Robot and Frank

A touching film about aging and its real effects within a family, this one has a futuristic twist. Frank’s son, worried about his father’s diminishing mental abilities, buys him a butler-robot.

But once a cat burglar, always a burglar, and Frank - originally annoyed by the robot - soon finds that he has a synthesized partner-in-crime.

Robot and Frank is a well-crafted comedy with some poignant lessons, and a terrific starring performance from Frank Langella. It’s nice to see Hollywood treat the evolving world of robotics with class and just the right amount of tenderness. Highly recommended.

The Fault In Our Stars, by John Green

This isn’t your basic teenage love story, and you realize that in Chapter One when Hazel meets Augustus at a “kids with cancer” support group. Although their journey is remarkable, what they learn is dwarfed by what we - the readers - learn about cancer patients.

It’s powerful and poignant, a search for answers, a journey to discover “what comes next,” both physically and emotionally.

I love how Green avoids the conventional cliche of rebellious teens who hate their parents. Hazel and Gus love their families, adding a tender current beneath an already moving experience. My favorite read of the year.

Airborn, by Kenneth Oppel

The best way to get kids interested in reading is to hand them a book that keeps them interested. Sound simplistic? Then why do we keep foisting “classics” on them that make even the heartiest adult reader nod off?

Oppel creates a swashbuckling adventure combining (take a deep breath): alternate reality, giant balloon airships, pirates, and flying creatures known as “cloud cats.” A total page-turner, the author even manages to work in some romance.
 

Labeled as “teen” or “young adult,” it’s actually a fun read at any age. For good measure, pick up the sequels, Skybreaker and Starclimber.

Rendezvous With Rama, by Arthur C. Clarke

This is the book that lit the writing fire inside me while attending Jefferson Junior High.
 

Clarke's tale - barely 200 pages long, a great lesson on conservation of words - details humankind’s first encounter with an alien vessel, code-named Rama. It’s massive, and barreling through our solar system. An Earth crew barely has time to rendezvous, get inside, and explore, before Rama rockets around the sun and disappears forever.

Far from a dead ship, it mysteriously comes alive, creating more questions than answers, about the aliens and about ourselves.

I still credit Rama with the best final sentence ever.

NOVA: Venom, Nature's Killer

We have an innate fear of creepy-crawly things - like spiders and scorpions - and slithering nightmares hiding in the tall grass. But it’s fascinating to discover how poisonous snakes, deadly lizards, and other toxic creatures also have the power to save lives.

NOVA’s team investigates the world of venom. Granted, if you’re squeamish about these critters, you might watch with a grimace on your face. But the science is remarkable.

What’s most interesting are the transitions, such as killer rattlesnake venom saving the life of a heart attack victim. The potential for cancer victims, diabetes sufferers, etc, is enormous.

Infinity Elephants, with Vi Hart

It’s one of her most popular online entries, but the fact is that Vi Hart created an entire video industry out of two things: math and doodling.

Still in her early 20s (as of this writing, anyway), Hart captivates us using only a notebook and her pencil-wielding hand. Her narration is rapid-fire, but somehow hypnotic.

The goal is to make math cool, and I’m happy to report that she succeeds. Not only cool, but fun and engaging. That’s how video goes viral.

Vi has now melded into the world of Khan Academy, which is a perfect fit.

Ringside

I was told that Pandora is dangerous because you start buying lots of the music you hear. No problem; I like supporting interesting artists.

It took one listen to one song by Southern California band Ringside, and they’ve now sold half a dozen tracks to this guy in Colorado. That first song was Struggle, but Tired of Being Sorry is just as impressive.

Essentially a two-man band, Scott Thomas and Balthazar Getty create smooth, punchy indie-rock-pop that has shown up on a television commercial and in the movie Magic Mike. They deserve to hit it big.

Carter Beats The Devil, by Glen David Gold

There’s something strangely magnetic about books involving magic or illusion. We’re captivated by their mysterious qualities in real life, so tales about magicians somehow allow us a peek behind the curtain.

