My favorite Broadway show of our Thanksgiving trip was & Juliet, a musical comedy. The premise is: what if Juliet didn’t die at the conclusion of Shakespeare’s Romeo & Juliet? And this jukebox musical includes hits from Boy Bands and female pop singers. I enjoyed the way the songs were woven into the plot of Juliet traveling to Paris to discover her true self.

& Juliet features 30 songs by Max Martin and a rotating group of collaborators (officially credited as Max Martin and Friends), ranging from the 90s to today and including songs made popular by Robyn, the Backstreet Boys, Katy Perry, Demi Lovato, Pink, and more. The playbill includes a note that Max Martin has written more Number One hits than any other artist this century, and boldly claims: “He’s basically the Shakespeare of pop music.” At the very least his catalog is unquestionably impressive — and his songs make for a surprisingly entertaining jukebox musical. 

I loved the music and I laughed at the comic scenes where Shakespeare looses control. If you’re in the mood for a fun musical with exuberance and energy, don’t miss & Juliet! I’m also listening to the & Juliet soundtrack constantly! How many of these 30 Max Martin songs are you familiar with? Check out the video below. GRADE: A

TRACK LIST:

“Larger Than Life” – Backstreet Boys

Released in 1999, this song was originally recorded as a way for the Backstreet Boys to say ‘thank you’ for the unwavering support of their fans.

“I Want it That Way” – Backstreet Boys

One of the Backstreet Boys biggest hits, the 1999 song tells of a relationship that’s breaking apart with emotional and physical distance – ain’t nothing but a heartache!

“Baby One More Time” – Britney Spears

Britney’s debut single “Baby One More Time” was released when Britney was just 16 years old. The song went to number 1 in 20 countries and turned Britney into an overnight success, rocketing her to stardom.

“Show Me The Meaning of Being Lonely” – Backstreet Boys

A Backstreet Boys track tackling how to deal with loneliness, this Max Martin song reached number 3 in the UK charts.

“Domino” – Jessie J

One of the lead singles from Jessie J’s debut album “Who You Are”, the pulsating, dance-pop rhythm of “Domino” helped solidify the starlet’s career by reaching the top spot in the UK charts.

The blend of catchy lyrics and the high-energy musical accompaniment ensured the track stood out, with the song later nominated for best British single at the 2013 Brit Awards.

“Show Me Love” – Robyn

Released in 1997, ‘Show Me Love’ was Robyn’s first top 10 hit in the UK and was a lead single from her debut album. Other Robyn hits include “Dancing On My Own,” recently covered by Callum Scott.

“Blow” – Ke$ha

Released in February 2011, Ke$ha’s track describes people looking to have fun on a night out to a mix of electronic sounds. “Blow” plays during the main party scene in & Juliet. Look out for the chandelier!

“I’m Not a Girl, Not Yet a Woman” – Britney Spears

First heard on the airwaves in 2002, Britney Spears’s emotional ballad shares her feeling towards growing up and what it means to be independent with your own voice.

“Overprotected” – Britney Spears

In this 2001 track, Britney Spears sings about how she just wants to be herself without anyone else telling her what else to do. In & Juliet, Francois sings “Overprotected” as he feels frustrated by his family.

“Confident” – Demi Lovato

If you’re looking for a song that oozes self-empowerment and raising your spirits, Demi Lovato’s 2015 track has this in bucketloads. It’s upbeat and definitely packs a punch.

“Teenage Dream” – Katy Perry

Originally aimed to be a throwback song that captured the essence of what it meant to fall in love as a teenager, Katy Perry’s 2010 song reached number 2 in the UK charts.

“Break Free” – Ariana Grande

Just one of 30 songs to feature lyrics by Max Martin in 2014, “Break Free” was an instant pop hit for Ariana Grande and has sold just shy of 2 million copies. Fusing components of a chart-topping pop song with an electronic sounding tone, “Break Free” was remarked to be “too catchy to be generic”.

“Oops I Did It Again” – Britney Spears

Released in March 2000, “Oops!… I Did It Again” tells of a young woman who doesn’t want to get caught in the game of love, playing with her lover’s emotions instead.

“I Kissed a Girl” – Katy Perry

One of her earliest singles, “I Kissed a Girl” sent Katy Perry into superstardom, with people around the world listening to the track ensuring it topped the charts in 19 countries.

