Top Ten Tuesday, Part Two: Favorite TV Shows

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Top 10 TuesdaySo as I just mentioned, I couldn’t stop myself from doing two Top Ten Tuesdays this week! I already listed my ten favorite movies, so here is a list of my favorite TV shows (once again in alphabetical order):

1. “The Americans” — Strangely enough, this is one of the only shows on my list that’s still on the air (season 3 will be premiering this fall). Matthew Rhys and Keri Russell are phenomenal as Philip and Elizabeth Jennings, two Soviet spies posing as a normal American couple in the early 1980s. It’s very dark and very compelling, and I really think everyone should be watching it!

2. “Chuck” — I loved this action comedy about a regular guy who accidentally downloads a government computer into his brain and becomes one of the CIA’s most valuable (and dangerous) assets. The show definitely had its ups and downs, as well as several plot holes you could drive a truck through, but overall it struck a great balance between humor and heart. Adam Baldwin also did a stellar turn as buttoned-up NSA agent John Casey (he loves guns!).

3. “Daria” — Daria was basically the voice in my head during my teen years. This darkly funny cartoon poked vicious fun at the shallow lives of America’s youth, as personified by Daria’s classmates. I especially enjoyed her vapid sister Quinn and the other members of the Fashion Club (not to brag, but I do a pretty awesome impression of Sandy!).

4. “Firefly” — “Sci-fi Western” is not really a genre I’m naturally attracted to, but somehow this show made it work in spectacular fashion. You can’t watch this show and not come out loving every single character, from noble-ish captain Mal to simpleminded thug Jayne (also Adam Baldwin!) to perpetually cheerful Kaylee. The only flaw in this show is that it was canceled way before its time. At least we have “Serenity,” which ties up the major plot lines…but there was still so much more this show could have been. Alas!

5. “Gilmore Girls” — If I had to pick just one show to be my absolute favorite, this would be it. I absolutely fell in love with the relationship between fast-talking Lorelai and her smart, book-loving daughter Rory. The rapid-fire dialogue and obscure pop culture references made the show a fun puzzle to solve, and there was a wonderful mix of comedy and drama as the girls faced various life challenges. To be fair, I felt the show started to decline in season 5 (largely because I HATED Logan), but at its best, this show was really something special.

6. “The Office” (U.S.) — This is another show that really dropped off in quality over the last few seasons, but it gave us the utter brilliance of Steve Carell as Michael Scott, not to mention one of the sweetest TV romances of all time in Jim and Pam. Sometimes the humor is so awkward that it’s almost unwatchable, but I also don’t think I’ve ever laughed harder in my life.

7. “Parks and Recreation” — This show started out very similar in style to “The Office,” and a lot of people dismissed Leslie Knope as the female version of Michael Scott. But the show really came into its own in Season 2 and is now one of the warmest, funniest shows on TV. Every member of the large ensemble cast contributes something amazing, from the hostile deadpan of Aubrey Plaza (April) to the borderline-douchebag enthusiasm of Aziz Ansari as Tom Haverford, would-be mogul. But really, my strongest argument in favor of this show is three simple words: Ron Effing Swanson.

8. “Sherlock” — This show just has everything: compelling mysteries, literary allusions, and an absolutely perfect cast. Benedict Cumberbatch gets most of the glory (and fangirlish swooning), and it’s absolutely well-deserved; but let’s not forget Martin Freeman’s perfectly understated performance as John Watson! That scene at the end of “The Reichenbach Fall,” where he talks to his (supposedly) dead best friend, was just unspeakably good. I’m so glad we’re going to get at least one more season!

9. “Ugly Betty” — Every time I think about this show, I can’t help smiling and chuckling. Yes, it was completely ridiculous and over-the-top, but it was always aware of its own silliness and just provided tons of fun. I especially loved Vanessa Williams as the scheming Wilhelmina Slater, who tried everything from bribery to sperm-stealing to gain power!

