Category Archives: reading watching listening

Reading, watching, listening (Happy New Year edition!)

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Reading: This has been fairly well covered, but I did sneak in one more (short) book in the past few days–Abadazad-The Road to Inconcievable by JM DeMatteis and Mike Ploog. It’s the first in a series, and I found it very enjoyable.

Watching: It’s been a busy week!

In the theater: Juno, Charlie Wilson’s War, and Walk Hard: The Dewey Cox Story. Three very different movies, but I enjoyed them all.

I adored Juno. Precious? Yes, but also smart and funny and very well done. I loved the cast. I first encountered screenwriter Diablo Cody through Eden’s blog, and I was a semi-regular reader of her blog for a while.

I have three words to say about Charlie Wilson’s War–Philip. Seymour. Hoffman. He was fantastic. The story was interesting, and I was entertained by the type of dialog I’ve come to expect from Aaron Sorkin. Rand and I both noted, though, that it wasn’t particularly dramatic…the story had very little drama or tension. Tom Hanks was likable as the title character (duh), and Julia Roberts did a fine job in her role as well.

And Walk Hard was simply hilarious. The songs (many of which were written by Dan Bern) were great. In fact, we downloaded the complete soundtrack from iTunes. The cast was great, too.

What else? Slums of Beverly Hills, season 1 of Buffy (not quite finished), more season 2 of Earl, random episodes of The Office, Styx: Caught in the Act (HEE! awesome.), random bits of various New Year’s Eve countdowns. Probably some other stuff that I’ve forgotten…

Listening: Walk Hard, the soundtrack. Styx (discovering some songs that I didn’t previously know…). Looking forward to listening to some of the CDs that I got for Christmas, including Veronica Mars (whee! thanks, Stephanie!!) and the mix I got from Samantha.

Happy 2008, everyone!

Reading, watching, listening (Christmas eve edition)

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It’s been a very busy few days, and will continue to be busy. I expect posting will be sparse this week. In the meantime, here’s the reading, watching, listening post I actually started on Friday.

Reading: Starman (ongoing). Just Listen, by Sara Dessen. I love, love, loved this book. I may write an extended review for my book blog, where I have not posted in months.

Watching: How the Grinch Stole Christmas (original TV special, NOT the movie), Elf (with my kids at school, so I essentially watched it four times. I had never seen it before. Really, really funny…), more Season 5 Simpsons, Buffy the Vampire Slayer (Rand and I have begun watching the DVDs. I’ve seen most of them. He has not…), Mystery Men.

Listening: Greg Klyma and Ookla the Mok (the show at Madame Mocha’s was tons of fun, really.); Christmas music; Hawksley Workman; Larry Miller: Spoiled Rotten America.

And that’s all I have time for right now…enjoy your day!

Reading, watching, listening

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We now interrupt the relentless snow for a report of what Erin’s been up to:

Reading: Essays, journals, portfolios. A little bit of Starman by James Robinson, art by Tony Harris. More essays. 8th grade research paper outlines. It’ll break soon…

Watching: Bits of season 5 of The Simpsons. It’s funny…I’ll often grumble about watching The Simpsons (again), but I always laugh. I especially love watching the physical Homer stuff. For whatever reason, Homer getting injured is funny.

We also watched the last new episode of 30 Rock. Rand and I are both busy grading right now, so we’ll just take short breaks to watch something funny, then go back to it.

We have a mile-long list of movies we want to watch once we make it through the end of the semester. Here are some of them, in no particular order (some are more important to him, and others are more important to me):

Juno, The Darjeeling Limited, Sweeney Todd, The Mist, Walk Hard: The Dewey Cox Story, Enchanted, Charlie Wilson’s War, Before the Devil Knows You’re Dead, No Country for Old Men, Into the Wild.
Also, some things I want to see on DVD: Once, Waitress, Hairspray…uh, I’m sure there’s more, but I can’t remember right now.

And one more–I am excited beyond words for the film version of Mamma Mia! It doesn’t open until next July, but I just watched the trailer and nearly wept with joy. (I saw the stage version–twice!)

Listening: Almost a Full Moon, Hawksley Workman. Currently hearing in the background: Crosby, Stills, Nash and Young.

Reading, watching, listening

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Reading: Pride of Baghdad, and Ex Machina, vol. 6, both by Brian K. Vaughn. I have an issue of Buffy sitting here for me to read, and I might get to that today sometime.

Watching:  Finished watching Ed Wood, which was good, but really kind of sad. Poor Ed just had this relentless optimism that he was going to be the next Orson Welles. Martin Landau was amazing, and his Oscar for his portrayal of Bela Lugosi was well deserved.

Bender’s Big Score, the Futurama movie. I adore Futurama, and the movie had its moments, but it was nowhere near as good as the show.

The finale of Heroes. Gasp! Ack! Any speculation about what’s going to happen next?

And by the way, I am so sick of Sylar. I want him to go away and be, like, dead for good.

Rand and I are also slowly catching up on season 2 of My Name is Earl courtesy of Netflix, while also watching the current season. I’m happy that this week’s episode got Earl out of prison. I was really tired of that story.

Listening: I finally broke out the Christmas tunes this past week. I need to once again pimp the Hawksley Workman album Almost a Full Moon. (available at Amazon, Maple Music, and on iTunes)

I was listening to my Christmas playlist and “Merry Christmas, I Love You” came on, and that one always makes me a little bit weepy…

Immediately following that one, “O Holy Night” came on. Sigh.

And of course,  we had the Lowest of the Low show last night. More on that to come. I hope you’re all having a lovely weekend!

Reading, watching, listening

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Reading: Not really a whole lot at the present moment. I checked Just Listen by Sara Dessen and Inkspell by Cornelia Funke out of the school library. I started Inkspell, but didn’t get very far. I’m sure I’ll get around to finishing it, but so far, I’m not as captivated as I was by Inkheart.

I’ve still got a “to read” list a mile long…

Watching: Rand and I have been on a movie binge in the past week…

Reefer Madness–the musical version. The DVD also had the original film on it, so we watched enough of it to get the idea. I adore Kristen Bell, so I was all over this.

Little Shop of Horrors–Rand couldn’t believe I’d never seen this. So now I have. 🙂

Jeffrey–a mid-90s AIDS comedy starring Steven Weber and Michael T. Weiss. Most people would know Steven Weber as the guy from Wings, and Michael T. Weiss as the guy from The Pretender. I did watch both shows…but I remember Michael T. Weiss as Dr. Mike Horton from Days of Our Lives. He was yummy. Anyway…Jeffrey starts out as a total slapstick comedy, very silly, and ends with some serious emotional stuff.

Pittsburgh–a Jeff Goldblum mockumentary. Er, sort of. Jeff Goldblum does a regional theater production of The Music Man in Pittsburgh so his Canadian girlfriend (a musical theater actress) can stay in the country on a work visa. He plays Harold Hill, and his girlfriend plays Marian. He gets Ed Begley Jr. and Ileana Douglas to star in the show as well. The thing is…it all actually happened. I mean, of course they went a little over-the-top for the movie, which is what made it a mocumentary rather than an actual documentary, but it was very funny.

Ed Wood–the topic of Ed Wood and his films came up while having breakfast with Lisa last weekend. Rand saw this when it came out, but I did not, so we decided to get it. (actually, not quite finished with this. more later…)

Also keeping up with my regular TV watching, but I don’t have much to say about that. I’m *loving* 30 Rock. Tina Fey is awesome.

Listening: Been listening to a lot of Soul Coughing lately, because Rand’s been on a kick. That’s okay, because I’m enjoying it. Also, some other stuff that I’ve forgotten.

Of course, this past weekend was a live music extravaganza, but more on that later…

Don’t forget to share your own reading/watching/listening experiences, and make suggestions if you like. Happy Monday!

Reading, watching, listening

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Reading: I finished the other two books in the Scott Westerfield trilogy, Pretties and Specials. The trilogy was interesting. I didn’t find it earth-shattering or anything, but it did raise some interesting questions. I can see why middle school English teachers would like it.

Watching: Last week, Rand and I watched Hot Fuzz (which I already talked about). There was lots of random TV watching this week…like bits and pieces of VH1’s 100 One-Hit Wonders (or something) hosted by William Shatner.

