Current Obsessions (Disguised as Recommendations), Part 5

Now reading: The King's Favorite by Susan Holloway Scott - I've been reading historical fiction for most of my life now, and the genre certainly helped develop my love for history and led me to earn two degrees in the field. Unfortunately, for every Jean Plaidy and Sharon Kay Penman (who do their research), there's also a Phillipa Gregory (who writes whatever she wants). I'm always a little wary to try new authors, so if I don't have a friend's recommendation, I usually pass them up unless their book is in the bargain section.

Although her books have been relegated to the bargain section at Books-a-Million, let me go on record and officially recommend Susan Holloway Scott as a legitimately good historical fiction author. So many things are right with her books, from the unique subject material (Charles II instead of Henry VIII) to the believable dialogue (when Nell Gwyn is remembered for her wit as much as for her affair with the king, you'd better be able to make her witty). Most of all, though, she follows the established historical narrative when possible and only uses her imagination to fill in the gaps. The King's Favorite is the second in a trilogy about Charles II's most infamous mistresses, and each book is told from the mistress's point of view. I particularly love that Scott spends at least the first third of each book on the women's lives before they met the king and that we get descriptions of the king and his mistresses from multiple points of view. This trilogy truly shows all three women as individuals, which is exactly how Charles II saw them.

Now watching: Parks and Recreation - I started watching Parks and Recreation when it premiered a couple of years ago, partly out of habit (I always watch NBC's entire Thursday night line-up) and partly because it was a spin-off of The Office. About half-way through the second season, the show really hit its stride, and it's now my favorite comedy on TV. Every character is so hilarious on his or her own, and scenes just get more and more outrageous when the whole ensemble is interacting with each other. In my opinion, the current season is the best yet because the blossoming romance between Leslie and Ben is the most natural and perfect one I've ever seen on TV. They are so adorable together that I break down giggling during every episode and actually spend my free time reading all the fanfiction I can find.

Now listening to: "Bread" by Charlie McDonnell - Charlie is one of my favorite youtubers, and I was very excited when he announced that he was releasing an album. He occasionally writes songs for his channel (and most were featured on the album), and he's a member of my favorite/the only Doctor Who tribute band, Chameleon Circuit. Sadly, the album came out while I was unemployed and had cut my extraneous spending, but a friend gave me a copy of This Is Me and I've been listening to it in the car every since. Although all the songs are catchy and creative and nerdy, "Bread" is by far my favorite song on the album.

Current Obsessions (Disguised as Recommendations), Part 4

Now reading: The Chronicles of Narnia by C. S. Lewis - One of my most vivid memories from elementary school was the day (probably in third grade) that we read an excerpt from Voyage of the Dawn Treader and received a homework assignment to write a limerick. Just a few months after that, I found the book on a bookshelf at my grandparents' house, surrounded by the rest of the series. Unlike most people, who conventionally start with The Lion, the Witch, and the Wardrobe, that was my introduction to Narnia.

The Chronicles of Narnia were among my favorite books when I was growing up, and I continue to re-read them every few years. The last time I did so was when the first movie came out, back in 2005. When the film version of Voyage of the Dawn Treader was released a few months ago, I decided it was past time to read the series again. What I love most about Lewis' books is how he created an entire world yet kept the story simple enough for children to follow along. The same cannot be said about Tolkein's Lord of the Rings trilogy, which is too bogged down in descriptive details to be a good introduction to the fantasy genre. Obviously it's a classic work that I adore, but there's a reason that children are given Narnia first. I also love that bits and pieces of history are offered along the way before the origins and destruction of Narnia are fully explained in the final two books, The Magician's Nephew and The Last Battle. This way, it feels like the reader is exploring Narnia and falling under its magic spell just as much as the Pevensie children or the others.

Now watching: Les Misérables, the 25th Anniversary Concert - If I had had this blog back in October, I would have spent days gushing over this event. Les Misérables is hands-down my favorite musical, and I've kept up with each cast change since May 2009, when I saw it twice in England. I watched most of the concert as youtube clips the day after it took place, then watched it on the big screen when a handful of U.S. movie theaters aired it in November, pre-ordered it on DVD, and watched it on PBS on Sunday. The beauty of this cast is how they cast big names (Nick Jonas, Matt Lucas, Ramin Karimloo) to draw in the crowds and integrated current and recent cast members (including some I saw in London and plan to see this summer) into the supporting roles.

Now listening to: "Who's David" by Busted - Remember how I wrote about the random scene set to the soundtrack of Busted in the middle of Love Story in Harvard? Well, I took that as a sign that I needed to order the CD, so I did. It's a great album filled with catchy British pop, and by far the best song is "Who's David." Also, it's obviously no coincidence that it's one of the songs co-written by Tom Fletcher of McFly, one of my favorite songwriters.

Current Obsessions (Disguised as Recommendations), Part 3

Now reading: Innocent Traitor by Alison Weir - When I traveled to England in 2009, I bought new history books nearly every day, and now that I'm finished with graduate school, I finally have time to read them. Alison Weir is best known for her historical non-fiction, but she rightly decided that the tragic tale of Lady Jane Grey would be best told as a novel. After Edward VI died without an male heir, Protestant nobility rallied behind Jane Grey and declared her queen, despite the fact that Edward had two living sisters (who would eventually become Queens Mary and Elizabeth I). Less than a month after her brother's death, the Catholic Mary had gained enough support to take over London, arrest Jane and her family, and declare herself the rightful queen. When a handful of nobles (including Jane's father) continued to form plots in Jane's name, Mary's councilors persuaded her to execute her sixteen-year-old cousin.

Because Weir wrote Innocent Traitor in first person, the story becomes even more personal and Jane's short life becomes even more tragic. Her nine-day reign is often overlooked in popular Tudor history, with most novels and movies focusing on Henry VIII's multiple wives and the glorious reign of Elizabeth I. For me, though, it's easily one of the most fascinating aspects of sixteenth-century England. Innocent Traitor is a very easy read, even for those who know nothing about Tudor England, and I would recommend it to anyone interested in British history.

Now watching: Deadwood - Deadwood is one of those TV shows that I've heard nothing but praise for, but I couldn't watch it when it first aired because it was on HBO. My father caved and bought the super-extended cable last year when The Pacific aired, and he keeps paying for it because he enjoys watching tv shows and movies on-demand. Last month, he discovered that HBO is putting up six episodes at a time, so I finally got my chance. I knew I couldn't go wrong with a show starring Timothy Olyphant and Jim Beaver, and it's just as ridiculously good as I thought it would be.

Now listening to: "Need You Now" by Lady Antebellum -I've been out of the loop of popular music for a few years now, mostly because Birmingham has terrible radio stations that I never listen to. However, Glee has been very helpful in showing me that I'm not missing much (chances are, if the song isn't an oldie, classic rock, or a showtune, I skip it on the CD). "Need You Now", though, is the exception that proves the rule. It was featured in the Valentine's Day episode last week, and I've been listening to it non-stop ever since.

Current Obsessions (Disguised as Recommendations), Part 2

Now reading: The Pillars of the Earth by Ken Follett - One of my great obsessions is medieval England, so the modern classic The Pillars of the Earth has been on my radar for several years. I watched the mini-series last year and absolutely loved it, although I tended to yell at the TV every time that the true historical account of The Anarchy was changed to suit Follett's plot. I started reading the book a couple of days ago, and I must admit, I can't put it down. Despite the fact that he's yet another author who changes history on a whim, I can't deny that Follett is a masterful storyteller when employing his own characters.

Now watching: Miranda - One week ago, I had never heard of the TV show Miranda or its creator and star, Miranda Hart. Now, it's one of my top ten favorite Britcoms (mental note: top ten list would make a great blog post). I watched all twelve episodes of its two seasons in three days, and I'm going through such terrible withdrawals that I will probably watch it again next week. Oh all right, I admit it...I'm madly in love with Gary (played by the adorable Tom Ellis) and want to see him again.

Can you blame a girl?

Now listening to: "Proud" by Heather Small - This song is one of the running jokes in Miranda, but it's actually legitimately good!

Current Obsessions (Disguised as Recommendations)

After the non-stop action of the holidays, my life has slowly settled back into its old routine.  I'm still checking archival job listings every week, and in another week or two, I'll start searching for a part-time retail job.  Until then, though, I'm enjoying my break between college and the real world by reading as many books and watching as many actors as I possibly can.  And since my day revolves around books and actors, I thought I'd talk about my most recent discoveries.

Now reading: The Golden Compass by Philip Pullman - When I was in middle school I adored reading Pullman's Sally Lockhart trilogy, which was about a girl solving mysteries in Victorian England, and I still read them every two or three years.  I always meant to read his other trilogy, His Dark Materials, but I didn't even buy the books until the movie came out in 2007.  I'm only 100 pages into the first book, but I can already tell that I won't be disappointed. 

Now listening to: "I See the Light" from Tangled - I found this song on youtube before the movie was even released, and my first reaction was a) oooh this is pretty and b) OMG ZACH LEVI IS SINGING *swoon*.  After seeing the movie and placing the song in the proper context, though, I've become absolutely obsessed.  I listen to it at least once a day, and I see no need to apologize.




Now watching: Upstairs, Downstairs - Last week, the BBC aired a three-hour miniseries rebooting the classic 1970s drama Upstairs, Downstairs, set six years after the original series ended and introducing completely new characters.  I've never seen the original series (PBS hasn't re-aired it in ages and the DVDs are dreadfully expensive), but that didn't diminish my enjoyment of the show in the slightest.  It started out a little wobbly (I found several of the characters boring at first), but I thought it ended very strongly.  I particularly loved the theme of responsibility to the family and the shifting definitions of family.  Oh, and this man certainly added to the appeal:

I wouldn't mind seeing Ed Stoppard show up in all of my costume dramas.