Anne of Green Gables by L.M. Montgomery
The events of the world got to be more than we could handle this past week and both my housemate and I agreed that we needed to read something innocent and good. After scanning our shelves and Kindle library, we decided to re-kindle our friendship with Anne Shirley and her friends. I’m not sure how far into the series we will take our re-read, but we started with the first-in-the-series.
This is an excellent book, full of friends. It’s an escape to an innocent time and a great story of coming of age. Anne, Diana, and Gilbert become fast friends and any visit with them is a good one.
My housemate and I saw Kevin Sullivan’s production of Anne of Green Gables before we read the book the first time, so our mental pictures of the characters are colored by the actors who portrayed them in that mini-series, but even so, I think the casting was very well done. When reading the books, I see those actors as the characters, and I hear the dialogue in their voices. The production made some changes to the story, but then almost all book-to-movie adaptations make some changes.
The book is fun and friendly. It’s an easy read, and staying up late to finish feels like a visit with friends you never want to end. A visit with Anne was just what we needed to counteract the overwhelming grief, sadness, tragedy, and outright hate that has dominated the world lately. I highly recommend that everyone take a few days, turn off the news and visit Anne. You’ll come back much better prepared to face the world.
One Bear’s Opinion: Five tumblers of Raspberry Cordial with some fruit cake and other sweet treats
Happy Reading Everyone,
Oliver
P.S. Stay safe, it’s a scary world out there.
Friday, June 17, 2016
Monday, June 13, 2016
One Bear's Opinion -- Book Review
The Alpine Scandal by Mary Daheim
The Alpine Scandal is the nineteenth book in the Emma Lord mysteries. My housemate and I decided to read it to catch up on on-going series. Too date, this series has twenty-six books, so we’re a little bit behind. And it is my goal to catch up on our series this year, at least as much as is possible.
As far as this installment, let me start by saying, it would definitely help if you had read at least one of the previous books in the series, but the author does a very good job of introducing and connecting the recurring, regular characters.
It’s an interesting book for the main characters, and changes in relationships are evident, though none happen in this book. Sometimes the overarching story is more important and others the immediate mystery is more important. In this one, the immediate story is the main focus, but it does not overshadow the hints of what is to come in the overarching, continuing story.
The main mystery is a full of red herrings, and the final solution is a surprise, though it feels as though it was cobbled together after the author wrote herself into a corner. It wasn’t quite a copout solution, but it didn’t feel as though it was the ending of this murder. But then again, I’m so used to reading books that have been edited to leave in only the important information, that maybe the author and editor decided to go in a different, more true-to-life, direction.
I enjoyed the book, and I am excited to see where the overarching story with the main characters goes, given the hints that are being dropped in this adventure. I would still recommend that new readers to the series start at the beginning, but even if you don’t, this is an enjoyable mystery.
One Bear’s Opinion: Three glasses of Dr. Pepper while enjoying a yummy diner dinner with your brother
Happy Reading Everyone,
Oliver
The Alpine Scandal is the nineteenth book in the Emma Lord mysteries. My housemate and I decided to read it to catch up on on-going series. Too date, this series has twenty-six books, so we’re a little bit behind. And it is my goal to catch up on our series this year, at least as much as is possible.
As far as this installment, let me start by saying, it would definitely help if you had read at least one of the previous books in the series, but the author does a very good job of introducing and connecting the recurring, regular characters.
It’s an interesting book for the main characters, and changes in relationships are evident, though none happen in this book. Sometimes the overarching story is more important and others the immediate mystery is more important. In this one, the immediate story is the main focus, but it does not overshadow the hints of what is to come in the overarching, continuing story.
The main mystery is a full of red herrings, and the final solution is a surprise, though it feels as though it was cobbled together after the author wrote herself into a corner. It wasn’t quite a copout solution, but it didn’t feel as though it was the ending of this murder. But then again, I’m so used to reading books that have been edited to leave in only the important information, that maybe the author and editor decided to go in a different, more true-to-life, direction.
I enjoyed the book, and I am excited to see where the overarching story with the main characters goes, given the hints that are being dropped in this adventure. I would still recommend that new readers to the series start at the beginning, but even if you don’t, this is an enjoyable mystery.
One Bear’s Opinion: Three glasses of Dr. Pepper while enjoying a yummy diner dinner with your brother
Happy Reading Everyone,
Oliver
Sunday, June 5, 2016
One Bear's Opinion -- Book Review
A Sprig of Blossomed Thorn by Patrice Greenwood
This is the second book in the Wisteria Tearoom Mystery series. It was fun to read and interesting. I have not read a book with this particular method of murder before so it was creative and different. Mysteries are by their nature formulaic — there has to be a puzzle to solve and then the investigators, whether professional or amateur, solve the puzzle. This was an interesting and different puzzle to be solved. The solution was fairly ordinary, but the mystery was creative enough to make the ordinariness of the solution acceptable. I suppose it’s hard for authors to be creative and original with each plot part of every book.
