Category Archives: Top Picks

I guess the big news for bloggers this past week was that Amazon bought the social media/book review site Goodreads, which depending upon how you look at it could be bad or good. I use Goodreads a bit infrequently but liked that it was an independent entity and source for recommendations. Now that it’s owned by the conglomerate Amazon, which owns LibraryThing and Shelfari too, I can’t help but think there’s a wee conflict of interest at hand, which I find troubling. Amazon now is capable of publishing books, selling them and reviewing them. It can target you based on your reviews or spotlight what it wants sold. It owns much of its competition and dominates the industry. Do you see any of this as troubling, or do you feel it’ll be beneficial?

Meanwhile, spring has sprung in many areas, and new releases are raining down in April. Quite a few notable authors are included on the book list at the right.

I’ve picked about five April releases that I think seem good. First, there’s Kate Atkinson’s much acclaimed new one, “Life After Life,” which appears to be an interesting departure from her Jackson Brodie books, and is about the successive lives of Ursula Todd.

Then there’s Meg Wolitzer’s latest, “The Interestings,” which follows a group of artsy friends from their teenage years through to adulthood. It’s been touted by the likes of Jeffrey Eugenides among others.

Not to be overlooked is Claire Messud’s new novel “The Woman Upstairs” which Daphne Merkin calls a “psychological suspense story of the highest sort” and “the first truly feminist … novel I have read in ages.”

Another intriguing one perhaps is “The Flamethrowers” by Rachel Kushner, which is the story of a young artist and the elite and underground worlds she encounters in New York and Rome during the mid-1970s. Booklist calls it a ” propulsively dramatic tale of creativity and destruction.”

Lastly is a debut novel called “Dear Lucy” by Julie Sarkissian that has garnered a lot of positive praise for creating an unforgettable new heroine with an original voice that lingers apparently long after the book’s final pages.

So check these out, along with the new books by veterans James Salter and Isabel Allende.

Meanwhile, in April movie releases (see the list at the left), I will go ahead and pick the Matthew McConaughey film “Mud,” which competed for the Palme d’Or award at the 2012 Cannes Film Festival. I’m not usually a big McConaughey fan, but this one about a fugitive on the run looks pretty decent and received warm praise apparently at the festival. I’m a bit curious, too, about the film “The Reluctant Fundamentalist,” about an ambitious Pakistani man in America post 9/11. Mira Nair, the same director who did “The Namesake” also directed this one.

Lastly, there’s a lot of strong album releases in April (see the list at the bottom right), but perhaps I’m most interested in singer/songwriter Kim Richey’s new one called “Thorn in My Heart.” She’s a bit of a country artist who possesses a heavenly voice. I’ll be eager to check out her latest “Thorn.”

These are just some of my picks this month. Which April releases are you most looking forward to? Continue reading →

March looks to be a robust month for new book, album and movie releases. Of the book releases listed at the top right, my top picks this month include a Pulitzer Prize winning author, a novelist who is also a filmmaker and Zen Buddhist priest, and a debut novelist.

First off, I won’t be able to resist reading “The Burgess Boys,” the latest novel by Elizabeth Strout. I enjoyed her novels “Amy and Isabelle” and her 2009 Pulitzer Prize winner “Olive Kitteridge,” and it’s a sure bet “The Burgess Boys” will be good as well. She’s a master storyteller and writer.

I’m also looking at “A Tale for the Time Being” by Ruth Ozeki, which tells the story of a diary washed ashore inside a Hello Kitty lunchbox — possibly debris from the 2011 Japan tsunami — and the profound effect it has on the woman who discovers it. This novel has received a lot positive commentary and sounds like an enticing premise. The author, a former filmmaker, divides her time between NYC and British Columbia.

Lastly, “Double Feature” is the debut novel from short-story writer Owen King, the youngest son of — you guessed it — Stephen King. But instead of horror this debut has been called a “joyful gonzo ride” by “Swamplandia’s” Karen Russell. It’s about an indie filmmaker, his family, lovers and adversaries. It sounds funny and irreverent, and author Lauren Groff deems it “a moving exploration of what it means to be an artist.”

Moving on to March film releases (see the list at the top left), I can’t say there are many that caught my interest. But there’s the new fantasy adventure “Oz,” which is a prequel to the 1939 classic. It’s a bit hard to say if it’s going to be any good or not. I’m not sure I’ll immediately run out and see it. I sort of am old-school and like the original just as it was, without enhancing it with a modern-day prequel.

The film “Emperor,” about the terms of Japan’s surrender in WWII, does interest me quite a bit. Tommy Lee Jones plays Gen. Douglas MacArthur and Matthew Fox plays a lead role as well. I think it seems like a film worth watching, and I’ll be interested to see what historians think of it.

