weekend round-up

So we got our first true taste of summer in Tampa this weekend. Temps in the high 80's with a dewpoint of at least 70. Let's just say hot and reeeaaaallllly humid. I found myself retreating into the air conditioning as much as possible. But it also meant I got caught up on some much needed housework, but also a lot of other indoor type activities. So here are my reviews...

READING

(finished) The Raw Shark Texts by Steven Hall... highly recommend. Quick tease... Eric was in a terrible accident. Since then he keeps having blank spots appear in his memory. He finds letters written by himself that help him piece together his memory... only to have the holes reappear. It is filled with literary references and allusions, so book geeks will get a kick out of it. Great story... okay writing. But definitely kept me turning the pages.

(started) Blood Sucking Fiends: A Love Story by Christopher Moore... if you've never read Christopher Moore, go flush yourself. My personal favorite of his so far is Lamb: The Gospel According to Biff, Christ's Childhood Pal. His books are twisted, witty and provoking. Very Carl Hiaasen or Dave Berry. Plot... Jody works in an office and wakes up one morning behind a dumpster and a vampire. She is helped out by a beatnik author from Indiana who works nights at Safeway. I'm only about 1/2 way in, but very fun.

MUSIC

Third by Portishead. Okay... you're either into Portishead or you're not. But this one is AMAZING!!!! The guys put together some mend bending compositions and Beth Gibbons once again hurts you in a good way with her vocals.

MOVIES

I'm a loser... I didn't see these until this weekend. Now I'm peeved that I waited so long

X-Men
X2: X-Men United
X-Men: The Last Stand

Now, I don't think you have to be a comic geek to enjoy these movies. Fun plots, amazing characters and a great combination of real actors and special effects. Real humans are used for a vast majority of the stunts and whatnot instead of just being CGI'd in. Wow. Imagine that. And talk about some heavy hitting actors: Patrick Stewert & Ian McKellan of Royal Shakespeare Co fame, Alan Cummings from Broadway.... and even though I don't find Hugh Jackman to be the most attractive man in film, you give him that crazy spikey Wolverine hair and take his shirt off a couple of times per film... SOLD!

I also indulged in....

Secret Window. Not bad. Kept me entertained. Johnny Depp was his normal, brilliant self... and it was only at the end that I realized it was based on a short story by Stephen King !

Master and Commander: The Far Side of the Earth. Eye candy... between the period costumes, ships on the high seas and Russell Crowe. The plot was fun and engaging, but I think I wasn't in the mood for that one. Maybe I'll try it again.

Basically, it was one of those great weekends that leaves you wanting more. It isn't often that I get the opportunity to do nothing. And I think I needed it.