Not really feeling too much like writing right now. Need breakfast. But, really quickly:

Finished the NASCAR romance Tuesday night. Forbidden Attraction, it was called. I continue to be curious about the background mysteries these books are setting up, and I'm enjoying the books okay, so I'll be reading the next one. (Truth & Consequences?)

I am about a hundred pages into Starcross, Philip Reeve's sequel to Larklight. Like the first, this one is a clever parody of Victorian science fiction, this time with a bit of Agatha Christie mixed in. Loved the first one, loving this one.

Now, breakfast.

According to plan, I finished Three Shirt Deal today. I really liked it, but I see it's getting some negative reviews on Amazon.com, including one from Publishers Weekly. If I'm honest, I suppose none of the Shane Scully books have been as good as the first one, but I didn't really have any problems with this one. Maybe I was all caught up in the story of Shane and Alexa trying to reconnect, because I'm just a big softie. Maybe I'm just not very critical, but I know what I like, and I liked this.

I think I'm also predisposed to liking this particular series, because I've also gotten my brother hooked on it. My brother, a cop, doesn't read anything except the Harry Potter books and this series, as far as I know. We don't have a lot of stuff to bond over, so it's nice that we have this.

Speaking of being a big softie (okay, pussy), I think the next book I'm going to read is a NASCAR Harlequin Romance, although it's downstairs right now and I can't remember the title. Go ahead and judge me. The thing is, when I first was introduced to NASCAR by an ex-girlfriend, the Pedophile, I couldn't get into it. Then I found a novel about the early years of NASCAR, first book in a paperback series, I think called White Lightning. (That was the book title; can't remember the series title any more.) I read it in an attempt to put a more human face on the sport, so I could better connect with the girlfriend. Apparently, I would have had better luck if I had instead chosen to f*ck teenage boys, but there you go.

Anyway, I enjoyed reading that series of books, and that led me to start enjoying watching the races. Looking for something similar, all I could find was this Harlequin series, which is an ongoing series focusing on a couple of different racing families. I like series, especially big, multi-character ones. I like NASCAR, although I'm not a fanatic. (Can't spare the energy from my Doctor Who obsession.) So I gave the first one in the series a try, and enjoyed it enough to want to read this second one.

So, you know, go ahead and make the jokes.

So, I still haven't watched Saturday's episode of Spectacular Spider-Man or Friday's episode of Sarah Jane Adventures (although I've seen that multiple times already since it's original UK broadcast). And my stupid recording of Saturday's stupid NASCAR stupid race cut off about 17 laps before the end, so I didn't see who won. (Found out later it was Jimmy Johnson, but it's not the same.)

TV I did see on Sunday, though...

A Room With a View on Masterpiece: Very beautiful, very well-acted. Only, I've never read the story or seen any previous adaptations, so I guess I was expecting a bit more twists and complications. Still, nice scenery, although this is the second British TV program shot in Italy I've seen this week, after Doctor Who, and I can't help thinking that this would have been livened up a bit with the inclusion of lava monsters.

Everybody Hates Chris: Not a whole lot to say. Another hilarious episode of one of my current favorite comedies. Why doesn't this show get more attention?

John Adams on HBO: Again, not a whole lot to say, except as well-done as the previous five installments. A much smaller scale episode after the casts of thousands we've seen in previous weeks, but no less effective for it.

And I'm about halfway through Stephen J. Cannell's Three Shirt Deal, the seventh novel in his Shane Scully series. Like most of the other books in the series, corruption in the LAPD seems to be a major theme once again. As always, Cannell proves himself to be an extremely able, effective storyteller (as you might expect from such a TV veteran).

I have to admit, one of the problems I had with the last book in the series, White Sister, was the seemingly miraculous recovery of Scully's wife, Alexa, after being shot in the head. Not that I wanted her to die, but it just felt too much like a TV series "everything is going to be all right now, just like it was before" type of ending. So while it's painful to read, I appreciate that, in this book, we see the aftereffects of Alexa's injury, and it's clear that it's not quite such a happy ending after all. Hoping to finish this book today or tomorrow.

Comic Book Resources > CBR News: Stranger Than Fiction: Cornell on “Fantastic Four: True Story”

Comic Book Resources > CBR News: Stranger Than Fiction: Cornell on “Fantastic Four: True Story”: "There’s nothing more satisfying that just diving into a good book. This July, the First Family of Marvel Comics will do literally just that in the pages of the four-issue miniseries, “Fantastic Four: True Story,” by writer Paul Cornell (“Wisdom,” “Captain Britain and MI:13”) and artist Horacio Dominguez."

