Vicissitude and Season

Quick TV catch-up:

Sleepy Hollow: Almost like Katrina after last night's episode. Almost. Also, nice to see Frank again? I hope?

Castle: Back to form and they managed to find a new twist to keep things running a little longer. (Based on last week; haven't seen this week's yet.)

The Good Wife: And the Chicago canyons echo again with the refrain, "Kalinda, what the hell, no!" Also, I love episodes that require "we didn't know this would be in the news" disclaimers.

Elementary: Introducing new main characters and giving them storylines of their own is a good thing, people; season developing nicely. (I should probably note here that Ophelia Lovibond was yet another in the category of "where, oh where, have I seen that actor before? *checks imdb* Of course: 'Lewis'.")

Agent Carter: Watched the first two episodes of this; will probably keep watching. My main reaction is: it's just so satisfying. In somewhat the same way as Miss Fisher except with much more anger and fork-in-artery grit.

Person of Interest: On hold again until February, dammit. (Not that I begrudge the State of the Union, but otherwise grrr.) Good essay here: Why Person of Interest Needs to Continue Being the Gutsiest Show on Television. It's hard to remember sometimes that reactions are different outside fandom, but I'm not surprised that some viewers want it to go back to being the cosy procedural it never was. And probably hate Root/Shaw.

Couple of reading notes: Aside from finishing A People's History of the American Revolution, it's been mainly comfort reading. Among other things, I reread Lois Bujold's The Spirit Ring, which is an early stand-alone historical fantasy novel that I must have read originally after plunging through the Vorkosigan books. In that context it was a bit disappointing, but it's really very good on its own merits: the world-building is solid, the writing sings in places, and the characters are appealing. Seen retrospectively, it strikes some interesting notes with regard to the Chalion series, too.

Earlier in the month, to remove the taste of a dreadful Agatha Christie conspiracy thriller dealing with the misuse of an international youth movement, I reread some John Verney - anyone else here familiar with the Callendar series? ismo is the relevant one here, but the series starts with Friday's Tunnel - very fun 1960s British teenage adventures, which for some reason our local library possessed when I was a kid, and I later managed to procure copies for my kids (out of print alas and tend to be expensive). All of them use female POV, girls with real personalities and varied interests and a tendency to be irritable, and I'm glad to find I still love them (the books and the protagonists, especially February). If I ever do participate in Yuletide, I'll be sure to propose this series - there has to be someone out there who's read it.

1) Got the second version of the TAF cover done and have submitted it for review. *crosses fingers* If it turns out okay I will be able to tell without a paper proof, so I can go right ahead then with uploading the ebook versions and have it all done by the weekend! *crosses legs, arms, and anything else that can be crossed*

2) The cold made me lethargic and snuffly over the weekend (and too tired to go out to see Captain America 2) but I'm on the mend now. Despite planting seeds in the rain yesterday after four hours of oh god why am I in charge here. It's really nice to be alone in a big garden planting seeds, even if it is raining.

3) I may, however, die at the hands of Person of Interest sometime in the next few weeks. If this three-part finale is good it'll be really good, in the painful way, and if it's not, it'll be painfully disappointing. *goes back to crossing things*

4) Other shows also good (not caught up yet on Elementary, but really enjoying season 2; marveling at how fine a show full of corpses in horses (and Jeremy Davies, yes!) and food-related insinuation can be; laughing at how much fun the 70s episode of Castle must have been to film; haven't seen latest Good Wife yet, but appreciating thoroughly how well they are handling this sequence of episodes after [spoiler]).

5) I am reminded that I have a Trope Bingo card and haven't written any fanfic in ages, and don't really feel like writing any, but maybe after the book is out I'll manage to at least get started on a bingo? Can't really write anything POI until the season is over, unless it's looking back. I have glanced at my Vorkosigan WIPs and nothing is leaping out at me. Perhaps something else will inspire.

6) What I really want to have time for is getting started on Book Five. It's beginning to feel ripe, in the way that pears don't.

7) However. *goes back to powerpointing*