Megan recommends: Other People We Married: Stories

Other People We Married by Emma Straub

Not everybody likes short stories, and their circulation statistics here at the library seem to confirm that. When a writer is first published, it's often a collection of stories, so I say give newly published writer Emma Straub a try. She's the daughter of horror novelist (and Stephen King collaborator) Peter Straub and writing is in her blood. The stories do often revolve around marriage but the characters also include widows and singles. "A Map of Modern Palm Springs" concerns the unequal relationship between two sisters and was the story I liked best.

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Megan recommends: Pulphead

Pulphead by John Jeremiah Sullivan

I really liked this collection of essays from someone I think is a soon-to-be-famous writer. I used to read the New Yorker, and while I've been neglectful recently, I still enjoy non-fiction essay writing. John Jeremiah Sullivan's essays made me realize how much I enjoy that style. His topics range from his brother accidentally electrocuting himself to his house in Wilmington, NC being used for the set of the TV show One Tree Hill. Funny and also insightful stuff.

Megan recommends: The Good Wife

Yes, you could say that I watch too much TV. One show I really like is The Good Wife. It's currently in its 3rd season on CBS, but you can watch seasons 1 and 2 on DVD. Borrow them from us! A twist on the usual legal saga stuff, with Julianna Margulies and Christine Baranski. And if you're wondering what happened to Josh Charles after Sports Night (especially after he starred in the cinematic classic, Don't Tell Mom, the Babysitter's Dead), catch him here as a morally ambiguous law partner.

Megan recommends: State of Play

State of Play

No, not the American movie with Russell Crowe. Go watch the six hour British miniseries from 2003. It's got a suspenseful, intricate plot where politicians and journalists collide and it's really well-acted. The research assistant for a member of Parliament is killed in a London Underground accident. At the same time, a teenage pickpocket is shot dead. How are the two connected? That's where the journalists from the London newspaper The Herald come in.

Megan recommends: Downton Abbey

Downton Abbey's second season is going to be shown on PBS in January. Missed the first season and need to catch up? Then it's time to borrow Downton Abbey from the library. Kind of an Upstairs Downstairs mini-series, with lots of romance, subterfuge, scandals, and inheritance complications. The story begins with the sinking of the Titanic and ends with the beginning of World War I. Maggie Smith's character has the best lines -- ever. And if you've ever wondered what happened to Elizabeth McGovern after Ordinary People, you'll be happy to see her here as the family matriarch.

Megan suggests: Union Atlantic

Union Atlantic by Adam Haslett

This book, written before the crash of 2008, centers around a bank in Boston and its questionable investments. Young banker Doug Fanning has risen from an impoverished upbringing and is struggling to keep his bank Union Atlantic afloat. Doug has also built himself a McMansion in a Weston/Wellesley-like town on was once conservation land and is embroiled in a conflict with his neighbor, retired schoolteacher Charlotte Graves. Charlotte's brother, Henry, happens to be the president of the New York Federal Reserve, which is keeping a watchful eye on Union Atlantic. Interesting stuff... food for thought and a really well-written book by Wellesley High School grad Haslett.

Megan recommends: The Hour

The Hour

This series just finished its run on BBC America and it was really well done. If you missed it, borrow the DVD from the Wellesley Free Library. The six hour miniseries is about a news program making its debut on the BBC in the 1950s. Russian spies, MI6, murder, intrigue, ever-present British class issues and _lots_ of smoking and drinking. It's also fun to watch Dominic West (yes, Jimmy McNulty from The Wire) play the show's upper-class anchorman.

Megan recommends: Both Ways is the Only Way I Want It

Both Ways is the Only Way I Want It by Maile Meloy

The book group at the library read this collection of short stories last month. Usually they're a tough crowd and don't like anything. Much to my surprise everybody liked these stories! Both Ways was included in the New York Times Ten Best Books of 2009. Contradictions abound in these stories as characters try to have it "both ways." The vulnerabilities and vacillations of the people in these stories make them interesting

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Megan recommends: The Cookbook Collector

The Cookbook Collector by Allegra Goodman

Two sisters in Silicon Valley in the boom years of the 1990s. One is the CEO of a tech company about to go public, the other is a graduate student in philosophy working in an antiquarian book store. A novel about getting and spending, and the substitutes we find when we can't get what we're looking for.

