Each Thursday (or Friday, since some weeks we seem to be running behind on everything), Needcoffee.com's staff of whackos will wrack our brains to give you interesting and new things to do over the weekend. Books, movies, whatever. We'll throw them out, you do with them what you will. And hey...if you have something you want to recommend--whatever it is--drop us a line.
Incidentally, we've provided links where we can for you to buy the stuff or find out more if you're interested, courtesy of those Amazon types. Hey, come on, we can't be totally selfless in this, can we?
July 10, 2003
Book of the Week:
by J.K. Rowling. Okay, sure. Millions have people have already finished this. But still: we must give
appropriate respect and also smack those of you who have not into picking it up. It's a quick read, and even at a shade
under nine hundred pages, it's perfectly weekend-sized. Darker and wilder, it's Rowling turning the knob up to eleven.
Must read.
Audiobook of the Week:
, performed by Pat Conroy, John Grisham, Stephen King & Peter Straub. Worthy audio collection for an extremely
worthy cause. Frank Muller, the "Iron Man" of audiobook readers as I call him, was in a terrible motorcycle accident in
late 2001. Although he has recovered somewhat, he is still in very bad shape. I found some updates on his condition
here. Anyway, this live performance by these four
authors was organized by King to help out Muller in his time of need--and buying this recording, as I understand it, goes
to the fund for Muller's assistance. If you've ever enjoyed audiobooks, you've heard Muller do his thing. Give him a little
hand and get a great live reading to boot. Grisham ribbing King is worth the price of admission if nothing else.
Graphic Novel of the Week: Meridian, Vol. 2: Going to Ground
by Barbara Kesel & Steve McNiven. This book is the girly fantasy book that isn't. Sure, the protagonist is a young woman,
but that doesn't make the book something syrupy that males can't appreciate. Why? Because the lead character is real,
she makes mistakes and she learns. More than just a genre story about a young woman granted fabulous powers, it's about
a young woman growing up--and sigil or no, we can all identify with that. Recommended.
Comic Book of the Week:
Queen and Country #17
by Greg Rucka and Carla Speed McNeil. Can't get enough, just can't. What kills me about this title is the pacing. Is it
slow? No, it's more...patient. Things build, Rucka takes his time and sets things up perfectly. Couple that with
some superlative work by Carla Speed McNeil (Finder)--this lady can do facial expressions and set up "shots" like
nobody's business--and any spy fan would be a moron not to indulge themselves. Snaggify immediately.
DVD Boxed Set of the Week: . Fan of the show? Then you'll appreciate having the first twenty-two episodes of this monster on DVD. Extras are a bit on the slim side, with only an eight-minute interview with Danson to speak of, but still--if it's been edged out of syndication on your block by another eight hours of Law and Order, then renting or buying this boxed set will please you severely. Woody Harrelson sold separately.
DVD of the Week:
. Some people were disappointed with the Americanized version of this BBC program. I've seen a lot of criticsm
about Alec Baldwin stepping into the narrator's shoes, but I didn't see it when it aired on this side of the pond. Regardless,
we all know Americanization has a .06% chance of being good, so why take chances? Snag the original British version on
DVD with original narrator Robert Winston and the same solid extras you've come to expect from this series of specials.
CD of the Week:
by B.B. King. The fan of B.B. King will need to snag this immediately. If you dig his voice, then you'll enjoy
his versions of "Cross My Heart" and "(I Love You) For Sentimental Reasons." That's right, King is taking on a bunch of
time-honored classics. Sure, he doesn't get a lot of guitar work in, but still--pop it in and enjoy.