Reading, Watching, Novelising, Hogmanaying
NOVELISING
Long-time friends will know that I always celebrate when a book I'm working on reaches the 40k word mark. For those who don't know, I do this for the stupid, completely arbitary reason that this is the minimum length for a novel. Anything shorter is at best a novella.
Well, today, at the crusty bottom end of 2015, my new baby, The Cauldron, is all growed up and ready to party. Hurray!
READING
A great year for books is ending with quite a bang. A few days ago, I finished Kim Stanley Robinson's Aurora. It's not my favourite book ever, but it packs quite a punch in the speculative science department. I don't doubt I'll be thinking about this one for years.
But if it's fun you want -- and who doesn't? We're all Cyndie Lauper at heart -- you could do a lot worse than Claire North's The Gameshouse series. This is a trilogy of novellas, where ever so clever people challenge each other to make or break whole nations, using ordinary folk as pieces. It's not a wholly original concept, but boy is this tremendous fun. Highly recommended. Unless you hate enjoying yourself.
WATCHING -- Never a Spoiler for You, My Beloved
I saw Star Wars, of course. My friends are all in love and want to marry it. For me, if was fun to kiss and cuddle at the back of the cinema. There was much giggling. But I doubt we'll ever see each other again.
On Netflix I really enjoyed:
F is for Family -- a 70s based cartoon sitcom that has fun with the styles and prejudices of the times. Nothing mind-blowing here, but likeable and nasty. Adults only.
Making a Murderer -- a true-crime documentary type thing, but so far above anything like that I've ever seen before that, after an indifferent start, it became totally compelling. Brilliant stuff.
The Bridge, Series 1 -- This was thoroughly spoiled for me by having seen the vastly inferior, English/French remake. Still, very well done, and I look forward now to enjoying a spoiler-free season 2.
HAPPY NEW YEAR
Yeah, that's right. Have a great one, all my friends. I myself am on-call tonight, so I'll be sticking with with my books and good food. Take care of yourselves and I hope we'll meet in the New Year.
Long-time friends will know that I always celebrate when a book I'm working on reaches the 40k word mark. For those who don't know, I do this for the stupid, completely arbitary reason that this is the minimum length for a novel. Anything shorter is at best a novella.
Well, today, at the crusty bottom end of 2015, my new baby, The Cauldron, is all growed up and ready to party. Hurray!
READING
A great year for books is ending with quite a bang. A few days ago, I finished Kim Stanley Robinson's Aurora. It's not my favourite book ever, but it packs quite a punch in the speculative science department. I don't doubt I'll be thinking about this one for years.
But if it's fun you want -- and who doesn't? We're all Cyndie Lauper at heart -- you could do a lot worse than Claire North's The Gameshouse series. This is a trilogy of novellas, where ever so clever people challenge each other to make or break whole nations, using ordinary folk as pieces. It's not a wholly original concept, but boy is this tremendous fun. Highly recommended. Unless you hate enjoying yourself.
WATCHING -- Never a Spoiler for You, My Beloved
I saw Star Wars, of course. My friends are all in love and want to marry it. For me, if was fun to kiss and cuddle at the back of the cinema. There was much giggling. But I doubt we'll ever see each other again.
On Netflix I really enjoyed:
F is for Family -- a 70s based cartoon sitcom that has fun with the styles and prejudices of the times. Nothing mind-blowing here, but likeable and nasty. Adults only.
Making a Murderer -- a true-crime documentary type thing, but so far above anything like that I've ever seen before that, after an indifferent start, it became totally compelling. Brilliant stuff.
The Bridge, Series 1 -- This was thoroughly spoiled for me by having seen the vastly inferior, English/French remake. Still, very well done, and I look forward now to enjoying a spoiler-free season 2.
HAPPY NEW YEAR
Yeah, that's right. Have a great one, all my friends. I myself am on-call tonight, so I'll be sticking with with my books and good food. Take care of yourselves and I hope we'll meet in the New Year.
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