I like the characters, but the preaching nature of the relationships between the characters got a bit annoying. I don’t mind when the author’s personal beliefs shape the books, but I do not know it when the books are overly preachy or hit the reader over the head with the point the author is trying to make. Give the reader some information and then let the reader take up the cause, or not, as the reader desires. Too much preaching is a sure way to lose readers and have your cause be drowned out or glossed over.
I will probably read the next-in-series, but if the preachiness continues, I will absolutely give up on this series, despite my caring for the characters. Life is far too short and time is far too precious to waste it being lectured at as though I am incapable of forming my own opinions in my leisure reading.
One Bear’s Opinion: Four cups of hibiscus tea with a plate of sweet and savory treats
Happy Reading Everyone,
Oliver
This is the second book in the Wisteria Tearoom Mystery series. It was fun to read and interesting. I have not read a book with this particular method of murder before so it was creative and different. Mysteries are by their nature formulaic — there has to be a puzzle to solve and then the investigators, whether professional or amateur, solve the puzzle. This was an interesting and different puzzle to be solved. The solution was fairly ordinary, but the mystery was creative enough to make the ordinariness of the solution acceptable. I suppose it’s hard for authors to be creative and original with each plot part of every book.
I like the characters, but the preaching nature of the relationships between the characters got a bit annoying. I don’t mind when the author’s personal beliefs shape the books, but I do not know it when the books are overly preachy or hit the reader over the head with the point the author is trying to make. Give the reader some information and then let the reader take up the cause, or not, as the reader desires. Too much preaching is a sure way to lose readers and have your cause be drowned out or glossed over.
I will probably read the next-in-series, but if the preachiness continues, I will absolutely give up on this series, despite my caring for the characters. Life is far too short and time is far too precious to waste it being lectured at as though I am incapable of forming my own opinions in my leisure reading.
One Bear’s Opinion: Four cups of hibiscus tea with a plate of sweet and savory treats
Happy Reading Everyone,
Oliver
Wednesday, June 1, 2016
One Bear's Opinion -- Book Review
Beatrice Goes to Brighton by M.C. Beaton
This is the fourth book in M.C. Beaton’s Travelling Matchmaker Regency Romance series. Admittedly it’s not the kind of book I would normally read, but my housemate found the first three of the series in a remainder bin for $3 each and we enjoyed them well enough to pick up this one when it was on sale as a Kindle daily deal for $0.99.
During a discussion on a message board, someone commented that sometimes their enjoyment, or disappointment, with a book is directly proportional to the amount paid for the book. I thought about that and decided that I feel the same way sometimes. If you pay full price for a book, there is an expectation of full-price enjoyment. But a sale or a bargain price for the book lowers the enjoyment expectation threshold. This series definitely follows that line of thinking. I doubt I would have enjoyed them very much as I paid full price, but for half price or less, they are excellent.
The series is follow-the-dots formulaic, but still fun to read. In most series, the same characters appear over and over in each episode, but this one manages to keep a core of characters while introducing new ones in each, and not making it feel forced or unusual. The idea of the main character taking trips on a stage coach does make the introduction of new characters natural, and it’s fun to meet the new characters along with the main ones.
Had the book not been in the remainder bin, I doubt that my housemate would have ever picked them up. Regency romances are not her usual reading, but then again, branching outside the usual reading is where you find interesting stuff, and where you meet new friends.
Miss Pym is a fun character, and a great new friend. The plots are all there same, but with this series, plot variance is not really why you read them. It’s a good, clean fun kind of book. Perfect for a long trans-Pacific airplane flight or waiting rooms. After we finish this series, we may check out some of the author’s other Regency series, just for the fun, easy read aspect.
One Bear’s Opinion: Three bottles of lemonade while walking along the boardwalk, and some cotton candy if we’re very good
Happy Reading Everyone,
Oliver
This is the fourth book in M.C. Beaton’s Travelling Matchmaker Regency Romance series. Admittedly it’s not the kind of book I would normally read, but my housemate found the first three of the series in a remainder bin for $3 each and we enjoyed them well enough to pick up this one when it was on sale as a Kindle daily deal for $0.99.
During a discussion on a message board, someone commented that sometimes their enjoyment, or disappointment, with a book is directly proportional to the amount paid for the book. I thought about that and decided that I feel the same way sometimes. If you pay full price for a book, there is an expectation of full-price enjoyment. But a sale or a bargain price for the book lowers the enjoyment expectation threshold. This series definitely follows that line of thinking. I doubt I would have enjoyed them very much as I paid full price, but for half price or less, they are excellent.
The series is follow-the-dots formulaic, but still fun to read. In most series, the same characters appear over and over in each episode, but this one manages to keep a core of characters while introducing new ones in each, and not making it feel forced or unusual. The idea of the main character taking trips on a stage coach does make the introduction of new characters natural, and it’s fun to meet the new characters along with the main ones.
Had the book not been in the remainder bin, I doubt that my housemate would have ever picked them up. Regency romances are not her usual reading, but then again, branching outside the usual reading is where you find interesting stuff, and where you meet new friends.
