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alarimer

(16,245 posts) Thu Mar 16, 2017, 06:31 PM Mar 2017

I'm so angry and stressed at the news I could just scream.

So I escape into books and TV. I watched Sicario the other night, which is definitely not escapism. In fact, it made me angry all over again at the drug war.

I recommend Bosch, the Amazon cop series based on Michael Connelly books. It's very well done. And Red Oaks, about a kid who works at a country club in 1987. It's not a comedy exactly but it reminds a lot of John Hughes films. And I'm somewhat nostalgic because I went to high school around that time and so much is so familiar (didn't hang around a country club, though). I'm also liking Big Little Lies on HBO. It's clear that someone got killed (obvious from the opening minutes of the first episode, so this is not really a spoiler), but we don't know yet who died or who did it. I love This is Us, which is a breath of fresh air, just a group of interesting characters with pretty interesting stories. No murders (so far) and no one breaking bad. Humans is good and brings up a lot of interesting questions about synthetic life and how we would treat sentient androids.

I'm reading a lot of sci-fi. I recommend the Three-Body Problem series, by a Chinese sci-fi writer. Good, but a little bleak. I also recommend the Broken Earth series by N.K. Jemisin.

And music, of course. Sometimes I want something that fires me up, but other times I listen to things that soothe me.

13 replies

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Highlight:

I'm so angry and stressed at the news I could just scream. (Original Post) alarimer Mar 2017 OP

I just started reading "Lincoln in the Bardo" madaboutharry Mar 2017 #1

I've heard of it. alarimer Mar 2017 #6

A suggestion/question: guillaumeb Mar 2017 #2

No I haven't read those. alarimer Mar 2017 #4

we finish bingeing Broadchurch. Now watching River. Both wonderful. NRaleighLiberal Mar 2017 #3

I've seen Broadchurch and a couple of episodes of River. alarimer Mar 2017 #5

River is great. madaboutharry Mar 2017 #7

Such amazing acting - so dark - just brilliant and sucks you right in! NRaleighLiberal Mar 2017 #8

I just loved the lead actress madaboutharry Mar 2017 #12

Try "The Killing" OMG. nt Laffy Kat Mar 2017 #10

I've been watching a lot of British stuff over at YouTube Warpy Mar 2017 #9

Feeling exactly the same way. Laffy Kat Mar 2017 #11

I forgot to mention Planet Earth II alarimer Mar 2017 #13

madaboutharry

(40,219 posts)

1. I just started reading "Lincoln in the Bardo"

Reply to alarimer (Original post)

Thu Mar 16, 2017, 06:33 PM

Mar 2017

It is about Lincoln's relationship with his 11 year old son Willie. It is beautifully written and very absorbing.

alarimer

(16,245 posts)

6. I've heard of it.

Reply to madaboutharry (Reply #1)

Thu Mar 16, 2017, 07:26 PM

Mar 2017

Right now I am in the middle of a giant, and I mean like 1300 pages giant, of a novel by Alan Moore (who is usually known for graphic novels). It's called Jerusalem and is sort of a weird mash-up of a lot of different styles. Honestly, he could have used an editor, because what novel needs to be that long? But it's interesting enough that I'd like to finish.

guillaumeb

(42,641 posts)

2. A suggestion/question:

Reply to alarimer (Original post)

Thu Mar 16, 2017, 06:34 PM

Mar 2017

Have you ever read the Darkover series by Marion Zimmer Bradley?

alarimer

(16,245 posts)

4. No I haven't read those.

Reply to guillaumeb (Reply #2)

Thu Mar 16, 2017, 07:22 PM

Mar 2017

I'll look them up, thanks.

NRaleighLiberal

(60,019 posts)

3. we finish bingeing Broadchurch. Now watching River. Both wonderful.

Reply to alarimer (Original post)

Thu Mar 16, 2017, 07:01 PM

Mar 2017

alarimer

(16,245 posts)

5. I've seen Broadchurch and a couple of episodes of River.

Reply to NRaleighLiberal (Reply #3)

Thu Mar 16, 2017, 07:23 PM

Mar 2017

I liked them both; I just never have gotten back to River. I don't really binge watch, so I have a lot of series partially started.

madaboutharry

(40,219 posts)

7. River is great.

Reply to NRaleighLiberal (Reply #3)

Thu Mar 16, 2017, 07:31 PM

Mar 2017

Every episode.

NRaleighLiberal

(60,019 posts)

8. Such amazing acting - so dark - just brilliant and sucks you right in!

Reply to madaboutharry (Reply #7)

Thu Mar 16, 2017, 07:36 PM

Mar 2017

madaboutharry

(40,219 posts)

12. I just loved the lead actress

Reply to NRaleighLiberal (Reply #8)

Thu Mar 16, 2017, 09:23 PM

Mar 2017

I have seen her in other British tv shows and she is always wonderful.

Laffy Kat

(16,386 posts)

10. Try "The Killing" OMG. nt

Reply to NRaleighLiberal (Reply #3)

Thu Mar 16, 2017, 09:09 PM

Mar 2017

Warpy

(111,336 posts)

9. I've been watching a lot of British stuff over at YouTube

Reply to alarimer (Original post)

Thu Mar 16, 2017, 07:52 PM

Mar 2017

I find historical dramas that show how fouled up they've been in the past (Cromwell and his gang of Puritan killjoys, I'm looking at you) and how they ultimately recovered and disaster films told from the viewpoints of survivors, plus the occasional dark comedy. Since TCM has sucked for a while, it's been very therapeutic.

There is no way I'm going to watch broadcast news of any description. The fuckers lost me in 2004.

Laffy Kat

(16,386 posts)

11. Feeling exactly the same way.

Reply to alarimer (Original post)

Thu Mar 16, 2017, 09:15 PM

Mar 2017

I've given up my usual 24-hour news for all the true crime smut on ID and other channels. Think I know every single story on "Forensic Files". I'm also re-reading a lot of Vonnegut, presently Slaughterhouse Five. For some reason Vonnegut soothes me right now.

alarimer

(16,245 posts)

13. I forgot to mention Planet Earth II

Reply to Laffy Kat (Reply #11)

Fri Mar 17, 2017, 08:45 AM

Mar 2017

Which is the BBC sequel to the series that ran several years ago. It was magnificently shot then but this new series has even more technical tools at its disposal. Truly brilliant and they don't shy away from the problems like climate change and the very real risk of extinction.

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