The Cue Card

Yea May is here. It’s usually a great month. It’s when the leaves and buds burst forth and spring abounds in the North Country. I’m glad to leave April behind in the rearview mirror. (Goodbye taxes.) It wasn’t all bad (since we received our first vaccine shot), but it wasn’t too good either.

My book assistant, Stella (the Lab dog), injured her Achilles tendon chasing after a ball and has been in leg splints since March 25. She will be free of these this coming week, and then we will see if her injury has healed and what rehabilitation she needs to do. She has tried to shred the bandages all month when we weren’t looking (of course). They had to be changed each week, but at least they’ve been colorful and sporty. She’s managing these days. 

Meanwhile I’ve been looking through the smorgasbord of new releases this month and there is a lot. There are new novels by such well known authors as: Claire Fuller, Richard Flanagan, Chris Bohjalian, Jennifer Weiner, Marisa Silver, Edward Rutherfurd, Rachel Cusk, and a nonfiction book by Daniel James Brown (author of “The Boys in the Boat”) among others.

Though due to overload, I’m putting these authors’ books on the back burner for now, while I pursue a few others noted below. It’s hard to actually decide what makes the cut of five (in this case six novels), but I look them over — what they’re about and evaluate their praise as best as I can. 

First off, I’m looking to get Maggie Shipstead’s “Great Circle” (due out May 4). Being an epic about a female aviating pioneer, made it check some boxes for me. Apparently the novel, which clocks in at 608 pages, has two storylines going on, one with the adventures of Marian, the aviator circa the 1930s and ’40s in various locales, and the second with Hadley, an actress in Hollywood set to play Marian in the present day.

It’s been highly praised and seems like it’ll be better than Shipstead’s 2014 novel “Astonish Me” about a ballerina, which I listened to as an audiobook and liked but gave 3 stars to. “Great Circle” appears to be more and is said to follow the two women who yearn for adventure and freedom … and follow their dreams. What’s not to like?

Next, I’ll pick Jean Hanff Korelitz’s novel “The Plot” (due out May 11) about a washed-up novelist and creative writing prof who apparently steals the story of a student in his class, which he thinks will be a bestseller. Hmm.

It’s said to be a twisty thriller, so it’s probably best not to know too much more before reading it. You might recall the author’s 2014 novel “You Should Have Known,” which was made into the popular TV HBO series “The Undoing,” starring Hugh Grant and Nicole Kidman. That one was nice and crazy and had lots of twists and turns, so I suspect “The Plot” will as well. It could be prime back deck and beach reading material.

Then there are two debut novels I’m hoping to check out that include: Linda Rui Feng’s “Swimming Back to Trout River” and Eric Nguyen’s “Things We Lost to the Water.” I always like to add debuts to my TBR pile and these two look good.

Apparently Feng’s debut (due out May 11) moves from Communist China to San Francisco and the Great Plains in the 1960s and ’80s and chronicles what happens to a young Chinese family in the wake of the Cultural Revolution. While Nguyen’s debut (due out May 4) is about a Vietnamese immigrant mother and her two sons who settle in New Orleans and struggle over the decades to remain connected to one another. Both novels seem like they’ll be up my alley and be from new voices that are worth exploring. 

But what about Joan Silber’s new novel “Secrets of Happiness” (due out May 4)? I have not read a Silber book yet, but people seem to swear by her. Apparently the author is known for novels that interlink stories, which move the narrative forward or sideways.

This new one includes seven stories that start off when a man discovers his father in New York has long had another, secret family—a wife and two kids—which leads to surprising loyalties over love and money. Hmm. Having a novel made up of interlinked stories, reminds me a bit of Elizabeth Strout’s novel “Olive Kitteridge” which I liked … but will it work again for me?  We will have to see.

Lastly in books is space nerd Andy Weir’s new novel “Project Hail Mary” (due out May 4). Granted, I haven’t read Weir since his 2014 novel “The Martian,” but this one looks about as fun and has been getting good reviews too. It could be just the right suspense for the back deck or the beach. But first I’ll foist it on my husband to read. Then if he likes its space/science-y plot, I’ll bring it on.

You might recall in “The Martian” astronaut Mark Watney is left stranded alone on Mars, this time in “Project Hail Mary” Ryland Grace awakens from a coma with no memories of his identity or how he came to be alone on a spaceship, Uh-oh. But only he can save Earth from an impending doom, right? Maybe we can get Matt Damon back for the movie … even though he was Watney in the last one.

On the screen this month, there are several book adaptations coming out as movies and TV series, which I’m hoping to get to. First off is the 10-part historical fiction drama series “The Underground Railroad” (coming out on Prime Video May 14) based on the 2017 Pulitzer Prize-winning novel by Colson Whitehead.

You might recall it’s about a young woman named Cora who makes a surprising discovery during her attempt to break free from slavery in the Deep South. South African actress Thuso Mbedu plays Cora and Joel Edgerton stars as the bounty hunter determined to bring her back. It looks scary and unsettling, but I plan to give it a go. It was filmed in various locations around the state of Georgia. 

Next is the movie adaptation of A.J. Finn’s 2018 psychological thriller “The Woman in the Window” (due out on Netflix May 14). This one you might recall is about a reclusive woman who fears going out of her apartment in New York, and while spying on her neighbors, thinks she witnesses an act of disturbing violence from her window. It’s a bit like Hitchcock’s film “Rear Window” in that way. But this one stars Amy Adams in the lead role, and includes Gary Oldman, Julianne Moore, Tracy Letts, and supposedly even a bit of Jennifer Jason Leigh! 

I liked the crazy book all right, but the movie apparently has had its troubles. Originally scheduled for October, the film had to be re-edited after viewers didn’t take to its initial test screenings. So we will see, if it will fly on Netflix.

Then there’s the upcoming movie adaptation of Australian author Jane Harper’s 2016 bestselling crime novel “The Dry” (streaming May 21). You might recall it involves federal agent Aaron Falk who returns to his hometown after a 20-year absence to attend the tragic funeral of a childhood friend and his family …. only later to stay on to investigate their deaths as a crime.

Oh yeah Eric Bana stars as Falk … and wherever Bana goes, I go, ha. I first saw him in the 2005 film “Munich,” which prompted my reaction, “Who’s that”?! Wow there was smoke. So I’m hoping Eric will deliver again here. 

The last two movies I might mention checking out are: “Dream Horse” (out May 21) and “Cruella” (out May 28 on Disney+). “Dream Horse” looks to be a feel-good movie, based on a true story, about an unlikely racehorse bred by a Welsh bartender that goes on to compete with the racing elites. Toni Collette and Damian Lewis star in the movie filmed in Wales that looks to be a bit predictable but still nice as well.

As for “Cruella,” it stars Emma Stone as a young Cruella de Vil  … from Disney’s “101 Dalmatians” franchise. Apparently the story will bring to life why Estella came to embrace her wicked, revengeful “Cruella” side. Though there’s no definitive word yet about whether former Cruella actress Glenn Close will have a cameo role in this new film … though at least she’s listed as an executive producer. 

And finally in new music releasing this month, there are albums by the Black Keys, Blake Shelton, Weezer, Van Morrison, Nancy Wilson, and Paula Cole among others, which all seem a bit enticing. But I’ll pick Lord Huron’s new album “Long Lost” (due out May 21) since I’m a newbie to the indie folk band’s music. Apparently the band has some live tour dates starting in September, which is both surprising and nice to see.

That’s all for now. What about you — which new releases this month are you most looking forward to? Happy May to you. 

Well … we have light snow and high winds today. I kid you not. Yesterday I was playing tennis outdoors and it was sunny and 65 degrees, but now winter is back and does not fully want to leave. It’s okay we’re used to it, and it’ll make the surroundings all the more beautiful come May. I almost forgot: Happy Earth Day everyone.

How is your week going? Recently I was able to get vaccine shot #1 and finish my taxes (for both countries) — ha, so I’m very pleased about that. It feels like I vaulted a double hurdle. Meanwhile I’ve been tuning in to the Los Angeles Times virtual book festival and have heard various authors discuss their works, including: Patricia Lockwood, Lauren Oyler, Chang-rae Lee, Meng Jin, Imbolo Mbue, Sanjena Sathian, and even Barack Obama. There’s plenty more of the festival left, if you’re interested. It’s been nice participating at home from so far away. 