Miss Pym is a fun character, and a great new friend. The plots are all there same, but with this series, plot variance is not really why you read them. It’s a good, clean fun kind of book. Perfect for a long trans-Pacific airplane flight or waiting rooms. After we finish this series, we may check out some of the author’s other Regency series, just for the fun, easy read aspect.
One Bear’s Opinion: Three bottles of lemonade while walking along the boardwalk, and some cotton candy if we’re very good
Happy Reading Everyone,
Oliver
Sunday, May 29, 2016
A Different Bear's Opinion -- Book Review
Winter at Death’s Hotel by Kenneth Cameron
Hello!
Oliver and Spencer have kindly let me review this book on their blog. They know that I have an expertise in an areas vital to this book they do not. In my previous life, before I came to live with Oliver, Spencer, and their friends, I was in the employ of an historic hotel in Melbourne, and thus I had an insight into the setting of this book.
And while my employer was an historic hotel in Melbourne and Winter at Death’s Hotel is set in a hotel in New York in 1896, the differences are far less than one might imagine. The portrayal of the hotel, and the hotel’s employees was very well done, if you ask me. The fact that the hotel becomes almost a character unto itself was ingenious. Having read this book, even though the New Britannic is a fictional hotel, I am happy my employer had modernized most of the historic hotel. I would not have wanted to work at such an establishment without modern conveniences.
My expertise aside, this was an interesting book. I did not really know what to expect when beginning the book. The cover did not give many clues, and the blurb was more teaser than anything else. The book began rather slowly, and it was not until the last few chapters that the action picked up and became a race to the finish. Reviews I read after finishing the book called the book uneven, and I have to say that is an accurate description. The action is very uneven, lurching like one of the lifts in the hotel would, or how the heroine does limping along on her crutches. The uneven nature of the book made it difficult for me to read a great deal at any one time, and it was not the kind of book I could not put down. I found it very easy to put the book down at the end of sections or chapters.
There are many unresolved plot points in the book, though I doubt the author has any plans to continue this as a series to war them up. The nature of this story makes it highly likely that this is a stand-alone mystery, though characters from this story could be picked up in a series. Then again, it’s nice for this to be a one-off kind of tale.
I thoroughly enjoyed having the main character of the book be Louisa Conan Doyle. That made for a refreshing change from the myriad Holmesian pastiches or mysteries featuring Sir Arthur Conan Doyle as a main character. It did not bother me in the least that Sir Arthur Conan Doyle was relegated to minor character in this book, or that his portrayal was not entirely flattering. (His estate may have something to say about that, but it is none of my concern.) I liked Louisa as a character; she was engaging and likable and early on she became a friend.
The story stumbled along like it could have used a better editor, and there were threads that could have been tied up in much better ways than they were. But on the whole it was a good book with an interesting premise. The mystery was clever and the characters were likable for the most part. The final resolution was..., well, I can’t say anything about that without spoiling the book for others, so I am torn.
Despite the Holmesian connection, Winter at Death’s Hotel is not a cozy mystery by any means, it does tend toward the darker, more graphic end of the genre. I think readers should be prepared for that, and not read too much of it too late at night — both Oliver and I had trouble falling asleep after reading some before bed. I would say it’s definitely the kind of book to read on a sunny day, if only to counter the darkness of the book’s world with the brightness of the real world.
Overall, it was well worth the time to read it. Getting to know this version of Louisa Conan Doyle was a treat. The portrayal of Theodore Roosevelt as Police Commissioner of New York was different than I have experienced before as well, which you can take however you wish. Saying too much more might spoil parts of the books, so I will just leave it at that.
One Bear’s Opinion: Four cups of strong tea with a brandy chaser (trust me you’ll need it), and a tea-tray of sweet and savory treats for fortification
Thanks for the opportunity,
Hope to see you soon,
Guillaume
Hello!
Oliver and Spencer have kindly let me review this book on their blog. They know that I have an expertise in an areas vital to this book they do not. In my previous life, before I came to live with Oliver, Spencer, and their friends, I was in the employ of an historic hotel in Melbourne, and thus I had an insight into the setting of this book.
And while my employer was an historic hotel in Melbourne and Winter at Death’s Hotel is set in a hotel in New York in 1896, the differences are far less than one might imagine. The portrayal of the hotel, and the hotel’s employees was very well done, if you ask me. The fact that the hotel becomes almost a character unto itself was ingenious. Having read this book, even though the New Britannic is a fictional hotel, I am happy my employer had modernized most of the historic hotel. I would not have wanted to work at such an establishment without modern conveniences.
My expertise aside, this was an interesting book. I did not really know what to expect when beginning the book. The cover did not give many clues, and the blurb was more teaser than anything else. The book began rather slowly, and it was not until the last few chapters that the action picked up and became a race to the finish. Reviews I read after finishing the book called the book uneven, and I have to say that is an accurate description. The action is very uneven, lurching like one of the lifts in the hotel would, or how the heroine does limping along on her crutches. The uneven nature of the book made it difficult for me to read a great deal at any one time, and it was not the kind of book I could not put down. I found it very easy to put the book down at the end of sections or chapters.
