Amy Reads the Week (of October 12th, 2008)

Mea culpa, Gentle Reader. Mr. Reads mocks my inability to begin blog posts with anything but an apology for my recent abandonment of You, Most Constant Of Readers, but I am, dare I say? Too Busy to even dabble in pop culture, much less read comics. I watch my shows, and that is all, so thus, I offer you these pieces of insight.

Where have all the good shows gone?

This is not a judgment on New TV. I believe that several new shows have brought an extraordinary amount of talent to the scene. The Mentalist, Fringe, and Life on Mars (although We Reads are such a fan of the British version that we may sour of the American version quickly) are all Rather Good, and demonstrate the Potential For Greatness.

Nor is this a judgment on Old TV. Supernatural is a show that just gets better and better each episode, so much so that We Reads find ourselves comparing it to That Giant of Television, Buffy the Vampire Slayer. The Office gets better each episode, and we eagerly anticipate the return of 30 Rock.

Of the new-ish shows, j'adore Life, and The Middle Man (any word on its return, Friends?), and Terminator, and Pushing Daisies. But I find myself straying from Tried and True shows such as Heroes, which has recently (just!) been dropped from Our Weekly Lineup.

Why?

Because it bores, Friends, truly, utterly, and completely. It has lost sight of what is interesting and has instead gone for what it thinks the fans want. On the cusp is True Blood, because while I very much liked the early books in Charlaine Harris's Sookie Stackhouse series, I find the television show to focus less on the neat oddness of this world she had created, and more on the sex oddness of the world it adapted from Harris's vision.

Mr. Reads and I take guilty pleasure in culling series from our Lineup, because as one can see with the rather long sidebar to the right, we have many, many series to choose from. But I do not enjoy losing a series, because Gentle Reader, that implies that perhaps, just perhaps, some quality has been lost.

I am out of town next weekend for a Blast from the Past, so I will attempt to offer a mid-week column instead of my (somewhat aberrant) weekly column. Until then, Friends, happy pop culturing, and happy presidential debating.

Amy Reads the Week (of August 17th, 2008)

I have returned to Comics, Gentle Reader, but only just barely, and only the slightest hint of a toe in the water. That Is To Say, I have read Some, but Not Much, and nothing really Of Note. A Batman here, a Catwoman there, but nothing really Blogworthy.

Part of that is, of course, due to the fact that I am resuming Full-Time Teaching after six, yes, Six Years, Friends! of Graduate Student Teaching. Not that one is More Important than the other, but the former requires more courses than the latter, and I have many books to read for my multiple classes.

Mr. Reads and I bid a Fond Farewell to The Wire, finally, after a very (!) long wait for the last season to either 1) finish re-airing on HBO, or 2) come out on DVD. We had utilized the first but had only two episodes left, and since the DVDs came out on Tuesday, we finally, and sadly, finished one of the best shows ever to grace a television screen. This means that our television watching is Rather Slim until Fall Lineup begins: Burn Notice, Project Runway, Venture Bros., Eureka, The Middle Man, and the mini-series Generation Kill.

Have I mentioned we watch a lot of television in Chez Reads, Gentle Reader?

Thank goodness for the DVR, no?

Off to make delicious enchiladas for the Supa-Family and our scheduled dinner this evening. More soon! Ciao!

Fall Lineup: The Updates

The briefest of brief posts, Gentle Reader, as it is Rather Late for This Humble Author, and tomorrow proves to be as long as--if not longer than!--today. Although tomorrow brings Quite The Treat at the end of the day: Elizabeth: The Golden Age, a film that proves to be as beautiful fashion-wise as it is Cate Blanchett-wise.

But perhaps My Constant Readers are curious as to what has stayed, and what has gone, in the Reads Fall Lineup. Well, sad to say, but We Reads have abandoned The Bionic Woman. If it were This Humble Author's Beloved Starbuck--that is, the delightful Ms. Sackhoff--all the time, then perhaps We Reads would stay loyal. But as interesting as Ms. Sackhoff's character is, so much less is Ms. Ryan's character. Not Ms. Ryan herself, understand, as she is an actress I have admired for a while now. But her character is 1 dimensional, at best, and cliched at worst, and I'm afraid I must Quite Now Whilst Ahead.

Tomorrow also brings Women's Murder Club, which I am curious about, but not expecting much of. This weekend, too, promises to be comic-heavy, as we head to Our Local to pick up Quite the Backlog. But in the interim, Mr. Reads has purchased for This Humble Author the new DC Catwoman, and I have found, on sale, no less!, the Gotham by Gaslight Batman. Quite the week for action figures, anyhow!

