What to Watch February 2020

So many shows, so little time. As my husband points out, it's a good problem to have. My personal list of shows and movies we want to get to at some point is LONG. Every month it gets an overhaul as I add the list of new shows I'd like to watch and cut what we've already seen.

I'm sharing my new monthly additions here for anyone else keeping an eye out for new and returning shows. I'll include links to all the new content for a given service for you to browse as well.

And away we go!

The Sisters by Dervla McTiernan

My rating: 3 of 5 stars

The narrator, Aiofe McMahon, delivers an outstanding performance of a somewhat flawed short story. I can't determine how much of the momentum that kept me hooked was the story itself, and how much the dynamite voice work.

I don't want to give spoilers, so I won't go into detail on the weak areas. I will say the author has a great way of weaving a story, it's just that some of the threads were a bit thin. But at the same time, there were many parts of the narrative that resonated for me, particularly the relationship between the sisters and the challenges and obstacles they faced as young woman early in their careers.

Reflections on Chihuly Glass

When I first encountered the bright, blown-glass sculptures, alive with light and color and flowing lines that suggest movement and life, I'd never heard of artist Dale Chihuly. I thought the glass displays were whimsical and interesting, but didn't give them a second thought.

Missouri Botanical Garden Blue Chandelier, 2006
(That's the title of the piece, not the photo's date! Located in the visitor center.)

I can't even say for sure the first time I encountered Chihuly's work, as I may have seen it with no idea it was his or even who he was. But the first time I remember seeing it was at the Missouri Botanical Gardens, which has a few of his pieces on permanent display. Unfortunately I didn't get many good photos of them. It was only after I visited the Oklahoma City Museum of Art and saw its large collection of Chihuly's glass sculptures that I realized what I'd seen in Missouri, and later was captured by the chandelier sculpture in the visitor center of the Missouri Botanical Gardens on a return visit. A few other pieces adorn various spots of the garden like pockets of hidden treasure for visitors to find.

Best Books I Read in 2019

Looking back at the 45 books I read in 2019, I loved quite a few of them. A lot ended up being in the friendzone (I liked 'em, but didn't love 'em), and a few were so rotten they filled me with rage. But who cares about them? Let's focus on the best of the bunch.

Red, White & Royal Blue by Casey McQuiston

My rating: 4 of 5 stars

I don't typically read romance novels, but the buzz around this one lured me in. The setup is a brilliant idea: the handsome young son of the U.S. president falls for a handsome young British prince. It uses the tried, true, and (usually) tired theme of having two future lovers hate each other at first sight before falling madly in love. But it does it with a real twist, that twist being that it actually does it well.

My Year of Rest and Relaxation by Ottessa Moshfegh

My rating: 4 of 5 stars

Reading this book about a privileged, beautiful young woman made me feel I was in a bit of daze myself, but without the gargantuan amounts of drugs the main character takes to keep herself in a similar state. She was trying to sleep for a year, but even when she was awake she wasn't truly conscious.

The unnamed narrator just wants a reboot, and for her that means a year of sleep. "Life was fragile and fleeting and one had to be cautious, sure, but I would risk death if it meant I could sleep all day and become a whole new person," she tells us.