2013 Reading List

Here it is, folks. My reading list from this past year.

1. The Law of Similars by Chris Bohjalian
2. Blue Shoe by Anne Lamott
3. The Twelve Tribes of Hattie by Ayana Mathis
4. The Perks of Being a Wallflower by Shephen Chbosky - Liked the movie a lot, but obviously liked the book better.
5. Tender to the Bone by Ruth Reichl
6. The Passage by Justin Cronin - The first in a trilogy of zombie books. The third isn't out yet. The first two books were so scary that I couldn't sleep for weeks.
7. The Sense of an Ending - Julian Barnes
8. The Twelve by Justin Cronin
9. Skinnydipping by Bethenny Frankel
10. Commencement by J. Courtney Sullivan - Made me miss college.
11. Carry the One by Carol Anshaw - Read a lot of good things about this book, but I didn't really love it.
12. The Fault in Our Stars by John Green - Have 4 hours to kill and some tears to get rid of? Loved this book and I can't wait for the movie.
13. The Gunslinger (Dark Tower, book 1) by Stephen King
14. The Girl She Used To Be by David Cristofano
15. World War Z by Max Brooks - The movie strayed from the book a LOT, but I learned a valuable lesson...during the zombie apocalypse, head north and pack warm clothes.
16. The Hottest State by Ethan Hawke - I went through a weird phase this year where I only read novels written by celebrities.
17. Someday, Someday Maybe by Lauren Graham
18. The Gun Seller by Hugh Laurie
19. The Storyteller by Jodi Picoult - I had taken a break from her books the past couple years, but I really liked this one.
20. A Good American by Alex George - One of my favorites this year.
21. The Light Between Oceans by M.L. Steadman
22. Beautiful Ruins by Jess Walter
23. Gilead by Marilynne Robinson
24. Dead Ever After by Charlaine Harris - Thank God this series is over.
25. Inferno by Dan Brown
26. Beloved by Toni Morrison
27. Family Tree by Barbara Delinsky
28. The Piano Teacher by Janice Y. K. Lee
29. Sharp Objects by Gillian Flynn - Not as good as Gone Girl, but not as bad as people had said.
30. Sisterland by Curtis Sittenfeld
31. This is Where I Leave You by Jonathan Tropper - My favorite book of the year. His turns of phrase are brilliant and I would absolutely re-read this book. I have a stack of other books by him for 2014.
32. The Alchemist by Paulo Coelho

Books I'm looking forward to in 2014: And the Mountains Echoes by Khalid Hosseini, The Interestings by Meg Wolitzer, Life After Life by Kate Atkinson and the Divergent trilogy.

Where have all the good shows gone?

You may or may not know this about me, but I enjoy television. I can't believe it is almost fall premier season once again. Unlike past summers where I pick a show or two from the early 2000s to catch up on, this summer I binge watched Scandal, Revenge, House of Cards and Orange Is The New Black. This is in addition to watching True Blood, The Newsroom, Under The Dome, Dexter and Breaking Bad.

Usually, at this point in the summer, I am anxiously awaiting the return of my favorite shows. This year is a little different. 30 Rock and The Office are over. Dexter and Breaking Bad are almost done for good. This is the first year that I haven't had a full Thursday night NBC lineup. Only Parks and Rec remains for my "comedy night done right". This is usually the time of year when I need to carefully read Entertainment Weekly's "Fall TV Preview" and pick out a bunch of new shows to try, but for some reason, I'm just not feeling it. The new Will Arnett show with Margo Martindale looks so cheesy and I just can't distinguish one spy drama from another. Last year I gave Revolution a shot and couldn't get through three episodes because I found the protagonist to be so annoying. Whose hair could possibly look like that without a hair dryer or curling iron?

My viewing schedule is looking a little light, and despite the fact that I will soon have two DVRs, I may not even need a second one! I'm sticking with my favorite shows; Homeland, The Good Wife, Parenthood and Parks and Rec, and am throwing in a few guilty pleasures like Scandal and Revenge. I could do without Elementary and The Mentalist, but I have big crushes on both Jonny Lee Miller and Simon Baker, so I'm really only in it for the eye candy.

Perhaps as the fall season gets underway, I will get inspired to check out new shows. I'm a big fan of Joss Wedon and will give his Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D. a chance, but I just haven't had anything else yet grab my attention. I've posted my fall viewing schedule, but if anybody has suggestions for new (or existing) shows that I just have to check out, please let me know. In the meantime, I guess I'll have to find something else to do with all this free time. :)

What Are You Bingeing On?

I have a problem. I've had it for many years. Recently, I discovered that this problem not only has a name, but almost everyone else has gone through it at some point or another. My problem is called binge watching. Binge watching is the act of watching an entire season or series of a television show in a short amount of time, sometimes not stopping to shower or sleep.

My earliest memory of binge watching was in 2004. I had heard of 24, but had never seen any episodes. The new season was starting soon and I wanted to catch up. Back then, Netflix wasn't streaming yet, but you could get television shows on DVD. Over the course of 4 weeks (keep in mind each disc was only 4-6 episodes and I had to wait for the mail), I caught up on 2 seasons of the show. That's 48 episodes! I couldn't get enough. And when I couldn't wait for the DVDs to arrive via mail, I would head to the video store to see if I could get the episodes quicker. I remember being super embarrassed on a Saturday in July of '09 when I went to Videoport 3 times in one day to rent episodes of Rescue Me. I thought I could just wait for the DVDs to come in the mail. I couldn't. The clerk just smiled at me the third time I went in and said, "Gotta love Tommy Gavin."

A lot of the time, my binge watching has been to catch up on shows I had heard a lot about and were still airing new episodes, but I just hadn't gotten around to. I caught up during the off-seasons on Grey's Anatomy, Castle, Friday Night Lights, The Good Wife, How I Met Your Mother (7 seasons in the summer of 2012), Rescue Me and Downton Abbey. To be a true binge, you really have to watch several episodes in a row and it has to take the place of something else you should be doing (like going outside or working).

In other cases, I used my binges to take on shows that I had always wanted to see, but missed when they originally aired. This was the case with Battlestar Galactica, Veronica Mars, Alias, Arrested Development and, last month, Felicity.

But what happens when you can't maintain the binge? Maybe you start strong, but then a month has gone by, then two and eventually, you take that show off your instant queue. This happened to me with The Wire and The West Wing. And interestingly, I gave up on both halfway into the 3rd season. Is it binge overload? Would it have been better if I had watched those shows one week at a time when they originally aired? I think that's the sign of a true binge. When you can't get enough of a show. You stay up late, you call in sick to work, you order way too much take-out. You get super wrapped up in the characters and the show and when it's all over, you feel a little sad.

I'm looking for my next fix. Community and The Sopranos aren't streaming. Am I willing to wait for the DVDs? I hear great things about House of Cards. I know that I'll spend all day on May 26th binge watching the new season of Arrested Development. In the meantime, I guess I'll see what mood I'm in on the next rainy weekend.

What's your favorite binge show?



My 2012 Reading List

And here it is, my annual reading list. I'm including the audiobook I recorded, but not by name. It was a terrible book, but I would feel bad if the author ever saw this. Here goes:

1. The Tiger's Wife by Tea Obreht
2. Robopocalypse by Daniel Wilson
3. 11/22/63 by Stephen King: This books was great! Great historical lesson and entertaining read.
4. Rules of Civility by Amor Towles
5. Still Alice by Lisa Genova
6. Hotel on the Corner of Bitter and Sweet by Jamie Ford
7. The Art of Fielding by Chad Harbach
8. The Book Thief by Markus Zusak
9. The Paris Wife by Paula Melaine - Another fun historical fiction read.
10. Olive Kitteridge by Elizabeth Strout
11. Alice I have Been by Melanie Benjamin
12. Before I Go to Sleep by S.J. Watson
13. 1Q84 by Haruki Murakami
14. Still Life with Woodpecker by Tom Robbins
15. Most Talkative by Andy Cohen - I listened to the audiobook. I highly recommend this read. Hilarious!
16. Deadlocked by Charlaine Harris
17. Mudwoman by Joyce Carol Oates
18. Crossed by Ally Condie
19. Wild by Cheryl Strayed - This made me want to go out and hike by myself for a month. Then I remembered I don't like camping.
20. Gone Girl by Gillian Flynn - Divisive ending, but I really loved it.
21. Unbearable Lightness by Portia de Rossi
22. The Marriage Plot by Jeffery Eugenides
23. Sandcastle Girls by Chris Bohjalian
24. Defending Jacob by William Landay - Fun courtroom drama, great twist.
25. Maine by Courtney Sullivan
26. The Night Strangers by Chris Bohjalian
27. Home Front by Kristin Hannah
28. Audiobook I recorded - TERRIBLE!
29. Once Upon a River by Bonnie Jo Campbell

Some of the books I'm looking forward to in 2013:

The Fault in Our Stars, Winter of the World, Carry the One and I want to finally finish the first book in the Fire and Ice series.

Fall TV In Review

We're officially about 2 weeks into the fall TV season and I'm ready to assess the shows I'm watching thus far. Warning: Spoiler alerts coming. If you aren't caught up, check back once you are!

Dexter: A- After an abysmal 6, Dexter is back with an amazing premise. FINALLY, Deb is in on it, and it couldn't be more uncomfortable. I was SURE that when Dexter called Deb for support that he was going to kill Louis and pretend he hadn't. But maybe Dexter really is going to change? According to TVLine.com, episode 3 has one of the best deaths we've seen in several seasons. So, maybe our protagonist isn't quite ready to put away the knives. Obviously, the Trinity season was the best there ever was or will be, but I like the way this season is going so far. The only hitch is his annoying son Harrison. Couldn't he go live with Rita's parents? I feel like trying to explain where he is each week is cumbersome.

