May Preview

Spring is desperately trying to get here, but as of May 1 we had a bit of snow left on the ground from a wild blizzard that hit last Saturday night — much to everyone’s amazement. How strange it is to see snow in May, but fear not, it’s melting away quickly and our full bloom should arrive by mid-to late month so we are still on track.

Meanwhile my husband and I have been checking daily on the owls at their nest near the river, which I wrote about in my last post, and it appears that one owlet is missing, gulp. There’s still the mama and papa owls and now two owlets instead of three. Not sure if one flew off or if something happened to the third, but it’s quite heartbreaking that one’s gone. Still the mama owl sits stoically on a branch, watching the remaining two. The owlets seem pretty big now, and are flapping their wings often, so perhaps they’re getting ready to fly soon. We will keep an eye out until they go. 

In book news I want to congratulate author Azareen Van der Vliet Oloomi, age 35, who just won the 2019 PEN/Faulkner Award for Fiction for her novel “Call Me Zebra,” which follows the travels of a young Iranian-American woman as she revisits some of the places she once lived in an effort to retrace her family’s exile from 1990’s Iran and to compose a grand manifesto on the meaning of literature.

Oh my. From what I’ve heard it sounds like quite a rambling, bombastic narrative from an intellectually astute, adventurous main character. Judy over at the blog Keep the Wisdom liked it but said it’s probably not a novel for everyone. In fact it has a 2.86 rating on Goodreads after 197 reviews. Still the award’s judges said it’s a novel that “performs at the highest of levels in accomplishing only what the written novel can show us.” So I might test it out sometime, or look to see what the author puts out next.

Meanwhile, I’ve been checking out what’s releasing in May and there seems to be a plethora of notable new books, movies, and albums coming out … so what are we waiting for. Let’s dive into what looks enticing. First off, I’m curious about Julia Phillips’s debut novel “Disappearing Earth,” which is about two sisters, ages 8 and 11, who go missing from a beach on the Kamchatka Peninsula in northeastern Russia and how their disappearance impacts the close-knit community there over the course of a year. Each chapter goes into the life of a different woman on the peninsula whose story interconnects with others in the area … all amid the backdrop of a whodunit mystery.  

I thought I had tired of the missing persons’ genre but then a seemingly refreshing one like this comes along and I have to try the genre anew. Apparently “Disappearing Earth” is an immersive look into the land and culture of Russia’s remote — and volcanically dangerous — Kamchatka peninsula. And since I haven’t visited there in my reading before, I’m game for this highly praised debut by a Fulbright fellow who spent a couple years in Russia and apparently did a lot of research for this novel.   

Next up, I’ll pick Casey Cep’s debut nonfiction book “Furious Hours: Murder, Fraud, and the Last Trial of Harper Lee.” I know, I know, maybe I shouldn’t be sucked into all these Harper Lee books … but this one, written by a much talked about young journalist, sounds pretty compelling. Apparently it’s about a true-crime case that Harper Lee had wanted to write a book about, and spent countless hours researching, but then it never came to pass. She had attended the 1977 trial of an Alabama preacher who’d been shot to death by a relative after the preacher had been accused of killing his own family for insurance money. But faced with lies about the case and her own insecurities, Lee ultimately ended up abandoning her plans to write about it. Hmm. 

This book, which is divided into three parts, goes into the particulars; first detailing the preacher’s life, who was rumored to be into voodoo; then going into his murderer’s life and trial; and finally describing Harper Lee’s efforts to write a book about the case. It seems the book goes into various tangents about the insurance industry, voodoo, racial politics, and the insanity defense that keeps things fresh along the way. Not sure I should be this interested, but there’s something about the elusive Harper Lee that keeps readers like me coming back to her life, struggles, and mysteries. 

Next up is Mary Beth Keane’s novel “Ask Again, Yes” about two neighboring families’ in a New York suburb and their shared history over the course of four decades. The men are NYPD rookie cops when they end up living next door to each other outside the city and their wives have struggles and kids, and the families become linked by love and tragedy.

Hmm, I’m sort of going out on a limb here to pick this as I’m not usually a big domestic novel / Celeste Ng kind of reader, but this novel has received a lot of attention so I’m adding it to my TBR list. Will I be glad I did, or rue the day due to the chaos of a domestic drama? Keane is said to be an author to read and watch so I’m going to wing it.  

