A satisfying ending

Three things:

I finished Neal Stephenson's Anathem yesterday. At nearly 900 pages, plus fifty pages of appendices, it took longer than most books I've read recently. It was also the sort of book that I wanted to think about as I read, since so much of it involved really interesting philosophy and mental experiment.

The basic plot involves a different world, with interesting characters and an amazing storyline. The main character goes through a series of revolutions in the size of his world (so to speak), and each time his world expands it begins with a denouement of sorts. I absolutely loved just about every minute of reading the book - I'd forgotten how much I liked Neal Stephenson, maybe, so I am thinking I might go pick up the Baroque Cycle since I haven't read that yet. Anathem is highly recommended to anyone who likes to read, and it's a bonus for those who like science fiction and fantasy or who like playing with words in their head or those who like philosophy of science. Absolutely fantastic, and when it ended I was very sad, because I'd grown to love the characters and the story so much.

Today, we went to see The Men Who Stare At Goats, which was pretty much big dumb fun, with a bit more intelligence than big dumb fun movies usually are. George Clooney and Jeff Bridges got to reprise parts of the roles I've always thought they both had most fun playing (Ulysses Everett McGill from O Brother Where Art Thou and The Dude from The Big Lebowski, respectively). Ewan MacGregor is in it as well, and it's definitely worth a matinee price to see it in the theater, though I'm sure it will be just as good on DVD. Overall, it was quite silly and entertaining while being well-acted and a bit unusual at the same time.

And tonight, the season finale of Mad Men, about which I can say nothing but DAMN was that ever good. WOOOOO! Now we have to wait until next summer to find out what happens. ARGH.

Thank you Mr. Farnsworth

Somehow, over the course of 2009 (or at least, since we got cable back in February), I have become a fan of television.

Now, don't get me wrong. I didn't have anything AGAINST TV per se, and have always enjoyed some shows, but most of the tv we watched for years was on DVD via netflix, because we didn't have cable and it's rare to find a network show that's really good. I've had my guilty pleasures, of course, like the few reality shows I'll watch (ANTM, Amazing Race, Hell's Kitchen, and, of course, SYTYCD), but for the most part we watched most of our TV after everyone else had already seen it. For instance, we finally just finished watching the last bit of Battlestar Galactica. (We have yet to catch up to Lost, so that will remain a DVD show.)

But somehow this season, TV has captured my interest. I need more than the fingers on one hand to count the shows I enjoy watching right now, and that's saying something. A few of this year's highlights:

Warehouse 13

A SciFi channel X-files lite-type, I love the interaction between the main characters. They seem to be a family, and the writing is far better than I would have expected for a summer filler-type show. I find the premise to be interesting and the way in which the artifacts (various famous things that are generally Dangerous To The Public) are portrayed, some as having sentience of their own, the way the artifacts and their legacies interact with the characters, and the unabashed nerdy humour drew me in. I like that the two mains aren't being played for will-they-or-won't-they sexual tension, and I like that it seems the cast has a lot of fun together. I'll be watching for this show to come back next summer.

Fringe

I was totally sucked into this show last year and was so excited it was coming back. The same guy who made Lost made this show, and so far I've been really interested in the different plot points and twists, seeing how everything fits together, and it doesn't hurt that Pacey Witter grew up to be very easy on the eyes. I'm not thrilled about the main female lead but I think the actress is finally growing into her role. Plus, what's not to like about Denethor being a mad scientist and keeping a cow in his laboratory?

Gossip Girl

This is, by far, the best-written and -casted, the most juicy, and the prettiest-to-look-at trash on TV, in my opinion. I'm out and proud as a Gossip Girl fan, even though I'm not in love with any of the characters. They're all quite flawed and at times the storylines can get ridiculous, but one could say that about just about any trashy melodrama. It doesn't hurt that the show is a love letter to NYC and shots of the city are the glue that hold the show together.

Glee

Oh my god. What is not to like about this show? It's funny, it's irreverant, it's about the drama of high school, both for students and teachers, and I just love it more every episode.

Mad Men

I saved the best for last. We started watching Mad Men on DVD, and, because each season only has 13 episodes, we were able to catch up on the show before season 3 started a few weeks ago. I don't think I can do the show justice in writing about it, but I highly suggest that anyone who likes TV that makes them THINK, that likes strong, well-written characters, that has any interest in (or lived through) the 1960s, should watch it. Each episode has so many layers, so many interesting aspects, it's hard to pull out just one or two things about the show in general to write about.

Anybody have favorites that I should be watching?