Happy Friday, everyone! We’ve got a little bit of everything in the nerd round-up for this week – a little bit of TV, a little bit of books, a little bit of movies.
TV: TEEN WOLF
The Man and I are several episodes into the first season, and it’s pretty fun, really. It helps that the chemistry of the primary actors is so natural that it overcomes the over-the-top music that tends to wrap up every episode. But my favorite character, hands-down, is Stiles. He’s like the Norm of this show. Every time he shows up, we go, “STILES!” Dylan O’Brien kills it in every scene, nails the comedic timing, and manages to hit the downbeats just as spot-on.
Keep up the good work, O’Brien!
BOOKS: WHAT I’M READING AND WHAT I WANT TO READ NEXT
Sometime between the long work hours and wedding planning and showers and revisions and my project with Brenda, I’m managing to get some reading in. I’m loving Trisha Leigh’s Whispers in Autumn. The world-building is just fantastic – all pleasantly creepy in how beginning-of-Edward-Scissorhands the town is.
I just found out about this one today, but I think it sounds amazing. Desert fantasy worlds and trickster gods? Yes, please!
MOVIES: PERIOD ROMANCE AND ’80S PROPAGANDA
The Man and I watched a lot of movies on Monday afternoon after all our visiting relatives vacated the house. If you were on Twitter, you probably saw me live-tweeting my reactions to Red Dawn and Logan’s Run. I freaking love ’80s movies. So much glorious cheese!
On Tuesday, I worked from home and I turned on the miniseries North & South and got all caught up in the drama and history and sexiness of Richard Armitage. That man can put on a serious smolder, and I have been officially diagnosed with Richard Armitage Smolder Disorder (RASD). There is no cure.
I don’t write romance because I’m kind of terrible at it. I’ve tried, but every romance-y thing I write sounds like stuff that any old asshole could put together, so I leave it for the many other authors who are much better than I. When it comes to reading or watching romance, I’m particular about contemporary stuff, but period romance? Hell yes. Give me some Austen or Bronte or – in this case – Gaskell. I am all about it.
Allow me to demonstrate by providing a video of the last five minutes of North & South – both the Armitage sexiness and the swoonworthy romance:
TO END IT: NOM NOM NOM NOM BABIES
Yeah, you read that right.
Question for this lovely Friday: What’s your stance on romance? Love it? Hate it? Qualify it? Take it to the comments!
Oh, RASD. I think I suffer from this as well
Is there one for Jeremy Renner?
Hmm…there should be. Maybe something about his arms. Those deltoids are just ridiculous.
Oh how I love those last five minutes of North and South! One of the best screen kisses ever… Sigh.
AGREED. I rewatched that clip several times.
I’ll take my romance on the side, please.
I guess this may be a typical guy perspective, but in most cases, I prefer if romance isn’t the only or main attraction. Co is okay, as in a well-written romantic comedy or the novel equivalent. (see Stephanie Plum novels and yes, making fun of me for this is acceptable) The wife and I just finished watching the mini-series Little Dorrit — great romance, but (as in all Dickens) PLENTY of other stuff going on (and Andy Serkis as a French villain, awesome!)
I’m actually with you – I like other stuff going on besides the romance. It can be there, but I’m not often down with it being the front-and-center conflict. One of the interesting parts of North & South actually was that there was a lot about workers’ rights during England’s Industrial Revolution. Strikes, worker riots, unions – it was all quite interesting.
I absolutely adore romance (which I believe I’ve mentioned before), though, like you, I prefer historical to contemporary. (Or at least I do right now, as it seems most of the authors I’ve discovered that I LOOOOOOOVE write historical romance.)
I’m kind of ecstatic right now because my roommate finally read a romance novel I’ve been recommending to him for about a year (Mr. Impossible by Loretta Chase) and he loved it. It’s set in Egypt around 1820ish, and it’s a really good blend of romantic sexytimes and adventure.
Loretta Chase is a fairly awesome author in general, and I would recommend her and Courtney Milan to anybody who was curious about historical romance.
Hmm…this Mr. Impossible you speak of sounds rather intriguing. Might have to look that one up!