This Week's Review: A Book Instead

As I feared, Hollywood submitted no new films worth my time or money for the September 29 weekend. If the new Robert Redford film, “The Old Man & the Gun,” had opened in Houston, I probably would have tried to catch it. The lack of interesting films combined with the stormy weather caused me to lock the door, turn on the reading lamp, and finish Helena Middleton’s “Circe.” I have formed a serious attachment to Middleton’s books about Greek mythology; fans of the late Mary Renault should take note.

When I wasn’t immersed in Greek myths, I found time to watch my DVD of the latest series of “Endeavour.” My appetite for mysteries written or inspired by the late Colin Dexter seems to be growing exponentially; the original novels about Inspector Morse and his entourage are coming back into print, and I feel a compulsion to reread them. For some reason, DVDs of the original BBC/PBS “Morse” episodes are no longer commercially available.

For the first October weekend, I will assiduously avoid the latest remake of “A Star Is Born.” The trailers have been more than enough to inoculate me against wanting to see it. Instead, I will probably head for the Spider-Man spinoff, “Venom.” A little comic book violence should offset the horrors of some essay assignments stacking up in Turnitin.