The Mindy Project: B+ My most anticipated debut of the season, this show seems like it is written for me. Granted, Mindy's book made me feel like like she and I should (obviously) be best friends, but I am pleasantly surprised at the snappy writing and good character development of this show. I could do without her receptionists and the new nurse, but I have laughed out loud at several lines and I love the SNL alums who make cameos as potential love interests.

Nashville: A Ok, so we've only seen one episode, but man, does this show have potential. Connie Britton is fantastic, but I'm more surprised by how amazing Hayden Panettiere is. There is so much drama in this show and I am really excited about where this season is going. Plus, with T-Bone Burnett in charge of the music, there is actually something worth listening to.

Gossip Girl: No Comment. Yes, this show is a guilty pleasure and I have been watching it since day one. I only mention it because did anyone else hear Blair say in episode 1, "Serena isn't what I'd call 'Country Strong.'" an obvious reference to the movie Leighton Meester was in with Gwyneth Paltrow. A cute wink to those in the know.

Revolution: C- I always give at least a couple new shows a chance and this one didn't hold me past episode 2. I think J.J. Abrams found something special in Evangeline Lilly and Matthew Fox and any attempt to recreate that is a fool's errand. I felt this way about Alcatraz and despite claims that Revolution is the next big thing, I'm over it. The characters are too pretty and I just don't buy it.

Grey's Anatomy: A- I've stuck with this show for 9 years, and I am happy to say that it does not disappoint. There is nothing more effective than tragedy on a grand scale and to end last season with a plane crash and to begin this season with the death of a beloved character is the best thing they could have done. Although I've never been a fan of April, I'm interested to see what happens with her and Jackson and the Christina fugue state was interesting. And Meredith as the new Bailey? I love it!

30 Rock: B- This is the last season of my favorite show and I just want it to end with some of the greatness that we've seen throughout the years. I thought the first episode was a letdown. I couldn't care less about Kristen Schaal's Hazel, and for some reason, Kenneth only pops when he's a supporting player to Tracy or Jenna. The second episode was way better. I'm really hoping to see more of those great one-liners that made the show great initially. I did enjoy the word "slut" on Jenna's bachelorette t-shirt, which is an obvious reference to the episode where Cerie asks Liz and Jenna to be bridesmaids and Jenna says that the theme of the bachelorette party should be sluts.


Elementary: B- The only reason I don't love this show is because I JUST finished watching the British show Sherlock, which features an Asperger's (?) inflicted Sherlock Holmes played by Benedict Cumberbatch....I could not even make that name up. God knows I love me some Jonny Lee Miller (ever since the days of Hackers), but I'm not sure I prefer the recovering drug addict to the clever and funny! Sherlock of the BBC.

Parenthood: A If you had asked me a month ago how I felt about Ray Ramano, I would have punched you in the face and asked you never to speak his name around me again. Oh, how the tables have turned. Here were are, three episodes into the new season and I'm actually rooting for his character!!! I've never been a huge Monica Potter fan but with the development of Christina's breast cancer, I feel like I need to invest in Kleenex because I cry during the last two minutes of Every. Single. Episode. I agree with my parents that with so many storylines, it's hard to fit everything in and sometimes the episodes feel clogged, but who doesn't love Mae Whitman? And I think there is a potential love interest between her and FNL alum Matt Lauria (Luke Cafferty), which I am so psyched about.

Homeland: A I was a fan of this show before it won every single award possible at the Emmys. Damien Lewis is amazing, especially since he's British and you would never know it. But Claire Danes is really what pulls it together. I'm a little bummed that she's knocked up, only because it means the shots will get tighter and tighter as the season goes on and I feel like it will affect the character development a bit. The suspense each week is worth the price of admission.

Obviously, I watch many, many other shows, but these are the ones that I felt deserved attention. I am still waiting for the premieres of American Horror Story, Happy Endings and The Walking Dead, but I think I've got enough good TV to make it through the winter. Hit up the comments with your own assessments.

I Wanna Do Bad Things With You

I used to play a little game with Time Warner when I lived in Maine. Get HBO for six months for shows like True Blood or Six Feet Under and then when they were over, switch to Showtime in late August just in time for Dexter and Weeds. Nowadays, the premium channels are on to me, and insist on delivering great programming year round. As May network TV finales wrap up, I always feel let down and resigned to a summer of crappy Bravo reality shows (minus Top Chef, which is amazing) and catching up on shows I missed the first time around like Alias and Dollhouse. But this year, I feel like there is so much summer TV to look forward to that I can barely keep up. Here is a rundown of some great shows on the way.