I see too that the Academy Awards will be airing this Sunday.  Whoa. In the Best Picture category I have seen only two of the eight films, whoops. We finally got to see “Nomadland” — as it only became available in Canada this month through Disney+, which we splurged on to see. Though it’s not exactly a Disney romp kind of picture, but regardless I liked the down-and-out feature, starring Frances McDormand once again in the signature role. My husband says she plays the same kind of character each time, but — I proclaim — at least she’s good at it! I also hope to read the book of “Nomadland,” which I have from the library.  I tried to get my book club to read it, but they wanted something “uplifting” instead. Hmpfff. Uplifting is overrated, ha.

The only other film we saw so far in the Best Picture category was: “The Trial of the Chicago 7,” which seemed good at the time, though it didn’t particularly stay with me. I really want to see “Minari” and “The Father” … and perhaps “Judas and the Black Messiah.” We might try to see a couple more films before Sunday’s awards show, though many seem to think that “Nomadland” is going to clean up and take home the Oscars. Will it?

Lately we finished watching the drama WWII series “Atlantic Crossing” on PBS, which was good, and have started the detective series “Mare of Easttown” with Kate Winslet on HBO. Hmm. It seems a bit predictable so far, but we will see. And now I’ll leave you with a couple of reviews of novels I finished lately. 

We Begin at the End by Chris Whitaker / Henry Holt / 384 pages / 2021

This crime/murder mystery novel has surely been making the rounds on blogs and elsewhere, and I can’t say I was disappointed. It made for a pretty fetching audiobook, thanks to the reading by George Newbern. 

The storylines revolve around two main characters: Walk — the chief cop of a small coastal Northern California town and Duchess Day Radley, the 13-year-old girl … who took me awhile to warm to … since she’s quite the foul-mouthed, tough girl, especially at the beginning. But warm I eventually did. She’s a protector to her 5-year-old brother Robin and her mother Star, who’s a single mom who sings at the local bar and has been known to OD a time or two … leaving her kids to mostly take care of themselves. 

But when Walk’s long-ago friend Vincent King is released from prison for a joy ride accident he had when they were young, and something happens to Star, … Duchess and Walk go off on their separate warpaths — risking their lives — to find out the truth of who’s responsible. To me, I guess it wasn’t so much the mystery that lured me … but the alternating parts and developing roles of Walk and Duchess that hooked me into wanting to move quickly with it right up until the end.

Also for a time Duchess and her brother have to go stay with their grandfather on a farm in Montana and that part captivated me too. I was surprised to learn that the author Chris Whitaker is actually British (and lives in the U.K.) and yet he sets his crime-laden novels in the U.S. I think he thinks the gun/crime atmosphere in North America is more rife for his plots … and he’s likely not wrong there. (Though at one point he writes about someone having Calgary license plates …. when you know they’re marked as Alberta plates, right.)

I thought for a crime novel the characters and the dialogue were well done and felt authentic. It’s a gritty plot that has some twists, a couple of which derailed me from what I was hoping for the characters, but the ending felt cleverly wielded and threaded the needle for me towards a satisfying resolution. What did you think? And will Duchess be back for more?

We Germans by Alexander Starritt / Little Brown / 208 pages / 2020

This short novel took me quite awhile to get through, maybe because it is quite grim … and maybe too because there are various thought-provoking lines and thoughts in it that I highlighted … about WWII from the German perspective and the comparisons between the Eastern and Western fronts.

This story is about a grandson who asks his German grandfather to tell him decades later about his role in the war … and so towards the end of his life the grandfather embarks on telling him about his days fighting as an artilleryman in the German army on the Eastern front in Russia and then years later his retreat in Poland. The retreat is the main part of the story while he is with a few other German fighters, navigating their juxtaposing personalities and hiding out and trying to avoid the oncoming Russian army. He thinks about how it is that the Germans have lost the war and the acts committed on both sides. And he says he wasn’t a Nazi and never saw the camps or heard about them until after the war. 

