So far this month has been fairly laid back. We watched season four of Van Der Valk so we are all caught up on that. Just picked up Madam Secretary series from the library so we'll see if we like it enough continue with six or so seasons. Christmas movies are in the lineup soon.
This week I joined The Classics Club and added a tab at the top of my blog. 👆 I can link each book as I finish and started with The Remains of the Day by Kazuo Ishiguro. As I have been inside quite a bit I've made good progress with this book. The setting is wartime England.
I also added a tab for apocalyptic/dystopian books with links for the ones I have read and reviewed. Other titles will be added as I learn of them from Goodreads or suggestions by others. Please feel free to share some of your favorites if you like that genre.
That's the weekly excitement around here, haha.
I've watched one episode of Madam Secretary and enjoyed it, but wound up switching over to The Morning Show, which I loved. Now I'm watching Shrinking but will return to Madam Secretary. I like Tea Leoni.
ReplyDeleteSome of my favorite post-apocalyptic/dystopic books are: The Giver (Lowry), The Light Pirate (Brooks-Dalton), The Dreamers (Thompson Walker), The Girl With All the Gifts (Carey), The Age of Miracles (Thompson Walker), The 5th Wave (Yancey), The Brief History of the Dead (Brockmeier), and Alas, Babylon (Frank). Reviews are all on my blog.
Les, I don't know about The Morning Show, need to see about that one.
DeleteThe Light Pirate was a cool book, I liked that one. Thanks for the other siggestions.
I swear that my heart hurt when I read Remains of the Day. I suggested it for my book group. But nobody else liked it like I did. I don't know why.
ReplyDeleteDeb, it's sad how he cuts himself off from love and friendship, all in the name of duty and dignity. I am almost done!
DeleteWhat kind of a series is Van Der Valk -- British drama or mystery? I don't know it. Remains of the Day ... is a bit of a sad love story ... and an interesting commentary on wartime England. An Ishiguro classic. It has some similarities (of sadness) with his Never Let Me Go and Klara and the Sun ... two others I've enjoyed too. Hope you like it.
ReplyDeleteSusan, Van Der Valk is a police series set in Amsterdam. I love the scenery and each season has a total of 6 episodes. We like the medical examiner character quite a bit. When I was traveling in my younger days I spent time in Amsterdam and once left my passport on a houseboat when I was visiting someone. Panic once I realized that and rushed back, happy to find the door wasn't locked and my passport was right there on the sofa. Relief!
DeleteI have read Klara and the Sun and Never Let Me Go as well. This book has it's sad moments with Stevens' reflections on life, as he saw it.
Ha. Good - that's quite a mishap but nice recovery. I have just passed through Amsterdam a couple times but liked it. It bustles. Many bike commuters too. A houseboat seems like a good hideout.
DeleteNow I'm curious to read Remains of the Day. Have a wonderful Christmas!
ReplyDeleteThank you, Claudia. Happy Christmas to you as well!
DeleteI liked the Remains of the Day movie with Anthony Hopkins and Emma Thompson.
ReplyDeleteJoy, I've not seen it but knew of it. Maybe after I finish the book I'll watch it.
DeleteI’m fairly sure Van Der Valk is in one of my streaming queues
ReplyDeleteWishing you a happy reading week
Thank you, Shelleyrae. I have gotten all the seasons from the library when they get them in. It's nice seeing Amsterdam!
DeleteI’m fairly sure Van Der Valk is in one of my streaming queues. I’m still binging ER with my daughter, it’s really held up so well! I’ve watched The Remains of the Day, it was very good.
ReplyDeleteI don’t read a lot of apocalyptic/dystopian fiction but I’ll keep an eye out for you!
Have a wonderful reading week!
Oh, I loved ER, that's another good one for me to get. We are loving Madam Sectretary currently.
DeleteI must be getting old if a book from the 80's can be considered a classic. LOL But yah, I want to read Remains of the Day, even though I was bored with Never Let Me Go. I will need to watch the Anthony Hopkins movie FIRST and then read it though, cuz that's how I roll.
ReplyDeleteI'll definitely be poking around in your apocalyptic/dystopian tab. Love that genre!!!
Speaking of that, what do you make of all the drone drama going on in Jersey and elsewhere?
In Los Angeles our sky has been full of drones for years so I wouldn't notice anything new in the sky. LOL I'm close to Burbank airport so I've got regular passenger planes, vintage military plans, news choppers, police choppers, drones, you name it, it's flying over my apartment all day long.
But I must say all they hype does creep up on me just a little bit as I try to imagine what the drones are and WHAT ARE THEY WAITING FOR??? A command? From who? To do what? lol
Jinjer, as long as it's 25 years old it can be considered for the challenge. I'm older than you so yeah...that's what I was thinking about a book written in the 1980s...a classic.
DeleteIt's slow going on Remains of the Day as well, like Never Let Me Go.
Cool, let me know if you like any of the titles in the apocalyptic tab! As for the drones...I think it's probably hype as drones are not just the little flying ones we can buy off Amazon. Lots more holiday traffic, planes, etc as you see in your area.
I really like Ishiguro and saw the movie Remains of the Day too. A very sad but telling story of British butler and service culture. I liked his other books, especially The Buried Giant, which was about a mother suffering from increasing dimentia, among other topics, I thought. She crosses the river over to the other side, which I felt represented loss of memory, etc.
ReplyDeleteHarvee, have not read the Buried Giant but have read two others and they were a bit sad as well.
DeleteI should force myself to read more classics, but I struggle to find the time! Maybe next year
ReplyDeleteHave a great week!
Marg, if it wasn't a five year goal I might not have signed up. The list making was sure fun.
DeleteYears ago I joined Classics Club, made my list of 50 books and then set about adjusting it -- adding a subtracting titles. I ended up with over 100 books on it and I don't think I kept the original list. I was very random about it and I'm sure I never burrowed down to finish it. Now I am working away on another iteration of the list and am determined to finish it before I add another classic book. I only have 21 books to go on that list. Then I can start over and be more purposeful.
ReplyDeleteAnne, that's a great idea to finish the 21 books and then start a new list. I am hoping to finish earlier than five years and start again. Or maybe just make a longer list.
DeleteSounds like a nice week! We've been watching Death in Paradise on Brit Box and liking it and I'm reading Strong Poison by Dorothy L Sayers. I've got that one and one more book from my classic mystery list to read by the end of the year.
ReplyDeleteThank you, Katherine. Oooo, I need to check out Death in Paradise. The Sayers book sounds good, will look into that one. Not sure I have a Sayers book in my lineup yet.
Delete