Author Archives: Susan

September is my favorite month of the year, and with the start of fall releases it is one of the most abundant in new movies, books and albums. In books alone (see list at top right), there are some huge name authors coming out with new titles, including: Margaret Atwood, J.M. Coetzee, Alice McDermott, Thomas Pynchon, and the ever-prolific Stephen King.

But I guess I’m most interested in the new novel by Pulitzer Prize-winning author Jhumpa Lahiri called “The Lowland.” I’ve read her three other wonderful books and I’m surely not planning on missing this one. It’s about two very different brothers bound by tragedy and is set in both India and America over many years. It deals with sibling rivalry, guilt, grief, marriage and parental love against a backdrop of revolution. “The Lowland” sounds intriguing and is written by a fantastic author who you won’t want to miss.

Another highly anticipated read for September is Jennifer duBois’s new novel “Cartwheel,” which is about a foreign exchange student arrested for murder in Argentina and a father trying to hold his family together. It sounds like a psychological suspense novel that is sure to be riveting. I missed her debut novel “A Partial History of Lost Causes” last year, which received so much high praise, so I definitely want to check out her writing this time around.

I’m also interested in a debut novel by Australian writer Hannah Kent called “Burial Rites” that explores the final months of a young woman accused of murder who was the last person to be executed in Iceland in 1829. It’s getting high ratings on both Amazon and Goodreads and is apparently bleak but quite memorable. And then there’s Daniel Woodrell’s “The Maid’s Version,” which is another tragic one based on a true story, that looks tough but also enticing. It’s about a deadly dance hall fire that took place in the Ozarks in 1928 and explores its impact over several generations. Lastly, I have a soft spot for Jamie Ford’s writing and will look for his new novel “Songs of Willow Frost,” set in Depression-era Seattle about a Chinese American orphaned boy with dreams for his future and an actress he believes is his mother.

As for movies in September (see list at top left), the documentary “Salinger” looks to make a splash (along with its companion biography of the same title) about the former reclusive author of “The Catcher in the Rye.” Not sure of all the strange stuff about him, but it’s quite noteworthy if indeed Salinger had five unpublished works finished that will come out starting in 2015. Hmm, the Glass family story continues apparently.

Also the movie “Rush” by director Ron Howard at the end of the month looks to be an entertaining action-drama about two Formula One drivers who were rivals in the 1970s and were willing to risk everything to win. Chris Hemsworth of “The Avengers” and “Thor” fame stars and is on the movie poster with the tagline “Everyone’s driven by something.”

Lastly for albums in September (see list at bottom right), more than a half-dozen good ones are in the mix.

There are big releases from long-time veterans Elton John (his first studio album in 7 years), Sting (his first full LP in 10 years) and even Cher (her first studio album in 10 years). Wow why are all they coming out now? I’m also interested a bit to hear the new one from Keith Urban, called “Fuse,” which according to him is quite a departure from his other recordings. And of course, I’m excited to hear Sheryl Crow’s new album “Feels Like Home,” which is the first country album of her career. Alternatively, I like Neko Case and her music though the title of her new one seems way too long. And lastly, I’m looking forward to the new one by Kings of Leon called “Mechanical Bull,” which is said to have a young, fun, high-energy sound to it and is less serious than the band’s other albums. Serious? These guys? No way.

How about you? Which new book, movie or music releases are you most looking forward to this month? Continue reading →

July has flown by and now it’s time to see what new releases are coming out in August. There’s quite a few novels by veteran authors that I have my eye on (see list at the right), notably those by Thomas Keneally, Ivan Doig, Andrea Barrett, James McBride, Edwidge Danticat, and Jojo Moyes.

Perhaps on top of that list, I’ll have to get my hands on Thomas Keneally’s latest one “The Daughters of Mars,” which has been out for a year in Australia getting great press and is now finally coming to the States. It’s about two Australian sisters whose lives are transformed by World War I, and should be an epic saga, perfect for a trip to the beach so don’t miss it.

If you are looking for something good that’s shorter, check out Andrea Barrett’s latest collection “Archangel,” which includes five stories about pivotal moments in science and its pioneers. Her short story collection “Ship Fever” won the National Book Award in 1996 and is also a great read along with her novel “The Voyage of the Narwhal” in case you haven’t read them.

If you are looking for a quick read you might pick up Jojo Moyes latest one “The Girl You Left Behind” about two women separated by a century, both fighting for what they want out of World War I. This is Moyes’ tenth novel after publishing “Sheltering Rain” her first in 2002, and finds her on a popular roll with a lot of praise after her last one “Me Before You.”

Another page-turner looks to be Marisha Pessl’s new one “Night Film” that centers on a father and daughter’s relations and begins with the daughter’s death in Manhattan, which is ruled a suicide but that a veteran journalist believes is otherwise. “Night Film” is being called a literary thriller and one that might raise a lot of talk this summer. Look for it.