For albums coming out this month (see list at bottom right), there’s quite a few big name artists with new releases, including Eric Clapton, David Bowie, Bon Jovi, and posthumously Jimi Hendrix. There’s even a new one from Dido, remember her? Wow what a list. But I’m going to have to give the spotlight to Justin Timberlake’s new album “The 20/20 Experience” after his magnetic performance at the Grammys. He hasn’t put out a new album since 2006 so this one is very much awaited. Judging from his single off it (“Suit & Tie”), it should be great.

These are just some of my picks this month. Which March releases are you most looking forward to? Continue reading →

It’s February already and I’m checking over new releases I might be interested in. For new books (see list at right), I’m a bit curious to read David Shields’ book “How Literature Saved My Life.” I’m not sure I can resist a title like that and Shields is usually quite interesting. I read his novel “Dead Languages” years ago and really connected with it. There’s also quite a few short story collections coming out this month by notable authors, such as “Vampires in the Lemon Grove” by Karen Russell, “Middle Men” by Jim Gavin and “Nothing Gold Can Stay” by Ron Rash. So those might be something to dip into, as well as some of the debut novels listed at right. Of those, “Autobiography of Us” by Aria Beth Sloss perks my interest. It’s about two friends growing up in Pasadena California in the 1960s whose friendship is tested over the years.

As for films (see list at left) I’m a bit interested in seeing the documentary “The Gatekeepers” that sheds light on the story of the Shin Bet, Israel’s security agency. Many critics have hailed this film as one of the best of the year and it’s nominated for Best Documentary at the upcoming Academy Awards. A.O. Scott of the New York Times called it “essential, eye-opening viewing if you think you understand the Middle East.” (Which I don’t. )

I’m not usually a big documentary watcher but I do think good ones are really thought-provoking, so I hope to see this one.

As for new music this month (see list at bottom right), I’d have to pick “Old Yellow Moon” by Emmylou Harris and Rodney Crowell. They’re both talented veterans who’ve put out a lot of great songs over the years.

These are just some of my February picks. Which new releases are you looking most forward to? Continue reading →

This month sees a slew of strong novels coming out, seven of which are debut novels; see the list at the right. It’s a bit hard to choose which ones beckon me most.

I’ve heard good things about George Saunders’ new short-story collection “Tenth of December,” which I likely will pick up.

I’m also a bit drawn to Lara Santoro’s provocative new novel “The Boy,” which has gained high praise according to Amazon from authors such as Anne Lamott, Emma Donoghue and Alice Sebold.

I might also be in the mood for a story set in Africa, in that case “White Dog Fell From the Sky” by Eleanor Morse

could be the one, as I’ve heard good things about it.

In movies, I’m still hoping to see a couple of strong December releases that got by me, notably “The Impossible” and “Zero Dark Thirty.” So far my favorite films of 2012 have been “Lincoln” and “Life of Pi” but I’m still holding out that those two listed above could alter my best of list, but we shall see.

Also in January look for “Broken City,” which could be an enticing film about a political scandal that stars Mark Wahlberg and Russell Crowe.

As for new music, it’s sort of slim pickings in January (see list at bottom right), so instead I will spotlight the new episodes of “Downton Abbey” ( hooray Season 3 starts tonight!) as well as “The Good Wife,” which is my only other TV show, along with “The Walking Dead,” of course, which is on hiatus till February.

The British show’s latest season seems to hinge on what is going to happen at Downton after the estate goes bust, which should throw an interesting wrench into everything. I’m not exactly sure who my favorite character is on the show, but I sort of like Lady Mary because she is sly and crafty and usually gets the guy she wants. (And thankfully he is no longer impotent from his war injury.) Though my yellow Lab pup likes Isis, Lord Grantham’s dog, who she thinks looks just like her. Go figure.

These are just some of my picks. Which January releases are you most looking forward to? Continue reading →

It’s Christmas season and that means lot of big movies are coming out this month, see the list at the top left.

Of course the biggest ones, Peter Jackson’s film of the JRR Tolkien novel “The Hobbit” and Tom Hooper’s film of the Victor Hugo novel “Les Miserables” are must-sees. I will be ready and planted for those. But there’s also a few good dramas I want to see, too, notably “Zero Dark Thirty” about the search for Osama bin Laden, “The Impossible” about the 2004 Indonesian tsunami, and “On the Road” Walter Salles’ film of the Jack Kerouac novel. I won’t be missing any of these.

If you need lighter fare though, check out the comedies; perhaps Judd Apatow’s “This Is 40” might be suitable with your eggnog.

