Out of this world!
For those of you that are familiar with my blog, you probably also know that I blog elsewhere, recapping shows like A Series of Unfortunate Events, Jessica Jones, and Daredevil and books like the Twilight Saga on the Snark Squad site.
A few weeks ago, the lovely Nicole and Marines invited me to chat with them and fellow guest Silvia about my new fav show, The Bold Type.
Our episode is now live! You can check it out by clicking the link below.
LOL, JK. This isn’t a Dystopian Future Edition. Because we’re living it. The dystopian future is now.
Anyway. Let me tell you about the escapism things I’ve been enjoying to help cope with the fact that the whole world is basically on fire:
NBC’s The Blacklist. I’ve watched this show from the beginning and found the last season and a half to be…. rough. The writers really didn’t seem to know what to do with actor Megan Boone’s pregnancy. I was so irritated with how they handled it that I nearly quit the show. And I ranted about it a lot. Because misogyny and pregnancy tropes really hit my rage button. The writers seemed to be writing themselves out of that hole, and by the time the show went on its winter hiatus, I was back onboard. Especially because M and I guessed the BIG TWIST that really makes for a compelling story. Good job, Blacklist. I figure this show will be canceled after this season, though, because I can’t have nice things.
Netflix’s A Series of Unfortunate Events. I’ve been watching this series for Snark Squad, and we’ve finally reached the penultimate episode. Or as we liked to call it, the episode that destroyed us. I won’t go into spoilers here, but you’re welcome to check out our recaps over on the Snark Squad website.
The Upside of Unrequited by Becky Albertalli. I haven’t been reading as much as I was earlier in the year. I’m going to do a more in-depth review of the books I have read, but for now I’ll say that this was a fun read*.
*With caveats
I haven’t been listening to as much music as I usually do because I’ve found I’ve been needing quieter things to focus on. Instead, I’ve been listening these podcasts:
Gilmore Guys, turned Bunhead Bros, hosted by Kevin T. Porter and Demi Adejuyigbe. A podcast that was originally just two dudes, special guests and Gilmore Girls discussion (sometimes), that has now moved on to another Amy Shermin-Palladino show, Bunheads. I quit it for a while, because I never really watched Bunheads and then when I tried to watch the show, I hated it. But I came back because these two dum-dums are pretty entertaining.
Welcome to Night Vale is a War of the Worlds-esque podcast, presented in the form of community updates for a small desert town called Night Vale. It is creepy, bizarre and funny. This would appeal to people with slightly twisted senses of humour. So of course, I love it.
Porch Club popped up in some recommendation for podcasts I might like. I gave this a few goes, but man, it’s tough to get through. I find the hosts’ navel-gazing a bit too much to handle. I think if I knew the hosts, it might be slightly more appealing to me, but there is a strange, deeply religious undertone that makes me feel uncomfortable. Maybe it’s because I’ve retired from organized religion. Maybe it’s the twenty minutes of laughter at inside jokes that are only funny to the hosts. Or maybe it’s not my bag.
EOS 10 is a sci-fi radio play, reminiscent of Welcome to Night Vale. My friend Wendy recommended it to me and she gives good recs (She also introduced me to Saga and Bitch Planet). The story follows two space doctors and their team on a space station and a deposed prince who has taken up refuge in the station’s food court. Definitely worth a listen if you’re down with radio plays. It’s also a great distraction from the sci-fi world we’re currently living in.
I’m also addicted to the Sodastream that I was given for my birthday. I drink a lot of water a day and pretty much drink water (When I’m not mainlining caffeine in the form of coffee and tea) these days. I try to get 2.5 litres of water a day, and I’ve taken to drinking sparkling water for about half of that. But it’s expensive. And not super environmentally friendly. It sounds crazy, but I love, love, love my Sodastream.
I mean, this is the tagline on their website:
It’s the little things in life that make me happy these days.
Lastly, I’ve been spending a lot of time with my family lately. My aunt has been sick since the middle of March, so we’ve been helping out, visiting, trying to keep her distracted while she’s gone through a million tests, treatments and doctor’s appointments. It’s weird to say that I’m ‘loving’ all of this time that has come about due to a family emergency, but I’m trying to look at the bright side of things. Because haha, lol, there is so little of that these days. Hi, political world climate.
How’re you surviving and coping with the strange, Twilighty Zone world we’re all living in? Tell me all about it.
I read the books and was a fan, but never watched the movie adaptation. I had zero interest in the film adaptation, probably due to the casting of Count Olaf: Jim Carrey. He’s ruined so many of my favourite things by starring in film adaptations: How the Grinch Stole Christmas, A Christmas Carol. So I chose to skip A Series of Unfortunate Events.
However, when I heard Netflix was doing an adaptation, and that Neil Patrick Harris was starring in it as Count Olaf, I was really excited for it. And it’s been decent so far, and I have zero casting complaints.
We’re recapping it over on Snark Squad, so if you’re a fan or just checking out Lemony Snicket’s A Series of Unfortunate Events for the first time, join us.
This is the fifth book I’ve read so far this year. It’s something I borrowed and is not something I’d pick up normally, but I’m working on broadening my reading choices.
I’m also reading Breaking Dawn by Stephenie Meyer. It is the fourth and final book in the terrible, horrible, dumpster fire of a book series the Twilight Saga. Why? Because we’re recapping it on Snark Squad. I can’t tell you how thrilled we are to be finishing these books.
For Christmas, my mother gave me a label maker. And that might seem like an odd thing to be excited about, but I was super excited for it. I’ve been using it to organize all of the important papers, contracts, manuals, warrantees, and other documents in the house. It’s a system I’ve been using at work to keep track of templates and master copies of things and it translated really well into a system to use at home. Nerdy and OCD enough for you yet?
Winter is my least favourite season. I’m just not here for these long nights or freezing, sunless days. And I have the worst time keeping warm. I layer on the clothes, the blankets, I even own and make use of a Snuggie. But I just can’t seem to get comfortable in the winter, temperature-wise. Is it spring yet?
Not mine! (If only). My mum is retiring this year and we’re working on planning her a bash to celebrate.
I haven’t actually talked about this on my blog too much, which is surprising because it’s been such a huge change in my family life, but my brother and sister-in-law had a baby this summer. I am so in love with my little niece and am really enjoying being an aunt. It’s also been really cool to see my other brothers embrace their new role as uncle. It’s been awesome and I’m so lucky to be living close to them and her. I don’t know my other niece and nephew very well, and spending all this time with baby Squish is something I’m really loving.
What are you guys up to lately? Let me know!