Okay, literally just finished this week's new episode of Doctor Who. New in the UK, that is; coming to SciFi in about three weeks or so.

Last year, the second episode of the season, The Shakespeare Code , was a lavish, lively, historical adventure that quickly became one of my favorite stories. This year, the second episode of the season, The Fires of Pompeii, is a lavish, lively, historical adventure that has almost immediately become one of my favorite stories. Written by the talented James Moran (about whom more later), it manages to shift from comedy to action to tragedy seamlessly, with some fantastic visual sequences and some heartbreaking emotional ones.

Catherine Tate continues to amaze as Donna Noble. In some ways, the relationship between her and the Doctor reminds me of his relationship with Sarah Jane Smith, (her from The Sarah Jane Adventures, who traveled with the Doctor back in the 70s). I said it last week, and I'll say it again: because she's not a lovestruck young woman, they come across more as equals. As she was even back in her debut story, The Runaway Bride, she's someone who can pull the Doctor back from the brink of alien coldness, someone who can revive his humanity.

Once again, I'll try to keep this spoiler-free, but it should come as no surprise that a story called The Fires of Pompeii features the eruption of Mount Vesuvius and the destruction of the city. Seeing Donna's heartbreaking attempts to fight history by trying to save just one person, and the plight of marble merchant Caecilius and his family, nearly brought a tear to my eye. I loved the moments when she stood up to the Doctor, forcing the two of them, and the series in general, to directly confront and deal with how set in stone history truly may be, and just how much the Doctor is slave to these fixed points in time. And I loved when she lent her support at a key moment, which I won't describe here, but which made me cheer out loud (much to the surprise of Penelope, who was curled up next to me, also watching).

And then there are the mysterious prophecies, and yet another mention of missing planets... Where is it all leading?

Well, next week, I suppose it's leading to the planet of the Ood, in an episode entitled Planet of the Ood. Can't wait.

James Moran is definitely a name I'll be keeping out for. He was a guest at this past February's Gallifrey convention, where he revealed he's going to be writing an episode of Primeval next series, and is writing an episode of upcoming Spooks spinoff, Spooks: Code 9. Clearly, I also need to watch his debut horror film, Severance

Oh, and I finished the second novel in the Shadow collection. I really enjoyed this pair of stories, billed as author Walter Gibson's favorites. While the editorial material doesn't quite spell out why he favored these tales, they certainly are changes of pace from the bulk of the stories I've read. They're more personal in focus, dealing with small-scale stories of revenge and other personal motivations, instead of the usual series of crimes committed by master supervillains. Definitely recommended for folks who like this sort of thing.

Of course, I'm still not actually finished with the thing, since there's still an article and radio script in the book for me to get through. But I will finish tonight.

In the on-deck circle: Three Shirt Deal by Stephen J. Cannell. I loved watching Cannell's TV series in the 80s, and I really enjoy his books, especially his series about LAPD Detective Shane Scully (of which this is the latest installment). More once I start reading it.

Just some quick thoughts about Thursday's TV:

My Name is Earl: Almost didn't watch it, to be honest. I'm glad I did; it ended up making me laugh. But I think there's only so much humor that can be milked from having your main character in a coma. (Again, Dad's hospitalization may be having an effect on how I'm viewing this storyline.)

30 Rock: I find I have nothing to say about this episode. I like the show, and I liked this episode, but there's nothing that particularly stood out for me.

The Office: Thought it was hilarious, although between seeing Michael and Jan at home this week, and Dwight's home earlier in the season, I'm not sure I want to see anyone else's home lives at this point. They're just too weird, and I'm getting really creeped out.

I did enjoy last night's Battlestar Galactica. Although, with the lightest moment probably being when a bunch of characters were machine-gunned to death, I am glad that the option exists for me to watch Doctor Who the next day, instead of right before Battlestar. Really, with SciFi's Friday lineup being Sarah Jane Adventures, followed by Doctor Who, followed by Battlestar Galactica, it's like having a light, frothy, wonderful dessert, followed by a full, rich, well-balanced meal, followed by some big guy kicking you in the groin over and over again with steel toed boots.

Still reading my Shadow book. Since Walter Gibson wrote two Shadow novels a month, I think it may actually be taking me more time to read them than he took to write them.

So I finished Den of Thieves Monday afternoon. Totally wrong about what I thought was a setup for the next book. Shows what I know. There are already two more books out in the series, so I've ordered the next one.