10. “Veronica Mars” — I love this teen drama with a film noir twist. I wish I were as cool as Veronica Mars, though I certainly don’t envy her troubled past! I enjoyed the season-long mysteries in seasons one and two, and even the somewhat rocky third season has a lot of good episodes. I also quite liked the recent movie, although it still leaves the door open for a lot more stories in the future!

Top Ten Tuesday, Part One: Favorite Movies

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Top 10 TuesdayA lot of people make a distinction between reading books and watching movies, claiming that the former is somehow better, more challenging, or more highbrow than the latter. And while there may be some truth to that, in the end they’re just two different forms of storytelling; they both have the power to challenge, move, and entertain us. For this week’s Top Ten Tuesday, we’ve been asked to list our favorite movies or TV shows — but I can’t resist doing both! So I’ll be doing a second post on my favorite TV shows, but for now, here’s a list of ten of my all-time favorite movies (in alphabetical order):

1. “Better Off Dead” — I really enjoy almost all John Cusack movies from the ’80s, but this is definitely my favorite. It’s the bizarrely surreal tale of a teenage boy who is so depressed by his recent breakup that he tries to commit suicide, but he just can’t seem to finish the job. And it’s really funny! Worth watching just for the bits where his mom is cooking something.

2. “Clueless” — What girl who came of age in the ’90s doesn’t love this movie? No girl I want to be friends with, that’s for sure! This deliciously funny satire of the lives of the rich and vacuous also happens to be a very clever adaptation of Jane Austen’s Emma. Plus, Paul Rudd is in it!

3. “An Ideal Husband” — Based on an Oscar Wilde play, this movie is a quintessential British comedy of manners. The cast is terrific, especially Rupert Everett as the idle but smarter-than-he-looks Lord Goring. There’s witty banter, romance, a sinister blackmailing scheme…and of course a very important conversation that takes place under “the usual palm tree!”

4. “Much Ado About Nothing” (Kenneth Branagh version) — My favorite Shakespeare play and a wonderful, exuberant film.

5. “Penelope” — I’m kind of a sucker for whimsy, and this movie is practically exploding with it. Penelope is an aristocratic young woman cursed with a “face like a pig,” and her only hope is to marry a fellow blueblood…except none of them will get near her, until she meets a charming gambler who inspires her to start enjoying life. The romance is very sweet, and I absolutely love the scenery of the movie, with its saturated colors and fairy-tale-esque imagery.

6. “The Philadelphia Story” — I know some people don’t like black-and-white movies, but all I can say is, they are wrong. 🙂 This classic comedy (starring Cary Grant, Katharine Hepburn, and Jimmy Stewart — you can’t beat that!) involves a young socialite who is about to get married, but the wedding is hijacked by her first husband and a couple of tabloid reporters. Hijinks ensue!

7. “The Princess Bride” — I don’t actually need to explain this one, do I?

8. “Spaceballs” — All I can say is that Mel Brooks is a frickin’ genius. I have probably memorized about 75% of the dialogue from this movie…it’s just that good, people.

9. “Strictly Ballroom” — I’ve never been much of a dancer, but for some reason I’ve always really liked dance movies! This one is a delightful little film set in the unusual world of Australian ballroom dancing. A rising star on the professional circuit teams up with an amateur to create a new style of ballroom for the upcoming competition, but various forces are arrayed against them. Baz Luhrmann directed it, so of course it’s visually gorgeous, but it’s also funny and surprisingly moving!

10. “While You Were Sleeping” — This is just a straight-up romantic comedy that holds sentimental value for me, as I often watched it with my mom growing up. Sandra Bullock plays a lonely young woman who, due to a series of misunderstandings, pretends to be engaged to a comatose man and is embraced by his kooky family. It’s just a nice, heartwarming movie with some wonderful comedy from the supporting cast.

Bonus: “Pride and Prejudice” (Colin Firth version) — It’s technically a miniseries, so I didn’t include it on my “official” list…but let’s face it, I consider this my favorite movie (and not because of the lake scene!). 🙂

So wow, this list is pretty homogenous! All the movies are comedies, and they all incorporate romance to some extent. Maybe that’s shallow of me — and I have loved a lot of darker, grittier movies as well — but I guess I just fundamentally want a happy ending!

Review: The Haunted Bookshop

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Haunted Bookshop, TheChristopher Morley, The Haunted Bookshop

In this sequel to Parnassus on Wheels, bibliophile Roger Mifflin has temporarily abandoned his traveling bookstore for a more permanent location on Gissing Street in Brooklyn. He calls his store the Haunted Bookshop, claiming that it is “haunted” by the ghosts of great literature. One day a young salesman named Aubrey Gilbert enters the store, hoping to persuade Roger to advertise with his firm; instead, the two men have an intense discussion that leaves Aubrey with a newfound appreciation for literature. When Aubrey returns to the shop a few days later, he is immediately smitten with Titania Chapman, the beguiling new shopgirl. But as he starts to visit the store more regularly, he notices something strange: an old and rather obscure volume keeps disappearing from the Haunted Bookshop and then re-appearing without warning. Is there a literary-minded thief frequenting the bookstore, or is something more sinister at work?

This is one of those cozy little books that take you back to a simpler time, and I found it absolutely charming! Roger Mifflin’s enthusiasm for books is infectious, and the novel is full of his musings on literature, both in general and about specific books. Unfortunately, I didn’t recognize most of the titles he mentioned, presumably because they’ve gone out of fashion (and print!) since the book was published in 1919. But this is definitely the type of book that reminds me of the huge number of books in the world that I still haven’t read! The mystery plot is clever, though very slight and easy to guess (and very much a product of its time). I also liked the central characters, especially Aubrey, who makes a lot of endearing mistakes in his quest to solve the mystery and win Titania’s heart. All in all, I finished this book wishing that I could stop by the Haunted Bookshop for dinner and a literary discussion with these characters.

Review: I Will Repay

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I Will RepayBaroness Emmuska Orczy, I Will Repay

Paris, 1783: Paul Déroulède, a wealthy but non-aristocratic member of Parisian society, accidentally kills the young Vicomte de Marny in a duel. The vicomte’s sister, Juliette, swears an oath that she will one day avenge her brother’s death. Ten years later, Juliette finally gets her opportunity: by provoking an angry mob right outside Déroulède’s door, she is able to gain entrance to his house and look for a means to destroy him. But the more time she spends with Paul Déroulède, the more she finds herself responding to his kind, chivalrous nature. Meanwhile, Déroulède occupies a somewhat tenuous position in the brand-new Republic of France: while he is popular with the common masses for his moderate, benevolent views, many of the revolutionary leaders view him as dangerous. When Juliette discovers that Déroulède is planning to rescue the condemned Marie Antoinette — an act that would brand him as a traitor to the Republic — she must decide whether to fulfill her oath or listen to the promptings of her heart.

So as it turns out, there are SEQUELS to The Scarlet Pimpernel! Since TSP is one of my favorite books of all time, I was thrilled to discover that many of the sequels are in the public domain and easily downloadable in e-book format. I Will Repay is the first of these sequels (in publication order), and I really enjoyed it — despite the fact that the Pimpernel has a very minor role, and Marguerite and Chauvelin don’t appear at all! But I loved the descriptions of Paris in the throes of the French Revolution, as well as the romance between Juliette and Déroulède. Of course, the book is far from perfect; the writing style is quite flowery and over-the-top, and I really wasn’t a fan of the (unconscious) sexism exhibited throughout the book. For example, in one pivotal scene, Déroulède defends Juliette’s actions by saying, essentially, that you can’t expect girls to act rationally. So that really bugged me — especially coming from a female author, who should know better! But I have to admit, I still kind of loved this book, and I look forward to reading more of the Pimpernel sequels!

