“Oh! Do not attack me with your watch. A watch is always too fast or too slow. I cannot be dictated to by a watch.” -Jane Austen Dear readers, I leave in 3 days, which means the past week has been a flurry of packing and preparation. Pictured above is the result of all of that effort. Part of me is afraid that I have entirely too much stuff, but my mother keeps insisting that it is fine, so I guess I am bringing it all. The departure of all of my friends for school before me means that I have had a great deal of time to myself, and, in reference to Miss Austen’s quote above, watches have been moving much to slowly in my case, which means I have been reading and watching television like nobody’s business. Below are the highlights worth mentioning. Books: Big Fish. I love the movie, so naturally when I came across the book on sale I immediately dove in (pun half- intended), and I wasn’t disappointed. The story centers on a young man trying to discover as much as he can about his father before he dies, and retelling the stories he’s heard time and time again. But the author, Daniel Wallace, manages to tell great truths with great fantasy in a way few writers even attempt, let alone master. He plays with memory, and how we often choose to remember things much differently than they occurred, and how when someone we want to believe in tells us something, even when we know it is not true, and despite great frustration, we so often choose to accept it anyway. Them: Adventures with Extremists. I recently read another Jon Ronson book, The Psychopath Test which was great enough to push me to hunt down other works by Ronson. I chose Them, and was treated to a really interesting read. Ronson, in his slightly abnormal, anxious way, writes about the time he spends studying extremism of all kinds, and the connections he finds between the most different groups. His honest writing really places you in each situation, whether it is being ousted as a Jew while surrounded by Muslim extremists, or being tailed in Portugal while trying to break into secret meetings. And his awkward and anxious ways connect his extraordinary experiences to the reader (at least to me, since I am awkward and anxious myself) in a way that would not be possible if he presented himself as a regular James Bond… or Anderson Cooper.  Another interesting aspect is presented in Ronson’s opening to the current edition, describing how all of his research was done prior to 9/11. The snapshot of extremism before it became a household topic is truly fascinating, and Ronson’s writing makes it as enjoyable as it is intriguing. Movie: The Debt. Helen Mirren is the type of actress that I will go to a movie just because of her. Her performance in The Queen was unforgettable, and while The Debt is hardly on the same level, it was an intriguing thriller. Although the time jumps annoyed many reviewers, personally I am a fan (hello Pulp Fiction). I’m also a total sucker for period pieces. I would say that if you’re a fan of Mirren, and thrillers The Debt is worth a watch. Television: Doctor Who. Series 6, Episode 4 “The Doctor’s Wife.”I have only recently caught up to the live broadcasts, which means I now have to actually wait to watch the next episode like everyone else. But one upside to getting to series 6 was this episode, written by the master Neil Gaimen. Gaimen has been a great favorite of mine since I first picked up his short story collections, so when I saw he had written an episode of Doctor Who I was beyond excited at the combination of nerdiness that this would mean… and all of my expectations were blown away because Gaimen did what no one ever did before- he gave the TARDIS a voice, and only he could have managed it as well as he did. The Hour. As with every review of this show, I must mention Mad Men, and how this is another great period drama for those of us who haven’t cared for being Mad Men-less this year. But unlike others, I like The Hour more. And not just because of the accents. For me, the three main characters are more likeable, despite their character flaws, than anyone on Mad Men. Despite the great acting present on both shows as well as the impeccable styling and interesting plots of both, likability is important to me, perhaps more so than for others. And, in order to keep in kind with all other reviews I will also say that I wish there were a few more minutes in The Hour. So dear readers, I hope I have given you some things to consider when you next find yourself with some free time… 

“Oh! Do not attack me with your watch. A watch is always too fast or too slow. I cannot be dictated to by a watch.” -Jane Austen

Dear readers,

I leave in 3 days, which means the past week has been a flurry of packing and preparation. Pictured above is the result of all of that effort. Part of me is afraid that I have entirely too much stuff, but my mother keeps insisting that it is fine, so I guess I am bringing it all.

The departure of all of my friends for school before me means that I have had a great deal of time to myself, and, in reference to Miss Austen’s quote above, watches have been moving much to slowly in my case, which means I have been reading and watching television like nobody’s business. Below are the highlights worth mentioning.

Books: Big Fish. I love the movie, so naturally when I came across the book on sale I immediately dove in (pun half- intended), and I wasn’t disappointed. The story centers on a young man trying to discover as much as he can about his father before he dies, and retelling the stories he’s heard time and time again. But the author, Daniel Wallace, manages to tell great truths with great fantasy in a way few writers even attempt, let alone master. He plays with memory, and how we often choose to remember things much differently than they occurred, and how when someone we want to believe in tells us something, even when we know it is not true, and despite great frustration, we so often choose to accept it anyway.

Them: Adventures with Extremists. I recently read another Jon Ronson book, The Psychopath Test which was great enough to push me to hunt down other works by Ronson. I chose Them, and was treated to a really interesting read. Ronson, in his slightly abnormal, anxious way, writes about the time he spends studying extremism of all kinds, and the connections he finds between the most different groups. His honest writing really places you in each situation, whether it is being ousted as a Jew while surrounded by Muslim extremists, or being tailed in Portugal while trying to break into secret meetings. And his awkward and anxious ways connect his extraordinary experiences to the reader (at least to me, since I am awkward and anxious myself) in a way that would not be possible if he presented himself as a regular James Bond… or Anderson Cooper.  Another interesting aspect is presented in Ronson’s opening to the current edition, describing how all of his research was done prior to 9/11. The snapshot of extremism before it became a household topic is truly fascinating, and Ronson’s writing makes it as enjoyable as it is intriguing.

Movie: The Debt. Helen Mirren is the type of actress that I will go to a movie just because of her. Her performance in The Queen was unforgettable, and while The Debt is hardly on the same level, it was an intriguing thriller. Although the time jumps annoyed many reviewers, personally I am a fan (hello Pulp Fiction). I’m also a total sucker for period pieces. I would say that if you’re a fan of Mirren, and thrillers The Debt is worth a watch.

Television: Doctor Who. Series 6, Episode 4 “The Doctor’s Wife.”I have only recently caught up to the live broadcasts, which means I now have to actually wait to watch the next episode like everyone else. But one upside to getting to series 6 was this episode, written by the master Neil Gaimen. Gaimen has been a great favorite of mine since I first picked up his short story collections, so when I saw he had written an episode of Doctor Who I was beyond excited at the combination of nerdiness that this would mean… and all of my expectations were blown away because Gaimen did what no one ever did before- he gave the TARDIS a voice, and only he could have managed it as well as he did.

The Hour. As with every review of this show, I must mention Mad Men, and how this is another great period drama for those of us who haven’t cared for being Mad Men-less this year. But unlike others, I like The Hour more. And not just because of the accents. For me, the three main characters are more likeable, despite their character flaws, than anyone on Mad Men. Despite the great acting present on both shows as well as the impeccable styling and interesting plots of both, likability is important to me, perhaps more so than for others. And, in order to keep in kind with all other reviews I will also say that I wish there were a few more minutes in The Hour.

So dear readers, I hope I have given you some things to consider when you next find yourself with some free time…