This Charming Man- A review

I’m a Marian Keyes fan.  Her books tend to be interesting and honest.  This Charming Man (2008) is no exception.  It’s set against a backdrop of Irish politics, and told from the point of view of four women who have a connection to the politician, Paddy de Courcy.  He’s swoon-worthy and charming– the consummate politician.

Each woman knows a slightly different side of him, and the way it all comes together is just perfect.  It has some politics, but Marian Keyes lays it out in a way in which you don’t actually have to care about politics in order to follow it.

It’s a fast and interesting read, though it did take me a chapter or two to really get into it.  The book starts with Lola’s voice, which takes some getting used to.  Stick with it though, and the women’s voices will quickly suck you in.

Cancelled Shows

by The TV Guy

As another TV season comes to a close, so do more than a handful of shows… Many of which I am glad that I did not waste my time with, other than to look them up for this blog. Others I watched a few times with dreams of quality and staying power. Much to my chagrin, some of these shows are now on the chopping block. The shows I did enjoy that are slated for demise may still be resurrected on cable or online… the world is wide open. Some shows have come to their natural end like Fringe, while others should have bowed out years before finally said their goodbyes. If you lost a show you love, buck up! Your favorite networks are churning out new versions of old stories with new actors and locales.

The renewed list, while shorter, is full of many staples like Criminal Minds and Modern Family. Some have been renewed because… well… some people like bad television… and that is ok. So check the list for both the good and bad and prepare yourself for an onslaught of summer filler, some reality crossed with re-runs and new television as well. If one of your favorites has been axed, you can email the network with your words of loss and frustration. Maybe, just maybe you can be part of bringing a show back from the dead. It happens!

Cancelled

“1600 Penn” (NBC)

“666 Park Avenue” (ABC)

“90210″ (CW)

“Animal Practice” (NBC)

“Ben & Kate” (FOX)

“Body of Proof” (ABC)

“CSI:NY” (CBS)

“Cult” (CW)

“Deception” (NBC)

“Do No Harm” (NBC)

“Don’t Touch the B In Apartment 23″ (ABC)

“Emily Owens, MD” (CW)

“Go On” (NBC)

“Family Tools” (ABC)

‘Fringe” (FOX)

“Golden Boy” (CBS)

“Happy Endings” (ABC)

“How to Live With Your Parents for Your Life” (ABC)

“Last Resort” (ABC)

“Made In Jersey” (CBS)

“Malibu Country” (ABC)

“Monday Mornings” (TNT)

“Private Practice” (ABC)

“Partners” (CBS)

“Red Widow” (ABC)

“Rock Center With Brian Williams” (NBC)

“Rules of Engagement” (CBS)

“Smash” (NBC)

“Southland” (TNT)

“The Mob Doctor” (FOX)

“The New Normal” (NBC)

“The Office” (NBC) – The Series Finale airs this week

“Touch” (FOX)

“Up All Night” (NBC)

“Vegas” (CBS)

“Whitney” (NBC)

“Zero Hour” (ABC)

Renewed

“Bar Rescue” (Spike TV)

“Boston’s Finest” (TNT)

“Carrie Diaries” (The CW)

“Community” (NBC)

“Criminal Minds” (CBS)

“Dallas” (TNT)

“Glee” (FOX)

“Grey’s Anatomy” (ABC)

“Modern Family” (ABC)

“Nashville” (ABC)

“Nikita” (The CW)

“Once Upon a Time” (ABC)

“Parks and Recreation” (NBC)

“Revenge” (ABC)

“Scandal” (ABC)

“Suburgatory” (ABC)

Notes

“24″ (FOX) may return for a limited, 13-episode run.

“Burn Notice” (USA) will end after this season.

“Chicago Fire” (NBC) spin-off “Chicago PD” picked up.

Photos from Space

I came across some really incredible photos an astronaut took in space.  I love looking down when I’m in an airplane, as nothing really looks real.  These are obviously much higher up than that, and they’re wonderful.

Here’s the link.

Calculated in Death- A Review

Calculated in Death (2013) is #45 in JD Robb’s In Death series, featuring my hero, Eve Dallas.

Dallas is everything a heroine should be: sharp, acerbic, vulnerable, interesting, fierce, and loyal.  I could go on with the adjectives, but you get the picture.

Yes, the books are predictable.  Dallas is a homicide lieutenant for New York Police Department in the year 2059.  She gets the toughest cases, and she’s always going to catch the killer… it goes without saying.  However, as I’m fond of saying… “It’s not the destination, it’s the journey,” and these books always have a great journey.

There’s romance, there’s action, there’s friendship.  The books have good, strong characters.  Dallas isn’t afraid to bed the rules sometimes, but she struggles every time she does, which is one of the things I like about her character.

If you’ve never read any of the books, I’d highly advise starting at the beginning, though you can really start with this one and catch on pretty fast.

An accountant is killed in what appears to be a botched mugging, but Dallas isn’t fooled, and suspects there’s a reason she was killed.  When she starts digging into the accountant’s work, she starts to put together a picture of fraud and money laundering.

It’s a super fast read, and lots of fun.  Happy reading!

