I thought it would be a great idea to include my ''What I've watched wrap-ups'' in my monthly wrap-ups as well. I kinda regret it I didn't do that from the beginning of this year, so here's an overview so far (at least for as far I can remember, ha).

Completed series:

I've completed two entire series this year so far: Gilmore Girls and The L Word. I watched the last few season in January and I loved that series so much! I already want to re-watch it again (and that says enough, right? I watched the entire 6 season of The L Word and I finished that one in May I believe. I got to addicted and it was really good! I love the drama (and the ahum scenes as well, of course. I have to it's a lesbian show with sex scenes in it, so if you're underage I don't recommend you watching this.

I also finally completed season 3 of LOST, but it took me more than a year to watch that season. I'm not sure if I want to continue, but for now I just stopped watching it.

Series I'm caught up with and waiting impatiently for new episodes:

Nashville, The Vampire Diaries, The Big Bang Theory and Pretty Little Liars. I love them all so much and I hate waiting for new episodes haha. I've watched all the episodes of Nashville in 2016 as well and I watched the other three when a new episode came out. I waited a few weeks for The Vampire Diaries and Pretty Little Liars though, so I could marathon them.

Movies:

I don't watch movies that often, so I only have seen 2 this year so far (as far as I can remember): The Witches and The Duff. I loved them both and I highly recomment both of them!

Series I'm currently watching/I'm having an obsession with:

I'm currently watching American Horror Story season 4. I watched season 1 and 2 last year and I loved them both! This is what I think of the genre ''Horror''. I couldn't stand season 3 so I stopped watching that, but season 4 is really good! I'm only at episode S04E03 so far.

My current obsession is Suits. I started watching it at the beginning of June and I'm already on season 2 (that's pretty fast for me but I'm on summer break, so yea). I love the show so much and I would like to caught up with it at the end of June so I can watch season 5 with the rest of the world when the new episodes are coming (new episode comes out on June 24th so I'm probably not able to do that, hahaha). I still have 44 episodes to go, but yea.

I've also been re-watching the 4th season of One Tree Hill. That series is one of my favorites and I can rewatch it over and over again.

What have you watched so far this year and what is your current obsession?

I don't know. I'm afraid I expected a somewhat different kind of book when I requested it. I suppose I thought it would focus more on the show and give some more insights into it, but instead the show is used as a way to fix all the subjects addressed in this book together.

And as an introduction into these scientific subjects it's not bad. It's as they say 'explanations that even Penny would understand' and she might do now, but I'm pretty sure she would not have understood a lot of it at the beginning of the series. As a scientist myself I found there wasn't a lot of new things for me. Most of it I'd already seen in classes and besides physics isn't my main interest field in science.

The writing was okay, but the author tried to make a lot of jokes that didn't always quite land. It's probably just me, but it got a bit annoying after a while. And as this book clocks in at over 400 pages, it has to be something you must like, I guess...

So, if you're looking for a book about the show, keep looking, for besides some jokes and the search for where Sheldon's and Leonard 's apartment is there isn't much about it.

Thanks to the publisher and Netgalley for providing me with a free copy of this book in exchange for an honest review!

Moonlight Reader started the TBR Thursday, and I think it's a good way to a) show what new books I've got and b) confront myself with my inability to lower my TBR. In fact, since I started recording it, it has risen significantly. I get the feeling I'm doing something wrong here...

A new month always means new books. I try to not request too many books so that I'll finally be able to get my Netgalley percentage up from 46%, but so far I'm not really successful in doing so. Last week was quite busy, so my TBR has risen a bit, but I hope it will go down (or at least stabilize) again soon!

Written in the Blood

The new, enthralling supernatural thriller from Stephen Lloyd Jones, following his highly acclaimed debut THE STRING DIARIES. High in the mountains of the Swiss Alps Leah Wilde is about to gamble her life to bring a powerful man an offer. A promise. Leah has heard the dark stories about him and knows she is walking into the lion's den. But her options are running out. Her rare lineage, kept secret for years, is under terrible threat. That is, unless Leah and her mother Hannah are prepared to join up with their once deadly enemies. Should the prey ever trust the predator?

