Children of Blood and Bone by Tomi Adeyemi

Children of Blood and Bone by Tomi Adeyemi

My rating: 3 of 5 stars

I read through some of the negative reviews on Amazon and Goodreads and agree with a lot of them, particularly about the writing style, the plot holes, and the romance. Still, I was engaged the whole time and ultimately didn't feel disappointed.  I LOVE the cover.  I also enjoyed the audio version (I alternated between the book and the Audible--I often read along as I listened to the Audible because I liked to hear how the Yoruban words were pronounced.  It was actually sometimes important to see the words on the page while listening to the audio because in the book, the author often puts the characters' inner thoughts into italics.  When you listen to the audio, it sounds like those words are being spoken.  Overall, I enjoyed it.

I will not be pulled in!

Dangit.  The Voice happened to be on and this dude comes out with his guitar and starts singing, "The Thrill is Gone."  He sounds JUST like Jonny Lang.  Adam Levine turned for him, and so did Jennifer Hudson.  And then Blake did at the last minute.  And Kelly regretted that she did not.  This guy is good.

I do not want to be pulled into this show this season.  But man, he was good.  The Voice is such a time suck each week, and I just don't want to.  However, if I see on commercials that Michael Lee is still in the game as the show gets closer to the finals, I'll tune in then.

Here's his audition.


Meanwhile, where is Jonny Lang anyway?  Here's a taste from 1997.


Don't they sound just alike?!

Just in the nick of time - Fall TV

New shows start this week and I'm finally getting around to figuring out what I'll be watching.  Here we go.  I'm doing something different to save time.  No grid...just a listing by time.  New shows are in bold italics.

Sunday

8:30pm - God Friended Me (starts 9/30), CBS
9:00pm - Shameless (started 9/9), Showtime
9:00pm - Ray Donovan (starts 10/28), Showtime
9:00pm - The Deuce (started 9/9), HBO
9:30pm - Rel (starts 9/23), FOX
10:00pm - Kidding (started 9/9), Showtime
10:00pm - Escape at Donnemora (starts 11/18), Showtime
10:00pm - Camping (starts 10/14), HBO
10:30pm - Insecure (started 8/12), HBO
?? - Dirty John (?), Bravo

• Dirty John is based on a podcast I just finished about a woman who realizes she doesn't really know the man she married.  It will be on Bravo in the late fall, but no specific date was given.  
• Camping will star Jennifer Garner and Ione Skye (where has she been?)
• I'm skeptical about God Friended Me.  The title is dumb and it seems like a knock off from last year's Kevin Probably Saves the World, which I loved...but it got canceled.  BUT...it stars the guy who was in The Mayor last year.  I liked him in that show, but it, too, got canceled.  We'll see how this one goes.
• I'm also skeptical about Rel, but it stars Lil Rel Howrey, the TSA guy from Get Out, and I really like him.  Again, we'll see.

Monday

8:00pm - The Resident (9/24), FOX
8:00pm - The Neighborhood (10/1), CBS
8:30pm - Happy Together (10/1), CBS
9:00pm - The Little Drummer Girl (11/19), AMC
10:00pm - The Good Doctor (9/24), ABC

• I'm not all that enamored with the two medical shows on Monday night, but I'm intrigued enough to see where they go after last season.  I might be dropping them soon though.
• I'm also not all that enthused about The Neighborhood and Happy Together, but I like the cast and will give them a try.  The Neighborhood has Cedric the Entertainer and Max Greenfield.  Happy Together has Damon Wayans, Jr.  
• The way this is looking, it could wind up that I'm not watching anything on Mondays until November 19.  The Little Drummer Girl is based on a John Le Carre book, and is done by the team that did The Night Manager.  I didn't watch The Night Manager, but I heard really good things about it.

Tuesday

8:30pm - The Kids Are Alright (10/16), ABC

9:00pm - Black-ish (10/16), ABC

9:00pm - This Is Us (9/25), NBC

9:30pm - Splitting Up Together (10/16), ABC

10:00pm - The Rookie (10/16), ABC

10:00pm - New Amsterdam (9/25), NBC

11:00pm - Mr. Inbetween (9/25), FX

• The Kids Are Alright stars Mary McCormack.  I loved her on In Plain Sight several years ago.  This show takes place in the 70s.
• I added The Rookie to the list because Entertainment Weekly recommended it.
• Mr. Inbetween is another EW recommendation.  There are only six 30-minute episodes--it's about an assassin and his family life.