Arrested Development

by The TV Guy

For fans of Arrested Development, the wait is almost over. The Netflix original will return with the entire original cast. The show returns, only on Netflix, starting May 26^th. This is an interesting move for a show that was a real fan favorite but suddenly came to an end when Fox cancelled it. Although the critics loved this one, it never got the ratings to keep it going. The return, much like that of All my Children to Hulu, is a second chance of sorts for fans of the show. Moving forward, cancellation no longer means the end for any show with a decent following. Shows may leave the big networks for smaller networks like Cougar Town going from ABC to TBS. Some end up being streamed over the Internet. The future is wide open and who knows what shows they will dust off and breathe life back into next.

Walking Disaster- A Review

Apparently I never reviewed this book.  Oops.  It was released April 2.  Well, actually, I ordered it on Kindle, and it was delivered just after 10 p.m. on April 1.  I finished it around 3 a.m. on April 2.

Walking Disaster by Jamie McGuire is written from Travis’s point of view, whereas Beautiful Disaster is written from Abby’s.  I liked Walking Disaster very much.  Not as much as Beautiful Disaster, but it was still really engaging.  Long stretches of the book were the same, and I enjoyed being in Travis’s head.  That being said, some scenes were missing from this book that were included in the original.  Scenes that made me wonder what was going on from Travis’s point of view.  For instance, what did Megan say on the phone to Travis?

It’s worth reading, and I’ll be buying it in paperback eventually.  But the first was the best.

On a related note, I wondered something as I read this book, so bear with me.  In Twilight- Eclipse, I was a little disgusted by Bella when she fell apart after Edward left.  I thought, “Really?  This is how we fall apart when a man leaves us for no good reason?”

When Travis fell apart after Abby left, it seemed romantic.  Now that I think back, maybe it was a little stalkerish.  Okay, I know it was.  And dysfunctional.  And probably pathetic.  But you know what?  I.  Don’t.  Care.  I loved this book.  :)

All My Children

by the TV Guy

Back from the edge of oblivion, the 40-year old daily staple All My Children has returned to the air after ABC tossed it into the bin.

This daily soap opera was a staple in the ABC lineup for four decades. The buzz around the show returning to TV started almost immediately after it was cancelled. The show returned this week on Hulu.

There are certain key characters that are not on the show. The iconic Susan Lucci as Erica Kane did not make the transition to the new AMC. The show is substantially more racy, as the censors are not part of the equation. The conversations are also full of colorful language and adult themes. The departure from daytime TV to a web based shorter version of this iconic classic is mediocre at best, and that is a kind review. The acting is almost comedic without trying to be. One too many shirtless teenagers crossed with an aging cast that is doing their due diligence to recreate the once popular serial.

I do wish them all the best in this unchartered endeavor. As a lover of all things television I hope they garner enough of a following to make it worth it to the money people.

Trouble Blows West- A Review

I actually read Trouble Blows West long before it was published.  I met Monique Bucheger on Reviewfuse.  This is the first book in a currently three book series, and they’re great middle grade books for preteens.  Ginnie is the heroine of the books, and she tends to find herself in sticky situations.  The books promote good morals and creative solutions to problems in an appealing way, and without being the least bit preachy.  Monique has a sale going on right now on her website, so if you’re interested in picking up some good books for this age range, check them out.  They’re also available on Amazon in both print and ebook.

Z is for Zenith

Well, another month of blogging A to Z finished.  What have I learned?  Well, for one thing, I can make time to sit down and write every week.  Probably not daily.  My four days of work, I can be gone anywhere from 12-16 hours, so counting on that isn’t practical.  But on my other 3 days, I have enough time to sit down and write that I have no excuses.

I’ve also learned that I can blog every day.  I’m not sure I’m going to continue that as a goal because, let’s face it… I don’t actually have that much to say.  I’d rather shoot for quality than quantity.  But I can do it if I want to.

Another thing is that I’m just not a planner.  I’m not sure that’s a bad thing, though.  I knew I was going to participate in this challenge for a whole year, and I sat down and started writing on the first day of the challenge.  It’s not like I forgot that April was coming or anything… I just don’t get around to stuff early.  I keep myself too busy, and no matter how many times I make a resolution to change… yeah… not happening.

So, that’s it for Blogging A to Z for 2013.  It’s been fun!

Y is for Yackity Yack

This came to mind when I was at a show with my husband on Saturday night.  We were sitting high in the mezzanine, just relaxing, talking, and people watching, when I noticed that almost everyone had their phones out.

Most people weren’t actually talking on their phones, but were texting, playing games (I noticed Candy Crush Saga… it’s so pretty!), and one man was actually looking at porn.  These people were in couples and groups, but were paying more attention to their phones than whoever they were with.

I mentioned several blogs ago that I’m trying to be more cognizant about taking out my phone when I’m with someone, and I’m happy to report that my phone stays in my pocket unless we’re discussing a point that I want to look up on the internet.  I don’t take it out to return a text, check my email, or play Candy Crush… as tempting as it is sometimes.

Where did the art of conversation go?  Do you remember the last scintillating discussion you had?  That’s one of the things I like about my job; my work is inherently controversial and leads to some interesting conversations.

What’s your favorite thing to talk about?