There are many unresolved plot points in the book, though I doubt the author has any plans to continue this as a series to war them up. The nature of this story makes it highly likely that this is a stand-alone mystery, though characters from this story could be picked up in a series. Then again, it’s nice for this to be a one-off kind of tale.
I thoroughly enjoyed having the main character of the book be Louisa Conan Doyle. That made for a refreshing change from the myriad Holmesian pastiches or mysteries featuring Sir Arthur Conan Doyle as a main character. It did not bother me in the least that Sir Arthur Conan Doyle was relegated to minor character in this book, or that his portrayal was not entirely flattering. (His estate may have something to say about that, but it is none of my concern.) I liked Louisa as a character; she was engaging and likable and early on she became a friend.
The story stumbled along like it could have used a better editor, and there were threads that could have been tied up in much better ways than they were. But on the whole it was a good book with an interesting premise. The mystery was clever and the characters were likable for the most part. The final resolution was..., well, I can’t say anything about that without spoiling the book for others, so I am torn.
Despite the Holmesian connection, Winter at Death’s Hotel is not a cozy mystery by any means, it does tend toward the darker, more graphic end of the genre. I think readers should be prepared for that, and not read too much of it too late at night — both Oliver and I had trouble falling asleep after reading some before bed. I would say it’s definitely the kind of book to read on a sunny day, if only to counter the darkness of the book’s world with the brightness of the real world.
Overall, it was well worth the time to read it. Getting to know this version of Louisa Conan Doyle was a treat. The portrayal of Theodore Roosevelt as Police Commissioner of New York was different than I have experienced before as well, which you can take however you wish. Saying too much more might spoil parts of the books, so I will just leave it at that.
One Bear’s Opinion: Four cups of strong tea with a brandy chaser (trust me you’ll need it), and a tea-tray of sweet and savory treats for fortification
Thanks for the opportunity,
Hope to see you soon,
Guillaume
Saturday, May 21, 2016
One Bear's Opinion -- Book Review
The Alexandria Affair by Ashley Gardner
The Alexandria Affair is the eleventh book in the Captain Gabriel Lacey Regency Mysteries series by Ashley Gardner. My housemate and I have been fans of Captain Lacey since the first book, The Hanover Square Affair. And his adventures are ones we drop everything to read when they come out. The only one we had to wait for was The Sudbury School Murders, which came out while we were on “hurrication” as a result of Hurricane Katrina and the Barnes & Noble in Little Rock did not stock that series. It was one of the many, though admittedly quite minor, problems Hurricane Katrina brought.
The Alexandria Affair takes place in Egypt, primarily in and around Alexandria and the Great Pyramids, but also along the Nile and in Cairo. While I enjoy Captain Lacey’s adventures in London, it’s nice to see him out and about as well. And it was wonderful to have the familiar characters Grenville, Matthias & Bartholomew, and Brewster. New friends were introduced, and while they are denizens of the Nile, one hopes they may come back home to England and reappear in Lacey’s & Grenville’s circle.
Overall the murder mystery aspect of this adventure was a bit disappointing and bland, and, if I’m completely honest, inconsequential to the plot and the overarching story arc. The main action and mystery of the book was centered around Captain Lacey’s backstory and continued from the previous book in the series, The Thames River Murders. It was an interesting continuation of that story, which was not concluded in this volume.
Readers who are not familiar with Captain Lacey should not begin with this one. This is definitely one the series where it is important to read all the books and read them in order. Skipping books or starting out of order will only serve to confuse new readers, who will be left with a bad taste for Captain Lacey and his friends. And that would be a big mistake. Because the books are well worth reading and enjoying. Visits with Captain Lacey and Grenville are too fun to not enjoy, so read the series from the beginning!
I thoroughly enjoyed The Alexandria Affair. It was worth it, though as I mentioned the murder mystery aspect was not at all necessary to the plot. It would have been just as good a book without the murder. Lacey and Grenville had other mysteries to keep them busy in the Egyptian desert. It was definitely one of the books I was sorry to see end, and one of those books I needed to recover from before picking back up the book I was reading when Captain Lacey's latest adventure hit my Kindle.
One Bear’s Opinion: Four Cups of Turkish Coffee with a huge plate of Turkish Delight for sharing
Happy Reading Everyone,
Oliver
The Alexandria Affair is the eleventh book in the Captain Gabriel Lacey Regency Mysteries series by Ashley Gardner. My housemate and I have been fans of Captain Lacey since the first book, The Hanover Square Affair. And his adventures are ones we drop everything to read when they come out. The only one we had to wait for was The Sudbury School Murders, which came out while we were on “hurrication” as a result of Hurricane Katrina and the Barnes & Noble in Little Rock did not stock that series. It was one of the many, though admittedly quite minor, problems Hurricane Katrina brought.
The Alexandria Affair takes place in Egypt, primarily in and around Alexandria and the Great Pyramids, but also along the Nile and in Cairo. While I enjoy Captain Lacey’s adventures in London, it’s nice to see him out and about as well. And it was wonderful to have the familiar characters Grenville, Matthias & Bartholomew, and Brewster. New friends were introduced, and while they are denizens of the Nile, one hopes they may come back home to England and reappear in Lacey’s & Grenville’s circle.
