Monday Morning and I'm Blogging...

This is me trying to blog every now and again about something other than the books I've read.  :)   I don't know that I've got anything interesting to say, but... what the hell.  Gonna try.

So, yesterday afternoon and evening, I mainlined (via Netflix) the 5 episodes of the TV series The Fall out of the UK.  DAMN, it was good.  I watched the first 3 eps in the afternoon and then the last 2 after Once Upon a Time (PLEASE let this Frozen plot be DONE DONE DONE).  The series stars Gillian Anderson and Jamie Dornan and is quite honestly one of the most compelling things I've seen in a long while.  I am not really a fan of either of those actors, BTW.  Never was an X-Files fan and ever since Dornan signed on to do 50 Shades of Crap, my lip tends to curl in his direction.  *LOL*    I know, it's not fair and rather small-minded, but I can't help it!  But even though I am not a fan, man, can these two act!  Well the whole cast can, but these two are front and centre and quite fantastic.

This series is set in Belfast and so very, very dark.  There are a few different plot lines, the main one being that of a serial killer.  Gillian Anderson portrays the police inspector come north to 'help out' the Belfast force with one of the murders.  Dornan plays the killer.  And that's not a spoiler, it's revealed from the get-go.   This murder also ties into another plot arc about cops on the take and the internal workings of the Belfast police department.  There's also a whole current of comment on the devaluation of women in today's society as the police investigate these murders as well as follow the Dornan character in his day to day life as a bereavement counselor.

Now, unlike American cop shows, this one moves slowly and there are no bursts of explosions and gunfights and stuff like that, so the feel is quite different.  Felt a lot like the UK Line of Duty or Luthor, to be honest.  That type of show.   Anyway, if you like good good TV and can deal with intense and dark, give this show a watch.   Series 2 (as they call them across the pond) is playing now and sadly it's almost done.  It's showing on Bravo up here in Canada, so maybe I can find it On Demand or it will show up on Netflix really soon.

In other news, I started reading my Christmas novels and stories.  I started with Sleigh Ride by Heidi Cullinan and read the first 3 chapters last night.  It was like coming home, I have to say.  I love Heidi's writing and this felt like slipping on a pair of the most comfortable and warm slippers.  

Today, I might put up the Christmas tree.  Well Michael will put it up and put the lights on and then I'll do the decorating.  I will post pictures whenever it gets done.  :)

Let's see... what else can I natter on about?  Well, there's talk of there being a snowstorm tomorrow, but looking at the weather forecast, it only seems like we're going to get a normal snow fall.  Between 5 - 15 cm of the white stuff.  Which is like... 2 - 6 inches for you non-metric type folk that might possibly be reading this.

There's a bit of a snit happening in the book world I frequent, the usual suspects ragging on an author for not totally focussing on every last aspect of racism and bigotry in a historical romance.  It's called critical reading.  Personally, I read to relax and when I read romance, it's to enjoy the unfolding relationship between two people.  Yes, in the period under question there was much racism, classism, bigotry, narrow-mindedness... all that bad stuff.  And these are all represented in the book, but the main focus is the romance... and well... I just think they, the critical readers, are harping on a little too much about a lack of representation of racism and how one of the main characters is a total racist.  I also don't understand how a person can absolutely LOVE the book and then turn around and pillory the author for not addressing the things they thought should be addressed.  And as a corollary to this... people wonder why so many authors are wary of writing anything diverse or outside their own (straight, white) experience.  Because of fear of being raked over the coals in just this manner, that's why.

Anyway, that pissed me off over the weekend.

I'm mulling over yet another novel idea.  Something to do with Christmas and fae-types and a specialty shop... we'll see.  The nasty natters mentioned above are no help whatsoever.  I must learn to not give them purchase in my brain.  Once I figure out how to do that.  *LOL*

And now, I need another cup of coffee and my breakfast of bagel and cretons.  I've earned it,  I think!