August typically is a productive reading month for me, at least in terms of numbers. I say typically, but not so this year. Usually I take 2 weeks holiday in the month and crack through a few books. This year my vacation time is a week later than normal, so I have veered into September for some down-time.
That doesn't explain why I haven't reached double figures for the month though. My older 2 children were at Reading festival for about 5 days, which also coincided with my youngest disappearing to Devon for a break with one of her friends and her family. What's a man to do? Bury his head in a book, or pay some attention to his wife?
Mrs K. won hands down. So August turned more into film month than book month. I watched in no particular order.........Sexy Beast (excellent, I love Ray Winstone), A Clockwork Orange (weird), Chinatown (fantastic), Domino (dire, didn't reach the end), Sharknado (bizarre, but fun in a so bad it's good sort of way), You're Next (better than I thought it was going to be, newly released horror/slasher movie), The Way Way Back (new release from the makers of Little Miss Sunshine - which is one of my favourite films ever. Superb family film about a lonely teenager growing up over a summer holiday. Sam Rockwell is fantastic, as is the young lad who I didn't know). One more film - Patten - a bio-pic, about the US general and his feats during WW2; verdict - really good.
Back to the books though, a couple of average books read, a few excellent, one disappointment and one stand-out.
Book of the month Duane Swierczynski - The Wheelman
David Mark - Dark Winter (4)
Wayne Epperson - Chasing Bad Guys (3)
Leif G.W. Persson - Linda, As In The Linda Murder (4)
Charlie Williams - Graven Image (3)
Duane Swierczynski - The Wheelman (5)
Bill Pronzini/Collin Wilcox - Twospot (4)
Eoin Colfer - Screwed (2)
Thomas Perry - The Boyfriend (4)
Kerrie , over at Mysteries in Paradise collates other bloggers August selections here.
Even in a slow month, you read more than me. And all very interesting.
ReplyDeleteOn movies, I agree on Sexy Beast (but it has been a loooong time since I saw it), Chinatown, and Patton. Don't think I have seen the rest. My husband is a big Kubrick fan, but we have not seen A Clockwork Orange together. We have a box of Kubrick films, and I will watch it someday.
The only other Kubrick I have seen is Full Metal Jacket years ago. I just looked him up and he never really made that many films. I suppose I may have seen one or two of the earlier ones, maybe the Bond.
DeleteI do like watching Ray Winstone though, he does have a presence on screen.
Good mixture of films, good mixture of books. I think I've got the same Kubrick boxset as Tracy, sitting untouched (kind family give us more DVDs than we can get through, I feel we'll never catch up). Sexy Beast and Chinatown two of my favourites.
ReplyDeleteRay Winstone in his budgie smugglers! Who would have guessed?
DeleteWasn't Jack Nicholson good looking when he was young?
Col - Films or not, you got some good reading accomplished this month. And I like the variety both in the books and the films. I must see The Way Way Back. Everyone's been saying what a great film it is, and I did love Little Miss Sunshine...
ReplyDeleteMargot, I hope you find time for The Way Way Back, I absolutely loved it, I'd put it on a par with LMS.
DeleteOh! I own both Patton and Chinatown. Will watch. I got my hands on my copy of The Wheelman. I'll be reading it soon enough.
ReplyDeleteKeishon, I hope you love The Wheelman when you get to it. I don't want to give you another bum steer!
DeleteCol, I'll have to say "pass" to the books for I haven't read any of them while you've convinced me to see "The Way Way Back" and reminded me that I must see "A Clockwork Orange" (and read the book too).
ReplyDeletePrashant, I read ACO a year or two back and I find it hard going. The film whilst equally as strange was more nejoyable for me.
DeleteShame I never read this before posting, sorry for the typos!
DeleteNo problem, Col. Sometimes I use my Tab to post comments and I make all kinds of mistakes. I'm still getting the hang of touchscreen keys.
DeleteCheers!
Delete