Reading:The Salt Grows Heavy, by Cassandra Khaw. I literally just opened it—I finished their previous book, Nothing But Blackened Teeth, last night and loved it—so all I really know is that the cover is GORGEOUS and first seven words on the marketing materials say, “A mermaid with a taste for blood,” and I am ALWAYS fully in for carnivorous mermaids.
Watching: Not much! We’re planning on watching one of last week’s episodes of The Last Drive-In tonight—it airs at 9pm and we never make it until then because 9pm is basically our 1am, so we generally watch them over the course of the week instead of the night of—but mostly we’ve just been on Father Brownand Bob’s Burgers because neither of them takes any “work,” if that makes sense.
Thinking: After reading that Betsy Byars book earlier this week, I’m REALLY feeling the delight of re/discovering 70s/80s middle grade & YA… so I dragged out my collection of vintage Horn Books, and I’m planning on scanning through those to find some older gems. Currently working my way through 1971!
What about you? Where are you at in any or all of these departments?
A mermaid with a taste for blood? Oh boy, have I got an ice dance program for you. :-) (It may not be clear if you don't know, but when they were preparing the number, they literally said it was about a mermaid killing and eating a sailor.)
Reading: Continuing my need for criminal profiling fiction, I read Jennifer Lynn Barnes' THE NATURALS which was good but didn't quite scratch my NONE SHALL SLEEP itch. So now I'm reading THE ALIENIST, which apparently became a TV show at some point, but I remember it as a book in my dad's collection. It has a lot of "all cops are corrupt and always have been" energy that I deeply enjoy, but also deals with my least favorite historical fiction trope: a famous person as a main character. It did lead me to look up what Teddy Roosevelt's voice sounded like and I was shocked that it wasn't anything like the impression in Arsenic and Old Lace. Bully!
Oh, yeah, I remember enjoying The Naturals, but *totally* see how it wouldn't scratch the same itch—for me, I think The Naturals felt more sharp focus/bright colors CW-y, whereas None Shall Sleep felt more muted and grainy and almost grim (but NOT grimdark)?
The Alienist is one of those books that I've walked by a million times at libraries and in bookstores, but haven't read either—I've been so curious about the show. I can give or take the famous person as main character thing, for me it REALLYYY depends on the execution.
And thank you for bringing up the Teddy Roosevelt thing—I just brought up a recording, and YOU ARE NOT KIDDING. Extremely different than what I've expected, I wonder if most pop culture depictions are pulling more from Arsenic & Old Lace than they are from the real thing, LOL. CHARGE!!!
EXACTLY. The Naturals is more classic YA--relationship dynamics and quick chapters and sudden twists, which I'm totally on board for, but it turns out that I wanted grimy historical, which The Alienist isn't quite either (I'm shocked by how much the first chapter feels like a historical romance before the love interest is introduced, ha!) but it's closer.
You see a picture of Teddy Roosevelt and he just seems like he should have Nick Offerman's voice but instead he's more of a William Daniels? It's honestly fucked up and I don't know what to do with this information except to force everyone else to know it.
I will fully support you in your campaign to spread the word about Teddy Roosevelt's voice, hahaha.
I've been thinking about this for the last few days, and I think overall, I've read very few American procedurals? I know the UK stuff way better: Reginald Hill, P.D. James, Elly Griffiths, Denise Mina, Ian Rankin, Elizabeth George, etc. I shall have to bone up, which is exciting?
A mermaid with a taste for blood? Oh boy, have I got an ice dance program for you. :-) (It may not be clear if you don't know, but when they were preparing the number, they literally said it was about a mermaid killing and eating a sailor.)
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Iz0FIUWipeA
AMAZING OMG
Reading: Continuing my need for criminal profiling fiction, I read Jennifer Lynn Barnes' THE NATURALS which was good but didn't quite scratch my NONE SHALL SLEEP itch. So now I'm reading THE ALIENIST, which apparently became a TV show at some point, but I remember it as a book in my dad's collection. It has a lot of "all cops are corrupt and always have been" energy that I deeply enjoy, but also deals with my least favorite historical fiction trope: a famous person as a main character. It did lead me to look up what Teddy Roosevelt's voice sounded like and I was shocked that it wasn't anything like the impression in Arsenic and Old Lace. Bully!
Oh, yeah, I remember enjoying The Naturals, but *totally* see how it wouldn't scratch the same itch—for me, I think The Naturals felt more sharp focus/bright colors CW-y, whereas None Shall Sleep felt more muted and grainy and almost grim (but NOT grimdark)?
The Alienist is one of those books that I've walked by a million times at libraries and in bookstores, but haven't read either—I've been so curious about the show. I can give or take the famous person as main character thing, for me it REALLYYY depends on the execution.
And thank you for bringing up the Teddy Roosevelt thing—I just brought up a recording, and YOU ARE NOT KIDDING. Extremely different than what I've expected, I wonder if most pop culture depictions are pulling more from Arsenic & Old Lace than they are from the real thing, LOL. CHARGE!!!
EXACTLY. The Naturals is more classic YA--relationship dynamics and quick chapters and sudden twists, which I'm totally on board for, but it turns out that I wanted grimy historical, which The Alienist isn't quite either (I'm shocked by how much the first chapter feels like a historical romance before the love interest is introduced, ha!) but it's closer.
You see a picture of Teddy Roosevelt and he just seems like he should have Nick Offerman's voice but instead he's more of a William Daniels? It's honestly fucked up and I don't know what to do with this information except to force everyone else to know it.
I will fully support you in your campaign to spread the word about Teddy Roosevelt's voice, hahaha.
I've been thinking about this for the last few days, and I think overall, I've read very few American procedurals? I know the UK stuff way better: Reginald Hill, P.D. James, Elly Griffiths, Denise Mina, Ian Rankin, Elizabeth George, etc. I shall have to bone up, which is exciting?