TV Tuesday: Kurt Seyit & Sura

Recently I discovered Willow & Thatch, a blog that recommends period films and television series. That discovery alone was worth a blog post, but one of their recommendations particularly caught my fancy -- a Turkish historical romance (with subtitles) about star-crossed lovers during WWI. All the episodes are available on Netflix, so I watched the first one out of curiosity.

And now (five episodes in) I can't stop thinking about it.


I mean, really!

Before you go rushing to Netflix, however, I have to tell you a few things. Kurt Seyit & Sura is a SOAP OPERA, rife with heaving bosoms, extended reaction shots, soft-focus fantasy/dream sequences, and quite a bit of figurative mustache twirling from the baddies. (Petro has a mustache perfect for ACTUAL twirling, but thank goodness he is more subtle than that. I kinda love him.) Also, the heroine is the classic swoony, helpless female from Gothic romance. She has moments where I connect to her, but all too often she is staring dewy-eyed at Seyit or into the camera and I find myself wishing she'd get more of a life.

All that said, I am seriously becoming obsessed. The show is beautiful to look at, it has a lovely focus on family and friendship, the hero is gorgeous and intense (like a Turkish Chris Hemsworth with a little Chris Evans thrown in, maybe?), the history is fascinating, and I just want to devour it all whole. Apparently it's based on a real story. And though it's intensely romantic, it's solidly PG--so despite all the romantic "heaving," you don't have to worry about the kids walking in and getting an eyeful of actual bosom or backside. ;)

Perhaps I should include a synopsis? This one from Wikipedia, though not elegantly translated, will do:

The adventures of two people in love who broke away from their magnificent lives in Russia and were dragged to Istanbul. The journey of Kurt Seyit (Kıvanç Tatlıtuğ), a lieutenant from Crimea, and Şura (Farah Zeynep Abdullah), the beautiful daughter of a noble Russian family, from the days of magnificence to the Carpathian front line, from the riots to revolution, from Alushta to occupied Istanbul, to Pera in the 1920’s, is in a sense the journey of their love.

If you want to know more and/or need more persuading, check out 7 Reasons to Watch Kurt Seyit & Sura, though I recommend skipping down to the actual list in order to avoid spoilers.

And finally, a little more of Seyit the Wolf to entice you:


Floppy-hair Seyit


Soldier Seyit

[Cross-posted at Livejournal]

Monday Miscellany

For today's blog post I offer you a grab bag of happy-making things:

TEA AND A GARDEN WALK
This past Tuesday I picked up my dear friend Michelle in Dallas and we had quite the tea adventure in Fort Worth. I'd read glowing reviews of Antique Outlet and Mitra's Tearoom on Teamap. When we arrived, we were afraid the GPS had failed us -- all we found was an old and mostly dead strip mall. Upon closer inspection, we noticed the "Antiques and Tea Room" sign. We ventured inside to find a fairly ordinary-looking antique shop. At the back, however, was a little Victorian oasis of dainty, chintz-bedecked tables surrounded by teacup and teapot displays. Mitra's Tearoom doesn't actually offer an afternoon tea, but we enjoyed a "combo" lunch that included soup, tea sandwiches, salad, and dessert. It was DELICIOUS. Our tastebuds rejoiced and our tummies groaned.

We poked around the antiques afterwards, but soon realized a brisk walk was in order. Hence we made our way to the Fort Worth Botanic Garden.


See Michelle above with our tea and muffin appetizers (or would you say amuse-bouches?). On the right is a lovely wooden path through the Botanic Garden. We certainly met our goal of walking off the meal--the garden encompasses 110 acres--and the fact that it was 90 degrees outside made it even more challenging. But what a gorgeous place! I can't wait to visit when the trees are in full leaf.

KIDLIT CELEBRATION

On Friday I took Michelle to the airport (wah!) and immediately set out for Tulsa, as this past weekend was the "Ignite the Spark" conference for the Oklahoma region of the Society of Children's Book Writers and Illustrators. Our regional advisors put together a splendid panel of agents and editors, and, as always, I enjoyed meeting up with old friends and new. (Above you see me with Valerie Lawson and my roomie/critique partner Brandi Barnett.) I left inspired and recharged, which is a good thing as this week I REALLY MUST GET SOME WRITING WORK DONE.

BRAINY COSTUME DRAMA

Finally, I just wanted to point out that the BBC adaptation of Hilary Mantel's Wolf Hall is finally coming to PBS! Above you see Mark Rylance as Thomas Cromwell, and I am delighted to learn that Damian Lewis plays Henry VIII. This six-part series actually covers both Wolf Hall and its sequel Bring Up the Bodies. The Guardian called it "sumptuous, intelligent, event television." Go here for more review blurbs that seem to indicate an overwhelmingly positive critical reception of the mini-series. Huzzah!

Check out the BBC trailer:



Wolf Hall premieres Sunday, April 5!

[Cross-posted at Livejournal]

Friday Favorites: good endings

My three Spring reality competition shows have ended, and weirdly enough, I found myself most enamoured with Dancing With the Stars. (And I wouldn't have seen any of it had my dad not lured me into watching when I visited TN.)

The last time I cared about DWTS was when Evan Lysacek was competing, but I have to say this field was so much stronger. And yes, I totally got sucked into Meryl and Maks.


HOW COULD YOU NOT GET SUCKED INTO THIS?


Adored this tango!


And their freestyle was lovely.

Whether or not M & M are involved in real life**, I'm truly grateful for the romantic intensity of their dance partnership. They were magical together.

**But I totally wouldn't complain if they DID marry. And had two burly boys, each nicknamed "Bear."

[Cross-posted to Livejournal]

March Tea and a TV show (or two)

March has come and nearly gone, and what with revision, travel, and friends coming to town, I haven't had much time to read, much less blog. So this very late edition of Tea and a Book will have a slightly different focus.

This past Friday, my dear friend Michelle and I capped off her visit with afternoon tea at the Adolphus Hotel in Dallas. The setting was elegant, the food delicious, and the company divine! (Click photos to enlarge)



You can see the actual menu here. Michelle and I both appreciated how the Adolphus emphasized quality over quantity, and how we were allowed to enjoy the experience in a leisurely fashion while still receiving the appropriate amount of attention from the unobtrusive staff. A skilled pianist played familiar classical tunes. Nearby a mother treated her two adorable daughters to a birthday tea. At other tables friends chatted and laughed. It was such a pleasant environment--highly recommended. (Apparently the Adolphus does brisk business at Christmas. Bookings open October 1st and fill fast.)

And now to the TV portion of this blog post . . .


During her visit Michelle introduced me to Hallmark Channel's When Calls the Heart. Many of you know that I'm a total sucker for Hallmark Christmas movies, so when Michelle first mentioned this show I knew I'd be interested, particularly because it's a historical featuring a refined young woman who takes a teaching job in a western mining town. This show was like a soothing hug, especially after all the dark stuff I've been watching lately. (True Detective, Walking Dead, etc.) I loved the strong female characters, the gentle romance, the family themes, and the fact that I could watch the show with no worries that a beloved character would suffer a violent death. (We had a special When Calls the Heart tea while viewing, and of course I used my new red teapot in honor of Mountie Jack.)


Michelle and I also watched Death Comes to Pemberley during her visit. (And I watched a second time with Steve over the weekend.) I read the book as soon as it came out and . . . I actually found it a bit tedious. The mystery was interesting enough, and P.D. James stayed true to Jane Austen's characters, but there was way too much telling and overall I found it hard slog to finish. This BBC adaptation (which comes to PBS in November) breathed new life into the story with its stellar cast and lovely production values. Matthew Rhys was nearly perfect as Darcy, and even though Anna Maxwell Martin (whom I adore) wasn't exactly how I see Lizzie Bennet, she played the part very sympathetically. Jenna Coleman (Doctor Who companion Clara) was excellent as Lydia, but for me the true standout was Matthew Goode. Until now, I've never seen a convincingly dashing Wickham. Goode is physically striking and certainly plays up the selfish and rakish aspects of "wicked Wickham," but he also has quiet moments of sensitivity and vulnerability. He's not a good man, but in this production I certainly see how a woman like Elizabeth Bennet might have found him greatly appealing, at least for a time.

