The rest of my weekend
Jan. 3rd, 2006 10:24 am![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png){kind=small}
annathepiperMostly, it went to sleep, reading, editing (and a bit of writing), going to see Narnia, and the Murkworks Gift Exchange at last.
I plowed through three books and started a fourth. The books I finished were:
- Victoria Thompson's Murder on Marble Row. I continue to like Victoria Thompson's series, and it's nice to see that Frank Malloy's finally admitting at least to someone (Sarah Brandt's father) that he's in love with her. Now if he'll just get around to admitting it to her... ;)
- Deborah Donnelly's Death Takes a Honeymoon. I'm less sure about this series, though. I like Donnelly's writing, her heroine, and the fact that her series is set in Seattle... but this is the second book in a row where she's ended on a cliffhanger, which kind of grates at me. So does the way she's chosen to portray the developing relationship between her heroine and her love interest... the old standard of putting conflict into a relationship because these people just aren't talking to one another.
- A novelization of the 1933 King Kong (which amused me, seeing a movie novelization that old). I got it just for giggles and grins to compare against the novelization of 2005 Kong. As Jackson's movie is much longer and more detailed than the original, so too is the new novelization much longer than this older one. It does go into a bit more detail about various things than the film did, and you do in fact see giant bugs in the story, corroborating![[livejournal.com profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/external/lj-userinfo.gif)
solarbird's reading about how they did originally have the giant bugs in the script but didn't film them because they didn't have the ability at the time. Plus, it was fun to see Jack Driscoll expanded on a bit, especially his rescue of Ann from Kong, and it was amusing to see various minor characters I remembered from the new movie mentioned by name in this old novel (like Lumpy the cook and Jimmy).
And the book I started and am still reading is Anne Perry's third William Monk novel, Defend and Betray. I'm about halfway in so far, and I'm a bit amused that despite the fact that Monk's name is the one on the cover, he hardly seems to be the primary viewpoint character. This is not necessarily a complaint, because the way these plots have been set up so far in the series, he's just not in a position to see all of the interesting action... but still, it amuses me that Hester and Rathbone get just as much if not more POV time than he does. And I'm definitely into the beginnings of a potential love triangle here; so far, too, Rathbone's got the lead on Monk in that since he's getting more visibly fond of Hester. Add to this a perplexing and seemingly hopeless murder to solve, and Monk getting intriguing flashes of memory of being in a similar case some time in his past, and I'm definitely having a fun read.
I'm back out of my writing slump, it seems. So far this has mostly meant working on editing Chapters 6 and 7 of Lament of the Dove, though I have added a small scattering of new words to Chapter 19 as well. Still trying to figure out how my new work schedule is going to impact my writing time, at least during the week.
And one more reminder to those who might not have noticed yet... all my detailed writing updates are now getting posted toannathewriter. If you want to be on that journal's Friends list, you should let me know!
spazzkat, solarbird, and I went to go see the Narnia movie finally, yesterday afternoon. Picoreview: enjoyable, though it didn't blow me away. Mostly I went through it having my memory of the actual books sparked, as well as my memory of the animated version of The Lion, the Witch, and the Wardrobe that I remember seeing when I was a kid. I liked Liam Neeson voicing Aslan, I liked the kids well enough (those young folks playing Peter and Susan are going to be super-hot in another 5-8 years, but the kid playing Lucy was superb), I liked Mr. Tumnus (who was very well acted), and Tilda Swinson as the White Witch was suitably chilling. Paul pointed out to our amusement that the guy playing her chief toady, the dwarf, was the same guy who played all the Oompa Loompas in the new Charlie and the Chocolate Factory, which was funny.
ETA:avalonmissy points out in comments below that they aren't actually the same guy. Oops!
And last but not least,mamishka joined us last night for dinner, conversation, showings of amusing episodes of Creature Comforts, and the exchange of Loot. Meems gave me a book cover thingie that's supposed to let you be able to read a book one-handed, which is intended to be helpful on the treadmill and such. Paul gave me the extended edition of Gladiator--now I get to hear Russell Crowe's very first commentary track, and see all the extra footage they stuck into the movie as well. ^_^ And Dara gave me the first season of MacGyver on DVD, finally, though she ordered me never to watch it while she was around. Hee.
I apparently also startled her by giving her the second season of Lost in Space, but the book about classic houses of Seattle went over well. And Meems gave us all tasty chocolate, and Jenna got Dance Dance Revolution, and Meems was happy with getting season one of Queer as Folk, and Paul was happy with season 3 of Home Movies. Yay!
Friday evening miles: 1.85
Tuesday morning miles: 1.6
Miles out of Hobbiton: 587.35
Miles out of Rivendell: 129.35
Miles to Lothlórien: 334.65
I plowed through three books and started a fourth. The books I finished were:
- Victoria Thompson's Murder on Marble Row. I continue to like Victoria Thompson's series, and it's nice to see that Frank Malloy's finally admitting at least to someone (Sarah Brandt's father) that he's in love with her. Now if he'll just get around to admitting it to her... ;)
- Deborah Donnelly's Death Takes a Honeymoon. I'm less sure about this series, though. I like Donnelly's writing, her heroine, and the fact that her series is set in Seattle... but this is the second book in a row where she's ended on a cliffhanger, which kind of grates at me. So does the way she's chosen to portray the developing relationship between her heroine and her love interest... the old standard of putting conflict into a relationship because these people just aren't talking to one another.