As the grandfather reckons with his past, themes of guilt and shame play apart in the novel as well as atrocities that happened on the Eastern front and his time after the war and his imprisonment and how he internalized his part. This short novel is one that leaves quite a grim mark, but I was glad to have read it. It’s from a perspective that is rarely written about and gives some ideas about the war’s end and how people thought about it and later went on with their lives, which has often seemed hard for me to fully comprehend … amid the psychological fault lines, barriers, and reckonings. There’s not many I’ve read like it.

That’s all for now. What about you — have you read either of these, and if so, what did you think? And what’s your pick for movie of the year? Have a great weekend.

We’re onto April now. I hope everyone has a very Happy Easter this Sunday. It seems early this year, doesn’t it? But it’s all about when the first full moon occurs after the spring equinox. Got it? Right, blame it on the moon. I hope it’s warm and sunny where you are … and all the pretty flowers are coming out. We had a crazy “snow squall” last weekend, but it appears spring is now thinking about peeking through, though it’s windy out. Recently I finished this 1,000 piece puzzle of New York City — I started it during my quarantine days (a gift from my sister at Christmas) — though it took me until after my quarantine release to get it done. I don’t do puzzles often, but I enjoyed it and it kept my sanity for quite awhile. I liked listening to an audio while working on it. 

This past week I would be remiss not to mention that two literary icons passed away: children’s author Beverly Cleary and western author Larry McMurtry both died on the same day, Thursday March 25. Ugh, it is upsetting to lose them, and hearing about a literary icon’s passing always makes me want to read their works anew. I haven’t read Cleary — known for her Ramona books — since I was a kid.

And I now must really rectify not reading McMurtry’s masterpiece “Lonesome Dove” — which I know is many people’s most beloved book. I have no excuse! In fact, I was working at a bookstore in Colorado in 1988-9 and that was the biggest blockbuster seller back then. It was flying off the shelf and we were constantly re-stocking it. But I had my head in the clouds and it was about 864 pages long, full of a cattle drive. Do you remember where you were when you first read it? And did you go on to read his others in the series? 

And now let’s talk about what’s coming out this month. Of course I’m all over the place about what looks good to read. I picked about nine novels releasing, but I tried to whittle it down to five. First up is Katherine Heiny’s new novel “Early Morning Riser” (out April 13), which Esquire says is: “a wry and wise novel about the intertwined romantic lives of the residents of a small Michigan town.”

It’s said to be charming and witty and spans 17 years in the lives of Jane and her new husband Duncan, who unfortunately has slept with practically every woman in town before meeting her. Then something happens that changes their lives and love. This one seems like a heartwarming story that examines small-town baggage and families. And the author Heiny was much praised for her earlier debut “Standard Deviation,” which I still want to go back and read, and this one is getting favorable reviews too.

Then there’s Australian author Pip Williams’s debut novel “The Dictionary of Lost Words” (due out April 6) about the daughter of a lexicographer of the Oxford English Dictionary who devotes her life to making an alternative dictionary. Esme comes to realize words relating to women’s and common folk’s experiences are going unrecorded so she aims to keep them alive.

This historical novel inspired by real events is said to highlight the power of language and women’s lives and contributions in an imaginative way. As Booklist says: “Esme’s unusual word-saturated coming-of-age during the quest for women’s rights will entrance language-loving and socially conscious” readers … so count me in.

Next I like the looks of Flynn Berry’s novel “Northern Spy” (out April 6), which is about two sisters who become entangled with the Irish Republican Army. Tessa is a BBC producer and a mother to a new baby in Belfast when she hears on the news about a raid. When the police come to suspect it’s due to her sister Marian who they think has joined the IRA, Tessa can’t believe it’s true, but eventually she gets pulled in … to work as a double agent and soon it’ll test her ideals, bonds, and identity as a sister and a mother.

This taut thriller is by the young American author who won the Edgar Award for best first novel in 2017 for her thriller “Under the Harrow” so I’m hoping it’s good as well. 

Also JoAnne Tompkins’s debut novel “What Comes After” (out April 13) looks like a doozy. It’s about how a small Quaker community in the Pacific Northwest is rocked after the shocking deaths of two teenage boys there and a mysterious pregnant teenage girl who emerges from the woods. Uh-oh.

