TV Show Review: The Amazing Race - Season 37

Stars: 4 out of 5

Pros: Arm chair traveling with tasks along the way

Cons: Too many twists some that don’t work; some teams that have unhealthy relationships

The Bottom Line:

Can’t quite get away?

Watch show; race around the world

Mostly fun season

A Few Too Many Twists

This past spring saw season 37 of The Amazing Race. The producers tried to mix things up with some returning and some new twists to the formula. It made for a different season that was still mostly entertaining. 

If you aren’t familiar with the premise, it features teams of two who go on a race around the world. Each week, they have to follow directions to new locations and countries and complete tasks along the way to the pit stop, where host Phil Keoghan gives the winning team a prize and lets the losing team know they’ve been eliminated. 

Honestly, that right there is really enough for me. I love seeing where the teams go, which this season included Hong Kong, Dubi, Japan, and Portugal, among others. Watching the teams trying to deal with navigating without their phones or dealing with transportation creates some drama and unpredictability. It’s not like other reality shows where the contestants can game the game without any twists. All it can take is one unlucky break for a good team to go from first to last. 

But the producers decided to really shake things up this season by adding one twist per leg. Some were familiar to fans, like the UTurn, which requires a team to do both sides of a Detour. We also saw the return of the Express Pass and Fast Forward. Others were new, like the Fork in the Foad, where teams were on parallel tracks after the Detour. I feel like some of these weren’t well thought out. Others fizzled because of the teams more than the producers not thinking things through. It will be interesting to see which if any of these make a comeback in future seasons. 

The other thing that can be a problem with a season is teams that fight. Now, I get it. Your body clock gets off as you travel so you are tired. And you are stressed as you are racing. Everyone is going to get frustrated and snap at times. But some teams seem to fight constantly as the season goes along. That’s what I find hard to watch. And we get a couple of those teams here. There’s actually a very clear cut distinction between teams at one point. Both teams were frustrated by what was happening to them. One team was taking it out on each other. The other was trying to help each other deal with the frustration so they could focus. And that’s the difference between teams I root to lose and teams I enjoy watching. You really can see who has a healthy relationship and who doesn’t. 

But, as I say, the locations are fabulous and the tasks are mostly fun to watch. I wish we got more than one season of this show per year since I enjoy it so much. 

Like with the other recent seasons, the episodes were 90 minutes with commercials. This allows us to follow the teams a little better, which I enjoy. 

Overall, season 37 is another one that fans of The Amazing Race will enjoy. If you want a different travel show, be sure to check this one out. 

August 10th's Sunday/Monday Post

Welcome to the weekend and this week's Sunday/Monday Post.  As usual, I will be linking up to:

Sunday Post
Sunday Salon
Stacking the Shelves
Mailbox Monday
It's Monday, What Are You Reading?

It's been a fairly quiet week.  We finish up fiscal month end at work without too much extra drama, which is always nice.

It got hot late in the week.  Like touching 100 degrees.  The temps should drop in the next week.  Like it will be mid-80's.  In August!  That's almost unheard of here in So Cal for this time of year.  I want my summer heat!  And this isn't it.

There is a fire north of town.  Far enough away from me that I am not concerned for me, but the town to the north of me has faced some evacuations.  They've dropped them as of this morning, but the fire is still burning

You will notice that I swapped out one of my expected reviews from last week.  When you wind up seeing Freakier Friday on Thursday night, you post your review on Friday.  But don't worry, I'll post the original review planned for Friday on Monday.

Saturday is my monthly game day, so shall we get on with it so I can get there?

Joke of the Week:

New research suggests that towels are a leading cause of dry skin.

This Past Week on the Blog:

Sunday - Sunday/Monday Post

Monday - Movie Review: Signed, Sealed, Delivered - The Road Less Traveled

Tuesday - Book Review: Edam and Weep by Linda Reilly

Wednesday - Book Review: Dark Sacred Night by Michael Connelly

Thursday - Book Review: The Cardinal's Curse by LynDee Walker and Bruce Robert Coffin

Friday - Movie Review: Freakier Friday

Saturday - Weekly TV Thoughts

This Coming Week on the Blog:

Sunday - Sunday/Monday Post

Monday - TV Show Review: The Amazing Race - Season 37

Tuesday - Book Review: A Trace of Poison by Colleen Cambridge

Wednesday - Book Review: The Dark Wind by Tony Hillerman

Thursday - Book Review: The Last Line by Scott Lyerly

Friday - Friday Post featuring Fatal Sign-Off

Saturday - Weekly TV Thoughts

Book Haul:

I've got four new books to tell you about this week.