Mad Men, Girls, Game of Thrones, Nurse Jackie and The Big C: These shows are a great segue from the network finales to the premium debuts. With just a couple weeks left of each of these shows, I feel better about the fact that I have to wait 6 months to find out who lives on Grey's Anatomy and what happens between Will and Alicia on The Good Wife. Mad Men has been spectacular this season (as always), and Girls is the breakout hit of the year. They are great place holders until we get to the heavy hitters of summer...

True Blood: Premiering June 10, we will finally get to see if Tara lives or dies (unfortunately, I think she makes it) and what Chris Meloni is like as a vampire. Now entering its 5th season, True Blood has strayed so far away from the books that I don't think Charlaine Harris recognizes much of her own original concept. However, by keeping entertainment like Layfayette, eye candy like Alcide and Eric and Arlene's creepy baby, this season looks very promising. And I've made a drinking game out of the weird way that Bill whispers, "Sookie".

Breaking Bad: If you aren't watching this show, go to the video store, logon to Netflix or go On Demand and catch up NOW. Vince Gilligan has done an amazing job of showing the drawn-out, painful deterioration of our protagonist from a loving family man who just wanted to do right by his wife and son to a cold, calculated killer. I love that this show has an end date and that we know at some point Walt will hit rock bottom. I can't imagine a finale more explosive (pun intended) than last season, but if any show can pull it off, this one can. I never thought I would sympathize with a teacher-turned-meth-maker, but this formula (i.e. Dexter) seems to be working for me.

The Newsroom: I happen to be one of the 10 people in the world who actually loved Aaron Sorkin's short-lived show "Studio 60 on the Sunset Strip". I'm hoping that by living outside of the constraints of network TV and heading instead to HBO that The Newsroom can be everything that Studio 60 wasn't able to be. I'm ok with the fact that the cast strays away from Sorkin's usual crew (Bradley Whitford, Timothy Busfield, etc) and I can't wait to see how Jeff Daniels carries the show along with Emily Mortimer and Jane Fonda. Seriously, I could not be more excited for this show.

Add to those shows the opening of movies like Moonrise Kingdom, Your Sister's Sister and Ted and I think I can break my cycle of spending the entire summer watching 6 seasons of some 90s show that I missed the first time around (although season 3 of The West Wing is next on my Netflix queue).  :)

Why Happy Endings is ah-mah-zing

I didn't give this show much of a chance when it first came out in 2011. All I knew was that it seemed like another Friends rip-off, starring Elisha Cuthbert, who I only refer to as mountain lion (after that awful episode of 24 when she was chased by a mountain lion). After some prodding by my friend Cory and a couple good reviews by EW, I decided to give it another chance. I watched all of Season 1 on Netflix streaming and now that they are into season 2, it's one of my favorite shows to watch each week.

Here's why it's great:
1. It isn't stereotypical AT ALL. Yes, there is a gay character, but do they make him flamboyant and a good dresser? NO! He's constantly teased for being fat, sloppy and just plain lazy. In fact, we probably wouldn't even know he was gay unless they occasionally gave him a love interest.

2. This show has great throw-away lines that span the decades. When Penny gets excited about potentially having a new step-brother, she talks about her childhood companion:
Penny: "I always wanted a sibling, but the closest I got to a kid sister was a My Buddy doll."
Max: "Why didn't you just get a Kid Sister doll?"
Penny: "I did, but we weren't that close."

That one was for the 80s kids. In this week's episode, Alex gave us a 90s reference:
Alex: "I just got the Criterion Collection of Clueless, so I'll see you later. I hope not sporadically."

And finally, in this week's episode, in the midst of Brad and Jane's big fight, the guys want to go to a strip club and a steakhouse, but Brad would rather stay home and "catch up on Downton Abbey."

The show is truly funny, in part due to the improvisational styles of all of the characters (except Elisha Cuthbert. She's still kind of the weak link). Casey Wilson, as Penny, gets to show off her comedic skills way better than she ever did on SNL. The characters also make fun of themselves. There was a great scene last season when Elisha Cuthbert claims she isn't ready to date yet, and Penny asks, "But what if you were being chased by a mountain lion and your dad was, like, this counter terrorist guy".
Or in last week's episode when Penny gives a tongue-in-cheek reference to her catch phrase:
Penny: "It's ah-mah-zing. What? I haven't said it barely at all this season!"
Dave: "Season? You mean winter?"
Penny: "Yeah, it's more of a summer saying."

The show is quirky, sometimes a little too quirky (I didn't care for the Max as a bear plotline), but most of all, it makes me laugh, out loud, every week. If you haven't seen it, get season 1. Watch it all in one sitting, preferably without any distractions, and tune in Wednesday nights to catch up with Season 2. You'll thank me.