May We Suggest...
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We've polled our editors for what they've been reading, watching, and listening to, and have listed them below.
David Shapiro
After I wrote recently about the death of Bingo, my 11-year-old Shar-pei, several readers suggested that I read John Grogan's book Marley & Me: Life and Love with the World's Worst Dog. It was just the comfort I needed, and I highly recommend it to anybody who's ever had a dog in their life — or wishes they did.
I've never been a fan of the rock star Sting, but I couldn't resist picking up his latest CD, Songs from the Labyrinth, with lutenist Edin Karamazov. The 23 tracks cover musical compositions and other writings by Elizabethan songwriter John Dowland (1563-1626). The music was beautifully performed, but what really blew me away was the elegance of the writing. Just another reminder that those Elizabethans didn't leave us much to improve on in the use of the English language.
The Dixie Chicks are another act that has never been on my musical radar, but I asked for their latest CD, Taking The Long Way, for my birthday to support free speech after all the grief they've taken from the political right and the country music establishment because their lead singer criticized George W. Bush. I was pleasantly surprised by how good the music was — so much so that I also picked up their excellent previous release, Wide Open Spaces. Apparently because of the boycott's toll, Amazon is discounting the Chicks' CDs at very attractive prices.
And finally, a freebie: Visit youtube.com (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=QjA5faZF1A8)version of Johann Pachelbel's "Canon in D major" played by a Korean kid who calls himself "funtwo." The virtuosity is incredible as the young artist wrings out notes the composer wrote for a chamber orchestra from an electric guitar. Pachelbel was pretty much a one-hit wonder, but let's hope that "funtwo," whose real name is Jeong-Hyun Lim, turns out not to be. I'd love to hear a whole CD of classical masterpieces played in this style.
Didi Wood
Music
Sam's Town by The Killers. The sophomore release by the band that gave us "Mr. Brightside" is bigger and better than the first album. Listen past the singles ("When You Were Young," "Bones") for more gems, including the epic "This River Is Wild."
Welcome To Ralph's World [CD/DVD Combo] [Amazon Exclusive Bonus Content]
Ralph Covert has a knack for writing catchy tunes in popular styles that kids love and parents can stand to hear over and over and over and over and... I find myself singing "The Coffee Song" even when there are no kids in sight (I want a latte, a cappuccino, and tonight I think I'll have a little vino), and who can resist "Peggy's Pie Parlor Polka"? You can't go wrong with any of the Ralph's World albums — there's even a punk song on Green Gorilla, Monster & Me.
How I Live Now (Michael L Printz Award Book (Awards)) by Meg Rosoff. Riveting and disturbing, and not just for young adults.
Plot & Structure: Techniques and Exercises for Crafting a Plot That Grips Readers From Start to Finish by James Scott Bell. I'm tired of books about writing, but this one was extraordinarily useful for helping me understand how to make the leap from knowing how to construct a solid plot to actually doing it in my own work. I especially like that it respects and discusses the differences between commercial and literary fiction. Now I'm eager to try some of the other titles in the Write Great Fiction series Write Great Fiction: Characters, Emotion & Viewpoint : (Techniques and exercises for crafting dynamic characters and effective viewpoints) (Write Great Fiction) by Nancy Kress and Dialogue: Techniques and Exercises for Crafting Effective Dialogue (Write Great Fiction) by Gloria Kempton).
The New Best Recipe: All-New Edition with 1,000 Recipes
Amazing recipes from the editors of Cook's Illustrated, including explanations of why they work. Classic Roast Turkey (page 359), Bread Stuffing with Bacon, Apples, Sage, and Carmelized Onions (page 369), and Green Beans with Orange Essence and Toasted Maple Pecans (page 136) are staples of our holiday meals.
Pride and Prejudice (Special Edition). There will never be a better Darcy than Colin Firth. Period.
Action: The Complete Series. This nasty little series about a Hollywood producer played briefly on Fox; I have a feeling it would have lasted far longer on cable.
Carcassonne. One of the few really fantastic two-player games. Lots of expansions for variety.
Days of Wonder - Ticket to Ride Europe. A great game for adults and for families.
Rat-a-Tat Cat. Simple enough for young children to learn, yet engaging enough for adults to enjoy playing with them.
Sean "Punster" McKlusky
DVD
The Venture Bros. — Season One
I admit it, I'm an Adult Swim fan and this DVD was a must have for me, and early Christmas present to myself. This is animation for warped grownups who grew up watching Saturday morning cartoons and monster movie reruns back in the 70s. The Venture Bros. chronicles the adventures of two idiot brothers, Dean and Hank, with their father, Rusty Venture, a two-bit scientist with few redeeming qualities who halfheartedly carries on his father's super-genius legacy. Rusty's half-assed approach to science is no better than his parenting skills. Every super scientist worth two cents has a nemesis, and the Venture family is pursued by archrival "The Monarch," complete with henchmen in cheesy butterfly costumes, a flying cocoon, and a sexy girlfriend with the rough baritone of a New York City cabby after smoking a pack of unfiltered Camels. This cartoon is not for kids; it contains language and depicts scenes best viewed by a mature audience that can recognize the subtle and not-so-subtle references to cartoon classics and can appreciate the depth of ordinary characters unequipped to deal with the world of archetypes, archrivals, super villains, syndicates, and conspiracies in which they find themselves. It's absurd, bizarre, hilarious, and very well written.