The Science of TV's The Big Bang Theory

Reveals the hard facts behind the laughter on TV’s most popular sitcom The highest-rated scripted show on TV, The Big Bang Theory often features Sheldon, Howard, Leonard, and Raj wisecracking about scientific principles as if Penny and the rest of us should know exactly what they’re talking about.The Science of TV’s The Big Bang Theory lets all of us in on the punchline by breaking down the show’s scientific conversations. From an explanation of why Sheldon would think 73 is the best number, to an experiment involving the physical stature of Wolowitz women, to an argument refuting Sheldon’s assertion that engineers are the Oompa-Loompas of science, author Dave Zobel maintains a humorous and informative approach and gives readers enough knowledge to make them welcome on Sheldon’s couch

Monkeys, Myths and Molecules

Quacks and pundits beware! The internet is a powerful beast when it comes to science; the answer to any query you may have is just a few keystrokes away. But when there are multiple answers from various sources, how do we know what information is reliable? In Monkeys, Myths, and Molecules, bestselling author Dr. Joe Schwarcz takes a critical look at how facts are misconstrued in the media. He debunks the myths surrounding canned food, artificial dyes, SPF, homeopathy, cancer, chemicals, and much more.Unafraid to expose the sheer nonsense people are led to believe about health, food, drugs, and our environment, Dr. Joe confronts pseudoscience and convincingly and entertainingly advocates for a scientific approach to everyday life.

The Returned

In an Alpine town reeling from a devastating accident, the families of dead wish their lost loved ones could come back...only to wake up one day to the chilling reality of their prayers being answered. But the victims of the accident are not the only ones to have returned from the dead. Their arrival coincides with a series of grizzly murders which bear a chilling resemblance to the work of a serial killer from the past... A stunning page-turner filled with startlingly real characters, Seth Patrick’s THE RETURNED reveals how the choices we make can affect those we love long after we’re gone.

The Acolyte

Jonah Murtag is an Acolyte on the New Bethlehem police force. His job: eradicate all heretical religious faiths, their practitioners, and artefacts. Murtag's got problems - one of his partners is a zealot, and he's in love with the other one. Trouble at work, trouble at home. Murtag realizes that you can rob a citizenry of almost anything, but you can't take away its faith. When a string of bombings paralyzes the city, religious fanatics are initially suspected, but startling clues point to a far more ominous perpetrator. If Murtag doesn't get things sorted out, the Divine Council will dispatch The Quints, aka: Heaven's Own Bagmen. The clock is ticking towards doomsday for the Chosen of New Bethlehem. And Jonah Murtag's got another problem. The biggest and most worrisome... Jonah isn't a believer anymore.

I stumbled across a magazine last week that left me with a renewed sense of impressed-ness (I'm keeping that word) at how creative and innovative our little industry is here at tip of the continent. Spliced Magazine is a digital mag, based in Joburg, aimed at the geek community. It looks and feels like something with an enormous budget and teams of clever and artistic people. But, having stalked the poor editor (online. for now ...) I realised it's pulled together by three people: Pippa Tshabalala, Chris Savides and Tim Hulme.

Having worked at a magazine I fully realise how difficult it is to just publish it, never mind getting it to look this good and have great content. However, what I had to be reminded of (and that was mentioned in the first Spliced editorial) is that there are incredible initiatives like this, but somehow we don't know about them or they don't get enough face-time on traditional media platforms. 

So this week's blog is dedicated to amazing small businesses or operators that are working to bring great content or services to a growing market that is looking for original content or original ideas for everyday issues. Share it around and support them and keep the hope alive!

