Summer has arrived, which means blockbuster movies, TV finales and, for me, a cold beer and a good book (or comic) in the backyard at the end of the day! Here’s a few pop culture items that caught my attention in May…

TV

Daredevil –  I finished this FANTASTIC Netflix series and it was everything I wanted it to be.Vincent D’Onofrio is a fantastic villain in this series. If all 4 Netflix/Marvel TV series are this good we are in for QUITE a treat!

Mad Men – So you go to a new age retreat and write the most famous ad of all time? You learned nothing? Betty dies, Sally doesn’t go to Madrid, Joan starts her own firm (yay!), and Peggy and Stan finally get together. I liked a few things, hated a few things, and it’ll stick with me for some time…

Late Show with David Letterman – If you get my newsletter (and why wouldn’t you!?) then you know what Dave has meant to me and my family. It was the perfect send off, and I will miss him terribly. My biggest fear is he’ll pull a Johnny Carson and become a recluse.

This June I’m looking forward to finally finishing Bloodline, watching Season 3 of Orange is the New Black, finishing Orphan Black, maybe trying Season 2 of True Detective (and maybe finally watching S1), and checking out The Astronaut Wives Club.

Movies

I can go months without watching a movie, and then this month I went to not one, but TWO movies in the theater!

Pitch Perfect 2 – It was EXACTLY what I was hoping for. Pitch Perfect is a movie that is constantly on in the background around my house. It’s my go to movie, and when my best friend and I had the chance to go to a double feature we were IN, and possibly sang through the entire first movie…sorry audience!

Avengers 2: The Age of Ultron – I enjoyed this movie as I do most Marvel films (sorry Thor, but you’re kind of boring…). I thought this was fun, and I was fine with Black Widow story line. But the weirdest part of the movie? Robert Downey Jr. trying to bring back tying your sweatshirt around your waist. We aren’t 7, it was weird and threw me when it happened not once but TWICE in the movie. I have issues, you know this already…

I’m excited for a few movies this summer, but Tomorrowland and Jurassic World are at the top of my theater going list for June.

Reading

The Girl on the Train – If you want to read a quick paced book in two days, this is the one. If you tend to figure out what happens, then you might do that about half way through and then it drags a bit to the finish line.

I made a trek to Powell’s the other day – actually two trips in one day (Portland is the GREATEST) – and picked up 5 books. So as long as the sun is shining in my backyard, I have a few books to check out. And then keep up with my comics, and that full bookshelf of books I promise to read some day.

Alright what about you? What did you read, watch or listen to in May? What are you looking forward to in June? Share your suggestions in the comments!

April has been a busy pop culture month, especially when it comes to TV. And so we’ll focus on that a bit more this month, I know I did!

TV

Justified – The Perfect Series Finale. This show wrapped up exactly like it was supposed to, and while it wasn’t happily ever after, for these characters, it really was the perfect fit. If you haven’t discovered this show, do yourself a favor and get to Amazon Prime and watch it. You’ll be glad you did. It’s the kind of show that has something for everyone I think.

The Americans- Well that finale was…CRAZY. This season played out so differently than I thought it might but I loved it as I always do. FX continues to produce some of the greatest television out there.

Game of Thrones- It’s back! Braavos has a giant man standing over the entrance AND a black and white house. Drogon has returned! The promise of new groups meeting and connecting this season is what I’m most excited for.

Mad Men- I really want to like these final few episodes but it’s such a slow burn to get to the series finale, and I have no idea how it’s going to end. Is Don going to jump out a window? Will Peggy become the creative director she said she wants to be some day? Will Peggy go to Paris with that doctor guy? MORE SALLY DRAPER PLEASE.

Daredevil-Holy Crap you need to watch this! I knew it’d be on my Netflix queue and I’d get to it eventually. It’s everything I want Marvel shows to be, and with every other show popping up this is the one I find myself turning to most frequently. It’s so great.

Orphan Black- Creepy dude clones who have a glitch? Yeah, this season is off to an intense start. I am curious how it’ll all come together and I can’t help but think in season 5 that Sarah & Rudy & their siblings will all be on the same side against one of these corporate giants (or worse – the military!). I’m along for the ride, even if my husband always walks into the room while the craziest stuff is happening and he questions the woman he married.

Reading

I’m finally caught up on The Walking Dead comics and really loving where the story is going. I hope the TV show gets to some of this, but I’m doubtful it’ll be around THAT long. Ms. Marvel continues to keep me entertained as does Lazarus. I have a few new comics to check out still and hoping that this warm weather will force me outside to read more!