As for books out this month, see the list at the top right. I’m not sure if anything grabs me in a huge way, but Sebastian Faulks is often an author I have liked in the past. His latest novel “A Possible Life” involves five characters in different time periods. There’s also Nick Tosches’ dark narrative “Me and the Devil,” which both Johnny Depp and Keith Richards hail, which scares me perhaps a bit about this one.

For a debut novel that’s getting good press, check out Juliann Garey’s “Too Bright to Hear Too Loud to See” about an executive whose life unravels from bipolar disorder. It sounds like a good yarn but maybe better after all the holiday festivities pass by.

In albums out this month — see the list at the bottom right — I pick Bruno Mars’ new one “Unorthodox Jukebox” to jump up the charts. He was a funny host on “Saturday Night Live” not long ago and is one talented dude.

These are just some of my picks. Which December releases are you most looking forward to? Continue reading →

November offers a plethra of strong new releases. From the list at the left, three notable books are coming to the silver screen, which I eagerly await.

There’s no missing Daniel Day-Lewis in the lead role in Steven Spielberg’s “Lincoln,” taken in part from Doris Kearns Goodwin’s 2005 book “Team of Rivals: The Political Genius of Abraham Lincoln.”

Not to be outdone is Leo Tolstoy’s timeless classic “Anna Karenina,” which comes to theaters for the fifth time in its history, this time starring Keira Knightley in the lead role.

And then there’s Ang Lee’s intriguing take (judging from the previews) on “Life of Pi,” from Yann Martel’s 2002 Booker Prize winning novel. I won’t miss it. But if that along with the new film on “Hitchcock” is too much art fare for you, you can always check out the latest James Bond action flick “Skyfall” with the scrumptious Daniel Craig.

Meanwhile in November book releases, from the list at the right, I’ve already spotlighted in a previous post Ian McEwan’s spy novel “Sweet Tooth,” which came out in Canada in August, so I won’t re-visit that again here, other than to say that my husband stole it from me, read it and gives it 6 or 7 stars out of 10, if that helps anyone.

So instead my two book picks this month are Barbara Kingsolver’s latest “Flight Behavior,” set in rural Appalachia, and the new collection from master short story writer Alice Munro called “Dear Life.” I will definitely add both of these to my growing TBR pile.

But if it’s new tunes you’re looking for in November, R&B popsters Rihanna and Alicia Keys have major releases due out (check the list at the bottom left). Rihanna gets all “Unapologetic” on her seventh studio album, and will be promoting it with her “Diamonds World Tour” to begin in March 2013.

While Alicia Keys will put out her fifth studio album with “Girl on Fire” with tour dates likely to follow. You might also enjoy Adele’s new single “Skyfall,” which seems perfect for the new upcoming Bond movie.

So if you can’t tell by now, November is definitely chock-full of new movies, books and music, gaining steam for the not so distant holiday season. Which new releases are you most looking forward to this month? Continue reading →

Fall is definitely upon us now and October is looking like a great month for new releases. Just check out the books on the right and you’ll see quite a mix of talented authors.

Undoubtedly though Justin Cronin’s “The Twelve” has got to be the most hotly anticipated novel of the month. His Book Two of “The Passage” trilogy is sure to sell like hot cakes after all the acclaim and fanbase that the first book received. So don’t miss it.

Beyond that, good buzz is coming from the likes of James Meek’s new novel “The Heart Broke In,” Jami Attenberg’s “The Middlesteins,” and one I’m quite interested in, Joan Wickersham’s short story collection “The News From Spain.” Not to mention the buzz from Tom Wolfe’s return with his first novel in eight years.

As for October movies, two notable ones are likely to rule from the list at the left. First is Ben Affleck’s “Argo,” which looks to be a gripping thriller about the rescue of six U.S. diplomats from Tehran during the 1979 Iranian hostage crisis. The second “Cloud Atlas” carries some weighty themes where everything is seemingly connected across time and place.

With a budget of $100 million, “Cloud Atlas” is apparently the most expensive independent film ever made. So it will be interesting to see how much it takes in at the box office on opening weekend.

As for October albums, two standouts have caught my eye from the list at the bottom left.

Notably Tift Merritt’s new one “Traveling Alone” is a must-get as well as Beth Orton’s “Sugaring Season,” which is the English singer’s first album in six years.

Moreover, I’m curious to hear Martha Wainwright’s “Come Home to Mama” as well as Iris Dement’s “Sing the Delta,” which is her first album in eight years.

All in all, October is a strong month for artistic releases. These are some of my picks. Which ones are you looking forward to this month? Continue reading →

September brings many veteran, big-name authors back to the forefront with new material. Check out the list on the right. It’s loaded!