Then there’s Anna Pitoniak’s sophomore novel “Necessary People” about a pair of college best friends whose female friendship turns toxic. One is born with everything and the other comes from nothing. Their friendship apparently takes a turn when they become post-college rivals at a cable news network, intent on achieving success no matter the cost. As the novel’s tagline says: “Friends come and go. Ambition is forever.” Ha, this could be wicked craziness.

Kirkus Reviews says it’s a story that is impossible to put down and is “escapism with substance.” It sounds like a catfight that’s fast paced. Such other recent novels as Tara Isabella Burton’s “Social Creature” and Christine Mangan’s “Tangerine” have also been popular exploring the dark side of female friendship. So watch your back and read these at your own whim.

I’m also curious about Erika Swyler’s sophomore novel “Light From Other Stars,” which sounds like it’s part coming-of-age tale — about a young girl who idolizes her father at NASA and dreams of becoming a female astronaut — and part sci-fi voyage about her later life aboard a spacecraft on a mission bound for Mars.

Wow, usually I’m not too sci-fi oriented but  this novel looks to have all the right ingredients and has gained a lot of praise. It’s said to be beautifully rendered and explores themes of time, loss, and human connection. For fans of the film “Interstellar,” which I saw and liked, this could be just the right ticket. Now let’s just see if I can handle the novel’s sci-fi elements.    

Two other May novels I’d be remiss without mentioning are: Julie Orringer’s novel “The Flight Portfolio,” based on a true story about the  American journalist Varian Fry, who helped imperiled refugees get out of Nazi-occupied France in 1940; and Sara Collins’s debut “The Confessions of Frannie Langton” about a servant and former slave in 1825 who is accused of murdering her employer and his wife in London. Hmm, both sound quite strong and now make me wonder if I should place them higher than a couple of the other May picks. Which book would entice you the most of all these?

As for May movies, there seems to be something for everyone this month: from comedies, to YA films to action and drama to a rock star biography. The best of the comedies might be “Long Shot” with Charlize Theron and Seth Rogen, starring as a presidential candidate and a speechwriter who fall for one another along the campaign trail. Oh yeah this happens often, right? With these two though it could be good fun.

I’ll also probably see “Wine Country” on Netflix with Amy Poehler, Tina Fey, and Maya Rudolph, as I’m hoping it’ll have a few good laughs — about a group of longtime friends who go to Napa for the weekend to celebrate their friend’s 50th birthday … only to have tensions from their past boil over. Ha, it sounds decent enough.

As for YA, there’s Nicola Yoon’s bestseller “The Sun Is Also a Star” out on the big screen this month, which I liked just fine in book form, but don’t think I need to flock to see, though the young actors in it look lovely.

Also the movie about Elton John’s life “Rocketman” looks to be performed well by British actor Taron Egerton, but I can’t seem to get too excited for it for some reason. In terms of music movies, I’d rather see the documentary “Echo in the Canyon” about the folk and rock music scene in L.A.’s Laurel Canyon in the 1960s and ‘70s. Various iconic musicians and groups, such as the Byrds, the Beach Boys and the Mamas and Papas, star in the documentary and talk about those days, and wow it looks really good.

Perhaps the most talked about drama this month is the American-British film “The Souvenir” that premiered at Sundance in January. Apparently it’s about a young female film student in the early ‘80s who becomes romantically involved with a complicated, untrustworthy man. I don’t know quite what to think about it just yet, but it’s received universal acclaim so far.

Apparently it’s based on the life and experiences of Joanna Hogg, who’s the British director and writer of the movie. And Tilda Swinton’s daughter stars in the lede role. What’s sort of amazing is that the sequel (“The Souvenir Part II”) is already in the works before the first one has even been released. Wow that seems quite bold.

Lastly in albums for May, there’s an array of new ones by such groups as Vampire Weekend, The Head and the Heart, and The National, and from such solo artists as: Joy Williams, Donovan Woods, Justin Townes Earle, Caroline Spence, and Jim Cuddy among others.  There’s a lot of good tunes to listen to, but I’ll choose Vampire Weekend’s new album “Father of the Bride” since I’m particularly liking the group’s song “Harmony Hall” on the radio recently.  Check it out. 

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