"Love is like a dyin' ember, only memories remain, through the ages I'll remember."

[nausicaa83]

Yesterday was a very "meh" day. My back started hurting again, probably because I slept funny. I had to go to the doctor, and when I came back home it was hurting so much I had to skip therapy and go to bed. Today I feel a lot better, and I had a good night of sleep, so there's that. Painkillers don't make me drowsy, so yesterday I was awake the whole time, stuck in bed with a hot water bottle, and I used that time to catch up on my reading. And to bitch and whine a lot to my cat, who was not impressed. :D



For the "A Book of Non-Fiction" square, I read What If? Serious Scientific Answers to Absurd Hypothetical Questions by Randall Munroe, the author of the xkcd webcomic.

First of all, thanks a lot to the lovely entangled_now for recommending it to me, because I loved it! You're the best! \o/

The actual review: this book is a collection of answers to weird hypothetical questions the author received to his website through the years. Things like "what would happen if the Sun disappeared?" or "how much energy could one Yoda provide?" or "what would happen if your DNA suddenly disappeared from your cells?". The questions might be stupid (or definitely weird), but the answers aren't. By using rigorous math, research, and consulting with experts from various scientific fields, Munroe answers them all. His trademark stick figures experiment all over the pages, and he often quotes pop culture to help the reader understand what he's talking about. It's a book for the uninitiated, but still perfect for the experts as well. And most of all, it's absolutely hilarious. I was sad to see it finished, and I instantly ran online to see if he was planning a sequel.

I haven't done any serious math ever since high school, and yet I felt I understood everything he was talking about. It is a bloody amazing science book. *_____*

In other news, I started watching Penny Dreadful, the supernatural Showtime tv show with Eva Green and Timothy Dalton that won a lot of Bafta Craft Awards the other day. First of all, it is indeed a really beautiful, masterfully written series. The actors are all incredibly good, and the whole story is fascinating. And I can see why the music won all those awards, because it is breathtaking.

The problem is, it is quite gory, and very, very dark. So on one hand I'm loving it and want to see more, and on the other hand it kinda feels like being punched in the stomach every five minutes. I just finished the episode at the asylum and holy shit, I spent most of it listening to it instead of actually watching it. It's not for the faint-hearted, at all.

Comments

[stardust-made.livejournal.com]

(Expect an influx of comments from me.*shy face*)

I've been eying Penny Dreadful for a while. I'm very tempted, but I'm not really in a place where dark would do me good. How dark is it, what do you say? Have you watched more of it? Is the tone counteracted by good scripts, acting, cinematography, etc?

I'll be hanging onto your every word, no pressure.

[nausicaa83.livejournal.com]

(Best day ever! \o/)

It's very, very, very dark and depressing. I got almost triggered like 5 times at least. It's seriously like playing with knives at this point for me.

But it's also really good. The writing, the acting, the plot! It's a masterpiece, and that means I keep coming back to it even if at this point I'm basically listening to it like a radio show while constantly looking at my phone. It's very tiring.

[stardust-made.livejournal.com]

Thanks for elaborating. It'll stay on the list of TV Shows for Some Day for now.

[nausicaa83.livejournal.com]

Problem is, by the time it does get freaking triggering you're already hooked.

Help.