Chapter Five: Pages 9 - 12

This week: is it an omen?

This is the second instalment of Chapter Five! I put up the first last week, and you should be able to browse the updates easily using this Patreon Collection.

I can only make a short update today because I thought today was a work day but it's actually a look-after-kiddo today. He is circling me right now pretending to print out letters and put them in the mail. Fortunately, as he gets older, he's been getting more patient with me and whatever is this weird nonsense I do on the big TV (i.e., my iMac). He also enjoys looking at all my reference photos of owls and goats.

Quickly, though, some recommendations:

• You don't need me to recommend ANDOR to you. My relationship with Star Wars is that when it's good, I'm as enthusiastic as the most rabid fan. Otherwise, hard pass, and either way I never want to talk about it. If you need one more vote in favour of ANDOR, here it is.

• SNOW WHITE AND THE HUNTSMAN came up in conversation with friends the other day. Because I brought it up. Because I defend it. Because I think it's worthwhile. Yes, the one with Kristen Stewart blinking her way, slack-jawed through the movie. Come for Charlize Theron looking extremely glamorous and goth, though, and radiating fury. It also has a certain amount of "movie magic," I think, a hard-to-pinpoint combination of qualities that makes it more than the sum of its parts. If you don't want to believe me, though, trust this review from Roger Ebert.

• THREE BAGS FULL, a novel by Leonie Swann. The cover says it's a "Sheep Detective Story," and yet I was still not prepared to learn that the main characters in the story are, in fact, sheep. Sheep! It's great. I must say that if you suspect you'd benefit from a content/trigger warning, please do look it up. The audiobook is read beautifully; I'd get it in that form if you can.

Okay, back to being a responsible and engaged parent, or at least as much of one as I know how to be ("daaaaddd," he just said, "when will you be done?").

Next time, we'll find out what Alexandra and her father have encountered, and whether it will offer the help and respite they seek.

Until then,
I remain,
glamorous and goth,

TC