In other news, I have finished Mr. Lindsay's new novel, Dexter in the Dark, and have purchased Ms. Pierce's and Mr. Liebe's White Tiger collection, which is next. Huzzah, I say, for new book joy!

Amy Reads the Week (of October 7th, 2007)

Mr. Reads has Abandoned This Humble Author for a weekend of camping with his friends, and Gentle Reader, Pup Reads and I are Rather Sad for it. That is, we have graded, and watched many Film Adaptations of Victorian Novels, and while Wives and Daughters was a Bit of a Bust, Daniel Deronda is proving to be Worth Every Second. We have shopped, and dusted off the Halloween decorations, shaken out Pup Reads’ Wonder Woman costume, and we have Put Up The Window Clings and the Clever Metal Signs. Chez Reads is now Ready for the Holiday.

But Mr. Reads’s absence has meant Quite the Buildup of shows on the DVR, as much of last week was spent in preparation for said weekend of fun. Of the shows we have watched, either separately or together, I remain, still, Greatly Impressed with Journeyman, Impressed with Life, and always and ever In Awe of The Office and 30 Rock. I am one episode away from abandoning The Bionic Woman which proves to be mediocre at best and sloppy and contrived at worst, and the Dark Horse of the Fall Lineup, Pushing Daisies, blew all of the new shows out of the competition. Easily my favorite and the best of the new series, I expect Great Things From It. I urge you all, Most Constant and Gentlest of Readers, to add it to your schedule, forthwith.

A short entry for a busy day, but I promise a filler entry later this week.

Amy Reads the Week (of September 30, 2007)

And it’s here, Gentle Reader, finally! The end of September, and thus the precipice of Fall. October, the Reads’s favorite month of the year. Sweaters, hot tea, leaves changing color and falling—perhaps too much, as our Recent Forays into the Garden can attest! But We Reads have cleaned out our rock garden, have pruned back some of our plants, collected garden salsa peppers, and sweet peppers, and watched the sad demise of our tomatoes and basil. But Fall, yes, Fall is coming to the South.

And with it, of course, Fall Lineup. I’ve already pointed to the wealth of great new shows which are, thus far, Worthy of a Second Watch: Journeyman, Chuck, Reaper. Add to that Life, and take away Moonlight, which This Humble Author must agree with the majority of the reviews: I liked this show Much Better when it was called Angel.

But We Reads have been watching *and* reading, and rising to the top of the Reads’s Reading List is Chelsea Cain’s Heartsick which is utterly brilliant and Quite Smart Indeed! It reminded me a lot of Gillian Flynn’s Sharp Objects, but not in an “imitation is the greatest form of flattery” sort of way. Rather, the utter helplessness of the situation, the characters, the strange oddities, all of it added together to One Fantastic Read! Ms. Cain is an author on my Watch List, as I Quite Adored Confessions of a Teen Sleuth, her Nancy Drew "exposé."

Also completed: Absolute Boyfriend #4, an odd little Manga by Yuu Watase, Wicked Dead: Lurker, a YA horror by Stefan Petrucha of the Nancy Drew graphic novels fame. Next on the docket: Dexter in the Dark, the latest Dexter novel by Jeff Lindsay, Exit Strategy, the contemporary thriller by Kelley Armstrong. Coming soon from a pre-order near We Reads: White Tiger: A Hero’s Compulsion, the graphic novel by Tamora Pierce and Tim Liebe, Winds of Marble Arch, the short story collection by Our Beloved Connie Willis, 20^th Century Ghosts, the short story collection by Joe Hill.

But the Most Important Consequence of this past week has been My Return To Comics. Yes, it’s true, Friends: This Humble Author read several comics this weekend, and has lived to Tell The Tale! Because I am So Behind, I offer you Reviews in Brief, as many of these comics will be Old News for my Constant Readers, I’m sure.

Batman #666-#668 - I am Ever The Fan of locked-room mysteries, and this one is No Exception. I adore the idea of Batmen from Around the World, banding together to solve a classic noir plotline. So Sayers, so Christie, so Poe, so Carr. And, of course, bonus Batman. I have yet to pick up #669, but I will, forthwith.

The Flash #232 - I am So Very Happy to have my favorite comic book family back, Friends! The Park-Wests were strong as spouses; as a family of parents and children, they are unstoppable.