It seems to be much about the community’s coming to grips and emotions with all of this and has been compared to Anne Tyler’s and Marilynne Robinson’s explorations of the heart. Hmm. Author Cara Wall says it’s a “beautifully satisfying portrait of people who are terribly wrong about themselves, who discover astonishing relief when they accept their heartbreaking truths.” Hmm. Kirkus Reviews calls it “a quiet portrayal of troubled lives” and “a graceful debut.” What do you think … a go or a pass?

Lastly in books is Willy Vlautin’s new novel “The Night Always Comes” (out April 6), which looks pretty bleak about the plight of a young woman in Portland, Oregon, pushed to the edge as she fights to secure a stable future for herself and her family. Set over two days and two nights, the story follows Lynette’s “frantic search … that leads her to make a dangerous choice that sets her on a precarious, frenzied spiral.” Uh-oh.

I have yet to read a book by Willy Vlautin, but apparently he writes about working-class protagonists like no other, and this gritty page-turner is said to raise such questions about how far one’s prepared to go to achieve the American Dream and what’s the price of gentrification. I’ll probably need something light and happy after this. 

On the screen this month, PBS has a few things worth seeing, first is Ken Burns and Lynn Novick’s three-part, six-hour documentary film “Hemingway” (starting April 5) about the iconic and complicated author said to be one of the most influential in U.S. history.

The series will explore the writer’s art and legacy and will try to uncover the man behind the myth so to speak. If you like his novels like I do, then you probably won’t want to miss it. Last year, we spent a weekend in Ketchum, Idaho, and while there visiting with relatives, we went to see Hemingway’s grave where he was buried after taking his own life in 1961. He stills holds much allure to the town.

Then there’s the eight-part WWII drama “Atlantic Crossing” (starting April 4) based on the true story of Norwegian Crown Princess Martha, who in 1940 made a narrow escape to the U.S. and became close to President Roosevelt, imploring him to get the U.S. to help her country fight off the Nazis.

If you like that, you might also like “World on Fire” also set during WWII about “the intertwining fates of ordinary people in five countries as they grapple with the effects of the war on their everyday lives.” PBS is replaying Season 1 from 2019 (starting April 4), which we missed so we’ll try to catch back up. Stay tuned for Season 2, sometime down the line. 

While we’re keen on PBS at the moment, there’s also the seven-episode TV series “Mare of Easttown” on HBO (starting April 18) that stars Kate Winslet as a dour small town Pennsylvania detective who investigates a local murder while trying to keep her life from falling apart. It sounds a bit similar to the 2018 TV series “Sharp Objects” with Amy Adams, right? Crazy, but check it out if you want to see how Winslet tries the accent.

If you want more psychological thriller drama then perhaps check out the Australian series “The Secrets She Keeps” (starting on Prime April 21), which is based on the 2017 novel by Michael Robotham about a chance encounter between two pregnant women in a supermarket just outside of Sydney … who hold explosive secrets about what they each hold dear. Uh-oh. We love such crazy drama right? Sort of reminds me of Nicole Kidman and Hugh Grant in the TV series “The Undoing.” Oh yeah, that one went down quickly. 

As for new music out this month there’s a live album by Norah Jones called “Til’ We Meet Again” (out April 16) that looks good … and also a posthumous release of Tom Petty’s called “Finding Wildflowers” (out April 16), which features 16 studio recordings of alternate takes and jam versions of songs that went on to appear on Petty’s 1994 solo album “Wildflowers.” For Petty fans, “Wildflowers” is an album that wonderfully keeps on giving.  

That’s all for now. What about you — which new releases are you most looking forward to? 

We’ve made it to March already. The days are flying by and the weather seems to be turning. It’s been good spending time with my parents in Southern California, and on Wednesday I’ll take them to get their second vaccine shot. Later in the week I’ll be headed back to Canada, which I hope will let me back in … if I follow all the rules and hoops they have set up for returning residents. I have my dog and husband on the other side of the border who I haven’t seen in like five weeks. 