Monday night, I started reading the 14th book in the new series of Shadow pulp reprints, collecting The Grove of Doom and The Masked Lady. I've been a fan of the Shadow since I was a kid. Part of the fascination may have been the idea that, once upon a time, decades before I was born, there were whole novels published every other week about this character (I've always loved serial fiction). Years later, DC Comics published a collection of the Denny O'Neil/Mike Kaluta comics that were my first exposure to the character. In his introduction, O'Neil explained that part of the reason for the Shadow's enduring popularity may be because he basically has all the trappings of a sinister villain, but he's a hero. I think that may be part of it, too.

So far, I'm maybe halfway through The Grove of Doom. (Didn't have much time to read last night.) It's interesting, in that it's set on a Long Island estate instead of the usual urban New York setting, and the motivation behind the incredibly weird crimes seems to be a family squabble. The domestic setting is unusual. Additionally, this book ostensibly collects two of author Walter Gibson's favorite Shadow stories, so going in, the expectations are a little higher than usual.

Last night saw the return of NCIS with new episodes. I've said many times before that I enjoy the show because of the characters, and nothing has changed. Nice to see Gretchen Egolff guest-starring as a homicide detective; good to see she's finding work after the cancelation of Journeyman.

In related news, TV Guide's Michael Ausiello reveals that a series regular will be gone by the end of the series. So that's something that will keep me watching (as if I wouldn't otherwise).

Meanwhile, not too sure how I'm feeling about the new season of Hell's Kitchen. On the one hand, I thought that last week's premiere made this season look a bit too gimmicky and game-showy, like they were trying too hard to make it as flashy as other reality shows. This week's attempt by Cory to strategically eliminate her competition backed that up. Ultimately, the show redeemed itself by having chef Gordon Ramsay remind everyone that the prize is an actual job running an actual kitchen in an actual restaurant, and that at the end of the day, regardless of strategy and game-playing, the winner had to prove that they could do the job. So he overrode Cory's choices and got rid of who he saw as the weakest link. So kudos to Gordon Ramsay for keeping it real.

I write an awful lot on this blog about television. Partly, it's because I do watch an awful lot of television, unashamedly. It's also partly because it's easy. I don't like to talk a lot about personal stuff here, because it's private. I also don't have a lot of personal stuff to talk about. But every night, I usually see something new on TV, and that gives me something new to talk about here, when I get around to writing new entries.

Lest my faithful readers (both of you) think I do nothing but watch TV, I have decided to start talking about the books I'm reading as well.

Right now, I'm pretty close to finishing Den of Thieves, the third Cat Royal book by Julia Golding. Sadly unavailable in the US, I ordered the first book in the series, The Diamond of Drury Lane as a result of one of the very rare instances of Amazon.co.uk making a useful recommendation. (Generally, their recommendations seem along the lines of, "You ordered a book with pages and a cover. Here are other books with pages and a cover.") Set in the 18th century, the books tell the adventures of Cat Royal, an orphan growing up at the Royal Theater in London, and her adventures through a cross-section of London society, from the gangs of thieves running the streets to an aristocratic family she befriends. The second book goes further into the complex morality of the time, as she struggles to rescue her escaped slave friend, Pedro Hawkins, from the clutches of his cruel master.

In this third book, faced with the closure of the Royal, Cat finds herself acting as a spy in revolutionary Paris. At the same time, she has entered into a dark bargain with evil Billy Shepherd (which, it seems to me, can't possibly be wrapped up in this book, and may be setting things up for the next volume). The closest thing I can think of to these books are Philip Pullman's Sally Lockhart books, although Pullman's books are set in a different time period, and his plots are a bit more melodramatic and fantastical. The Cat Royal stories are gripping adventures that pretty much show her struggles with the problems of her ordinary life, without the addition of mysterious jewels and treasures and secret weapons.

For what it's worth, the first book won the Nestle Book Prize, something it has in common with other favorite books of mine, like Varjak Paw by SF Said, The Fire-Eaters by David Almond, Mortal Engines by Philip Reeve, and some books about some kid named Harry Potter.

Okay, so I just finished watching Partners in Crime, the first episode of the fourth series of Doctor Who. And I loved it.

As I have alluded to in recent posts, things have not been all happiness and light in the Penelopecat household. There have been ups (managed to pull off a huge program at work, a comics convention, that attracted a thousand people, plus I got promoted) but they seem so tiny compared to the downs. Well, one big down, really; my dad passed away a week before Christmas, and it still haunts me, every single day. Sometimes there are things that distract me, but I never forget. But Doctor Who has always been more than a distraction for me, more than just a favorite TV show. In the words of Paul Cornell, it's a lifestyle choice. Whether it's a book or a magazine or a comic or whatever, Doctor Who has always been something I could completely lose myself in. And a new TV episode that I've never seen before? Better than anything else in the world.

