For the love of Television

Well folks is it labor day! Guess what that means? - Yep TV marathons. I perused them all so you don't have to. The only winner on today is the Band of Brothers marathon on Spike TV.

This one of the shows that when I see it is on TV, no matter when I see it, I stop and make an effort to really really watch it. To me it is my The American President of miniseries. I will watch it whenever it is on tv- always. I own the whole mini-series and probably pull it out at least twice a year to watch it on DVD and get all the extras features -can't say enough of how much I love it. But to plug some more we have Damian Lewis (my favorite red headed actor of all time), Ron Livingston, and as an added bonus to children of the 80's and early 90's a former New Kids on the Block- Donnie Wallberg.
It is on Spike TV today 10:00 a.m. to Midnight- yep they are showing the WHOLE thing!

Please Stop.... Please

To level with everyone here: I am a huge fan of the book Pride and Prejudice. (Huge. Fan.) I have multiple copies of the original text. I have several copies of the
A&E mini-series and various other versions brought to screen. I love it. Ironically it isn't my favorite work of Jane Austen- but it was the first one I discovered and therefore the one I have the most, for lack of a better word, stuff for. I cannot even begin to tell you how many follow ups, or continuations I have read for P&P it is definitely in the double digits. Some I love, some I hate, some I just read. But all I can say now is: Please, people, please stop.... please

Why oh why must Mr. Darcy, Vampyre exist? Amanda Grange has been knocked down several million steps in my estimation: I have read several of her books- she usually writes a Diary for each of the male hero's of Miss Austen. And I enjoyed them, didn't OMG love them, but enjoyed them for sure. But it seems that everyone, everyone has to jump on the freaking Vampire bandwagon. I am done with it. Yes I read all of the twilight saga, yes I read (well started- because Kelsey still has my copy) Pride and Prejudice and Zoombies, Yes I read a book were Darcy and Elizabeth are detectives. But no more people, no more. Why can't Mr. Darcy just be Mr. Darcy?????

Oh and really what is with all the freaking Vampires???? Are literally agents just jumping on any book that involves them?

Why I am a bad browser....

Tonight I walked to the library to return a DVD I borrowed, and I was pleasantly surprised to see they were still open. It is almost novel to have anything be open past 5:30 in downtown Pella. It is most definitely like the locus come out at 5:30 everyday and quick, quick people you need to return to your homes! (or as my friend Kelli would say: The Vampires are getting ready to come out.) Every Thursday night however, like many cities in Iowa, the downtown area stays open until 8 p.m. and the community band plays. But still I was surprised to see the library open because it was past 8. Instead of just sticking my returns in the slot I decided to go in and take a look around. The poll I posted about which book I should read next was inconclusive (where did all my decisive friends go?) to make things even worse they didn't have disc 3 and 4 of the miniseries I was watching. This is where I begin to feel bad for every author that ends up on the bottom two shelves of every library, and book store. I mean does anyone actually take the time to look down there? I know I certainly don't and to be really super honest I pretty much only quickly browse the shelves that are at my eye level, and look for interesting covers. Past that, the only why you can get me to look at top or bottom shelves is to be one of my favorite authors- that way while I am the right section I might, just might see your book. I once heard a story that an author picked her pen name solely based on the fact that her books would end up next to an already established author of her same genre. Which really is super smart- I figured writers were just creative people that wanted strange names, but no- really there is some marketing and strategy going on. But really I feel bad for everyone else. I guess you can never know the size of the library or bookstore you will be sold and therefore cannot ever tell if you are going to end up on the unlucky bottom shelf.

Ahead of my deadline....

I conservatively suggested I would be able to finished the last 200 pages of North and South by Tuesday- well it is Monday morning and I have finished! (who needs sleep?- also I am on disc 4 episode 3 of Lost season 2, and I did at least 30 minutes of browsing the internet) I really enjoyed it, but what would be considered the final episode of the mini-series and the book are really different. I think they got the gist of everything just sped it up and changed it around. The next book on my pile is "I was told there'd be cake" by Sloane Crosley (it gets great reviews with 20-somethings). I have a list of other books I want to check out if the Library has them, so things might end up changing in the currently reading section. Eventually I am going to have to sleep. But I had, had, had to finish my book.

Things are happening!

My Fab friend Kelsey totally stole my zombie book to read while she was on vacation. Ok by stole- I mean I said she could borrow it, and when she forgot it I tracked down her friend to make sure she would get it before she left. So I guess that means I reverse pick pocketed myself.

Yeah. Anywho- this means I resorted to one of the many "smart looking" books I keep around. You know the ones you are willing to put on the bookshelf in the living room (not the other one you hide in your bedroom) because when people browse them you can go "Oh, yes I just love Dicken's later works." And therefore when you read them with your "smart looking" glasses and a glass of red wine you feel better about who you are.

Well I started reading North and South by Elizabeth Gaskell- it has been on the bookshelf for a few months at least, I bought it after I watched the mini-series (like 5 times, in a row) but never got around to getting past chapter one. Which frankly is like the first 20 seconds of the mini-series (so not progress). Well ladies and gents- I freaking made progress. If we were watching the mini-series we would be about halfway through episode 3 (out of 4)- and as Liz Lemon would say "Things are happening!" (you practically yell the happening part) Now if I can just not get distracted by Lost ( two more discs have arrived), sleep or the internet, I may have a finished book by Tuesday.

Film Friday

This week's pick: Little Dorrit
Actually a miniseries (not a movie). I completely loved every freaking second of this. Matthew Macfadyen- I love you- At first it was hard to separate you from my love of Pride and Prejudice- esp my crush on Mr. Darcy- but man I think you can rival that with your performance here. Plus I had like 6 more hours of footage of you in this than in P&P. I was on the edge of my seat the whole time. I easily whipped through a disk a day (about 4 episodes- around 2 hours total). Freaking loved the ending. I totally forgot how awesome Charles Dickens is.
Anyway- I loved it!