’s ABZs. A friend sent it to me, I used to like reading her copy. It still amuses me.
I watched the first episode of Firefly Lane on Netflix. I won’t be watching anymore. While I enjoy trash TV as much as the next person this was just one trope after another. Not my thing.
In keeping with my new fun music on Saturday rule I’m listening to Black Lips
Odelia
Excellent rule, declaring Fun Music Saturday. Were the books any good? I am usually a book first, television or movie second person…but if you recommend them I can make an exception.
…forget if I’ve actually watched the show but feel like I’ve seen some of it…& similarly not sure if I read all the books…but from what I recall I think you might enjoy them if the show hasn’t spoilered them beyond the point where the time seems wasted?
…there’s also a one-season show called “the rook” that was based on a series of books called “the checquy files” which I remember enjoying…& since those definitely continue beyond where the show got to I’d say they were a both-worth-it thing…it’s got the magic-but-in-the-real-world angle but one of the neat conceits it uses is that the protagonist starts the story having had her whole knowledge of herself & the part she’s played in preceding events wiped…so she & the viewer/reader share a good bit of perspective narratively-speaking?
…oh & while I’m about it…have you come across “cursed” on netflix?
…it’s a sort of fast-&-loose prequel to the arthurian legend with a female lead who’s a fey called nimue…not sure if I’ll end up watching it all (there’s one season with another supposedly on the way at some point) but I have a soft spot for the guy they have playing merlin because he was a weird dude called floki in vikings…which I think is maybe an amazon show…it’s a slightly-less-fast-&-loose thing that starts with ragnar lothbrok figuring out how to get to the shores of england & ran for several seasons
I have read (and enjoyed) The Rook and the second book, Stiletto. Vikings was a favorite here. Cursed is on the watchlist, I like anything Merlin or magical. Your book/viewing recommendations always work for me.
…well, I finally found time to get started on the most recent of the stormlight archives books that brandon sanderson has been churning out…& actually started out with a shorter novella that I think is meant to be set between that & the previous book (that one’s called dawnshard)…so if you feel like starting out on a series that comes in doorstop-sized installments…& may only be somewhere around the halfway-mark (book #4 plus a couple of novellas, I think)…the first one is called “the way of kings“
…he does at least manage to keep them coming quicker than patrick rothfuss…who knows when the doors of stone will ever make it to a publishing date, although I’d be very happy if it would
…otherwise, although I’m pretty sure I’ve likewise mentioned them before (& they’re somewhat darker in tone) the joe abercrombie “first law” books are also great…
I have The Blade Itself from Abercrombie on my kindle but have not started it yet. I’ll add the Sanderson series to my wish list. Thank you for the suggestions!
…sanderson is fairly prolific…I’ve read bits of several series of his & there’s a degree to which there’s some conceptual overlap between “the reckoners” (people have superpowers but those people tend to be assholes…sort of like the boys but less out-to-be-shocking & not so much a parody of the comicbook genre) & the “mistborn” (magic is essentially based on a form of alchemy) series & the way the stuff in the storm light books works
…the books in the other two series are considerably shorter & the former is more dystopian-sci-fi-ish while the latter is more fantasy…but the stormlight archives is more…I dunno… substantial?
I love all things Arthurian, I’ll have to check out Cursed.
They were pretty good, darker than I expected but I liked that.
I saw Ted Lasso which I liked a lot, although it felt like it was getting a bit thin towards the end. At a certain point I started wanting more characters to fill out the show — we only get to know two of the players on the team and there seems to be only one front office employee…. It’s a fixable issue and Apple has the money, so I’d really like to see them get more ambitious.
I loved Ted Lasso. You may wish to check out the music of the street musician he nabbed for the fundraiser. The fellow is quite talented, has albums.
I’m watching Black Sails on Starz. Pirate politics in Nassau. Some of the acting isn’t super, one of the male leads is a little wooden and one of the female leads only has two expressions, neither of which are usually appropriate to the scene. Most of the actors are a little too pretty (even the males) and all their teeth are entirely too white. But the writing is really good. There are lots of plot twists, and they are good at manipulating you into siding with the person you wanted dead 10 minutes ago. Overall, I recommend it.
Excellent review!
I read The Flatshare a couple months ago and loved it!
Currently reading the 3rd Bridgerton book, An Offer From a Gentleman, by Julia Quinn. This one starts out as a blatant Cinderella retelling, complete with the heroine’s wicked step-mother and step-sisters preventing her from going to the ball, but this Cinderella gets brave and runs away to make her own life. I’m about halfway through and it’s pretty good.
Watching… nothing at the moment, but I’m planning to watch that Britney Spears thing on Hulu later.
Flatshare was such a delight, I am happy to have a fellow Deadsplinterite to gush over it with.
I was just thinking of rereading that Julia Quinn book!
I caught up on all the available episodes of WandaVision on Disney+ last night and OMG WHAT THE FUCK IS HAPPENING
I don’t know what I expected, but l am really enjoying where the plot went in the last 2 episodes!
Halfway through season 2 of The Expanse, and so far it’s been pretty interesting if not a bit pat for some of the supposedly pivotal moments.
I think its credit sequence is one of the best I’ve seen, though.
reading : the dragonlance chronicles…..i went digging around in the attic….its been a long time since ive read them…long enough that i mostly just remember the characters….anyhoo….its kinda fun reading lighthearted fantasy again…its what i need now
currently watching
and by currently i mean im halfway through it right now….its uhhh…very korean..lol
pretty effects and so far a storyline thats equal parts predictable and what the fuck
and listening toooooooo
oh…i should probably add you are going to want to have cc on for that movie
theres a fuckload of languages being mixed and matchec
Finally finished Lopez’s “Horizon”. Good book overall. It did bog down for me in a couple spots where he took deep dives into the science, but otherwise a great book. Starts and ends strong.
Next book up is “The Storm on Our Shores” by Mark Obmascik. Highly recommended by a friend. World War II account set against the battles to control Attu in the Aleutian Islands.
I watched the first two or three? seasons of The Magicians. Overall, I found it enjoyable, but I disliked the “kineticists (or whatever) are the best” and their take on a “trickster god” I think I just switched streaming services before the later seasons were released. I’ve never read the books, so I’ve got nothing to say on that front…
Personally, I haven’t watched or read much this week, I’ve started doing a full bike commute some days, so that really cuts into my reading time. I’ve also been engaging in my bad habit of arguing with idiots on the internet excessively this week, and that’s cut into my watching time. I really need to cut back on that front, or delete my reddit account – there are just too many arrogant idiots on there…