Up first are two Kindle deals I snagged early in the week.  Sadly, neither are still on sale.

The first of those was A Death in Corfu by Emily Sullivan.  This is the first in a series set in the early 1900's on a Greek isle.  I've been considering it for a while, so when it went on sale, I couldn't resist.

My other Kindle deal was The Word is Murder by Anthony Horowitz.  I was considering this as an audiobook series, which I always get from the library.  But I decided to snag the first while it was on sale.  I mean, this way, I can change my mind and decide how I want to consume it later.

Next up is my ARC for the week, Whiskey Business by Adrian Andover.  I met the author when I was at Malice Domestic back in April, and he made his book sound like lots of fun.  I'm glad I was able to get the ARC.  The book comes out at the beginning of September, so I will be reading it soon.

But not as soon as this next book.  My pre-order of For Duck's Sake by Donna Andrews came this week.  It's book thirty-seven in her very long running Meg Langslow series.  I always look forward to the entries, so I'll be reading it just as soon as I get the review copies I've got on my plate for August finished.  Speaking of which....

What I'm Currently Reading:

I'm actually working on the two review obligations I have for August this weekend.  I'm just about finished with Fatal Sign-Off by Sarah E. Burr.  This is book three in her Book Blogger Mysteries.  You can see the appeal for a book blogger who loves cozy mysteries, right?  It helps that Sarah's books are always nice and cozy, and this is no exception.  I've been enjoying it very much.

By Monday, I'm hoping to be well into the Halloween Night Murder novella collection.  I didn't get this one that long ago, so I know I talked about it then.  The stories are from Leslie Meier, Lee Hollis, and Liz Ireland.  Since I love Liz's Mrs. Claus series, I am reading the collection for her contribution.

Both of these books are coming out on August 26th.  But I'm hoping to have them reviewed on the 19th and 21st respectively.  But that's a discussion for next week's post, right?

Until then, have a great week!

August 9th's Weekly TV Thoughts

American Ninja Warrior – Finding out that it isn’t a one lose and done thing makes me feel slightly better about the racing.  Still, I’m not happy about it.  People like James are out.  And Sean.  It’s going to be all teen men or early twenties very quickly.  That’s not what I watch this show to see.  And I wish they wouldn’t jump around the groups.  Makes it hard to remember how everyone is doing.

The Librarians: The Next Chapter – That was a fun finale.  I knew something would happen to extend their six months, so that part wasn’t a surprise, but it was surprisingly touching.  And it would have worked as a series finale if they’d left out that last few seconds.  I’m curious to see where they are going to go with it next.

The Snake – I wonder if Kethryn really doesn’t see why she was on the bottom.  Or did she know she had played a stupid game.  Almost sounded like it there at the end, but I’m not completely sure.  Not sure John did himself any favors.  I’ll be interested to see how that plays out next week.

The Challenge – So, I’m over here rooting against the UK alliance.  I wasn’t happy about the results of the elimination as a result.  But it did look like fun.  Tiring, but fun.  I’m not sure I would have figured out the puzzle on the first challenge.  And, I’ve got to say, my opinion of Dee is dropping.  Not because she had a casual relationship with someone (not that I condone it), but her attitude toward his overreaction.  I’m ready for that drama to leave some how some way.

Match Game – Usually, I can see why the judges give the questionable matches they do.  But they sure were generous there in the first round.  I think 3 or 4 matches were all she really got.  Yes, the show has always been dirty, but it seems extra dirty these days.  I may tune it out.

Press Your Luck – What a redemption.  I was worried Whammie would wind up winning again, so I was happy with the outcome.

