Life, reading, watching update...

Saw this on a walk through Portland a few weeks ago. Seemed like a good sentiment for these times.

HELLOOOOOO again!

I thought I was on a roll with reading and blogging but, of course, Murphy's Law lol

I'll start with a life update then switch over to reading/tv.

😴 Post COVID really knocked me down with fatigue for about 3 weeks. I could not stay awake once 10 am rolled around. Think I'm over that.

💻 Then my computer cable for my monitor died. I cannot blog on a small screen so that took me out for a week while waiting for a new cable. Now I'm so far behind I decided to just do a catch-up post and *hopefully* get back to regular posting next week.

💪 I finally got into my PT and I think it's helping. Six sessions in and I have much less pain when I reach my arm across but it will be a long time before it fully heals. I can't lift any weights in workouts other than my PT exercises. I'm going to switch to yoga style workouts because most of those are about opening and strengthening the chest/shoulder muscles and avoiding lifting with my shoulders which is what I need.

Most of you have seen this already but this is Ms. Penny - my constant companion during therapy. For some reason she is very attached to me and they can't get her to leave me alone when I'm there. I do not mind at all! lol

BOOKS/TV/MOVIES

Read:

The Walls Around Us by Nova Ren Suma ~Goodreads I listened to this on audio (loved the narration) and it was such a mindfuck of a book. I don't think *like* would be the phrase I would use but I also didn't mind it as much as other readers did. And I really liked the end - again other readers hated it. I really wanted to write a full review for this one but I'm several weeks away from finishing it (blasted computer cable!) and not sure I can do it justice at this point because it's a tricky book to review. I'll see if something magically comes to me lol

Buried in a Good Book by Tamara Berry ~ Goodreads I usually love Tamara Berry's (aka: Tamara Morgan) writing and twist on common tropes but this book drove me batty. It's a cozy mystery but a little more gruesome and update on the genre (which I expected from her). I was not expecting such a frustrating heroine though. Tess Harrow thinks because she's a thriller writer and has googled a few things about murder, that she's now an expert in all things and the cops are idiots. When in fact she's wrong about almost everything (& the cops are more than competent)  and puts her daughter in harms way constantly while thinking more about how she can fit real life murder an mayhem into her next book. I also thought the audio version did this book no favors. It made Tess sound even haughtier. On the plus side, the townspeople were great, her daughter was kind of cool, and there were some twists.

Reading:

Dim Sum of All Fears (A Noodle Shop Mystery #2) by Vivien Chien ~ Goodreads My light and fluffy (even though it's murder lol) cosy mystery bedtime Kindle read. The first two are on KU and I really enjoy this series so far.

Roxy by Neal Shusterman, Jarrod Shusterman ~ Goodreads (Recieved hardcover from the publisher in exchange for an honest review) I've started and stopped this book so many times. I was never in the right mood for it but I picked it up to read outside when the weather was nice and it finally matched my mood. It's a very strange book about two siblings who are very different but both get hooked on prescription drugs. What's strange is that the drugs (Roxy is Oxycontin, Addison - Adderall for example) also have POV's in the story. It's interesting reading how they choose *their mark* and go from helpful to potentially harmful. There's controversy surrounding this one and I know people on both sides of this issue. Those who have been addicted (I myself abused RX drugs when I was younger but not to this extent) and have friends that absolutely need and are alive today because of them. Weird, for sure, but I like it so far. 

The Woman in the Library by Sulari Gentill~ Goodreads I'm listening to the audio of this thriller and it hooked me right away. It's about an author who is at the Boston Public Library when a murder occurs and befriends the group of strangers she was sitting with. It also follows her increasingly alarming correspondence with a man named Leo who is the beta reader for her current novel. I'm @ 50% in and I'm...

 

This appears to be a book within book, within a book? Or a thriller inside another thriller within a third thriller??? Thriller inception...a thriller turducken? I don't know how I feel about it right now but I feel like I have to finish it at this point lol

Watching:

Movies: Bob's Burger Movie - I love the show and this was surprisingly good and stayed true to the show and characters. Loved it! I believe it will be on Hulu next month.

Buzz Lightyear - the controversy (2 moms kissing- for like a second) over this movie was ridiculous. I didn't love the premise - Buzz (the toy) is based on this Buzz version - a sci-fi movie. I guess I thought it was based on a *real* astronaut which I thought would be more fun. I didn't love it as much as I thought I would (the secondary characters were kind of weak) but it was cute and fun. Loved the cat!

TV: We watched S2 of Picard. I thought it dragged on a little too long but we liked it! Picard is one of my all time favorite characters and I'll watch him until there are no more. 

We got a Paramount Plus trial to watch Picard so now we're watching Evil. It's a pretty good show with an X-Files vibe. A non believing forensic psychologist helps a future priest investigate unexplained mysteries. A typical procedural vibe but more graphic and violent than usual and I think it explores religion and other topics without being preachy and often with unexpected outcomes. 

We finished Obi-Wan and mostly liked it. Unpopular opinion but I LOVED little Princess Leia! 

I think that's it for now! What have you been doing/reading/watching?

I'll leave you with a Figgy pic. He'll be 17 this summer (or might already be) and he's not doing great but he's hanging in there! I left a bone out for the dogs and he took a liking it to it. He only has like 1 tooth left, so he's licking and gumming it to death lol but if it makes him happy 😻