Media Report

Books

*Outlander by Diane Gabaldon-- I read this because a number of people told me it was like The Time Traveler's Wife. I'm not sure what they were thinking. Well, to be fair, both books have main characters named "Claire." Although it wasn't what I expected, Outlander is enjoyable enough, though too "romancey" for my tastes. Also, this l-o-n-g book could easily be reduced by half without any real loss.

*Perfect Match by Jodi Piccoult-- This is the first Piccoult book I've read, and I didn't enjoy it very much. My biggest problem with the book is that the author changes POV multiple times per CHAPTER! I'm guessing this was an intentional choice to highlight the disorientation of the characters in this story, but it is annoying. I agree with Charles Spurgeon: "There is no particular virtue in being seriously unreadable."

*The Vagina Monologues by Eve Ensler-- Okay, it's about vaginas. But really, it's about more than that. It's about identity and body image and violence against women. It's about culture and sociology. Some of the supplemental material is kind of boring, but the monologues themselves are generally pithy and emotionally rich. Fabulous? No, not really...but pretty good, and most likely, very different than anything else you've ever read.

Books I've Read for Kid-Related Reasons

*Uglies by Scott Westerfield--Although I don't think this is a piece of classic and enduring literature, it does provoke some good thoughts and discussions with this age group (about beauty, appearance, utopias, expectations of society, peer pressure, transitions, etc). The girls loved it and want to read the rest of the series. I'm glad it's gotten them reading, thinking and talking. Warning for excessive use of hoverboards.

*Shug by Jenny Han-- Wow-- Han has young adolescent "voice" nailed. I loved this book. We haven't had our club meeting yet so I'm not sure about the girls' reactions. Han asks a lot of her readers because she does not resolve many of the conflicts, and there are not clear cut cause-and-effect lessons that YA writers tend to helpfully insert into their novels. (For instance, the main character tells about dropping her former best friend: "Yes, she was my friend, but we're in junior high now. Things are different. She was holding me back. I know I could be cool if I didn't have Sherilyn hanging on to me. It's like trying to shimmy up a pole with a moose tied to your ankles. You've just gotta cut that moose loose." Although this may make us cringe, few adults will be unable to acknowledge the truth in that. And...there are no touching lessons that make Shug see the folly of her ways.) I'm guessing that Han intended the setting to be current day, but the absence of cell phones and computers is unlikely to go unnoticed by teens. However, that's a minor quibble. Overall, it's well-written with dynamic, likable and flawed characters.

Movies

*Slumdog Millionaire-- Everything to say has probably already been said, but this movie is awesome! Visually stunning, poignant, sad and hopeful, it deserves all of the awards it's garnered.

*He's Just Not That Into You-- This movie really wanted to be Love Actually, with multiple, interwoven plotlines that are somehow tied together. It doesn't quite succeed. Although it has its funny moments, overall, it seems l-o-n-g and too meandering. It's not that bad; it's just not that good. (Also, Bradley Cooper is not a very nice guy in this movie, and every since Alias, I've loved Bradley Cooper. I need him to be a nice guy; I need him to be Will.)

Music

*Slumdog Millionaire-- I purchased some of the songs (including "Jai Ho") from itunes, and I'm really enjoying them. Very upbeat and fun.

*The Weepies--I had given up on itunes Genius (which seriously slows down proceedings), but then today, it popped up and told me that I would love The Weepies. Well, it was right! Maybe it's not so useless after all!