Released in 2008, the song initially appears as a sugary, sweet track, yet was scolded for its seemingly inappropriate lyrics and social commentary.

“It’s My Life” – Bon Jovi

Ever since it began to play on the radios in 2000, “It’s My Life” has become one of Bon Jovi’s biggest rock anthems, performed during the band’s last 10 tours. With a heart-thumping guitar and raspy vocals, the song attracted younger listeners to the band and ensured that Bon Jovi’s music would continue to be played to generations. “It’s My Life” is the final Act One song in & Juliet.

“Love Me Like You Do” – Ellie Goulding

The angelic-like tone of Goulding’s voice as she captures a woman’s desire to be with a man in “Love Me Like You Do” was loved by audiences ever since it was recorded for the 2015 Fifty Shades of Grey soundtrack. The song was nominated for 13 awards including best original song at the Golden Globes and best pop solo performance at the Grammy Awards.

“Since U Been Gone” – Kelly Clarkson

The first American Idol winner Kelly Clarkson’s 2004 song reached platinum certification in the UK. “Since U Been Gone” tells the story of a young woman who has recently left a relationship,

“Whataya Want From Me” – Adam Lambert

Adam Lambert’s song was originally recorded by Pink for her fifth studio album. Since recording “Whataya Want From Me,” Lambert now tours with Queen as their lead singer.

“Problem” – Ariana Grande

Featuring Australian rapper Iggy Azalea on the 2014 track, the single has been sold and streamed over nine million times, making it one of the best-selling songs of all time.

“Can’t Feel My Face” – The Weeknd

Sending The Weeknd to the top of the charts around the world, “Can’t Feel My Face” is one of six songs by The Weeknd co-written by Martin. Uniting funk and pop sounds together, the track was likened to an early Michael Jackson song, and was subsequently nominated for record of the year at the 2016 Grammy Awards, losing out to Bruno Mars’ “Uptown Funk”.

“That’s The Way It Is” – Celine Dion

Released in 1999, ‘That’s The Way It Is’ was initially billed as the lead single from her greatest hits album of the same year, charting in the top ten around the world.

“Everybody (Backstreet’s Back)” – Backstreet Boys

Released in 1997, this track only reached number 3 in the UK charts but has grown to become one of the band’s biggest hits. With a Michael Jackson inspired video based on Thriller to boot, the song was awarded best music video at the 1998 MTV Video Music Awards.

“As Long As You Love Me” – Backstreet Boys

The band’s biggest-selling song in the UK, it was never meant to be a commercial single on the other side of the pond. With radio stations repeatedly playing the track, it became a major hit for MTV.

“It’s Gonna Be Me” – NSync

The turn-of-the-century pop hit ‘It’s Gonna Be Me’ was first performed at the 2000 MTV Movie Awards. The song tells the story of a man who expresses his faithfulness in a relationship. The word ‘me’ is used as a pun during the musical.

“Shape of My Heart” – Backstreet Boys

Although the music video stayed at the top of MTV video charts for months, ‘Shape of My Heart’ enjoyed equal commercial success on music charts, receiving a Grammy Award nomination for best pop performance.

“Stronger” Britney Spears

Britney Spears sings how her loneliness isn’t killing her anymore, and in & Juliet, Juliet finally finds her own strength. The 2000 track’s video was nominated for Best Music Video at the MTV Music Video Awards.

“Perfect” – Pink

Sang as ‘Perfect’ on the clean version of the track, the 2010 song encourages listeners to be accepting of everyone around them in an uplifting song.

“Roar” – Katy Perry

The lead song for Katy Perry’s 2013 album titled Prism, Roar is a track of self-empowerment, with Katy Perry in a jungle for the track’s music video. It was nominated for song of the year at the 2014 Grammy Awards.

“Can’t Stop the Feeling!” – Justin Timberlake

One of the feel-good tracks of 2016, “Can’t Stop the Feeling!” featured in the Trolls animated film in the same year. Bringing a disco sound into the modern day, audiences fell in love with the infectiously happy message behind the song and was one of the biggest-selling songs in 2016.

