The Week in Womble aka Frelling Hell Not Again!
Helllooo! So, a mixed week was had. Work is still in a holding pattern which is probably going to last another couple of weeks and on one hand I’m enjoying going home on time and other it’s just a little frustrating not doing anything. Reading going well as you can see but on Friday got news my diabetes has not been in control, so improved self-care needs to be started now. The annoying thing about diabetes is that when you have good control it’s so tempting that I feel normal; so, I give myself treats and cut back on exercise - easily think it’s cured and that’s not the case. Here we go again – but it will be good for me in the long run to get this hammered into my brain.
What Have I been Watching?
Farscape – Finished Season 1 and really enjoyed it. It’s always fun watching how a first season shapes itself. Sometimes a good idea can be let down by cast and scripts e.g. Andromeda and sometimes they roar out of the box e.g. Battlestar reboot and others take a little time to find their place. Farscape is the latter a very inventive set-up; some cool characters and some good actors but it takes time to find it’s feet. But about halfway they realise they are a morally ambiguous sf adventure show and this season sows the seeds for epic storylines to follow.
And now I seem to have my TV mood back perhaps time to try some other shows alongside it…
What Have I Been Listening To?
A huge shout out to Pseudopod a weekly horror podcast where usually one story has been read out. This week I was engrossed by a story of twins; an overbearing mother and a stage trick Zander the Magnificent by Annie Neugebauer narrated by Jon Padgett was beautifully creepy.
Two podcasts I forgot to mention last week also got back on my radar. Our Opinions Are Correct is a genre podcast with Charlie Jane Anders and Annalee Newitz discussing shows and themes in the genre. A reminder as well as talented authors these two also were behind the success of iO9 the SF news and reviews website. Love their insight and on time travel sets up some interesting ideas for Newitz’s new book….
The second I decided to try was Before the Serpent and not sure on this one. It is a podcast discussing writing but seems to lean on the fan fic side in the one I heard and that’s not really a sub-genre I get into very often. Hosts were very knowledgeable but didn’t really work for me. Will try a few more but others may love the recs!
What have I reviewed or read?
Magic for Liars by Sarah Gailey - A fan of Gailey’s alternate wild west novellas with added hippos I was intrigued what we would get in their first novel. A really enjoyable noir style tale that captures American high schools and sibling rivalries perfectly. May not be quite the detective story you want but I loved the character work and exploration of lies.
Before the Coffee Gets Cold by Tashikazu Kawaguchi Now this book is very much one that didn’t work for me. A cosy tale of a café where you travel through time glued to your seat sounds great but as all the travellers were women and shown their ‘mistakes’ in life I found it patronising and extremely sexist.
Hex Life edited by Christopher Golden and Rachel Autumn Deering - A brilliant anthology exploring witches and witchcraft. Notably all stories by women but a collection with humour, horror, love and adventure is perfect for your Halloween trick and treats.
Bone China by Laura Purcell – An author who I’ve been meaning to get to read for a few years and kicking myself how slow I was. Review coming soon but this is wonderfully unsettling.
What am I reading or coming soon?
The Djinn Falls in Love edited by Mahvesh Murad and Jared Shurin – need to sit down and lose myself into this
A Little Hatred by Joe Abercrombie – I must see how things have gone in the First Law universe
Magic for Liars by Sarah Gailey – noir, magic and romance? How can I resist
The Swallows by Lisa Luiz – the intro for this is compelling as a thriller
Shatter War by Dana Fredsti and David Fitzgerald – a strange sounding SF series where earth’s histories all collide!
And so much more. Have fun!