And it helps that the show goes from strength to strength. Catherine Tate, returning as Donna from Christmas, 2006's Runaway Bride is phenomenal. I loved Billie Piper as Rose during the first two series. I loved Freema Agyeman as Martha last year. But after one new episode of Donna, I don't particularly miss either one. (Having said that, I'm looking forward to Martha's return. And, of course, Rose.) I know only too well that Donna/Catherine Tate had her detractors; the vehemence of some online comments is what keeps me backed away a bit from online fandom. But me, I loved her in The Runaway Bride, especially at the end, when we see how Donna has grown over the course of her adventure with the Doctor. I swear, anyone complaining that Catherine Tate only played the character as shouty, self-centered, stupid, and soulless must have turned the show off five minutes before the end. Their loss.

This episode builds on the development we've already seen Donna go through, and she is a fully rounded-out character. She's clever, she's inquisitive, and she's oh so funny. And she's not funny because she's playing a stylized character in her own comedy series, but because she's a woman with a sense of humor. She also has some wonderful moments of warmth, particularly in her scenes with her granddad. Partners in Crime is the perfect title for this episode, because that's how the Doctor and Donna come across: as equals. With Rose and Martha, with the various shades of romance in their pairings with the Doctor, plus their relative youth, that sense of equality wasn't quite there.

Once again, I find myself not at all interested in the online reaction, because I can predict the complaints. I'm going to generalize here, but the more comedy in an episode, the more upset the vocal parts of the fan community seem to get. Whatever. I laughed out loud over and over again, but not because the episode was played for laughs at the expense of the story. The humor fit right in, although it must be said that the story wasn't as dark as other episodes. That's the thing, though; this is a show that can go up and down that scale with ease. And that's why, as much as I like Battlestar Galactica and admire the quality of writing and acting and all that, it's too dark and joyless for me to give myself up to it so completely, the way I can with Doctor Who.

So excited for next week. And I would be remiss if I didn't at least mention That Sudden Surprise Toward the End, but I don't want to give anything away. So I will just leave you with this: loved it, loved it, loved it.

NBC Fall Schedule Scoop! - Ausiello Report | TVGuide.com

NBC Fall Schedule Scoop! - Ausiello Report | TVGuide.com: "NBC's schedule for the 2008-09 TV season has been announced, and here's the big news: Friday Night Lights has been renewed (13 eps will air beginning in January following a fall run on DirecTV's The 101),"

One week and counting...

It's been a while since I've posted anything, because things have been fairly crazy, and mostly in a suck-ass kind of way. But then something comes along to cheer me up. Something a little bit like this...

The true meaning of Christmas, courtesy of WetheRobots.com:

In case folks didn't see these Children in Need bits last Friday:

Cinematic Titanic

Cinematic Titanic

New thing from Mystery Science Theater 3000's Joel Hodgson. No idea what it is. Stay tuned.

Father Awarded Millions for Funeral Protest - New York Times

Father Awarded Millions for Funeral Protest - New York Times: "The father of a fallen Marine was awarded nearly $11 million Wednesday in damages by a jury that found leaders of a fundamentalist church had invaded the family's privacy and inflicted emotional distress when they picketed the Marine's funeral."

You know, I'm against the war as much as anyone, but I say, "Good." Because there's a time and a place to protest appropriately, and this just isn't it.

Watch with Kristin - Best News Ever! Joss Whedon Spills Exclusive Deets on His New Series

Watch with Kristin - Best News Ever! Joss Whedon Spills Exclusive Deets on His New Series: "Whedon's new Fox series, called Dollhouse, stars Miss Eliza Dushku, best known as Faith to you Buffy the Vampire Slayer fans. And this show isn't just a pilot. It's already been given a seven-episode commitment by Fox. Woo!"

Comics Commentary: Scorchy Smith

Comics Commentary: Scorchy Smith: "On the subject of future projects, since we've already sent the solicitation info to our book distributor, I can announce that in June 2008, I will release an oversized, 11' x 11' hardcover: SCORCHY SMITH AND THE ART OF NOEL SICKLES through IDW. It will contain the complete Sickles Scorchy for the first time ever, plus about 60 pages of Sickles's magazine and other illustrations."

Yet another classic comic strip collection I must have.

If anyone is curious about why Kate Mulgrew replaced Genevieve Bujold in Star Trek: Voyager...