Now back to revisions AND a three-day school visit. I wish you all a wonderful week!

[Cross-posted at Livejournal]

Friday Favorites: TV addictions

I have a lot of book-related obligations looming, so how do I cope? Well, I do crack. Actually, I watch TV, but it's just as addictive. Want a hit of some of this?

1. So You Think You Can Dance
Travis and Amy. Holy moly. It's a dance about "an irresistible player" and the girl he's trying to play. I've lost count of how many times I've watched this. The song is perfect, Amy's muscles are mesmerizing, and the choreography from Travis is crazy good. Do me a favor and watch this full screen. I promise you won't regret it!


Go ahead, watch it again! (If you prefer to watch the full segment with intro, dance, and judges swooning, go here.)

2. Scandal
I think my interest in this started with Entertainment Weekly. A feature, perhaps, but it might also have appeared in some sort of "shows to marathon" article. I was intrigued but decided to leave it on the back burner. Then friend/crackdealer Kim Harrington tweeted about being hooked, and I leapt straight into that downward spiral of addiction. Oh, this show. It can be so damn contrived sometimes. BUT . . . it's like a master class on sustaining tension. And the cliffhanger endings? Half the time I feel like I'm going into cardiac arrest. At the center of it all is a pair of star-crossed lovers. They really can't be together and, speaking of addictions, I think they're rather hooked on the drama of their situation. (Olivia Pope says about has much to the man who is actually free to marry her.) Anyhoo, there's something very compelling about Fitz and Olivia, and I like this scene of them sublimating their passion into a mutual awe over the U.S. Constitution:



3. Supernatural
Speaking of friends who deal TV crack, my pal Glenda has managed to get nearly all my childhood friends hooked on this show. The beginning of Season 6 has been weird for me, but "Weekend at Bobby's" made it all worthwhile. Who'd have thought that the best episode of the season (so far) would feature the father-figure secondary character? This scene of him telling Dean and Sam to "sack up" is one of my favorite Supernatural moments ever. (Warning for mild language.)


And how lovely is it that Jensen Ackles directed? *happy sigh*

So . . . what's your TV crack these days? Go ahead, deal it to me. Clearly, I have no self control.

[Cross-posted at Livejournal]

Friday Favorites: Kate Atkinson & Jackson Brodie

I just finished one of Kate Atkinson's earlier novels, Emotionally Weird, and it was . . . weird. Had the hardest time connecting to the characters and didn't really latch on to anyone until the last fifty pages or so (when things took a Gothic turn, go figure).

Anyway, it prompted a Google search of Atkinson, because I wanted to remind myself of her education (which, interestingly enough, was almost exactly like that of the main character in Emotionally Weird), and I ran across a few newish things on her website, such as:

1. An Author's Note for her most recent (and very wonderful) novel, Life after Life, which includes this statement:

As a reader I dislike historical novels where I am continually stumbling over an excess of facts although I readily understand the compulsion to include all the fascinating stuff that you’ve spent so much time reading about, but there are few things more uncomfortable for the reader than to be constantly stumbling over the pathologically recondite research of an author.

to which I say, "Hallelujah, Amen!"

2. News (to me) of a 2nd series of Case Histories, with the first episode based on Atkinson's latest Brodie book, Started Early, Took my Dog (which I loved!), plus two original screenplays (written by whom? this scares me). Apparently this already has aired in the UK, so I'm wondering when we'll get it over here? I liked the first series well enough -- Isaacs wasn't my idea of Brodie at all, but in the end he was fine and the plots weren't mangled overmuch. (Though it pained me that they moved the first story out of Cambridge.)

3. This entertaining interview of Kate Atkinson by Jason Isaacs, in which he seems more like my idea of Jackson Brodie than he did in the show. He's very charming, and they have a nice chemistry -- do check it out:



Have a great weekend, everyone!

[Cross-posted at Livejournal]

How do you take YOUR heroes?

FIRST -- Congrats to ERIN L, winner of last week's giveaway! Now, back to today's post . . .

A while back I posted about Bulletproof Kinks, and though I didn't list it at the time, I think one of my major kinks is the Jaded Hero. Lately, a certain TV show has made me wonder about the Jaded vs. Idealistic Hero, and what sort of person is drawn to each.

First of all, the Jaded Hero has Gothic origins (Gothic is another bullet-proof kink of mine!) in that it seems to trace back to the Byronic Hero. Characteristics of the Byronic Hero include:

-- Distaste for social institutions and norms
-- Exiled, outcast, or outlaw status
-- Arrogant
-- Cunning and able to adapt
-- Cynical
-- Self-destructive
-- Troubled past

(Learn more here)

I've been a fan of the Byronic Hero since college, but long before I ever followed Childe Harold on his pilgrimage, or pondered the Byronic appeal of Milton's Satan, or swooned over the seductive powers of an irascible land baron named Edward Rochester, I fell in love with a particular Jaded Hero named . . . Han Solo. He was world-weary, sarcastic, pessimistic, living outside the law, prone to act before thinking, and generally dark and dangerous. The sexiness of this was slightly lost on me back when I first saw Star Wars, but by the time Empire Strikes Back came to theaters, I realized that Han Solo had it going on. (Princess Leia eventually clued in, too!)

The opposite of Han Solo was young idealist Luke Skywalker -- earnest, thoughtful, and principled. Luke was a dreamer who was more concerned with saving the world than his own skin. And he didn't have a problem expressing his feelings. In fact, he seemed to have the problem of TOO MANY FEELINGS -- at least until Yoda's training finally kicked in.


I see this Idealistic vs. Jaded Hero dichotomy in films and TV all the time, and always, always I am drawn to the darker, flawed, emotionally constipated Jaded Hero. But then I have friends who most often seem to go for the Idealist. (Which makes us very compatible in our fangirling.) Where do you stand?

[This is where I wrack my brain for Idealistic/Jaded Heroes from TV and film]


Jack O'Neill (jaded) or Daniel Jackson (idealistic)? (Stargate SG-1)


Stefan (idealistic) or Damon (jaded)? (Vampire Diaries) (FYI: I've met ONE person who goes for Stefan!)


Steve Rogers (idealistic) or Tony Stark (jaded)? (Avengers) (Don't even get me started on Loki!)


Dean or Sam Winchester? (Supernatural, aka "Star Wars in Truck Stop America" and my latest FIXATION*) I don't even have to tell you who's the jaded one, right? The scruff and averted gaze speak volumes.

So, Jaded or Idealist? Can you explain why you go one way or the other? (I can't, really.) My theory is that most people are drawn to one or the other almost exclusively (this certainly seems true among my friends), but perhaps there are people who flip flop? If so, EXPLAIN! Also, it seems no matter what side you're on, there's always a moment (or episode/season) when the jaded hero has an outpouring of FEELINGS, or the idealistic hero goes dark. And those moments are very special, my friends.

I know I'm not saying anything new here. My main purpose is to collect data. Can you think of examples of books, movies, or TV shows that feature this hero (or heroine) dichotomy? Seems more prevalent in SciFi/Fantasy. I want to make a list!

*This is all Glenda's fault.

[Cross-posted at Livejournal]

Copper

It premieres Sunday night on BBCAmerica!

Will you be watching?



View the longer trailer here. Looks like things could get pretty dark and nasty, which I confess puts me off just a little*, but I'm really looking forward to seeing how they handle 1860s forensics.

*Not sure why I'm put off. I loved the dark and nasty of THE WIRE. Why should I expect a 19th century crime show to be prim and proper? Why should I be bothered by a detective who isn't exactly cerebral and celibate? This isn't Sherlock Holmes. In fact, it looks a heck of a lot more like Gangs of New York. Maybe that's what's bothering me?

[Cross-posted at Livejournal]

Wednesday randoms

Two giveaways to tell you about:
-- At Confessions of a Bookaholic I talk about my "haunted childhood" and you get a chance to win one of four copies of The Revenant, kindly provided by Random House. Wahoo!

-- My Oklahoma friend Jenna Klein interviews me at Fans of Fiction and offers up a signed copy of The Revenant. Yay!

