July, 2012
July 2nd, 2012, 6:21 p.m. - TMTH
22. The Magician King (Lev Grossman)
Also *SPOILER* Julia gets raped by a fox god. I DON'T KNOW WHERE TO START WITH THAT.
Up next: Niceville (Carsten Stroud)
July 8th, 2012, 1:24 p.m. - Carsten Stroud writes a page-turner
23. Niceville (Carsten Stroud)
Up next: Criminal (Karin Slaughter)
July 14th, 2012, 4:12 p.m. - "Ummm... umm... UMMM! UMMM!"
So You Think You Can Dance - Top 20 perform: I'll take this performance by performance:
Witney and Chehon: Power couple! They're both just so darn likable.
George and Tiffany: Dark horses. I wish he'd gotten more screen time in the audition rounds, because now he's at a disadvantage. Hopefully his talent will keep getting people to vote for him (imagine that!).
Brandon and Janaya: I like her a lot, and I liked this performance, but they're probably in trouble. They didn't get enough raves, and they weren't seen before the Green Mile. Most likely gone first.
Alexa and Daniel: This was just weird. I don't think it showcased their talents well enough.
Amber and Nick: I was glad to see Amber make the top 20; we've seen her a few times in past seasons, and I always wondered why she fell short. Too bad she probably won't get to stick around longer than a couple of weeks.
Amelia and Will: I still have some issues with Amelia, and I was nervous that she wound up with Will, since I love him so much. But this was awesome. They were so much fun to watch, and they partnered so well with each other. They could be another power couple to keep an eye on.
Dareian and Janelle: I was also nervous for Dareian with this partnership; we haven't seen enough of Janelle in other styles to know if she's a true contender. This made me feel better about her being able to match him.
Eliana and Cyrus: Another nervous-making pairing. I love Eliana but doubt Cyrus' abilities. And this piece wasn't enough to let either of them shine. But he showed great performance capabilities, which eased some of my doubts.
Audrey and Matthew: Another pair of dark horses. If they can keep their performances up to the level of this one, they could surprise a lot of people.
Lindsay and Cole: In the battle of the ballroom girls, I'm Team Witney, but that doesn't mean Lindsay isn't great as well. I'm interested to see how these two do in a routine that requires more chemistry.
July 15th, 2012, 12:03 p.m. - Maybe now I'll get that Fiona Apple song out of my head
24. Criminal (Karin Slaughter)
Up next: Gold (Chris Cleave)
July 20th, 2012, 6:34 p.m. - Can I be Team None of Them?
Degrassi - "Come As You Are": I really, really don't get Drew's appeal. Why do girls keep falling in love with him? He's dumb, he's immature, he's not trustworthy, and he only looks out for himself. I just don't see it at all. In other news, I've waited three seasons for someone to throw something at Owen's head, so God bless you, Maya. Also, I no longer hate Eli. Rating: 4 "chicken cutlets"
So You Think You Can Dance - Top 20 perform and four go home: That was a rough elimination. I really liked Janaya, but I liked Witney more, and she really didn't deserve to be in the bottom three. Standouts this week: Cole and Lindsay's dentist routine, Brandon and Janaya's maneater Broadway routine, and George and Tiffany's gorgeous foxtrot.Rating: 5 books that were totally not Fifty Shades of Gray because this is a family show
Degrassi - "Walking on Broken Glass": Continuing in the vein of no longer hating Eli, I love how he a) made Tristan feel good about himself, b) did something creative, and c) made Becky squirm all in one fell swoop. Good for you, Goldsworthy. Now maybe you should share some of your meds with Katie, who took less time to snap than I expected. Rating: 4 stolen phones
July 21st, 2012, 4:28 p.m. - Again, can I be Team None of Them?
25. Gold (Chris Cleave)
Up next: The Art of Fielding (Chad Harbach)
July 27th, 2012, 6:47 p.m. - Anyone who's Team Dallas or Team Luke should be examined by a psychiatrist. Also, ENOUGH WITH THE TEAM STUFF ALREADY
Degrassi - "Got Your Money": There are too many characters on this show. Before this season started up, I wouldn't have been able to tell you Zig's name if you'd offered me a million dollars. In the category of good news, I continue to have not-at-all negative feelings toward Eli, which is a strange development. Rating: 3 bracelets
So You Think You Can Dance - Top 16 perform and two go home: Aww, Amber and Brandon. So likable, yet so unshown before the voting stage. This was inevitable. Question: Eliana in the bottom three? What is America smoking? Rating: 4 strange uses of "Call Me Maybe" (we still love you, Pasha)
Degrassi - "Say It Ain't So": So Alli's some kind of science genius now, but she can't remember to take the pill? And then she thinks Jenna the teen mom is an appropriate person to take advice from? And she can't remember the symptoms of pregnancy even though when Jenna got pregnant, Alli read them off to her? And we're calling all the hockey players being homophobic "character development"? And Jake and Luke got into a fistfight over a soda can? THERE IS NOT ENOUGH "WHATEVER" IN THE WORLD. Rating: 3 burst pipes, because maybe Jake isn't smart enough for college after all
I read part of this book by flashlight in an 80-degree apartment, and that still wasn't the worst part of it. I think Grossman jammed too much into this and ignored too many things that should have been expanded on.
At some points, I had a hard time putting Niceville down. At other points, I couldn't stop myself from rolling my eyes. The book would have worked better without the supernatural elements; it was compelling and intense enough without them. And without the duel. Seriously, a duel?
I was wary about the concept of this book, with the scenes going back and forth between the '70s (for background on Amanda, Evelyn, and Will's birth) and current day, but it worked well. We got a lot of good background on how Will's life was shaped, and why Amanda is the way she is. Plus Slaughter sets things up for Sara to be a medical examiner again, which would put her in the mix with Will, Faith, and Amanda in the future.
I wanted to like this book a lot more than I did. Zoe is unlikable. Kate is so saint-like that she's unrealistic. When she needs to have a spine, she doesn't. Sophie and Jack were great characters, drawn well, but they didn't make up for the book's other shortcomings.