September 30, 2015

Although it’s only been officially fall for about one week, the season is already in full swing. We may not be consuming pumpkin spice lattes like they’re the last drops of water on earth, but we completely understand the appeal (Confession: Nikki is eating pumpkin spice things in all of its other forms). We’ve broken out our leather jackets for chillier nights and stepped up our sock game, and we’re sleeping soundly with our windows open and finally with no AC on. While all these autumnal things are nice and dandy, the thing we care the most about right now is TV, TV and ummm...TV. And a movie or two.

The other weekend, the 67th Emmys awarded some of the best in the business. Even though some of our favorites didn’t win big, there were so many other great things that happened throughout the night. Host Andy Samberg's smile engulfed the whole room. “We are Amy” (Amy Poehler and Schum Schum) became the hot new duo. (Love you forevs, Tina and J. Law.) Jon Hamm finally took home one of the biggest awards: “Outstanding Lead Actor in a Drama Series” for “Mad Men,” a title he’s been nominated for six times prior to this year. He even thanked Jenny W., his partner of the past 18 years before their breakup this month --- he has such a big...heart.

Viola Davis won “Outstanding Lead Actress in a Drama Series” for “How to Get Away with Murder,” becoming the first African American woman to win the nomination. Tracy Morgan made his much-anticipated return to entertainment, after his tragic automobile accident in 2014. Of course, the audience was so happy to see him doing well, and his jokes did not disappoint. Amazon Prime’s “Transparent” won five awards, and if you aren’t already watching it, you should be. Unsurprisingly, “Veep” received many accolades again. The stunning Sofia Vergara stuffed her face with popcorn. Lastly but not leastly, Taraji P. Henson, who plays our new favorite TV character of all time, Cookie (“Empire”), arrived decked out in custom Alexander Wang. While she didn’t receive an award, she did give us a mean dose of gown envy.

Speaking of “Empire,” the second season returned last Wednesday and left us fully convinced that the show is in the TV game for the long haul. The wild, star-studded premiere introduced new roles played by Marisa Tomei, Chris Rock and Swizz Beatz, to name a few. Word on the street is that even more big timers will be joining the cast throughout the season, like Tyrese Gibson, Denzel Washington, Lenny Kravitz and even Oprah. Between the music and the incredible wardrobes, we just can’t get enough.

While we haven’t watched it ourselves, we’ve been hearing great things about the second season of Showtime’s “The Affair.” The first episode of the second season became available to press to screen ahead of its premiere this Sunday night, and Carol has watched the first two episodes. Now instead of 2 POV, there are 4. He said, she said, and then, she said, he said. Your head will be spinning trying to figure out where the truth lies. It's no doubt that premium cable is still having its moment in the spotlight as “Homeland” and “The Leftovers” also return this coming Sunday.

While we aren’t quite jumping on the bandwagon to catch up with older TV shows, we’ve left some time in our busy schedules for new ones. We tested out Ryan Murphy’s newest thriller, “Scream Queens.” Our verdict? The first episode was a little too long for our tastes (a full 1.5 hours, a chunk of time we only have reserved for “The Bachelor” and all of its iterations), but we think it has some potential. The jokes are ruthless, and it’s Mean Girls meets “Pretty Little Liars” --- an intriguing combo. We also gave “Blood and Oil” a shot but don’t think it has true staying power. We hope it can prove us wrong because Chace Crawford’s face is beautiful.

We’re still looking to check out “The Muppets,” because no one can resist the muppets. “Quantico” is getting some high marks that have us wondering, and the new PBS miniseries “Indian Summers” is waiting to be played in our DVRs. Allegedly, it’s the new “Downton Abbey.”

We’ve only touched a tip of the TV iceberg here, so if you’re looking for a full TV premiere list through the winter, Rotten Tomatoes has you covered. Which ones will stay? Which ones will go? Only time will tell.

Somtimes, we don’t spend all of our time watching TV. Occasionally, we catch a movie. Nikki has Everest, Black Mass, and the incredible mountaineering documentary, Meru, under her belt. Between Everest and Meru, she is expedition ready. She recommends them all, except for The Visit, the latest scary movie from M. Night Shyamalan, which was just “not her thing.” If you want true horror films for the season, we suggest you stick to the campy classics like Evil Dead and Hellraiser. You better believe we will both watch Steve Jobs and Pan in the upcoming weeks, plus a few more we’ve mentioned down below. We also want to see what Sicario is all about. It's one of those that has been a little bit under everyone’s radar, but we know that sometimes those are the best ones. We’ll also check the theatrical adaptation of ROOM off our list when we catch a special preview of it next Tuesday. Nevertheless, it’s a very exciting time for TV and movies. Then again...when is it not?

In between all of our TV and movie watching, we read. So, here are three titles we're recommending this week:

THE HEART GOES LAST by Margaret Atwood tells the story of Stan and Charmaine, a married couple trying to stay afloat in the midst of an economic and social collapse. The Positron Project in the town of Consilience seems to be the answer to their prayers. No one is unemployed, and everyone gets a comfortable, clean house to live in for six months out of the year. On alternating months, residents of Consilience must leave their homes and function as inmates in the Positron prison system. When Charmaine becomes romantically involved with the man who lives in their house during the months when she and Stan are in the prison, a series of troubling events unfolds, putting Stan's life in danger. With each passing day, Positron looks less like a prayer answered and more like a chilling prophecy fulfilled.

THE SLEEPER AND THE SPINDLE, written by Neil Gaiman and illustrated by Chris Riddell, is a captivating and darkly funny tale. Gaiman and Riddell have twisted together the familiar and the new, as well as the beautiful and the wicked, to tell a brilliant version of Snow White's (sort of) and Sleeping Beauty's (almost) stories. This story was originally published (without illustrations) in RAGS & BONES. This is the first time it is being published as an illustrated, stand-alone edition, and the book is a beautiful work of art. For those of you who want to listen to it on audio, it has a full ensemble cast of 13(!), and it's pretty amazing. You can hear a sample here.

In THE LAST SEPTEMBER, a psychological thriller by Nina de Gramont, Brett had been in love with Charlie from the day she laid eyes on him in college. When Charlie is found murdered, Brett is devastated. But, if she is honest with herself, their marriage had been hanging by a thread for quite some time. Though all clues point to Charlie’s brother Eli, who’s been in and out of psychiatric hospitals for years, any number of people might have been driven to slit the throat of Charlie Moss --- a handsome, charismatic man who unwittingly damaged almost every life he touched. We have our fingers crossed that THE LAST SEPTEMBER gets made into a movie.

If you're tired of books being compared to GONE GIRL, then read contributor Ronnie's latest blog post, Please Stop Comparing Books to GONE GIRL! She discusses some of the latest hits like IN A DARK, DARK WOOD, LUCKIEST GIRL ALIVE and, of course, THE GIRL ON THE TRAIN. Nikki's most recent blog post talks about what it was like to visit the Dennis Severs' house in London, which was the inspiration for the new YA novel THE MARVELS. Her experience was quite unique, and the house seems out-of-this-world. Regular contributor/reviewer Rebecca Munro talks about attending the book party for Lauren Groff's FATES AND FURIES and the magnificent cake that was served to attendees. Check it out here.

As we usher in this new season, may your TVs stay glowing and your to-read list be plentiful!

5 Things We’re Obsessed With at This Very Moment, in no particular order:
1. The next season of the famous NPR podcast, "Serial," which is rumored to be covering the Bowe Bergdahl case.
2. This upcoming weekend's hot movie releases: The Martian, Legend and He Named Me Malala.
3. This great roundup of quotes on sex, love and writing from the late and great Jackie Collins.
4. #PizzaRat. That's right, we jumped on the bandwagon. We're loving all the internet GIFs, and we know there's a #TMNT joke to be made here.
5. The discovery of flowing water on Mars! Say what?!

Nicole Sherman (Nicole@bookreporter.com) + Emily Hoenig (Emily@bookreporter.com)

 

As we move from the hot days of summer to the cool and crisp nights of fall, we begin to shake off the light fare we've been consuming as of late (think: stone fruits, mid-day ice cream treats, freshly grilled corn) and look towards the cozier comfort foods (think: soups, stews, casseroles) to bulk us up in preparation for winter hibernation. This is probably felt most strongly in the Northeast region of America where the changing color of the leaves and the onslaught of sweater-weather wear are the true marks of transition.

Another notable part of this changeover is the new crop --- pumpkins, apples, 13 different kinds of squash --- that make the greenmarkets and foodstores overflow with hearty produce. Even though this season is one of the shortest, the homecooks and chefs alike find ways to use its extraordinary harvest for as long as possible. It's no secret that pumpkin everything fills up the stores and clogs the menus from early September to late November, but who's complaining? We sure aren't!