CD
My CD wish list includes the following:
- Pink Floyd — Dark Side of the Moon 30th Anniversary Edition
- Echoes: The Best of Pink Floyd
- Young Lust: The Aerosmith Anthology
- COLLECTOR'S SPECIAL "Limited Edition Package" X [CD] "PLUS" Officially licensed Double Sided 2002 X Concert Tour T-Shirt (see product description)
- My most recent purchase: Best of Bowie
What I'm LISTENING to is www.pandora.com. Pandora is the ultimate internet radio station - it plays all your favorite music, guaranteed. You may ask: "How is it, Punster, that you can speak to such a broad readership and make such a sweeping statement?" Well, it's because YOU create the radio stations! They call it the music genome project. An ever-expanding library of over 20,000 selections has been dissected and labeled into a bazillion characteristics. You tell Pandora what song or artist strikes your fancy, and it creates a station based upon that artist or song. You then vote yes or no to the songs it picks and, much like artificial intelligence, it gets better and better at figuring out precisely what it is that YOU like best in music. What am I listening to at the moment? My own creation: BURN IN HELL RADIO. Now, wouldn't you like to know what I listen to when I review submissions?
Books
Political Science: The Audacity of Hope: Thoughts on Reclaiming the American Dream by Barack Obama
If you are Republican, you will want to learn about the competition. If you are a Democrat, you will want to learn about the man contending for nomination as the next Democratic presidential candidate. If you are a moderate or perhaps a reader from elsewhere in the world, then this commentary on US government and one man's vision of the future will be of interest as well. If you are a smart editor, you will keep your political opinions to yourself and let the book fuel the passions that bring out the best and the worst in these United States.
Theology: The Great Transformation: The Beginning of Our Religious Traditions by Karen Armstrong
In this volume, Karen Armstrong takes the reader on a trip back in time and chronicles the evolution of the ideas and cultures that gave modern man the basis for the most influential religions in history: Confucianism, Daoism, Hinduism, Buddhism, monotheism, and philosophical rationalism. Armstrong states plainly, "Later generations further developed these initial insights, but we have never grown beyond them." Welcome to the Axial Age of man, be sure to bring your thinking caps.
Science: Guns, Germs, and Steel: The Fates of Human Societies by Jared Diamond
Answer me this: If humans originated in Africa and migrated throughout the rest of the world, why is it that Africa isn't also the birthplace of farming or technology? What advantage did the Europeans have that made them able to advance their technology and essentially take over and subjugate cultures around the world, including the culture of their ancestors? Hmmmmmm? Wouldn't you like to know? The answer is both simple and complex, and Jared Diamond does a marvelous job of explaining the biological, climatological, zoological, and geological forces that shape and influence the human animal.
Writing: Fiction Writer's Workshop by Josip Novakovich
This self-guided workshop is one of my favorites and a real godsend to any writer who wants to learn how to elevate his or her craft and doesn't have access to a creative writing class or structured writers group. It's a simple, straightforward, hands-on approach to improving in the craft with plenty of exercises.
Creativity Rules: a Writer's Workbook by John Vorhaus
I like this teacher and his approach. If you've looked at Novakovich and don't find him your cup of tea, check out Vorhaus. He is entertaining and fun. Some people respond better to one teaching style than another. Vorhaus makes me laugh and his exercises are fun.
Debi Orton
Music
I recently upgraded to a 60 GB iPod, and one of my joys this fall was moving my entire music collection over to the iPod. It exposed some gaps in my collection and re-introduced me to some of my favorite pieces:
- Gomez — How We Operate
I've been watching Gomez for a while now, and while they're good musicians, what has really impressed me is how wonderfully their composition skills have developed. The title song is my favorite on the CD. - NIN — The Fragile
Trent Reznor has always fascinated me, but I have the strangest feeling that the impetus behind this album is a serious face-to-face with middle age. - Beck — The Information
Beck is no loser. - Loudon Wainwright — Last Man on Earth
The Wainwright family has never been shy, but Loudon seems out to settle family scores on this one — and he does it well in this collection. - Miles Davis — Sketches of Spain
This is some of the most thoughtful music I know. The collaboration between Miles Davis and Gil Evans was one of the greatest of all times. And...it's great background for writing noir - Pinetop Seven — Bringing Home the Last Great Strike and The Night's Bloom
Pinetop Seven is an eclectic group from Chicago. Their music really defies categorization, but it's mesmerizing. - Robert Plant and the Strange Sensation — Mighty Rearranger
Robert Plant's voice is instantly recognizeable, but he's proven that he's a master of many styles. "Spread a Little Sunshine" is a masterpiece. - Snow Patrol — Eyes Open
I don't know much about this band, but every time I hear one of their songs on the radio (I have XM), I am compelled to check the display to find out who it is. I took the hint, and this album did not disappoint. - Jesse Sykes and the Sweet Hereafter — Oh, My Girl
The operative word for this album is "atmospheric." Edgy, intensely personal, yet mellow music and Jesse's delivery evokes Marianne Faithful. - Neil Finn — Try Whistling This
First I loved the Split Enz. Later I loved Crowded House. Then I realized that what both of these bands had in common was Neil Finn. He's a genius. - Little Barrie — We Are Little Barrie
This is low-rent funk, fresh and spunky. - Phillip Glass / The Stuttgart State Opera, Orchestra, and Chorus — Glass: Akhnaten
I've always liked Phillip Glass's compositions, but I thought he broke through a barrier in this work, one of three operas he refers to as his trilogy. I've also been interested in Akhnaten, one of the earliest proponents of monotheism. Both interests melded into a love of this opera. This version is my third copy of the work — I keep wearing them out. - Alison Krauss & Union Station — Live — Alison Krause and Union Station
I was raised on bluegrass, and thought I'd had more than my fill of it until I heard Alison Krause's voice on a trip to Mississippi last year. Her backing musicians are virtuosos, but Alison's voice is pure and true and beautiful.