You might think that a horror collection about Christmas–a time of Comfort and Joy–might be a non-starter. But Ellen Datlow’s Christmas and Other Horrors features some creepy Christmas stories. Take Garth Nix’s “Last Drinks at Bondi Beach” for example. There’s a monstrous creature about to be unleashed…but there are complications. Richard Kadrey–of Sandman Slim fame–delivers a gruesome tale: “The Ghost of Christmases Past.” A woman wields a nail gun to secure her windows in the days leading up to Christmas to protect herself from the Ghost that murdered her young brother and now seeks to kill her. Once again, everything isn’t quite what it seems.

My favorite story in Christmas and Other Horrors is Jeffrey Ford’s “The Visitation.” In his Afterward to his story, Ford writes about finding a book in Ohio that listed various Christmas holiday rituals. One of these rituals concerned helping strangers at Christmastime because they might be Angels of Accord who test humans. “If you act with generosity toward them in their indigent disguise, they will shower you and your family with grace and wealth.” (p. 323) Of course, if you don’t extend help to the disguised Angel, the consequences will be dire. Which is pretty much Jeffrey Ford’s story.

Call me Old Fashioned, but I prefer more uplifting and inspiring stories this time of year. But, different strokes for different folks… GRADE: C+

TABLE OF CONTENTS:

Introduction by Ellen Datlow — 7

The Importance of a Tidy Home/Christopher Golden — 9

The Ones He Takes/Benjamin Percy — 31

His Castle/Alma Katsu — 41

The Mawkin Field/Terry Dowling — 59

The Blessing of the Waters/Nick Mamatas — 83

Dry and Ready/Glen Hirshberg — 97

Last Drinks at Bondi Beach/Garth Nix — 131

Return to Bear Creek Lodge/Tananarive Due — 139

The Ghost of Christmases Past/Richard Kadrey — 169

Our Recent Unpleasantness/Stephen GrahamJones — 189

All the Pretty People/Nadia Bulkin — 225

Löyly Sow-na/Josh Malerman — 243

Cold/Cassandra Khaw — 271

Gravé of Small Birds/Kaaron Warren — 283

The Visitation/Jeffrey Ford — 323

The Lord of Misrule/M. Rickert — 337

No Light, No Light/Gemma Files — 367

After Words/John Langan — 389

Acknowledgements — 429

About the Authors — 431

About the Editor — 439

Suleika Jaouad, a writer, was diagnosed with acute myeloid leukemia in 2011. After a grueling treatment schedule, Jaouad’s cancer went into remission. Jaouad had met musical phenom John Batiste in Band Camp in middle school and years later, they reconnected and fell in love.

Fast foreward to November 2021. Filmmaker Matthew Heineman was already in production of American Symphony which was supposed to be a documentary on Batiste’s upcoming Carnegie Hall performance. But now the project hit a “pivot” point. Jaouad told Heineman, “I never want to be flattened into ‘the sick girl.” Heineman reassured Jaouad that he had no interest in an illness plot, but would focus on the relationship between Jaouad and Batiste. Jaouad agreed to the project.

What first started as a documentary on multi-Grammy winning John Batiste morphed into a love story about a couple dealing with serious troubles. The film, drawn from 1500 hours of footage, covers the highs and lows of Jaouad and Batiste’s struggle. I found it very moving. Keep a Kleenex handy. GRADE: A

Jo Firestone is a writer and comedian who lives in New York City. You can watch her most recent comedy special, Good Timing, on Peacock. For more information, check out www.jofirestone.com.

Patrick attended one of Jo Firestone’s performances, bought her first novel, Murder on Sex Island, and Firestone autographed it!

During our Thanksgiving trip to New York City, I finished reading the book I brought (and foolish didn’t include a spare) so Patrick lent me Murder on Sex Island.

Murder on Sex Island is narrated by Marie Jones, a divorced ex-social worker. The one thing Marie is really really good at is solving puzzles. Marie also created a fictional persona named Luella van Horn, a glamorous private detective. Where Marie is drab and introverted, Luella is bold and brassy.

Sex Island is a hit TV show where a group of young men and women…have sex! Cameras are everywhere and the action is captures (and edited to network standards) and broadcast to the millions of eager viewers. But, when one of the cast members disappears, the producers of Sex Island hire Luella van Horn to go undercover on Sex Island as a contestant and solve the mystery.

