Rough Weather...

Finished reading Rough Weather by Robert B. Parker. I always like Spenser novels, and if anything, I enjoyed this more than usual, because it was considerably off formula. Maybe I'm mellowing in my old age, as I've finally begun to find Spenser's girlfriend Susan tolerable. And I love Hawk as much as ever.

Only problem with this one was: as soon as we learned one vital piece of information - that the kidnapped bride had been sexually molested - I thought the whole plot was obvious: who was behind the killings, and how, and why. So Spenser and Hawk seemed a little slow to figure it out. In fact, they never did - in the end they were told. And they were surprised. Dweebs, the two of them.

I also thought it was dumb that Spenser didn't seem to do anything to investigate the possible motives for murder of the two men who may have been the targets - the groom and the minister. If he really thought the whole wedding-crime theatricals were to set up their murders, he should surely have been looking for motives in their lives. And it did, in the end, turn out to be significant.

Ah, well, I don't really read Parker for the mystery plots anyway, but for the characterization. I liked the ending. It's all about why I like Spenser: Lochinvar to the end.

Sunny Sunday...

Went for a walk with maaboroshi this afternoon. It was gorgeous... sunny and warm, by March standards. For Ottawa. We dropped by Asishesha Yoga and I signed up for classes - it's close, conventient, and I liked the look of the place. I could go to a Hatha Yoga class at 8 a.m. tomorrow. I just might.

We went into Glebetrotter's and I bought three pairs of shoes, including new Blundstones, as my old ones are wearing out. Can't remember if I've ever bought three pairs of shoes at the same time in the same place before. Probably not.

This isn't even counting the Ilse Jacobsen wellis that commodorified and I were admiring in another store the other day. Wellies with laces. So cool.

Then we went into all the art and jewellery stores, and had a great time... Jewellery stores aren't usually my thing, but now I'm dreaming about amber earrings. They had some gorgeous art designs.

Makes me feel idle and decadent. Is that a sign of spring?

Writer's Block: Big Debates

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I think stem cell research is very important. Any scientific or medical research is good if handled with intelligence and integrity, bad if not.

As for being funded by the government - I think the government should fun many more research projects. Science is notoriously unfunded, and the most dangerous thing of all is to have research in the hands of companies who stand to make money from the results.

Books into movies...

From March 12, 2009: Tami inspired this week’s question: What book do you think should be made into a movie? And do you have any suggestions for the producers?

I think my favourite series should be made into movies, or perhaps well-made miniseries:

1. The Lymond Chronicles by Dorothy Dunnett. Well-nigh impossible, probably, because what actor could ever adequately portray Lymond? On the other hand, I never thought anyone could adequately portray Aragorn son of Arathorn till I saw Viggo Mortensen in the role. These things can be done.
   
   
2. These Old Shades by Georgette Heyer. I'd like to cast Johnny Depp as the Duke of Avon - not that he is anything like my mental image of Avon, but wouldn't he gorgeous? And camp? And dangerous?
   
   Alternately, I'd like to see just about Any Georgette Heyer novel as a movie, done with the skill and care they've given to Jane Austen in the past. No, not the one with Keira Knightly - something true to the period.
   
   
3. The Vorkosigan series by Lois McMaster Bujold. Again, finding someone who could adequately portray Miles Vorkosigan would be a challenge, but not impossible. Given today's technology, I think David Tennant could do it.
   
   
4. Karin Lowachee's series about pirates, orphan boys and the battleship Macedon that starts with Warchild. Space opera with a psychological twist. Difficult because much of the action is interior (and with suspect narrators at that); but what gorgeous results we might get.
   
   
5. Guards! Guards! by Terry Pratchett, because I want to see Sam Vimes onscreen.
   
   
6. Megan Whalen Turner's series about Gen that starts with The Thief. Difficult because the writing is so devious, but... colourful, exciting, beautiful.
   
   
7. An artful remake of Prince of Foxes by Samuel Shellabarger, or any of his books.

For the second part of the question: I wouldn't stop anyone from making anything into a movie. There are lots of movies I wouldn't - and won't - go to see, including a rather high proportion of the ones that do get made. No big deal.