As for what’s coming in March, I hope it’s a greater supply and distribution of vaccines. The new Johnson & Johnson shot seems promising and should cover a lot of people. While such annual events as the Indian Wells pro tennis tournament have been postponed, other events like the NCAA’s March Madness basketball and the Miami Tennis Open will be going ahead this month … as will the Grammys on March 14. The Academy Awards have been pushed to April. So enjoy these events if you can. 

As for what novels are coming out in March, there’s a lot. I have been weeding through my choices this month. And I know authors Viet Thanh Nguyen (“The Sympathizer”) and Imbolo Mbue (“Behold the Dreamers”) have their follow-up novels coming out, though it seems their new ones — Nguyen’s “The Committed” and Mbue’s “How Beautiful We Were” — aren’t getting as much love or praise as their debuts did. Darn, that happens sometimes as their first books, which I loved, were truly terrific, making their second books hard acts to follow. I will likely still get to them, but I’m looking at a few others first.

Of course, I will make way for Kazuo Ishiguro’s new novel “Klara and the Sun” (due out March 2) since I’m a fan of his past books, notably “The Remains of the Day” and “Never Let Me Go.” He is a master and he won the Nobel Prize for Literature in 2017. His new one sounds like quintessential Ishiguro, and with it he returns to similar dystopian grounds that made “Never Let Met Go” so intriguing and sad.

The new novel is about a robot girl with artificial intelligence named Klara designed as a playmate for real children who becomes a companion to 11-year-old Josie. Kirkus Reviews says the novel is a “provocative look at a disturbing near future” and “a haunting fable of a lonely, moribund world that is entirely too plausible.” Uh-oh, is that what lies ahead for us?  

Next I’ll throw in Chris Whitaker’s new thriller “We Begin at the End” (due out March 2), which looks too good to pass up. Am I even a thriller kind of reader? It seems every once in awhile I’ll toss one into the mix, and this one has been hailed by such authors as Louise Penny, Jane Harper, Charlotte McConaghy, and Kristin Hannah among others.

Apparently it’s set in a coastal California town and features a 13-year-old female protagonist and a police chief who years later come together to solve a murder of someone they love. Hmm. I’m game for it, are you?

I’m also curious about Patricia Engel’s new novel “Infinite Country” (due out March 2), which follows a divided Colombian family, some immigrants to the U.S., others still back in the home country. Kirkus Reviews says it’s about a “15-year-old girl in Colombia, doing time in a remote detention center, who orchestrates a jail break and tries to get home.”

Gosh it has me thinking about the novel “American Dirt” all over again … but this one hasn’t stirred up the same kind of controversy. I seem to be a sucker for these immigrant kinds of tales and this one is from a daughter of immigrant Colombian parents. 

Then there’s Hala Alyan’s novel “The Arsonists’ City” (due out March 9) about three scattered siblings of a Syrian Lebanese American family who are called back to their ancestral home in Beirut for the first time in years when their father becomes set on selling it. From under the same roof, each of their stories unfolds about how they came to be where they are and what lies ahead for them.

Somehow I missed the author’s much praised first novel “Salt Houses” from 2017, which I should still go back and get to, and this new one looks promising as well. It’s said to be a family story with lots of secrets that’s set against the legacy of war in the Middle East. 

If not that book, there’s always Kate Quinn’s new historical WWII novel “The Rose Code” (due out March 9) about the story of three female code breakers at Bletchley Park, which looks to be a long immersive saga, or else Russell Banks’s new novel “Foregone” (out March 2) about a documentary filmmaker who nearing his death gives a last interview trying to set the record straight and tell his wife certain things about himself and life. Hmm it sounds worth checking out. 

As for what’s on the screen this month, the movies “Nomadland” (on Hulu), “Minari” (on Prime), and “The Father,” (streaming on March 26), seem to be picking up steam as we head toward award season. Have you seen them yet?  I still need to.

Speaking of which, it was great to see the actors of the TV series “The Crown” and “The Queen’s Gambit” take home Golden Globe awards last night … as well as Andra Day for the movie “The U.S. vs. Billie Holiday” and Daniel Kaluuya for “Judas and the Black Messiah.” Two movies I still want to see in addition to all the other Oscar contenders. 

