Category Archives: Top Picks

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 →