The publications:
Something Wicked is a horror anthology and Jungle Jim a pulp fiction magazine both based in Cape Town. Both accept writing from local authors and the magazines give them the opportunity to be published, which adds a whole new level of craft to their work, we can tell. These are also cracking good reads bringing a local relevance to horror and speculative fiction that for long has been missing from our shores.

Spliced, as mentioned above, is giving 'geek' a sexy new look. Well worth the read (or you can just ogle the editor's boobs).

The competition:
Nova short story competition - Run by the Science Fiction and Fantasy Association (say that fast, I dare you), the Nova is a short story competition in the speculative genre. This year it was judged by Lauren Beukes (the author) and Arthur Goldstuck (of WorldWideWorx), among others. This opportunity gives local, green writers an incredible leg-up in terms of the quality of their work. And we can see it in the quality of their writing.

The venues:
Deetwenty Geeking Venue:  A house in Blairgowrie dedicated to gaming and other geek endeavours. It's where the Trekkies meet and other gamers can drink coffee and do their thing.

Fairy Gothmother: An arts and crafts coffee shop in Linden where you can go find your 'inner geek' or buy geek merch. Having gone to school in Linden I can tell you, a geek shop  here is a development worth mentioning. It means the community is growing and businesses are catering to our needs.

Outer Limits: A brilliant comic bookstore that gives you everything geek-related your heart desires. Think the comic bookstore in Big Bang theory - exactly that. 

The events company:
Orsum Source: A collaborative effort by ourselves and Kate Barnes - we're organising geek-centric events including a Steampunk picnic and Live Action Role Play (Larp) parties. Enough with hipster food markets over the weekends!

The platforms:
Paperight - Making it cheaper to study, Paperight turns any old photocopy shop into a bookstore by allowing customers to print their textbooks there. This is an incredible initiative in a country where textbooks are prohibitively expensive and access to bookstores  is a real problem for many school goers.

bookly - So it's pretty clear that we have a massive thing for this business. In case you haven't read any of our older blog posts, bookly is a reader for cellphones - and this includes feature phones, not just smartphones, bringing free books to millions of people in South Africa. You can access the app on Mxit and see how many people have read and liked a range of local (and classic) books. It's a library on your cell.

The Community:
Make Games SA is a registered association and an online community for professional, hobbyist and student game developers, artists, designers for support in creating games. Very nice. Check them out: 

The stuff:
Arwen Garmentry: Ok, so they've been around for years, but their gorgeous work often features on the wish lists of Steampunkers and anyone else, really, that has seen some of the beautiful clothes they make. 

Sin Bin: This business creates custom accessories, clothing and illustrations and has a loyal following among the cosplayers in SA. 

This list is by no means done, we'll publish a Part 2 soon!

Stay cool, and support your local business geeks!

Leani

I have been a huge fan of The Big Bang Theory for awhile now and recently was working my way through the sixth season in preparation for the start of season seven. While engaging in the marathon of my favorite American sit-com I would be joined here and there by my family. My wife and daughters would occasional sit it on a few episodes with me. When we were watching The Bakersfield Expedition, where the friends dress up as Star Trek characters for the Bakersfield comic-con, my oldest daughter asked me what Howard was dressed as. I told her a Borg, and she asked what was that. I told her if she watched Star Trek with me she would know. I promptly asked her if she would like to watch Star Trek with me, to which she responded with a derisive snort and a short ‘no’ before leaving the room. Another episode from season six reminded me of a different part of my childhood. The Santa Simulation, which was the one were the guys play Dungeons and Dragons on a December, Saturday night and mix in a little holiday cheer with their orcs and magic. It reminded me of when I really wanted to play a tabletop RPG. 