Overall the murder mystery aspect of this adventure was a bit disappointing and bland, and, if I’m completely honest, inconsequential to the plot and the overarching story arc. The main action and mystery of the book was centered around Captain Lacey’s backstory and continued from the previous book in the series, The Thames River Murders. It was an interesting continuation of that story, which was not concluded in this volume.
Readers who are not familiar with Captain Lacey should not begin with this one. This is definitely one the series where it is important to read all the books and read them in order. Skipping books or starting out of order will only serve to confuse new readers, who will be left with a bad taste for Captain Lacey and his friends. And that would be a big mistake. Because the books are well worth reading and enjoying. Visits with Captain Lacey and Grenville are too fun to not enjoy, so read the series from the beginning!
I thoroughly enjoyed The Alexandria Affair. It was worth it, though as I mentioned the murder mystery aspect was not at all necessary to the plot. It would have been just as good a book without the murder. Lacey and Grenville had other mysteries to keep them busy in the Egyptian desert. It was definitely one of the books I was sorry to see end, and one of those books I needed to recover from before picking back up the book I was reading when Captain Lacey's latest adventure hit my Kindle.
One Bear’s Opinion: Four Cups of Turkish Coffee with a huge plate of Turkish Delight for sharing
Happy Reading Everyone,
Oliver
Sunday, May 15, 2016
Eurovision 2016, Final -- A Review
It’s Final Night for Eurovision. I’ve been careful to avoid spoilers all day so I get to watch what happens live-ish.
I’ve invited my new friend Guillaume to help me tonight, so we’ll both have a thumbs up or down on the performance — actually one or two flags of the country, and a couple of comments. We’ll also pick our top three at the end.
Before the start of the Final, we had some nibbles (cheese & crackers and my housemate’s homemade ranch dip & chips) and a Lemon Creme Pie my housemate made. It was a wonderful feast, and I’ve been promised popcorn for later in the broadcast (because it’s bouncy like me) and ginger beer. I’m having quite the party over here with all my friends.
Because it’s already tomorrow in Australia by the time the contest actually occurs in Europe, we have to wait until the evening after it airs in Europe to see it. Well, we could get up at 5:00 am and watch it live, but I have other jobs to do at 5:00 am, so we wait until the evening rebroadcast. to watch it. That does mean that we have to be on guard against spoilers. My housemates mentioned they might have seen the results, but they have not told me, or Guillaume, anything.
Ohh, it’s starting. I can hardly contain my bounces! I wonder where it will be next year.
The parade of entrants is a bit strange. I’m finding it hard to figure out the countries with the flag projections on the strange paper dresses. My housemate has the running order up for me so I can follow along. Julia and Sam are saying that Justin Timberlake is the interval performer. I hope that doesn’t mean the US will be a participating country next year. I know my housemate is an American, but I think there are some things that Americans should not have their fingers in.
I am sorry the Belorussian did not make it through to the Final. Honestly, Europe, what were you thinking? Live wolves and naked performances? That’s the best of Eurovision all in one act! Why do the ones I really like never make it as the winners? Some of them don’t make it past the semi-final.
And we’re off!
Belgium
Laura Tesoro, What’s the Pressure
Tigger: It’s definitely a bouncy way to start the Final. ๐ง๐ช๐ง๐ช
Guillaume: This is a pop radio song. I like it. ๐ง๐ช๐ง๐ช
The different countries have different fonts on the postcard intros. That’s cool, but I still miss the flag making from 2014.
Czech Republic
Gabriela Gunฤรญkovรก, I Stand
Tigger: A bit quiet after the bouncy beginning. ๐จ๐ฟ
Guillaume: It’s nothing special, but I wouldn’t turn it off. ๐จ๐ฟ๐จ๐ฟ
The Netherlands
Douwe Bob, Slow Down
Tigger: I like this one. It’s a favorite. ๐ณ๐ฑ๐ณ๐ฑ
Guillaume: Cool costumes. But the song has a nice message and a happy bounce. ๐ณ๐ฑ๐ณ๐ฑ
Azerbaijan
Samra, Miracle
Tigger: I remember this one. I thought the gold costume and microphone was a subtle message to the voters. ๐ฆ๐ฟ
Guillaume: I get the feeling that she was influenced by the Spice Girls. It’s catchy enough. ๐ฆ๐ฟ
Hungary
Freddie, Pioneer
Tigger: The drummer is into the performance.๐ญ๐บ๐ญ๐บ
Guillaume: I like the whistling! ๐ญ๐บ๐ญ๐บ
It’s going to be hard to pick my top three!
