Dull November brings the blast

MUSICAL DISCOVERIES

Paul Gilbody: There I was, lamenting not having found a new artist to highlight, and then along came Paul Gilbody, the one-man-band opening act for Alex Cornish's stellar gig at Bush Hall in London. Paul is a very talented guy, managing to work Dave Matthews style acoustic guitar, Jamie Lidell-quality vocal looping, Jason Mraz-like irreverence (e.g. the line "fox with the bento box" in the song "She Loves Sushi"), and a voice evocative sometimes of Incubus's Brandon Boyd and other times of Jeff Buckley on "Last Goodbye" as well as many stops in between, into one fabulous set. An exemplary singer/songwriter all around, and definitely an artist to watch for next year, he is putting out an EP in early 2011. Keep an eye on this one.

MINI MIX

"I'm In Love (I Wanna Do It)" -- Alex Gaudino
"Happy Now" -- Take That
"Dynamite" -- Taio Cruz
"Coulda Woulda Shoulda" -- Lyrics Born Feat. Sam Sparro
"She Loves Sushi" -- Paul Gilbody
"My Goals" -- Francis & The Lights
"Strong Enough" -- Cher

FILMS

Due Date
Morning Glory
Leaving
Unstoppable
Monsters
Hereafter
London Boulevard
Burlesque
The King's Speech

NETFLIX QUEUE

Star Trek VI: The Undiscovered Country
I Could Never Be Your Woman
Bedtime Stories
Basic Instinct
Pink Cadillac
Over Her Dead Body
Silkwood

COOKING

Shrimp and tomato risotto
Cheddar gougeres
Steak quesadillas

BOOKS

Childhood's End, Arthur C. Clarke

This is one of my mother's favorite books, so of course I wanted to give it a go. I am not sure what I was expecting of this book, but what was written wasn't quite it. I liked the book, but I just didn't buy into it as a possible alternate reality at all. The whole concept of a sudden evolution of the human species didn't make any sense to me. Clarke was certainly way ahead of his time, and I give him major kudos for that. I can see why the book would be considered a radical vision 50 years ago.  Maybe the problem is that too much of the scifi  (V and Contact immediately come to mind as two examples) that has come after Clarke borrows from him, so I sort of felt like I'd seen it all before to some extent. I was much more interested in the story of the human who travels in space and the concepts of the consequences of a lack of creativity and a decreased thirst for knowledge, but these seemed like secondary plot points for Clarke. I wanted so much more from this book than it gave. This is one book that could have benefitted from being longer.

The Blueprint: How the New England Patriots Beat the System to Create the Last Great NFL Superpower, Christopher Price

As a lifelong Pats fan that didn't really take an interest in the franchise until my 17th year, when a certain Tom Brady was thrust into the spotlight and led us to the Superbowl, I found this book very interesting and informative. It taught me a lot about the history of the franchise and how Bill Belichick's philosophy has shaped the franchise as I know and love it today. While Price's writing was often quite repetitive, this book did give me insight into aspects of the team that I had only heard or read about on a top-line level.

Booky Wook 2, Russell Brand

Russell Brand's second installment of his memoir is a lot more light-hearted and entertaining than the first, but having read both, I can appreciate how long in coming the luxury of simply being able to entertain was for him. This book is a bit of fluff, but it is fun and it made me laugh. I also enjoyed the behind the scenes stories from his recent films (Bedtime Stories, Forgetting Sarah Marshall, Get Him to the Greek). It still amazes me that I was so unaware of Brand's talent when I was living in England, but I am glad I discovered him in time to enjoy this chapter of his life, because it seems he is just beginning to reach his potential and grow into himself.

The Case of the Pederast's Wife, Clare Elfman

A well written entry into the historical-fiction-about-Oscar-Wilde category, this book views Oscar's post-trial life from his wife's perspective. Through her narrator, a fictions doctor, Elfman makes the case that Constance Wilde was deluded by her blind love and compassion for Oscar, consequently becoming powerless and miserable, paralyzed and unable to act, while deep down knowing others were right in insisting that she leave Oscar to his own devices and get on with her own life. This book is throughly engaging because of its extremely strong and believable characterizations.

The Congressman Who Loved Flaubert, Ward Just

Reading Just's books always make me sort of want to move to Washington. He makes life in the Capital seem so glamorous and full of power and influence. Even if the protagonists in this collection of short stories aren't all that happy, they still seems to glitter with alluring prestige. Not all of the stories are set in Washington; some are set in Chicago (another favorite Just location) and its surroundings, one or two are set in Boston, and some are set in Vietnam, examining the relationship between journalists and the war.  For me, these later stories were evocative of Graham Greene's The Quiet American (at least as it was translated to film). As usual, Just's tight, descriptive writing conjures up vivid characters and settings that draw you in to a different time and place. Highly recommended if you are looking for a mental getaway to slightly off-kilter ideals that may never have been real to start.