Book Talk: I've Been Reading...

Still reading.  Still adding to my ever increasing To Be Read pile.  I have though managed to delete a lot of books from this pile so that's something, even if said pile seems to inch up higher and higher bit by bit.

 

I really do need to stop looking at book websites.  Cue hysterical laughing because we all know that is never going to happen, no matter how much my good intentions might be.

Oh well onto some books...

Cutesy reads for cutesy feel goods and I really don't need to say anything more.  We are all quite aware how much these kind of books are my comfort reads.  Romance for the win is always the way.

 

Even so I did manage to read some non cutesy books for a change.  Shock horror I know.

 

Now I'd be the first to admit I'm not a big fantasy reader.  Way too many dwarves, dragons and elves for my liking.  So finding ones I actually want to read is a pretty rare thing.  Even rarer is if I like it.

Luckily this time round I found a series that was just the fantasy read I like - zero romance, badass female warriors and not a dragon in sight.

After all that sword fighting it was definitely time for some nonfiction reads and my usual mix bag with a book on gardening, living longer and a nice quirky, funny travel read that somehow I hadn't read before.

And of course there are the audios...

 

As you can see I'm still very much on a Doctor Who audio kick with the always brilliant Paul McGann.

 

Sci-fi feels all round.

The Viewing Files: What Were They Thinking?

56' really wasn't a good year for movies judging by the ones I've watched so far.  And 58 isn't that far behind.

Some oldies really should never been made.  Or at the very least should have been rewritten before being made.  Still I can now say I've watched them and will never do so again.

Oh for Princess Bride...

 

Carousel

Starring: Pretty good singers

Original release: 1956

Synopsis: Death and redemption and that truly annoying song

 

Good songs, terrible story. Like seriously this is not the kind of story that should be a musical.

 

Listen to the soundtrack instead and ignore the movie. You'll be grateful. 

The Searchers

Starring:  John Wayne and Natalie Wood

Original release: 1956

Synopsis: Westerns the way they shouldn't have been made

 

I think I fell asleep. Which pretty much sums up this movie for me.

The King and I

Starring:  Yul Brynner and Deborah Kerr

Original release: 1956

Synopsis: A nanny in a foreign land

 

The colours are amazing, the performances are good and yet somehow it all just seems a bit flat and ho-hum. Not a film that works for me.

Bus Stop

Starring:  Marilyn Monroe

Original release: 1956

Synopsis: The Cowboy and the Singer

 

And nope, not the movie for me. The lead male character is just terrible in every way and even Marilyn's character got super annoying at times. What was that voice?

 

Every one involved deserved so much better. 

South Pacific

Starring:  Who knows, who cares

Original release: 1958

Synopsis: The racist musical you didn't want or need

 

I have no words, other than what the hell was that???

 

A mess on all fronts that not even a couple of good songs could save.

Gigi

Starring:  Leslie Caron

Original release: 1958

Synopsis: A teen girl is groomed to be a man's mistress

 

In theory I should like this movie and yet somehow I don't. Maybe because it's more than a tad icky what with a 16 year old girl being groomed to sell herself to the highest bidder. Not really the sort of musical you want.

Marnie

Starring:  Sean Connery and Melanie's mom

Original release: 1964

Synopsis:  The bully and the thief

 

A sado masochist and an emotionally traumatized woman cross paths and a battle of wills and dominance begins.

 

Well at least that's the story I watched...

 

Hitchcock at his most disturbing.

A Day in the Life... A Lazy Sunny Day

Still hot and sunny down here in the South even if summer is fading so it seems like a good day to just potter around and do a few things after several days of mostly gardening.

8.30am

 

And it's a misty start to the day.  Still it looks kind of pretty floating in the sky.

A few minutes later...

... and I'm off for my morning walk, baggy clown pants and all.  I seriously need to wed along the garden path. Something else to add to my list.

10.00am

 

Back from my walk and it's soup making time courtesy of the grated carrots that I grew and then froze in my freezer ready for days like this.  I've made this recipe so many times over the years that I can just pretty much make from scratch with out any kind of written recipe on hand.  One of the few things I can make that never fails.  

Don't you just love those.

10.30am

 

While the soup is slowly cooking Nudge is making the most of the sun.

Meanwhile I'm working on my latest jigsaw.

11.30am

 

And the soup is looking and smelling oh so good.

After a quick check and stir it's time for some knitting.  So far I'm really liking how this is turning out but man this wool is a pain to knit with.  Still it should make a nice warm and cosy vest for me to wear over my t-shirts this winter.  

 

I'm busy listening to a Doctor Who audio book while I knit.  Multi-tasking at it's best.

2.30pm

 

Oops.  Forgot to take photos of the previous couple of hours.  Not that it was all that exciting.  I've placed some soup in containers ready to freeze as well as had a cup of fruit tea.

 

I have however managed to finish the jigsaw.  Yay. 

3.30pm

Feet up with a nice cold drink and a good book.  I've just started this one.  A nice fluffy chick lit romance.  Perfect reading for a lovely sunny day sitting in the sun.

5.00pm

 

Corn on the cob for dinner.  All grown and picked by me.

 

Despite the slow start the corn turned out really well and tastes so good.  Definitely going to be planting a lot more next season.  Still 18 cobs isn't too shabby for my first attempt.

Going to eat this dripping with butter.  Yum, yum, yum.

7.00pm

Getting stuck into Severance with 3 episodes to watch tonight.  Super trippy show that makes you keep trying to guess just what the hell is going on.

April's Plans

Winter is coming... or at least it's meant to be even if the weather lately has been hot and sunny. Which is always a plus as it means I have been doing lots and lots and lots of gardening.  I almost wish winter was here just so I can have a break and curl up with a good book, a hot drink and cake.  Because yes there is always time for cake.  Or at least there should be.

Reading

 

I've slowed right down lately.  Mostly because I have been listening to audio books.  Which kind of counts as reading... sort of?

 

Hopefully this month there'll be at least a few less than sunny days so I can get stuck in to my slowly increasing To Be Read pile.  That and tea and cake.

Knitting

Like everything else it's going slowly.  I really do need some cold and rainy days.  Still I'm making some progress.  Even if it's only a couple of rows a day.

Gardening

 

The one thing that is going super, super well.  All I need to do know is to lay down a pile of cardboard, compost and mulch and I'm good for the winter.

Writing

 

Don't ask.

Get Fit and Healthy

 

Actually going not too bad what with all the gardening.  Plus the daily walks.  I've even managed to add in some regular stretching and swats.  So all in all I'm fairly pleased.

Cross fingers I can keep it up during these cooler months.