Yes, it's that time again, when I have nothing else to say so I report on books, movies, etc. Which isn't bad, of course, and I spend a lot of time reading, less time watching stuff on TV, but it indicates a solitary life. Which also isn't bad, it's my choice. I guess.
Jane Smiley: no one writes better than Smiley about farms and Iowa and the early 20th century. "Some Luck" appears to be the first book in a trilogy and it is really good. The characters are so well drawn and their lives are so nicely described, to the point that you sincerely want to know what happens to them, what their lives will become, who will succeed and how, who will succumb to the temptations of the times. It ends as a Book One of a trilogy should end: a little sad yet hopeful and it makes you hungry for Book Two.
"Flight 232" by Laurence Gonzales is a detailed account of the crash of United Airlines Flight 232 in July 1989 in a cornfield in Iowa. I heard an interview with the author on public radio and he was so articulate about this crash and about his book that it compelled me to read it. The details about the crash are gut-wrenching. Interviews with many of the survivors provide those details, from the first indication that something was wrong with the plane to the actual crash, the aftershock of seeing bodies strewn across the crash zone. Reading about the workings of an airplane, the loss of all hydraulics, the mechanics of the plane's destruction seems boring, but those parts were also very interesting. You learn more than you might want to about the crash, but you also learn how this particular crash was a sort of "perfect storm" of small malfunctions that turned into a huge loss of control and subsequently a crash that should have resulted in 100% casualties. Instead, 62% of the passengers and crew survived. It's an intense read.
An Amazon movie rental: "Fort Bliss" tells the story of a young soldier returning from a tour of duty in Afghanistan, trying to mend the relationship with her young 5-year old son. It's not schmaltzy or manipulative. It's honest and very good. You can get a 7 day Amazon rental for less than $5.00. Check it out.
TV shows: well, I succumbed and just bought season 5 of "Justified" with the awesomely hot Timothy Olyphant. Yes, this series is a bit violent and not always nice but Olyphant makes it all worthwhile, at least to me. I also rented season 2 of "Newsroom" which I am totally loving. Smart, quick, so well done. Buying a series sometimes seems like a waste of money but for less than $20 I get hours of happiness (or at least diversion) so it's always worth it. And I can always re-watch it when my feeble memory fades even more.
There are more books that I can report on and maybe I will, but not tonight. I am at work and guests are coming into the lobby area and want to be friendly. I would rather not do that friendly thing, but I cannot type and smile at them simultaneously, so must sign off now.
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