Showing posts with label tv. Show all posts
Showing posts with label tv. Show all posts

10 May 2016

What I'm reading/watching/listening to: May 2016

As a designer inspired by literature, I read a fair bit. As a knitter constantly producing more FOs, I watch a lot of stuff on screen. As an exerciser, I listen to all sorts of podcasts and music to keep me moving. Here's what's on my bedside table/television/iPhone this month...*




What I'm reading...

  • Eligible: A Novel by Curtis Sittenfeld
    This is a modern retelling of Jane Austen's Pride and Prejudice set in Cincinnatti, Ohio, in 2014. The title refers not only to the Bennet sisters and other characters in their sphere, but also to the Bachelor-style reality show this book's Bingley starred in. BTW, NYTBR, Chip is a nickname for Charles, not a name change for the character as your reviewer stated. Being such a devotee to Austen's original language/settings/characters, it took a little while for me to get past the modern setup, but I am now more than halfway through and enjoying the book.
  • Manus x Machina: Fashion in an Age of Technology by Andrew Bolton
    If you follow me on Instagram, you know that I attended the Members' Preview of the new show, Manus x Machina, at the Met last week. We won't get into my feelings about the Met's new logotype, but the new show is fabulous for this 21st century handcrafter. Lots of food for thought, so don't be surprised if touches of this show find their way into my work. If you can get to Manhattan this summer, come see the show (let me know you're coming, and I'll probably meet you there). This is the catalog to accompany the Metropolitan Museum of Art's Spring 2016 Costume Institute show, and as a book creator of many years, I appreciate the technologies that went into printing and binding this book and am looking forward to reading the interviews in the back insert.
  • Out of My Mind by Sharon M. Draper
    My older daughter and I read this for our Mother Daughter book club last month. It's an interesting novel about an intelligent but profoundly disabled girl (she cannot walk, speak, nor does she have full control of her arms) who finally is able to communicate with the help of a computer. The book begins a little slowly but then really picks up steam and doesn't always go in the expected direction. I'm so glad we read this for our book club, as I think it did a great job of empathizing with the protagonist - an important glimpse into a different world for the tweens I know.

What I'm watching...

  • Game of Thrones
    Yup, I'm totally into it. While there aren't as many bewbs this season, it still has sex and gore and dragons. I read the books last summer (and still can't keep all the characters and locations straight) with mixed feelings, since George R.R. Martin isn't a profound writer and seems uncertain as to where we are ultimately going in the world of Westeros, but I do enjoy the show. Probably in part because I read a LOT of fantasy as a young reader. For people who prefer realism, there probably isn't enough to pique your interest, but I do think the show is well done. And now that we've gone beyond the books, it's kind of exciting to see where things will go.
  • Unbreakable Kimmy Schmidt
    Pretty much any show with a guest arc by Tina Fey will earn a spot on my Watchlist/DVR. And the rest of the show is entertaining, too, though I tend to agree with critics who think some episodes aren't as tight on Season Two as they were when Season One had been crafted with the 22-minute network TV model - on Netflix a show can be as long as it wants. While some extra comedy gems may have been stuffed into episodes, we all know that brevity is the soul of wit. That being said, the survivor story and sly NYC jokes somehow all work together.
  • The Real Housewives of Beverly Hills
    I'm pretty sure there are two kinds of people in the world, when it comes to the Real Housewives franchise: those who love the show, and those who think it's just the worst. While I don't love the entire franchise, I have a special fondness for New York (no surprise), early New Jersey seasons, and Beverly Hills. With BH I've come to realize it's the combination of a voyeuristic interest in Beverly Hills excess, my personal fascination/repulsion with the Los Angeles area, and an empathy with Kyle's struggles with her alcoholic sister (and how the rest of the characters cope). My ex-husband was an alcoholic, so Kim's behavior and that of the people around her have pulled me in from the beginning. It's definitely crazy salad, but I can't quit it.

What I'm listening to...

