The Flu Update

It seems like every time I get back on the writing horse, someone pours a Gatorade jug of bacteria on me.  In this case, it's a confirmed case of Type B Influenza.  This despite the fact that I got a flu vaccination back in November.

So I'm a little behind in my media reviews/updates.  On the movie front, I watched Sleepless Night, a French thriller that was either a refreshing return to a classic genre or a been there, done that cliche that offers nothing you haven't see before (i fall in the first camp).  I also re-watched Looper and The Fantatsic Mr. Fox, both of which were even better on second viewings.  The Fantastic Mr. Fox in particular was great due to seeing it with another couple and a few drinks down in the basement/theater room.

For books I dove into the Jim Butcher Dresden Files series, reading Fool Moon, the second book in the series as well as Jeffrey Eugenides' The Marriage Plot.  Fool Moon had a very specific purpose: I've come to grips that, despite not being a fan of the Urban Fantasy genre, the novel I'm trying to write has a lot in common with it, and with The Dresden Files in particular, so I want to see how Butcher worked the format.  The reason for reading The Marriage Plot was simple: Eugenides is a stunning writer, and both The Virgin Suicides and Middlesex had a profound impact on me.  The Marriage Plot doesn't quite hold the same power over me, but it was a fun book, and I hope to write both up while I'm laid up in the bedroom.

Right now it's almost 3:00am, and between the 13 pills I'm taking and the fever that seems to roll like waves, crashing into my body with chills and shaking only to fall away again leaving me exhausted and drenched in sweat, there's not a lot of sleep coming.  I'm under quarantine until Tuesday at the earliest, so it's time to dig in and make the best of the situation with some good movies and books.

Good night, Internet.