Just like any other publishing season, there's no shortage of restaurant and celebrity chef cookbooks in this roundup. Now, we can have GJELINA's (the famous casual, cool and convenient little restaurant in Venice, CA) rustic dishes in our own homes. And the very popular Yotam Ottlegehni of the wildly successful PLENTY, PLENTY MORE and JERUSALEM cookbooks has NOPI: The Cookbook, a comprehensive collection of some of the finest recipes from his finest restaurant of the same name. Of course, no season would be complete without a touch of Bobby Flay's renowned flavors. This time around, he gives us BRUNCH AT BOBBY'S, which is all about delectable twists on classic plates for one of the most coveted meals of the week.

There are a few cookbook newcomers like THE VIOLET BAKERY COOKBOOK, which hails from the tiny, California-inspired bakery nestled in the London suburbs (I've been and it's incredible!), and LUCKY PEACH PRESENTS 101 EASY ASIAN RECIPES, which is the first true hardcover from the editors at David Chang's food publication, Lucky Peach. Of course, with these rookies in tow, there's also the staples that deliver time and time again. MARTHA STEWART'S APPETIZERS is the perfect guide-to-entertain, and Nigella Lawson is our everyday-cooking companion, giving it to us honestly and directly in her latest, SIMPLY NIGELLA: Feel Good Food. So, without further adieu, please click through.

BIG MAGIC: Creative Living Beyond Fear by Elizabeth Gilbert (Self-Help/Motivational)
Readers of all ages and walks of life have drawn inspiration and empowerment from Elizabeth Gilbert’s books for years. Now this beloved author digs deep into her own generative process to share her wisdom and unique perspective about creativity. With profound empathy and radiant generosity, she offers potent insights into the mysterious nature of inspiration. Balancing between soulful spirituality and cheerful pragmatism, Gilbert encourages us to uncover the “strange jewels” that are hidden within each of us. Reviewed by Stephen Febick.

CLOCKWORK LIVES by Kevin J. Anderson and Neil Peart (Science Fiction/Adventure)
Marinda Peake is a woman with a quiet, perfect life in a small village; she long ago gave up on her dreams and ambitions to take care of her ailing father, an alchemist and an inventor. When he dies, he gives Marinda a mysterious inheritance: a blank book that she must fill with other people’s stories --- and ultimately her own. CLOCKWORK LIVES is a steampunk CANTERBURY TALES, and much more, as Marinda strives to change her life from a mere “sentence or two” to a true epic. Reviewed by Stephen Hubbard.

DEVOTED IN DEATH by J. D. Robb (Thriller)
Ella-Loo and her boyfriend, Darryl, hit the road now that Darryl’s sentence has been served. When their car breaks down, they make plans to take someone else’s. Then things get messy, and they wind up killing someone --- an experience that stokes a fierce, wild desire in Ella-Loo. A desire for Darryl. And a desire to kill again. With her husband, Roarke, at her side, Lieutenant Eve Dallas has every intention of hunting these two down and giving them what they truly deserve. Reviewed by Joe Hartlaub.

DISHING THE DIRT: An Agatha Raisin Mystery by M. C. Beaton (Mystery)
When therapist Jill Davent moved to the village of Carsely, Agatha Raisin was not a fan. Not only was she romancing Agatha's ex-husband, she dug up details of Agatha's not-too-glamorous origins. Jill also counsels a woman who Agatha firmly believes assisted her son in some grisly murders. Not one to keep her feelings to herself, Agatha tells anyone who would listen that Jill is a charlatan and better off dead. So when Jill is found strangled to death in her office, Agatha becomes the prime suspect. Reviewed by Amie Taylor.

THE DROWNING by Camilla Läckberg (Mystery/Thriller)
Christian Thydell’s dream has come true. His debut novel, The Mermaid, has been published to rave reviews. So why is he as distant and unhappy as ever? When crime writer Erica Falk, who helped Christian discover and develop his talents, learns he has been receiving anonymous threats, she investigates not just the messages but also the young author’s mysterious past. Then, one of Christian’s closet friends, Magnus, goes missing. Erica’s husband, Detective Patrik Hedström, has his worst suspicions confirmed as the mind games aimed at Christian become a disturbing reality. Reviewed by Ray Palen.

