Media Gluttony

[ladysprite]

The up-side of having work slow down for a little while is that I'm finally getting to partake of some forms of entertainment that I haven't for quite some time. When things are busy and hectic, paradoxically I wind up finding it hard to take what little time off I have to amuse myself with purely-entertaining stuff. I get so wrapped up in Doing Stuff and Being Busy that even when I'm not at work or finishing vital projects, I wind up feeling the need to continue in that mindset, and work on hobbies or crafts that accomplish stuff, too - making sweaters and afghans, tackling giant stitchery projects, baking cakes, and things like that. I enjoy those hobbies and projects, but they're still active things. Taking time to sit down and relax feels like cheating, or being lazy.

This past week, though, was slow enough on work that I managed to get my fill of active hobbies, and then have time left over. And eventually, even I can be convinced that, in the absence of other important stuff to do, it's okay to take some actual downtime. And, in the process, maybe actually watch tv instead of just having it on in the background, or sit down and read a book for more than ten minutes at a stretch.

Some time ago, a friend suggested that I watch 'Being Human,' but we didn't get BBC America at the time. Later, another friend suggested it as the perfect show for me, and I kind of filed it in the back of my head. When a third friend suggested it, and mentioned that he had the entire first season on his DVR and free time that matched mine, I decided to finally act on it.

I'll admit, a large part of the enjoyment of the day was having nothing to do but curl up on the sofa with an old friend. But even aside from that, this is one of the best TV shows I've seen in longer than I can remember. I was afraid, given the premise (a vampire, a werewolf, and a ghost move into an apartment together) that it'd just be cheesy sitcom humor, but it's not. There's an element of horror and seriousness that I didn't expect, and what humor there is seems to come more from the juxtaposition of the characters and the situation, rather than slapstick or witty banter (I love witty banter, but sometimes a change of pace can be nice). And the dialogue is as realistic as possible, given the situation, and I kind of want to invite all the characters over for dinner and to join my gaming group. I love it. I want more.

As for books.... a few weeks ago I was wandering through Barnes & Noble - I can't quite remember why, other than, well, it's always fun to wander through bookstores, and I saw 'The Child Thief' sitting in the new releases section of the science fiction ghetto, and I fell in love with it on first sight. It was big, and dark, and heavy, and the cover art was just gloriously spooky. (Yes, when it comes to books, I am fairly superficial in my initial opinion-forming.) When I read the dust-jacket and realized it was, in fact, a modern urban horror/gothic retelling of Peter Pan, I was completely sold - I have had a long-term love affair with urban horror and fantasy, and I'll admit I have also been desperate for any urban fantasy that doesn't involve a main character who turns out to be a sparkly-eyed, tramp-stamped demon-sucking Mary Sue who really just wants to buy designer shoes and bang her boss/nemesis. There have been exceptions, but they've been few and far between. This seemed *perfect.* Except, of course, for the fact that it was a hardcover by an unknown author, and I couldn't justify the price.

But my library came through for me a few days ago, thanks to the miracle of Interlibrary Loan, and Monday afternoon I settled in to start reading it. I was a little afraid at first, though, that it wouldn't live up to my hopes. Gothic horror Peter Pan? It does kind of sound like a recipe for disaster.

It's not, though. It's even better than I thought it would be. It's creepy and dark and full of Celtic mythology and urban grittiness and characters that are complex enough to be engaging, and a world that's clearly more complex than what we see on the surface, and the kind of writing that I can just fall into for a hundred pages without noticing.

Every year I seem to find one book that knocks my socks off, and becomes the defining story of that year - 'World War Z,' 'Soon I Will Be Invincible,' 'Dies the Fire'... I had kind of written off 2009 as a no-world-shaking-books year. It's late, but I am so, so glad to be proven wrong.

And right now, I think I hear a mug of tea, a Butterfingers candy bar, and Chapter 15 calling my name....

Comments

[kightp.livejournal.com]

Oooh, thanks for the book review. I just bought it (downloaded to my Kindle) and plan to put it next in the reading queue (after I finish China Mieville's stunning "Perdido Street Station," speaking of dark and creepy...)

[fractalgeek.livejournal.com]

We enjoyed "Being Human" too. We were a little apprehensive, as the series was developed from a one-off pilot, without arc, and with only one out of three of the lead actors carried forward, but after a couple of episodes the new people grew on us.

[droewyn.livejournal.com]

Who wrote "The Child Thief"? That sounds fabulous.

Also, if you haven't read "Rosemary and Rue" by Seanan McGuire yet, you should. It's definitely up your alley.

[gmkieran.livejournal.com]

clearly, I must now go obtain The Child Thief for my very own! a well-written gothic retelling of the myth of Pan must be a glorious thing!!! :D

glad you got to take a little break, too!

[redfishie.livejournal.com]

will have to take a look into that book.

Not as up on my slang as I thought I was...

[starcat-jewel.livejournal.com]

I had been under the impression that "tramp stamp" referred to any woman with a tattoo, and was a derogatory term primarily used by stiff-backed people of my generation and older (sort of the way my father thought that "only loose women have pierced ears" but a generation or two up the line). If you're using it, that can't be correct; could you elucidate, please?