- A novelization of the 1933 King Kong (which amused me, seeing a movie novelization that old). I got it just for giggles and grins to compare against the novelization of 2005 Kong. As Jackson's movie is much longer and more detailed than the original, so too is the new novelization much longer than this older one. It does go into a bit more detail about various things than the film did, and you do in fact see giant bugs in the story, corroborating
solarbird's reading about how they did originally have the giant bugs in the script but didn't film them because they didn't have the ability at the time. Plus, it was fun to see Jack Driscoll expanded on a bit, especially his rescue of Ann from Kong, and it was amusing to see various minor characters I remembered from the new movie mentioned by name in this old novel (like Lumpy the cook and Jimmy).And the book I started and am still reading is Anne Perry's third William Monk novel, Defend and Betray. I'm about halfway in so far, and I'm a bit amused that despite the fact that Monk's name is the one on the cover, he hardly seems to be the primary viewpoint character. This is not necessarily a complaint, because the way these plots have been set up so far in the series, he's just not in a position to see all of the interesting action... but still, it amuses me that Hester and Rathbone get just as much if not more POV time than he does. And I'm definitely into the beginnings of a potential love triangle here; so far, too, Rathbone's got the lead on Monk in that since he's getting more visibly fond of Hester. Add to this a perplexing and seemingly hopeless murder to solve, and Monk getting intriguing flashes of memory of being in a similar case some time in his past, and I'm definitely having a fun read.
I'm back out of my writing slump, it seems. So far this has mostly meant working on editing Chapters 6 and 7 of Lament of the Dove, though I have added a small scattering of new words to Chapter 19 as well. Still trying to figure out how my new work schedule is going to impact my writing time, at least during the week.
And one more reminder to those who might not have noticed yet... all my detailed writing updates are now getting posted to
annathewriter. If you want to be on that journal's Friends list, you should let me know!spazzkat, solarbird, and I went to go see the Narnia movie finally, yesterday afternoon. Picoreview: enjoyable, though it didn't blow me away. Mostly I went through it having my memory of the actual books sparked, as well as my memory of the animated version of The Lion, the Witch, and the Wardrobe that I remember seeing when I was a kid. I liked Liam Neeson voicing Aslan, I liked the kids well enough (those young folks playing Peter and Susan are going to be super-hot in another 5-8 years, but the kid playing Lucy was superb), I liked Mr. Tumnus (who was very well acted), and Tilda Swinson as the White Witch was suitably chilling. Paul pointed out to our amusement that the guy playing her chief toady, the dwarf, was the same guy who played all the Oompa Loompas in the new Charlie and the Chocolate Factory, which was funny.ETA:
avalonmissy points out in comments below that they aren't actually the same guy. Oops!And last but not least,
mamishka joined us last night for dinner, conversation, showings of amusing episodes of Creature Comforts, and the exchange of Loot. Meems gave me a book cover thingie that's supposed to let you be able to read a book one-handed, which is intended to be helpful on the treadmill and such. Paul gave me the extended edition of Gladiator--now I get to hear Russell Crowe's very first commentary track, and see all the extra footage they stuck into the movie as well. ^_^ And Dara gave me the first season of MacGyver on DVD, finally, though she ordered me never to watch it while she was around. Hee. I apparently also startled her by giving her the second season of Lost in Space, but the book about classic houses of Seattle went over well. And Meems gave us all tasty chocolate, and Jenna got Dance Dance Revolution, and Meems was happy with getting season one of Queer as Folk, and Paul was happy with season 3 of Home Movies. Yay!
Friday evening miles: 1.85
Tuesday morning miles: 1.6
Miles out of Hobbiton: 587.35
Miles out of Rivendell: 129.35
Miles to Lothlórien: 334.65
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no subject
Date: 2006-01-03 08:04 pm (UTC)um, actually not the same guy. Deep Roy (http://www.imdb.com/name/nm0746989/) was the Oompa Loompa and Kiran Shah (http://www.imdb.com/name/nm0787449/) was Ginarrbrik in Narnia. He was also a size double for Frodo in Lord of the Rings.
no subject
Date: 2006-01-03 08:15 pm (UTC)no subject
Date: 2006-01-03 08:17 pm (UTC)no subject
Date: 2006-01-04 06:12 am (UTC)I too kept remembering the book more, and that *Cough* horrible *cough* production done by BBC with the liitle fat bucktoothed girl as Lucy, lol. I was happy to see one of my favorite books done with a lot more justice :)
Hmmm, I picked up Murder on Marble Row at the bookstore the other day, but put it back due to budget and all. After what you said, I think I'll go back and get it.
no subject
Date: 2006-01-04 10:10 pm (UTC)I don't remember the BBC production you're talking about, and from the sound of it, that's a good thing. Heh.
Have you read the rest of the Sarah Brandt series? Overall there's no huge need for reading them in order--the various cases that Sarah and Frank have had to solve aren't dependent on one another in terms of order. However, there's more of a need for reading them in order in keeping track of what's going on in the more personal subplots.