Books
Fiction:
A Visit from the Goon Squad by Jennifer Egan
Egan elegantly weaves together a collection of characters bound through rock ‘n’ roll, then ravaged and saved by the caprices of time. It’s written with Egan’s exquisite empathy, keen insight, and astounding range.
Nonfiction:
Hitch-22 by Christopher Hitchens
Life by Keith Richards
Serious, vicarious fun from two people who have crammed several fascinating lifetimes into their respective at-bats. Think of it as a neat compendium of guitar tips (Richards), tax and legal advice (Richards), dangerous international travel tales (Hitchens), word games (Hitchens), a physics primer (Richards), and howlingly witchy insults (Richards/Hitchens).
Music, Movies & Television:
Album:
Congratulations by MGMT
Don’t let the neon face paint and Rambo-meets-Pee Wee Herman outfits fool you: MGMT is one of those bands with millions of ideas and lethal execution. While this album doesn’t have the immediate dance floor stompers found on Oracular Spectacular, it has spooky surf rock (“Someone’s Missing”), riffy prog-rock (“Brian Eno”), and precisely maudlin ballads (“I Found a Whistle”, “Congratulations”). Vocals interchange nicely between Andrew VanWyngarden’s wizardly falsetto and Ben Goldwasser’s plum weariness. Somehow, it works perfectly.
Drama:
A Prophet
This (very) gritty French crime drama has much to say about France’s immigration issues, not to mention the universal problems of recidivism and redemption. Unflinchingly acted and boldly directed by Jacques Audiard, also known for The Beat that My Heart Skipped.
Comedy:
The Other Guys
This perfectly silly and insidiously smart comedy stars Mark Wahlberg and Will Ferrell as a mismatched, often misfiring cop duo that takes down a financial kingpin. Steve Coogan, Eva Mendes, and a surprisingly good Derek Jeter co-star.
Documentary:
The Art of the Steal
Ridiculed by the Philadelphia Establishment during his lifetime for his “primitive” taste in art, inventor-turned-collector Albert C. Barnes legally mandated that his works remain in the educational institution funded by his fortune. Today, his collection is worth an estimated $25 billion and includes 181 Renoirs, 59 Matisses, and 49 Picassos. Through a series of dramatic betrayals and political wranglings, it’s also set to become one of the world’s most impressive museums. Though the film is distinctly--and rather deliciously--one-sided, it raises interesting questions regarding the ownership of art and the will of the people versus the powers that be.
Television show:
Bored to Death
Jason Schartzman plays Jonathan (as in Ames, the novelist and creator of this series), a struggling writer turned novice private detective in this lively, idiosyncratic HBO series. A spry Ted Danson and absurdly deadpan Zach Galafianakis provide noble support.
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