Italy
Francesca Michielin, No Degree of Separation
Tigger: I like the balloons. ๐ฎ๐น๐ฎ๐น
Guillaume: Ohh, it’s lovely. ๐ฎ๐น๐ฎ๐น
Israel
Hovi Star, Made of Stars
Tigger: One of my favorites. ๐ฎ๐ฑ๐ฎ๐ฑ
Guillaume: It’s a movie title theme to me. But great work from the back-up dancers in the hoop. ๐ฎ๐ฑ
Bulgaria
Pole Genova, If Love Was a Crime
Tigger: I like this one, the bounces, the fun, it’s a favorite. ๐ง๐ฌ๐ง๐ฌ
Guillaume: I can see teenage girls singing this into their hairbrushes. ๐ง๐ฌ
I have nothing but favorites so far. It’s going to be so hard to pick just three.
Sweden
Frans, If I Were Sorry
Tigger: It’s a bit boring after the bounces before from Bulgaria. ๐ธ๐ช
Guillaume: Quite aside from the poor grammar (if I were…), it seems like he’s a Passenger fan and trying too hard to copy that artist. ๐ธ๐ช
Germany
Jamie-Lee, Ghost
Tigger: I like the head band, but not much else. ๐ฉ๐ช
Guillaume: The costume, the lyrics, the music, and the stage decoration are incongruous. It’s a bit distracting to the performance. ๐ฉ๐ช
France
Amir, J’ai Cherchรฉ
Tigger: It’s not bad, but I can’t see it winning. ๐ซ๐ท๐ซ๐ท
Guillaume: I find myself wishing it were all in one language rather than switching back and forth. Not the best of the night. ๐ซ๐ท
Poland
Michaล Szpak, Color of Your Life
Tigger: I still like this one. And he has a cool coat. ๐ต๐ฑ๐ต๐ฑ
Guillaume: Another movie title theme song. ๐ต๐ฑ
Australia
Dami Im, Sound of Silence
Tigger: I just don’t really like this song. ๐ฆ๐บ
Guillaume: It’s a power ballad, but not one of my favorites of the evening. ๐ฆ๐บ๐ฆ๐บ
Cyprus
Minus One, Alter Ego
Tigger: Ohh yes, the cages. It’s harder rock than I usually prefer, but I like it. ๐จ๐พ๐จ๐พ
Guillaume: I would say it’s a dose of alternative or the staid competition, but this is Eurovision. ๐จ๐พ๐จ๐พ
If you listen to all the lyrics, there are many miracles needed on this stage.
Serbia
Sanja Vuฤiฤ ZAA, Goodbye (Shelter)
Tigger: Not one of my favorites, but I would feel bad voting against the song. ๐ท๐ธ๐ท๐ธ
Guillaume: Good message, and not a bad performance. ๐ท๐ธ๐ท๐ธ
Lithuania
Donny Montell, I’ve Been Waiting for This Night
Tigger: It still feels like a boy band audition for a reality singing competition show. ๐ฑ๐น
Guillaume: I have nothing to say about this one. It’s easily forgettable and that’s sad for the performer. ๐ฑ๐น
Croatia
Nina Kraljiฤ, Lighthouse
Tigger: I like it, but not enough to be a top three pick. ๐ญ๐ท๐ญ๐ท
Guillaume: Interesting costume, which almost overpowers the performance and the performer. ๐ญ๐ท
Russia
Sergey Lazarev, You Are the Only One
Tigger: Hearing it again, I like it more. I may have to consider this a top choice. ๐ท๐บ๐ท๐บ
Guillaume: The performance trickery is very cool. The song feels average. ๐ท๐บ๐ท๐บ
Spain
Barei, Say Yay!
Tigger: I want to like this one because the title has such potential, but I just do not. ๐ช๐ธ
Guillaume: Sorry, Spain, I cannot say Yay. I do not like this one at all. ๐ช๐ธ
Latvia
Justs, Heartbeat
Tigger: It’s just so-so for me. ๐ฑ๐ป
Guillaume: Shouldn’t the heartbeat graphic look like the readout on the machines on tv and in the movies, more than static noise? ๐ฑ๐ป
Ukraine
Jamala, 1944
Tigger: This is another song I feel bad for not liking, but I don’t. ๐บ๐ฆ
Guillaume: Even if you don’t speak the language, this is a powerful song, and the performance is extremely personal. My favorite performance so far. ๐บ๐ฆ๐บ๐ฆ
Malta
Ira Losco, Walk on Water
Tigger: It’s an average song. ๐ฒ๐น
Guillaume: There is nothing wrong with the song, but nothing outstanding about it either. ๐ฒ๐น
Georgia
Nina Kocharov and Young Georgian Lolitaz, Midnight Gold
Tigger: It’s okay. If there weren’t other better things, I’d pop it in my top list. There’s a fun beat to it. ๐ฌ๐ช๐ฌ๐ช
Guillaume: Another case of performance trickery overshadowing the performance. ๐ฌ๐ช๐ฌ๐ช
Austria
ZOร, Loin d’ici
Tigger: She’s a fairytale princess. It’s happy and fun. ๐ฆ๐น๐ฆ๐น
Guillaume: This would be very nice to fall asleep to, and I mean that in a good way. ๐ฆ๐น๐ฆ๐น
United Kingdom
Joe and Jake, You’re Not Alone
Tigger: It has a nice bounce and it looks like fun. ๐ฌ๐ง๐ฌ๐ง
Guillaume: It has a good radio feel. ๐ฌ๐ง๐ฌ๐ง
Armenia
Ivete Mukuchyan, LoveWave
Tigger: Not one of my favorites. ๐ฆ๐ฒ
Guillaume: Armenia’s Beyonce. Good for her. ๐ฆ๐ฒ๐ฆ๐ฒ
Our Top Three Picks:
Tigger: Belgium, The Netherlands, Israel
Guillaume: Ukraine, Serbia, Italy
That’s for us. Hope you enjoyed the show this year, and that your favorite ends up a winner.
