October Worthwhile Stuff

 

📚 Books
A Time for Mercy, John Grisham: This felt like an old-schol John Grisham book (i.e. A Time to Kill, The Firm, The Pelican Brief, etc.): entertaining, thought-provoking, and suspenseful. Sure, Grisham is writing Jake Brigance as if he were one and the same with Matthew McConaughey, but that just makes the courtroom scenes come alive and crackle with electricity. There are some loose ends that bothered me a bit at the end, but I suppose that speaks to the flaws in our judicial and legislative systems, rather than to Grisham's ability to plot a book.

Just Like You, Nick Hornby: This book sees Hornby returning to his rom-com roots.  The story is just okay and even a bit cliche (among other issues) due to its odd-couple central pairing (young black man, older white woman). However, I am recommending this book because the dialog is legitimately brilliant, and often hilarious (I literally laughed out loud so many times). Writing dialog that is both realistic and funny is definitely a talent, and Hornby's prowess in that area is on full display here.

The Giver of Stars, Jojo Moyes: Historical fiction about pack-horse librarians in Kentucky during the depression! What more do you need to know? There's friendship, romance, books, and natural disasters. The Giver of Stars is an entertaining and atmospheric story with substance, even if a few of the characters are cartoonish cliches or one-note baffling mysteries. It's a special story based on a unique piece of American history, and well worth reading.

🎶 Music
"Wonder", Shawn Mendes: Shawn Mendes doing anthemic yearning. It just works.

The High Note OST: When I first listened to this soundtrack over the summer, I hadn't yet seen the movie, and my reaction was "meh". However, after having seen the film, I had new appreciation for the songs on this album, especially the ones sung by Tracee Ellis Ross and Kelvin Harrison Jr. "Track 8" is an addictive standout, "Stop For a Minute" and "Bad Girl" are full of funky Soul horns, and "Like I Do" wouldn't have been out of place in a late-90s rom-com (that's a good thing). The rest of the soundtrack has a couple of cover tunes nicely executed by Harrison, and a few well-chosen throwback tunes as well. I definitely recommend watching the film (an enjoyable little music industry romp with better than average dialog) for the context and the characters, which imbues the songs with so much more meaning and feeling.

🎬 Film
The High Note: It's so pleasing when Dakota Johnson is given a good role. She is just as delightful here as she was in A Bigger Splash. In some ways, I wish The High Note had more substance to really give its excellent cast (including Tracee Ellis Ross and Kelvin Harrison Jr.) something to sink their teeth into, but it uses that cast well enough, and gives them snappy and clever dialog to sling at each other. Of course, I also enjoy the music-industry / Los Angeles setting, and there is some great fashion as well (plus a cameo from Eddie Izzard!). I wish I had gotten to see this movie at the cinema to really do the "in concert" numbers justice, but as mentioned above, the soundtrack lets me take some of the best parts of the film with me wherever I go.