Audiobooks
Nothing says Christmas like David Sedaris's Holidays on Ice: Stories, which includes the infamous — and hilarious — "Santaland Diaries." This link is to the book, but just below it you can find a link to the Audio CD. Listen once and it will become a holiday tradition, just like the Nutcracker.
Books
- The Road — Cormac McCarthy
It's rare that I blow off an entire day of responsibilities to give myself over to reading a book, but once I started this one, I couldn't put it down. The story centers around a man and his son, struggling to survive in a grim, post-apocalyptic nuclear winter. I must admit that I found some of the stylistic choices difficult to accept, but once I synched with the rhythm of this book, I read it in just one day. - BLINK: Flash Fiction Before You Can Bat an Eye — Edited by Wanda Wade Mukherjee
Some very nice and thought-provoking flash work in this collection, the theme being that life can change in the blink of an eye. - PP/FF: An Anthology — Edited by Peter Conners
Another flash anthology that explores the thin line between prose poetry and flash fiction. - American Prometheus: The Triumph and Tragedy of J. Robert Oppenheimer — Kai Bird and Martin Sherwin
No one can argue the significance of J. Robert Oppenheimer, the puppet master of the Trinity project and all the nuclear nightmares it spawned. This biography covers all aspects of Oppenheimer's life and the controversies he seemed to attract. - I Am Alive and You Are Dead: The Strange Life and Times of Philip K. Dick — Emmanuel Carrère
Arguably one of the most imaginative writers of early science fiction, Dick teetered on the edge of madness and often fell into the open pit. A prolific writer, his stories and novellas are popular source material for current science fiction movies. Carrère hooks you from the opening and keeps you riveted throughout this biography. - Short Takes: Brief Encounters with Contemporary Nonfiction — Judith Kitchen
This fine collection is in the tradition of Kitchen's previous anthologies, In Short and In Brief. Some great, short (in some instances, flash-length) personal narratives.
DVD
- An Inconvenient Truth
To tell the truth, I always found Al Gore a bit wonky for my taste, but with his book and especially this documentary, he's won me over. He's finally got the whole package put together, and he's applied it to one of the more pressing issues of our time. His gift is finding ways to make highly technical material understandable and compelling to the lay person — and he's inspiring people to make changes. How can that be bad? - GUILTY PLEASURES:
I found these quite by accident, and I must admit they brightened several rainy weekends. They are collections of B-movies (and in some cases C- and D-movies), perfect for sticking into the DVD player and vegging out on the sofa. High cheese factor, but also highly entertaining.- SciFi Classics Collection 50 Movie Pack Collection — Includes: "They Came from Beyond Space," "Gamera the Invincible," "Phantom from Space," "Cosmos: War of the Planets," and "The Galaxy Invader."
- Chilling Classics 50 Movie Pack Collection— Includes: "Death Rage," "Werewolf in a Girls Dormitory," "The Snake People," and "The Legend of Big Foot."
- Warriors 50 Movie Pack Collection — More Steve Reeves than you can shake a stick at! Includes: "Hercules Unchained," "Atlas in the Land of the Cyclops," Hercules and the Tyrants of Babylon," and "Gladiators of Rome."
- Cult Classics 20 Movie Pack (4 DVD) — Includes: "Delinquent Daughters," "Cocaine Fiends," "Reefer Madness," and "Omoo-Omoo, The Shark God."
- Tales of Terror 50 Movie Pack Collection— Includes: "The Amazing Transparent Man," "Bowery at Midnight," "The Manster," "Condemned to Live," and "Ironbound Vampire."
- Historic Classics 50 Movie Pack — Includes: "King Solomon's Treasure," "Abraham Lincoln," "Martin Luther," and "The Jackie Robinson Story."