vivdunstan

Jotting down some thoughts about this. Mainly a note to self, but sharing here too in case it's of interest to others.

We have very little time to watch TV series things together. Often just one episode's worth a week, total, given how heavily sedated I am, including typically having to go back to sleep between dinner and supper. And that's after being asleep all day before then ... It really is phenomenally restricting.

However making plans! And as top priority I hope to rewatch the Fifth Doctor Peter Davison era of Doctor Who, now we have almost all the Fifth Doctor Blu-ray remastered season collections, and will get the last one in late March. I've seen very few of these episodes again since original broadcast back in the early 1980s. Martin has seen very few (he didn't have a TV at home when he grew up). So it will be fun to watch/rewatch. Plus watch some of the bonus extra features like documentaries etc on the new Blu-ray season boxes. I will also be referring throughout to the hardback copy of the latest Celestial Toyroom annual Martin got for me for Christmas, after I dropped an unsubtle/heavy hint. This year's annual looks back at the Fifth Doctor era, including writings about each story. The Lulu-printed hardback version of the annual is *gorgeous*.

Before then though we need to finish our watch of the BBC 1988-1990 Narnia TV series. We are almost through the first story, and will go on to the other two after (Prince Caspian! Tom Baker!). Martin has seen BBC's "The Lion, the Witch and the Wardrobe" before from a video copy we had long ago. But he has never seen the others. It is all a rewatch for me. There is also a very in-depth new documentary on the new BBC remastered Blu-ray Narnia box. Will watch that too.

Once that is out of the way we will be able to return to our once a week Babylon 5, as well as starting the Fifth Doctor stories. We are now in early Season 3 of Babylon 5, and approaching some big episodes. Very much looking forward to more. I constantly reassess my favourites, though often end up with the same results. It all feels comfortably familiar. I have lost count of how many times we have rewatched this series.

We also need to watch The Rings of Power season 2, preferably before season 3 airs! Although we will probably be slow getting to the latter. Still have to watch Sandman season 2, but me managing to get through episodes of that given how heavily sedated I am may be very tricky. And we will definitely prioritise watching the Good Omens final wrap up, when that airs.

Almost forgot: we still have to finish watching The War Between the Land and the Sea, which I haven't even managed to stick to an episode a week pace, even outside the Christmas period. Frankly it's very very talky, and often I don't feel up to watching more. But we will finish it. Hopefully soon. 2 episodes to go.

There are probably more things, but that's enough for us to be going on with for now.

Tackling the bumper Christmas issue Radio Times (long running UK TV and radio listings magazine), highlighter pens in hand, ready to note programmes of interest over the festive period. Yup, I’m one of those folk still doing this. Though Christmas is now the only time of year we buy the Radio Times.

Now pondering if I should use more than one highlighter pen colour. And amused by the Wallace & Gromit cover of the festive issue.

Finally managed to watch some of the festive talks from Treadwells, which are available to view free online until today. I'm considering taking out a short paid membership to watch some more of their online talks, so it was really good to try out the technology. Also highly amused at the cat interruptions, in the talk about Greek folk tales of goblins at Christmas!

Here's my final post of these for 2024. I intend to continue into 2025, though obviously resetting the count. I will also be posting my end of year full reading blog later this week, so probably into the start of 2025.

In this latest batch of newly finished books there were 3 rereads (the Sherlock Holmes, Discovery of Witches book 2, and The Dark is Rising). All great as always. The Wood at Midwinter and Booker-winner Orbital were reads for my book club. Both flawed, though I preferred the latter. Always Never was a graphic novel with gorgeous art but a somewhat troubling plot. The Alice in Wonderland gamebook was fun. And I'd never read the Tolkien Letters from Father Christmas book before, and loved it.

( earlier books )
1. The Adventures of Sherlock Holmes by Arthur Conan Doyle
2. Always Never by Jordi Lafebre (graphic novel)
3. Shadow of Night by Deborah Harkness
4. The Wood at Midwinter by Susanna Clarke
5. Alice's Nightmare in Wonderland by Jonathan Green (gamebook)
6. Orbital by Samantha Harvey
7. Letters from Father Christmas by JRR Tolkien
8. The Dark is Rising by Susan Cooper

Have reached that stage of Christmas Eve where I'm turning the kitchen upside down, to check on cooking timings for everything tomorrow, so I can draw up a cooking plan! Luckily we can use the same list/plan again in a week's time. We will be having our Christmas meal very late. I'm unlikely to wake up before 4pm, and we couldn't start cooking it then. But looking forward to it. All the best to everyone from us both for the festive period.

Festive reading - so much Tolkien. John Hendrix’s new graphic novel biography “The Mythmakers” about Tolkien and Lewis. And Tolkien’s own “Letters from Father Christmas”, which I have never read.

Big Finish's full cast audio version of The Box of Delights starring Derek Jacobi is temporarily reduced in download price from £39.99 to £23.99 until 23:59 UK time on 29th December 2024. This is a very good price for it. It sold out on CD format years ago. It's a very strong audio, which I enjoyed immensely. I wrote up a review of it on my personal blog. Recommended anyway. The download can be played in the Big Finish app for tablets and phones, or downloaded DRM-free as MP3 and M4B audiobook files. The download is over 6 hours of listening, including bonus extra features at the end of the main story.

Just read this, for my book club. It's an incredibly short read. It took me just 11 minutes to read the main story in the book, and 4 more minutes to read the author's afterword.

There were elements I liked. The illustrated small hardback book (and I lucked out by chance getting a signed one) is a gorgeous item. The illustrations are beautiful. And there is a sense of magic and winter running throughout. Some very nice animal elements in the book.

But it feels like the first draft of the start of a story that needed much more depth and especially length. I think if it had been improved in that way it could have been something incredibly special. As it is it is disappointing me and the other book club members who've read it.

The author's afterword is interesting, and worth reading. But if anything it just highlights how slight the main story is. For example the afterword discusses other wintry stories in the lyrics of Kate Bush songs. And those sounded far more interesting than what I just read ...

I am glad I read it. But equally glad I still have loads more to go in my first (and leisurely) read of Jonathan Strange & Mr Norrell. Because I'm enjoying that way more than I did this.

Rating 2.5/5, or generously rounded up for Goodreads purposes to 3/5.

Jotting down some quick thoughts, after my latest rewatch.

( Going into spoilers ... )

Onto another story, and, like "A Scandal in Bohemia", this is one I've appreciated more on reads than watching the Jeremy Brett TV version. And this latest read was no exception.

It is gloriously Christmassy, and I really feel as though I should have been reading it in a couple of months time from now! There are vivid descriptions of the cold, wintry weather. And I think reading that is far more immersive than even a visual depiction on the TV version.

The story revolves around a festive goose which has turned up in mysterious circumstances. And even more mysteriously it turns out to have a giant gemstone inside it. Holmes has to deduce how this happened, and solve a crime, and of course he does so, brilliantly.

There is a very lengthy deduction section, where Holmes shows off his skills. This time starting from a hat. It's great to read, not feeling overlong, and it does set up the rest of the story.

I loved the dashing from location to location as Holmes and Watson followed the clues about the goose, back to its origins. There is also a highly amusing conversation in Covent Garden, with a very reluctant poultry seller. And I was amused when Holmes traced someone by placing an advert in the newspapers, that he was sure the person would see the next day.

Ultimately the mystery is resolved, and things are wrapped up. And all round it's just very satisfying. Though again, I think, best read at Christmas. I do wonder what I will think when I rewatch the Jeremy Brett version soon.