Review: The Hunter

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Hunter, TheRichard Stark, The Hunter

This book introduces Parker, a criminal whose combination of street smarts and brute force has enabled him to live comfortably on the proceeds from his thefts. But his life is fundamentally disrupted when a job goes awry and one of his partners double-crosses him. Now Parker is consumed with thoughts of revenge, and he’ll do anything to catch up with Mal Resnick, the man who stole both his money and his wife. Parker uses a variety of tactics, including intimidation and murder, to track Mal down; meanwhile, Mal learns that Parker is on his trail and tries desperately to escape his clutches. Parker’s task is made more complicated by the fact that Mal is a memeber of an extremely influential crime syndicate called the Outfit, and the Outfit isn’t inclined to let Parker have his way. In order to exact his revenge, Parker must eventually go up against the whole organization; but will killing Mal sign his own death warrant?

While I enjoy the occasional film noir or con movie, I don’t tend to like the noir genre in book form. I tend to prefer my mysteries a little less violent, with a more clearly defined moral code (i.e., the killer is the bad guy). This book has a very cynical tone and a protagonist with few, if any, redeeming qualities. Frankly, I found Parker horrifying, especially in his violent treatment of women and his casual approach to killing anyone who gets in his way. Yet I actually ended up enjoying this book! I liked the writing style, which doesn’t waste any words and gets straight to the point. I also really enjoyed watching the story unfold: the book alternates from Parker’s story in the present to the story of the job that went wrong. Additionally, it was fascinating to see how Parker’s situation changes throughout the novel, as his quest for vengeance against one man turns into a war against the entire Outfit. If I’m ever in the mood for a darker mystery, I may even continue with this series!

There are also two film adaptations of the book, “Point Blank” (1967, starring Lee Marvin) and “Payback” (1999, starring Mel Gibson). I haven’t seen either of them, but I think this story would translate really well to film! Has anyone seen either of these movies, and if so, would you recommend them?

Review: Naughty in Nice

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Naughty in NiceRhys Bowen, Naughty in Nice

Lady Georgiana Rannoch is facing yet another a dreary winter in London. Despite her royal pedigree — she’s 34th in line to the throne of England — she has no income, and the worldwide depression in the wake of World War I has made it impossible for her to find work. What’s more, her brother Binky and his intolerable wife, Fig, have decided to close up their London house, which means Georgie will be essentially homeless. Fortunately, the queen comes to her rescue by sending her to the French Riviera on a secret mission: she must recover a stolen snuffbox, believed to be in the possession of one Sir Toby Groper. At first, Georgie is ecstatic to be in Nice, mingling with rich English pleasure-seekers and dashing French aristocrats. She even meets Coco Chanel, who asks her to model one of the looks from Chanel’s new collection. But then a priceless necklace is stolen and a man is murdered — and in the eyes of the French police, Georgie is the prime suspect! Can she clear her name by finding the real thief and murderer?

I’m really enjoying the Royal Spyness series, and this book (the 5th installment) is no exception. It’s a light, exuberant mystery that still manages to incorporate a lot of information about this time period. For example, the Prince of Wales and his paramour, Wallis Simpson, make brief appearances in the book, and there are also a few mentions of Hitler as he begins his rise to power in Germany. In addition to the setting, I enjoyed the plot of this book, which is a bit more substantial than some of the earlier books in the series. Georgie is a fun character, but she’s not really much of a detective; she tends to stumble onto the solution of the mystery rather than actually investigating or deducing anything. In this book, though, she actually does take some initiative and is able to put the pieces together — though not before her own life is endangered once more. All in all, I think this is one of the better installments of the series, and I’m planning to continue with The Twelve Clues of Christmas in December!

