Books, Shows, Concerts, Etc

Reading now: The Staircase in the Woods by Chuck Wendig

    Not sure how I feel about it yet.

Also reading now: The Orbital by Samantha Harvey

    I started it a while back and just couldn't get into it. Took about a 6-months break. Now reading it again in an on-again, off-again sort of way. It is growing on me. It is beautiful and strangely compelling - but requires a certain mindset (and a certain degree of alertness and willingness to be fascinated by people floating around in space without any obvious plot).

Recently finished and absolutely loved: The Anomaly by Herve Le Tellier. 

    It was just the right amount of realism, human stories, science fiction (sort of), and the ending - oh my goodness, that was absolute perfection. I don't think I've ever experienced "breaking the 4th wall" to that extent while reading. Highly recommend it. Very thought-provoking (what does it mean to be human? what is reality? do we truly care?).

Watching with family: The Good Place. 

    Just started season 2. Loving it. Kids love it, too.

Recently finished watching with family: Schitt's Creek. 

    We loved it so much. H and C want to be Moira and Alexis for Halloween.

Also watching (by myself): The Magicians. 

    It's not really my cup of tea, and yet I keep watching. There are parallels with Narnia, except this world is pretty twisted (while still managing to be full of wonder). I appreciate it because I really, really do not like Narnia but I love the idea of being able to visit your favorite imaginary world (and this world turning out to be not quite what you imagined...)

Concert: Mendelssohn's Piano Concerto No. 1 and Symphony No. 1. It was inspiring, and fun, and an absolute joy.