Also:
-- My pal Brandi Barnett has alerted me to the existence of Out of Print clothing and goodies. Check out their mission. I purchased the Pride & Prejudice sweatshirt and the Brave New World t-shirt and felt smug on many levels. (A nice sort of smug, though, right? Is there such a thing?)

-- Tomorrow I drive down to Dallas for some shopping the NE/NC Texas SCBWI fall conference. I plan to get INSPIRED! And hopefully meet some new people, if I can crawl out of my shell.

-- I was also hoping to see Dream House this weekend, but sounds like it's pretty lame. In better news, American Horror Story starts tonight, and though I missed the premiere I will get caught up with Bedlam very soon. Maybe October won't be a total loss for creeptastic viewing?

A few Oxford photos

Last night was the opening banquet for the OU summer law program at Brasenose College in Oxford.


Last year we had to eat in a tent. This year we're back in the Hall -- huzzah!


There was much revelry -- too much in some cases, but Steve and I managed to behave ourselves.

Today we set out for our favorite sandwich shop on Holywell Street and stumbled across a film shoot for Inspector Lewis!


Laurence Fox and Kevin Whately waiting to rehearse the scene.


Getting last-minute hair and makeup touches.


Roll cameras! In this scene, Lewis and Hathaway encounter a WPC, and something about her makes Hathaway turn around and stare. I guess it will all make sense when we watch, eh? This episode won't air until after Easter in the UK, so maybe we'll get it next summer or fall? It will be titled "Generation of Vipers" and should be the first of the season.

Last minute things . . .

First off, I wanted to remind you to watch Zen on Masterpiece Mystery starting July 17. Entertainment Weekly calls it "PBS' best mystery import in years."


It figures that Rufus Sewell, one of my favorite imaginary boyfriends, would make a critically acclaimed appearance on American TV the week after I leave for the UK. Oh well, that's what DVRs are for.

And now, a few photos from my signing at the Clarksville, TN Borders this past Sunday:


Me and my 94-year-old grandmother, Ruby. Like I said on Facebook, she was a writer long before I was born! It was so lovely to have her there.


My dad's family -- my brother Ernest, husband Steve, me, Dad, his wife Jing, and my stepsister Dionne (a.k.a. "Dr. Peacher" - yay!).


My mom's family -- my brother Jason, Ernest, Mom, me, sister Heather, and the little ones are my darling nieces Samantha and Shelby.


My ex-stepmother Rosemary and her charming friend, Kim.


Childhood friends! Glenda, me, Leigh and DeAnne. Michelle arrived later, and we all had a chance to sit and chat. Perfect ending to a really nice event.

I was so pleased to see so many friends and family members (as well as family members of friends) at the signing. Fellow Elevensie Victoria Schwab made an appearance, bearing a gift of the most delicious cake pops I've ever eaten. Thanks, V! Also met book blogger Shannon. Hooray!

Thanks to everyone for making it a very special day for me.

Finally, I wanted to remind the writers out there that Novel Novice is hosting a fabulous ghost story writing contest (sort of like ghostly "flash fiction"), in which copies of The Revenant are being offered as prizes. Check it out here.

Okay . . . next time I'll be writing from Oxford!

Happy things for a Monday (+ 1 sad thing)

Had a great time at the SCBWI OK conference this weekend. All the presenters were top notch and extremely generous with their advice, but I bonded particularly with Kate Jacobs (Roaring Brook Press) over a shared devotion to Omar from The Wire (hee!), and my socks were completely knocked off by Nicholas Eliopulos of Scholastic, who gave a very inspiring talk about genre fiction. (If you have an MG or YA boy book, please consider adding him to your submission list -- I bet he would be lovely to work with! Here's an interview with him if you'd like to know more.)

Best part of all was spending time with my crit partners Brandi and Lisa.


Here we are after having just stuffed ourselves at Abuelos. Mmmm . . .

In other news, I finished South Riding yesterday. Sometimes I feel like I should force myself to take a break from my YA addiction, and this was just the ticket. I agree with Andrew Davies that this novel, originally published in 1936, is "as bold and ambitious as Middlemarch by George Eliot," and Sarah Waters is spot-on in calling it "a twentieth-century classic." I won't bore you with my ill-explained summary of the story. Instead, I offer the trailer of the BBC adaptation as a teaser:



I can't wait until this mini-series comes to the U.S.! If you know me at all, you know the story of a girls' school headmistress taking a post in the English countryside is TOTALLY my thing. And the cast is spectacular, don't you think? I love the idea of Anna Maxwell Martin as Sarah Burton.