Megan recommends: The Station Agent

The Station Agent

I went to college with Tom McCarthy and remember riding the elevator in our apartment building with him senior year. We both lived on the sixth floor. Little did I know that he would one day become a well-known actor and director. The Station Agent is the first movie he wrote and directed and it's a really great small film. What's it about? Many things and not much at all...relationships, solitude versus companionship. Best of all, A+ for an _actual_ positive portrayal of a public librarian in a movie.
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Megan suggests: The Larry Sanders Show

The Larry Sanders Show

Remember the 90s? Care to relive the days of shoulder pads? Then it's time to watch (or re-watch) The Larry Sanders Show, which ran on HBO from 1992-1998. Sit in front of your TV for quite some time because we own all six seasons at WFL! The show stars Garry Shandling as the neurotic and self-absorbed TV talk show host Larry Sanders. Lots of celebrity guest spots and it's fun to watch Jeremy Piven and Janeane Garafalo in supporting roles.

Megan Recommends: The Three Weissmanss of Westport

The Three Weissmanns of Westport by Cathleen Schine


Are you a Jane Austen fan? Then you'll immediately recognize the plot of this book as a modern take on Sense and Sensibility. Fear not, no zombies or sea monsters here. In this case, Elinor and Marianne Dashwood are transformed into Miranda and Annie Weissmann. The consequences of male primogeniture in the 19th century become the collateral damage of a late-in-life divorce in the 21st with lots of humor throughout.

Megan recommends: In the Loop

Do you ever feel like politics is just all spin? Then you're sure to laugh all the way through the film In the Loop, a satire on politics in Britain and the United States. The British Prime Minister is being pressured to support the American presence in the Middle East. Unfortunately, he just gave a radio interview where he stated that war was "unforeseeable." How do casual comments become major news stories? And what do you do with a political figure who just can't seem to say what he's supposed to?

Megan recommends: The Bascombe Novels

The Bascombe Novels by Richard Ford

3 books in one here. It's the trilogy by Richard Ford about Frank Bascombe, whom I like to describe as a version John Updike's Rabbit Angstrom for the turn of the century. Ford won the Pulitzer Prize for the second novel in this series, Independence Day.

Megan recommends: Red on Red

Red on Red by Edward Conlon

I usually write about books that have been out a while, but I'm breaking the mold this time. Red on Red was just published this week, but I highly recommend it. The story follows two New York City police detectives, Meehan and Esposito. The unlikely partners investigate several incidents: a suicide, a serial rapist, and a gang war. Along the way we learn about the personal lives of the two men and see into the complexities of and shades of grey inherent to police work. The novel is a detective story, but the quality of the writing is what drew me in. It reminded me of Lush Life by Richard Price, only better.

Megan recommends: Cairo Time

If you like slow-moving art house films, Cairo Time is a good pick for you. Set in - where else - Cairo, it's a beautifully shot film. The plot is slim. Juliette, a magazine editor, goes to Cairo for a vacation. She's supposed to meet up with her husband there, but the husband, a UN employee, is stuck working in Gaza. He sends his former co-worker, Tareq, to meet Juliette at the airport and show her the city until he can get to Cairo. The film centers on the interaction between Juliette and Tareq and the connection the two form.

Megan recommends: Being Erica

Ever look back on your life and have regrets? Have you made decisions about your career or personal relationships you wish you could go back and change? Maybe you'd like a do-over? That's the premise of Canadian TV drama Being Erica. Only Erica Strange has time-traveling Dr. Tom as her therapist. With Dr. Tom's assistance, Erica can go back in time and relive past "regrets." Sounds silly, but it's an introspective drama about the life and loves of a single thirty-something living in Toronto. The New York Times calls it "Bridget Jones" meets "A Wrinkle in Time. "

Seasons 1 and 2 are available on DVD at the library.

Megan recommends: The Family Markowitz

Ever wonder if you could get the scoop on a particular family from just about _every_ family member's point of view? Then you should give The Family Markowitz by Allegra Goodman a try. Three generations of the Markowitz family are portrayed in ten linked short stories here in this 1996 release. Allegra Goodman is more well-known for her novels, but this title - an early work of hers - is one which has always stuck with me.

Megan suggests: Everything Ravaged, Everything Burned

Everything Ravaged, Everything Burned by Wells Tower

A first collection of short stories from an up-and-coming author.

Maybe this story collection should be subtitled "Smart Men, Foolish Choices" or "Men Behaving Badly." Lots of things go awry for the (mostly male) protagonists of these stories, to the point where many of the plots are resemble a cross between The Young and the Restless and Law and Order: Special Victims Unit. Still, great writing. If you like short stories, pick these up. A writer to watch.

Megan suggests: Await Your Reply by Dan Chaon

Await Your Reply by Dan Chaon

Three unconnected stories of individuals facing hard times come together in this suspenseful novel by Dan Chaon. I wasn't sure if I was going to like this one, given the three disparate but equally grim story lines. The excellent writing and intriguing characters got me, however. The book also has a great twist at the end that I didn't see coming.