march books... ooops... a bit belated

yeah, so this is uber late and i apologize to myself (as i seem to be the #1 reader of this blog). self: you suck.

march was a light month due to grand apartment search, trip to martha's vineyard and the big move. again i have some media picks to make you think that i wasnt all fluff and stuff in the mighty month of march.

media pick #1 - flight of the conchords dvd. this may be the best thing to put on your tv before you go out for a night on the town. it's hilarious and self-deprecating and makes you feel like the coolest kid around. "aint no party like my nana's tea party... heyyyy... hooooo!"

media pick #2 - top chef, chicago. unfortunately for me, i'm sans bravo for a few more weeks. this is a shame as i was really getting into the dynamics of the competitors. there are two wily assholes, one pretty boy, an eccentric kiwi and a felix-the-cat creative type, to name just a few... i've no idea who's still competing, but when i left it, tempers were flaring and slop was abundant. all together now: "oooo!!"

media pick #3 - john adams. this is a mini series based on the bio by david mccullough, airing on hbo. i believe there are 6 episodes, as i've been able to see 4 thus far and the constitution had not yet been created, let alone installed adams as prez #2. paul giamatti is a great adams, and laura linney is an even better abigail adams. the pacing is pretty interesting - this whole thing takes place over years, and they stuff it into 6 episodes, which occasionally leads to a bit of confusion (15 year old john quincy adams looks about 10 due to lack of ability to make a 10 year old look 15 w/o changing the actor). but there are a few scenes in each episode that focus entirely on the moment, and completely ignore the mtv camera flash trend - long pans and generous pauses engage the viewer and indulge the plot. i cannot wait to see the last 2 episodes, even though i know how it turns out in the end!

aaand books...

the amber spyglass by philip pullman
the third installment of the "his dark materials" series. this is a brilliant, action-packed, thought-provoking, touching final piece to this amazing puzzle. in effect, you learn what lyra and will have to do by the end of book #2, but you do not know how they will accomplish it. i really dont want to give anything away, so i'll just focus on the "other stuff" as opposed to the plot.

there was a lot more sci-fi/fantasy in this book than in the previous two. i enjoyed it's creativity and even my skeptical mind was able to accept each new piece. pullman's ability to fully integrate the bizzare into reality is pretty neat. he assumes his reader is smart and is not afraid to bust out a complex, unique answer.

i definitely raise an eyebrow about the folks who are boycotting this series, the author and the movies. my rationale is the same as i had for harry potter - this is an entirely fictional series with entirely fictional theology and human make up. sure if you wanted to REALLY analyze this, you can gather that pullman is resistant to organized religion, but he clearly outlines a greater organization of the universe, which can be taken in many different ways. i enjoyed learning about this world and it's counterparts. granted, i wouldnt show this to a small child, but i would have no problem recommending this as young adult reading. overall - a really great series!

rainbow valley by l.m. montgomery
sigh. yeah... another one... although, i will back myself up here and state that my new roomie has read the entire anne series multiple times. it's feel-good, candy reading and i wont back down from having something easy to digest along with my lunch.

this one follow's anne's children in their glorious budding years. it's all innocence and fun with a few mishaps and of course - the obligatory marriage. this one is nothing terribly special but it did occupy my brain with something other than work for 30 min each day.

and that wraps up the books & media for the mighty month of march. paltry, i know, but as i said before, i was hyper-busy. frankly, i'm amazed that i didnt get deathly ill with that flu that was going around not too long ago (knock on wood). my new apartment bodes well for cozy reading (hellooooo fireplace!) and i'm looking forward to enjoying many a lazy sunday doing just that.