P.S. I know many are mourning the loss of Diana Wynne Jones. My condolences to her fans.

[Cross-posted from Livejournal]

Friday Five -- bringing back the happy

It's been a rough week, so I'm dedicating this Friday Five to happy things.

1. In case you didn't see me raving on FB and Twitter -- Tangled is a must see! The trailers just didn't do it justice, in my opinion. It's beautiful, funny, romantic, and features the most delicious secret tower I've ever seen. I want one of my own! Full-sized, please. This is cute, but I'm afraid I just couldn't squeeze the old carcass into it. :)

Also, this is an embarrassing admission, but when I saw the credits . . . I didn't know who Zachary Levi was. It's Chuck, of course! So you Chuck fans need to go see right away. Mandy Moore is quite good, too.

2. Downton Abbey is finally coming to PBS. I hardly know a thing about this show, except that a) it's an ITV costume drama, and b) people are raving about it. Weee!

3. I am loving Wolf Hall. I avoided this book for a long time -- wasn't sure I wanted to read more about that clever lunatic Henry VIII ruining so many lives with his whims and lusts. And for some reason I thought Thomas More was supposed to the main character. ("But he BURNED people," I thought.) Duh, the novel is actually about Thomas Cromwell. I'm only 200 pages in, but already I'm quite in love with him.

4. Looky, looky what I've got:


Julia Karr's XVI! The first of many gorgeous Elevensie books that I'm going to DEVOUR this year.

5. And finally, I must share this review of THE REVENANT by Kate Messner. I admire Kate ever so much -- she's amazingly accomplished and talented. I LOVED The Brilliant Fall of Gianna Z and can't wait to get my hands on Sugar and Ice. She teaches full-time, writes like mad, sells books right and left, presents at conferences, etc., and yet she always takes the time to write very detailed, thoughtful reviews of the books she's read. Even if all my industry reviews are terrible, I'll always be able to go back to this one and say "Kate liked it, and she's COOL." Thanks, Kate!

Happy Friday, everyone! Enjoy your weekend!

[Cross-posted from Livejournal]

The hero that outbroods them all

Steve and I rewatched North & South over the past few days. I've lost count of how many times I've seen this. Well over ten, I think? (And this had to be Steve's fourth time watching -- he is very fond of Daniela Denby-Ashe's Margaret Hale.) Such a wonderful cast! I adore this adaptation, and if you are a fan of BBC costume drama who hasn't yet seen it, please buy it or rent from Netflix immediately. Consider it a much-deserved holiday gift to yourself!

Anyway, after this viewing I've decided that Richard Armitage does the sexiest hostile expression in the world.


See what I mean?

And I'm ready to go out on a limb and say his Thornton is my all-time favorite 19th century brooding hero in a film adaptation. Yes, I think I love him even better than Colin Firth's Mr. Darcy.

Do you agree? Or is there another actor who epitomizes the brooding hero to you?

All right, enough swoony silliness. I'm going to be away from the blogosphere for a bit, so please behave while I'm away. Looking forward to seeing you again late next week!

Friday Five -- TV detective shows I wish you would watch with me!

1. Law & Order UK -- Okay, I'm mostly watching this for Jamie Bamber and Harriet Walter. Still, it's a good way to get my British police procedural fix.

2. Luther -- Idris Elba was fantastic as a highly entrepreneurial (& extremely sexy) drug dealer in The Wire, and I've always wanted to hear him use his native accent. The fact that he's starring as a police detective makes it all the more enticing. (And he'll be working with Jane Eyre! Heh.) However, I hope the show doesn't go over-the-top with the DARKNESS and TORMENT. (I get too much of that with Wallander.)

3. Sherlock -- Saw this in England during the summer. It's brilliant. Watch it.

4. Fringe -- (Does this count as a detective show? I think so.) Great start to the third season, though my heart broke a little last night. I KNOW many of you are watching this, and I want to discuss it with each and every one of you!