  • Woolful
    Lots of interesting fiber folk on this podcast. Sometimes I find it a bit too long-form for me (I have limited listening time when I'm exercising, but that's my problem), but I've really enjoyed many episodes, including Pam Allen's (and her son Ryan's), the Fibre Company gals', and Mary Jane Mucklestone's.
  • Vogue Podcast
    If you enjoyed Andre Leon Talley's turn on America's Next Top Model, you will enjoy this podcast. Sometimes I get annoyed, since ALT can be a little more ditsy than I would expect (he seemed less prepared to speak with Andrew Bolton, Curator of the Met's Costume Institute, than I would have liked - I feel like I knew more about Mr. Bolton than he did, and ALT is editor-at-large of Vogue).
  • Truly Myrtle Podcast
    My friend Libby's podcast is lovely - sometimes very personal, other times it has charming interviews, and it always has the best theme song. Definitely give a listen to Libby's Down Under accent and thoughtful discussions on clothing and craft.

So, what are you reading/watching/listening to? I'm always looking for good suggestions, so leave me a comment below.

Thanks for stopping by, and happy knitting!
xoxo,


*None of these links are affiliate links. I'd rather spend my time sharing what I'm enjoying with you than tracking those down. Go see if your library or local book store (shall we make LBS a thing, like LYS?) has the books, check your local listings or favorite streaming service for the shows, and visit the podcasts' websites directly to find the best way for YOU to enjoy their content.

05 April 2016

What I'm reading/watching/listening to: April 2016

As a designer inspired by literature, I read a fair bit. As a knitter constantly producing more FOs, I watch a lot of stuff on screen. As an exerciser, I listen to all sorts of podcasts and music to keep me moving. Here's what's on my bedside table/television/iPhone this month...*



What I'm reading...

  • Emma: An Annotated Edition by Jane Austen
    This version is from Belknap/Harvard University Press and includes all sorts of interesting bits about the book itself and the times in which it was set and written, as well as illustrations. I have slowly collected these "tomes" over the years and savored reading some of my favorite novels in this format - it is a very different experience, one I highly recommend.
  • Venice is a Fish by Tiziano Scarpa
    We are reading this for my book club. It was my choice, since the host for the current book club meeting chooses the book that will be read next time. We read fiction, non-fiction, then a classic, and somehow I keep ending up hosting when it's time to choose non-fiction (not the first choice of this classic novel girl), but having spent one glorious day in Venice (my sister took me when I visited her in Bologna longer ago than I care to admit), this book intrigued me. It is brief, poetic, and very evocative of the things I already knew about la Serenissima while also sharing new things I wouldn't have discovered otherwise. Now I want to go back!
  • I Never Knew That About New York by Christopher Winn
    As a transplant to the city that never sleeps, I love learning new bits about my adopted city. This book is full of near and ancient history organized by location. I'm still way down at the southern end of the island, having just reached Wall Street. I read it in little bits often while, um, doing my business ;)

What I'm watching...
  • The People vs. O.J. Simpson: American Crime Story on FX
    Yes, I lived through it all and remember where I was during the infamous Bronco chase (on my roommate's shlumply brown couch in Somerville), but beyond that I wasn't much interested in all this at the time. And now I'm fascinated. If you follow me on Twitter, you know that I think this is such. good. television. The storytelling is compelling; the acting has real depth (aside from Travolta); the lighting and cinematography, the costumes and wigs, the music are exceptional. This is the only appointment television for me (everything else I watch is from the DVR or a streaming service). It addresses race, gender, culture, and I can't believe the finale is tonight.
  • Broad City on Comedy Central
    Hysterical girls in New York sitcom (way more entertaining than HBO's Girls). I love those two crazy gals. The subway scene from season one's The Lockout makes me laugh so hard I cry. Every episode is clever. Lots of cameos and spot-on New Yorker humor.
  • The Americans on FX
    This show is so good. So good. We started watching it in part because it was filmed in our neighborhood (subbing for DC and Philly), but it is so compelling. It's also really intense, yet we don't want to watch just one, so we often save up a couple and binge-watch them. As a general rule I don't like shows that make the viewer anxious, but that rule has totally gone out the window here. The 80s stuff is kind of fun, but it's the storytelling that keeps me coming back for more.

What I'm listening to...
  • The History of English Podcast
    Want to learn more about why we use the words we use? This podcast is definitely one to listen to from episode one. Kevin is a patient and intelligent storyteller who clearly knows his stuff. I always find myself feeling cleverer for having listened to an episode. And I kind of love that at least once an episode I say "Well, of course. That makes total sense!"
  • Elise Gets Crafty
    While Elise crafts in a different segment of the Craft industry, the people she talks to always have interesting things to say. I've started to work my way back into her archives for even more good stuff. I listen to this when running around the track - it does a great job of distracting me from going 'round and 'round the oval.
  • Explore Your Enthusiasm
    To be honest, I'm not sure exactly when I discovered Tara's podcast, but I've listened to all 100 of her episodes (and am now a member of her Starship business group). The minute her episodes show up in my Podcasts app, I listen! Tara really understands small business, especially those of us focused on craft. Great guests and lots of interesting stuff.

