The Cultural Year in Review: 2013

♫ Classical concerts: 10 + Opera: 4
‽ Theatre: 4
♯ Gigs: 1
§ Exhibitions: 2
⊗ Films: 6 different ones, 10 cinema trips

Over the last 10 years, the ranges have been:
* 4 - 20 films (6 in 2013)
* 1 - 8 theatre trips (4 in 2013)
* 2 - 22 classical concerts (14 in 2013, but that includes 4 operas)
* 2 - 6 operas (4 in 2013, included under 'classical music')
* 0 - 6 gigs (1 in 2013) must do better
( details -- no reviews, must do better on that too! )

Also:
Weddings: 1
Conventions: 2 (Eastercon and Nine Worlds)
Leaving the Country: 2 (Menorca in July, Fuerteventura in December)

Books to come!

2013/31: The Men Who Stare At Goats -- Jon Ronson

The Men Who Stare At Goats -- Jon Ronson

Most of Ed’s colleagues in the secret unit at Fort Meade spent their time psychically viewing extremely boring things, mostly map coordinates. Ed, meanwhile, was psychically concluding that the Loch Ness Monster was the ghost of a dinosaur. [loc. 1128]

( non-spoilery review )

2013/32: Alison Wonderland -- Helen Smith

2013/32: Alison Wonderland -- Helen Smith

The next day, a little too late to be of any use, the psychic postman writes a message on one of a stack of cheap postcards with views of London he carries with him and he pushes it through Alison’s letterbox. DANGER, he writes, BEWARE. Taron’s mother has taken the precaution of communicating through him in case Taron was listening to loud music yesterday, mistook the words her mother was sending for a subliminal message from the musicians, and ignored them. [loc. 918]

( slightly spoilery review )

2013/33: Just One Damned Thing After Another (The Chronicles of St Mary's) -- Jodi Taylor

Just One Damned Thing After Another (The Chronicles of St Mary's) -- Jodi Taylor

"...whatever happened to the crew on this assignment."
"How do you know something happened?"
He sighed. "They're historians. Something always happens." [loc. 235]

( non-spoilery review )

2013/34: Codex -- Lev Grossman

Codex -- Lev Grossman

He was starting to see what people found so addictive about these games. Momus had none of the slapdash inefficiency of reality: every moment was tense with hushed anticipation, foreordained meaning. It was a brighter, higher-grade, more compelling, better-engineered version of reality. (p. 80)

I think this novel is best described as 'opaque', mostly because it would be bad to say what I really think about all the negative reviews from people who ... perhaps didn't pay as much attention as they might have.( non-spoilery review )

2013/35: After Life -- Rhian Ellis

After Life -- Rhian Ellis

It was the end of the world; it was an ordinary day. This was a lesson I should have learned ten years ago, when Peter died. The worst thing in the world can happen, but the next day the sun will come up. And you will eat your toast. And you will drink your tea. [loc. 2902]

( non-spoilery review )

2013/36: Newt's Emerald -- Garth Nix

Newt's Emerald -- Garth Nix

She was uncertain on the theology of whether someone of fay parentage actually had a soul, but thought it better to err on the side of caution. [loc. 2673]

( slightly spoilery review )