The Days of Anna Madrigal

You might have grown up like me, reading the the nine-volume Tales of the City series written by Armistead Maupin.  The books began in 1976 as a serial story in a San Francisco newspaper and the first three books (Tales of the City, More Tales of the City and Further Tales of the City) were made into a television miniseries starring Olympia Dukakis and Laura Linney.  One of Maupin's other books, The Night Listener was also made into a film starring Robin Williams and Toni Collette and a stage-musical version of Tales of the City premiered at San Francisco's American Conservancy Theater in May 2011.  The Tales of the City books discuss the stories of several inhabitants of an apartment building in San Francisco, run by the beloved and fabulous Anna Madrigal.  In the latest book in the series, The Days of Anna Madrigal, Anna is 92 and committed to the notion of "leaving like a lady."  Mrs. Madrigal

has found peace with her "family of choice" and is patiently living her life.  Some members of Anna's chosen family are traveling to Burning Man, the art community in Nevada's Black Rock Desert where 60,000 revelers gather to construct a city designed to last only one week, and want her to travel with them, but she has another destination in mind--Winnemucca, Nevada, her Depression-era childhood home.  Anna hopes to attend to some unfinished business before she gracefully lives out her life, and face some demons she has long avoided. If you wish to read the series, you must start from the beginning, because the each book begins where the last one ends.  Armistead Maupin was the 2012 recipient of the Lambda Literary Foundation's Pioneer Award, and may be contacted at www. armisteadmaupin.com or at www.facebook.com/ArmisteadMaupinAuthor.

Take a Trip Into the Clouds

I have been watching many new movies lately and one that has made a huge impact on me is Cloud Atlas.  The movie explores six stories in the span of the almost three hours of film, but the movie is so intense and exciting that you don't even realize that three hours is over until you see the ending credits.  Tom Hanks and Halle Berry are two among the "star-filled" cast who star in the tales that weave in and out of each other, time, place and circumstances.  It does take a bit of time to get used to the jumps from storyline to storyline, but what stands out to me is the love story that manages to shine within the action.  The movie combines science fiction, drama, mystery, action and romance, all into one package, and the six stories resolve into a beautiful and believable ending.  The graphics are stunning and the acting is wonderful.  The movie is rated R, and is available on DVD at the library. 

The Storyteller

I just finished reading one of the most interesting books I have read in a while.  The Storyteller by Jodi Picoult is a bit different than her usual family dramas.  This book stars Sage Singer, a wounded bread maker with a scarred face from an automobile accident that eventually killed her mother.  Sage is recovering from her own grief when she meets Josef Weber and his dog.  Josef is beloved by their community and Sage finds herself opening up to Josef until he asks her to help him die.  Sage's world comes crashing down when Josef confesses he was an SS officer and asks for her forgiveness, since Sage's family is Jewish.  Sage is torn between loving who Josef is now, hating him for who he was during the Holocaust, and wanting to turn Josef into the authorities for punishment.  Sage visits her beloved grandmother and listens as she tells her story of the Holocaust which is interwoven with a story that she wrote while living in Auschwitz and other camps.  The story-within-a-story format is beautifully written in lyrical prose and the story left me spellbound.  This novel is a very personal account of the Holocaust as told through one person and her immediate family and it is magnificent.  Once you start reading this book, you will have a hard time putting it down until you finish it!

The Promise of Stardust

The Promise of Stardust by Priscille Sibley is a book perfect for fans of Jodi Picoult!  The story is gripping and centers around one fateful day when Elle Beaulieu slips off a ladder, falls and hurts her head.  She is declared officially brain dead and her neurologist husband, Mathhew, prepares himself and her family to terminate her life support.  Suddenly, there is a wrinkle in the plan--after many miscarriages and a still birth, Elle is pregnant.  The situation changes as Matthew gets embroiled in a battle with Elle's family and his own mother over who has the right to turn off Elle's life support and terminate both her life and the life of her unborn child.  Each chapter describes one day in the life of Elle and her family after the accident, and the novel is a wonderful examination of characters.  If you love family drama and/ or a good ethical story, then this book will be perfect for you. 