I’m sorry it’s over for another year, but it’s hard staying up late three nights in a row.
Guillaume and I will be back next year.
See you then,
Tigger & Guillaume
I’ve invited my new friend Guillaume to help me tonight, so we’ll both have a thumbs up or down on the performance — actually one or two flags of the country, and a couple of comments. We’ll also pick our top three at the end.
Before the start of the Final, we had some nibbles (cheese & crackers and my housemate’s homemade ranch dip & chips) and a Lemon Creme Pie my housemate made. It was a wonderful feast, and I’ve been promised popcorn for later in the broadcast (because it’s bouncy like me) and ginger beer. I’m having quite the party over here with all my friends.
Because it’s already tomorrow in Australia by the time the contest actually occurs in Europe, we have to wait until the evening after it airs in Europe to see it. Well, we could get up at 5:00 am and watch it live, but I have other jobs to do at 5:00 am, so we wait until the evening rebroadcast. to watch it. That does mean that we have to be on guard against spoilers. My housemates mentioned they might have seen the results, but they have not told me, or Guillaume, anything.
Ohh, it’s starting. I can hardly contain my bounces! I wonder where it will be next year.
The parade of entrants is a bit strange. I’m finding it hard to figure out the countries with the flag projections on the strange paper dresses. My housemate has the running order up for me so I can follow along. Julia and Sam are saying that Justin Timberlake is the interval performer. I hope that doesn’t mean the US will be a participating country next year. I know my housemate is an American, but I think there are some things that Americans should not have their fingers in.
I am sorry the Belorussian did not make it through to the Final. Honestly, Europe, what were you thinking? Live wolves and naked performances? That’s the best of Eurovision all in one act! Why do the ones I really like never make it as the winners? Some of them don’t make it past the semi-final.
And we’re off!
Belgium
Laura Tesoro, What’s the Pressure
Tigger: It’s definitely a bouncy way to start the Final. ๐ง๐ช๐ง๐ช
Guillaume: This is a pop radio song. I like it. ๐ง๐ช๐ง๐ช
The different countries have different fonts on the postcard intros. That’s cool, but I still miss the flag making from 2014.
Czech Republic
Gabriela Gunฤรญkovรก, I Stand
Tigger: A bit quiet after the bouncy beginning. ๐จ๐ฟ
Guillaume: It’s nothing special, but I wouldn’t turn it off. ๐จ๐ฟ๐จ๐ฟ
The Netherlands
Douwe Bob, Slow Down
Tigger: I like this one. It’s a favorite. ๐ณ๐ฑ๐ณ๐ฑ
Guillaume: Cool costumes. But the song has a nice message and a happy bounce. ๐ณ๐ฑ๐ณ๐ฑ
Azerbaijan
Samra, Miracle
Tigger: I remember this one. I thought the gold costume and microphone was a subtle message to the voters. ๐ฆ๐ฟ
Guillaume: I get the feeling that she was influenced by the Spice Girls. It’s catchy enough. ๐ฆ๐ฟ
Hungary
Freddie, Pioneer
Tigger: The drummer is into the performance.๐ญ๐บ๐ญ๐บ
Guillaume: I like the whistling! ๐ญ๐บ๐ญ๐บ
It’s going to be hard to pick my top three!
Italy
Francesca Michielin, No Degree of Separation
Tigger: I like the balloons. ๐ฎ๐น๐ฎ๐น
Guillaume: Ohh, it’s lovely. ๐ฎ๐น๐ฎ๐น
Israel
Hovi Star, Made of Stars
Tigger: One of my favorites. ๐ฎ๐ฑ๐ฎ๐ฑ
Guillaume: It’s a movie title theme to me. But great work from the back-up dancers in the hoop. ๐ฎ๐ฑ
Bulgaria
Pole Genova, If Love Was a Crime
Tigger: I like this one, the bounces, the fun, it’s a favorite. ๐ง๐ฌ๐ง๐ฌ
Guillaume: I can see teenage girls singing this into their hairbrushes. ๐ง๐ฌ
I have nothing but favorites so far. It’s going to be so hard to pick just three.
