| Hey folks. Happy Sunday. I've been relaxing. My usual idea of relaxation is to go out on the paddle board or grab a game of Ultimate, or maybe get a hike in. I often feel like I should be doing something "productive," or at least active. But just as often I'll sit down and consume media for pleasure. Watching or reading for pure simple pleasure is important for all of us. Life is not a series of inputs and outputs. This isn't a game, with hard-and-fast rules and right and wrong ways to proceed. This is a meandering journey. Sometimes you work. Sometimes you improve yourself. And sometimes you do nothing at all but watch something fun and entertaining. It all matters. And besides, reading or watching for pleasure often ends up being "productive." Here's what I've been into: 1. "Barbarians" on Netflix. The premise is perfect. I'm a total sucker for a premise like this: chafing under Roman taxes and unreasonable tributary demands, the various Germanic tribes decide whether or not to put aside their differences and throw off the shackles of Rome. If you've read any history of the period, you know what they decide to do. But it's really good all the same. 2. Bernard Cornwell's "Sharpe" series. Cornwell is probably my favorite historical fiction author. The protagonist of the Sharpe series is a 19th century rifleman in the British army. All the battles and major events in the books are depicted with great historical accuracy, so it's a great way to bone up on the history of the period. They're very quick reads, too. There are 21 books in all. You can read them chronologically but I've just been jumping around. There's also an older BBC series based on the books that I haven't seen, but it's supposed to be very good. 3. James Ellroy's writing. After finishing all of Don Winslow's stuff (he did a great series on the cartels), I was in the mood for more American crime novels. I remembered liking "LA Confdiential" the movie, so I picked up the book and some of his others. They are fantastic. James Ellroy's prose is often staccato and clipped. Some have described it as "telegrammatic." Quick, brief sentences that punch. Warning: Ellroy's characters are not angels. The books are violent and there is intense language and imagery. They're set in 1940s-60s America, with all that implies. The Underworld USA (crime and conspiracies and politics) and LA Quartet series are great. What have you been reading or watching? Let me know in the comment section of Weekly Link Love. | 