New Avengers #34 - I love the pairing of Doctor Strange and The Night Nurse, who is one of This Humble Author’s favorite minor characters, Marvel or otherwise! Further, I love how this team is coming together in ways the other Avengers did not. As Mr. Reads and I watched the animated film on Doctor Strange this weekend—and it was surprisingly well done, Gentle Reader!—it has been a bit of a Stephen Strange weekend overall.

Teen Titans #50 - I Must Confess, Gentle Reader, to loving Mr. McKeever on Teen Titans. He brings a certain joy and light to the title that, paradoxically, revels in its darker moments. Well done, sir! I have not yet picked up #51, and I am curious to see where it takes us.

Walking Dead vol. 2 and 3 - Yes, I know, these are graphic novels, but I recently picked up this series and am enjoying it immensely.

Y the Last Man #58 - My heart is broken, Friends. That’s about all I can say.

Eagerly awaiting: Astonishing X-Men, Runaways, and Gail Simone’s run on Wonder Woman, which is Just Around the Corner!

More reviews soon, Friends, as I continue to catch up on my comics reading! Until then, please let me know how your Fall Lineup is faring.

Fall Lineup Week #2

It's been a Very Long Day, Gentle Reader, and Mr. Reads's car, ever the ornery beast, has been Particularly Troublesome the past few days. So much so that We Reads have woken up even earlier than Pup Reads to bring Said Troublesome Car into the shop, the past two days, to the tune of an obscene amount of monies.

That being said, we also have experienced the first half of Week Two of Fall Lineup, and there are some good, some so-so, and some already dropped from the DVR schedule.

The Good
The cream, so far, is Journeyman, which I didn't expect to enjoy as much as I did. I've liked Kevin McKidd's work for Some Time Now, ever since watching Dog Soldiers a few years back. This show takes what could be a rather lackluster and familiar plot and turns everything on its head. What's more, I care about my characters, and that's a remarkable thing to accomplish in one pilot! The other surprise contender is Chuck, which again, is much smarter than I expected it would be. That, Friends, makes This Humble Author Very Happy Indeed!

The So-So
I must confess, Gentle Reader, to being a Bit Disappointed in Bionic Woman. The pilot just hasn't wowed me the way I anticipated, and believe me, I've anticipated this show for Quite a While. Too much happened in one episode, and I felt constantly adrift in a show that never allowed me a chance to know and then sympathize with my characters. Now, I fully expect for it to get Better, and I will keep you apprised over the next few weeks.

Dropped from the DVR Schedule
K-Ville, as I mentioned last week, failed to impress or even interest We Reads. I don't know if I can blame this solely on my New Orleans heritage, or on the lackluster writing of the show.

Saved on the DVR
See above regarding Mr. Reads's vehicle, and you then will understand why we haven't had a chance to watch the season premiere of Heroes or Life yet. But as soon as I watch them, Friends, I will Let You Know!

Amy (Belatedly) Reads the Week (of September 7th, 2007)

It’s been Quite The Week, Gentle Reader, for reasons vast and sundry. Needless to say, my Weekly Blogging Expectations quite got away from me. So here we are, two days late, and not much to tell, I’m afraid.

Well, that’s not Entirely True. I did finish a book this week (Greg Rucka’s Patriot Acts), as well as two television series (Dexter and Deadwood), and did try a new television series (Torchwood). Mr. Reads and I made our Fall Lineup Plans, and we are DVRed and ready to go come new season schedule.

What’s on the Reads Family Lineup, you ask? Well, Friends, I am Very Glad you did! Here are the shows We Reads are most excited about. Or, at least, will give one or two episodes a chance.

Bionic Woman perhaps tops the list. All the trailers and clips I have seen thus far look amazing, and there is bonus Katee Sackhoff, one of This Humble Author’s favorite actresses.

Chuck seems Quite Interesting indeed, as I’ve always loved the Philip Marlowe school of chance (bumbling person stumbles into intrigue and danger). Bonus Adam Baldwin.

Journeyman has what is for This Humble Author one of the most intriguing plot devices ever: time travel. Bonus Kevin McKidd.

K-Ville which I, as a New Orleans Native, must confess to a sincere curiosity about. After The Wire, there is no other cop show worthy of watching, in my humble opinion, but this is due at least one viewing from me.

Pushing Daisies, from the man who brought us Dead Like Me, Heroes, and Wonderfalls, can you argue with a pedigree like that?

Also new on the lineup for fall: Carpoolers, Reaper, Life, Torchwood, and Moonlight. Returning on the Reads Family Lineup: Heroes, 30 Rock, and The Office. But truly, it's the New Year I'm most looking forward to, Gentle Reader, because with it, the return of Battlestar Galactica.