Movie Review: Freakier Friday

Stars: 4 out of 5

Pros: Laughs and heart with strong performances from the four leads

Cons: While fun, definitely not as good as the original

The Bottom Line:

Switching characters

Not nearly as good as first

But entertaining

Flawed But Ultimately Entertaining Sequel

As much as I might roll my eyes at the number of reboots and sequels we are getting at the movies these days, it worked on me. I’ve been in the theater three times this summer for sequels. The third of those was Freakier Friday. I must say, this one made me really nervous since I love the 2003 version so much. While it has its flaws, I found myself enjoying it by the end.

Before we go further, I want to call out the inaccuracy I’ll be making in the rest of the review. Yes, I know the 2003 Freaky Friday movie is actually the third time Disney has adapted that novel by Mary Rodgers for the screen. However, since this movie is a sequel to that version, which starred Lindsay Lohan and Jamie Lee Curtis, I’ll be referring to that one as the original and this as the sequel from here on out. It’s just easier that way. 

This movie picks up 22 years after the original.  Anna (Lindsay Lohan) is now a single mother (by choice) raising her teenage daughter Harper (Julia Butters).  Anna’s mother, Tess (Jamie Lee Curtis) is living nearby and happy to help Anna raise Harper, whether Anna wants it or not.

Harper is annoyed by her new lab partner, Lily (Sophia Hammons).  When the two of them cause an accident in the lab, Anna is called to the principal’s office, as is Lily’s dad, Eric (Manny Jacinto).  The sparks between the two adults are immediate, and they leave the meeting with plans for a date.

Fast forward six months, and the two are getting married, much to their daughters’ dismay.  Nope, they haven’t found a way to get along, and now the daughters are worrying about where the new family will live, since Eric and Lily were only supposed to be in LA for a year before moving back to London.

But on the night of Anna’s bachelorette party, something happens.  The next morning, Friday, Lily and Tess and Harper and Anna have switched bodies.  The girls think this is their chance to break up their parents.  But what might they learn along the way?

I rewatched the original last week, and I’d forgotten just how good it really is.  Every time I watch it, I am impressed again with how it balances quite a few plot lines and creates such great laughs and tender moment.  But that’s a review for a different movie (which I posted here).  This movie isn’t as good.  It tries.  It really does.

One area where this movie falls short is that it just doesn’t have enough for Julia Butters and Sophia Hammons to do after the switch takes place.  The original had several things that Tess and Anna needed to learn while they lived in each other’s lives.  This one focused on Jamie Lee Curtis and Lindsay Lohan as the kids and the antics they get up to.

And, this movie was pretty much solely focused on the wedding and how everyone was feeling about it.  Yes, as wedding was an important part of the original, but it wasn’t all that was going on.  I wish there had been some other storylines as well.

Now, I’m going to contradict myself.  One thing that I’ve felt a lot of recent movies have done is try to cram too much into the run time, leaving what we do get feeling rushed and underdeveloped.  I didn’t feel that way with this movie at all.  Yes, introducing anything else might have led to just this problem, so it was nice they didn’t fall into that trap.  I enjoyed watching a film that didn’t try to take on too much and felt like it was allowed time to fully explore what it did set out to talk about.

While I’ve been reading about this movie, I was impressed seeing that they were going to bring back almost all of the original cast.  Granted, most of them are just there for cameos.  But it felt good to see them again, and I felt their presence did add something to this film.  I wasn’t a fan of what they did with Jake, Chad Michael Murray’s character, but I get the jokes they were going for (and one of those jokes definitely worked for me).

As a comedy, this movie is pretty good.  Some scenes went on too long, but there were lots of places where I was laughing right along with the rest of the theater.

And as we reached the climax, I found myself tearing up, just like with the first one.  Those moments were very much earned.  Maybe these moments were a little too easy, but I’m being picky here. 

I also appreciated the message about the importance of family.  It didn’t feel forced.  It also wasn’t that surprising given the first one or the premise of this movie to begin with.  But it was still very well handled.  I also appreciated that Eric and Ryan, Tess's husband played again by Mark Harmon, are both good men.

I’ve got to give all the actors credit for their work.  All four of the leads were great.  It’s one reason why I wish Julia Butters and Sophia Hammons had more to do since they were fantastic when they were on screen.  And you can tell that Jamie Lee Curtis and Lindsay Lohan are having fun.  Everyone else is just as good.

