8 Bookish and Not-So-Bookish Thoughts (3)

[birdienl]

Bookish and Not-So-Bookish Thoughts is a weekly blogging event hosted by Bookishly Boisterous. It allows
book bloggers (and non-book bloggers) to write about pretty much anything, bookish or otherwise (i.e. sharing
exciting plans for the weekend, rants on things they've encountered during the week etc.)

1. I have a new phone, yay! After struggling with a slow, always full and often crashing Alcatel phone for ages, I now have a lovely, fast Samsung Galaxy Core on which I can download all the apps I want and still have lots of GBs of memory left! There's just one little downside to this: about half a year ago I was browsing through Etsy and came across some great, classic literature inspired phone cases. I then decided: when I get a new phone, I'm buying one of these cases. Unfortunately, these cases are only made for standard model phones like iPhones and Galaxy S. So now my great new phone is dressed in a boring black case, all I could find for this model (#firstworldproblems)

2. Today I was helping a friend with the refurbishing of her new place. I painted the inside of two closets and ofcourse had to think of this moment in Pride and Prejudice, LOL!



"Shelves in a closet, a happy thought indeed!" (Source: memebags)

3. Lately, I've become a bit addicted to the YouTube channels of BuzzFeed. There are just so many funny and creative vids there, I spend too much time watching these...

Here's a great example:

4. I cannot believe this weekend it's already time for the finale of both the Doctor Who and Downton Abbey seasons! These series have really flown by this year, especially Downton Abbey. Is that a sign that it's making less of an impression on me? I don't know really, but what I do know is that I had the feeling this might be the last season of Downton with all the plot threads ending. But then this week I heard that a sixth season has been ordered.

5. On the other end of the spectrum... I have been watching the ABC comedy Selfie for the last few weeks and just started to really get into it (it was the first comedy series I followed for ages), when this week I heard it was being cancelled....

6. I've been reading a dissapointingly low number of books the last month. I've started Bleak House by Charles Dickens and although I really like it, it's still a classic and in the evening after work when I want to read I find myself spending time on 1. or 3. instead ;-)

7. Here in The Netherlands, we're starting to gear ourselves for the yearly Sinterklaas at the 5th of December. With that comes the time of snacking on 'pepernoten' (yummy, especially the chocolate-covered ones!) But, the last few years these weeks leading up to Sinterklaas have also been filled with heated discussions about Zwarte Piet (Black Peter, the dark skinned assistant of Sinterklaas). Is this tradition racist or not? I find this quite a difficult discussion: on the one hand I want our beloved tradition to stay as it always was, as I have enjoyed it as a kid. But on the other hand I don't want to waltz right over the feelings that the coloured Dutch are having to this figure.

Well, with that I'll leave you for today. I hope you're all doing alright (I'm afraid I'm quite behind on reading your entries :-S) and enjoying your weekend!

Comments

[mayanas.livejournal.com]

I don't much like Dickens. His plots are fine but his writing is so boring I find his books very hard to read so I tend to like adaptations much better. That said Bleak House is one of the few novels of his I have finished. Possibly there were no distractions about...

I think I just might check out those videos. I used to read buzzfeed all the time for all the lists about things and I think the videos look just as fun!

Can't you find some fun stickers to put on the phone cover? And yay, new phone!

Heh, Mr. Collins gif. :D

[birdienl.livejournal.com]

You actually need to read Dickens when you have a holiday, or at least a quite time in your life!

BuzzFeed videos is like the lists, but then with moving images, it's better ;-)

[msantimacassar.livejournal.com]

Hooray on the new phone! Bummer about the case though, I would second the suggestion of stickers or something to liven it up! :)

Hehe, real life Pride and Prejudice moments are the best!

That is a hilarious video! I will have to check out some more of those.

Isn't there another episode of Doctor Who left? Honestly, I haven't been paying enough attention to remember! It seems a bit crazy to me that DA is even still running! Are they going for ten seasons or something?

I'm quite bummed about Selfie too! Some of the jokes grated on my nerves but it was fun.

I am also feeling like I haven't read much this month. I tried to attack a really long sci-fi book and it's really dragging for me.

I cannot believe it is already that time of year! Where has this year gone?

[birdienl.livejournal.com]

There are some really great Buzzfeed videos, I find the ones on the BuzzFeedViolet channel the best, some are so recognizable!

I just watched the last episode of Doctor Who, the second part of the finale. Of course there's going to be the Christmas special still.

Julian Fellowes keeps saying they will stop while Downton Abbey is at its peak. Well, it might still attract lots of viewers, but storywise, it really is beyond its peak already....

[msantimacassar.livejournal.com]

I've been watching a few of them here and there and they are just sooo good! Thanks for the rec! :)

Here I was thinking there were three parts to the finale instead of two! Maybe I was just counting the Christmas special or something...

I think at this point they are just trying to milk as much money out of it as they can, so it very well might go on forever!

[plumeriandeity.livejournal.com]

Oh man! We need to catch up on Doctor Who, Downton, AND Selfie! I tuned in to watch it tonight and was SO UPSET that they are not going to air the remaining episodes.

I was all set to hate that show but it surprisingly was just wonderfully warm, funny, and lovely. I'm still not a Karen Gillan fan but she wasn't terrible, so I'll give her that. I'm really sad that show didn't get the time it deserved :(

Doctor Who was so...hit or miss this season. I've been feeling kind of blah about it for the last season and a half, and I think one of the reasons this season was underwhelming was because I may have expected more from Peter Capaldi. BUT, I thought the finale was actually fairly decent and not terrible, so there's hope! (But my favorite ep was definitely Robot of Sherwood. It was hilarious.)

Downton was not as terrible as I thought it would be this season. There were plots that were meh but I actually really liked it. It *almost* was like season 1. But honestly, the Bates are never, ever going to be happy. I think we need to face that fact because those two have not had one season where horrible things didn't happen to them.

Hope all is well with you!

[birdienl.livejournal.com]

Hello! How nice to see a comment (and a post) from you again!

'Warm, funny and lovely' is really an apt description of Selfie. It's such a pity, but at least it looks like we'll get to see the full 13-episode run.

In my opinion, Peter Capaldi was a real improvement from Matt Smith in the last season (I must be honest, I never was a big fan of Matt Smith's Doctor...) I think we all expected a lot from him, but with Moffat still writing, some things were bound to stay the same, even with a different Doctor.

I really hope that Julian Fellowes will make the Bates' happy before Downton ends!

[plumeriandeity.livejournal.com]

Hello again! Sorry for the long delay in responding. It got a bit busy!

I need to catch up on Selfie...I haven't watched it on Hulu Plus after they pulled it off the air but ahh I must know what happens!

I really loved Matt Smith as the Doctor, though I think the writing totally screwed him over in series 7 (I was not a fan of series 7 at all). I think Capaldi really found his footing towards the end of this series, and I like him a lot, so I'm sure there will be fun things in store!

The day the Bates's say goodbye to Downton to do their own thing, I will be so freaking happy. Misery really loves these two (and poor Edith).

[birdienl.livejournal.com]

I finished watching Selfie, all the 13 episodes they made, but I won't spoil you!

I didn't think I would agree with you about the Bates's even a month ago, but after the last prison adventure I'm totally fed up with their sad story so yes: Fellowes, let them go! (or let them be happy)