It's Friday - What Can Possibly Go Wrong?
A weekly newsletter from Jodi Taylor
This week we have:
An update from Jodi: What I’m Watching on TV
A Reader’s Question: If you could write someone else's book, who would you like to write?
History Briefings: Dinosaur Sex and Cloacal Kisses
Jodi Taylor Book Recommendation: The Alchemist by Paulo Coelho 💙📚
The Book of the Month is Dark Light
User Guide for Jodi Taylor Readers on Bluesky It's a great new, ad-free social media platform.
There’s plenty to read this week and you can see everything new on the blog too. CLICK HERE for the blog.
Nothing procrastinates faster and harder than an author who should be concentrating on her edits and isn’t. The soup was … not successful … so I had to look for another excuse for not working. Something a little more focused than just wandering from room to room and having small existential crises in each.
Arming myself with chocolate to take away the taste of the soup, I thought I’d browse a little Netflix and nothing was tempting me until I came across The Residence. It’s from Shondaland – the people who gave us Grey’s Anatomy and the series with Kerry Washington about the US president – Scandal – so I had expectations. Which have been more than justified. A body has been found in the White House during a state dinner for the Australian PM and one of his aides is wearing the dead man’s shirt. Dum dum dum …
I shall have to ration myself to one episode a day otherwise I shall indeed be Out of Time – did you see what I did there? – but based solely on the first episode I highly recommend The Residence.
And, if anyone’s interested – and it’s fine if you aren’t – I’d also like to put in a word for Boston Legal. All five series of it and as relevant today as it was in the early 2000s. Clarence, who wears women’s clothes and is suing a women’s gym. The unbelievably creepy Peeping Tom. The magnificent Betty White. And James Spader and William Shatner dressed as flamingos and both effortlessly on top of their game. Check out a few episodes and see what you think.
I don’t think I’m being too picky but there doesn’t seem to be a great deal of originality in TV and movies these days. Everything is either a prequel or a sequel or just a remake of an already existing work. It’s as if producers and studios are afraid to move away from tried and tested formulae and so we get franchises that have gone on for too long and stock stories and characters. I think it will be interesting to see what happens to James Bond.
And now … back to work …
Jodi x
No matter how much I try I’m completely unable to master Tesco’s ordering system. I never get the quantities right. I either end up with every tomato in the known world or just one solitary specimen and today I found myself with a superabundance of leeks. Three packets instead of three leeks. Which could happen to anyone.
Anyway, it’s been long enough for previous soup trauma memories to fade and I thought I’d have a go at leek and potato soup on the grounds that I’d have to be really unlucky to experience a disaster of that magnitude twice.
Jay Shaw asks: If you could write someone else's book, who would you like to write?
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Dinosaur Sex and Cloacal Kisses
Imagine the Cretaceous period, when dinosaurs roamed the Earth. Now let's delve into dinosaur romance, from their courtship dances to their nesting habits.
Jodi Taylor Book Recommendation: The Alchemist by Paulo Coelho 💙📚
It's not just a book; it's an allegory that delves into dreams, destiny, and the meaning of life. 💙📚 Find it here: https://amzn.to/40nRYGC
Have you enjoyed this book too?
The Book of the Month for February is Dark Light
In "Dark Light," the gripping second instalment of Jodi Taylor's Elizabeth Cage series, our protagonist, Elizabeth, finds herself betrayed, terrified, and utterly alone. Fleeing her past, she seeks refuge in the seemingly idyllic village of Greyston. However, Greyston harbours dark secrets, and Elizabeth becomes entangled in an ancient ceremony destined to culminate in death. As she navigates this perilous situation, the relentless Sorensen Institute continues its pursuit, and the enigmatic Michael Jones remains elusive. In a world where danger lurks in every shadow, Elizabeth must confront her deepest fears to survive. Jodi Taylor masterfully blends suspense, supernatural elements, and rich character development, delivering a thriller that will keep readers on the edge of their seats.
User Guide for Jodi Taylor Readers on Bluesky
If you're a fan of Jodi Taylor and her books, this guide will help you navigate Bluesky, access the Jodi Taylor feed, and get started with the Bluesky Starter Pack.
Sorry to hear about the soup. It's a good day for soup here - 50 degrees F and thunderstorms. But in the US we don't ask "what possibly could go wrong." Because too much has gone sideways with threats of more to come. Could I borrow a pod to visit the village pub neR St. Mary's?
100% great recommendation! The Residence is one of the finest shows running currently.