Review: Where’d You Go, Bernadette

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Where'd You Go, BernadetteMaria Semple, Where’d You Go, Bernadette

Bernadette Fox is a middle-aged wife and mother who is having so much trouble coping with daily life that she outsources all her errands to a virtual Indian assistant. Her loving husband, Elgin, has made a fortune working for Microsoft but is never home as a result. Her 15-year-old daughter, Bee, is always a source of joy, but the other parents at Bee’s school for gifted children drive Bernadette crazy. As Bernadette struggles with social anxiety, hostile neighbors, a house that’s falling apart, and an unexpected visit from the FBI, things slowly begin to slip through the cracks — until one day she vanishes. Devastated, Bee sets out on a quest to find her mother, compiling all the documentary evidence she can find that might give her a clue to Bernadette’s whereabouts. Bee’s search for her mom eventually takes her as far as Antarctica, and it also gives her a greater understanding of Bernadette’s personality by unearthing secrets from her past.

I was a little nervous to read this book, fearing that it wouldn’t live up to the hype, but luckily there was no need to worry! Normally I would have little patience for someone like Bernadette, who doesn’t seem to realize how priveleged she is, with a loving family and plenty of money. But Bernadette is just self-aware enough to realize the ridiculousness of her behavior, so I was able to look past the more obnoxious aspects of her personality. Also, this book is really funny; I especially enjoyed the e-mail conversations between Audrey and Soo-Lin, two of the other parents at Bee’s school, who both hate Bernadette. I loved the book’s quasi-epistolary format — it’s basically a collection of the documentes Bee finds while searching for her mom, with some narration by Bee — and I loved that there was a plausible reason for how Bee obtained all these documents. All in all, this book went much more quickly than I thought it would, and I’d definitely recommend it as a fun vacation read!

Giveaway WINNER: Mortal Heart

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Mortal HeartHappy Independence Day, my fellow Americans! As you know, I’ve decided to give away my ARC of Mortal Heart by Robin LaFevers, and it’s time to announce the results! The winner, picked by random.org, is…Doing Dewey!

Congratulations! Please email me at youbookmeallnightlong(at)gmail(dot)com with your address so that I can send you your book! I’ll get it in the mail by next weekend at the latest.

Thanks to everyone who entered! There weren’t many of you, so obviously I need to publicize better and/or get more followers. 🙂 Better luck next time!

Review: Love Irresistibly

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Love IrresistiblyJulie James, Love Irresistibly

Brooke Parker is a smart, tough-as-nails lawyer with a very demanding job. As general counsel of an up-and-coming food & beverage provider, she works long hours doing everything from drafting employment contracts to wining and dining new clients. As a result, Brooke has no time to spend on other aspects of her life, especially not a relationship. Meanwhile, Cade Morgan is a former college football star who now works as a federal prosecutor after sustaining a career-ending injury. He dates a variety of women but doesn’t like to get serious with anyone. But when an investigation of a corrupt politician brings Cade and Brooke together, sparks immediately fly between them. At first, they seem to be on the same page, both wanting nothing more than a casual fling. But as they spend more time together, Brooke and Cade start to develop genuine feelings for one another. Will they be brave enough to go beyond the superficial and really commit to each other?

Julie James is the author who convinced me that not all romance novels are terrible, and she’s been on my auto-buy list for a long time. But for some reason, I wasn’t terribly fond of this book. It’s certainly a fun, quick read with a lot of good points. For example, I liked the fact that there were no contrived obstacles or Big Misunderstandings keeping Brooke and Cade apart; their hesitations seemed genuine and realistic. I also loved Brooke’s friend Ford (give him his own book, please!) and Cade’s FBI buddies. They may be there for sequel fodder, but they’re also fun characters in their own right. However, I just couldn’t get invested in the romance betwen Brooke and Cade. Maybe it’s because they’re both annoyingly perfect, with supermodel good looks and prestigious, high-paying jobs. Even though they each have a backstory that provides them with a smidgeon of depth, they just seemed like generic hot people to me. That said, I haven’t given up on Julie James and will definitely be reading her next book!