Media Log

Limbo

2011-04-16T20:47:06Z

Limbo, Playdead Studios

Portal 2

2011-04-25T21:54:20Z

Portal 2, Valve]]> Good, but not as good as the first game.

Jane Eyre

2011-05-02T22:11:52Z

Jane Eyre, Cary Fukunaga]]> I'm a junkie for historical/costume dramas, and even moreso for film adaptations of the Regency and Victorian classics. But somehow this version of Jane Eyre left me quite dissatisfied - in fact, while watching it, I disliked it. It's cinematically quite beautiful, conveying the remoteness of the landscape and darkness of the interiors more effectively than any other version I know. Quite gothic in every way, really, and since seeing it, I keep wanting to go back to that place and those images. But the human story fails. Although filled with impassioned words and performances, the film itself is somehow passionless, seeming to be observed from a distance. Apart from Jane-as-a-girl (and of course Judi Dench's wonderful Mrs. Fairfax), none of the characters was as compelling as they need to be. I want every film, but especially a film like this one, which is about overwhelming loneliness and fierce passion, to reach out, grab my heart, and pull me into the film. This one did not.

The Matchmaker of Kenmare

2011-05-09T02:46:20Z

The Matchmaker of Kenmare: A Novel of Ireland, Frank Delaney]]> Really quite good. Extremely skillful storytelling. I foundered a bit in the middle, but the ending was fitting and satisfying.

Secrets of the Baby Whisperer for Toddlers

2011-05-09T02:48:53Z

Secrets of the Baby Whisperer for Toddlers, Tracy Hogg ]]> Filled with sensible, practical, actionable advice. Recommended.

Nicholas Nickleby

2011-05-09T04:32:10Z

Nicholas Nickleby, Douglas McGrath]]> Not a complete telling, of course, but a very good version. I enjoyed this far more than I expected to. It hits all the right emotional notes and gets the main story right. Recommended.

Quiet as a Nun

2011-06-08T02:55:03Z

Quiet as a Nun, Antonia Frasier]]> I liked this but did not love it. Mild entertainment.

Knitting Around

2011-09-08T03:03:44Z

Knitting Around, Elizabeth Zimmermann]]> A terrific book with lots of patterns not found in EZ's other books. Delightful as all of her books are. Instructions for knitting are interspersed with autobiographical sketches and some of her artwork, so if you love Elizabeth Zimmermann you will surely love this book.

At Home

2011-10-05T21:27:37Z

At Home, Bill Bryson At heart, Bill Bryson is a raconteur. He knows that every piece of non-fiction is a collection of facts, selected fairly arbitrarily according to the author's interest and understanding. Thus, he isn't interested in telling stories about big ideas. He doesn't try to deliver the most comprehensive treatise on a subject, either, though his books appear to be comprehensively researched. Bill Bryson is interested in telling the most interesting stories that surround his subject in the most entertaining way possible. As he does this, he might miss a thing or two - and you won't care a whit because you'll be so entertained and often enlightened by what he does include. "At Home" is simply a good read. Though it's far from the last word on the idea of home, the architectural evolution of houses, or the history of domesticity, it is certainly the most entertaining book you'll read on the subject. Recommended for everyone.

Good Omens

2011-10-17T22:16:57Z

Good Omens, Neil Gaiman, Terry Pratchett]]> I had strong reservations going into this book due to the cultish reverence Gaiman, in particular, inspires in his fans. But Good Omens is, quite honestly, my new favorite book. While I was reading it, the word I kept coming back to was "delightful", but it's much more than that - it's smart, funny, clever, deeply life-affirming, and truly styish. Very highly recommended.

Fallout New Vegas

2011-11-09T04:08:25Z

Fallout New Vegas, Bethesda]]>

2 recommended add-ons:
Lonesome Road. Not as deep as it wants to be, but well worth playing through.
Honest Hearts is good overall, but be sure to follow the story of the survivalist to the very end. It's old-fashioned storytelling through text, not action, but it's very moving: it made us cry. For me, the best part of a very good add-on.

Hunger Games, Catching Fire, Mockingjay,

2011-11-13T21:07:44Z

Hunger Games, Catching Fire, Mockingjay, Suzanne Collins]]> I will confess that I'm not as impressed with Ms. Collins's writing as others seem to be, but she is an impressive storyteller who has constructed a terrific "day-after-tomorrow" world in which the tropes of current reality television are amplified and taken to a horrifically logical conclusion. So effectively does she pull this off that I found her world creeping into my brain and affecting my everyday thoughts as if it were real.

Keys to Good Cooking: A Guide to Making the Best of Foods and Recipes

2011-11-21T03:56:43Z

Keys to Good Cooking: A Guide to Making the Best of Foods and Recipes, Harold McGee

Halo Reach

2011-12-04T04:01:37Z

Halo Reach, Bungie]]> A good game, moderately moving. A fitting close by the original developers to the Halo cycle.

The Artist

2011-12-13T23:55:50Z

The Artist ]]> Pure delight. A heartfelt homage to silent film. Several witty bits demonstrate that silent film is much more than "movies without words" - it has its own language. The last line of the film is clever, too, revealing the reality behind what one might have assumed to be simply a film device. Highly recommended.