Thanksgiving night, we watched Christmas Vacation, which never ceases to amuse me. (I giggle every single time they shake the box and it meows.) I just learned that the movie was written by John Hughes–I should have realized the connection between the embarrassing visiting grandparents in this move and in Sixteen Candles.

While I was doing laundry and other random tasks, Rand watched Slime City, a dreadfully, hilariously bad horror movie from 1988. We met the director (who is from Fredonia and now lives in Buffalo) at that comic book/memorabilia show a couple of weeks ago. Rand traded him an Ookla CD for a copy of the movie. I ended up watching about the last third of it with him. I wouldn’t say the movie is *good*, but it was entertaining. One thing that was interesting that we both commented on was that we think Zachary Quinto (Sylar on Heroes) has seen and studied the lead actor from this movie.

Listening: Elliott Smith, Brian Regan (sometimes very funny, sometimes not so much…), Lewis Black at Carnegie Hall (not nearly as funny as I’d hoped it would be), some Christmas music, and a bunch of other stuff that I can’t seem to remember right now.

Reading, watching, listening

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Reading: I’ve just begun Uglies by Scott Westerfield. It’s the first in a trilogy that’s been getting a lot of attention. The underlying concept seems to be very similar to Lois Lowry’s The Giver, but the story is quite different.

My “to read” pile is beginning to get out of control. 😉

Watching: How much do I love Chuck? (the answer is: a lot) Loved seeing Kevin Weisman, even if he was playing a baddie.

Dirty Sexy Money continues to entertain.

Last night, TiVo recorded Don’t Forget the Lyrics, so I went ahead and watched the episode. Hmmm…I’ve gotta say, I much prefer the pure, unadulterated cheesefest that is The Singing Bee. The only thing Lyrics has going for it is Wayne Brady, and he doesn’t even get to sing.

The worst of it? Lyrics is a shameless rip-off of Who Wants to be a Millionaire? (according to Wikipedia, the format is similar to “another FOX show, Are You Smarter than a Fifth Grader? No mention of Millionaire. But seriously…you get three “back ups” (aka “lifelines”) and Wayne asks you to “lock in your lyrics” as opposed to Regis’s “final answer” question. Even the set and lighting and “dramatic tension” music invoke memories of Millionaire. Hrm.

I also watched another episode of Reaper, which is fun…I’m just not sure I care enough to stick with it.

Listening: Hmmm…not sure I have anything new to talk about. I just picked up Jackdaw’s Blackgrass, but I have not yet listened to it. Check back for a report.

Reading, watching, listening

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Reading: I actually read a book this week! It was Girl’s Guide to Witchcraft by Mindy Klasky, a Red Dress Ink title. I love chick lit. I love paranormal chick lit. And as is typically the case, I finished the book wondering why I’m not writing paranormal chick lit. Sigh.

It was a fun book. Very entertaining. It is the first book in a series, though. It seems like no one just writes a novel any more. It has to be a series.

I also read the most recent issue of the Buffy comic. Still enjoying it, even if I don’t particularly like the artwork.

I have a whole pile of things to read here, which I will get to eventually…I have Monday off, so hopefully I’ll get some more reading in!

Watching: Not in much better shape than I was last week. I did watch Heroes, and I’m feeling pretty much the same. Something had better happen soon. Peter’s current storyline is feeling very “alternate 1985” to me. (I hope there are at least a couple of people out there who get that reference!)

Also watched The Office, Scrubs and 30 Rock. I’m beginning to think that The Office can’t sustain itself too much longer (and they’re talking spinoff? Hmmm…). I adore 30 Rock. Tina Fey is full of awesome. I think it’s a good thing that Scrubs is on its way out…and I loved that the whole episode centered around everyone telling JD he needs to grow up. OMG, yes.

Depending on how long this strike goes on, I may have *lots* of time to catch up on my TV viewing.

I think the last movie Rand and I saw was Superbad, which is super sad. Any recommendations?

