vivdunstan

In case I haven't posted this here before ... and checking back I think I have posted this before, but hey, again doesn't hurt!

This is the sort of font I read on my Kindle. On the left is what it started up with by default when I set up a new Kindle a while back. On the right is how I adjusted it for my preference. I don't need a humungous font for visual impairment so much as brain impairment (cognitive).

Squeezing in another of these before my end of year final post.

Got through another 8 books since the last update.

( earlier books )
1. Katabasis by RF Kuang
2. Carmilla by J. Sheridan Le Fanu
3. Mr Villain's Day Off volume 1 (manga) by Yuu Morikawa
4. Born With Teeth (play script) by Liz Duffy Adams
5. A Night in the Lonesome October by Roger Zelazny
6. A Wizard's Guide to Defensive Baking by T. Kingfisher
7. Doctor Who Tales of Terror (short story anthology)
8. Crossroads of Twilight (Wheel of Time book 10) by Robert Jordan

Of the newly finished books, Katabasis was a lot of fun, with a dark journey into the Underworld, but not as good as RF Kuang's superb Babel or even Yellowface for me. Carmilla was a book club read, and frankly disappointing, and a struggle to read. Though Hammer made a good stab at filming a better version in the early 1970s. Mr Villain's Day Off was a chance find in Angus libraries catalogue, so borrowed that way. Fun manga, but I wasn't inspired to read other volumes. Born With Teeth, the Marlowe/Shakespeare play performed recently on stage by Ncuti Gatwa and Edward Bluemel, was a brilliant read, though it would be better to see it performed in person. Yes, I did my usual Roger Zelazny pre-Halloween reread of A Night in the Lonesome October. Still love it. T. Kingfisher's A Wizard's Guide to Contemporary Baking was fun, but a bit unevenly paced, and younger than I'd usually read. It also took too long to get to dangerous fighting gingerbread men. Doctor Who Tales of Terror is a fun spooky anthology collection, with short stories by multiple authors for each of Doctors 1-12. A bit uneven, but overall fun. Wheel of Time book 10 was the slog that I expected, though still fun in many parts. But I needed a very specific approach to reading to get through it successfully. But things should be better again in the remaining books. Book 10 is generally regarded by readers of the whole series as the worst by a long way.

Onto another story that I cannot remember at all, despite reading through the full Sherlock canon at least three or four times before now.

( spoilers )

Been having some extra foot problems, so decided I needed to get some better softer slippers. Treated myself to a couple of pairs of Moshulu ballerina slippers, different colours. They arrived in the post a little while ago, and wearing them is like wearing cushions all around, front and behind. I think this will really help. Delighted. Moshulu is a Devon-based company, and has more physical shops in the West Country than anywhere else. The nearest to Martin's Somerset home village is in Sherborne, Dorset. Here in Scotland there's just one Moshulu outlet, inside Stirling Dobbies. But mail order works well. And the sizing is good, though note their shoes are sized a little bit wider than normal, which works well for me.

Where we live!

Tonight we started our annual rewatch of the magical 1984 BBC TV version of The Box of Delights. Loaded up the remastered Blu-ray version this year, though Box is still currently (for at least a few weeks more) available to stream on the iPlayer.

Got through two films the last couple of nights while Martin is away on a work trip.

The Mummy was a rewatch, and I’m amused how many of the lines I could remember. It is extremely derivative of the 1932 Universal version, but has pizzazz and charm galore, and I love it. In the last few days news came out of a possible new Mummy film starring Rachel Weisz and Brendan Fraser. Yes please.

Death on the Nile is the Kenneth Branagh version. Charming enough, but for me nowhere near as much fun as the 1978 Peter Ustinov version. But it kept me amused, I liked some of the reworked bits, and was impressed by the English accents of the American cast. Rose Leslie also put a lot of effort vocally into her role as the French-speaking maid. I watched this on Disney+ and had access to loads of extra behind the scenes features, which was nice. I was agog that they built replicas of the SS Karnak and the temple at Abu Simbel.

Reading Jason Dyer's recent blog posts playing interactive fiction text adventure game Fairytale (1982). And my mind is blown at the start, learning that this game is based on Enid Blyton's Faraway Tree series of books. Which I adored when I was very young.

I say "based on", but Enid Blyton's books are only part of the inspiration for the game. But the game *does* have her Faraway Tree, and Moonface, Saucepan Man and the Slippery Slip. No Silky though, or Dame Slap.

Watching last night’s Susan Calman’s Grand Day Out, and she’s exploring south Somerset. Has just got to only a couple of miles from Martin’s childhood home 🙂 He is watching this episode very intently!