What winter does to a reader.

A. I am much less likely to want to go outside. (In the nice weather, you will undoubtedly find me--book in hand--at the park.
B. I am easily convinced that it is a better idea to stay inside and hibernate than put on my not cute sleeping bag of a coat and go out to a place where said coat is too big to hang or put on back of a chair.
C. The lack of inspiring weather makes my brain not really want to work on its own, hence it is better suited for watching television online, making the most of my Netflix account or borrowing entire seasons of TV from my cousins.
D. Instead of going to the Farmer's Market at Prospect Park, I am apt to sit in my pajamas for the entire morning/afternoon reading not my novels, but online news. Granted this is technically reading, but there is an overall glaze on my eyes and an inability to follow a story that lasts for more than four paragraphs or so.
E. Less leaving my apartment means less time on the subway to read.

This being said, I am still reading. Just not as much, obviously. I am half way through two long (700+ page books: Winter's Tale and Anna Karenina), which is why I haven't posted much about my reading lately. So I can't really update you on my reading life, but I can update you on my watching life. I have to confess, as a typically motivated, ambitious person, I am kind of embarrassed to admit all of this. But. Here is what I've been doing with my winter time:

Damages. This is what I did over my week off from school in February. I have successfully wrangled at least one friend into watching it all in a week as well. Glen Close plays a brilliant but dark New York City criminal lawyer. Rose Byrnes plays her young protege who becomes entangled in all the drama and conspiracy that one would hope exists in fictional law shows. All of season one is on hulu.com for free. Just saying.

Mad Men. I justify because some of my colleagues have sworn by it, so this has become my Netflix television show. Brilliant. My main reaction after every episode I see is that I am glad I am a woman today, and not in the 50's. This has been a fascinating portrayal of New York, gender roles, advertising and culture.


The O.C. This show (seasons one and two) never get old to me. It is comforting to enter back into the Cohen's kitchen and swoon over Ryan Atwood. My few of my favorite television-savvy cousins and I recently inducted our younger cousin (and her mom! yes!) into the beauty that is season one. And I feel like I am justified in that The OC has become a family affair: fans include my favorite brother, my mom, an aunt AND my 93 year old grandmother.

Friday Night Lights. My television-savvy cousin and the cousins we introduced to the OC handed me season one a few weeks ago. Not only is the football part a good substitute for the off-season, but I don't want to be the only cousin out of the loop! I have fallen for this show as well. The family does remind me of the Cohens--and solid marriages aren't portrayed often on television anymore.

Others that have been around, but I watch on the regular, weekly basis:

Lost: this season is the best since season one.

Bones. This season is campy and disappointing. I recommend seasons 1-3 only. (This was my hulu.com pick of last winter.) But. I did recruit 2 friends into watching this show and discussing it on a regular basis is amazing.

Gossip Girl. Judge all you want, but this show is satirically hilarious. Except for the past few episodes. It is on the brink of ruining all that makes it great with ridiculous plot lines (no, that is not meant to be sarcastic. ha.).

So, in conclusion, this post was born from the fact that I haven't written anything on my blog in a few weeks. But I will tell you another thing. Quality television makes for great conversations. Case in point: I became friends, not just colleagues, with people at work over the OC and Gossip Girl. Watching the first 2 seasons of Lost with 5 of my great friends forged a bond that will never be broken. (And no, I'm not being over-dramatic or facetious.) The OC with my television-savvy cousin and 2 best friends proved to be my favorite weekly ritual EVER. Television forms community, friends.