Ex Machina- someone recommended this comic to me a couple of years ago, I bought it and finally read it the other day. It’s a great concept about a super hero mayor of NYC after 9/11. It does seem a bit dated to me though, and that’s probably just me. I may pick up the next trade at the library at some point in the future.

Reminder: Free Comic Book Day is Saturday – May 2nd! This is a great chance to check out new titles, and if you have kids, take them with. I always snag a few fun titles for the kids in my life!

Listening

Kal Penn on The Nerdist was a great interview. Even if you don’t care for him as an actor, his work and WHY he got involved in the Obama Administration was fascinating.

Food News – One of the more ridiculous podcasts out there, this hails from Grantland and is a spinoff of another podcast. Two journalists talk about the latest food news (like the Sabra humus recall) and then they taste test something. And it’s always enjoyable (because “crab” shouldn’t be a flavor…)

Undisclosed– I haven’t started this, I heard about it before it came out and just realized I’ve missed it! Whoops- this is a new podcast about Adan Sayed the subject of Serial, the most popular podcast EVER. I’ll check it out, but don’t have high hopes it’ll be amazing. Let me know what you think if you listen…

What about you? What have you been reading, watching and listening to this month? I can’t wait to talk about Pitch Perfect 2 and The Avengers Age of Ultron next month!

Well, March sure wasn’t lacking in pop culture events – especially on TV! Here’s a few things that have been keeping me entertained this month, and please share yours in the comments!

Reading

I shouldn’t read as much TV commentary as I do. Alan Sepinwall always manages to remind me of why I love a show, he often catches something I missed or thought wasn’t important and he’s a nice guy unlike some many others in his field who seem to enjoy talking crap about a show or actor or network.

Comics! I found a new comic book shop in Beaverton so my box is continually being filled and I haven’t skipped a beat. I’m still enjoying The Walking Dead, Lazarus, Outcast, and Ms. Marvel. In a couple of recent Loot Crates I received a Orphan Black comic and the new Star Wars comic I need to check out.

I also got a copy of Ready Player One in my recent LootCrate box and although I read the book a couple years ago it was a good reminder of how AMAZING it is!

Listening

I can’t wait for the new Alabama Shakes album to come out in a couple of weeks. I’ve already pre-ordered it and I’m enjoying the new singles, but hoping the album has something as rockin’ as Heavy Chevy on this album…

As per the usual, my podcasts are going strong. I’m always entertained with As Me Another, and just this morning I finished the Kal Penn interview on The Nerdist podcast and was really enjoying how cool Kal is! He’s done a lot of great things in his career, it’s worth a listen even if you don’t like movies, he talked a lot about working for the Obama Administration which was really interesting! The Grantland Hollywood Prospectus always has good stuff, from the weekly HP pod, to a great interview lately with former White House Senior Advisor, Dan Pfeiffer! The Fresh Air interview with the Sea World trainer/whistle blower was also really interesting, and you’ll never go to SeaWorld again!

Watching

My DVR has been keeping busy this month!

Broad City- I love this show, and it certainly is a targeted demographic but man alive I love it. Hannibal Burress as the dentist and occasional boyfriend is always a welcome site on any show he’s on. Plus the show’s added bonus of my brother and I texting each other random quotes while we watch is always fun!

The Walking Dead- Okay, that finale happened…WOW. I still need to re-watch the episode, it was a late night after a long weekend of traveling, but WOW, next season is setup for some new bad guys and I couldn’t have been more thrilled to see the return of Morgan!

The Americans- I love this show so much. We’re over half way through the season and they haven’t “turned” their daughter yet, but I am confident the season will end with all hell breaking loose when she finds out who her parents are. They have some creepy storylines this year, not in a scary way but in a “oh man, I hope this doesn’t happen because yuck…” kind of way. I love this show so much!

Justified- so sad to know that Rayland Givens is almost done wearing that Stetson on my TV. This most recent episode has put a good twist into place for the final 3 episodes…I can’t wait to see the final Raylan/Boyd showdown! So curious who will live…

Unbreakable Kimmy Schimdt- It’s a Miracle! Oh man this show is worth it for the theme song ALONE. Tina Fey and Robert Carlock have done it again, and I am so curious what S2 will look like when they aren’t writing for network TV as they had with S1. I really like Ellie Kemper and she does an AMAZING job of playing someone trapped in an underground bunker/cult for 14 years. If you liked 30 Rock or laughing, or life, this is for you!

There’s been other great TV I’m enjoying this spring including re-watching Orphan Black to get ready for the S3 premier in April, and Bloodline on Netflix, which stars Coach Taylor and Lindsey Weir, so even if it goes terribly wrong I’ll watch it all!