Wasteland 2 (Video Game)

I read somewhere that Wasteland was an inspiration to the Fallout series. I can see how that could be the case. But where the Wasteland series basically ended with the second installment, Fallout is still going strong. This was an interesting game. It had turn based combat which I hadn't run into recently. Ok story, with some interesting side lines. I could have spent much more time playing, but I got to a point, as I do with most games, that the fun of exploring was pretty much over and I just wanted to finish. Which I did. With a bang. Ooops. I could have gone back and fixed it - this game had incremental saves enabled, but I just left it alone and went on with my life. I enjoyed the game while I was playing it and would recommend it to people who like RPGs, strategy games, turn based combat and post apocalyptic stories.

A Catskill Eagle (book)

Book 12 of the Spenser books. This one reminded me a bit of a video game, with each level being a little more difficult and a little more dangerous for Spenser and Hawk. Susan, Spenser's love, is in trouble. And so is Hawk (briefly). Spenser to the rescue. Add in the CIA and a major league bad guy and you have a fun and tense Spenser book.

Taming a Sea-Horse (book)

I do not, yet, understand the titles of the Spenser books. Take this one for example. This one is apparently from a poem. What it has to do with anything, is something that might one day become clear. Anyway, the 13th book in the series so far and I am still not bored. That's a good thing, right? This tale revisits a character (or a few characters) from earlier books. Spenser is out to find April Keys, a young girl who ran away from her family and ending up in prostitution. Spenser finds out that she has sort of disappeared. Again, as he unravels the yarn, he comes up against a bunch of unexpected twists and turns.

The Post

Great cast, great director, great everything! But somehow it just didn't excite me as much as the other recent newspaper movie did. (Spotlight) I don't know why, but it just didn't thrill me. Definitely not a waste of time. But not stellar either. If I gave stars it would be a four out of five. The Post has to decide whether or not to stand up for the First Amendment.

Ocean's 8

I watched this because I had seen the other Oceans movies. And I like Sandra Bullock. Though she looked a little stretched in the movie. Still, it was clever and fun. If you like heist movies, this is a decent entry!

Next Gen

I was expecting something closer to Wall-e from this movie. It was closer to an anime. Like an American Anime. Fun but not great. Glad I saw it but wouldn't watch it again. Good cast! Young disaffected youth befriends super robot and hilarity (?) ensues. Ok, maybe some destruction. The dog was cute.

My Sister's Keeper

Sniffle provoking movie for sure. Girl sues parents for medical independence so that she doesn't have to give her kidney to her dying sister. Drama ensues. Lots of tears. Only watch this with some hankies available.

Tomb Raider

I was excited for this reboot of the movies. Not that I didn't like the Angelina Jolie versions. I liked this version a lot - and was sad to hear that there weren't going to be more of them. I liked how they worked a lot of the video game into the movie - like running across the airplane wing, etc. Good and fun. If you like movies based on video games, or action adventure type movies, especially ones with strong female leads, you might just like this film.

Valediction (Book)

Spenser is depressed over his relationship with Susan, who has moved to LA to see what life on her own is like. Hahahahaha. Anyway, Spenser gets a case looking for a lost girlfriend that turns into a whole different set of problems. Along the way he has a fling which is probably a good thing. Good entry in the series. This was the only image of the cover of the copy I read that I could find on the internet. Yay?

Promised Land (Book)

Not the cover I had, but I couldn't find that one easily online...

Book Four of Spenser. In this one, he starts by looking for a runaway wife, inly to end up with gunrunners and feminists galore! Better plot than some of them so far. Still fun.

Marylin Hotchkiss' Ballroom Dancing and Charm School

I watched this movie because I like Marisa Tomei. And I sort of like the lead male, who plays Rumplestiltskin in Once Upon a Time. Weird, quirky movie that I actually enjoyed overall. If you like any of the actors, or you like quirky movies, or movies with a little bit of dance in them, you might just like this movie.

Frank promises a stranger to go to a dance class in his place and Frank's life changes for the better.

The Godwulf Manuscript

For a first entry in a series, this one wasn't as compelling as I thought it would be. The mystery wasn't as mysterious as I had hoped. Good, but not especially clever. Bad people doing bad things. Spenser, by the way, is an ex-cop and an ex-boxer. And a big reader. I hope we learn more about his past as the series moves along. So far, he is a man of honor (his own definition of honor). And well read. But other than that, we have only had a few snippets of his life prior to the series start. Still, he is an interesting enough character to keep me reading. For now.

I don't know if anyone cares, but I do try to find a picture of the particular cover of the particular version of a book (or movie or whatever) that I have ingested. Yay?

God Save the Child (Book)

Book 2 in the series of Spenser books written by Robert Parker. Turns out that someone else has written (and may still be writing?) some Spenser books. I don't know if I will read those. Nor if I will finish the series. But for now, soldiering on. This one was about a boy who disappears. I think I may have read it before at some point. I figured out what had happened pretty quickly. Too quickly? Perhaps. Anyway, still a good entry in the series.

Mortal Stakes (Book)

The third Spenser novel - this one focuses on baseball, sort of. A baseball manager hires Spenser to see if there is any truth to the rumor that one of his pitchers is dirty. Spenser goes on the hunt. Good stuff. Only 30+ to go!