What also looks good this month is the three-part miniseries “Isabel” (debuting March 12 on HBO Max) about the life and times of author Isabel Allende — Wow — which also coincides with the author’s memoir “The Soul of a Woman” (due out March 2).

There’s also the enticing eight-part National Geographic series “Genius: Aretha” (premiering March 21, then airing on Hulu), starring Cynthia Erivo as the legendary singer Aretha Franklin. If that doesn’t have enough music for you, then check out the rock documentary about iconic singer Tina Turner (starting March 27 on HBO Max) called “Tina,” which looks fabulous with never seen before biographical and concert footage. So enjoy these three biographical films if you get a chance this month.  

As for new music in March, there’s albums by Kings of Leon, Serena Ryder, and Sting among others. And remember Lana Del Ray’s album “Chemtrails Over the Country Club,” which I first mentioned was due out back in September 2020? Well apparently it’s finally expected March 19 now. I know, we shouldn’t hold our breath, if it doesn’t appear.

I’ll pick the new album “When You See Yourself” (due out March 5) from the three brothers’-plus a cousin band Kings of Leon as my choice this month. This is their first album in five years.

That’s all for now. What about you — which releases are you most looking forward to this month? And more importantly, how are you doing?

Hi all. I made it across the border to Southern California and will be helping and staying with my parents for a month. I’ve registered them to get the vaccine and hope it will be soon now. I know some of you have already gotten it, which is great — you must feel relief. February is usually a short, busy month and upcoming we have the Super Bowl (now who’s playing?), the Australian Open (tennis finally, yahoo), and the Golden Globe Awards (Feb. 28). So something’s happening out there. 

And there’s quite a selection of new novels releasing in February, which we must discuss, but do we really need to highlight Kristin Hannah’s new novel “The Four Winds” (out Feb. 2), which is the biggest ballyhooed release of the month. I’m sure many readers are already onto it and I too will likely get to its Dust Bowl story that is reminiscent of aspects of Steinbeck’s “The Grapes of Wrath.” For those fans of Hannah’s 2015 novel “The Nightingale,” you can expect to see the screen adaptation of that sisterly WWII tale (played by Dakota & Elle Fanning) around Christmas 2021. Woohoo. 

Many know too of Australian crime writer Jane Harper’s new one  “The Survivors” (out Feb. 2) about long-held secrets that emerge after a body is found on the beach, uh-oh. Yeah I have read her other books, so I will likely get to this one sometime too, but don’t expect her protagonist Federal Agent Aaron Falk to be there as he is not in this one. I’m still hoping to see Falk played by Eric Bana in the movie adaptation of Harper’s novel “The Dry,” which is supposed to be out now on some stream. I repeat Eric Bana plays Aaron Falk in “The Dry.” What more do you want? 

There’s also a few novels out this month with women protagonists having a hard go of it that are receiving high praise. First Susan Conley’s novel “Landslide” (out Feb. 2) is said to be set in Maine about a fisherman’s wife who’s guiding her teenage sons through a family crisis, uh-oh.

I thought Conley’s 2019 novel “Elsey Come Home” was likable but this one sounds even better so I’m looking forward to it. Author Lily King says that Susan Conley has “knocked it out of the park … with this spectacular tale of hardship and healing” and Judy Blum calls it “smart, honest and funny: a story you won’t forget.” Just my kind. 

Then there’s Cherie Jones’s highly touted debut novel “How the One Armed Sister Sweeps Her House” (out Feb. 2), which Susie over at the blog Novel Visits loved and said is the “story of a young mother in Barbados trying to find a way out of a brutal marriage,” uh-oh. Apparently the author puts the story together brilliantly, though it comes with some content warnings of abuse and violence so I might have to gear up my courage first, hmm we’ll see.

Lastly in this category is Meg Mason’s debut “Sorrow and Bliss” (out Feb. 9) about a British woman’s self-discovery amid her struggle with mental illness. It’s been called darkly comic and deeply heartfelt and Ann Patchett says she wants to give it to everyone she knows. Hmm. I keep picking up these life on the psychic edge kind of novels — so what does that say about me? — my last being Laura Zigman’s 2020 book “Separation Anxiety.” 

