Ben Greenman, an editor at The New Yorker, combines the loneliness and intimacy of men and women in unusual configurations in this short story collection. Greenman tells a story of a woman who marries a jealous farmer who punches her when he believes she’s having an affair with an artist. But, of course, there’s more to the story. There’s also a story of a brother and sister who live in a lunar colony whose father abandons them and returns to Earth. And the businessman who sleeps with women while he’s on the road. He sends his wife postcards after each infidelity. Greenman’s stories are quirky and edgy. This edition includes an interview with Greenman where he discusses his work. Greenman adds a reading list of his favorite books, too. And, I love the cover! GRADE: B

(This completes the July 2010 portion of my Short Story Reading Challenge. I will read and review one short story collection per month in 2010. To find out more about the Short Story Reading Challenge, be sure to click: “http://theshortstorychallenge.blogspot.com/”>Short Story Reading Challenge.

Director Christopher Nolan channeled Philip K. Dick while making Inception. Leonardo DiCaprio plays a corporate spy whose specialty is “extraction.” That is, DiCaprio’s character enters the dreams of his victim and extracts the secrets he’s been paid to find. However, now DiCaprio is hired to accomplish something much harder than extracting information: inception. That is, planting an idea in the mind of the victim. In order to accomplish this difficult feat, DiCaprio puts together a team and a dangerous strategy to plant an idea deep within the subconscious of the industrialist target. The plan involves a dream within a dream within a dream. This is Philip K. Dick territory with multiple realities that move on different time-lines. I wasn’t confused–Nolan does a masterful job juggling his multiple worlds–but I can see where some movie-goers might get lost in the complexity. Christopher Nolan is the most cerebral of Hollywood directors and it shows in this brilliant movie. GRADE: A

As we grow older, our aches and pains increase. Julie Daniluk believes we can reduce inflammation in our bodies with an improved diet rather than popping Motrin, Aleve, and Advil like Tic-Tacs. Daniluk recommends foods that naturally possess effective anti-inflammatory properties. Salmon, anchovies, mackerel, and sardines are excellent sources of eicosapentaenoic acids (EPA) and docosahexaenoic acids (DHA) that can drastically reduce inflammation. Turmeric, a spice, contains the powerful compound curcumin that may be as effective as hydrocortisone but without the side-effects. Pineapple contains bromelain, an enzyme that reduces swelling and can be used to treat indigestion, trauma, and arthritis. Daniluk also recommends blackberries, blueberries, cranberries, currants, raspberries, and mulberries. Foods that tend to cause inflammation, like fatty meats and cheeses, margarines, peanut and other salad oils, fried foods should be avoided. Nightshade vegetables, like tomatoes, white potatoes, red and green bell peppers, and eggplant can worsen arthritis pain. Nightshades contain high levels of alkaloids which can cause bones to excrete calcium. If you want to lessen your aches and pains, take a look at Julie Daniluk’s Meals That Heal Inflammation at http://www.meals-that-heal.com/

Law & Order | UK morphs from the U.S. version to an English version. The producers “cherry-picked” the best episodes from the hit U.S. series and had their writers translate them into a United Kingdom setting with all the accents, slang, and the British court-room wigs. The plots and most of the dialogue from the original scripts are relatively unchanged. If you’ve seen the U.S. versions of these episodes, you’ll get a sense of deja vu when you watch these English versions. The talented cast generates some fine drama. I noticed that almost half of the 13 episodes in this 3-DVD set involve crimes by or about children, a curious selection. All three disks include deleted scenes. There are also commentaries and interviews with the actors, writers, and producers. I found this to be a wonderful package! However, for some weird reason, LAW & ORDER | UK can only be purchased at TARGET. Go figure… GRADE: B+

Agatha Christie published The Third Girl in 1966. Many think the late Christies are inferior books. Others think Christie’s late novels were affected by Christie’s alleged Alzheimer’s. I found The Third Girl uneven, but the solution is clever (Christie stumped me). A young girl shows up at Poirot’s doorstep and says, “I may have committed a murder.” Then, she disappears. Mystery novelist Mrs. Oliver, Christie’s surrogate, shows up and gets bashed on the head. Tonight PBS Masterpiece Mystery broadcasts the TV version of The Third Girl. I’ll be watching.

Knight and Day basically knits together one chase scene after another. The plot is ludicrous. So why am I giving this movie a mild recommendation? Well, the stunts explode off the screen. When you watch the credits, you’ll see a page of names under STUNTS. And those folks earned their money. There are car chases, motorcycle chases, bull chases, and fireworks with helicopters and jets. This a Big Budget movie with two Big Names (though not as big as they used to be), Tom Cruise and Cameron Diaz. No chemistry between them, but the action pacing is so quick there isn’t enough time for much hanky-panky. If you’re in the mood for a mindless action movie, Knight and Day fits the bill. GRADE: B-

Think Xena, Warrior Princess. Or Joan of Arc. That’s the model for The Cahena, a powerful woman ruler who faces a powerful invading army. Carthage has just been sacked and now a 40,000 man army is heading to take her lands, too. Set in the Seventh Century, Cahena is mostly a historical novel told by a Saxon fighter who joins The Cahena’s forces as a strategist. His relationship with The Cahena becomes something more. The battle scenes scintillate with realism. I’ve admired Manly Wade Wellman’s versatility in writing science fiction, fantasy, mysteries, and westerns. Wellman’s Cahena is a first-rate historical novel with plenty of action and suspense. It was published by Doubleday in hardcover in 1986. I’ve never seen a paperback reprint of Cahena.

I laughed out loud several times while watching City Island. Andy Garcia plays a prison guard with a secret. Garcia’s character yearns to be an actor. Secretly, he has been taking an acting class while telling his wife, played by Julianna Margulies, that he’s going to a poker game. Meanwhile, Garcia’s son has a fetish for large women (and food) and his daughter, who he thinks is hard at work at college, has been working as a stripper. A couple wild card elements rock Garcia’s world with hilarious consequences. This is a very clever movie. Don’t miss this excellent screw-ball comedy! GRADE: A-

I’ve been impressed by Michael Gruber’s previous novels, Tropic of Night, Valley of Bones, and Night of the Jaguar. The Good Son begins with a peace conference in Pakistan that’s ambushed and the scholarly participants, including their billionaire sponsor, are held hostage. The son of one of the participants, Theo, just happens to be a member of an elite U.S. Army unit. Theo and his father concoct a scheme to get the U.S. military to rescue the hostages. However, the heart of this book is the survival strategies of Theo’s mother, one of the hostages. Sonia, knowing the culture and trained in Jungian analysis, turns herself into an interpreter of dreams of her guards. Her dream interpretations manipulate her captors and change the dynamic of the hostage crisis. Gruber always delivers unusual novels. I enjoyed The Good Son a lot. GRADE: B+
(Thanks to the North Tonawanda Public Library for providing this book.)

Spies, like vampires, are hot right now so it comes as no surprise that the USA Network is launching a Summer series called Covert Affairs tonight. Be warned: this is a 90-minute debut. Check your local listings for times in your area. The executive producer of this series is Doug Liman, the director of The Bourne Identity. Piper Perabo plays Annie Walker, a rookie spy who has to learn the ropes quickly if she’s going to survive. For a Sneak Peek, click here. A couple months from now, Nikita will debut on the CW, yet another version of the French noir thriller, La Femme Nikita. Hot, sexy spies…who needs James Bond?