HANK PHILLIPPI RYAN:
Happy Sunday! Since you might have a moment to relax, here's what we're
reading and watching!
I'm reading The Verdict (still deciding...), and the new
Rory Flynn DARK HORSE. (fabulous!) (Here it is with my amaryllis--which bloomed like mad on Christmas Day.)
We're watching Making of a Murderer
(incredibly--unbelievable!--documentary on Netflix.) Jessica Jones (We'll let
Susan tell about that.) And on Acorn, Black Work. Which was...entertaining.
At the movies? We saw: Star Wars (Daisy Ridley! An honorary
Red. And cannot wait to discuss it after spoiler time is over) and The Big
Short, which was WONDERFUL. Brilliant. Fabulous. Amazing writing and unique
structure . See it!
And SPOTLIGHT! Do not miss that one, either. SO authentic, and terrifying and journalistically inspirational.
And SPOTLIGHT! Do not miss that one, either. SO authentic, and terrifying and journalistically inspirational.
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| Making of a Murderer |
How about you?
HALLIE EPHRON: I'm reading The Goldfinch. Just getting into
it and so far so great. I was wondering about Making of a Murderer, Hank, so
thanks for the Thumbs-up. Last night I watched Season 1 finale of How To Get
Away With Murder. Talk about bait and switch and switch and switch... And
everyone with Netflix (or BBC) don't miss Detectorists. It's divine.
LUCY BURDETTE: This is the stack of books I received from
various people for Christmas--it's hard to know where to start! Plus I have on
order a number of mysteries coming out on the first Tuesday in January, so I'd
better get busy. And John just finished THE PRINCE OF LOS COCUYOS, a memoir by
poet lauriat Richard Blanco, which I'm
dying to read. We watched CODE BLACK this weekend, a documentary about the
Emergency Department at LA County Hospital in California. (Sorry to say that
the TV series based on this doesn't show much promise.) It's quite an
extraordinary work environment, especially interesting to us as our daughter
graduated from their ER residency.
Oh, and I cannot wait to see JOY, and possibly ROOM. Has
anyone seen the latter?
JULIA SPENCER-FLEMING: No, Rhys, we're going today. I wanted
to wait until after Christmas Day, because before, it would feel like something
else we were trying to squeeze in. By waiting until Sunday, I feel like Star
Wars is The Thing for the third day of Christmas! (Speaking of which, have you
seen Darth Vader's 12 Days of Christmas?) Here it is:
The only television show I've been following lately has been THE MUPPETS, which I love. I'm finding it hard to get into any episodic shows - either the writing seems to go downhill, or it builds up a head of steam and then it becomes obvious the writers have no idea where to go with it. I want a resurgence of the miniseries: six or eight hours of drama and then boom! It's done. If any of you have suggestions in the comments, I welcome them!
My book for the holidays is going to be Paul Doiron's THE
PRECIPICE. I've had it since this summer, when it came out, but as too often
happens, I've fallen way behind in reading my friends. (Truthfully, I'm way
behind in all my reading. I'm pretty sure there are several blurb-dates I've missed.
I'm sorry, other authors. It's not you. It's me.)
SUSAN ELIA MACNEAL: We saw Star War: The Force Awakens on
Monday and loved it! Couldn't help but think what a fabulous Maggie Hope Daisy
Ridley would make now that she's bought the rights! Been watching Amazon's
original series Man in the High Castle — about an alternative universe where
the Nazis and Japanese won World war II and the U.S. is both German and
Japanese territory... And I'm reading guidebooks on Paris, to prepare for this
year's research trip for Maggie Hope #7! Yes, finally getting into the SOE in
France and La Résistance....
And who’s looking forward to Downton? Game of Thrones? And
Power!
Reds, what are your recommendations?