5. Castle -- Just when my husband decided to give up on this one, it seemed to get better. Hmmm . . . Despite the fact that we never see Castle's old/new girlfriend and now have a new PlotDeviceBoyfriend! for Beckett, this season has been consistently clever and entertaining.

In other news, my poem is featured today at Maurissa Guibord's Haunted House Tour. I'm not a poet, but this little piece demanded to be written nonetheless. By commenting, you could win a copy of Neil Gaiman's Newbery-winning The Graveyard Book! (One of my favorites!)

Happy weekend, everyone!

[Cross-posted from Livejournal]

Friday Five

1. WriteOnCon. This amazing online writing conference needs your help! Browse the various offerings and comment on those you'd like to win. Comment here to win a critique from me and an ARC of The Revenant when it becomes available. Multiply your entries by making a small donation.You have until Sunday, September 26, at noon (EST) to comment/donate! (Remember, you don't HAVE to donate, but doing so will increase your chances of winning AND will help a great online resource continue its fabulous work! Oh, and don't worry -- they are suggesting small donations.)

2. My home office. We've been working on this room for four years, adding a few pieces here and there when we could scrounge up the money. Our final two pieces -- a 5th bookcase (!!!) and a hutch -- arrived Wednesday. After lots of heavy lifting, sorting, and cleaning, here's the result:

 



I am so happy with how it all turned out. But a word of warning -- black bookcases collect dust like crazy. Yeah, you probably already knew that. Well, imagine what it's like when you add a white cat into the mix! My Swiffer duster just can't keep up.

3. A relic of my past. Look what I found when cleaning out the office closet: an old-timey photo of me in my late-teens with Steve (who looks 12). My hair is just sad, but at least I had a tan back then!

4. Book squee. As soon as I finish The Children's Book (which is good, but so LONG), I will dive into Y.S. Ling's The Body at the Tower. (Victorian girl spies RULE!) And after that, I simply must get my hands on Lucy Christopher's Stolen, which apparently is beyond spectacular.

5. TV squee. Six days until the Fringe Season 3 premiere!

[Cross-posted from Livejournal]

Weekend surprises

Pleasant surprise #1: Spaced. This is one of those shows where after the first episode I was thinking "well, that's cute enough," and then by episode 4, I was obsessed! The tragic thing is that when I added it to my Netflix queue, I noted the existence of three discs. So when I get to the end of season 2, my first thought was "thank goodness there's one more to go!" Little did I know the third disc was for EXTRAS, and there never was a third season. Sad Sonia! And yet, one of those extras was a very detailed featurette on the making of the show that included a wee little peek into what might have happened to the two main characters if the show had continued. Almost as satisfying as a third season! (Well, not really -- but I'll take it.) Anyway, I'm not sure how many of you have seen this show (it's 11 years old already), but the Star Wars references made me think of several friends. It's not sci-fi, but half the characters are living a scifi storyline in their heads, so it might as well be. Definitely a very geek-friendly show! If you're a fan of Simon Pegg, and liked Shaun of the Dead and Hot Fuzz, I think you'd enjoy it. It's silly and vulgar at times, but at its heart it is incredibly, delightfully sweet. (And very clever, of course. And hilarious. And even a little romantic!)

Pleasant surprise #2: Nanny McPhee Returns (or Nanny McPhee and the Big Bang in the UK). Like the first one, this film was downright silly at times, and had an utterly predictable ending, but I found myself very entertained and had a lovely cry during the closing scene. It's a charming, heart-warming film -- If you'd like more details, this review from the San Francisco Chronicle seemed on target to me. The cast is amazing -- I was particularly impressed by young Eros Vlahos (what a name!) who out-acted all of the children and many of the adults. But the real surprise of this movie, for me, was the appearance of a certain (unbilled) Scottish actor as the dad who is off at war. When we first see him in a photograph, I nearly gasped. I'd know that smile anywhere!

BTW, a cute connection between Spaced and Nanny McPhee Returns -- each features Bill Bailey in a minor, but memorable, role (as Bilbo Bagshot and Farmer Macreadie).  Hee!

[cross-posted from Livejournal]