To read or not to read?

In mid/late March, PBS will be launching two new series on Sunday nights:  "The Forsytes," based on "The Forsyte Saga" novels from the 1920s by John Galsworthy, and "The Count of Monte Cristo," based on the 1844 classic by Alexander Dumas. I plan to watch both! (at least the first few episodes, to see if I enjoy them). 

(I remember my mother watching "The Forsyte Saga" when I was a kid, back in the 1960s -- or was it "The Whiteoaks of Jalna"?  -- Probably both, lol. Apparently there was a new version of "The Forsyte Saga" made for British TV in 2002, too. The original 1967 series is apparently available to watch on YouTube... hmmm...)    

I have not read any of the books these shows are based on. I generally do like to read a book first before seeing any movies/TV shows based on them, and I figured I would read these before the TV shows began. Of course, time zoomed by between when I first heard about the shows and the present... With just a few weeks left to go, I recently bought cheap e-copies for my Kobo reader, and opened them both earlier this week.  

I did not realize (until I did) that both are LONG books!! I checked on Goodreads, and the paperback Penguin edition of "The Count of Monte Cristo" is almost 1,300 pages long;  "The Forsyte Saga" is 900!  Granted, I suppose I could just read whatever I can before the shows start -- the first episode(s) won't cover the entire book, after all.

But do I really have the time, energy and focus right now to tackle two very long books like these?   Are there other books I could/should be reading right now instead?  (especially given my book club obligations). Will reading the books first enhance my understanding and appreciation of the shows -- or just annoy me, when I realize what they've left out and how they've miscast certain characters that I imagined differently??  etc. etc.  (lol)  Is it worth reading the books first when it's likely I'm just going to be annoyed by the TV show's lack of faithfulness to the subject material?? 

In the case of "The Forsytes," the project is being led by Debbie Horsfield, who adapted the first seven "Poldark" novels by Winston Graham for a TV series for a new generation (2015-2019), a few years back. (There was also a "Poldark" TV series in the 1970s, which my mother & I watched together.) The first several seasons of "Poldark" were mostly faithful to the books and very well done... right up until the final season, which completely departed from the novels, and was nowhere near as satisfying. (I've written about both the Poldark books & TV shows on this blog in the past, and tagged them all as "Poldark.")    

And I've been hearing rumblings that "The Forsytes" TV series led by Horsfield won't be a strict adaptation, but rather will be "reimagined" from the novels. (See, for example, this article from Drama Quarterly, and this one from Radio Times.)  Hmmm....  I don't mind a few tweaks and trims (you can't include EVERYTHING in the books, of course), but it does bother me when too many liberties are taken with the original story (especially when the author doesn't have any say in the changes!).  

What do you think?  Do you generally like to read a book before seeing the movie/show -- or do you think it matters?  (Have you read these books before?)  

(I was amused to see, while browsing through my past Poldark-related posts, that I wrote a similar post on this subject back in 2017!) 

Odds & ends & annoying things

• Annoying thing #1:  How the heck is it almost the end of November?? I need to get cracking with my Christmas shopping....
• I did order T-shirts for my sister & me from an Etsy dealer in the U.S., both bearing the motto "I'm with the banned"  (as in books, lol).  :)  
• My sister has been off work all week with covid (as I wrote here).  Last I heard from her (yesterday, via email), she still wasn't feeling great and was sleeping a lot.  :(  
• A few weeks ago, we had dinner at dh's cousin's house (along with BIL & SIL), and (as I wrote here) our hostess made (among other yummy things) a really tasty salad/veggie dish that I haven't been able to get out of my head since. I finally texted her and asked for the recipe, and she was happy to share -- and I'm happy to share it here with you too.  :)  
• I made the double recipe (14 cups) on Tuesday. It was a LOT -- we've had it for lunch &/or a side dish at dinner every day since then -- but it keeps 3-4 days in the refrigerator, and it's been a welcome change from endless peanut butter on toast and yogurt, lol -- we finished it off at lunchtime today. It got a little soggy towards the end, but it's soooo good. :)  Our hostess and I both used sweet potato instead of butternut squash, plus optional kale for some greenery (spinach leaves would probably be good too), and I used white wine vinegar instead of apple cider vinegar for the dressing.  I will definitely make it again! 
• Annoying thing #2: The PBS/BBC TV adaptation of Winston Graham's "Poldark" novels, a few years back, piqued interest in the original books, and I started following an online forum devoted to them. The conversation there mostly petered out once the TV series ended -- but back in early September, I started getting notifications of new posts on a thread titled "Demelza," dormant since 2018.  Three guys there have been arguing over the character of Demelza (Ross Poldark's wife), her affair with Hugh Armitage, whether he ever truly loved her, and whether she ever truly loved Ross.  
• Two women, early on, intervened to make comments in defense of Demelza. They were mostly ignored and haven't ventured back into the conversation. I don't blame them...! I've mostly been just rolling my eyes and ignoring the posts -- but seriously, I'm kind of agog that these three guys have been arguing about this (on & off, with a pause for a couple of weeks), for almost THREE MONTHS NOW...!  The power of literature, I guess??  (But also the power of a bunch of a guys with an opinion, who think they know a woman's heart & mind...!)  
• Annoying thing #3:  My brand-new Kobo e-reader (a Clara 2E) -- which I bought barely a month ago, to replace my 8-year-old Aura H20, which was not downloading books or syncing properly -- was doing exactly the same thing as the old one, earlier this week. I was frustrated beyond belief...!  
• I found a link on the Kobo help site to Facebook Messenger, so I messaged them there. They recommended I do an "account repair." I had it in repair mode for 16 HOURS, overnight (had to plug it in to recharge because the battery was running so low). I finally messaged them and asked "How long is this going to take??"  I mean, I have a lot of books on there, but this was ridiculous...!  
• They recommended I cancel the repair (and told me a reset procedure so that I wouldn't lose any data), and then try again, preferably using a different wifi. (Yeah, like I just have another wifi system in my back pocket??)  I did the cancel/reset procedure, and then I decided to try signing out of my account and back in again, which is something else suggested on the help site. 
• It was like I was setting up my reader all over again! -- I had to reconnect to our wifi and reinput the wifi password and then my Kobo account password -- and it started repopulating all my books again. And then it downloaded the last 5 most recent books I'd bought!  (It took about a half an hour.)  I had to re-download all the other books I'd downloaded to read, too. 
• BUT -- THEY DOWNLOADED!!!  And the ones I'd been reading still opened up at the page(s) where I'd left off. Working like a charm since then, thank goodness! (and fingers crossed!)  
• Henri, a fellow CNBCer from one of the online childless communities I frequent, has started a Substack newsletter. Her latest entry is a thoughtful post on that phrase we all love to hate ("as a mother...").  Go read, like and maybe subscribe! (I've added her to my blogroll here!) 
• In her Substack (Life, Almost), Jennie Agg (mother of one, plus five miscarriages) decides she's "done" (maybe...), and muses on "the myth of maternal desire" in "Maybe I don’t want another baby ‘enough’."  No matter when you decided YOU were "done" or how many living children and/or losses you had (including zero), you will likely find something to relate to in her words. Sample passage:  

...I can’t help feeling that if I really am done, it will mean something about how much I wanted this in the first place. Given that I have the option of keeping going – which I’m aware not everybody who wants a child does – why wouldn’t I?

But there’s an unreasonable expectation masquerading in that question. Because what would, in fact, count as ‘enough’? How could you possibly quantify such a thing?

How much physical trauma is enough? How much money do I need to spend on unevidenced private treatments? Do I have to have considered surrogacy, adoption? Do I need to show receipts from yet another expensive therapist?  

• In the post mentioned above, Agg links to another piece by Farrah Storr, a childless journalist who writes at Things Worth Knowing:  "How NOT to have children:  A guide from the other side..."  Unlike her, I haven't experienced a "startling" number of friendships with mothers in their 50s with grown children (?!) -- and I haven't encountered too many other CNBCers who have either -- but overall, it's definitely worth a read!  
• Completely unrelated to anything ALI-related, but full of great writing (and truths!) that made me laugh:  Cathal Kelly, a sportswriter at the Globe & Mail, expounds on a recent scandal involving the football coach at the University of Michigan, and what it says about the differences between Americans & Canadians. (Gift linked.) 
• (SO true! The largest crowd at an average-attendance Canadian college sports game -- of any sport -- would probably fit into an American high school football stadium -- and still leave a lot of empty seats.) 
• Annoying thing #4 (related to the above...!):  Dh has been watching hours and hours of American college & NFL football for two solid days now. (Sigh, and eyeroll.)  He tries to tell me that, well, I watch hours & hours of figure skating at this time of year -- but I still think he watches more football overall.  
• Besides which, no Canadian TV network is carrying coverage of the fall grand prix series this year (! -- Annoying thing #5...). American network coverage is spotty and U.S.-centric. I could watch it online, but to be honest, I forget to check what times it's on. The final is on this weekend (in Japan, I think?), so I may make an effort to tune in, even if it's on my laptop at odd hours.  
• On the other hand, with everyone south of the border busy with Thanksgiving, Black Friday and football, my inbox has been much less busy/full than usual, my social media networks quieter, and I've actually got some reading done. It's been nice to get caught up a little!  

#MicroblogMondays: Page to screen

"The Blue Castle" -- one of my favourite L.M. Montgomery novels (and one of my all-time favourite books, period) -- is coming to the screen. 

I am of two minds on this: 

• (1) YAY!!/IT'S ABOUT TIME!! I've always thought this would make a great movie (in the right hands). 
• (2) (To that point...)  I am TERRIFIED they are going to screw this one up.  (Like, Americanize the story to appeal to a U.S. audience, or set it in modern times... ugh. Or inject modern sensibilities into a story written in 1926.)  

I had similar feelings when I recently learned that Alexandra Potter's "Confessions of a Forty-Something F***-Up" (reviewed here) is being turned into an ABC-TV series called "Not Dead Yet."  None of the actors cast seems to be British, so I can only assume it's been transposed to a U.S. setting. I'll reserve judgment until I see it, but I have a hard time envisioning this one without British accents and humour. (Likewise, I am praying that the film version of "The Thursday Murder Club" -- Steven Spielberg has bought the rights -- keeps the story in England, cast with British actors.) 

Granted -- some movie/TV adaptations turn out to be pretty good. I adored the 1980s TV adaptation of "Anne of Green Gables" with Megan Follows as an absolutely perfect Anne and Colleen Dewhurst as Marilla. (The sequels, not so much...!) I enjoyed "Road to Avonlea" (which used several Montgomery novels and short stories for inspiration), to a point -- it took a lot of liberties with Montgomery's material and kind of wore out its welcome by the time it ended. Likewise, "Emily of New Moon."  

Off the top of my head, in terms of well-done film versions of other books I've enjoyed: 

• "Normal People" (I loved the TV version possibly even more than the book! -- reviewed here and here). 
• "The Fault in Our Stars" (movie review here). 
• The 1994 version of "Little Women" with Winona Ryder as Jo. (The most recent version, with Saiorse Ronan as Jo, was pretty good too, but the 1994 one remains my favourite.)  
• "The Outsiders" was one of my favourite books, growing up, and the movie version turned out to be pretty good (can't beat that cast!), although by the time they got around to making it, I was in my 20s, so it didn't enthrall me quite as much as it might have a few years earlier. 
• The TV versions of Winston Graham's "Poldark" novels -- both 1970s and more recent -- were both pretty faithful to the books and well done, with the exception of the final/most recent season, which was entirely made up by the scriptwriters. 
• "Gone With the Wind," both book & movie, are pretty dated/politically incorrect, but both were touchstones of my growing-up years, and the movie was a pretty amazing feat of filmmaking and storytelling for its time (also some great casting -- Clark Gable as the perfect Rhett Butler!!) 

I know there are a lot more I'm forgetting, but those are a few that spring to mind at the moment. 

Disappointments: (As I often complained here while it was being aired, lol) Dan Brown's "The Lost Symbol" started off all right, but it diverged in some significant ways from the book, including being padded with characters and subplots that weren't in the original (presumably to stretch things out to 10 episodes). It all got rather ridiculous toward the end. 

What do you think? What movie/TV adaptations do you think were well done? Which ones weren't? 

My reviews of "The Blue Castle" (the book), here and here. 

(On a related note:  Following the conclusion of our recent discussion of "The Story Girl," the LMM Readathon group on Facebook I've been part of for the past two years is on hiatus. The organizers promised to keep the group going as long as the pandemic lasted... I don't think they ever imagined it going into Year #3 (we've covered seven Montgomery books to date)..! One of the organizers is stepping back due to other commitments, and if the group is to continue, volunteers will be needed. Decisions/future plans will be announced soon...) 

You can find more of this week's #MicroblogMondays posts here. 

Right now

Right now... (an occasional meme, alternating from time to time with "The Current")

Reading:  I read four (5) books in November (all reviewed on this blog):

• This Particular Happiness: A Childless Love Story by Jackie Shannon Hollis (she & Jody Day discussed the book in a Zoom call for the private Gateway Women community yesterday).
• The Home for Unwanted Girls by Joanna Goodman (discussed at my November library book club meeting earlier this week -- most people liked it & would recommend it).
• Me by Elton John 
• Mrs. Tim Flies Home by D.E. Stevenson
• Notes to Self by Emilie Pine 

With one month to go, my Goodreads 2019 Reading Challenge YTD total now stands at 45 books -- 21 more than my goal of 24 (188%).  :)  Jess challenged me in a previous comment to double my original challenge goal ( = 48 books), which would mean reading three more books by the end of December. Even if I don't get anything read between now & Christmas, I usually read a couple of books while I'm at my parents' house over the holidays, so it just might be do-able...!)

Current read(s): Deciding on the next one! 

Coming up:

• No library book club meeting in December. Our January discussion will be about "The Alice Network" by Kate Quinn, which I read & reviewed earlier this year here. It was supposed to be discussed at our meeting LAST January (2019) -- the first meeting I was planning to attend. Alas, there was a heavy snowstorm and all library programs that evening were cancelled. :(  A few people were complaining about revisiting a book they'd read last year, but I'm glad we're finally getting another chance to talk about it!  (Which reminds me, Quinn's "The Huntress" is also in my TBR pile...!) 
• My D.E. Stevenson group will be waiting until the New Year to begin our online discussion of "Mrs. Tim Flies Home," which I recently read & reviewed here. After that, at my suggestion :)  we're going to tackle my personal DES favourite, "The Baker's Daughter," which the group last read & discussed some 20 (!) years ago. I read & reviewed that one here back in early 2016, but may do a re-read, especially since it's one I love. :)  

(Some) recent purchases/additions to the TBR pile (that I haven't read yet):

• The Nickel Boys by Colson Whitehead
• The Mitford Murders by Jessica Fellowes
• The Whisper Network by Chandler Baker 

Watching:  We didn't see any movies in the theatre in November. :( 

On television:

• The fifth and final season of "Poldark" on PBS wrapped up with a slightly ridiculous finale episode. This season departed from the source material (the books by Winston Graham), and as a result, I found it much less satisfying... but I do still love the characters & actors. Hoping they will be able to reunite the cast in another 10 years or so to film the final 5 books in the series (which take place 10 years after the original 7 novels)!  
• Still haven't had time to get into Season 3 of "The Crown"... hoping to watch it all before we head west for Christmas!  
• Anyone know if "Victoria" will be returning soon?? 

Listening:  To a few episodes of the podcast "Kidless" with Ashley & Eric, who are childfree by choice. They recently had a great conversation with Katy of Chasing Creation, who is childless-not-by-choice. Check it out!

Following: Weather reports... lots of warnings/advisories. It was raining this morning, which turned to freezing rain, and is now a snowstorm. Glad to stay safe & warm at home today! 

Drinking/Eating:  For lunch:  leftover fast-fired pizza from dinner at the mall last night:  cream sauce, mozzarella, onion & garlic, spinach leaves, chicken & sausage. Yum!  For dinner:  trying a new Pinterest recipe for crockpot chicken & dumplings, using a can of cut-up Pillsbury biscuits for the dumplings. We'll see how it turns out, but it IS starting to smell good...! 

Buying (besides books, lol):  Christmas presents (of course). (Time is rapidly running out, yikes!!) Baby clothes & diapers (when they're on sale), for Great-Nephew. :)

Wearing: My Christmas-themed long-sleeved waffle-weave shirts from Old Navy, around the house. :)

Wanting: To see our little great-nephew.  :) 

Enjoying: The lights of our Christmas tree, which we put up on Wednesday & decorated on Thursday.

Loving: Spending time with our new little great-nephew. (And the dog!  lol) 

Feeling:  Relieved (incredibly so), that our little great-nephew arrived safely and is doing well. Happy that it's Christmastime. :) 

Right now

Right now... (an occasional meme, alternating from time to time with "The Current")

Reading:  5 (!) books in September (all reviewed during September on this blog):

• The Testaments by Margaret Atwood 
• American Carnage by Tim Alberta 
• Up Beaver Creek by Sue Fagalde Lick -- our GW book club pick for September. (Sadly, this was likely the last GW book club discussion, as there haven't been too many people participating.)   
• She Said by Jodi Kantor & Megan Twohey  
• The Vagina Bible by Dr. Jen Gunter 

Current read(s):

• The Education of Brett Kavanaugh by Robin Pogrebin & Kate Kelly 

Coming up:

• Unfortunately, roadwork outside of our building (& changing schedules) meant access in & out of our driveway was blocked last night starting around 7 p.m. -- which meant I was unable to leave to attend my library book club at 7, as planned. :(  (Actually, I probably could have left -- just not sure we would have been able to get back in again!)  We were discussing "Everything I Never Told You" by Celeste Ng, which I'd already read earlier this summer & reviewed here. 
• October's selection will be "Never Let Me Go" by Kazuo Ishiguro, which I bought & read 10 (!) years ago for Mel's Barren B*tches Book Tour (my post from then here). Debating whether to do a complete re-read or just a skim to refresh my memory? 
• "Kate Hardy" will be the next read for my online D.E. Stevenson fan group, before we move on to the final book in the Mrs. Tim series, "Mrs. Tim Flies Home."  Both books share the setting of "Old Quinings" in post-WWII England. 

My Goodreads 2019 Reading Challenge YTD total now stands at 34 books -- 7 more than my goal of 24 (142%).  :)

(Some) recent purchases/additions to the TBR pile (that I haven't read yet):

• Truth Be Told by Beverly McLachlin (the first female Chief Justice of the Supreme Court of Canada)
• Inside Out by Demi Moore. 
• Had it Coming by Robyn Doolittle 

Watching:  In-theatre movies seen in September:

• Downton Abbey (if you loved the TV series, you will love the movie).
• Judy with Renee Zellwegger as Judy Garland, near the end of her far-too-short life. If you know anything about Judy Garland's life, you'll know this movie is not exactly cheerful stuff. But Renee's performance is amazing (she sings, too -- she's no Judy Garland in that department, but she's not bad either...!). 

On television:

• The final season (#5) of Poldark began this past weekend on PBS.  This season is straying beyond the material in Winston Graham's books, picking up where the last season of the TV show left off (which covered up to the end of book #7, "The Angry Tide"). Book #8 ("The Stranger From the Sea") takes a leap in time of 10+ years -- a gap the producers apparently felt was too big for the current cast to take -- and so they've used the screenwriter's imagination to continue the story (this article explains).  We'll see how it all works out...!
• We both thoroughly enjoyed Ken Burns's recent series on the history of country music on PBS.  I wouldn't say I'm a huge country music fan, but I've gained an appreciation for it and some of its artists (Patsy Cline, Roseanne Cash, Dolly Parton...) as I've gotten older.  I surprised myself by how many of the artists I knew & how many of the songs I could sing along to...! 
• I am beyond thrilled that CBC has brought back Battle of the Blades! -- a reality competition show, which pairs hockey players (both male & female) with figure skaters, skating for their favourite charities. One pair gets eliminated every week, through a mixture of public voting and judging decisions. Outside of Canada, you can't view entire episodes, BUT, apparently you can view individual performances on YouTube, and vote for your favourite team each week!  (It's still early in the competition, but I am thinking Ekaterina Gordeeva & Bruno Gervais are looking like the team to beat -- and I have a soft spot for Manitoba-born Sheldon Kennedy & Kaitlyn Weaver!) 

Crossing my fingers: A touring production of  "Hamilton" is FINALLY coming to Toronto in February for a couple of months... subscribers to the full season of programming get first dibs on the tickets and then the rest of us get to fight it out for what's left, once they go on sale (sale date still TBA). Wish me luck!!

Listening:  To the Stingray classic rock channel we get as part of our TV package. The other day they were playing "Black Water" by the Doobie Brothers. Not a song I especially loved, growing up, but one I heard a lot of... it was there, like the wallpaper, lol. There is something very comforting about the music of your youth, I think. (Even when it's something less mellow than the Doobie Brothers -- like Led Zeppelin, lol.)

Following:  The unfolding impeachment drama in the U.S. Funnily enough, I think my memories of Richard Nixon's impeachment investigation (1973-74, when I was 12-13 years old) are much clearer than Bill Clinton's, when I was in my late 30s. Maybe because the Clinton inquiry unfolded throughout 1998/early 1999... when I was (cough) otherwise preoccupied.

Drinking/Eating: (Canadian) Thanksgiving turkey dinner with my family, soon!

Smelling:  What I thought was a skunk... but apparently is more likely pot (especially since we're smelling it in the hallways as well as through the open balcony doors...!).  I didn't realize until chatting with my sister this summer, but apparently today's pot does not smell the same as the stuff  that used to waft through the halls of my university dorm, 35-40 (*cough cough*) years ago. (And we've been smelling "skunk" a LOT more frequently since cannabis was legalized here in Canada earlier this spring...!  "Thanks, Justin!" dh says, rolling his eyes.)(So THAT explains why there seem to be an awful lot of skunks hanging around our building lately, lol...)

Buying (besides books, lol):  Birthday & Halloween gifts to take for the Little Princesses, and adorable outfits for my soon-to-born (as yet unnamed) great-nephew. My most recent find:  I couldn't resist a red & black flannel lumberjack-style onesie and tiny matching plaid flannel-lined jeans with the cuffs turned up, both from Baby Gap.

Wearing: I managed to get through September without having to put on my long jeans, socks & shoes (remaining in my beloved capris & sandals).  (Loving that!)  Sadly, though, I think those days are coming to an end very soon... if not here in southern Ontario, then definitely when I head home to Manitoba to visit my family shortly...!

Trying:  To avoid the current federal election hoopla, lol.  Counting the days until it's over (on Oct. 21st)! It seems like it's dragging on forever, and yet the entire campaign from start to finish is 40 days (which is pretty much the average for Canadian election campaigns -- I found this Wikipedia entry on Canadian elections, which says, "The length of election campaigns can vary, but under the Elections Act, the minimum length of a campaign is 36 days and the maximum length of the campaign is 50 days." ).  I don't know how the Americans do it...!!

Wanting:  All the roadwork & construction hereabouts to be DONE, ALREADY!!!  It's been dragging on almost since the day we moved in 3.5 years ago, and we are SICK OF IT!!! (See also "Reading," above, lol.)

Feeling: Excited to be heading "home" to see my family soon, albeit slightly anxious to be doing it solo (my first solo trip in a long while).

Wondering:  How it got to be October 1st and where 2019 went?? -- it's already 3/4 over!! Yikes!! 

Right now

Right now... (an occasional meme, alternating from time to time with "The Current")

Reading:  Currently reading: "Fed Up:  Emotional Labor, Women, and the Way Forward" by Gemma Hartley. Almost finished;  review to come. :)  I've already reached my Goodreads 2018 Reading Challenge goal of 24 books! (this would be #25).

Recent purchases:

• "Becoming" by Michelle Obama 
• "The Library Book" by Susan Orlean 

Watching:  Another season of "Poldark" is over (sniffle).  This was season 4, which brought us to the end of the first 7 books in a series of 12 by Winston Graham. The next novel in the series, "The Stranger From the Sea," takes a leap in time of 10 years and focuses more on the children of Ross & Demelza, their friends and relatives. There will be one more season of "Poldark" with the current cast (filming is now under way), but it will be set within that 10-year gap -- in other words, it will be almost entirely written from the imagination of the scriptwriters, based on clues in the later novels as to what happened during that time. (I'm assuming both the actors & the producers felt they were too young to play older versions of their characters just yet.)  This makes me a little nervous -- although it seemed to work fairly well this past season with "The Handmaid's Tale," as it went beyond the material in Margaret Atwood's novel. I guess we'll have to wait and see how it all turns out...!

Listening:  To Christmas music. I have a lot of Christmas CDs, but some of our favourites to listen to while we're decorating include A Charlie Brown Christmas (of course), Blue Rodeo's A Merrie Christmas to You, Pink Martini, and Bing Crosby.

Following:  After seeing the movie "Bohemian Rhapsody" recently, I looked up Queen on social media. One thing led to another and I'm now following both Brian May & Roger Taylor (guitarist & drummer), as well as the actors who played them & the other band members in the film.  Judging from their Instagram posts (and their comments on each other's posts), they seem to have had a great time filming and promoting the movie together. Among the gems I found:  a Lego version of the movie trailer (Brian May loved it), a "Wayne's World"-inspired deviation from the original "Bohemian Rhapsody" music video that didn't make it into the movie ;)  and a lifesized cardboard cutout version of the actor Ben Hardy (who played Roger Taylor in the movie), which accompanied the other celluloid band members on a promotional tour (you have to see the posts!).

Drinking/Eating: Still haven't had a Starbucks gingerbread latte yet. :)  I like to have at least one during the season. :)

Wearing:  My winter jackets again. :(  So far, though, I haven't had to pull out my boots!

Buying (besides books, lol): Christmas presents! :)  Not done yet, but I've made a good dent in the list.

Trying: To get used to LED light bulbs. There are only two 60-watt incandescent bulbs left in the house, being used in our living room lamps. :(   They are no longer being sold in Canada, and I've exhausted my stash. (Previous blog whine about the incandescent phase-out here.)

Wanting: To get to the nearby art gallery where I have a membership before one of the exhibits closes soon.

Loving: My Christmas tree, now up and decorated. :)

Feeling:  Christmas-y. :)

#MicroblogMondays: Odds & ends

• Sorry for the downer of a previous post... albeit it did feel good to vent a little. ;)  What can I say, it's November...! 
• We got out of the house this weekend, which did wonders for my mood (even though the weather was crappy).  We went to an event at a nearby art gallery where I hold a membership, then into the pretty little village where it's located for treats at Starbucks. Then to BIL's house to play with Older Nephew's puppy (always a mood-booster!), and from there to the mall to walk around, shop & have dinner. 
• The mall had all its Christmas decorations up, and Santa was holding court. Now I'm starting to feel Christmasy!  
• Season finale of "Poldark" was on TV last night... including no fewer than three pledge breaks interrupting the show. Ugh. I love PBS & I know it depends on pledge breaks, but couldn't they put them before & after the show, especially when it's something that's SO anticipated??  

You can find more of this week's #MicroblogMondays posts here.  

#MicroblogMondays: Do you read the book first?

Is anyone else watching this season of "Poldark" on PBS Masterpiece Theatre (or have you seen it elsewhere that it's already been broadcast)?  Last night was this season's penultimate episode, i.e., the next-to last one. This coming Sunday will be the end, although filming on another season (the 4th) is now under way. (We'll probably have to wait until next fall before we see it here, though...!) 

I have been reading the comments on various Poldark-related social media posts in amusement/bemusement, as people vent about the events in latest episodes and speculate what's going to happen next. It's clear that not many people have actually read the books the show is based on (or seen the original 1970s TV adaptation) -- heck, I'm sure some people don't even realize there ARE books the show is based on -- & I fear some of them are going to be sadly disappointed when things don't go the way they hope or predict. 

(As you might guess, I've read the books -- all but the 12th/very last one. I started re-reading them when the new TV series began airing, and have reviewed them on this blog. You can find them, if you're interested, by typing "Poldark" into the search window on the right-hand side of this page.)

Whenever possible, I prefer to read the book(s) before I watch a TV show or movie -- which is why I still haven't watched Outlander or Alias Grace, to name a few. (Usually, the book version is better.)  Thank goodness for PVRs & Netflix... ;)  I was relieved when the recent movie adaptation of Jo Nesbo's "The Snowman" got lousy reviews, because it meant I could move the movie down on my "to see" list and thus didn't have to rush to read the book first. ;)  (So many books, so little time...)

What about you? Do you prefer to read the book first, or do you like to be surprised?  And are you watching "Poldark"?? 

You can find more of this week's #MicroblogMondays posts here.  

Recent reading (more Poldark!)

My reading year began the same way the last one ended ;) with a good dose of the Poldark novels by Winston Graham, set in Cornwall in the late 1700s.  I picked up where I left off at Christmastime by reading books #6 & #7 in the series, The Four Swans and The Angry Tide.

"The Four Swans" takes its title from the swans on the river in Truro, observed by both Morwenna & Ross. To Ross, they seem to represent the four main women in his life (Demelza, Caroline, Elizabeth and Morwenna), each of whom faces challenges in her life and her marriage in this book.  For Demelza, it's her attraction to a handsome young naval officer, rescued by Ross in France (who has a way with a pen);  for Caroline, it's dissatisfaction in her marriage to Dwight because of his devotion to his medical career and his patients;  for Elizabeth, it's George's jealousy and suspicions about their son's parentage that continue to overshadow their marriage;  and for Morwenna, it's a loveless arranged marriage to a pompous young minister (who has a foot fetish, no less!!).  Demelza's brothers, Sam & Drake, are back too, and both dealing with broken hearts in their own ways.

As Goodreads reviewer Marilyn says, "Whatever else you might think of Winston Graham's writing, his characters are sterling. They screw up, redeem themselves, then screw up again. Real people, fascinating in their human-ness."

"The Angry Tide" continues these storylines, with Ross now a member of Parliament, and there is a good chunk of the book that takes place in London, as seen through a visiting Demelza's eyes. I could have done with a little less of London, but overall, I loved this book, and I loved the characters' pronouncements on life, love, marriage and death.  The last part of the book ties up several ongoing storylines, as the 18th century draws to a close and another century dawns, and Ross faces his 40th birthday. It packs one emotional wallop after another, with a stunning ending. If you love these books & these characters as I do, you will want to have Kleenex on hand. (And while I never want the books or the TV series to end, I vividly remember how the 1970s TV adaptation ended -- and there's a part of me that cannot wait to see how the current cast & producers handle the challenge!)

The next five novels in the series after these two take a leap forward in time 10 years, and focus more on the lives and loves of Ross & Demelza's children. I read all of them years ago, with the sole exception being the 12th & final novel, "Bella Poldark."  The producers of the "Poldark" BBC/PBS TV series have said they are not sure they will continue filming the novels past this one (because of this leap in time), so I am not sure I will continue to re-read the later novels;  at least, they will not be a priority for me in the same way the others were. I will probably look to read something else next. But I would highly recommend the whole series. :) 

These were books #1 & #2 that I've read to date in 2017. I have set myself a goal, through the Goodreads Challenge, to read 24 books in 2017.

Recent reading: A plethora of Poldark ;)

The last three books I read in 2016 were from Winston Graham's Poldark series. As I've written before, I first read the Poldark books and was a big fan of the original BBC/PBS television series, back in the 1970s. I began re-reading the series when a new television series based on the books began airing on PBS a couple of years ago.

The series began in 1780s England, with Ross Poldark returning to his native Cornwall from fighting in the American Revolution. He finds his father is dead, his estate is in ruins, and his sweetheart, Elizabeth Chynoweth, thinking him dead, is now engaged to his cousin, Francis. To the horror of local society, Ross takes in an abused miner's daughter named Demelza as a kitchen maid, falls in love with her and marries her. 

As the series continues, the French Revolution casts its shadow over England. The poor are getting increasingly poorer and more desperate, and the forces of industrialization and commercialization -- represented here by the upstart Warleggan family -- are challenging the dominance of the old order. 

Jeremy Poldark & Warleggan, the third and fourth Poldark novels, formed the basis of the BBC TV series season that just recently ended on PBS in North America. As with the previous novels, the storytelling is masterful. The characters and relationships are complex and wonderfully drawn, and you learn a lot about the history of the time and how people lived.

As "Jeremy Poldark" opens, Ross is facing trial for inciting the locals to loot and riot after a ship owned by the Warleggans runs aground in a storm, and Demelza is desperately maneuvering to save him. The trial, the recent death of his daughter Julia, a lingering attraction to Elizabeth place a strain on Ross's relationship with Demelza, just as she discovers she is pregnant again (with the title character). As a bereaved parent who saw many of our support group friends and clients go through subsequent pregnancies after loss, I was impresssed with the very realistic way parental grief is portrayed in this book. Like many parents, Ross & Demelza find themselves grieving the loss of Julia and approaching the prospect of having more children in very different ways, which drives a wedge between them. Grief is not a major plot point but, as it often does, it forms a backdrop and informs other events that follow. 

 In "Warleggan," cousins Ross and Francis embark on an ill-fated partnership to revive the family mine, Wheal Grace, and free themselves of the influence of their enemy, George Warleggan. When Ross's relationship with Elizabeth deepens, a furious Demelza retaliates by encouraging the attention of a handsome Scottish officer. The relationships between men & women and how easily misunderstandings and damage can occur is a recurring theme in this book.

The Black Moon, the fifth Poldark novel, takes its title from the black moon (lunar eclipse) that takes place as George Warleggan & Elizabeth's son, Valentine, is born. Great-Aunt Agatha Poldark, nearing her 100th birthday, pronounces it to be a bad omen -- something she reiterates with great relish to George later in the book.  There is a long interlude in France, where Ross risks everything to rescue his friend, Dr. Dwight Enys, from a French prison. And we are introduced to two of Demelza's brothers, Sam, a devout Methodist, and Drake, who forms an unlikely (and socially verboten) friendship with young Geoffrey Charles Poldark, son of Francis & Elizabeth -- and with his governess, Elizabeth's cousin, Morwenna Chynoweth -- adding to the existing tensions between the Poldark & Warleggan families.  

"The Black Moon" and part of the next book in the series (which I am currently re-reading), "The Four Swans," will be the basis of the next season of Poldark, which is now filming in Britain. Air dates TBA. Needless to say, I can't wait! 

These were books #22, #23 & #24 that I read in 2016, for a final total of 24 books read, meeting my Goodreads challenge. :) 

Odds & ends

• The other night, I smelled it again. Smoke. Damnit. (It was Sunday night. Sunday nights seem to be smoking nights across the hall, for whatever reason.)  It wasn't as bad as it has been in the past -- the weatherstripping must be helping some -- but it's still there (although dh claimed he couldn't smell anything until he put his nose right up to the door frame). How annoying. :p  
• "Poldark" is over for another season. :(  Filming of season 3 is already underway in Cornwall, but no word on when we in North America can expect to see it. Likely not until fall 2017, I imagine.
• In the meantime, as consolation, the new season of "Sherlock" begins on New Year's Day :)  and "Victoria" on January 15th. :) 
• Christmas shopping is underway. The sheer numbers of adorable babies & toddlers in the mall can be overwhelming at times.
• Whatever angst I might feel over so much cuteness, however, is often outweighed by annoyance at the mega strollers taking up space in the stores and in the halls outside -- often two abreast, mothers ambling along with one hand on the stroller handle and the other on their cellphone. Is it just me (is it just sour grapes??) or does this drive anyone else nuts too??   
• I signed up for the Goodreads 2016 Reading Challenge earlier this year, and set myself a goal of 24 books. That seemed like a reasonable number -- two books per month, on average, and about the same number as I've managed to read per year over the past few years. Right now, I'm "on track," with 21 books read, 3 to go. I still have a few weeks to go, obviously, and I usually get a few books read during my Christmas vacation (although not as many as in the days pre-Little Princesses, lol). 
• I am going for an ultrasound tomorrow. You may (or may not) recall that earlier this spring, I was having some "female problems." Not (just?) the fact that I am almost 56 and STILL GETTING PERIODS, more or less regularly...!!  I would have my period as usual -- but instead of tapering off to spotting and then into nothingness, I would just keep spotting (& cramping), sometimes for a week or more after the main event.  I called Dr. Ob-Gyn and went for an ultrasound in mid-April. As in days of yore (i.e., while I was in infertility treatment & having regular dildocam dates), the left side of my bicornuate uterus & the left ovary were playing hide & seek and the technician couldn't get a clear view of what was going on, but apparently she did see an area where the lining appeared a little thicker than normal -- perhaps a polyp or fibroid?  At my followup appointment/annual checkup & Pap in May, Dr. Ob-Gyn felt it was nothing to worry about and would probably resolve itself (as these things most often do, he assured me) -- but he suggested that, if it made me feel better, we could do another ultrasound in the fall to see if anything had changed. 
• So off I go.  Most of my periods since my last visit have been more or less normal -- until this past cycle, of course, when I had more spotting & cramping at the end of Aunt Flo's visit.  ARGH.  I choose to believe it is nothing more than midlife wonkiness at work, but prayers &/or positive thoughts & vibes would be appreciated.  

Right now...

Right now... (an occasional meme): 

Reading:  Mostly online articles via Facebook re: the U.S. election and its fallout. I have several half-started books I need to get back to, including "Jeremy Poldark" by Winston Graham (which, along with the next novel in the series, "Warleggan," correspond with the new season of "Poldark" on PBS right now);  "Canada" by Mike Myers;  and "Mr. Churchill's Secretary" by Susan Elia MacNeil, a mystery set during WWII. And, of course, the to-read pile continues to grow (insert red-faced icon here): I picked up a few more books today, including Robbie Robertson's new memoir, "Testimony."

Watching:  A great new multi-part PBS series called "Soundbreaking," which was shown (on our local station anyway) at 10 p.m. every night last week and will continue part of next week. Apparently, it was a project of the late great Sir George Martin.  Some wonderful stories, footage, and (of course) music. One of the advantage of being retired is being able to stay up "late" to watch programs like this. :)  I might have been able to manage one night of going to bed at 11 when I was working (and getting up before 5), but an entire week would have done me in!

Listening:  To the wind howling outside.. Friday was an unusually (for Nov. 18th!) balmy 18C/64F & we had the balcony door wide open all day. When we woke up this morning, it was -1C/31F and the snowflakes were flying thick and fast. Nothing sticking (yet), but I think we've seen the last of 18C for a while. It was fun while it lasted..!

Drinking:  Water. Haven't been drinking enough of it lately, I think... trying to do better!    

Eating:  Too much junk lately. :p  And the Christmas goodies haven't even started yet!

Wearing:  A cozy cardigan over my T-shirt and yoga pants, and slippers on top of my socks. Brrrr!!

Trying:  Not to cry while watching the Santa Claus Parade on TV this afternoon. I am such a sap...

Searching: For the perfect fake Christmas tree. We got rid of our old one when we moved -- it was still all right, but we'd used it through 18 Christmases (we got it the same year we lost Katie) & it was getting a bit ragged. Plus we think we'd like to get a pre-lit one. Had a look at one store last week, but either the trees were way TOO fake (plastic!!) or the lights weren't to our liking (multicoloured flashing, anyone??).  Dh is indifferent as to whether we have a tree at all, but I love my Christmas tree, and we have four Rubbermaid bins full of decorations in our storage locker downstairs (and this is AFTER I went through & culled my collection...!). The search continues...

Smelling: The lovely, pine-y scent of essential oils in our diffuser. Either the neighbours haven't been smoking as heavily the last few days, or the weatherstripping we installed around the door this week is doing its job. Yay!! (Also: Knocking wood that this continues...!)

Not believing:  That we will be heading home to see my family for Christmas in less than four weeks!!

Contemplating:  What I should write for #MicroblogMondays tomorrow. ;)

The Current

Going through some old posts from this time last year, and found this meme, originally done in July 2012, and inspired by a similar 2012 post at By the Brooke. Time for a refresh! ;)

(I love doing memes like this, if you haven't already noticed...!)

Current Book(s) -- "The Bridge Ladies" by Betsy Lerner.  "Avalanche: A Love Story" by Julia Leigh is also in my to-read pile (Pamela at Silent Sorority is hosting a virtual book tour for the week of Sept. 18, if you're interested). I also want to re-read the next couple of books in the Poldark series by Winston Grahan ("Jeremy Poldark" and "Warleggan"), in preparation for the upcoming season of "Poldark" on PBS (yay!!).  And there are a bunch of new books coming this fall that I want, including Bruce Springsteen's memoir, "Born to Run," and a new Flavia de Luce mystery by Alan Bradley. So many books, so little time...!

Current Playlist -- I don't have any digital music on my semi-new smartphone, but I do sometimes listen to CDs on the stereo while I'm cleaning house or when dh is out, and recently unpacked my collection & arranged it on a new tall/narrow bookshelf we bought specifically for that purpose. :)  Our radio station of choice while we're driving is the local classic rock station, which gives us a steady diet of the great music from our youth. ;) 

Current Shame-Inducing Guilty Pleasure -- Way too much ice cream, both Haagen Dasz bars in the freezer at home and gelato when we're out. (Some really excellent gelato shops hereabouts...!)
 
Current Color -- Wearing lots of purple right now. And enjoying my light blue-grey main living area in our new condo. After years of living with warm colours (various shades of beige), the cooler shades are a nice change.

Current Drink -- Starbucks tea lattes (tall non-fat Royal English Breakfast). Or their Black Iced Team Lemonade on really hot days.

Current Food -- I hadn't had a hamburger in years... not because I'm vegetarian or because I was afraid of e-coli or anything (OK, maybe a bit). There are just usually a lot of other things I'd rather order when I'm eating out at a restaurant, and I got out of the habit. Until our road trip this summer, when I had a couple of really good ones. Plus, it's generally a safe choice for me (with my tomato allergies), because I can usually ask the waiter to hold the ketchup & tomato (easy enough to do). Last week we had burgers two days in a row, first at Hero Burger and then at Five Guys. Both very good. But yeah, two days in a row is probably a bit excessive....!

Current Favorite Show -- I don't think I have one at the moment. I have not been watching a whole lot of TV lately, aside from dh's favourite old sitcoms in syndication (endless reruns of "The Simpsons" and "Everybody Loves Raymond"...!) and occasional documentaries on PBS & CBC.  It seems like all my usual favourite shows are in reruns and I am impatiently waiting for the new fall season to start.

Current Wishlist -- Lots of books that I would like to read (& that are on my actual Chapters/Indigo and Amazon wishlists), but no big rush, since I have enough books to read to last me through the next millennium...! I am also keeping my eyes open for some nice photo collage frames -- we don't have quite as many surfaces to display framed photos in our condo, so I would like to put up a couple of collages instead (although blank wall space is also pretty limited...!). I've also been mulling over having a professional closet organizer come in to look at our closets, the front hall and laundry closets in particular. My laundry supplies are currently sitting on the floor in front of the washer, and the front hall closet is a walk-in that's crammed full of stuff (shoes, cleaning supplies, vacuum cleaner, mops, etc.). It's not so much of a problem right now, but it will be in the winter when we'll need to access our coats , hats, scarfs, etc. (hanging right at the back).

Current Needs -- There is nothing I can think of that I really, truly, urgently need at the moment. Except maybe the waterproof mascara that I blogged about earlier. ;)  We've bought an awful lot of new stuff for our condo over the last few months and have covered most of the big "need" items and even a few "wants."  We would still like to get new end tables & a coffee table &/or ottoman (I want the coffee table, dh is pulling for an ottoman instead) to replace the ones we've had for the past 31 years and match the rest of our new furniture, but it's not an urgent item on our to-do list.  

OK, one more item: I do think I need a new shower caddy. The one I have is getting kind of rusted. However, I am very picky and haven't yet found one that I really like. I want to have one with a bar on the bottom where I can hang up my washcloth (something my current caddy has), and I am not seeing a lot with that particular feature right now.

Current Triumphs -- (Still) loving our condo (if not exactly loving the new community overall). The more condos we see, the more we realize we hit the jackpot. The location, layout (storage space!!), upgrades installed by the previous owner, etc., are so much better than just about any other unit we've seen, including other units in this same building.  And the new paint, furniture & other décor items we've bought have all come together quite nicely!

Current Bane of my Existence -- Back to school and empty nest articles, photos & posts on social media -- all unwelcome reminders of my childlessness and the daughter who would be starting her first year of university soon. And since most schools here don't start until next Tuesday, this is only the beginning...!! :p  ARRRGGGGHHHHH....

Current Celebrity Crush -- No one standout at the moment, but off the top of my head:  Aidan Turner (Ross Poldark). George Clooney. Bruce Springsteen. Jon Bon Jovi. Sam Elliott. :)

Current Indulgence -- Haagen Dasz ice cream bars. 

Current #1 Blessing -- Dh is so much happier since we made the move to the condo. That makes ME happy.

Current Slang or Saying --  Hmmm, not sure I have one.

Current Outfit -- Denim shorts from Reitmans, grey & white "NY" T-shirt from American Eagle. 

Current Excitement -- Just a few more weeks until Oldest Nephew's wedding (eeeeekkkkkkk.....!!!)!!!

Current Mood -- Sad that summer went by so fast, apprehensive about all the back-to-school hoopla about to unfold, but generally excited about the fall!  

The Current

Going through some old posts, found this meme, originally done in July 2012, and inspired by a similar post at By the Brooke. Time for a refresh! ;)

Current Book(s) -- I have several books in my pile right now that are partially read. I started reading "Selfish, Shallow and Self-Absorbed" a while back -- a collection of essays edited by Meagan Daum about childlessness -- before I got distracted with something else. As a collection of essays, it's easy to dip in & out of.

Then a couple of weeks ago, we saw "Ricki & the Flash," starring Meryl Streep as an aging rock star (!!)(as I said to dh, "Is there anything that woman can't do??")  -- and someone I hadn't thought about in eons, playing her guitarist/love interest -- Rick Springfield (AKA Dr. Noah Drake of "General Hospital" and singer of "Jessie's Girl" and other '80s power pop gems). I remembered I had his memoir "Late Late at Night" in my "unread" collection & brought it up from the basement.

I got a few chapters into that (the verdict so far: self-indulgent, but rather amusing -- interesting childhood) -- and then we visited the bookstore the same day that Chrissie Hynde's memoir, "Reckless," went on sale (and at 40% off to boot). I loved the Pretenders, back in the day. So I put down Rick & picked up Chrissie. (So far, not much sex, but lots of drugs and lots of rock & roll.) 

(And then I saw a feature about Duran Duran on CBS Sunday Morning -- which reminded me that I have John Taylor's memoir "In the Pleasure Groove" also waiting for me, unread... too many books, too little time, lol...)

If/when I finally finish any of these, I'll provide full reviews. ;) 

Current Playlist -- I (still) don't have an iPod or the like for digital music, but I do sometimes listen to CDs on the stereo while I'm cleaning house or when dh is out. My most recent CD purchase was a greatest hits collection by the 1960s band Paul Revere & the Raiders (Kicks, Just Like Me). Their schtick was that they performed wearing Revolutionary War-era costumes -- tricorn hats, knee-length breeches & boots and waistcoats. (They actually recorded "Louie Louie" around the same time as the Kingsmen, but the other version was the one that most people remember.) Paul recently passed away, which renewed my interest in the group -- I had a greatest hits collection on cassette, but that was among the stuff I gave to Oldest Nephew earlier this summer.

We listen to the local rock station on the radio in the car, which mostly plays classic rock but also some new(er) stuff. I am kind of enjoying hearing some new(er) bands, so long as it's rock & roll.  A lot of what passes for music these days simply does not interest me. :p  (My teenaged self could never have imagined saying that... of course, my teenaged self probably could never have imagined rap or hiphop either, lol.) 

Current Shame-Inducing Guilty Pleasure -- Didn't I just say I was reading Rick Springfield's memoir?? ;) 

Current Color -- No particular one, but I have been wearing a bit of purple lately. : ) I find I tend to look best in "jewel" tones.

Current Drink -- Starbucks tea lattes (tall non-fat Royal English Breakfast).

Current Food -- I've been eating a lot of fish & chips lately, when we eat out. Generally a safe choice when you're trying to avoid tomatos. ;)

Current Favorite Show -- "Who Do You Think You Are?"  (which just concluded another season here in North America).  Formulaic in how it unfolds, but some really interesting stories uncovered. It's every genealogist's dream to walk into an archive & have an expert hand over a folder of documents (pre-translated!) and answer all your questions.

Current Wishlist -- A magic wand to wave that will magically complete all the little projects & repairs that need doing around the house...!  I also have book wishlists with both Chapters/Indigo and Amazon.

Current Needs -- As I've blogged before, I am in desperate need of a new mattress set & bed linens, but trying to hold out until Aunt Flo finally bows out for good. At the rate she is hanging around, though, I may have to cave sooner vs later...!

Current Triumphs -- Some good genealogical finds lately. : )

Current Bane of my Existence -- The neighbours two doors down, whose yard is rarely mowed and and looks like a junkyard to boot. It looks like they may (finally??!) be doing some work inside the house, but outside?  Among the items cluttering their front porch and resting along (both) sides of the garage: several garbage bags (many, many garbage days have come & gone since these made an appearance, but, nevermind...), several sheets of drywall, rolls of torn-up carpet, an old barbecue (complete with rusted propane tank), a television set (presumably not working, but who knows), assorted empty beer bottles...  (Not just one but TWO seldom-used lawn mowers sat outside in the snow all through last winter. Also, the window in one car was broken and left open through several winter months as well, with snow drifting in (and God knows what else). )  There is obviously no room in the garage to park the car or store any of this stuff, & the door is hanging halfway off its hinges, does not close properly. No doubt animals have taken up residence inside. :p

People have complained to the city in the past (and we may yet do so) -- they will sometimes make a half-hearted attempt to clean things up but within a few months it's back to the same old same old. :p  I will admit our house is no showplace, but at least we keep the lawn mowed and neat looking.  They make the whole neighbourhood look run down.  

On the bright side, the eavestrough that came loose in about March -- 2014, not 2015 (I kid you not), and spent more than a year precariously resting, diagonally, on top of the garage roof -- was finally restored to its proper place recently.

Current Celebrity Crush -- Aidan Turner, AKA Ross Poldark. Yum!! ;)  I see (via social media) that filming on the second season of "Poldark" recently began.

Current Indulgence -- Haagen Dasz ice cream bars. 

Current #1 Blessing -- Being able to sleep in every morning. :) 

Current Slang or Saying --  Hmmm, not sure I have one.

Current Outfit -- A pair of Gap "boyfriend" shorts in a sort of golden brown colour, and a black ribbed American Eagle tank top.

Current Excitement -- Just a little over one year to Oldest Nephew's wedding (eeeeekkkkkkk.....!!!)!!!

Current Mood -- Slightly melancholy. Summer is almost gone & while I like fall, it means that winter is once again just around the corner...

#MicroblogMondays: Post-vacation odds & ends

*  Back from a two-week visit with my parents. I had my laptop with me, but my time on it was limited. Not necessarily a bad thing. ;)
*  Got five books read :)  & will be writing some reviews shortly.
*  Flew home straight into the path of a big thunderstorm that we had no idea was coming. Sometimes ignorance is bliss... We had to circle outside the city for about half an hour before we got clearance to land, and could see some big black clouds & lightning bolts not too far away. Happily, it was a smooth landing & all was well.
*  Got home in time to watch the season ender of "Poldark" on PBS Masterpiece. Having read the books & seen the 1970s series, I knew what was coming, but I still bawled my eyes out. ALI caveat emptor! 
*  I think the show was doubly emotional for me because we are just days away from Aug. 5th & 7th.  :(  It always seems to sneak up on me, particularly when we've been on vacation.
*  And it doesn't help that Aunt Flo arrived this morning, several days earlier than usual. :p 
*  Dh has gone to see his dad, so I am enjoying some quiet time on the loveseat, readjusting.  I always find myself in a bit of a daze for a day or so after travelling, even when it's not a very long flight.
*  I have a blog reader full of posts to be read, so it's going to take awhile to catch up. What have I missed??

You can find more of this week's #MicroblogMondays posts here        

Books: "Ross Poldark" and "Demelza" by Winston Graham

Back in the mid-1970s, a neighbour pressed a paperback book upon my mother. "You MUST read this," she said.

So Mom did -- and then I did. And then we read the next book in the series. And the next. And the next.

The book was "Ross Poldark" by Winston Graham -- the first book in what was to eventually become a 12-volume series about the Poldark family of Cornwall. The first book, published in 1945, begins in 1783;  the final volume (and the only one I have not yet read) was published in 2002, just before Graham's death in 2003, and ends in 1820. A few years after Mom & I began reading the Poldark novels, the CBC began showing a BBC TV adaptation of the first few books. This was in the late 1970s, when I was about 16-17 and in high school. (It was also shown on PBS in the U.S., and was later followed by a second series/season, based on later Poldark novels.)  The only problem was, it was shown after the CBC national news, which was then at 11 p.m. -- meaning it didn't end until almost 12:30. On a school night. Happily (this being pre-PVR or even VCR days), my mother let me stay up to watch with her. (She usually fell asleep part-way through.)  The series was a huge hit everywhere it was shown, with the charismatic Robin Ellis and Angharad Rees in the roles of Ross and Demelza, and a backdrop of stunning Cornish scenery.

And now, it's back!  The first two Poldark novels have again been adapted by the BBC for a new generation to discover and enjoy. The new TV series was a huge hit when it was shown in Britain earlier this year (thanks in no small part to handsome Aidan Turner (and his abs, lol) in the title role), and it's now being shown in North America on PBS's Masterpiece. As a big fan of the original, I was a bit wary of a new adaptation and whether it would do justice to the original. Happily, in its own way, it's every bit as captivating. (Robin Ellis, the original Ross, even has a cameo role in one episode as a stern courtroom judge.)

Before the new "Poldark" series hit PBS, I decided it would be timely to revisit the first two novels it's based on (even though I seldom re-read books these days). (The show has been renewed for a second season, which presumably will cover the next few novels.) I was happy to find that, even after almost (gulp) 40 years, my memory of the various plots and characters (even some of the lesser ones) was still pretty strong. I would really recommend reading the books in series order, because each one picks up more or less where the previous one left off and builds on the stories and characters established to date. Obviously, I had read the books before watching the TV series, and while I'm sure you'd enjoy the show without having read the books, I'm glad I read them first -- I think it helps to keep the characters straight & provides more background that helps you understand the story better.

"Ross Poldark" was written just after the Second World War, and supposedly based on a soldier Graham knew. Ross is a soldier returning home from war (i.e., the American Revolution). Ross may have fought for the British Army, but some of the rebellious Americans' attitudes seem to have rubbed off on him: although he's from a fine old family of gentry, he consistently sides with the underdog and chafes against authority. His wartime experiences have left both figurative and literal scars, including a prominent one running across his cheek.

But home is not as he left it:  his father has died; his estate (Nampara) is in ruins;  the mines which make up the backbone of the local economy are failing; the rich are getting richer (most notably the Warleggans, a nouveau riche family of blacksmiths turned bankers) and the poor getting poorer (hmmm, where I have heard this before?) and -- the biggest blow of all -- his true love, Elizabeth, thinking him dead, is engaged -- to his cousin and boyhood friend, Francis. This creates tension between the two neighbouring branches of the Poldark family -- which increases when he gets involved in his cousin Verity (Francis's sister)'s love life. Ross distracts himself by working to restore his estate, including restarting a long-dormant copper mine on his property that will provide employment for the impoverished villagers. He also rescues a teenaged miner's daughter, Demelza Carne, from a street brawl, hires her as a maid and brings her home to Nampara with him, which sets local tongues wagging. I don't think I'm giving too much away by saying that the pair eventually fall in love and get married, scandalizing the class-conscious locals. 

"Demelza" picks up where "Ross Poldark" left off, with the birth of Ross and Demelza's first child, Julia, and Demelza's efforts to gain acceptance within her husband's family and social circles.  She has a kind and impulsive heart, which gets her into trouble, and ultimately leads to tragedy.  I don't want to give too much away (and the TV series has only just started covering the material in this book, so I haven't seen the episode yet), but you'll want to have some Kleenex handy. 

I loved these books when I was a teenager (especially the first half-dozen or so) and I still love them now. Strong, well-developed characters and storylines, great writing, history, romance, multigenerational family drama (with touches of comedy), class consciousness -- it's all here.

Have you read the Poldark books or watched the TV series (the original, the new version or both)?

These were books #12 & #13 that I've read so far in 2015.