As expected, Freakier Friday is a step down from the original.  But that’s the case with most sequels.  Still, this one was entertaining.  I’m glad I saw it, and I would watch it again.  As long as you go into this one not expecting the brilliance of the original, you’ll enjoy this one, too.

Book Review: The Cardinal’s Curse by LynDee Walker and Bruce Robert Coffin (Turner and Mosley Files #2)

Stars: 3 out of 5

Pros: Some great action scenes; the setting

Cons: Pacing is off

The Bottom Line:

Treasure in the cold

The book has some thrilling scenes

But pacing issues

Slow First Half Means the Thrills Are Rushed

When I read the first of the Turner and Mosley Files last year, I enjoyed it once we got past the set up. I was hoping that was just because it was the first book, as it was setting up the series. Sadly, the uneven pacing continued with the second book, The Cardinal’s Curse. 

These are not traditional mysteries but treasure hunt thrillers. Avery Turner has made billions off a tech program, and has already retired. Meanwhile, Carter Mosley has built his career around his social media scuba diving videos. The two have found a profitable collaboration treasure hunting already and are looking for a second treasure to track down. 

That comes when they are approached about going to Antarctica to join an expedition already in progress. While the group is officially working on a way to rebuild the ice shelves to combat global warming, they are hoping to find a treasure that was rumored to be on board a ship that sank in the waters a century ago. Not only is the ship in freezing waters, but it’s likely deeper than either have dove before. Will they find the ship and recover the treasure?

As I said earlier, this book still has a long setup. Yes, we meet Avery and Carter already in action. But it’s not for the main storyline, and it takes longer for them to get to Antarctica and for them to start encountering obstacles than it should have. The flashbacks to the history of this treasure didn’t help. That info could have been slipped into the exposition as the characters were uncovering it. Because, honestly, I had a little bit of a hard time remembering the various characters from the flashbacks since those passages were so short. 

Once the plot really kicks off, we get some great action scenes. There is one in particular that had me reading as quickly as I could. 

But there are so many setbacks that it became hard to keep up. We were rushing from place to place as well. Ironically enough, a little breathing room for us and the characters would have been nice. Not to mention some of the plot points introduced early on that are wrapped up in a sentence or two in the last few pages. They could have been left out and we would have been fine. 

While I wouldn’t call the characters fully fleshed out, they are real enough for us to care about them. This is more action movie than anything else, and they fit into that mold. 

And I have to give the writers credit for creating the cold and claustrophobic world of the Antarctica research station well. I was almost shivering with cold as I read it in July in Southern California. 

While I don’t have the next in the series yet, I’m interested in continuing. So The Cardinal’s Curse didn’t turn me off to the series. But I do hope the next book is better paced. 

Here are the rest of the Turner and Mosley Files.

Book Review: Dark Sacred Night by Michael Connelly (Bosch #21 and Ballard #2)

Stars: 4 out of 5

Pros: Two characters balanced well in an entertaining mystery

Cons: A few things could have been better fleshed out

The Bottom Line:

Team up introduced

Well balanced for series fans

Keeps us entertained

I Sense the Beginning of a Beautiful Partnership

Since I first heard that Michael Connelly was teaming up his long time main character, Harry Bosch, with his newest (at the time) main character, Renee Ballard, I was curious to read it. Obvious he liked it since he’s continued to do that with the characters for several more books. I’ve finally to the point in his backlog so I am reading that first partnership, Dark Sacred Night, and I enjoyed it overall. 

It all starts one night when Ballard catches Bosch breaking into the file cabinets in the Hollywood police station. While he claims he is feeling nostalgic for his old case files, she doesn’t believe him. Some investigating on her own leads Ballard to the conclusion that Bosch is working on a case involving a teen who was murdered and left in an alley dumpster over 10 years before and she gets herself involved in the case. Will the two of them solve this cold case together?

Of course, neither of the detectives are working on just the one case. For Bosch, he has a new lead on a cold gang related slaying in San Fernando, where he is working cold cases as a volunteer. Ballard gets several different cases as part of her regular duties as a detective on the overnight shift. 

