nomadreader

It's so nice to be Salon-ing two weekends in a row. I'm planning to hunker down at home today, as even my cold-weather-loving self finds single-digit temperatures when the sun is out quite cold. While I should  run a few errands, when facing a two-day work week, it's easy to find reasons to just stay home and read This is the Story of a Happy Marriage  by Ann Patchett, one of my favorite authors. I've read some of its essays before, but I'm still enjoying them again. Look for my review on December 10th. On Catching Fire Yesterday, Mr. Nomadreader and I had a rare day off together. Even more rare: it was a Saturday. We celebrated by having a delicious brunch at Le Jardin , a recently resurrected Des Moines restaurant. In typical Des Moines fashion, we ran into friends and acquaintances while we were there. Then we headed to the mall (the horror!) and enjoyed a few martinis before settling in for an afternoon showing of Catching Fire.  I adored the book when I r...

The perils of working for a living: a twelve-hour delay in posting reactions to the Emmy nominations. Things That Made Me Sad: No love for Parenthood . It's one of my favorite shows on television, and I think both the writing and ensemble cast are exemplary. No love for Community . Again. It's perhaps the most inventive comedy on the air (no disrespect to my other beloved 30 Rock and Modern Family , which are the two best comedies on the air.) Community is more original and almost as funny. It deserves a spot in the Best Comedy category. No guest acting nominations for Law & Order: SVU . Looking back on this season, I struggled to think who should be nominated, but their one-time dominance in this category is gone, and it made me sad. Kyra Sedgwick was shut out. I love The Closer , but I was more impressed by her perfect-until-now streak of being nominated for Best Actress every year for the Emmy, Golden Globe and Screen Actors Guild Award. Here's hopi...

Welcome to Thursday TV , the first in a semi-regular (most Thursdays) series of my favorite television shows. First up: the best on television, The Good Wife.   My television habits: a primer I watch a lot of television. I am not one for escapist fiction (for the most part; there are always exceptions), but I am definitely one for escapist television. My DVR is a surprising mix of high-brow programming (BBC America and PBS are favorites) and low-brow programming (I watch most of Bravo's reality shows.)  As a highly visual person, I appreciate seeing the action. I love visual jokes and glimpses filled with meaning you'd miss if you looked away. I also have a fondness for episodic storytelling. I was reared on books in a series that came out monthly. Now, it's somewhat torturous as an adult reader to wait for a new book in a series I adore to come out once a year (or even less frequently.) Television fills a niche with me. Good television characters feel like friend...

After an uneven first season on Lifetime, Project Runway  is back in New York City and actually airing shortly after it filmed, which should help the fashion seem more relevant. Last week's premiere was quite entertaining, as Nicole Richie was the guest judge, and she brought her quirky fashion taste and humor. My favorite dress actually won: This dress lost: I dubbed it "a very Cosby Easter dress." Project Runway  airs on Lifetime Thursday nights at 10 p.m. Eastern. I'm sure you can catch repeats of last week's episode, but you can also watch it online . Thanks, Lifetime!

I'll focus on the positive about the 2009 Golden Globes: it was a really enjoyable telecast to watch. Ricky Gervais was funny but mostly absent from the stage. Mostly, he introduced a few key presenters of his choice with hilarious and surprising bits. As a telecast, the flow was good. Most recipients knew if they had time to talk (actors) or if they didn't (producers of miniseries and foreign films). The order of awards kept things fresh too; there weren't lulls. The Movies I am mostly baffled by the movie awards. Not only were many of those I didn't think should even be nominated winners, but the Hollywood Foreign Press seem to be pandering to mainstream, mall-shopping, corporate movieplex-going America. They have enough power with what movies are made; let us keep our quality films, please. There is nothing wrong with mainstream hits. Avatar  is an important movie for it's technical advances for the genre, but it is not a good movie (my review will post tomo...

I miss Diana. Still, this episode was quite entertaining. I am thoroughly enjoying this season, and I honestly am not rooting for anyone to stay or go. They are all good tv. Here are my favorite moments and dialogue from this week's episode: "I can't wait to have some stimulating conversation." - Renee, on the way to a party where we see her talking to Nicole Richie about who the biggest bitch in the cast is. "I think you're real lame. I'm Jael." - Jael, introducing herself to Jason Wahler of Laguna Beach . I give him credit for laughing as hard as I did. "Don't mess that up; it's Hermes." - Benny Medina, who kindly handed Dionne his handkerchief while she cried about missing her daughter. 50 Cent pushed Jael into the pool. Twice (or perhaps the second shot was a replay). I'm still not sure if he was kidding, but his distaste for Jael was amusing. "He loves music, and that's all that really matters to me in a human bein...

I shamefully confess to recording The Bachelor: An Officer & a Gentleman, and I more sheepishly admit to watching it the night of its premiere. Five minutes into the premiere, however, I was taking notes. This program is a sarcastic blogger's dream! The highlights for those of you too sensible (or silly) to watch: -During the opening montage history of Andy's (the Bachelor) life, we are treated to a discolored photograph from young Andy in the early 1980's with his family, beaming while clutching a Cabbage Patch doll. What looks to his brother also hugs a CPd while grinning. -If this man was not coached for reality television editing, I would be amazed. He is all flowery language and smiles. He meets the contenders on his 30th birthday. Without prompting he waxes poetically, "People always ask if you did something special on your birthday. What could be more special than this? I may be meeting my future wife tonight." -Blakeney, a 29-year-old Alabama girl, opi...