For more reading, don’t miss James McBride’s new one “The Good Lord Bird” about a slave who joins John Brown’s antislavery campaign and winds up at the raid on Harpers Ferry, or Ivan Doig’s latest “Sweet Thunder” about an editorial writer’s efforts to help miners in 1920s Butte, Montana, or moreover Edwidge Danticat’s new one “Claire of the Sea Light” about a young child who goes missing in a small seaside town.

As for movies in August (see list at the left), my interest is piqued by the historical drama “The Butler,” which is based on the real-live account of Eugene Allen who served as a White House butler under eight American presidencies from 1952 to 1986. The film explores many of the notable events of the 20th century that he was an eyewitness to and stars a large ensemble cast, which includes Forest Whitaker, Oprah Winfrey, Robin Williams, Jane Fonda, and many others. I won’t miss it.

But if you need a thriller-type movie, you might want to check out “Closed Circuit” at the end of the month. It’s about two lawyers who put their lives at risk defending a suspected terrorist at an international trial. It looks a bit creepy from the trailer and stars Eric Bana, and I’ll usually see anything he’s in. After he was in Steven Spielberg’s “Munich” in 2005, I became quite a fan, wow what a role!

Lastly in albums for August (see list at the bottom right), I’m curious about a couple, notably the new one from Scottish singer KT Tunstall is supposed to be good. It was released in Europe earlier this year and is due out this month in the States. Also the sixth studio album from John Mayer is due out called “Paradise Valley,” whose title is that of the Yellowstone river valley in southwest Montana. This album is following quite closely after his album “Born and Raised” came out last year, and I hear it’s somewhat similar musically. We will see how many good tracks are on it.

That’s all for now. What about you … Which new book, movie or music releases are you most looking forward to this month? Continue reading →

Well, I haven’t been on the blog much as of late as June has been a month that sort of snowballed away from me. I visited my folks in SoCal mid-month, which was very pleasant, but then catastrophe struck the province of Alberta, Canada, where I live, due to major flooding.

It happened on June 20 when very heavy rains made a number of rivers jump their banks and flood through neighborhoods all over the place, destroying much in their paths. I think 100,000 people had to be evacuated and thousands of homes were damaged. It’s basically been a nightmare for so many people across the province. Some still can’t even get back into their homes, which have been condemned.

Luckily our home on higher ground wasn’t damaged, but I’ve been helping others in the flood zone, where basements and garages were hit. Wet drywall had to be taken out and damaged items put in the trash. Caked mud is on everything and not much is salvageable. It reminds me a bit of the aftermath of Hurricane Katrina, seeing such devastation on a grand scale. The repair and rebuilding costs will be in the billions. Yet despite all the tragic losses of property, people have been resilient and have pulled together to cope and help others out. It’ll be a long battle back to clean up and rebuild. Some areas will be changed forever.

On the side of this happening, I was reading the excellent 1992 novel “The Secret History” by Donna Tartt for my book club. I had already read it before in 1992, but someone had picked it to discuss so I was refreshing my memory of it by rereading it again. Many know, it’s a 559 page doozy of a classic crime story set at a college in Vermont about six close friends (all students specializing in Ancient Greek) who commit murder and then deal with the aftermath. Richard is the narrator who reflects on the situation years later. The story plays out like a Greek tragedy.

It’s quite chilling and a fast page-turner for the most part. Only a few times did I wish it was edited shorter. Otherwise it’s a gem of a novel, so well done I would like to read the author’s 2002 novel “The Little Friend,” which is also supposed to be scary and disturbing. And good news has it that Donna Tartt’s long-awaited third novel “The Goldfinch” is due out Oct. 22 of this year. She is definitely brilliant, so I will not miss it.

As for books coming out in July (see list at the top right), veteran authors Chris Bohjalian and Phillippa Gregory both have new novels coming out, which should be good. I’m also curious about Susan Choi’s latest one called “My Education.” I have liked her writing in the past, notably her novel “The Foreign Student” back in 1998. “My Education” is about a graduate student and a professor and is “a raw, wild, hurtling foray into the tangled realms of sexuality and self-knowledge,” says Jennifer Egan. While Michael Cunningham calls it “passionate and surprising.” hmm. The subject matter sounds like a bit of a departure from some of her other novels.

In July there’s also a slew of notable debut novels coming out (I counted 19 on the list at the right). Of these, I’m intrigued to read “The Violet Hour” by Katharine Hill and “Love All” by Callie Wright. I will also look for Jenni Fagan’s debut novel “The Panopticon” which has been getting fabulous press. It’s about a young woman growing up alone in the Scottish foster care system. Ali Smith says it’s “uncompromising and courageous … one of the most cunning and spirited novels I’ve read for years.”