Of course, as much as anyone I’m curious to see if J.K. Rowling’s first novel away from the Harry Potter series will be good. “The Casual Vacancy” at the end of the month is more than just a little hotly anticipated. I’m also looking forward to Salman Rushdie’s memoir “Joseph Anton” a bit, which should be interesting. He’s always got plenty to say, just look at his tweets. Moreover, this month sees the release of a few debut novels that are drawing high praise.

I’ve got my eye on Kevin Powers’s Iraq war novel “The Yellow Birds,” which I’ve read such good things about.

In other book news, it’s a good thing I’m now in Canada because Ian McEwan’s new novel “Sweet Tooth” is available in this country now but won’t come out in the U.S. until Nov. 13. So I definitely feel lucky to snap up an “early” copy by the master British storyteller.

For new albums in September, the list, below at bottom left, is also very strong. I think it’s got a musician on it for almost everyone. I’m curious about Cat Power’s new one as well as the new albums by Dave Matthews, Band of Horses and Mumford & Sons.

I’m also zeroed in on the singer-songwriter kind of stuff, and the new ones by Aimee Mann and Ryan Bingham should be great. Particularly I can’t wait for Mann’s new album “Charmer” to be released.

As for movies in September (see list at top left), I was a bit surprised that it seemed rather light or weak, not typical of fall movie viewing. You can see Clint Eastwood’s baseball movie “Trouble With the Curve” if you want, or perhaps his “empty chair” act at the GOP convention was enough for you. Maggie Gyllenhaal and Viola Davis star in a school-reform drama at the end of the month that might be kind of good. But not too much else caught my fancy. Maybe the French WWII film, “War of the Buttons” might be the ticket, or else Richard Gere’s thriller “Arbitrage.”

These are some of my picks; what new releases are you looking forward to? Continue reading →

August is almost already upon us, and still there is a lot left on my summer list to read. For notable books coming out this month, check those listed at the right.

Perhaps the two that I’m most curious to read are “In the Shadow of the Banyan” by first-time author Vaddey Ratner, about a resilient girl’s survival under Cambodia’s Khmer Rouge, and “City of Women,” the debut novel by David Gillham, set in Berlin during WWII. Those look like ones not to be missed, but there’s likely others.

As for films out this month, check out the list on the left. Of these, I’m most interested to see “Lawless,” about a Depression-era bootlegging gang, which features a cast of Shia LaBeof, Gary Oldman, Jessica Chastain and Guy Pearce among others.

The novel it’s based on “The Wettest County in the World” by Matt Bondurant received wide praise when it came out in 2008 and is a book I hope to read before seeing the movie.

On the music front, the Australian world music group Dead Can Dance has its first album out in 16 years with “Anastasis,” which should be different. And new mother Alanis Morissette comes out with her seventh studio album “Havoc and Bright Lights” at the end of the month. We shall see if it’s any good. For others, check out the list at the bottom left.

These are the ones I have my eye on. Which books, movies or albums are you most looking forward to in August? What’s on your radar screen these days? Continue reading →

Greetings to a new month. Summer is cruising along so it’s time to step up the summer reading, which has been in slow motion here. This month’s new book releases (see list at right) perhaps don’t look as full as June did, but still there are some to look for. Notably, Deborah Harkness is back with her follow-up to her blockbuster “A Discovery of Witches” with “Shadow of Night,” and Tana French returns with her fourth novel of the Dublin murder squad in “Broken Harbor.” I am also looking forward to

Chris Cleave’s third novel “Gold” about track cycling and the 2012 Olympics, which comes nicely before the London Games. I’ll tear through it like I did his first two books, “Incendiary” and “Little Bee,” but there are plenty of others. Which July books are you looking forward to?

If you need an onscreen diversion this month there’s always Spider-Man and Batman (see movie list at left). The caped crusader is looking for a massive box office haul with “The Dark Knight Rises,” but will it come up short of “The Avengers” opening weekend? Or will Christian Bale’s final turn as Batman lure people out?

I’m guessing probably “The Avengers” will edge “The Dark Knight.” But if super heroes aren’t your thing and you’re looking for something a bit more artsy, then you might seek out the British drama “Trishna,” which is based on the Thomas Hardy novel “Tess of the D’Urbervilles,” and is opening in the States mid-month.

As for July album releases (below at left), I can’t say anything thrills me too much. I’ll just have to dabble and see what I come up with. But there’s plenty of concerts and musicians on the road this month. So let me know if there’s any you see or like, or better yet, tell me your July book, movie, music picks or what you’re looking forward to. Cheers. And happy Sunday. Continue reading →