Gold’s debut novel is set in the 1920s, where Carter the Great casts a spell over adoring audiences. But there’s evil lurking in the background. Before vanishing, was Carter somehow involved with the death of a president?

The author’s background in movies and TV are evident in his script-like dialogue, and the odd characters/quirky situations pull you in. It’s brainy and entertaining at the same time.

Lost Boys, by Orson Scott Card

Card is one of those talented, prolific writers who lives in the wake of one particular book - which is either fortunate or unfortunate, depending on your point of view.

We spoke recently and I said that, while Ender’s Game is a masterpiece, my favorite of his books was Lost Boys. It was as if I’d recognized the shy, quiet child who grows up in the shadow of the popular child. Card acknowledged that this might be his favorite, too.

A story of loss, love, and missing children. Plus a surprise ending. Warning: Be ready for an emotional roller coaster.

Joy Writing, by Kenn Amdahl

Writers like to read about writing, maybe because it gives us a sense of community. So when we find someone who, we believe, has captured the essence of the activity, we hold up their book and shout, “Of course!”

Plenty of Big Shot Authors have graced us with their wisdom, but I strongly encourage all writers to spend some time with Amdahl’s volume. Clever, practical, witty, and spot-on. Are you a beginner? Read it. Already published? Read it.

You’ll discover that every frustration you’ve felt about this calling has been shared by kindred spirits. It’s helpful and comforting.

Michael Penn

His career stretches back over 20 years, but he might’ve slipped past you. If so, Michael Penn needs to go on your iPod today. You’ve got catching up to do.

Not much commercial success for this singer/songwriter, but given the state of “popular” music . . . well, ‘nuff said, right? Today Penn still contributes new material, especially in the arena of film and television scores.

Yes, he has a famous brother in the movie biz, but don’t hold that against him. Download three songs to get started: No Myth, This and That, and Me Around. That’s three bucks well spent.

Child 44, by Tom Rob Smith

Ever wonder about where fate chose to place you? Well, be thankful you didn’t pop out in the Soviet Union in the 1950s.

Smith crafts a terrific thriller, where a State Security officer wants to hunt down a serial killer, but must fight a government that won’t allow even the idea of such a madman. That would tarnish the communist regime’s image.

Beyond the page-turner style, Child 44 paints a frightening portrait of the USSR. You actually feel the fear that its citizens live with daily.

The end stretches credibility somewhat, but it’s still well worth the read.

The Big Over Easy, by Jasper Fforde

Imagine some of the great noir detectives; think of the gritty crimes they investigated. Now picture them working in a world where nursery rhyme characters are real, and walk among us.
 

Just hearing the plot of Fforde’s comic novel - Inspector Jack Spratt, of the Nursery Crime division, tries to solve the brutal murder of Humpty Dumpty - had me laughing. It became one of my favorites.

If you’re way too literal - or literarily inclined - stay away; you just won’t get it. If you love to laugh, and you appreciate an author who goes merrily into uncharted territory, read this book.

Downton Abbey

I’m a sucker for good British television (Python, Fawlty, Sherlock), and this period drama is another I find addictive.

The aristocratic Crawleys, despite their upper-crust lifestyle, aren’t immune to scandal and intrigue. Add a houseful of servants with their own issues, toss in some blackmail, a dash of spurned lovers, and a desperate attempt to preserve the family title, and you have a rollicking affair.

You’ll love the splendor of the setting (a Yorkshire estate in the early 1900s),the writing is magnificent, and the acting first-rate. I’ve streamed it on Netflix, but DVDs are also available.

Packing For Mars, by Mary Roach

We watch movies about space flight, and it seems so...easy. Roach applies her wit and curiosity in exploring what it takes to send fragile humans to another world.

How would you stay sane spending years in close proximity with a handful of people? How do you go number two in zero g? Told with a playful zeal, but a bit overly focused on potty-in-space facts.