EILEEN by Ottessa Moshfegh (Psychological Suspense)
The Christmas season offers little cheer for Eileen Dunlop, an unassuming yet disturbed young woman trapped between her role as her alcoholic father’s caretaker and a day job as a secretary at a prison for boys. When the bright, beautiful and cheery Rebecca Saint John arrives on the scene as the prison’s new counselor, Eileen is enchanted and proves unable to resist what appears at first to be a miraculously budding friendship. In a Hitchcockian twist, her affection for Rebecca ultimately pulls her into complicity in a crime that surpasses her wildest imaginings. Reviewed by Matthew Mastricova.

FATES AND FURIES by Lauren Groff (Fiction)
Every story has two sides. Every relationship has two perspectives. And sometimes, it turns out, the key to a great marriage is not its truths but its secrets. At the core of FATES AND FURIES, Lauren Groff presents the story of one such marriage over the course of 24 years. At age 22, Lotto and Mathilde are tall, glamorous, madly in love and destined for greatness. A decade later, their marriage is still the envy of their friends, but with an electric thrill we understand that things are even more complicated and remarkable than they have seemed. Reviewed by Bronwyn Miller.

GUTSHOT: Stories by Amelia Gray (Fiction/Short Stories)
A woman creeps through the ductwork of a quiet home. A medical procedure reveals an object of worship. A carnivorous reptile divides and cauterizes a town. Amelia Gray's curio cabinet expands in GUTSHOT, where isolation and coupling are pushed to their dark and outrageous edges. A master of the macabre, Gray's work is not for the faint of heart or gut. Reviewed by Matthew Mastricova.

HER FINAL BREATH by Robert Dugoni (Mystery/Thriller)
A serial killer known as the Cowboy is killing young women in cheap motels in North Seattle. Even after a stalker leaves a menacing message for Tracy Crosswhite, suggesting the killer or a copycat could be targeting her personally, the homicide detective is charged with bringing the murderer to justice. With clues scarce and more victims dying, Tracy realizes that the key to solving the murders may lie in a decade-old homicide investigation that others, including her captain, Johnny Nolasco, would prefer to keep buried. Reviewed by Ray Palen.

INJUSTICE by Lee Goodman (Legal Thriller)
Someone close to Nick Davis is murdered. Investigators see it as either a case of mistaken identity or the work of a jealous fiancé. As a federal prosecutor, Nick tries shepherding the case to a swift conclusion, but it keeps slipping away. Meanwhile, Nick’s relationship with his wife, Tina, hangs by the thinnest of threads. She is also a lawyer, working to vindicate a young man convicted of killing a child eight years previously. When old DNA evidence is uncovered in the murder case, its analysis hurls Nick’s universe into upheaval. Reviewed by Stuart Shiffman.

THE LAST SEPTEMBER by Nina de Gramont (Psychological Thriller)
Brett had been in love with Charlie from the day she laid eyes on him in college. When Charlie is found murdered, Brett is devastated. But, if she is honest with herself, their marriage had been hanging by a thread for quite some time. Though all clues point to Charlie’s brother Eli, who’s been in and out of psychiatric hospitals for years, any number of people might have been driven to slit the throat of Charlie Moss --- a handsome, charismatic man who unwittingly damaged almost every life he touched. Reviewed by Sarah Rachel Egelman.

THE PERFECT COMEBACK OF CAROLINE JACOBS by Matthew Dicks (Fiction)
A rare outburst from Caroline Jacobs has awakened something in her --- a realization that the roots of her tirade can be traced back to when her best friend very publicly betrayed her. So Caroline decides to go back to her home town and tell off her childhood friend. She busts her daughter out of school, and the two set off to deliver the perfect comeback…some 25 years later. But nothing goes as planned. Long-buried secrets rise to the surface, and Caroline finds that she has to face much more than one old, bad best friend. Reviewed by Jane Krebs.

PURITY by Jonathan Franzen (Fiction)
A glancing encounter with a German peace activist leads young Pip Tyler to an internship in South America with The Sunlight Project, an organization that traffics in all the secrets of the world --- including, Pip hopes, the secret of her origins. TSP is the brainchild of Andreas Wolf, a charismatic provocateur who rose to fame in the chaos following the fall of the Berlin Wall. Now on the lam in Bolivia, Andreas is drawn to Pip for reasons she doesn't understand, and the intensity of her response to him upends her conventional ideas of right and wrong. Reviewed by Harvey Freedenberg.

SHE’S NOT THERE by P.J. Parrish (Psychological Thriller)
She knows her name is Amelia, but after waking up in a hospital battered and bruised with just the clothes on her back, it’s all she knows. Unable to piece together her shattered memory, she’s haunted by a vision: menacing faces and voices implying her nightmare is far from over. Relying only on her wits and her will to live, Amelia becomes a fugitive from a mysterious man, and a life she can’t even remember. But the past she’s fleeing has no intention of letting her go. Reviewed by Joe Hartlaub.