Marie Jones disguises herself as Luella van Horn and flies to Sex Island to investigate. Luella has to deal with the lying producers, a sleazy director, and the conniving contestants who will do just about anything to win the $100,000 prize.

To enjoy Murder on Sex Island you have to be prepared to accept wild coincidences and a loopy plot. The ending hints at a sequel in the works so we may see more of Luella van Horn in the future. Mildly funny and entertaining! GRADE: C+

The Buffalo Bills–after their catastrophic 37-34 loss to the Eagles last week–are on a Bye. Just when you think things can’t get worse, Bills Defensive End Von Miller got arrested for allegedly kicking his pregnant girlfriend. The Bills need to get that Voodoo Curse lifted!

To have any chance at the Playoffs, the Bills need to win four of their five remaining games. It starts next Sunday at Kansas City when the Bills take on the Chiefs. How will your favorite NFL perform today?

Slow Horses, Season 3 is based on Mick Herron’s Real Tigers from 2016. The series is based on a fictional group of disgraced spies–labeled “Slow Horses–exiled to Slough House. Jackson Lamb (Gary Oldman), once a legendary British spy during the Cold War, runs the asylum while the demoted spies are given paperwork to shuffle (but they all miss the action of MI5).

After an Alcoholics Anonymous meeting, one of Slow Horses, Catherine Standish (Saskia Reeves) is kidnapped. That triggers a series of events that threatens Slough House’s existence and sends MI5 into chaos and propels the Slow Horses into the fray.

I love the political machinations of Kristin Scott Thomas as Diana Taverner, the deputy director-general of MI5 and head of operations and designated “Second Desk”. Travener lusts for the top position at MI5 currently held by Sophie Okonedo as Ingrid Tearney, the Director-General of MI5, often referred to as “First Desk”. Travener’s conniving shows how twisted the spy world can be.

Jack Lowden as River Cartwright, an up-and-coming MI5 agent shunted aside to Slough House after a very public training-exercise mistake, is back to keep the action at critical levels. One of my favorite Slow Horses is Christopher Chung as Roddy Ho, an obnoxious computer expert and former hacktivist. In this Third Season, Ho tries to make a romantic move on his colleague, Louisa Guy (Rosalind Eleazar) which creates some comic relief from the relentless action of the main plot.

If you’re a fan of spy fiction, you’ll enjoy Mick Herron’s series. I like the way Apple TV+adapted the novels in the Slow Horses series. Recommended. GRADE: A

If you’re looking for a Holiday gift for a friend who loves mysteries, you might want to consider The Library of America’s collection: Crime Novels of the 1960s.

Volume One–Crime Novels: Five Classic Thrillers 1961-1964–includes Fredric Brown’s, The Murderers (1961), Dan J. Marlowe’s The Name of the Game Is Death (1962), Charles Williams’ Dead Calm (1963), and Dorothy B. Hughes’ The Expendable Man (1963), and The Score by Richard Stark (aka, Donald E. Westlake).

 Volume Two–Crime Novels: Four Classic Thrillers 1964-1969— includes Margaret Millar’s The Fiend (1964), Ed McBain’s Doll (1965), Chester Himes’ Run Man Run (1966) and Patricia Highsmith’s The Tremor of Forgery (1969).

You can quibble with these choices of being representative of “Best” of the Sixties, but I enjoyed all of these novels. I was especially happy that Dan J. Marlowe’s The Name of the Game Is Death–a very underrated novel–will find a new audience by being part of this project. Are you familiar with these novels and writers? Any favorites here? GRADE: A

Rock-N-Roll’s Greatest Hits Of All Time Late 60’s Volume 3 is part of a 5-volume series. I’ve never seen any of the other volumes. Volume 3–focused on the late 60s–delivers a mixed bag of songs. There’s the instrumental “Hawaii Five-o” rubbing shoulders with The Human Beinz’s “Nobody But Me.” Then there’s Jackie DeShannon’s “Put A Little Love in Your Heart” hit from 1969 along with Jay & The Americans’ “This Magic Moment.”

Many of the songs included in this set are One-Hit Wonders. Take The Royal Guardsmen’s “Snoopy Vs. The Red Baron,” Bob Lind’s “Elusive Butterfly,” and The Classics IV’s “Spooky.” I do like The Spencer Davis Group’s classic “Gimme Some Lovin'” and Canned Heat’s “On the Road Again.”