While I’ve been reading Connelly’s books in order, most of the time, the only thing that carries over from one book to the next is the personal life developments. That’s not the case here. The main mystery that the two detectives are trying to solve was introduced in the previous Bosch novel, Two Kind of Truth. I’ve got to admit, it took me longer than it should have to realize that fact considering I read the previous book just a few months ago. I do suggest you read that book first since much of Bosch’s story here is an outflow of that book. 

The book is split between Bosch and Ballard, getting several chapters at a time from each’s point of view. The changes are always labeled. This allows us to get updates on what is going on with each of them and the characters in their lives, something I appreciated.

I did feel like the sub cases each were dealing with individually were a little underdeveloped. This mostly happened on Ballard’s side of things. Still, they were entertaining. 

And the main case? It kept my interest. I did have a couple of niggles with it, including how stupid Ballard was at the end. But overall, I was satisfied with how it wrapped up. 

My standard disclaimer with this series comes into play here.  These are police procedurals, and include more language, sex, and violence than I typically read.  Know that before you pick up the book.

As usual, I read this via audio book. Since the two characters have chapters where they are center stage, we get two narrators. Titus Welliver is still narrating the Bosch portion of the book, but Christine Lakin has taken over the Ballard portion. Yes, they each read everything in the chapters they are reading. It took a little bit to adjust, but I did quickly and enjoyed both of their performances. 

I’m looking forward to seeing how the rest of the Ballard and Bosch team ups go. If Dark Sacred Night, and the rest of Connelly’s books, are in indication, I’ll enjoy them. 

Here are the rest of the Harry Bosch and Renee Ballard novels. 

Book Review: Edam and Weep by Linda Reilly (Grilled Cheese Mysteries #6)

Stars: 3 out of 5

Pros: The characters are charming as always 

Cons: Competing predictable storylines

The Bottom Line:

Grumpy vendor killed

Loses steam in second half

This one’s for the fans

Carly Finds Murder at a Fundraiser

When I found out that we were getting a new Grilled Cheese Mystery, I immediately cleared my plate to read it. Unfortunately, I found Edam and Weep a little under grilled. 

This is book six in a series set in a small Vermont town. Our protagonist is Carly Hale who has followed her dream and opened a grilled cheese diner in the town square. It’s turned into a popular destination for residents and tourists alike. And Carly has found herself involved in the occasional murder or two. 

As this book opens, it’s just over a month until Carly’s wedding to Ari. But today, she’s focused on the 50’s diner themed fundraiser for the local high school’s gym. While she’s selling simple grilled cheese (of course), some of the other vendors are offering various other offerings. But the man selling sodas clearly doesn’t want to be there, and his rude behavior leads to a confrontation with Carly’s mom. When the man is found dead later with the scarf that her mom was wearing around his neck, Carly jumps in to figure out what really happened. 

Since this is book six in the series, it was great to spend time with the characters again. We have a core group that I enjoy. I would have liked to see more of some of the supporting players, but that’s a minor complaint. 

My major issue comes from the plot. Or, should I say, plots. The mystery itself was a little underwhelming. While I didn’t have the killer figured out, I knew where it was going early. And it had a too familiar feel to it. That’s all I will say. 

Unfortunately, that storyline was competing for page time with another A story involving a previously unseen sister that Ari has. While I was enjoying that story early on, it got a bit predictable by the half way point as well with one character involved wearing thin. 

On the other hand, fans of the series will definitely want to read to the end. 

And fans of the series will want to pick up this book overall. Obviously, we love the characters if we keep reading the series. And the time spent with them in enjoyable as always. 

Since this is a culinary cozy, we get two more cheese centric recipes as well. 

Edam and Weep isn’t the strongest entry in this series. While fans will still want to pick it up, those new to the series should start with an earlier book. 

Here are further servings of the Grilled Cheese Mysteries. 

NOTE: I received an ARC of this book. 

Movie Review: Signed, Sealed, Delivered - The Road Less Traveled

Stars: 4 out of 5

Pros: The main cast in another moving story

Cons: A few weaker moments

The Bottom Line:

Pics lead to road trip

More growth for main characters

And moving story

A POstables Road Trip

For the tenth movie in the Signed, Sealed, Delivered franchise, the characters go off in a new direction.  Literally.  You see, the POstables’s latest case finds them trying to track someone down on a road trip.  And yes, the title of the movie does hint at that.  It is called The Road Less Traveled, after all.

If you are new to the franchise, it features the four members of the post office’s dead letter office in Denver, Colorado.  Oliver (Eric Mabius) is their somewhat old-fashioned leader.  Shane (Kristin Booth) is the newest member and the technology expert.  Norman (Geoff Gustafson) is an expert on potions and chemistry, which comes into play more often than you’d expect.  Rounding out the group is Rita (Crystal Lowe) who contributes with her encyclopedia knowledge of the most obscure trivia.  The series started with a pilot movie and then a first season of hour-long episodes before continuing with a series of made for TV movies.

This movie starts with a camera, specifically, a disposal camera.  When the POstables get their hands on it, they quickly conclude it is from the 1980’s.  But as they start to develop the pictures in hopes of figuring out who it belonged to, they realize some of the pictures are from a boy who needs help.  And the pictures might not be as old as the camera.  In hopes of figuring out what is going on, they set out in the RV that Norman and Rita just got from her parents.  Will they find the boy?

With the four characters out on the road, you might not expect as much with the ongoing storylines for the franchise.  You’d be wrong.  Rita has started to panic about her upcoming wedding to Norman with all the things they haven’t done yet.  Meanwhile, Shane and Oliver are working on their relationship and Shane is getting some weird texts she is trying to ignore.

Honestly, at this point in the franchise, we are here because we love the characters.  And fans will be rewarded.  The growth we got with the characters is astonishing not only for this late in the series but also considering we are outside the normal sets of the series for the most part.  I don’t quite know why I was so surprised, but I was.  I also really liked the growth we’ve seen in Shane, something she acknowledged along the way.

And if you know the franchise, you’ll know to prepare for the water works.  These are mysteries in the loosest sense of the world, but the plots are always compelling.  I did guess a couple of things early on, but I didn’t figure out what was really going on until the POstables have solved things.  The ending, as always, tugs at your heart in a wonderful way.

The four leads are amazing.  They take people that could easily be caricatures and turn them into characters we love to root for.  The supporting cast is mostly okay.  There are some weak moments here and there, but that might be the writing as well.  Either way, they are minor because you will be pulled into the story and wanting to see how things will end.

I know these movies are some of Hallmark’s older ones that still get aired.  And I let myself get distracted on my way through the franchise.  But I’m glad I’m working on catching up now.  If you haven’t yet watched The Road Less Traveled, you’ll be glad you did.

This movie is part of the Signed, Sealed, Delivered Movies 9-12 Collection.

August 3rd's Sunday/Monday Post

It's been a couple of weeks.  Time to a Sunday/Monday Post, wouldn't you say?  I'll be linking up to:

Sunday Post
Sunday Salon
Stacking the Shelves
Mailbox Monday
It's Monday, What Are You Reading?

When last I posted, I left you with a bit of a cliffhanger.  I had just discovered one of my digital library cards wasn't working.  That all came to a happy ending.

First thing that Monday morning, I got an email from that library explaining that the digital only cards were only good for a certain amount of time.  And once they expired, you needed to go into the library and get an actual card.  Considering I'd had that digital card for a couple of years, I'm surprised to learn all of this.  And, I hadn't gotten any notice it was expiring or I could have taken care of it earlier.

But, I took care of it.  I went to the closest branch (about 25 minutes again) and signed up for a physical card.  And that got me the audiobooks I was looking for.  So, a happy ending all around.

And why was I looking for audiobooks?  Well, that has to do with why I haven't posted much beyond reviews the last couple of weeks.  I went up north to see my family.  We went camping in the redwoods in a state park I grew up camping in.  Actually, my mom grew up camping at this park, which is how much of a family tradition it is.  I hadn't been back in twelve years, so it was great to be back.  It's just so beautiful.  If you ever get a chance to visit a redwood forest, I can't recommend it enough.

And I just got a Switch 2.  Not sure why I was so hot to get one since I never had a Switch.  And I don't tend to play the systems I have much.  But I've been haunting Best Buy until I could order one.  It came in Friday, so I got it at lunch time.  We'll see how it impacts my reading time, won't we?

Other than that, not too much going on around here.  We've started another fiscal month end close at work.  See, a thrill a minute.

