"Are you sure, sir? It does mean changing the bulb."

[usuallyhats]

1.) Reading an exellent book, as I am at the moment, is very cheering to the spirits. My train of thought goes something like this: "This is a great book. It surely cannot be unique in its greatness. Thus the world must contain many great books for me to discover. Therefore I deduce that the world is a wonderful place." Then I have to go and have a lie down until the Pollyannaish feelings wear off. (The book in question is Connie Willis's To Say Nothing of the Dog; I heartily endorse this product. It may help at this juncture for you to imagine me with two thumbs up, grinning widely, but I will quite understand if you prefer not to.)

2.) I have been watching a fair bit of Red Dwarf recently. I decided to try and catch up with all the episodes I never saw when it was on the telly by starting at the beginning of series three (having probably definitely seen the repeats of serieses 1 and 2) and proceeding from there in an orderly fashion. Apparently I've not seen nearly as much as I thought I had, because I've just finished series six and could only say with any certainty that I'd seen two of the episodes before. But this is all to the good as it is like having LOVELY NEW STUFF to watch. Anyway. The DVDs are great, they also get a hearty endorsement due to having many excellent extras: I always save the smeg ups for last as they are usually the best bit. The series six DVDs had a feature about the music which has a) inspired me to try and learn how to play the theme tune on the piano (Howard Goodall made it look so easy! But then he is v. good at the piano and I am a bit rubbish) and b) made me look forward to 'Blue' very much, as just a tiny clip of the Rimmer Song made me laugh like a hyena. Also I now have a new addition to my Red Dwarf Commentary Drinking Game.

3.) *reads over this post* I do talk a lot of nonsense, don't I? Oh well, hopefully it is entertaining nonsense.

Comments

[persiflage-1.livejournal.com]

Very entertaining!! :D

I have heard Howard G on the subject of composing TV themes (of which he's done many) - he's fascinating to listen to.

[usuallyhats]

Good good! :D

I remember Howard Goodall doing a series about music a few years ago which was excellent - he's a great presenter, very interesting and accessible.

[persiflage-1.livejournal.com]

He's been Classic FM's Composer-in-Residence for the past year so he's been interviewed several times. And he's still doing "Howard Godall on..." - a 2 hour show on a Saturday on Classic FM.

[usuallyhats]

Shiny! I might try and listen to that...

[persiflage-1.livejournal.com]

It's on from 1 - 3pm. I think he's recently been doing "Howard Goodall on the Hall of Fame" - but I suspect we might get "On Lurve" or something this Sat for Valentine's Day on Sunday.

[brewsternorth.livejournal.com]

I'm glad someone else has discovered "TSNOTD" as another happy-making book. It is indeed a gem. (Looking forward to Ms Willis' next time-travellers book!)

[usuallyhats]

I love it so much! I've just got to the bit where Verity's time-lagged and starts comparing Ned to Peter Wimsey, which made me speechless with delight. And eeee, there's going to be a next one? Yay!

[lesbiassparrow.livejournal.com]

I love, love, love that book. Though her other book that is connected to it was rather traumatizing to read.

[brewsternorth.livejournal.com]

Doomsday Book? Yes, you have to be in the right frame of mind for it. It's a brilliant book all the same.

[usuallyhats]

Though her other book that is connected to it was rather traumatizing to read.
Oh no! That's worrying. Hopefully being prepared for it will help...

I think I first read about To Say Nothing of the Dog on your LJ, so thank you!

[munditia.livejournal.com]

I just finished Doomsday Book, my first Connie Willis novel ever. Is To Say Nothing of the Dog also set among time-travelling Oxford historians? And does one need to know Three Men in a Boat fairly well to appreciate it?

[usuallyhats]

It is! And I don't think so - it's been years since I read Three Men in a Boat (though I am planning to reread it now!) and I still love it.

[vilakins.livejournal.com]

I read To Say Nothing of the Dog last year, and loved it. You might like her The Bellwether which I found a lot of fun though I guessed the central premise right away.

Ahhh, the Rimmer Song just reduces me to helpless laughter. Right. I think I'll take some of those DVDs away on holiday. Red Dwarf is brilliant, except for when they lost Rimmer and got Kochanski who wasn't funny, I suspect because the writers can't write funny women.

[usuallyhats]

I'm glad to hear The Bellwether's good, as I actually have that one, it just won't work its way to the top of my book pile for a while.

I'm worried about the Kochanski bits, because I'll be all grumpy at the writers for not being able to writer her properly and sad at there not being any Rimmer. :/

[vilakins.livejournal.com]

But he comes back! :-D

[usuallyhats]

True! I shall look forward to that. :)

[vandonovan.livejournal.com]

Rimmer song is one of the best things in the world, ever. It's fact.

[usuallyhats]

I think it might well be. I'd forgotten its TRUE GLORY having not seen it for many years!

[silly-cleo.livejournal.com]

It is VERY entertaining nonsense and I ♥ it. And obv that is all the endorsement you need. ;D

Eee, though, I am SO HAPPY with what you say about Connie Willis! I've had another friend trying to rec her whole body of work to me for YEARS! Is that one a good place to start? Have you read many others? (I'll totally try the library before I borrow more of your books... ;))

And HEE, Red Dwarf! I SO need to watch more of that. :D I love that you have a Red Dwarf Commentary Drinking Game.

Edit: another thing I feel the need to express my love for is your way of train of thought re: 'To Say Nothing Of The Dog' and Pollyannaish feelings about same. ;D

[usuallyhats]

Hee, yay, that is good to hear!

This is the only Connie Willis book I've read (and I haven't finished it yet, hopefully nothing terrible will happen in the last forty odd pages...), but I would DEFINITELY recommend it to you! (and you can absolutely borrow my copy if the library doesn't have one :D)

Yessss, Red Dwarf is SO FUNNY, I love it. And I've listened to four series' worth of commentary in the space of a few months, things start to stand out... though I don't dare actually play the drinking game as it would probably not be good for me ;)

[silly-cleo.livejournal.com]

I thought you'd be pleased. ;D

Hee, yay, I'll have a look for it! (Ooh, I might convince one of my book groups to read it. Cunning plan. ;)) (And thank you! Will see how I go! :D)

Aww, I totally think you should at some point. Invite some people over, make a night of it. Though I'm not sure how well commentaries + many people works... ;)

[usuallyhats]

Yes, it could get a bit confusing... but it would be fun!

Ooo, convincing a book group to read it would be a great idea!