For more than twenty years, Jim Woodring’s elegantly wordless “Frank” comics have immersed readers in a dreamlike, richly allegorical milieu which is equal parts unsettling and whimsical. 2010’s Weathercraft is Woodring’s first long-form work and possibly his best-realized. It follows one character’s ascension from total debasement into a kind of unexpected nobility.
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Cathleen’s Pick: Great Classic Mysteries
The intellectual gamesmanship of modern detective tales can be traced to many of the stories featured in Great Classic Mysteries. Twelve iconic investigations will immerse you in intrigue and test your powers of deduction. Excellent performances by audio all-stars including Simon Vance and Simon Prebble make this collection one not to miss.
Cathleen’s Pick: The Weird Sisters
Cathleen of Fiction/AV/Teen Services recommends The Weird Sisters by Eleanor Brown:
“Home is the place where, when you have to go there, they have to take you in.” – Robert Frost
The Andreas sisters are named for three wildly different Shakespeare heroines, and the one thing they have in common is that their lives are messy. Bianca has just been fired and is swimming in debt. Cordelia gives up her semi-nomadic life when she discovers she’s pregnant. Rosalind had already been living at home in order to care for their ailing parents, and the tension of her upcoming wedding isn’t helping. In Eleanor Brown’s The Weird Sisters, all three end up back under the same roof, and the curtain rises on a masterful blend of drama and lightness that would make the Bard proud.
John’s Pick: The Sandbaggers
Running from 1978 to 1980 on British TV, The Sandbaggers was essentially the antithesis of the James Bond movies. It replaced exotic locations and outlandish action sequences with a John le Carre-flavored down-to-earth emphasis on the political and emotional cost of espionage work, and was never less than totally absorbing.
Cathleen’s Pick: Playing by Heart
As one character observes, “talking about love is like dancing about architecture.” Yet, Playing by Heart makes the intricate steps seem appealing. A surprising ensemble including Sean Connery, Jon Stewart, and Angelina Jolie play out intertwining storylines exploring relationships at different stages. This overlooked gem has warmth, wit, and style.