The Viewing Files 2020: A Year of New Watching

Well my reading might not have gone down but my TV and movie watching certainly took a hit  No surprise there since it was just about impossible for studios to make anything. Plus a lot of our previous loved shows had ended the year before so our list of what to watch was pretty small... really, really small in fact.

Still with a bit of hunting and much reading of various reviews etc I did manage to find a few things to enjoy that helped wile away the nights.

 

The Blacklist

 

Season 7 may have ended a bit weird what with an animated episode but man that show is still good.  The mystery of who Red really is keeps me and my friend Nellie in endless chats and rewatches trying to pull together all the clues.  This show is going to drive me nuts.

Gold Digger 

Totally shallow viewing.  Ben Barnes.  In glasses.  Need I say anything else.  Except that the show was actually pretty good.  A love story with a difference.

The Capture

 

This was seriously good.  So twisty.  So turny.  So Oh My God this could actually happen which isn't that a scary thought.  Can hardly wait for the next season...

Perry Mason 

 

Bat shit crazy at times but worth it for Matthew Rhys's performance alone.  This actor just keeps getting better and better.  Watch The Americans and this show and you'll see what I mean.

The Great

 

Another bat shit crazy at times show but oh so good.  Looking for an historical drama with great performances then this is the show.  The costumes are pretty great too.  Now just waiting for season 2...

Simon Reeve

 

Simon Reeve saved my sanity.  Faced with weeks of endless winter nights and nothing to watch this was the show that helped keep me going.  Thank God there are about 20 series in all, each one from 2 to 4 episodes so there's plenty to watch and enjoy.  Combines travel with history, social, environmental and political commentary.  Super good and fascinating and all with the warm and gentle touch of Mr Reeve.

The War on Plastic

 

I learnt so much from this show.  Like did you know that there is plastic in Christmas wrapping paper?  Who knew?  Fascinating and informative.  You need to watch. 

Seven Worlds One Planet

 

Documentaries for the win were pretty much it for the second half of the year.  Beautiful, awe inspiring and emotional, the perfect show to be amazed by.

Tiny Creatures

 

And finally all the cute.  I now want a golden hamster.  And his wheel.  And his house.  And pretty much just him and everything else. 

Book Talk 2020: A Year of Easy Reading

I really thought my reading would be down this year.  Especially since there were months when I didn't read a single thing.  I know right?  Even I'm amazed at that.  Then again THAT year says it all really.  Doing mammoth reading sessions just wasn't really in the cards.  And yet here we are... 215 books read or listened to by me. Even in a off year I still managed to read a lot.

 

61 Graphic novels

43 Chick Lit

27 Crime

22 YA

21 Non fiction

11 Audio books

7 Children's fiction

6 General fiction

6 Contemporary romance

6 Thrillers

3 Science fiction

2 Fantasy 

Pretty much every genre went down compared to the previous year (no surprise considering the year that was).  Though graphic novels and audio books increased hugely which kind of shows exactly where my brain was at. I am though pleased that my non fiction reading managed to stay over 20 books for the year, if only just.

Disappointments were a few.  Crime on the whole just didn't work for me this year but that's probably due to my brain and the state of the world at the moment than poor writing.  It was a year of escapism, and murder just wasn't going to cut it.  Not that there weren't still the odd one that hooked me in.  Though these were a lot less murder and much more thrills.

Favs as always were so many that I've had to be ruthless and I've managed to cut the list down to a more reasonable handful.  A mixed bag of exciting thrillers and science fiction with the odd made you think kind of book. There's even one called Pandemic which was an "oh so scary that could almost be true" audio book.  

I know.  What was I thinking.  Still it was seriously good.  So there's that.  

At least the rest of the books on the list are all feel good reads and look there's even some of my fav genre - Christmas chick lit.  

So a win all round then.

New Beginnings...

We are not going to talk about last year.  

 

Okay?  Good. 

Sucky, hellish year over (hopefully for all of us) and a bright new year ahead. I'm trying not to be too hopeful but really hope is pretty much all we have at the moment so hope and new beginnings is the way I'm gonna go. The year that was is over and the year that is, is just starting.

 

So what are my plans for the year... well pretty much what they always are...

 

Reading

 

This never changes. I love books and I love stories so naturally I love to read.  

 

A lot.

 

Still I'm hoping this year to continue on mixing up my reading and add more graphic novels, audio books and pretty much any other genres that aren't YA, Chick Lit or Crime to my reading wish list.  Suggestions for titles for me to try are always welcome, so get suggesting.

Gardening

 

So much to do.  Mostly because we are in a new home and the garden here has been left for years to basically just grow and grow and grow and now it's just one big wild forest.

 

I'm going to be really, really busy.  Which means that some of the things on this list are already looking shaky.  Can I just hire someone else to do all the hard work already?

Get Fit and Get Healthy

 

Weird health issues and stress eating has, no surprise there, caused havoc on my body and on my health.   Now that things are a little bit more settled I'm working on getting back on track.

 

Living on endless smoothies and mashed veg is probably going to help.  Because yes my very weird swallowing problem has flared up again.  Oh joy.

 

Still on the plus side smoothies taste so good so there's that.

Crafting

 

I am determined to do some of this year.  With long, very cold winters looming in our future courtesy of our new abode this year feels like the year that lots of crafting will happen.

Writing

This was going so well until THAT year happened.  

Still the brain is feeling rested and full of words so this plan really does feel like it's going to happen.  Doing my first blog post in a very long time is a good start.