Another debut novel “The Bad Muslim Discount” (out Feb. 2) by Syed M. Masood looks like a pretty fun and moving read too. It follows the story of two Muslim families from Iraq and Pakistan in the 1990s to 2016, who immigrate to San Francisco. It’s said to be an irreverent novel about Muslim immigrants finding their way in modern America and many readers are finding it just the book that “I didn’t know I deeply needed.” I think it’s taken many who’ve read it by surprise so count me in.

One more alluring San Francisco-set tale is said to be Vendela Vida’s coming-of-age novel “We Run the Tides” (Feb. 9) about girlhood, female friendship, and innocence lost set amid a changing landscape. Ahh 2021 is already shaping up to be the year of notable San Fran-set novels and the Bay Area is always ripe for the picking. So what’s not to like?

As for what’s on the screen this month, there’s quite a feast. And for those averse to football, don’t forget the Puppy Bowl this weekend. Yay, got to love the puppies! Meanwhile “Nomadland,” which we talked about in a previous Preview post with Frances McDormand, is coming to Hulu Feb. 19 as is “The U.S. vs. Billie Holiday” movie on Feb. 26. Andra Day will star as Billie and it’ll be director Lee Daniels’s first movie since doing “The Butler” in 2013, yay. We can’t get enough of Billie Holiday movies — I still watch “Lady Sings the Blues” from 1972 every time I see it when switching channels. Though I’m wondering now if we get Hulu. 

There’s also two notable aging father-themed movies this month with “Falling” (out Feb. 5) in which Viggo Mortensen plays a gay son whose world collides when his retiring father played by Lance Henriksen comes to visit, and “The Father” (out Feb. 26) played by Anthony Hopkins who refuses help at first from his daughter played by Olivia Colman as his mind starts to go. These two similar father films just happen to be coming at once. Pick your pleasure.

HBO Max has a couple big premieres this month with the movie “Judas and the Black Messiah” (due out Feb. 12) about Black Panther activist Fred Hampton (played by Daniel Kaluuya) and his betrayal by an FBI informant. Apparently this biographical drama has been years in the making and looks good.

Also coming to HBO, there’s the Swedish five-episode drama TV series “Beartown” (due out Feb. 22) based on Frederik Backman’s 2017 bestselling novel that explores the role a junior ice-hockey team has in a small isolated community. Uh-oh, many of us know what happens in that teenage hockey story and it isn’t too pretty.  

But perhaps the three films most praised this month are: “Minari” (out Feb. 12) about a South Korean family that tries to make a go of it, starting a farm in rural Arkansas in the 1980s, which stars Steven Yeun who I’m glad to see again after his character Glenn was gruesomely killed off “The Walking Dead” years ago.

I was upset by that and we stopped watching the show around then, but it’s good to see he’s back in the limelight with the touted drama “Minari.” It appears to be a semi-autobiographical take on director Lee Isaac Chung’s upbringing

Then there’s movie “The World to Come” (out in limited release on Feb. 12, then March 2 on Netflix) about two women of neighboring couples who become lovers amid the hardships on the American frontier. Vanessa Kirby (yay) stars opposite Katherine Waterston in this mid-19th century-set drama that looks a bit intense … as does another drama called “The Killing of Two Lovers” about a man who struggles to hold his family of six together during a separation from his wife.

Look for these films if you want to add more drama to your lives and don’t forget the Golden Globe Awards on Feb. 28, which will be hosted once again by Tina Fey and Amy Poehler, whose gig this year I hope includes some much-needed laughs to it. 

Lastly in music for February, there’s new albums by the Foo Fighters, the Weather Station, and a greatest hits release by the Weekend among others. I’m a fan of the music by the Canadian folk band the Weather Station, which is fronted by Tamara Lindeman, so I will pick her new album called “Ignorance” (due out Feb. 5) as my choice this month. She’ll have some live streamed shows starting in March so check her website for those here and her new song “Robber” here. There’s definitely some Joni Mitchell influences to her pretty singing and songwriting. 

That’s all for now. I might not be posting much in February due to being away. But I’ll catch you later or on your blogs. Let me know which releases you are most looking forward to and have a great month.