August Preview

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?