Update - Life, books, TV...

 Helloooooo! Happy Spring! Will I ever get into a blogging groove? Not likely lol So here's a quick update.

Life: My breathing saga continues. I got a sinus CT scan and my sinuses are a hot mess of of structural issues (deviated septum, bone fragments (???), polyps and more! lol I see an allergists and surgeon next. Still not sure if any of this is related to my coughing and breathing problems but there is a possibility that the blockages and post nasal drip could be contributing. Oddly, I never have a stuffy nose so it's not anything I've considered as a major problem but it's all blocked back there. 

Spring has spring-ish in the PNW. Well, it's trying anyway. The bulbs and cherry blossoms are making an appearance but it's still mostly cool (40's) and rainy most days with a few scattered fake spring days interspersed. Our farmers market started again and that makes me SO happy! It's one of my favorite things living out here and we have more vendors and early veggies than ever before. 

I read Killers of a Certain Age by Deanna Raybourn ~ Goodreads I thought for sure
that I was going to love this one! I am "of a certain age" lol and I love any type of assassin stories/movies. This story of 4, 60-ish year old women assassins, on the brink of retirement, instead find themselves with a bounty on their heads.

I listened to it on audiobook (which seemed like the way to go with an action packed story like this) but it was the wrong choice. The story is told from only one of the women's (first person) POV, instead of the group, and jumps from her present tense, to third person, past tense flashbacks. 

The tone was so dry and void of emotion that I felt like someone was reading a file to me about the women rather than jumping into a fun caper. Most of the certain age content was for a punchline...a menopause app, ooh my back hurts etc...

I wonder if I would have liked it more if I read a physical copy as I think my imagination would have made this seem more action packed and I might have been able to tell the women apart better.

And the end...while final, leaves an opening for more adventures, but was also a letdown for me. Sadness...

I'm currently reading The Honey's by Ryan LaSalla ~ Goodreads After Mars sister, Caroline, dies he attends the Aspen Conservancy Summer Academy, a place of bad memories for Mars, but where his sister seemed to live a totally different life that distanced her from him. He's determined to uncover her secrets and those of the camp and The Honey's, a group of beautiful, mean girls that seem to hold the key.

I'm listening to this on audio and I'm loving the narrator, Pete Cross. He really captures Mars grief, fear, sarcasm and occasional humor. I really have no idea where this story is headed - unreliable narrator? Magical realism? A touch of paranormal? It has a Nova Rema Suma or E. Lockhart vibe so far. I don't know - but I'm fully invested so far (about 40% in). I can't speak fully to trigger warnings yet but there is bullying and taunting due to Mars gender fluidity that's tough to read at times.

There are also neat little touches to the audio like crickets and a crackling fire in the woods, that make you feel more immersed.   

We watched M3GAN on Peacock. Has anyone seen this movie??? It's wild and awesome lol The movie is very fast paced, keeps the plot simple and campy while still being creepy. They understood the assignment. We did not expect to love this movie as much as we did. Heads up - lots of gore, including towards children and (off screen) pets.

Kaleidoscope on Netflix - this is a heist series with a gimmick. Each episode it titled after a color and can be watched in any order - except the final White episode - which must be watched last. The show has time jumps so you can google first and find out how to watch in chronological order, just go random (I do not recommend) or go in the order presented - which is what we did. It stars Giancarlo Espisito from Breaking Bad and that's why we watched it and he's great. The show, overall, isn't awesome but it was fun and worth watching. 

Shrinking on Apple+ - Jason Segal stars as a frustrated therapist and grieving widower/single dad. He starts using unconventional methods to help his patients and things don't go well, yet they do, in a way, eventually. This is a really great cast that includes Jessica Williams and Harrison Ford. Ford's storyline as an aging therapist and estranged father with Parkinson's disease really hits home for me. He has a very strained relationship with his daughter but still has to discuss his health care and future. My father had Parkinson's and we had a very similar relationship when I had to step in to be his care taker.I cried multiple times with how honestly it's portrayed. While, sure, the show mines therapy for laughs, I felt like it has a deep respect for everyone involved and shows growth, accountability and consequences. 

👍👍👍👍to all of the above Now Showing titles!