Sweden
Frans, If I Were Sorry
Tigger: It’s a bit boring after the bounces before from Bulgaria. ๐ธ๐ช
Guillaume: Quite aside from the poor grammar (if I were…), it seems like he’s a Passenger fan and trying too hard to copy that artist. ๐ธ๐ช
Germany
Jamie-Lee, Ghost
Tigger: I like the head band, but not much else. ๐ฉ๐ช
Guillaume: The costume, the lyrics, the music, and the stage decoration are incongruous. It’s a bit distracting to the performance. ๐ฉ๐ช
France
Amir, J’ai Cherchรฉ
Tigger: It’s not bad, but I can’t see it winning. ๐ซ๐ท๐ซ๐ท
Guillaume: I find myself wishing it were all in one language rather than switching back and forth. Not the best of the night. ๐ซ๐ท
Poland
Michaล Szpak, Color of Your Life
Tigger: I still like this one. And he has a cool coat. ๐ต๐ฑ๐ต๐ฑ
Guillaume: Another movie title theme song. ๐ต๐ฑ
Australia
Dami Im, Sound of Silence
Tigger: I just don’t really like this song. ๐ฆ๐บ
Guillaume: It’s a power ballad, but not one of my favorites of the evening. ๐ฆ๐บ๐ฆ๐บ
Cyprus
Minus One, Alter Ego
Tigger: Ohh yes, the cages. It’s harder rock than I usually prefer, but I like it. ๐จ๐พ๐จ๐พ
Guillaume: I would say it’s a dose of alternative or the staid competition, but this is Eurovision. ๐จ๐พ๐จ๐พ
If you listen to all the lyrics, there are many miracles needed on this stage.
Serbia
Sanja Vuฤiฤ ZAA, Goodbye (Shelter)
Tigger: Not one of my favorites, but I would feel bad voting against the song. ๐ท๐ธ๐ท๐ธ
Guillaume: Good message, and not a bad performance. ๐ท๐ธ๐ท๐ธ
Lithuania
Donny Montell, I’ve Been Waiting for This Night
Tigger: It still feels like a boy band audition for a reality singing competition show. ๐ฑ๐น
Guillaume: I have nothing to say about this one. It’s easily forgettable and that’s sad for the performer. ๐ฑ๐น
Croatia
Nina Kraljiฤ, Lighthouse
Tigger: I like it, but not enough to be a top three pick. ๐ญ๐ท๐ญ๐ท
Guillaume: Interesting costume, which almost overpowers the performance and the performer. ๐ญ๐ท
Russia
Sergey Lazarev, You Are the Only One
Tigger: Hearing it again, I like it more. I may have to consider this a top choice. ๐ท๐บ๐ท๐บ
Guillaume: The performance trickery is very cool. The song feels average. ๐ท๐บ๐ท๐บ
Spain
Barei, Say Yay!
Tigger: I want to like this one because the title has such potential, but I just do not. ๐ช๐ธ
Guillaume: Sorry, Spain, I cannot say Yay. I do not like this one at all. ๐ช๐ธ
Latvia
Justs, Heartbeat
Tigger: It’s just so-so for me. ๐ฑ๐ป
Guillaume: Shouldn’t the heartbeat graphic look like the readout on the machines on tv and in the movies, more than static noise? ๐ฑ๐ป
Ukraine
Jamala, 1944
Tigger: This is another song I feel bad for not liking, but I don’t. ๐บ๐ฆ
Guillaume: Even if you don’t speak the language, this is a powerful song, and the performance is extremely personal. My favorite performance so far. ๐บ๐ฆ๐บ๐ฆ
Malta
Ira Losco, Walk on Water
Tigger: It’s an average song. ๐ฒ๐น
Guillaume: There is nothing wrong with the song, but nothing outstanding about it either. ๐ฒ๐น
Georgia
Nina Kocharov and Young Georgian Lolitaz, Midnight Gold
Tigger: It’s okay. If there weren’t other better things, I’d pop it in my top list. There’s a fun beat to it. ๐ฌ๐ช๐ฌ๐ช
Guillaume: Another case of performance trickery overshadowing the performance. ๐ฌ๐ช๐ฌ๐ช
Austria
ZOร, Loin d’ici
Tigger: She’s a fairytale princess. It’s happy and fun. ๐ฆ๐น๐ฆ๐น
Guillaume: This would be very nice to fall asleep to, and I mean that in a good way. ๐ฆ๐น๐ฆ๐น
United Kingdom
Joe and Jake, You’re Not Alone
Tigger: It has a nice bounce and it looks like fun. ๐ฌ๐ง๐ฌ๐ง
Guillaume: It has a good radio feel. ๐ฌ๐ง๐ฌ๐ง
Armenia
Ivete Mukuchyan, LoveWave
Tigger: Not one of my favorites. ๐ฆ๐ฒ
Guillaume: Armenia’s Beyonce. Good for her. ๐ฆ๐ฒ๐ฆ๐ฒ
Our Top Three Picks:
Tigger: Belgium, The Netherlands, Israel
Guillaume: Ukraine, Serbia, Italy
That’s for us. Hope you enjoyed the show this year, and that your favorite ends up a winner.
I’m sorry it’s over for another year, but it’s hard staying up late three nights in a row.
Guillaume and I will be back next year.
See you then,
Tigger & Guillaume
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