Entertainment Zone

Hey everybody! So, this year, I got cable. I hadn't had it in years. Probably explains my decline in productivity. lol. And poor sleep habits.

Anyhooo, no judgement.

So, here is my list for you of the best viewing and reading options in my life right now.

In no particular order:

1. Love it or List It. This show has 30-minute episodes and airs on HGTV. It features homeowners who are tired of at least some elements of their current home. The show pits a realtor and a decorator against each other. The homeowners give them instructions on what needs to be renovated in the current home or what needs to be featured in a new home in order for them to stay or go. The homeowners set a budget, and the professionals go to work. Love it! And, spoiler alert: Prices in Vancouver are out of control! Just sayin.

2. The Home Edit. https://www.hgtv.com/shows/love-it-or-list-it This show is new to me, but I am LOVING it! Two ladies, Clea and Joanna, are champion organizers. So much so that they have a best-selling book on the subject, an entire product line, and now this very cool Netflix show. Check them out at https://www.thehomeedit.com. Or look up the show on Netflix. It is incredible, but this pair makes organizing look fun.

3. Dr. Oakley, Yukon Vet. https://www.imdb.com/title/tt3593456 Oh man, I love this show. I watch it on the National Geographic Channel, but apparently, it is also on the Disney channel. Eagles, porcupines, elk, cows, horses, bison, owls, bears, coyotes, and a dog named Boomer (I think) are just a handful of animals Dr. Oakley is called in to treat. Love Love Love it.

4. CSI the original. Reruns. Which I watch on the CTV Drama channel. So satisfying.

5. The Voice. Because holy crap these people can sing. This weird sensation happens where when I hear these amazing voices; I start to cry. That's right, people, moved to tears. Some people like to sing. Some people have been given a gift. And also, this season my favourites won. hehehe

6. Queer Eye for the Straight Guy. See Leigh bawl. Every. Single. Time. In a world where you can't turn on the news or social media and avoid the undercurrent of brewing, broiling rage which has seemingly become synonymous with the human condition lately, the kindness and unconditional love these five offer their participants in beautifully moving. Catch it on Netflix.

7. Highway to Hell. This Canadian show is filmed just down the street from me a couple of hours. It features tow truck drivers who are doing retrievals of car crashes on the main Highway from the Okanagan, where I live, to the Lower Mainland of British Columbia. To sum this show up in one word? Hairy. Who knew -- who ever even thought about -- how hard it is to get a crashed semi-truck off a highway?! Yikes!

8. Reacher. New on Amazon Prime. As many of you might know, Lee Child's Jack Reacher series are some of my favourite reads. This version is cast perfectly. Binged. Since I'm going to write more about it in a different blog, that's all I'm going to say for now.

There are others I watch, too, but those are the ones I am prepared to cop to for today.

So now, let's talk books!

Recently, I downloaded audible onto my phone. I have it for free until February 17 and then it has to go away 'cuz of the one job economizing status. But, I want to turn some of my novels into audiobooks, and since I'd never listened to one, I figured I had better. At some point I will write a full blog on the experience, but in the meantime, it has added an interesting dimension to the books I've read so far in 2022.

My favourite Nora Roberts book I have ever read was the second book in the Chesapeake Bay Series, called Rising Tides. I read it years ago and still remember that the main character smells like lemons. That's a pretty good sign that you enjoyed the book. It was the second audiobook I ever listened to. It is written, like every Nora Roberts book I am aware of, in third person, so it had one narrator. I found this interesting since I was constantly losing my attention as I listened. This book really is a great read -- as is the entire series. If you haven't read them, I strongly recommend them. Just, maybe read these ones the old-fashioned way.

The first audio book I read was Vi Keeland's Inappropriate. This one is in first person, has a male and female narrator, and I actually think the narration added to the overall strength of the book. There is a lot of backstory in this book, and I think if I'd been reading it, I might have skimmed through a lot of those sections. Other than that, pretty enjoyable experience.

There was one audiobook which I was like, neh. Bored. Not for me. Which I am not going to name. Overall, though, I've been pleasantly surprised.

The one I started listening to yesterday is a freebie with the audible app. It's called The Shark and I by Cara Lockwood, and honestly, it hasn't gotten great reviews. I have to say, though, I am on chapter three, and last night I sat in my car in my driveway with it on, laughing so hard tears were rolling down my cheeks. I had to call my mom and tell her the sequence of events, and she was laughing uncontrollably too. Maybe it's an age thing? Anyway, so far, I'm a huge fan of this one.

The two books I've read so far this year which I gave five-star reviews couldn't be more different: The Warlord, Gena Showalter, and Before Summer Ends, Susan Mallery. Both great reads, but The Warlord is way dark, and Before Summer Ends is at the opposite end of the spectrum. So, whichever way you prefer your romance, either of these books are a good choice!

So, when I haven't been writing, editing, or publishing, this is some of what I have been up to these past five weeks, and now they are some leisure-time recommendations from me to you.

Enjoy!