Reading / watching / playing
May. 19th, 2022 07:04 pmHat-tip to ![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png)
a_cubed for reminding me to post more of these. :)
I will fill in more details as time permits. This has been sitting for a few days so I want to get something posted. :)
Fiction - Standalone:
Termination Shock (Stephenson)
This was great. Lots of action, good intersecting plot lines, thoroughly human and believable characters. Highly detailed and plausible near-future world. There were a couple of plot setups that seemed a bit forced, but maybe only to someone who has read far too much Stephenson. Highly recommended, although you should probably read it now rather than wait. It feels like it will be horribly dated in a few years' time.
Fiction - Series:
The Lady Astronaut series (Mary Robinette Kowal)
I'm in the middle of book 3 (The Relentless Moon). I want to love these books but they're kind of a slog. I can't even complain that she's laying it on thick with the patriarchy and the white supremacy as this is literally the 1950s and 1960s with some alternative-history events. The first 2 books ended on uplifting notes, and I'm still reading, so I guess I have high hopes for this one as well.
The Collapsing Empire (John Scalzi)
Light and fluffy. Loads of fun. Yes, I have the second book lined up to read next.
Nonfiction:
Believe Me (Eddie Izzard)
Memoir. Uplifting. Highly recommended.
TV - Series:
Killing Eve (BBC America)
This stopped making sense a couple of seasons ago, but I love the characters so much that I don't care. Some stupid plot twists but some interesting ones. I'm not thrilled with the ending but oh well.
Life on Mars (Britbox via Amazon Prime)
Just finished this up. Season 2 kind of sagged in the middle. Stick with it, the ending is worth it. Recommended.
Resident Alien (some network)
This is really stupid but a lot of fun.
QI (Britbox via Amazon Prime)
We are working our way backwards through all the seasons. We're back on Series O which seems to be Sandi Toskvig's first season. Loads of fun.
Video games:
Playing a bunch of World of Warcraft again.
Also want to shout out to the dozen or so puzzle games I'm playing on the web:
Wordle
Byrdle (choral-music themed Wordle knockoff)
Nerdle (like Wordle but make it math)
Yordle (League of Legends themed)
and of course my old standbys
Kenken - Like sudoku but with actual math http://www.kenkenpuzzle.com/game
Free cross sums http://www.freexsums.com/
Set and Quiddler https://www.setgame.com/set/puzzle https://www.setgame.com/quiddler/puzzle
Fun fact - I won a Set t-shirt from their website in (I believe) 1994.
a_cubed for reminding me to post more of these. :)I will fill in more details as time permits. This has been sitting for a few days so I want to get something posted. :)
Fiction - Standalone:
Termination Shock (Stephenson)
This was great. Lots of action, good intersecting plot lines, thoroughly human and believable characters. Highly detailed and plausible near-future world. There were a couple of plot setups that seemed a bit forced, but maybe only to someone who has read far too much Stephenson. Highly recommended, although you should probably read it now rather than wait. It feels like it will be horribly dated in a few years' time.
Fiction - Series:
The Lady Astronaut series (Mary Robinette Kowal)
I'm in the middle of book 3 (The Relentless Moon). I want to love these books but they're kind of a slog. I can't even complain that she's laying it on thick with the patriarchy and the white supremacy as this is literally the 1950s and 1960s with some alternative-history events. The first 2 books ended on uplifting notes, and I'm still reading, so I guess I have high hopes for this one as well.
The Collapsing Empire (John Scalzi)
Light and fluffy. Loads of fun. Yes, I have the second book lined up to read next.
Nonfiction:
Believe Me (Eddie Izzard)
Memoir. Uplifting. Highly recommended.
TV - Series:
Killing Eve (BBC America)
This stopped making sense a couple of seasons ago, but I love the characters so much that I don't care. Some stupid plot twists but some interesting ones. I'm not thrilled with the ending but oh well.
Life on Mars (Britbox via Amazon Prime)
Just finished this up. Season 2 kind of sagged in the middle. Stick with it, the ending is worth it. Recommended.
Resident Alien (some network)
This is really stupid but a lot of fun.
QI (Britbox via Amazon Prime)
We are working our way backwards through all the seasons. We're back on Series O which seems to be Sandi Toskvig's first season. Loads of fun.
Video games:
Playing a bunch of World of Warcraft again.
Also want to shout out to the dozen or so puzzle games I'm playing on the web:
Wordle
Byrdle (choral-music themed Wordle knockoff)
Nerdle (like Wordle but make it math)
Yordle (League of Legends themed)
and of course my old standbys
Kenken - Like sudoku but with actual math http://www.kenkenpuzzle.com/game
Free cross sums http://www.freexsums.com/
Set and Quiddler https://www.setgame.com/set/puzzle https://www.setgame.com/quiddler/puzzle
Fun fact - I won a Set t-shirt from their website in (I believe) 1994.
