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Books! The Firebird by Susanna Kearsley would probably be classified as "chick-lit" - which is to say, there's a romance but there's other stuff. But the romance is a key piece to the tale, which is why the denouement of the romance failing for me meant that the book itself... kinda failed, too. Still enjoyable for the most part, but I wish that element had been handled differently.
Perhaps if Kearsley had stayed with the part of the story set in the 1700s, rather than flitting back and forth from then to now. The characters and storyline in the past were stronger than in the present.
Didn't finish Anne Lee Huber's This Side of Murder. The beginning had so many descriptions of the luxury items that the first two characters wore and drove that I was eventually forced out of the narrative. If you've read it: does that part improve? Should I try again?
TV: I had planned to subscribe to Apple TV+ for a month, but when I read that Only Murders in the Building was already airing season two on Hulu, I chose that instead. First episode of season 2: enjoyable! If a bit... superfluous in feeling. But since the show's main reason for existing seems to be giving Steve Martin and Martin Short an opportunity to act together (with bonus Selena Gomez), I'm just going to enjoy the ride.
I also watched episodes 1 and 2 of Abbott Elementary, a sitcom done mockumentary style. I don't have much patience for most shows set in American public school classrooms, but I'm charmed by this one so far. Perhaps it's the age difference (it's an elementary classroom and I deal with teenagers) that makes this more palatable. And it's easier to be forgiving of a sitcom's missteps than a drama's. But they've also avoided some of the most egregious errors of other shows and films set in public schools. So we'll see.
Got any recs for Hulu? I have just under four weeks left to watch... whatever else.
Perhaps if Kearsley had stayed with the part of the story set in the 1700s, rather than flitting back and forth from then to now. The characters and storyline in the past were stronger than in the present.
Didn't finish Anne Lee Huber's This Side of Murder. The beginning had so many descriptions of the luxury items that the first two characters wore and drove that I was eventually forced out of the narrative. If you've read it: does that part improve? Should I try again?
TV: I had planned to subscribe to Apple TV+ for a month, but when I read that Only Murders in the Building was already airing season two on Hulu, I chose that instead. First episode of season 2: enjoyable! If a bit... superfluous in feeling. But since the show's main reason for existing seems to be giving Steve Martin and Martin Short an opportunity to act together (with bonus Selena Gomez), I'm just going to enjoy the ride.
I also watched episodes 1 and 2 of Abbott Elementary, a sitcom done mockumentary style. I don't have much patience for most shows set in American public school classrooms, but I'm charmed by this one so far. Perhaps it's the age difference (it's an elementary classroom and I deal with teenagers) that makes this more palatable. And it's easier to be forgiving of a sitcom's missteps than a drama's. But they've also avoided some of the most egregious errors of other shows and films set in public schools. So we'll see.
Got any recs for Hulu? I have just under four weeks left to watch... whatever else.