I think I was somewhere around the age of ten when I was stealing coins out of my fathers two galleon glass coin jar to buy books. My parents didn’t have an allowance and I read too fast for anyone to want to buy me books. There were two series I was stealing money for at the time; one was the newly published Dragonlance Chornicles by Margret Wise and Tracy Hickman and the other was Lone Wolf by Joe Denver. Dragonlance expanded into tabletop games based on the world Wise and Hickman created in 1989 with the release of the Advanced Dungeons and Dragons box set Time of the Dragon. Some of my misbegotten funds went to purchase this. I knew it was a game, something like a board game and that I needed other people to play. I didn’t have other people to play, but that did not discourage me. I tried to play it anyway. Of course I failed and soon gave up, just looking at the pictures and being inspired by someone else’s creativity. I kept it for years, in fact, I might still have it in a box somewhere. I was always hoping I would meet someone that I could play it with. I was glad I had the Lone Wolf books, for they were kinda like tabletop games, but they could be played by one person. They were like a cross between D&D and Choose Your Own Adventure books. How cool they were I will save for another time.

The Santa Simulation episode set my every ready, ADHD, squirrel brain running down two paths of my memories. One focused on all the times I found something I thought was the neatest thing and couldn’t share it with anyone. The other was all the fictional groups of companions I wished I could’ve joined. The two seemed to sync into one thought very quickly, though. For example, I remember a friend I only had during the summers, for that was when he visited his father. He normally lived in Phoenix, Arizona. It was him that introduced me to Magic: The Gathering. He told me about this really fun card game, and how I should get a deck so I could play with him. His parents made more money than my mother, so I could not begin purchasing this collectable card game. So, he made me a deck out of his excessive amount of cards. He tried to teach me to play, but always beat me. He let me keep the deck so I could build upon it and practice with other players. The problem was that there were no other players. I knew nobody at this time in my life I could ask to play. Also, Magic: The Gathering was still too new for mid-westerners to know about. I carried the deck with me for awhile hoping to encounter another player and make a friend but never found anyone. So, what was the point in building the deck up. I gave up on Magic. 

That same friend also got me into Final Fantasy when he had me play what was the second release in America, but the fourth release in Japan? I loved it! I had played the first one on the NES, but had no idea that they kept making them. I wanted to tell everyone about it, no one cared, and I got made fun of for it. Later when Playstation released Final Fantasy VII I was the only one I knew geeking out about it. I caught some flak for that as well. I kept finding cool things that no one else cared about. Of course now it’s a different story. It’s cool to be geeky.

The other train of thought had me thinking about the friends in Big Bang Theory and other groups of comrades I admired. Like, The Goonies, or the boys from Stand By Me, any close net group of differing people who formed bonds. I knew I was watching/reading fiction when I was younger, but I still knew these kinds of friends existed. People that stayed friends for years and tried to get together at least one weekend every month, even when they were married with kids. Send each other Christmas cards, or go to each others parties. I wanted that so bad. Just a handful of people I could call close friends. I thought I had it a couple of times, but that was in my adolescence, before any of us really grew up. Being naturally interested in multiple topics in life I could condition my conversations with people to fit in with the group, and while I always gained a certain amount respect, was never fully accepted. I would always be an after thought or a hanger-on. I eventually gave up and just did my own thing in my own way not really caring what people did around me. I would love what I loved, because I thought it was cool and I finally realized I didn’t need other people to agree with me. Though it would have been fun to have a D&D group.

After my daughter left the room my wife asked me, “Why do you want her to watch Star Trek with you? So boring.” My wife hates it all and doesn’t understand why I waste my time reading ‘those’ books and watching ‘those’ shows, or playing ‘those’ games. I thought that the reasons why I wanted to share with my two daughters my love of science fiction and fantasy was because I found it enlightening and fun. I found it opened my mind and got me thinking outside the box. Well, yes that is all part of it, but, the reality is I felt this might be my last chance to share with someone else a love for things creative and geeky. That perhaps my daughters could be my group of friends. However, it’s unfair for me to put that on them. I would not want to be one of those over domineering parents always shoving at them everything I think is good and never letting them explore their world and decide for themselves. I have enjoyed all these things alone for years and while I am happy to share it all with them if they gain an interest, I will not force anything on them. I didn’t say all this to my wife though. I answered my wife with a smile, and said “Because, it’s cool.”