Words and Music (or Books and Videos)

I'm rarely evangelical about anything entertainment-oriented. Well, except for maybe [title of show] and August: Osage County.

Taste is subjective, to be sure. One man's Clueless might be another person's America's Next Top Model (l love one, hate the other ... you decide). But two things have snuck into my radar that I really think are worth your while.

The first is free on the interwebs, but only around until Sunday. So hurry, or you'll have to do what they hope you will and buy it from iTunes. It only will take a few minutes out of your life (unless you replay it over and over, like, erm, some people I know). Just go watch. The less you know the better. Then come back and find out about something that's a little bit more of an investment.

Fun, right? Can't wait for Act III.

The second recommendation is a novel. I'm not sure how I found out about it -- I reckon I saw something in The New York Times or on a book blog and I ordered it from The Book Depository (which is brilliant). Anyway, it's a book called The Story of Edgar Sawtelle and it's stealing my heart. I said so long to A Farewell to Arms last weekend (ugh, finally ... three down, four to go) and was getting ready to start Shame, but then this hefty tome came in the mail. I said to myself, "self, why not give yourself a break from the 'required reading' tree and crawl on out onto an elective branch." And since I'm ahead of the Lit.Ra.Chure game and it's always good to know what makes a modern bestseller, I curled up with Edgar.

I think it's amazing. It's already getting all kinds of press, so read it now before it gets too built up in the bookgroup/booklist hype machine. There's nothing worse than overly high expectations to kill a good story. I think with this book (as with Dr. Horrible), the less you know the better. Just let the words and the characters take you away. I'm a hundred pages in and can't wait to see how it all unfurls.

Oh, and if you have a good dog to sit by your side while you're reading it, well all the better.

Tags: dr horrible, edgar sawtelle, MA, literature, pop culture