TV, music, movies, and books we're into this week

I ended up having to miss Deadpool 2's theater run because of life getting in the way, but I'm putting it off no longer! Given how much I enjoyed the first Deadpool, the wait has been killer. But I've got the movie queued up to watch this weekend.In a genre that has become a little stale with over the onslaught of superhero movies for the past ten-plus years, Deadpool was an incredibly satisfying breath of fresh air. The raunchy, irreverent comedy combined with high-stakes action was fantastic, and I'm hoping for much more of the same from Deadpool 2. No spoilers, please!Anyway, if you haven't given the Deadpool movies a shot, I implore you to at least go back and watch the first one. Just be sure to keep the kiddos away.

If for some reason you haven't seen 24 yet, it's one of the ultimate binge-watch shows. Once you start, you always want to watch "just one more," and this week I decided to start all over again from the beginning. The concept is unique, even if the subject matter (saving America from terrorists) is not. One day, 24 hours, 24 episodes covering each of those hours. And with eight full seasons and the 12 episode "Live Another Day" set in London to get through, you better clear your schedule.

Like most TV shows, I stumbled onto Kath & Kim accidentally while browsing titles. It's an Australian comedy series that follows a mother and daughter (who are in real life the same age) team and their entourage, including husbands, boyfriends, and second-best friends.This is some fine satire on actual sitcoms, with most of the plot revolving around the daily goings-on of Kath — who is super upbeat and tries her best to take of her daughter — and Kim, who attempts to leech off of everyone else with no regard for their feelings. The accents and pronunciation of words are intentionally off, and I can certainly see some catchphrases in the making. I'm only about halfway through the first season, but so far it's my go-to show when I want to kick back for awhile. The above trailer is for the 2012 movie (there was also a US version that flopped) since there doesn't seem to be any trailers for the original TV show.

Tom Waits is one of my all-time fav-o-rite musicians and artists. As such, I tend to think I know all of his stuff. But Waits is old. And he's been making music for a loooong time. Last week I stumbled across a collection of songs I wasn't all that familiar with, or at least not the versions of them on The Early Years, Vol. 2.It features rare cuts of some of his most popular songs, such as "I Hope That I Don't Fall in Love With You," and "Ol 55." But it also includes lesser-known, but still great, tunes like "Mockin' Bird," which I hadn't heard before last week and is my favorite song on the album.Waits is largely known for his gravelly voice and often odd lyrics. But the songs on this album predated all that — and quite a bit of drinking and smoking, I'd guess. It's soulful lounge tunes from the '70s done right. That's just up my alley. And if that sounds like it might be up yours, too, give this a listen.

At one time I couldn't stand to hear the twang of country music, but as I've aged I've fallen in love with it. I'm talking what I consider real country music, by the likes of Steve Young, Townes Van Zandt, Guy Clarke, and Billy Joe Shaver.This self-titled album from 1981 was influential in the outlaw country music scene, with songs like "Bottom Dollar," "I Been to Georgia on a Fast Train," "Old Five and Dimers Like Me," and "Love You Till the Cows Come Home." I'll continue going deeper down the rural rabbit hole as long the music keeps sounding this good.

The Black Parade is an album that came out as I just left school and proved to be an incredible hit with a large group of friends who were mainly into the likes of Bullet For My Valentine, Fall Out Boy, and Breaking Benjamin, among others. "Famous Last Words" and "Welcome to the Black Parade" are two of my favorite tracks from the album, though most songs are frequently played when I get round to a little bit of MCR. Well worth checking out if you're feeling a little rocky.

I've recommended Eric Rickstad's novels before in these weekly recommendations. But I've never liked one of his books quite as much as What Remains of Her.The story is fairly simple: A man's wife and daughter mysteriously disappear. There are no real suspects, except for the man himself. The police can't prove anything. The crime goes unsolved.Fast-forward 25 years, and the man's life is in ruins, after he's unable to ever recover from the loss. He never leaves the small town in Vermont where it all takes place, and he never escapes the suspicions of the folks who remember who he is. Then another child disappears who happens to be the exact same age as his daughter when she disappeared. And she goes missing exactly 25 years to the day after that first disappearance. And looks just like the daughter. Then she shows up near the man's secluded cabin in the Vermont mountain … or at least it seems that way.The story is a good one, but it's the setting and atmosphere, in a frozen Vermont winter, that set this novel apart. It's moody and creepy, uncomfortable and claustrophobic at times. But above all else, it's a well-spun tale that had me obsessively flicking pages. It's well worth a read.

Stephen Covey presents an approach to being more effective in attaining self-assigned goals by aligning oneself to what he calls "true north" principles. The book was originally published in 1989 and has sold more than 30 million copies. If you find yourself struggling to achieve what you set out, giving these pages a gander may just provide a little more focus and get you on the right path. I picked up a copy alongside a few other resources to better align myself with how I wish my life to progress over the next decade. Well recommended