And what did they throw off the Tallahatchie Bridge? Do you remember these songs? Any favorites? GRADE: C+

TRACK LIST:

1-1	The Music Explosion–	Little Bit O’ Soul	2:19
1-2	Jackie DeShannon–	Put A Little Love In Your Heart	5:35
1-3	Dion (3)–	Abraham, Martin & John	3:18
1-4	Glen Campbell–	Wichita Lineman	3:06
1-5	Bobby Goldsboro–	Honey	3:57
1-6	Jay & The Americans–	This Magic Moment	3:03
1-7	Vikki Carr–	It Must Be Him	2:48
1-8	People (4)–	I Love You	4:33
1-9	Ian Whitcomb & Bluesville–	You Turn Me On (Turn On Song)	2:42
1-10	The Ventures–	Hawaii Five-o	1:51
2-1	The Human Beinz–	Nobody But Me	2:16
2-2	The Spencer Davis Group–	Gimme Some Lovin	2:52
2-3	The Outsiders (5)–	Time Won’t Let Me	3:01
2-4	Bob Lind–	Elusive Butterfly	2:46
2-5	Bobbie Gentry–	Ode To Billie Joe	4:15
2-6	The Classics IV–	Spooky	3:32
2-7	Canned Heat–	On The Road Again	3:22
2-8	The Hollies–	Bus Stop	2:54
2-9	Cher–	Bang Bang (My Baby Shot Me Down)	2:40
2-10	The Royal Guardsmen–	Snoopy Vs. The Red Baron	2:43

I’ve read dozens of Agatha Christie mysteries over the years. I have a small shelf of Christie mysteries that I’m slowly reading–a couple a year–trying to make them last (I’m doing the same thing with Anthony Trollop novels). I find it difficult to reread Christie classics like Then There Were None, Murder on the Orient Express, and Death on the Nile once I know Whodunit.

I’ve been reading Agatha Christie’s short stories–about one or two a week. This 691 page collection brings together 39 of Christie’s short stories grouped by the character solving the crime: Parker Pyne, Harley Quin, Hercule Poirot, and Miss Marple.

With this doorstop volume, I’ve been jumping around. I’m not a big fan of Parker Pyne or Harley Quin but I’m dutifully reading their stories. I’d be hard-pressed to pick a favorite between Poirot and Marple. Sometimes “the little gray cells” annoy me. Miss Marple lives in the Murder Capital of the World: St. Mary Mead. I admire her ability to see what others don’t.

Are you an Agatha Christie fan? Do you prefer Pyne, Quin, Poirot, or Marple? GRADE: A

TABLE OF CONTENTS:

PART ONE: Parker Pyne — 1

Meeting Parker Pyne — by Agatha Christie –3

Case of the middle-aged wife — 5

Case of the discontented soldier — 18

Case of the distressed lady — 36

Case of the discontented husband — 47

Case of the city clerk — 60

Case of the rich woman — 75

Have you got everything you want? — 90

Gate of Baghdad — 104

House at Shiraz — 130

Pearl of price — 133

Death on the Nile — 145

Oracle at Delphi — 159

PART TWO: Harley Quin — 173

Presenting Mr. Harley Quin — by Agatha Christie — 175

Coming of Mr. Quin — 177

Shadow on the glass — 195

At the Bells and Motley — 217

Sign in the sky — 235

Soul of the croupier — 252

World’s end — 269

Voice in the dark — 289

Face of Helen — 307

Dead Harlequin — 325

Bird with the broken wing — 348

Man from the sea — 368

Harlequin’s Lane — 396

Love detectives — 419

PART THREE: Hercule Poirot –441

Third-floor flat — 443

Adventure of Johnnie Waverly — 461

Four and twenty blackbirds — 474

Double clue — 489

Double sin — 500

Wasps’ nest — 515

Theft of the royal ruby — 525

Second gong — 569

PART FOUR: Miss Jane Marple

Strange jest — 595

Tape-measure murder — 607

Case of the perfect maid — 621

Case of the caretaker — 634

Greenshaw’s folly — 648

Sanctuary — 672

I confess: I buy a lot of stuff from AMAZON. Mostly books. But also music CDs, Blu-rays, vitamins, and other essentials. Do you do business with AMAZON?