Recent Reads: Stinking Woman Collapse

A terrific debut novel!  A collection of lovable - and not so lovable - losers, an angry dog, a whack of pot and a stash of cash combine to make this a hilarious backwoods joyride.  The dialogue is spot on, and the characters remind me of the guys my Dad forbid me to date.  I look forward to Brunet's next book.  

Without a doubt, one of the most beautifully written, most evocative books I have ever read (despite the horrific subject matter).  The author's voice is just incredible!

Hmmm... How to make a topic like this sexy?  Answer is that you can't, really.  Reading it felt like I was sitting in a 3rd year economics lecture - which isn't necessarily a bad thing.  It's dry, yes, but still worth reading. Very informative, very detailed, very thorough, and I like books that make me think, that teach me something.  

Oh oh... Netflix: Series #1

I said "oh oh" in the title of this post because I know I have no discipline & if I get hooked on a series, then I'll be glued to the television until I've binged on the whole thing!  These are a few of the TV series that I've watched and enjoyed recently - they all kept me up way past my bedtime!

I marathoned this in April/May after hearing so many people talk about it (I had never seen a single episode).  Loved it, although it was disturbing as hell.  Loved the Jesse character, Hank was great, hate the two wives, and as for Walter... what is there to say?  Gotta admit, though, that on occasion, I found parts of the plot hard to swallow - characters and script didn't always seem to jibe.  Nevertheless, addictive!  And Saul rocked!  I eagerly await his spin-off series!

Rather weak scripts, lots of holes and implausibilities in the plots, and the dialogue is trite at times, but WHO CARES???  It's fun to watch just for the eye candy and fashions!  And I love the fact it's filmed in Toronto - always fun to spot places/things I recognize as parts of YYZ.  Can't wait for the next season.

I hated the Rose Byrne character - vapid, shallow, weak, selfish and a whole lot of other things, but it didn't matter; this was Glenn Close's baby!  Wow, can she do evil!  Cold, manipulative, soul-destroying evil!  Glenn Close was just terrific in this.  I also liked the story arcs ("cases") that ran through the seasons: Ted Danson and John Goodman were wonderful, and were the storylines.  Worth watching.

Without question, the best TV drama series I have ever watched, hands down!!!  The character development is incredible, the storylines within each season but though the series overall were terrific.  It was almost visceral watching this and even a little bit emotionally draining in a way (I say that as a positive thing).  I can't imagine anything else drawing me in as deeply as this did. Wow, just wow!  I'll give it a while, but I know I will most likely re-watch the whole series.  Lem! Shane!  Vic!  Ronnie!  And let's not forget Aceveda and Kavanagh. A five star, two thumbs up series!  

Netflix: Misc. Documentaries 5

I'm already a fan of Robert Reich's soci-economic-political views (books, columns), so it's no surprise that I enjoyed watching this.  He makes several important points as he looks at economic patterns and changes over several decades (basically since early Twentieth Century).   His analysis of the changes (women and work, second jobs, declines in unions, etc) in the last ~ 40 years is worth noting.  Definitely worth watching!

Who woulda thunk that I'd find two documentaries about Bees so interesting?  It's not just about making honey - it's about pollination, farming, the environment, and crop yields.  Glad I saw these films - both were very thought provoking.