Maggie Smith plays a homeless woman who somehow talks actor/playwright Alan Bennett to allow her to park her decrepit van in his driveway. For 15 years this crusty, difficult woman lives her mysterious life outside Bennett’s house. She was once a nun. She once played piano at the Proms. Alan Bennett, cleverly portrayed by Alex Jennings, shows the duality of his live by appearing with a double: one Alan Bennett who “experiences” and another Alan Bennett who “writes.” Very cool. Learning the secrets of this peculiar woman’s life and Alan Bennett’s reactions makes The Lady in the Van a classic mystery. But, you’ll be able to solve it: all the clues are in plain view. This “mostly” true story is a delight. GRADE: B+
SOUNDTRACK SET LIST:
1. Miss Shepherd’s Waltz
2. Moving in
3. Two Women – Tango
4. Re-parking
5. In Care
6. The Neighbours
7. Special Paint
8. Collision and Confession
9. Piano Concerto No. 1 – Extract
10. The New Van
11. Broadstairs
12. Impromptu in Gb Major- Extract
13. Curtain Down
14. Alive and Well
15. Freewheeling
16. The Day Centre
17. A Sepulchre
18. Remembering Miss Shepherd
19. Walk through the Cemetery
20. The Ascension (Miss Shepherd’s Waltz)
21. Impromptu in Gb Major D.899, No.3, Op. 90 – Clare Hammond
22. Piano Concerto No. 1 in E Minor, Op.11, 2. Romance (Larghetto)
23. Piano Concerto No. 1 in E Minor, Op.11, 3. Rondo

The ever generous Beth Fedyn sent me an ARC of David Denby’s Lit Up. David Denby, movie reviewer for The New Yorker, spent a year observing how reading is taught to high school students, mostly 10th graders. Denby hung out at the Beacon school in Manhattan, the James Hillhouse High School in New Haven, Conn., and the Mamaronneck High School in Westchester. As anyone in the teaching profession can tell you, this upcoming generation of students would rather fiddle with their cell phones and tablets than read a book. Denby’s book shows how teachers are reaching some of these kids and turning them on to reading despite their short attention spans and lack of focus. This book also gives the casual reader some insights into what is happening in classrooms and the problems teachers and students have with the learning process today. If you’re interested in reading, teaching, and learning you’ll be fascinated by Lit Up. Beth, thanks again for sending this wonderful book my way! You’re the best! GRADE: A
TABLE OF CONTENTS:
INTRODUCTION XIII

