Oh fall, how I love you. The return of TV shows, the ending of summer, and Oscar season is in full swing. Plus, some fun books and comics to keep me occupied on a rainy day…Here’s what I’m up to this month, what about you?

Watching

Welcome Back The Walking Dead I’ve missed you! Sure that season premiere was the most violent episode yet, but when episode 2 was pretty much exactly an issue of the comics, I know we’re on the right track this season!

I’m still catching up on Homeland and that crazy scene in the second episode really made me question the choices this season, but the next couple of episodes have me thinking we may be on the right track. And PLEASE keep Quinn’s new lady friend around, we love her in my house!

As for sitcoms, I’m really enjoying Marry Me, by the guy who created Happy Endings (a show that ended WAY too soon). I’m also liking blackish more than I thought I would, and I continue to love About a Boy and Brooklyn 99.

I also got to the movies for the first time in FOREVER. I caught Saint Vincent the other night with a friend and really enjoyed it. While it went a different direction than I expected, Bill Murray did NOT disappoint, and that kid was awesome! My movie short list still includes Gone Girl and maybe Birdman…

Reading

Over the weekend we flew down to Eugene for my dad’s 60th birthday. On the trek I finally read the first Trade of Queen & Country which is a pretty good spy graphic novel. I liked but didn’t love The Imposter’s Daughter and I’m mostly caught up on my graphic novels right now.

Listening

My podcast list has been pretty packed lately. I’m ADDICTED to Serial, which tells a true story over 12 episodes, and the story is about a high school kid who went to jail for killing his ex-girlfriend, but it doesn’t all add up. My Thursday morning walks are timed to the length of the podcast!

Paul Reubens was recently on The Nerdist podcast which was a great episode. I’m mostly enjoying They Daily Show Podcast Without John Stewart, although the Al Madrigal episode was a little more random and off topic than I expected. But my new favorite podcast is Awesome Etiquette. Every week you get new etiquette tips from Emily Post’s great grandchildren. It’s fun and they talk a lot about modern day dilemmas instead of where the fork goes at a meal. It’s a fun listen!

 

We are definitely into the fall transition season. And I’m on board. While I love sitting outside on my patio with a good book and a delicious beverage, cozying up on the couch with Hank to watch TV while it’s raining outside is one of my favorite past times. So obviously, I’m excited for the start of fall TV, let’s get to it…

Watching

What am I watching? A LOT of stuff is on the DVR and coming up soon. Masters of Sex and The Bridge finish up their seasons in the next couple of weeks, and I’m looking forward to them wrapping up, but they are two of my favorite shows on TV these days.

If you didn’t watch Married or You’re the Worst on FX, you missed two of summers surprise comedy hits. I loved them both so very much and can’t wait for them to return next summer.

This week I’ve been trying to keep up on the new shows, black-ish was better than expected, but Red Band Society wasn’t great enough to stick with (Octavia Spencer deserves a better quality role than sassy black woman if you ask me). Still on my DVR is Gotham, I know, but I wanted to be able to really enjoy it…I also didn’t get to How to Get Away with Murder yet, but will this weekend. The return of Nashville and Scandal were both as soapy as I wanted them to be and Modern Family did not disappoint either!

Homeland and The Walking Dead arrive in October and I couldn’t be more excited for both of them!

Reading

I finally caught up with my comics on the patio last weekend. Outkast, the new Robert Kirkman comic is really great. I also love and am all caught up  on The Walking Dead, which I’m really liking this new arc if I haven’t mentioned that before. Ms Marvel continues to be great, and so does Lazarus. The Illegitimates finished its first arc and fizzled out if you ask me. We’ll see.

On my short list: Lumberjanes. My Beer Geek Girl friends keep telling me how great it is, so hopefully I get to it this fall!

I also read Big Little Lies From Lianne Moriarty earlier this month. It’s definitely chic-lit but enough of a mystery for some quick reading and it takes place in Australia, so I can’t complain!

Listening

I am a big U2 fan and would have gladly paid for their new album, but if iTunes wants to give it to me for free I’ll take it! it’s a great album and I continue to enjoy it.

Earlier this week I picked up tickets to see Stevie Wonder when he comes to Seattle in December, so I have him on replay a lot lately.

And thanks to Jimmy Fallon I can’t get this song out of my head…

One more thing if you made it this far…my very favorite pop culture blogger was laid off earlier this month. Whitney Matheson who started Pop Candy at USA Today is a great pop culture reporter and is responsible for a lot of the pop culture I consume, and many of the comic books on my shelf, and shows on my DVR. I’m bummed that (as Stephen Colbert says) the USA Today-holes laid her off, but I’m excited to see where she lands! Until then, there’s a pop culture void in my life that I’m having a hard time filling elsewhere!

What pop culture are you excited about this fall and where do you get your pop culture fix these days?

I feel like I’m in a pop culture rut at the moment folks. In fact I almost skipped my post this month. Then I re-read my July post, and realized I’ve read/seen/heard more this month than I remembered. And most of that is because of one thing:

Guardians of the Galaxy

Holy crap this was the greatest summer movie and so much more than I could have hoped for! Chris Pratt was PERFECT, Groot is my new favorite character, and the soundtrack, oh the soundtrack…I went with my good friend Mike and he and I sang through the ENTIRE movie. Luckily if you go to the movie at 11:45 AM on a Friday, the theater isn’t too packed and the other folks there don’t seem to mind…So for the month of August I haven’t shut up about Guardians of the Galaxy, and yes the soundtrack is on repeat in my car all summer…

A few other pop culture finds…

Reading

I haven’t been reading a ton, but I did get caught up on my comics the other day on the patio. The Walking Dead continues to go in a great direction with this new arc. I’m still LOVING Ms. Marvel & I just wish Lazarus came out more frequently.

I also grabbed Big Little Lies from Lianne Moriarty. I loved The Husband’s Secret last summer and this one is off to a great start. Sure it’s chick lit, but it’s August and all I want to do is read about catty Australian women, is that such a crime?

Watching

Oh Tim Riggins…I finally finished Friday Night Lights a couple weeks ago. And  you were all right, it’s the PERFECT show. Good grief it was amazing. If you’ve never watched it, add it to your Netflix queue and get watching! I promise you’ll love it.

We’re in the end of summer TV season, so I’m still watching The Bridge, Masters of Sex, and The Leftovers. All continue to keep me on my toes, and I’m getting excited for fall TV with Gotham, Homeland and maybe even the final season of The Newsroom…

Oh, and I finally saw The Lego Movie which was O.M.Gosh fantastic! Chris Pratt can do no wrong, can’t wait for Jurassic World next summer!

Listening

Besides the Guardians of the Galaxy Awesome Mix 1 (which seriously is on replay all the time. I’m listening to it right now as I type this), we did a road trip to Oregon and included a lot of podcasts. The Daily Show Podcast without Jon Stewart is pretty clever. I wish they’d come out with a second episode and start being consistent because it’s really interesting behind the scenes of a recent Daily Show episode.

Alright, that’s it for me this month. What’s been keeping you happy this August?