Wednesday

8:00pm - The Goldbergs (9/26), ABC

8:30pm - American Housewife (9/26), ABC

9:00pm - Modern Family (9/26), ABC

9:00pm - All American (10/10), The CW

9:30pm - Single Parents (9/26), ABC

10:00pm - A Million Little Things (9/26), ABC

• Looks like it'll be a big ABC night in my household.  I tried American Housewife before and couldn't really get into it, but am going to try again based on a friend's recommendation.  It's nestled between all these other shows I watch, so I may as well.
• A Million Little Things looks like The Big Chill.  I'm watching because of James Roday from Psych.
• All American was another EW recommendation.  Taye Diggs is in it.  About a football player from "the hood" is recruited to play football in an upper echelon high school.

Thursday

8:00pm - Grey's Anatomy (9/27), ABC

8:00pm - Superstore (10/4), NBC

8:30pm - Young Sheldon (9/24*), CBS

8:30pm - The Good Place (9/27*), NBC

9:00pm - Will & Grace (10/4), NBC

9:30pm - I Feel Bad (10/4), NBC

• The Good Place is the show I'm most looking forward to this season.  I love that show!  It's premiering this Thursday from 8pm-9pm, but will usually air on Thursdays at 8:30pm.
• Young Sheldon usually airs on Thursdays at 8:30, but will be premiering on Monday the 24th
• The commercials for I Feel Bad look really funny.  This is the new show that I'm most looking forward to.

Friday

8:30pm - Speechless (10/5), ABC

8:30pm - The Cool Kids (9/28), FOX

• I really hate that they moved Speechless to Fridays.  I really like this show.
• The Cool Kids was recommended by EW.  Vicki Lawrence!

Streaming

• Homecoming (11/2), Amazon - Secret govt program thing with Julia Roberts.  Looks interesting.
• The Romanoffs (10/12), Amazon
• Maniac (9/21), Netflix - Jonah Hill and Emma Stone.  EW recommends.
• The Good Cop (9/21), Netflix - This looks really good with Josh Groban and Tony Danza. EW recommends.
• Wanderlust (10/19), Netflix - Toni Collette!
• Patriot Act with Hasan Minhaj (10/28), Netflix
• House of Cards (11/2), Netflix - gotta see how this thing ends.
• The Kominsky Method (11/16), Netflix - Michael Douglas and Alan Arkin.  Love Alan Arkin!

A Simple Favor

Deb and I saw A Simple Favor this weekend.  I can't say much about it without giving things away, but I can say that we both really enjoyed it.

Years ago, we had seen a Brad Pitt movie--I think it was Benjamin Buttons--and when it ended, Deb leaned over to me and said, "He really is good looking."  That was my reaction after seeing Blake Lively in A Simple Favor--she's just a beautiful lady.  In a couple of scenes, she was just stunning.  I enjoyed both her performance and Anna Kendrick's.  I didn't realize until he showed up on the screen that Henry Golding from Crazy Rich Asians was in it too.  That was a pleasant surprise.

Now I'm anticipating the fall movies/Oscar contenders.  So far, I'm most looking forward to A Star Is Born which starts October 5.

In remembrance - 9/11

I posted this on 9/11 in 2009 and the sentiment remains the same.  Maybe even more so.

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This is the Wrigley Bldg in Chicago, but there's a building in my home town that started draping a flag over the building like this right after 9/11.  I noticed it was up today, but I was on the highway and couldn't take a picture.  As I drove by, I couldn't help but think of that horrible day.  I can remember everything so clearly, and I will never forget it. I will also never forget what I saw on 9/12/01.  As I was driving to work, I saw a jogger on the side of the road carrying a huge flag as he ran.  It brought tears to my eyes then, and when I think of it now, the same thing happens.  I also remember how our country really came together in those days after the attacks.  I hope we can get back to that common sense of pride in our country some day.

Today I am thinking of those who lost their lives or lost loved ones.