Joke of the Week:

There’s a new restaurant in town called Karma.  There’s no menu: You just get what you deserve.

Two Weeks Ago on the Blog:

Sunday - Movie Review: Diagnosis Murder: Town Without Pity

Monday - Movie Review: Our Holiday Story

Tuesday - Book Review: Killer Kung Pao by Vivien Chien

Wednesday - Movie Review: A Novel Noel

Thursday - Book Review: Murder at Rough Point by Alyssa Maxwell

Friday - Movie Review: Mystery on Mistletoe Lane

Saturday - TV Show Review: Tracker - Season 2

This Past Week on the Blog:

Sunday - Movie Review: Gypsy (1962)

Monday - Book Review: Death Comes to Marlow by Robert Thorogood

Tuesday - Book Review: Engaged to Die by Carolyn Hart

Wednesday - Book Review: Resort to Murder by Annie McEwen

Thursday - July's Reading Summary

Friday - Movie Review: Diagnosis: Murder - Without Warning

Saturday - Weekly TV Thoughts

This Coming Week on the Blog:

Sunday - Sunday/Monday Post

Monday - Movie Review: Signed, Sealed, Delivered - The Road Less Traveled

Tuesday - Book Review: Edam and Weep by Linda Reilly

Wednesday - Book Review: Dark Sacred Night by Michael Connelly

Thursday - Book Review: The Cardinal's Curse by LynDee Walker and Bruce Robert Coffin

Friday - TV Show Review: The Amazing Race - Season 37

Saturday - Weekly TV Thoughts

Book Haul:

Would you be surprised to find that I have several books to tell you about?  I didn't think so.

Let's start with a book I bought in physical form.  Life After Lucy is the story of Keith Thibodeaux, aka Richard Keith, aka Little Ricky on I Love Lucy.  I'm a huge fan of that sitcom, and I know he was a drummer in a Christian rock band in the 1970's and 1980's.  I'm a casual fan of that band, so I am very curious to read that book.

The other physical book I got was Halloween Night Murder, the new novella anthology from Kensington.  Yes, I got it to review.  The stories are from Leslie Meier, Lee Hollis, and Liz Ireland.  That last author is the reason I got the book.  I usually enjoy Lee Hollis's stories as well.  I'm just not a fan of Leslie Meier, which is ironic since she is the one headlining the book.

Shall we move on to Kindle deals?  Or what were Kindle deals when I snagged them.  I've had my eye on A Parade and a Perp by Mina Allan for a while.  When it went on sale, I snagged it.  But I see it is now listed as the second in the series since there's now a prequel story.  So I snagged A Precarious Perch as well.

Knifed in Nice by Zara Keane is the first in a Travel PI series.  It sounds like it could be a fun series.  And since it was free (might still be if you are interested), I snagged it.

Which leaves us with the three audiobooks I wound up with.  I've finished two of them.  Nothing too much to say about them.  They were the next in the series I listen to on audio.  And the titles were Engaged to Die by Carolyn Hart, Dark Sacred Night by Michael Connelly, and The Dark Wind by Tony Hillerman.

What I'm Currently Reading:

As I'm typing this, I've just barely started The Dark Wind by Tony Hillerman.  I spent most of this week listening to podcasts, but I'm hoping to knock much of this book out over the weekend.  Since it was the last of the audiobooks I got, it isn't due for another week and a half.

The other book I'm working on right now is A Trace of Poison by Colleen Cambridge.  So far, I'm enjoying it.  The main character is the (fictional) housekeeper to Agatha Christie.  We've got some other real mystery writers in this book.  We just hit a twist that has me really intrigued, and I'm curious to see where the book is going to wind up.

That's it for me.  Have a great week!

August 2nd's Weekly TV Thoughts

I was out of town last week, so I have two weeks to talk about.  Including a couple of season finales and a season premier.  Yes, this was a lot to get through in a week.

American Ninja Warrior (7/21) – Proving yet again that age is becoming a factor.  Yes, I get that some of my favorites are going to age out, but getting the teens on there earlier is forcing them out sooner.  So I’m always happy when one of the older Ninjas does well like Sean did.  And, I do have to say that there were some impressive runs by the youngsters tonight.  It’s not that I don’t appreciate them, it’s just that I miss those I’ve rooted for for years.