I appreciate Roach’s attempt to make space travel interesting to the masses - and she’s a great writer - but this engaging topic might require a more experienced reporter. I nominate Mike Massimino.

The Gun Seller, by Hugh Laurie

Famous for his portrayal of House (the character, not building), Laurie impresses with this debut novel. Although penned in the mid-90s, long before drifting onto American TV, I couldn’t keep from hearing his sarcastic Dr. House voice whenever the protagonist spoke. Oh well.

A spoof on spy novels - everything from clunky CIA and British spooks, to terrorists, to beautiful/dangerous women - you’ll laugh throughout. Some readers might become comically fatigued - not a page goes by without multiple gags - but the pace is good and the story interesting.

Not for the snobbish thriller fan, but a quick, playful read.

Radiolab: Patient Zero

You can listen to music during workouts, but why not use that hour to learn something?

I’m a fan of Radiolab, a podcast created by the folks at WNYC and NPR. In this episode Jad and Robert trace the origins of typhoid outbreaks, AIDS, and ideas.

The last third of this hour is okay, but the segment on how AIDS made the jump from animals to humans is flat-out fascinating. And, if you like this installment, chances are you’ll find dozens more to enjoy on their web site.

I recommend you exercise your brain while exercising your body.

Brad Sucks

No, it’s not his real name. And no, Brad’s music definitely does not suck. I stumbled across one of his songs while listening to Pandora, and now I’m a fan of this one-man band from Ontario.

Check out his profile and you’ll find that he has given away an awful lot of his work. He even makes his original source tracks available for people to create their own mixes. I call that extremely cool.

Sure, you could download his music for free, but if you won’t pay 99 cents to support an artist like this, you’re a dweeb.

Steel Beach, by John Varley

This sat on my bookshelf for years before I cracked it open. Then I kicked myself for waiting so long.

Varley’s reworking of the classic Front Page has several unique twists, not the least of which makes the character Hildy Johnson a tabloid reporter on the moon. Hildy, like other citizens, switches back and forth from male to female. Uh huh.

He/She is trying to figure out how paradise can be so depressing, providing the reader with simultaneous laughs and moments of introspection. That’s a killer combination. But then, science fiction has always found ways to do both.

Travels, by Michael Crichton

People generally associate Crichton with blockbuster novels (Jurassic Park, Disclosure, Rising Sun), but with Travels we glimpse the man behind the hits.

I knew of his medical school background, but here he unveils details of that history. His college explorations not only revealed a talent for crafting suspenseful stories, but also opened his eyes to a spiritually enlightened path.

These types of epiphanies make for interesting reading; here it’s just a tad overdone.

Crichton was an influence on my early writing. As vulnerable as it makes them, I’d like to see other successful writers open up in this manner.

A Short History of Nearly Everything, by Bill Bryson

So, you didn’t pay attention in science class, eh? Or maybe you thought it was all over your head? Bryson to the rescue. He not only explains, he entertains.

Astronomy? Breathtaking. What’s at the Earth’s core? Wild. The mystery of life’s evolution? Fascinating. And all explained as if the coolest science teacher ever was describing it over a beer.

No need to read it all at once; keep it beside your bed, knock out a chapter a week. Listen, the book makes you feel smarter when you’ve finished. Can you say the same for the last book you read?

Lamb, by Christopher Moore

I rarely offer disclaimers before pimping a book, but I’ll ask “How sensitive are you about religion?” when suggesting Moore’s riotous romp.

Of course, the delicate nature of faith is undoubtedly a powerful factor in the book’s popularity.

Narrated by Christ’s buddy and travel partner, Biff, Lamb explores the “missing” years in the life of Jesus, but goes way beyond filling in the blanks. Moore invites us to imagine how Christ might’ve experimented with other beliefs before setting out to preach his own gospel, thereby constructing Christianity on the backbone of earlier faiths.

Touchy for some? Sure.

Funny? Very.