Quick Round Up – Only Mostly Dead

I’ve been challenged to write a blog post today by a friend – you know who you are! – but not sure what to write about so, I present to you a quick splurge about everything and nothing…

Books

So far this year I’ve read only two books – Trust and The Magician’s Nephew. The former because I saw it in WHSmiths and though what the hey, and the later because someone mentioned Jadis and The Deplorable Word.

Trust – debut novel by the creator of TV show Cold Feet – was OK but not great – why do I keep reading books that fall in that category? Is it because I want an easy read and most easy reads aren’t very substantial?

The Magician’s Nephew is of course Narnia book #1, and I am a lot less inclined to read these books than I was when I was more of a GLE*. I was also very aware that it’s a kids book. A lot shorter than I remember. The Deplorable Word section is told in a spoken flashback which was less impressive than I remember. Still I enjoyed it but I am free of the desire to read the other 6.

TV

So far this year I’ve watched Making a Murderer, Love and Better Call Saul S1 (and S2 has returned yay!). Also just caught up with Happy Valley S2.

Making a Murderer was fascinating (and righteously-anger-making) whilst I was watching it but it’s faded since then.

Better Call Saul was better on a second viewing I think, and it was good first time. Glad to see Kim and Jimmy becoming a thing in S2. Glad that Chuck’s still in the mix too. Breaking Bad was great, and I’ve watched the whole thing twice, but it becomes a bit of a grim slog toward the end. Better Call Saul has all the great elements that Breaking Bad had but with a lighter tone.

Happy Valley S1 was grim but gripping. S2 is equally gripping. Not sure about the flashbacks they’re using.

Writing

Haven’t done any writing for years. Have recently been thinking of it but then again it can cause my mind to take dark turns. (remember ‘Necropolis’?)

Life

I could do with simplifying my life. Maybe get rid of some stuff. Also just make time to think about where I want to go and what I want to do with my life. I’m closing in on 50 I should have something figured out by now! 😉

Blogging or Whatever

Is this the best platform for my thoughts? I’ve heard in a couple of places recently that no-one really reads blogs any more, and that Twitter’s dying, Facebook is for oldies, so…?

Podcasts

I have a huge backlog. And yet I keep subscribing to new ones. To be fair, I’m getting better at listening to an episode or two and if I don’t like it then unsubscribing. I did have to recently offload part of my 200Gb podcast archive onto an external drive to make space on my PC.

Which reminds me, I’m thinking about getting a NAS or possibly a new PC, but then I’d need to get rid of some of the old ones I still have. See earlier re: simplification.

Oh and I have thought about making my own podcast, but does the world really need another one…?

Music

As I write I’m listening to the Spotify playlist from Mark Kermode and Simon Mayo’s podcast. Since it’s merely a list of songs that have come up in conversation during the last few months of shows, it’s a bit eclectic, not to say random. Which is fun. I can put it on and be surprised.

Also, why don’t I listen to more music? It’s all podcasts, all the time, with me now.

Phew!

Not sure if any of that is interesting but it’s real, true and it’s on my blog.