JANUARY REVIEWS

From now on I will list all the books I've read, DVDs watched, and music listened to in a separate post. I'll call each post Reviews, though not everything will be heavily reviewed!

 

So whilst January was very busy I did manage quite a bit, not much on tele, so my DVD viewing was high!

 

DVDs

I saw Laurel Canyon, In the House, Flight, World War Z, Delicacy, and The Lone Ranger. The Lone Ranger and Laurel Canyon were good but ultimately disappointing. I really loved Flight and World War Z, both nowhere near as bad as I expected. In the house was a creepy French drama and Delicacy was the sweetest romantic French Film with Audrey Tatou.

 

Genova was my pick of the bunch, with a very solemn Colin Firth packing up his family to Genova after the death of his wife. It reminded me a lot of Don't Look Now, in terms of a family in Italy with a dead family member almost always around the corner. It was beautifully portrayed, the drama and the city. A slow paced film, but interesting to watch unfold.

 

I also saw an interesting documentary called Face Off about aging models from the early 80s and earlier, and how they are coping with ageing now. What I found really refreshing was most are ageing as they should, naturally and beautifully. It was interesting and honest. 

 

I've also been bingeing on TV series. 

 

I watched S2 of Laverne and Shirley, like S1 it holds up well, still funny and sassy! Love those girls and that fabulous theme song.

 

I devoured S6 of Man Men, I am sure my neighbours must think I have a lover called Don (I wish!) as I seem to spend most of it saying "Oh Don" this season more so than any other. It was, as always, grand, devastating, and brilliant!

 

I am halfway through Game of Thrones S3 and trying to stretch it out, but so far I am impressed, this just gets better and better!!!!

 

Books

I haven't read much this month as you can see I have been busy, this will change as of Feb, so stay tuned for that blog!

I did read That Girl by Samantha Geimer. This is a memoir about "the" girl in the Roman Polanski sex scandal as told by the actual girl. I didn't learn much that I didn't already know, though it must be a terrible thing to live with. 

 

I loved The Television was Revolutionised, which was a padded history of quality television, eg Sopranos, Six Feet Under, Breaking Bad, The Wire etc. 

 

I also loved Angelica Huston's first volume of autobiography, A Story Told lately. It mostly is about her childhood up to her late teens, living with and apart from her famous father, the famous people drifting in and out of her life, and the new people she has started to know as she moves into adulthood. Also a fascinating insight into her life juggling the fame of her father's family and the ordinary of her mother's. And the tragedy of her mother's death. Boy, this woman had more happen in that first 20 years than most do in a lifetime and the best is yet to come. I look forward to the next volume.

 

I started Someday, Someday, Maybe by the actress Lauren Graham (Lorelei in The Gilmore Girls) and it's ok, about a struggling actress working towards her big break.

 

I finished Haruki Murakami's After Dark. My god, he is the most amazing writer, hypnotic and poetic best describe him. His subject matter is almost always deep yet the writing light, you move along devouring his words and understanding his meaning without a huge amount of effort. That is incredibly rare. After Dark is set during one night in Tokyo and a range of characters whose paths cross, for better and for worse. At it's heart are Mari, reading in a large cafe as she missed the last train home, and Takahashi, a musician killing time before a late night practise. Takahashi knows Mari's sister (who is having her own issues in another thread of the story) and strikes up a conversation. Later they cross paths with other characters that set off other threads, woven beautifully into this haunting story. 

 

Music

I started the year off listening to The Beatles as a lead up and follow up from the show I saw. Abbey Road was always my fabourite album, but I had been getting into The White Album more in the past few years, so it was nice to revisit an old friend.

 

I also love the new Robbie Williams album, Swings Both Ways. I saw his concert on New Years Day and the CD came through at work so I've been listening to it a lot. I never cared for him in his early days, not my type of music, but he swings well and most especially his version of the Jungle Book's I want to be like you. He also duets with Rufus Wainwright on a new song which is very amusing.

 

I finally got my hands on the Neil Finn/Paul Kelly album, Goin' Your Way, and it is brilliant, been playing it a lot at work.

 

Of course listening to Amanda Palmer, Theatre is Evil and AP Down Under, both of which are excellent, but honestly seeing her live is far superior.

 

I watched a great taped concert of Harry Connick Jnr from a few years back when he was on Broadway, he is a great performer, incredibly talented and very easy on the eye!

 

I'd love to know what you've been watching, reading, and listening to??