CHAPTER ONE
BEACON, SEPTEMBER: THE FIRST DAYS OF ENGLISH 10G 1

CHAPTER TWO
BEACON, OCTOBER: FAULKNER AND HAWTHORNE 12

CHAPTER THREE
BEACON, OCTOBER: SYLVIA PLATH AND CONFESSIONS 29

CHAPTER FOUR
BEACON, NOVEMBER: NUTS MATTER, AND BOLTS, TOO 35

CHAPTER FIVE
BEACON, NOVEMBER: HUXLEY 44

CHAPTER SIX
BEACON, DECEMBER AND JANUARY: ORWELL 63

CHAPTER SEVEN
MAMARONECK, ALL YEAR: PERSONAL CHOICE 78

CHAPTER EIGHT
BEACON, JANUARY: SATIRE 97

CHAPTER NINE
BEACON, FEBRUARY: COELHO AND HESSE 107

CHAPTER TEN
BEACON, FEBRUARY: VONNEGUT 120

CHAPTER ELEVEN
BEACON, MARCH: VIKTOR E. FRANKL 131

CHAPTER TWELVE
HILLHOUSE: THE YEAR 144

CHAPTER THIRTEEN
MAMARONECK, SPRING: TENTH-­GRADE ENGLISH 178

CHAPTER FOURTEEN
BEACON, APRIL AND MAY: DOSTOEVSKY 184

CHAPTER FIFTEEN
BEACON, MAY AND JUNE: SARTRE AND BECKETT 203

AFTERWORD 222

Appendix 1: Reading Lists 239
Appendix 2: Beacon Students’ College List 242
Bibliography 244
Ac­know­ledg­ments 248
Index of Authors and Works 251
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David Pogue is the “tech” reporter on CBS SUNDAY MORNING. He shows up to recommend the best cell phones and printers, etc. But, in this slim little book, Pogue distills his knowledge of common concerns of Life and offers some tips to make things easier. The subtitle of Pogue’s Basics: Life is “Essential Tips and Shortcuts (That No One Bothers to Tell You) for Simplifying Your Day.” I really liked Pogue’s approach to “How to Clean a Blender” (Fill the blender halfway with water…add a drop of dish detergent…and run it. Then, rinse with hot water. Done!). This book is full of helpful advice. Check it out! GRADE: B+
TABLE OF CONTENTS:
Introduction
The Car
Travel
Food
Clothes
Out and About
House and Home
Animals
How to Clean Everything
Electronics
Your Body
Social Hacks
Life-Hack Lies
Acknowledgements
Index

Deadpool is a love story. True, it’s violent, vulgar, and occasionally funny, too. But the heart of the movie is a love story between Ryan Reynolds and Morena Baccarin. After the disaster of Green Lantern I thought Ryan Reynolds would never star in another superhero movie. But, in Deadpool we find Reynolds tortured to activate his latent mutant powers. And, when those mutant powers appear, Reynolds finds he’s practically indestructible. Of course, the Bad Guy who was torturing Reynolds decides to go after his girl friend, Morena Baccarin. Big Mistake! Expect a huge climatic battle. Deadpool surprisingly took in $150 million last weekend. Not much is opening this weekend so I expect Deadpool to rule the top of the Box Office this week, too. If you’re looking for a quirky, violent love story then Deadpool will delight you. GRADE: A

I’ve been reading Gardner Dozois’s yearly Year’s Best Science Fiction anthologies for decades. The Best of the Best distills 20 years of great fiction down to these 36 stories. There’s a wide range of stories: time travel, alien contact, far future, etc. Dozois has been honored with “Best Editor” awards. He shows why he deserves them with this excellent anthology. Copies are plentiful on the Internet. I bought my copy for a penny (plus Shipping & Handling). What a bargain!
TABLE OF CONTENTS
1 – BLOOD MUSIC, Greg Bear
2 – A CABIN ON THE COAST, Gene Wolfe
2 – SALVADOR, Lucius Shepard
2 – TRINITY, Nancy Kress
3 – FLYING SAUCER ROCK AND ROLL, Howard Waldrop
3 – DINNER IN AUDOGHAST, Bruce Sterling
3 – ROADSIDE RESCUE, Pat Cadigan
3 – SNOW, John Crowley
4 – THE WINTER MARKET, William Gibson
4 – THE PURE PRODUCT, John Kessel
6 – STABLE STRATEGIES FOR MIDDLE MANAGEMENT, Eileen Gunn
6 – KIRINYAGA, Mike Resnick
7 – TALES FROM THE VENIA WOODS, Robert Silverberg
8 – BEARS DISCOVER FIRE, Terry Bisson
10 – EVEN THE QUEEN, Connie Willis
11 – GUEST OF HONOR, Robert Reed
12 – NONE SO BLIND, Joe Haldeman
13 – MORTIMER GRAY’S HISTORY OF DEATH, Brian Stableford
13 – THE LINCOLN TRAIN, Maureen F. McHugh
13 – WANG’S CARPETS, Greg Egan
13 – COMING OF AGE IN KARHIDE, Ursula K. Le Guin
14 – THE DEAD, Michael Swanwick
14 – RECORDING ANGEL, Ian McDonald
14 – A DRY, QUIET WAR, Tony Daniel
15 – THE UNDISCOVERED, William Sanders
15 – SECOND SKIN, Paul J. McAuley
16 – THE STORY OF YOUR LIFE, Ted Chiang
17 – PEOPLE CAME FROM EARTH, Stephen Baxter
17 – THE WEDDING ALBUM, David Marusek
17 – 10 to the 16th TO ONE, James Patrick Kelly
17 – DADDY’S WORLD, Walter Jon Williams
18 – THE REAL WORLD, Steven Utley
19 – HAVE NOT HAVE, Geoff Ryman
19 – LOBSTERS, Charles Stross
20 – BREATHMOSS, Ian R. Macleod
20 – LAMBING SEASON, Molly Gloss