As for July movies (see the list at the top left), there’s some high-octane action features due out with “The Lone Ranger” and “The Wolverine,” as well as some comedies notably with the return of Adam Sandler in “Grown Ups 2” and Kristen Wiig and Annette Bening in “Girl Most Likely.” But perhaps I’m most curious to see Woody Allen’s latest feature “Blue Jasmine” starring Cate Blanchett as a New York housewife who’s having a crisis and goes out to San Fran to visit her sister. It should be a decent mix of drama and comedy, judging from his usual films.

Lastly, in music for July (see list at bottom right), the biggest release will be Jay-Z’s latest album called “Magna Carta Holy Grail,” which is due out July 4. It’s got quite a title. And no singles have been released from it early so it’s quite a mystery but it has several guest singers appearing on it and should be a sales blockbuster for sure.

That’s all I have for now. What about you? Which books, movies or albums are you most looking forward to in July? Continue reading →

Well June is already here and half way through the year, how is your reading going? Personally, I’m quite behind. There’s just too many good books and too little time, as they say. This month will only further that with a number of veteran authors putting out enticing offerings (see the list at the right); there’s new novels by Stephen King, Jeannette Walls, Colum McCann, Lionel Shriver and Curtis Sittenfeld among others. So get crackin’.

Always a bit edgy, Lionel Shriver addresses our obsession with food in her latest novel “Big Brother,” which I definitely hope to get to, about siblings, marriage, and obesity.

Another novel to watch for is “Sisterland” by Curtis Sittenfeld, the author of “Prep” and “American Wife,” which is about twin sisters who have psychic abilities. hmm. I thought “Prep” was quite well done so I’ll plan to look for this one as well.

One nonfiction book I’m dying to read is “The Spy Who Loved: The Secrets and Lives of Christine Granville” by Clare Mulley, which is apparently the untold story of Britain’s first female special agent of WWII. It’s receiving a lot of high praise and sounds fascinating about Granville’s very heroic yet tragic life as a spy. Hmm, can’t go wrong there.

But if you’re in the mood for short stories, you might want to pick up Rebecca Lee’s collection “Bobcat and Other Stories.” I haven’t read her before, but judging from what sources are saying about this one, I’d like to. Her deadpan humor, says Amazon’s Kevin Nguyen, perseveres throughout this collection even as her characters wrestle with tragic internal dilemmas, which could make for just the right mix.

Finally in books, I’m intrigued by the praise that “The Execution of Noa P. Singleton” is getting. It’s a debut novel from Elizabeth L. Silver about a woman on death row, whose sentence is trying to be commuted by the mother of the daughter the death row inmate is convicted of killing. In return, the mother wants to know what truly happened to her daughter. Did she kill her? And will the inmate be taken off death row? “The Execution of Noa P. Singleton” has been hailed as a searing debut and one destined to be a smash. Author Ayelet Waldman calls it “an intense and gripping novel of betrayal and guilt that forces readers to confront their convictions and the limitations of their capacity for empathy.” Oh my.

In movies this month (see the list at the left), there’s a lot of death and destruction. Summertime apocalypse is upon us. Of course I’ll see “World War Z”; there’s no way I’m missing Brad Pitt fight against a Zombie pandemic. Hokey? It may be, but I got to do it. He’s fighting to save humanity, don’t you know. (I’m a big fan of the TV show “The Walking Dead” by the way. Zombies are in.)

There’s also a comical take on the apocalyptic experience this month called “This Is the End,” starring James Franco, Seth Rogen and Jonah Hill among others. I may be dragged to this with my husband for some juvenile comedy and bad taste but it could be worth a few good laughs.

Have I not mentioned “Man of Steel” yet? Oh yeah bring on more superheroes. I remember the Christopher Reeve Superman movies so I’m not sure if I’m as totally hyped to go down this path yet again. But Amy Adams does play Lois Lane, which is a bit interesting, and I’m sure the new Superman is quite capable and the special effects should be wham-bam entertainment.

Then again the film “Byzantium” by Irish director Neil Jordan looks nice and creepy. It’s about a mother and daughter who have lived the eternal life so to speak as vampires. And Saoirse Ronan plays creepy so well in movies like “Hanna,” “The Lovely Bones,” and “Atonement.” Good grief, she’s the quintessential actress for playing mysterious, creepy roles! Perhaps a new vampire film is just the thing I need.

Finally for albums coming out in June (see the list at the bottom right), I struggle with which one to pick since I don’t have an absolute favorite here, but I’ll go with the new one from the Canadian group the Barenaked Ladies since I live here in the northern country now. I’ll be curious to see if their “Grinning Streak” album has some good songs on it. They no longer have their lead singer Steven Page with them (he left in 2009 after that drug incident), so will the Ladies be as good? That remains to be seen perhaps but worth checking out.

How about you, which new book, movie or music releases are you most looking forward to in June? Continue reading →