Lego Masters (7/21) – The wrong team went home.  It’s rare for me to feel that way, but the two teams that had issues had issues because of their ambition and storytelling.  The brother and sister team’s build was pretty safe.  Yes, they had the one hiccup, but seriously?  I could have done that.  I was really hoping no one was going to be eliminated.  But I can’t wait to see what the teams build for the finale.

Quiz with Balls (7/21) – I wish I could have heard what the rest of those questions were at the end.  But I knew he wouldn’t get very far based on how much time was left in the episode.  Most of those questions completely threw me, but there were a couple of questions I knew, which made me happy.  As to this week’s rivalry, I couldn’t decide who to root for since I grew up near San Francisco but now live near Los Angeles.

The Librarians: The Next Chapter (7/21) – Anyone surprised by the revelation of the family connection?  I thought not.  Not sure I liked what they did to the Round Table, either.  But there were some things I enjoyed in the episode overall.  A time travel episode that built in the paradox, too.

The Snake (7/22) – Nice to see the bro trio get broken up.  It will be interesting to see how things play out now with the power trio no more.  I couldn’t believe how much everyone was running and jumping for that rope.  Makes sense, but wow they were fast.

Destination X (7/22) – For some reason, I was thinking this was the finale.  But I’ll get there soon.  Not sure how I feel about gambling to move players and yourself around.  And I sure didn’t pick up on those clues.

The Challenge (7/23) – Kind of a wasted episode since I can’t remember who people are until half way through the episode and most of the point was to introduce the cast, especially the newbies.  But I guess next week is the official premiere.

Match Game (7/23) – It’s always interesting to see what everyone comes up with and if I would have thought of those answers at all.  I think I would have matched with more celebs this week, but that’s not always the case.

Press Your Luck (7/24) – Whammie was so good during the first round, but man he made up for it at the end.  Still, considering how much she won, it’s hard to feel sorry for him.

American Ninja Warrior (7/28) – I was really worried when they put Joe in the middle of the episode instead of at the end.  Yes, it was tough to see him not hit a buzzer, but I was glad he still made it past this round.  Some impressive finishes overall.  And I loved the shout out to the celebs, especially Stephen Amell.

Lego Masters (7/28) – I got spoiled for who the winners were, and obviously, based on my comments above, I wasn’t thrilled.  Yes, I would have preferred to see the brothers win since I’ve been rooting for them all season.  But Sage and Ian had a better build.  I can’t fault the judges for their choice.

Quiz with Balls (7/28) – I was impressed with how well the guy who won did as a whole.  He really did seem to know quite a bit on things.  I felt like the final questions were relatively easy.  I mean, I knew them all without any second guessing, which usually means they are easy.

The Librarians: The Next Chapter (7/28) – I feel like the character development has been fairly predictable, which has made it hard for me to truly care about the characters.  Still, they are continuing to grow on me.  I did like the team aspect of the story.  And that fight?  Completely silly but still so much fun.  I couldn’t keep myself from grinning as I was watching the cartoonishness of it all.

The Snake (7/29) – I seriously don’t see what Kathryn thinks she is doing.  If you literally lie to everyone in the game, they are going to figure it out, stop trusting you, and send you home.  I think she is on very thin ice, and I’m not sure how she can keep from being sent home next.  It will be interesting to see if she squirms her way out of it or not.

Destination X (7/29) – I was rooting for Peter, but I’m okay with Rick winning.  I felt so badly for Biggy.  I mean, he was so close.  Who knows if he would have really been a threat or not, but that really hurt watching what happened to him tonight.

The Challenge (7/30) – Nice to see the UK alliance take the first hit.  Especially when he got who he asked for.  I’m surprised they are changing teams already.  I honestly figured they’d go a few weeks before they did that.  It will be interesting to see how the politics plays out next week.  And when I start fast forwarding through the politics part.

Press Your Luck (7/31) – Wow, I thought the Whammie was active last week.  Ruined the bonus round again, although I get why she kept going.  I would have as well.  But so many in the first half, too.  Got to admit, I thought the winner might go into labor from all her jumping, but she made it.