I only finished reading three books recently, technically five books if I count re-reads. Reading is not much of a priority for me even these days. I may have about 20+ unread books on my kindle but I don't seem to want to read them. I think I spent more time looking for books to read than actually reading books but I'm fine with that.
As for movies and shows, I was barely watching any as I might have been watching a lot of youtube videos relating to writing, graphic design, interior design, illustrations, app tutorials, books & other things of interest. You've got to have varieties in your viewing, right?
Books I finished reading recently:
01 - Aggie Morton, Mystery Queen series by Marthe Jocely, illustrations by Isabelle Follath > link
I actually read the first two books a while back but I re-read them and the last two books. I wouldn't say I love this series but it's close. I usually don't like real people as fictional characters but in this case I actually like it. Aggie Morton, the female main character, is what I would imagine a young Agatha Christie might be if she had a morbid preoccupation at a young age. Hector Perot (the other main character) is exactly how I pictured the fictional Hercule Poirot as a young boy. (Is it weird Hector is a fictional creation of another fictional creation?) Together, the two make a perfect pair. Aggie and Hector's friendship is the best part because they are truly best friends who can even read each other's expression and seems to know what each is thinking with a single look. To say they might even have some sort of mind-reading conversations is probably not an exaggeration.
I enjoyed all the Agatha Christie book references though I'm sure I missed a few of them. And the illustrations of the covers, the character portraits and chapter headings are very apt for this series and quite wonderful. It's a fun series and it's only four books but I wouldn't mind reading more of these two friends.
Favorite quote: "I am not untidy. I merely surround myself with a plethora of possibilities."
- The Body Under The Piano, Book 1
02 - Ghostlight (The Reflected City Book 1) by Rabia Gale > link
I read the first half and then paused for 10 or more months to finish reading it. I don't remember the reason for the pause but maybe I just lost interest or something.
This was a decent read but toward the end, it became a little darker and depressing and what little humor it had in the beginning is no longer present. In the beginning of the book, the characters seemed like they were kind of enjoying themselves even if the situation was dire. Trey, the male lead, a sort of rebel, seemed like he was going to do some serious damage to the bad guys as suggested by the beginning but towards the end, he hardly did anything. Arabella, the female lead showed a bit of spunk but that's about it. I had and maybe expected, some bits of humor somehow but it's all bleakness. There are two perspectives (Trey and Arabella) and then suddenly toward the end, a third perspective appeared so that was kind of weird as if I'm reading a different book. This does have an ending but it's a first book in series so its incomplete. I'm not continuing the series as I don't believe I'll enjoy the other books.
As for movies and shows, I was barely watching any as I might have been watching a lot of youtube videos relating to writing, graphic design, interior design, illustrations, app tutorials, books & other things of interest. You've got to have varieties in your viewing, right?
Books I finished reading recently:
I actually read the first two books a while back but I re-read them and the last two books. I wouldn't say I love this series but it's close. I usually don't like real people as fictional characters but in this case I actually like it. Aggie Morton, the female main character, is what I would imagine a young Agatha Christie might be if she had a morbid preoccupation at a young age. Hector Perot (the other main character) is exactly how I pictured the fictional Hercule Poirot as a young boy. (Is it weird Hector is a fictional creation of another fictional creation?) Together, the two make a perfect pair. Aggie and Hector's friendship is the best part because they are truly best friends who can even read each other's expression and seems to know what each is thinking with a single look. To say they might even have some sort of mind-reading conversations is probably not an exaggeration.
I enjoyed all the Agatha Christie book references though I'm sure I missed a few of them. And the illustrations of the covers, the character portraits and chapter headings are very apt for this series and quite wonderful. It's a fun series and it's only four books but I wouldn't mind reading more of these two friends.
Favorite quote: "I am not untidy. I merely surround myself with a plethora of possibilities."
- The Body Under The Piano, Book 1
I read the first half and then paused for 10 or more months to finish reading it. I don't remember the reason for the pause but maybe I just lost interest or something.
This was a decent read but toward the end, it became a little darker and depressing and what little humor it had in the beginning is no longer present. In the beginning of the book, the characters seemed like they were kind of enjoying themselves even if the situation was dire. Trey, the male lead, a sort of rebel, seemed like he was going to do some serious damage to the bad guys as suggested by the beginning but towards the end, he hardly did anything. Arabella, the female lead showed a bit of spunk but that's about it. I had and maybe expected, some bits of humor somehow but it's all bleakness. There are two perspectives (Trey and Arabella) and then suddenly toward the end, a third perspective appeared so that was kind of weird as if I'm reading a different book. This does have an ending but it's a first book in series so its incomplete. I'm not continuing the series as I don't believe I'll enjoy the other books.
~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~
Movies & shows I had watched recently (I watched them on youtube free with ads):
Edge-of-your-seat-wanting-to-know-who-the-culprit-is great.
04 - Double Jeopardy > link > youtube
I had expected the main character to do something wild or something smarter at the end of the movie but she didn't, not really. It's a good movie but it could have ended better.
05 - Broadchurch > link > youtube
The slow pace and having to focus on just one case (with a side case) for two seasons is a bit frustrating. I'm more used to watching these kinds of shows where they have multiple cases, one after another. The third season does focus on a new case but the grieving family and the townspeople continued to be present. It's kind of nice to have the complete picture - crime, trial, afterward - but it's also quite depressing. I don't think I'll watch the American remake (Gracepoint) because I know I would keep comparing it to this original version even though David Tennant, is again, playing one of the lead detectives but with a different accent.
Have you read any good books, seen any good movies or shows recently?
I love David Tennant! The most recent thing I've enjoyed him in is Good Omens 1 & 2.
ReplyDeleteDebra She Who Seeks: I also find Tennant quite enjoyable to watch though I haven't watched many of his shows or movies.
DeleteThank you for coming by. Have a lovely day.
Thanks for sharing
ReplyDeleteChristine: Thanks for reading. And thank you for coming by. Have a lovely day.
Delete"Aggie Morton, the female main character, is what I would imagine a young Agatha Christie might be if she had a morbid preoccupation at a young age"
ReplyDelete😂
I didn't know these books existed...what a fun premise.
You watched Broadchurch! Yep, it's depressing, but of course it's meant to be. And I agree the format is quite unusual, so maybe that it's the reason why you didn't enjoy it more. I cracked up at the end of Season 3 - talk about turning our expectations (and the usual cops-become lovers-or-friends-at-least dynamics) upside down. I loved it. I wish I could watch Gracepoint (it was never bought by one of our channels, so there's no dubbed version, and I hate watching foreign show while trying to understand the dialogue. My written English is so much better than my spoken one). I can never have enough David 😉.
Roberta: Somehow I keep finding books relating to Agatha Christie and this series is very Christie. The author was really good at make Aggie like Christie or so she imagine a young Christie would be.
DeleteI actually knew even before I watch Broadchurch that it was going to be depressing but the pairing of David Tennant's Hardy and Olivia Colman's Miller and their banters made it less depressing. I really like the two. When Miller pounded a hammer on her son's laptop, I liked her even more. I think her character seemed to become more like Hardy with each episode. That bit at the end you mentioned with Miller and Hardy was quite fun and I preferred they stayed just co-workers/friends.
Thank you for coming by. Have a lovely day.