Listening: I just downloaded the song “Deep Inside” by Glengarry Bhoys. It was the first dance song at Rand’s cousin’s wedding, and it’s a sweet, lovely little song. I’ve also been listening to Eagles Live, although I’m kinda disputing the “live” part of that title. It’s more like Eagles Studio Recordings with Audience Noise Added. I’d forgotten how much I liked “Seven Bridges Road” and “Life’s Been Good.”

Also listening to the new Michael Franti and Spearhead. Very cool stuff. Makes me want to get up and dance!

Hope you’re all having a lovely weekend. As always, feel free to share your media with me!

Reading, watching, listening

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Reading: Well, this one will be short. 😉 Student essays. Lots of student essays. Um…last book I finished was Beige by Cecil Castellucci. Quick, enjoyable read. I liked it even better than The Queen of Cool.

Watching: I’m pretty far behind on my TV watching as well…tivo’s got a bit of a backlog going. Heroes, I have to admit, has been sort of letting me down. I was so excited about Kristen Bell, and I’m not even sure that’s enough to hold my attention. I haven’t watched Pushing Daisies in a couple of weeks, and I’m a week behind on Chuck.

So what have I watched? Well, I’m up-to-date on The Office and Scrubs (but a week behind on 30 Rock and two on My Name is Earl. Last time I watched Earl I was a little concerned that they’re out of ideas. Two episodes in a row that didn’t advance the plot at all…)

OH! and I’m continuing to love Dirty Sexy Money…but didn’t watch this week’s episode yet. Like I said, behind. If you had asked me if I thought Dirty Sexy Money was going to become my new favorite show, I would have laughed. But there ya go.

Listening: Not much new to report musically. Rand and I have been on a comedy kick lately. I’m quite enjoying Lewis Black, Hugh Fink, Elvira Kurt, and a whole host of others that I was already familiar with.

Of course, I listened to lots of music last weekend at OVFF! I was happy to get to see Michael “Moonwulf” Longcor, who is very entertaining and has a fantastic voice!

That’s it. Look for more next week, and tell me what you’re reading/watching/listening (to)!

Reading, watching, listening

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I’m going to try and keep this brief–there’s a lot!

Reading: Lisey’s Story by Stephen King. Loved it. My favorite King in a long time. Elsewhere (YA), which I will post on the other blog soon. Buffy the Vampire Slayer Omnibus vol. 1, My Faith in Frankie, Bloom County collected strips, Joss Whedon’s Astonishing X-Men (not very astonished so far, Joss…). The Android’s Dream by John Scalzi (fun read). The first book in Of Darkness, Light and Fire by Tanya Huff (Gate of Darkness, Circle of Light).

This puts me at about 40 books for the year so far. I’m probably missing stuff, but moving on…

Watching: My Name is Earl, Season 1. I had watched an episode here and there, and found it amusing but didn’t quite “get” it. Watching the entire first season from the beginning, though…yeah, I get it. 🙂

Entourage, Season 1.  Oh, my. I hate these guys so much. But Ari is funny, and Eric seems like a good guy. Even Drama begins to grow on me. (Turtle, however? Needs to be slapped.)

Remember the Titans. One of those movies that teachers are fond of showing in class, so I had seen the same 40 minutes of it several times. I finally sat down and watched the whole thing. I liked it. It’s what you’d expect from a Disney sports movie. Little Hayden Panettiere was great in it!

Knocked Up. Very cute. Very funny. And I admit, I fall into the half of women who would think the empty box proposal was cute rather than lame.

We just started watching season 5 of Scrubs. We’d caught a bunch of the episodes in syndication, and are finding that a lot of really funny scenes were cut. Here’s one that made me laugh:

Carla: …and then he walked away singing Safety Dance.

Elliot: I thought you learned your lesson that time you told him the Kommissar was in town.

Hee. I know there’s more here, but again…moving on…

Listening: Seanan McGuire, Stars Fall Home. As I said, Seanan is a brilliant songwriter. I’ve been enjoying this quite a bit.

Steve Martin, Pure Drivel. If it’s an audiobook, does it count as reading or listening? Hmmm…

Jill Sobule, Pink Pearl.

My “favorites” and “walking” lists on my iPod, and my “Great Big Sea radio” station on Pandora.