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It's Nonfiction November

10/30/2020

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It’s Nonfiction November! This has been the most difficult column to write. I’ve lost count of the revisions! The problem is that there are so many wonderful nonfiction books to share. Here are a few:

“Becoming” by Michelle Obama is an excellent book; it is less about politics than about a woman balancing marriage, motherhood, and career, along with a very harsh spotlight. Speaking of politics, everyone should read “Thank You for Voting.” There is also a version for young readers. The right to vote is the cornerstone of our democracy, but a lot of people will be surprised by how much they don’t know about voting.

After reading “The Librarian of Auschwitz,” I read the 2019 autobiography of Dita Kraus, upon whom the novel is based. In “A Delayed Life” one topic leads to a memory, and it becomes very much like a conversation with your grandmother. Kraus chronicles not only her Holocaust experiences, but also her emigration to Israel, her life on a kibbutz, her family, and more. She explains that the title comes from the fact that even as a child she felt that everything in life was a delay, because she was always waiting for the next event, the next party, the next excursion. Imagine having to wait through Nazi occupation, deportation to the ghetto, concentration camps, liberation, illness, reintegration, Communism … At 89, she feels that she no longer has to wait to live her life.   

I am particularly interested in stories of the SOE (Special Operations Executive), the British network of saboteurs, subversives, and spies during WWII. This group worked to build Resistance behind enemy lines, especially in France. Sonia Purnell’s “A Woman of No Importance” is the biography of American socialite Virginia Hall who, as an SOE operative, was a pioneer “in a whole new type of warfare.”

To continue the WWII theme, I’ll share a book currently in my to-be-read stack, “The Splendid and The Vile: A Saga of Churchill, Family and Defiance During the Blitz” by Erik Larson. This book chronicles the day-to-day experiences of Winston Churchill and those closest to him against the backdrop of a year of crisis during which Churchill “taught the British people the art of being fearless.” Also in my TBR stack is John Meacham’s biography, “His Truth Is Marching On: John Lewis and the Power of Hope.”

I love books about books - and their impact on readers or their ability to connect people. Despite the seemingly morbid title, Will Schwalbe’s memoir “The End of Your Life Bookclub,” is a beautiful tribute to his mother through the books that were important to her, and to both of them, throughout her life and especially as a part of their “book club” during her treatments for pancreatic cancer. As Schwalbe considers losing his mother, he realizes that what we grieve is not the past with someone, but the future without them. “Yet I had a thought that made me smile. I would remember the books that Mom loved, and when the children were old enough, I would give those books to them and tell them that these were books their grandmother loved.” I know this book will feel very personal for some readers, but I highly recommend it. 
 

What about books about writers? Part true-crime story, part biography of Harper Lee, Casey Cep’s “Furious Hours: Murder, Fraud, and the Last Trial of Harper Lee” may just prove the adage, “Truth is stranger than fiction.”

There are more, but as the saying goes, “So many books; so little column space,” or something like that.   Be sure to look for more non-fiction recommendations in the months to come.

by Nancy Carstens
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In & Out of the Theater

10/30/2020

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Yes, the theaters are open, but unfortunately there are no matinees, and that’s my favorite time to see movies. I rented a few theatrical releases, so in some small way, I feel like I have been to the theater. I rented the long anticipated film by Jordan Peele, “Get Out,” which is hard to watch as it is about slavery. Someone spoiled the twist for me, unfortunately. If you see it, let me know your thoughts.

I wouldn’t rush out to see “Antebellum” nor the long awaited Christopher Nolan movie “Tenet.” Even the most loyal Nolan fans I know were very disappointed.

On the small screen, I saw several things I enjoyed. We rented “Adam” starring Aaron Paul of “Breaking Bad” fame. It’s a sweet, somewhat predictable tale of a man who suffers a life-altering accident in the prime of his life. There is adult language, but it is a sweet, feel good movie. On HBO Max, I’m loving the documentary series “The Vow.” It is the story of the NXIVM cult for which many Hollywood celebrities served as recruiters. Also on HBO, the true story of the largest embezzlement of a school district, “Bad Education,” starring Hugh Jackman and Allison Janney, is excellent.

On Netflix, please skip “Ratched.” I was so excited about this as it is the original story of Nurse Ratched from the fabulous “One Flew Over the Cuckoo’s Nest.” Sarah Paulson stars, and I think she’s a super-talented actress. Director and writer Ryan Murphy somehow gets a free pass on his misogynistic, violent, disturbing scripts. I think I am done with anything attached to him.

If you like creepy, I enjoyed “Strange but True.” This is definitely a more horror type film with twists you don’t see coming, but be warned that there is some gore and adult language.

I’m enjoying Season Two of the BBC crime drama “Broadchurch,” and Netflix has all three seasons. Also, the delightful movie “Enola Holmes” stars Millie Bobbi Brown of “Stranger Things” and is a fun ride. I devoured “Get Organized-Home Edit,” but the most compelling thing I watched all month was the documentary “The Social Dilemma” on Netflix. The people interviewed in this smart, engrossing documentary are all top executives at Facebook, Instagram, Twitter and Pinterest. The basic premise is that artificial intelligence addicts us to these platforms. The decline in mental health and rise in suicides in preteens is staggering. Kids are not the only ones affected. Women in their late 30s and early 40s are having similar problems. I deleted my Facebook account after watching, as did several people who watched it after we discussed it. Please take time for this film.

I am so fortunate to have such smart friends, and one such friend is Brian Masefield, who hosts the super fun podcast “Old Roommates” with his actual old roommate Christina Walsh. It’s a weekly podcast delving into the movies of the ’80s through a middle-aged lens. I asked Brian and Christina to give me a list of their favorite Thanksgiving films. Read on for their inspried list:

E.T. The Extra Terrestrial
One the most beloved films of all time, it sadly doesn’t get revisited enough. A family struggling with a complicated divorce, a homesick alien and intrusive NASA officials all lead up to a wonderfully sappy, feel good holiday movie.

A Charlie Brown Thanksgiving |  (1973) Charlie Brown and classic tomboy and boy seek to do the right thing by others.

The Karate Kid | While not a traditional Thanksgiving film, it’s safe enough for all ages, has lots to say about class, self-respect, racism, and has an ending to please any crowd.

Beauty & The Beast | The first animated picture nominated for an Oscar, this Disney classic has a smart, well-read heroine, singing place settings, and oodles of good life lessons. Maybe make it a family sing-a-long!

Wizard of Oz | Pop some popcorn, pull up a horse of a different color, watch out for flying monkeys and be reminded there is no place like home!


For the Adult Children and Adult Viewing:

Clue | Eccentric strangers trapped in a house kind of says Thanksgiving.

Planes, Trains & Automobiles | Rated R for very adult language, this film really has a lot to say about loneliness, friendship and the importance of family.

Home for the Holidays | Jodie Foster directs an all-star cast that makes us laugh (at ourselves somewhat) at why we leave home and why siblings drive each other crazy.

Alice’s Restaurant | If you ever were a hippie, or consider yourself one, this is your feel good hippie watch.

The Scent of a Woman | If you want something more serious, this profound film stars Al Pacino as a blind Army colonel and Chris O’Donnell as his caregiver. As stories of friendship go, this is as satisfying as pumpkin pie.
​
Until next month, I predict we will be passing popcorn in front of many different screens ...

by Merrile Stroud
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