much ado about nothing | Bookshelf Fantasies

Not a lofty, ambitious to-be-read list consisting of 100+ book titles. Just a simple plan for the upcoming week — what I’m reading now, what I plan to read next, and what I’m hoping to squeeze in among the nooks and crannies.

How did I do with last week’s agenda?

A Spear of Summer Grass by Deanna Raybourn: Finished it; enjoyed it; reviewed it. My review is here.

Ask The Passengers: Done! My review is here.

Read but not reviewed:

Far in the Wilds by Deanna Raybourn: A prequel to A Spear of Summer Grass. This novella provides the backstory for one of the main characters, and is worth checking out if you’ve read Spear.

Interview with the Vampire: Claudia’s Story by Anne Rice and Ashley Marie Witter. This graphic novel retells events from Interview from the perspective of Claudia, the child vampire. Fans of Anne Rice’s books may want to read this as a side-note to the novels, but I wouldn’t recommend it in place of reading Interview with the Vampire.

Fresh Catch:

I managed not to buy any new books this week, although I did pick up a used copy of this book after a book club friend recommended it:

See? Real self-restraint this week. No guarantee that will last, however.

What’s on my reading agenda for the coming week?

I wrote a bit of a blogging manifesto for myself over the weekend (you can read it here), in which I reminded myself to put reading ahead of blogging — in other words, read the books I really want to read, rather than picking books based on what might work well as blog posts. There are so many other sources of stress in my life. Reading shouldn’t be one of them. So, onward! With a fresh outlook, I hope.

That said, here’s where I stand in terms of a reading agenda for the coming week. I’m about midway through The Shadowy Horses by Susanna Kearsley, and I’m enjoying it very much. I decided it was finally time to make it a priority, even though it’s been on my shelf for months now, because the author has new book due out soon and I’ve heard that at least one of the characters from The Shadowy Horses will be showing up.

After much internal debate about continuing to buy brand-new hardcovers when I already have so many unread books in my house (you see where this is going, don’t you?), I finally broke down and ordered myself a copy of Joe Hill’s new novel, NOS4A2. It should be arriving on Tuesday, and I plan to start reading it the second it arrives.

Since NOS4A2 is 700+ pages, I’m guessing that will fill up my reading agenda very nicely this week, thank you very much.

But, if I do have any random down-time, I’ll continue my slow but steady read-through of Much Ado About Nothing. I’m aiming for a scene each day — not too ambitious, but it’s still not always happening. I don’t feel a great sense of urgency about this, but I would like to become more familiar with Shakespeare’s comedies, and this is a good start.

My son and I are approaching the end of The Magician’s Nephew by C. S. Lewis. We’re in Narnia and have met Aslan. Looking good. And seeming likely that we’ll continue with the Narnia books after this one is done.

So many book, so little time…

That’s my agenda. What’s yours? Add your comments to share your bookish agenda for the week.

Today, I had the absolute pleasure of seeing the newest movie version of Much Ado About Nothing, which was screened as part of the San Francisco International Film Festival.

What can I say? It was fantastic.

I’m an unabashed fangirl when it comes to Joss Whedon and his world, and the fact that so many actors from the Whedon-verse — Amy Acker, Alexis Denisof, Fran Kranz, Nathan Fillion, Sean Maher, and more — had key roles in Much Ado made it all the sweeter to see.

On top of which, I’m a book geek with a fondness for Shakespeare, and although I’m much more familiar with the tragedies, I’m always up for a good Shakespearean comedy. Much Ado About Nothing happens to be one that I’ve never read and had never seen before, and I did have a bit of trepidation ahead of time as to whether I’d actually “get” it. Not to worry, though. From the opening scenes, it was easy to pick up the rhythms of the language, and it all flowed beautifully.

Filmed in black and white in a modern setting, the art direction and style of the movie is contemporary and quick. The staging allows the actors to shine, particularly in their use of body language and interactions, and their comedic timing is impeccable. Nathan Fillion in particular was hilarious, Amy Acker and Alexis Denisof were sharp and witty as Beatrice and Benedick, and Fran Kranz as the love-smitten Claudio was both puppy-dog sweet and quietly dangerous. Really, I could go on and on about the cast, but suffice it to say that there was not a one that I could find fault with. Their line deliveries were as smooth as they’d be if they were, well, in some other Joss production. For the man who perfected the art of quippiness, directing Shakespeare must have been a natural fit.

Both Amy Acker and Alexis Denisof were present for the screening, both to introduce the film and to participate in a Q&A session afterward. They were funny and charming, and got Joss on speakerphone before the movie to say hi to the audience. Adorable.

So here’s the trailer: