Final Post 2017 Best Series Read This Year

For glorious post 100!!!  The book series I read in 2017 that was the very best science fiction set of novels or any other genre I've read in ages goes to:

DOA Through The Ages

Ha, not really me.  But I've certainly used a lot of avatars over the life of the blog.  Some were just part of 23 Things, but others are clearly the sort of solipsistic thing introverts shouldn't indulge in.

Te Presente Moi:

Mid-Season Report: Designated Survivor

Here's a show I stopped watching somewhere this season, then watched the final episode to see how it all played out.

The series started off so well, then became the Hannah show.  She isn't admirable to me, she does what she thinks should be done, with no thought for others or for whether she might be right or wrong.

Kiefer Sutherland shines, though he became less of a deeply good man this season.   We need more deeply good men.

 

I knew his wife's character was leaving, but found the plot line that took her out to be unbelievable for her character.  Kiefer's character is less without her partnership.  His family, which was part of the interesting adjustment to his presidency took a back seat completely.

Didn't appreciate the removal of Kimble Hookstraten who was a great foil for him. 

I might continue watching, but unlikely.

Mid-Season Report: The Walking Dead

For me, the show started a huge downhill turn with the way Beth's fate was handled.  Since then, the summary dispatching of characters "to advance the story" has been bleeding the show dry of it's heart.

Though he lives and thrives in the comics, Carl, the boy we watched grow up in the apocalypse is now to be dead when the show returns in February from a random bite.   How special that they saved the actual death for the midseason return.

Then there's the constant tease that Rick could die too.

This season was supposed to be when the Rick and the non-Savior groups rose up together to fight and defeat Negan.   Despite a few victories, Negan's army shrugs it all off and wipes out most of The Kingdom.  In a ridiculous scene, even the CG tiger was needlessly slaughtered.  There's the thing.  Character deaths apparently equal ratings.  Perhaps they might want to ask themselves why the ratings drop and drop.   Because you don't need to kill off characters every few episodes that your fans have been rooting for.  They're killing hope as well as the characters.

I think it may time to walk away.

This Is Us Binge Watch Episodes Pilot through Ep. 7

I've seen the article headlines for this show, and being in a mood to just watch TV last night, I curiously loaded up the pilot.

At first I thought all of these characters are unlikable, why are people watching this?

Hours and hours later, after "one more episode" syndrome took me to 1 am, I'm totally taken by the characters and plot, and only dislike Kevin, who has been a bratty, selfish snit his whole life, so far.

My favorite character is Kate, both as a child and an adult.  She is such a smart, talented, wise woman. And beautiful.  Tough and vulnerable. I love every moment she's on the screen.

I now understand the fascination with Jack, and see how everyone could wonder about his death.  So cleverly is the story woven between past and present that his demise is something you know happens but wish would never come.

Randall is so great as a child, credit goes to the adorable actor Lonnie Chavis.   I've only seen a few episodes with teenage Randall, but he seems to be coming into his own as a person and character in those years.  Adult Randall is wonderfully complex, and is a great husband and dad.  Of the three kids, he seems to have learned the most from his parents, and he has their best traits.  I like that he is the one who keeps up family traditions.  His wife is wonderful.  His kids are super.   A brilliant man with a big heart.

Mandy Moore as the mom is alternately wonderful, awful, and frustrating.  She does a spectacular job of playing the character at various stages in her life.   You want to understand her keeping Randall to herself and her fear of him being taking away by his father, but the result of her actions is too crushing for the father and son.

I'm curious to see more of Randall and Kate's relationship, because so far the show has concentrated on Kevin's resentment and fights with Randall from childhood on, but I don't see the relationship of the two more interesting characters being shown.

I see season 3 (eep!) is coming up soon, and how can I possibly binge my way through the rest of season 1 and 2 by then?  Who needs sleep?

Happy New Year's Eve!

What an odd year it has been in the world.  My mind always prefers optimism, so I can't dwell on any of that.   In my own little cocoon of an existence, I've worked to keep things light.

Here, in a Wordle cloud, is a summation of my year.   99.999% to the good, yay!

Today, to end the year, I plan to snack, maybe bake some gingerbread whoopie cookies, crochet, read and snuggle my cat and beagle.  All years should end just like that.

Peeps Unknown

I've been working to digitize photographs as well as slides and negatives I inherited from mom.  Slow going.  Slowly, I've been able to recognize and identify many people from different points in their life.  Sometimes it seems the more you look at them, the more familiar the faces become.

Some remain unidentified, but I like the pictures.  Love the babies!  They're in a digital file cleverly called "People I Can't Identify"


Here are some of them: