I missed August. So on to September!

[rose_griffes]

I still haven’t watched much television lately - the only streaming service I’m currently using is Amazon Prime, and instead of television, I’ve been on a bit of a binge for 90s-2000s action movies, preferably with espionage. We’ve rewatched:

• The Fugitive, which is still pretty awesome. Prime Harrison Ford (he didn’t kill his wife!), plus Tommy Lee Jones is warmly compelling. While there’s an element that didn’t age well for me, and the conspiracy at the heart of the film is odd, the acting, cinematography, and music more than make up for it.


• The Bourne Identity. So, writer/director/producer Tony Gilroy doesn’t like Star Wars, but worked on Rogue One and was the main force behind the prequel-prequel show, Andor. Well, decades before that, he created a script for this Robert Ludlum novel, part of a series of books about former spy-assassin Jason Bourne… yet he didn’t like the novel. Interesting choices, Gilroy. At any rate, the writing in this film still works for me, but as with The Fugitive, a lot depends on the visuals (actors, cinematography, fight and chase choreographers) and the soundscape (John Powell’s soundtrack, the other sound effect artists).


• The Bourne Supremacy, in which Gilroy doesn’t even pretend to adapt the second novel of the same name. Frustrating character death early in the movie, but I still liked the film well enough. Matt Damon is fine in the leading role, but they could have gone for someone with a less American-looking face. Ah, well.


• Not a rewatch: Patriot Games features more Harrison Ford, who was too old for this role, but *handwaves*. Also, Sean Bean played the STUPIDEST IRA TERRORIST EVAH. Hee. It was not a great plot, though entertaining enough.


• I also watched Dungeons & Dragons: Honor Among Thieves for the first time. It was cracky fun. Doesn’t fit the themes of the other movies on this list, but OHMYGOODNESS, REGE-JEAN PAGE IS STILL THE MOST BEAUTIFUL MAN IN THE WORLD.


• Mrs. Potts Angela Lansbury didn’t get enough screentime in the 1980 film The Mirror Crack’d, but given that a still-luminous Elizabeth Taylor was onscreen instead, it was fine. I remembered the plot - including the why and how for the murder - from the novel, so this was strictly for the fun of seeing Taylor and other actors of her generation shine onscreen.


• I tried two spy/crime related television shows from Canada, Three Pines and Absentia. Both were Not Great. Oof. Oh, and the first episode of Prime’s Hanna just didn’t click for me. Maybe too violent? I don’t recall now - it’s been a few weeks since I made the attempt.

Currently on my “I should watch this show” mental list: Carnival Row, season two (on Prime). Season three of The Witcher (Netflix). Ahsoka (Disney+), though I may choose to finish Rebels first.

What I’ll probably actually watch next: The Bourne Ultimatum. 3 Days of the Condor. Something else with spies and action from 10-50 years ago.

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Books! Seanan McGuire did a swerve and swerve back with Sleep No More, the 17th (seventeenth!!!) book in her Toby Daye series. Still highly enjoyable, though I think I liked the novella at the end even more.

I thought I had read all of Rachel Aaron’s solo novels, but then I found a ⅔ complete trilogy that starts with The Last Stand of Mary Good Crow and continues with The Battle of Medicine Rocks. Instead of the future *with magic* we now have the past (American western) *with magic*. And it’s good! Not without flaws, but I recommend it. Hoping for book three sooner rather than later. (No title or release date yet.)

T. Kingfisher continues to impress. Nettle & Bone doesn’t fit into her other story-verses; it’s something of a fairy tale, but grittier and longer.

Kate Clayborn’s contemporary romance Love Lettering won me over with fonts.

Heroine Complex is a contemporary superhero-action-romance, and solid without being transcendent. I’m willing to try more by Sarah Kuhn in the future.