So, what are you reading/watching/listening to? I'm always looking for good suggestions, so leave me a comment below.

Thanks for stopping by, and happy knitting!
xoxo, 


*None of these links are affiliate links. I'd rather spend my time sharing what I'm enjoying with you than tracking those down. Go see if your library or local book store (shall we make LBS a thing, like LYS?) has the books, check your local listings or favorite streaming service for the shows, and visit the podcasts' websited directly to find the best way for YOU to enjoy their content.

09 April 2014

What I'm watching (while I'm knitting)

At the moment I seem to have gotten myself into a big sample production cycle (three of six done for the first half of the year, and I'm about 2/3 of the way through the fourth). All this means a lot of knitting, which for me means a lot of TV watching, and I can only watch my 30 Rock DVDs so many times before I become insufferable (I may already be there).

Thanks to my Entertainment Weekly subscription, I checked out Vikings - a scripted drama on the History channel. It is probably safe to say that I have never watched anything on the History channel before. No offense! Up to this point it hasn't really aired my kind of stuff. But Vikings is quite good, if you can get past the really bloody axe battles. The women are strong (and beautiful, of course), the men handsome (and burly - duh, vikings!), there are even a few handknits (check out Ragnar and his blanket below), and I've been intrigued by the Pagan vs. Christian thread that runs through it. I was able to watch the first season on Amazon Prime and the second on my cable provider's On Demand service, though it looks like you can watch all the episodes via the Vikings link above.

Ragnar in his blanket
The funny thing about Vikings is that it clarified a little something for me and Nick. We have similar taste in comedies, but when it comes to drama we diverge quite strongly. Give him something slow-moving, preferably European, and he's a happy camper, and I will take a nap. Give me action, adventure, pirates or aliens, and I'm sold while he finds something else to do. Pretty funny.

For a little whiplash I DVRed all the Alien movies, since IFC decided to run them last week. It's amazing how good Alien and Aliens are (super scary and gory but sooooo good, and I don't even like scary movies - plus, Alien passes the Bechdel Test), and how bad Alien 3 and Alien: Resurrection are (unless you are some sort of crazy complete-ist like me, don't bother)! Again there is a fair bit of gore, but Sigourney Weaver as Ellen Ripley kicks so much butt that I don't mind. She is an amazingly strong character without ever pretending to be a man. It was interesting in reading the trivia and critics's reviews (mostly Roger Ebert) that Weaver was the only female action hero who could "open a movie". I really wish there were more female heroes and superheroes in the movies these days. There was an interesting article about this problem over on The Week's website:

If you watched Girls but didn't think it was funny enough, be sure to catch up on Broad City (only the final episode of the season is on Comedy Central's website, but maybe your provider's On Demand has it). Totally raunchy and heavy on the smoke, it is so funny that it made me (and Nick) cry with laughter, particularly The Lockout (the bit on the subway). Again, this definitely comes with a warning and will certainly not be everyone's cup of tea, but Amy Poehler exec produces and the friendship between the two young women (man, I'm old) is great.

Ooh, were you alive in the 80s? Have you watched The Americans? It's really engrossing. We may have started watching it because they filmed quite a bit in our neighborhood, but Nick and I were totally sucked in. Russian spies in the 80s - sexy and suspenseful without going, well, I guess you would say "full monty", since it's on FX, not premium cable. Generally, I'm not a big fan of the hourlong drama (I just say "No" to procedurals and soapy hospital dramas), but this is good. Just wish they could have kept up the musical intensity that they created in the first episode with Fleetwood Mac's Tusk.

There's more, like I occasionally watch an episode of The Mary Tyler Moore Show with the girls, which they love and has inspired the kids to play "newscast", but I'd better get back to my knitting.

Do you watch movies and shows while knitting? What's your favorite? I have two more samples to go after this one, so I could use some suggestions :)

Thanks for stopping by, and happy knitting!
xoxo, Kathleen