Book Club: Out There Screaming

Tonight, I was tempted back to the Horror Book Club, who were reviewing Out There Screaming, an anthology, edited by Jordan Peele, of short horror stories by black authors. Handily, of the specific stories they intended to review, two were on the free Amazon sample! and I liked enough of it to sign up. In the Prince of Wales again - Tube strike permitting.. Yesterday, I finally finished the stories we'd be reviewing. 

On account of that same Tube strike, work designated tomorrow a WFH day, so I went in today. Still pertains, despite the strike being postponed, although people can go in if they want - for me though, today suited nicely, what with what I was going to today being closer to the office than what I plan to go to tomorrow. Wednesdays are usually busiest in the office, but this week, I think people were staying away in general - there was plenty of space! and knowing that I could eat at the pub, I stayed nice and late.

Walked there, arrived early - to find our organiser tucking into what turned out to be a roast turkey dinner. The pub, it seems, has started its Christmas menu - I tried the turkey croquettes myself, but honestly, they were bland: even with the accompanying sauce. The rest was nice, though.

We had a decent crowd - a few had read the whole thing. I was not among them - I was lucky to get the time to read what I did! but as a few have mentioned, I do intend to finish the book - and this is a good time of year to do that, with Christmas approaching. Opinions varied on the different stories, but it was interesting to hear other points of view - particularly on the only one I really didn't like, "Reckless Eyeballing". I was confused, as were some others, by the imagery of eyes in this one - but as someone astutely pointed out, it's like what a paranoid person might hallucinate: which lends the story a whole new depth.

As mentioned, I liked the rest of what I read - very much. I have to say, my favourite was "Hide and Seek": which I know some in the group would disagree with! There's a scene in that where magic is used to make something disappear.. and it's written with a more realistic touch than you might expect. Now THAT I find scary.. Mind you though, as someone said, a pity the author didn't carry that theme through..

Anyway, chat was also good, and conversation ranged outside the book in all directions. And it was good to be back with them again. I tell you though, speaking of conversations, I have had my fill of Trump.. he's all I've been hearing about, all day.. even a guy on the bus, speaking in what sounded like Japanese, mentioned Trump in the course of it.. I just want to hide under the bed and not hear about him for four years. What are the odds..?

And that's the last Meetup for a few days. Tomorrow, looking at film again - and I'm delighted to see that the Prince Charles has resurrected one I never had the chance to see! The Worst Person in the World is a Norwegian film about a woman searching for an identity, who it seems gets married, then has an affair. Looks beautifully quirky. It's interesting how much keener I am in this than in the higher-rated Anora - another love story with a conundrum, where the young son of an oligarch falls for an American prostitute and his family sends in the heavies - could have something to do with the age of the protagonists: they just look too young in that! The Worst Person in the World looks much more relatable to me.

Then I'm back to Ireland for the weekend again - and with the film listings finally out, for Saturday it's Small Things Like These, where Cillian Murphy plays a man living in rural Ireland of the 50s. Unfortunately, he finds himself living beside a Magdalene Laundry.. determined to do something to help the inmates, he runs up against the implacable head of the institution, Emily Watson. Yes, and it isn't so easy to speak out if you're depending on the self-same institution to educate your little girls, in years to come.. and in those days, a religious education was the only choice. Showing widely - I'm seeing it in the Omniplex.

Having vowed never again to take a flight as late if I can avoid it, for the return leg to London I'm shunning Ryanair, and going Aer Lingus, who fly 2.5 hours earlier..

The next three days in London promise to be musical ones! The next two days back, I'm with TAC - first time in a while. On Monday, I'm going to see the Fibonacci Quartet, for the Kirckman Concerts at King's Place.

And on Tuesday, I'm seeing The Definitive Rat Pack tribute act, at Boisdale of Canary Wharf.

And next Wednesday, I start a new run of Meetups with Over 40 Living the Life, for The Magic of Motown tribute show, at the New Wimbledon Theatre.

On the 14th, I'm back at Watkin's Occult Bookshop, first time in ages - this is for a talk from the author of a new book - on Book Curses! Eating afterwards at Bella Italia Cranbourn Street - delighted to be able to get a booking with them: they seem to be booked up a lot lately!

On the 15th, back with Up in the Cheap Seats (UITCS) for The Glorious French Revolution at the New Diorama Theatre! Eating beforehand at the nearby Greene Man, which is a Greene King pub, so good food should be had.

On the 16th, back with Laurence Summers and the 45+ Not Grumpies, yay! This walk is Baker Street and its Quirky Surrounds.

As is becoming something of a habit, afterwards I'm joining Movie Roadhouse London for a film! This time, it's Gladiator II, at Picturehouse Central, with Paul Mescal replacing Russell Crowe as the gladiator who shows Rome the error of its ways, and a return by Connie Nielsen.. seems I mistook who was whom, and her son is actually the aforementioned Paul Mescal, by Russell Crowe! So yes, he IS his son.. Denzel Washington also shows up as a slave that wants to overthrow Rome.

On the 17th, I'm back with the Crick Crack Club! This time, it's Queen of Between, with Sarah Liisa Wilkinson, and it's at the British Museum again - which means I'd better leave a huge chunk of time for queueing!

And on the 18th, I'm headed to Reykjavik, in Hampstead Theatre.. which, ironically, UITCS went to last week..