A couple weeks ago I reviewed Cherie Priest’s Maplecroft, a novel mashup of Lizzie Borden and H. P. Lovecraft. You can read that review here. I enjoyed the drama as dark forces closed in on the Borden sisters. Chapelwood takes place 30 years after the events of Maplecroft. A strange church in the woods outside Birmingham, Alabama takes on a cosmic task. A series of brutal murders draws Lizbeth Borden and Inspector Simon Wolf to the South to investigate this new threat. As much as I enjoy faux-Lovecraftean stories, Chapelwood lacks the weirdness of Maplecroft. If Cherie Priest is going to continue this series, she needs to amp up the dread and action. I enjoyed Chapelwood but I was hoping for more. GRADE: B

Diane’s Book Club chose Station Eleven as their January book. Diane initially had some trepidation about Station Eleven because she’s not a fan of science fiction. But once Diane started reading Station Eleven she was swept up by the story. A pandemic hits the world and kills most of the people. The survivors struggle to exist when civilization crumbles around them. The novel jumps back and forth from before the pandemic and after the pandemic. The inside cover asks: What would you miss? My answer would be EVERYTHING!

Needless to say, after Diane finished the book in record time, I read it. I’ve read a lot of dystopian novels. Station Eleven is pretty good. The most grim novel I can think of is Cormac McCarthy’s The Road. Station Eleven isn’t as dark, but the collapse of civilization brings plenty of violence and suffering. A band of actors and musicians travel from town to town keeping Shakespeare and classical music alive. If you’re in the mood for a thoughtful story of a possible tomorrow, I recommend Station Eleven. GRADE: B+

I remember seeing Snow White & The Seven Dwarfs in a theater as a kid. Later, the movie showed up on Walt Disney’s Wonderful World of Color TV program. Loved it! Now Snow White is available in Blu-ray format. Great color and resolution! Check out the Special Features:
In Walt’s Words — For The First Time Ever, Hear Walt Himself Talk About SNOW WHITE
Iconography — Explore How This Film Influences Pop Culture, Art And Fashion
Disney Animation: Designing Disney’s First Princess
Disney Artists Discuss The Design Of SNOW WHITE And How It Influenced The Look Of Some Of Your Favorite Disney Characters
The Fairest Facts Of Them All — Disney Channel Star Sofia Carson Reveals Seven Intriguing Facts About Snow White
Alternate Sequence — Never-Before-Seen Storyboard Sequence Where The Prince Meets Snow White

If you’re a fan of Snow White & The Seven Dwarfs you’ll enjoy this package.
What’s your favorite Disney film? GRADE: A

WHO’S PRESIDENTIAL MATERIAL?

Sen. Ted Cruz (R-TX) gestures as the key speaker at the annual Reagan Republican Dinner in Des Moines, Iowa, Friday, October 25, 2013. (David Peterson/MCT via Getty Images)

U.S. Secretary of State Hillary Rodham Clinton ajusts headphones at Echo Moskvy radio station Wednesday morning, Oct. 14, 2009. Clinton is wrapping up a five-day tour of Europe on Wednesday with a series of informal meetings in Moscow and the Russian republic of Tatarstan aimed at helping redefine U.S.-Russian relations. (AP Photo/ Alexander Zemlianichenko)