Read and Reading
Wolf Hall
In the Woods
Call the Midwife: Shadows of the Workhouse
Welcome to Your New Life
Surprised by Oxford
Mended: Pieces of a Life Made Whole Angie Smith
Playing With the Grown-ups Sophie Dahl
Bring Up the Bodies Hilary Mantel - the sequel to Wolf Hall. Here we go again . . .
TV
Now that My Kitchen Rules has finished (yay, Dan and Steph!) I've switched my attention to the only other reality TV show that I'll tolerate - The Voice Australia The battle rounds have just started - see this post for my favourites of the blind auditions.
House Husbands - back and better than ever.
A Place To Call Home- finally Downton Abbey has limped to its 3rd season end down here. Thank. God. So being now free from the weekly sisters watch date (and having made a pact not to bother with further series) I was free to watch the premiere episode of A Place To Call Home and quite enjoyed it; let's see how this one pans out. If they at least do the tired repressed-gay storyline (happy to see Michael Lucas confirm for me on twitter that this is sooo what's going on!) better than Downton I'll be satisfied.
Silent Witness - without Harry Cunningham? ARE YOU FREAKING KIDDING ME?! Enough said.
Mad Men - watching season 6 online. The premiere was truly awful (and my expectations were not unduly high considering an abysmal 5th season) but the last couple of episodes have shown a significant return to form so I'll persevere with Don & Co. for awhile longer.
Movies
None. :(
Music
Thanks to the adorable Ryan Tedder's turn as a mentor on The Voice Australia I have revived my obsession with One Republic. See also Ben Lee.
Really, what I'm into is best illustrated by this picture:
ie books, Norman and naps!
Hope you've all had a fantastic April.
Really enjoyed this post, as I enjoy reading all of your monthly linkups with Leigh. :) (It's my favorite annual linkup myself) Glad to hear you enjoyed Mended - I've thought about reading this one for awhile, but hadn't heard anyone's thoughts on it. So much goodness in this post - yay :)
Posted by: Sarah Caldwell | 04/30/2013 at 10:38 PM
I feel like I want to read "Surprised by Oxford" just because I grew up there. It's kind of like watching episodes of Inspector Morse just to spot the country pub you liked to hang out in... but it sounds like a good book beyond it's location too ;)
Posted by: fiona lynne | 05/01/2013 at 01:35 AM
I listed your recommended authors, ie: via our twitter convo.
Posted by: Cara | 05/01/2013 at 02:07 AM
I did enjoy Mended. There are 31 entries so it's great for a month long devotion. Angie Smith has a way of writing like she genuinely cares for her reader. Thanks for stopping by, Sarah. :)
Posted by: Adele Chapman | 05/01/2013 at 08:07 AM
Fantastic! I have "Surprised by Oxford" in my Amazon wishlist...maybe I'll grab it at the library tomorrow!
Posted by: katie | 05/01/2013 at 08:18 AM
It is a wonderful setting - truly a character in Weber's story of conversion and spiritual awakening. I hope you would enjoy it.
Also - love Inspector Morse!
Posted by: Adele Chapman | 05/01/2013 at 08:25 AM
Can you see some of them in that picture of Norman?! That's my little shelf of Aussie faves. Behind it and around it are much more laden down book shelves of everything else!
Posted by: Adele Chapman | 05/01/2013 at 08:27 AM
Lots of interesting book recommendations! I was a HUGE Roald Dahl fan as a kid, so I might have to check out that Sophie Dahl book. I hope that quirky sense of humor runs in the family. =)
Posted by: Sarah | 05/01/2013 at 11:08 AM
You absolutely should! I really enjoyed that one.
Posted by: AdeleChapman2 | 05/01/2013 at 01:21 PM
Oh she has nothing on her grandfather! Still, it was an enjoyable read. My best friend has Sophie Dahl's cookbook and says it is gorgeous - she read it in bed like a novel! :)
Posted by: AdeleChapman2 | 05/01/2013 at 01:24 PM
Oh, we do in fact have similar interests. :) Although, I think you're the first person I've heard that is actually reading the Call the Midwife books. I love the series so very much; I'm going to have to put those books on the reading list.
Mended is on my nightstand right now. I read a chapter here and there, and I love it.
I'm eager to see which other of your book recommendations my local library has in its catalog. Thanks for the new recommendations!
Posted by: suzanne | 05/02/2013 at 12:02 PM
If you love the TV series you should definitely read the books too. The show is surprisingly true to them but there's just so much more social context, history and detail there. :)
Posted by: Adele Chapman | 05/02/2013 at 09:44 PM
Talk to me about In the Woods- were you ticked because that certain storyline wasn't resolved? Because I LOVED that it remained a mystery! I find French's writing is so true to life in that way. We don't always find out why things happen the way they do and it's maddening and confusing but it's life.
Glad you enjoyed Surprised by Oxford! I think I'm due for a reread soon. I had no idea Roald Dahl's granddaughter wrote. How interesting!
Posted by: Leigh Kramer | 05/05/2013 at 06:36 AM
No, I didn't really mind about the part that remained a mystery so much as the lack of justice! Also true to life I'm sure but (without spoilers in case anyone else reads this comment!) I wished . . . had suffered somehow!
Posted by: Adele Chapman | 05/05/2013 at 08:32 AM