Find "The Way Back"

Every now and then I view a movie that makes a big impact on me. The movie that I have recently checked out from the library and really enjoyed is called The Way Back. Inspired by real events, the movie details the struggle of seven prisoners who attempt the impossible---escape from a brutal Siberian gulag in 1940. They begin a treacherous 4,500-mile trek to freedom across some of the world's most merciless landscapes (Siberia, Mongolia, the Himalayas) in their desperate attempt to beat the odds and live. The prisoners have very little food and water and barely trust each other, and their trek is further complicated when a teenage runaway asks to travel with them. This movie is a gripping wilderness adventure as well as a testament to the resiliency of the human spirit. This is an incredible story that you will not soon forget. The movie stars Ed Harris, Jim Sturgess, Saqirse Ronan and Colin Farrell and is directed by six-time Oscar-nominee Peter Weir.

No Acceptable Excuse

D. S. Murphy's No Acceptable Excuse has the appearance of a self-published work and could have used some judicious editing and spell checking. However, I found myself riveted to the story. It is a searing drama about a family history of physical and sexual abuse and incest. This tale is set in the early part of the 20th century and centers around Lela. A neighbor, Sam, becomes obsessed with her and forces her into marriage--her nightmare begins and continues until Sam's death. Lela and Sam eventually have seven children, who all suffer at their father's hands. This is a brutal tale and even though it has been a month since I read it, I still think back on it. I feel for all the abuse that everybody that came in contact with Sam suffered. And upon reading about the incident that made Sam the way he was, I can understand Lela's forgiveness--which is really the theme of the book--but she is a much better person than I. I still cannot understand why no one ever called Sam out on his behavior, but then, insn't that the way with bullies?

Get Obsessed or have an Everest Adventure!

The library recently added two wonderful dramas to its DVD collection: Obsessed and Everest. Obsessed stars Beyonce' Knowles, Ali Larter and Idris Elba. When successful financial advisor Derek Charles (Idris Elba) moves into a new neighborhood with his loving wife Sharon (Beyonce' Knowles) and their young son Kyle, Derek believes he has the perfect life. Then, a new temporary employee, Lisa (Ali Larter) joins the firm and sets her sights on Derek. After several misunderstood encounters, Lisa's behavior begins to spiral out of control and it is up to Derek and Sharon to take charge of the situation and Lisa's outrageous behavior.

Everest is the chilling motion picture adventure based on a group of climbers' 1982 trip to Mt. Everest. When an unexpected solo mountain climb ends in catastrophe for John Laughlin (played by Jason Priestley), his fellow climber friends decide to follow his dream and conquer the world's tallest peak. The film examines their daily struggles to reach the summit, including the drama of accidents and rescues, the tragedies of death, and the challenges of dealing with the elements. The scenery in the film is beautiful and the events are harrowing. Both of these films are action packed thrillers that will leave you breathless.

Humor in the Movies

I've spent some time recently watching movies, and watched two really funny ones that I wanted to share with you. The first one is 17 Again, starring Zac Efron (the really cute guy that stars in the "High School Musical" series) and Matthew Perry (from the "Friends" television show). The basis of the story is that Mike O'Donnell (Matthew Perry) is getting a divorce, because he's bitter and angry and has blamed his wife for his really unlucky life that he's had for the past eighteen years. The reason why O'Donnell has had such a bad life is that on the day that he, a huge basketball star, had a scout visit him during the game of his life, his girlfriend revealed a huge secret and he "gave up" his chance to be a college athlete in order to help her out. O'Donnell is musing on his past when he receives a chance to be "17 again" and he goes back to High School to try and change the outcome of his life. Zac Efron plays the 17-year-old Mike O'Donnell and Matthew Perry plays the 35-year-old Mike O'Donnell--both men are great actors and there are many humorous scenes. If you've ever wanted to go back to high school and re-live your stellar moments, this is the perfect movie for you! The movie is rated PG-13, and it would be a good movie to share with your kids.

Another humorous movie I've watched lately is Applause for Miss E, a stage play filmed live and produced on DVD. The play stars Vanessa Bell Calloway, Jazsmin Lewis, Gina Torres and Roger Guenveur Smith, in a funny but poignant family drama. Miss E (played by Calloway) walked away from a promising career as a comedienne to save her marriage and raise her daughter. Years later, Miss E has another chance to fulfill her dreams but she has to first rely on her sleazy ex-manager (Roger Smith) who's sudden appearance leads to the hysterical revelation of some long-held family secrets. Miss E's interactions with her friends are funny and the filming is superb. The play was filmed with a live audience in attendance, so the watcher is treated to a fine "laugh track" while watching the DVD. There is some strong language in the film, and it is not rated, so mature audiences might enjoy this film more than kids would.