THE SPARROW SISTERS by Ellen Herrick (Magical Realism/Fantasy)
When a new doctor settles into Granite Point, he brings with him a mystery so compelling that town healer Patience Sparrow is drawn to love him. But when her herbs and tinctures are believed to be implicated in a local tragedy, Granite Point is consumed by a long-buried fear --- and its 300-year-old history resurfaces as a modern-day witch hunt threatens. It seems as if Patience and her town are lost until the women of Granite Point band together to save the Sparrow Sisters. Will they be able to turn the tide and return life to Granite Point? Reviewed by Kate Ayers.

TRIGGER MORTIS: A James Bond Novel by Anthony Horowitz, with original material by Ian Fleming (Historical Thriller/Adventure)
Incorporating original, never-before-published material from 007 creator Ian Fleming, Anthony Horowitz returns James Bond to his 1950s heyday. The world's most famous spy has just returned victorious from his showdown with Auric Goldfinger in Fort Knox. By his side is the glamorous and streetwise Pussy Galore, who played no small part in his success. As they settle down in London, the odds of Galore taming the debonair bachelor seem slim --- but she herself is a creature not so easily caught. Reviewed by Joe Hartlaub.

UNDER THE UDALA TREES by Chinelo Okparanta (Fiction)
Ijeoma comes of age as her nation does; born before independence, she is 11 when civil war breaks out in the young republic of Nigeria. Sent away to safety, she meets another displaced child, and they fall in love. They are from different ethnic communities. They are also both girls. When their love is discovered, Ijeoma learns that she will have to hide this part of herself. But there is a cost to living inside a lie. Reviewed by Maya Gittelman.

HALF A CREATURE FROM THE SEA: A Life in Stories by David Almond (Biography, Short Stories, Youth Fiction)
May Malone is said to have a monster in her house, but what Norman finds there may just be the angel he needs. Joe Quinn’s house is noisy with poltergeists, or could it be Davie’s raging causing the disturbance? Fragile Annie learns the truth about herself in a photograph taken by a traveling man near the sea. Set in the northern English Tyneside country of the author’s childhood, these eight short stories by the incomparable David Almond evoke gritty realities and ineffable longings, experiences both ordinary and magical. In autobiographical preludes to each story, the writer shows how all things can be turned into tales, reflecting on a time of wonder, tenderness and joy. Reviewed by Sarah Rachel Egelman.

I CRAWL THROUGH IT by A.S. King (Fiction, Surrealism, Social & Family Issues)
Four teenagers are on the verge of exploding. The anxieties they face at every turn have nearly pushed them to the point of surrender: senseless high-stakes testing, the lingering damage of past trauma, the buried grief and guilt of tragic loss. They are desperate to cope, but no one is listening. Reviewed by Matthew Mastricova.

THE SLEEPER AND THE SPINDLE by Neil Gaiman, illustrated by Chris Riddell (Picture Book, Fairy Tale, Fantasy)
In this captivating and darkly funny tale, Neil Gaiman and Chris Riddell have twisted together the familiar and the new as well as the beautiful and the wicked to tell a brilliant version of "Snow White's" (sort of) and "Sleeping Beauty's" (almost) stories. This story was originally published (without illustrations) in RAGS & BONES (Little, Brown, 2013), and this is the first time it is being published as an illustrated, stand-alone edition. Reviewed by Rebecca Czochor.

101 ARTISTS TO LISTEN TO BEFORE YOU DIE by Ricardo Cavolo (Graphic Novel)
A graphic novel in the form of Ricardo Cavolo’s personal diary, which follows the story of music through 101 essential artists; from Bach to Radiohead, to Amy Winehouse, Nirvana and Daft Punk. With over one hundred uniquely colorful illustrations and handwritten text, lists, notes, and personal anecdotes this is a book to delight in. Reviewed by Jeff Ayers.

BEEF WITH TOMATO by Dean Haspiel (Graphic Novel, Literary)
A native New York bruiser is fed up with life in the dregs of a drug-addled Alphabet City where his neighbors are shut-ins and his bicycle is always getting stolen. He escapes from Manhattan to make a fresh start in Carroll Gardens, Brooklyn, only to face a new strain of street logic --- where most everything he encounters is not as it seems. Reviewed by Jeff Ayers.