Each week (give or take one or two here and there) I share three things I like – It could be a book, a movie, a podcast, an album, a photo, an article, a restaurant, a food item, a beverage, or anything else I simply enjoy and think you might too. You can find a whole pile of things, especially books, I like and recommend HERE.
1. The Lord of the Rings: Rings of Power
When Peter Jackson released the LOTR films in the early 2000s it was a landmark in film event, one of the greatest film adaptations ever done and for one of the most beloved stories ever written. While imperfect, those films quintessentially captured the story and feel of Tolkien’s work. So when I heard that a series was going to be released on Amazon delving into the backstory and lore of Middle Earth and the Rings, I was skeptical. The bar had been set for filmography and storytelling. Not only that, Tolkien’s lore is a tangled web of timelines and mythology and characters–not easily adapted for a viewing audience. So I dipped my toe in the waters of this series with trepidation, and was not immediately impressed. But over the course of the first season, and especially in the second, my imagination was captured and I utterly enjoyed it. The series lacks the gravitas of the movies, primarily because it is an unknown backstory. It doesn’t have the weight of character that the movies have, but it is delightful and substantive, telling a story of good vs. evil and of the corruption brought about by submitting to power rather than virtue. The acting is largely excellent, which is especially notable because there are no big names. The writing is strong. The story moves and draws viewers in. All in all, I have really enjoyed it and am eager for the release of season 3 whenever that should be.
2. How to Stay Married by Harrison Scott Key
Some books, like some friends, enter your life at just the right time and with astounding effect. How to Stay Married was just such a book for me. I’d read some reviews and seen some recommendations for it over the past couple years but was leery. After all, it is a book about a broken marriage, about navigating life and love when you find out your spouse is in love with someone else. Having been through a divorce, this did not sound like a particularly uplifting or entertaining book. Eventually, though, I encountered a few to many rave reviews from a surprising variety of readers: pastors, novelists, struggling Christians, literary critics. So I asked for the book for Christmas and my wife bought it for me. I picked it up a couple weeks ago with some trepidation, unsure if it was a light memoir (the author is a humorist, after all), a tell-all, a deep gaze into the mirror of the soul, a reflective consideration of life, or something else altogether. Sakes alive. It is all of these, in nearly perfect balance. It is hilarious and heart breaking and honest (without being tasteless). Key writes as a story teller, so it is not burdensome though the story has profound weight. He delves into the soul, into faith, into forgiveness and anger and wrestles with them. He says many of the quiet thoughts out loud, the ones that I might hesitate to express or admit, and the book is richer for it. I have rarely experienced the range of emotion as this book delivered–hilarity to aching sorrow, rigid anger to profound gladness. It is a beautiful, magnificent work.
3. “Do You Know What It Means To Miss New Orleans” – Harry Connick Jr.
Harry was the musician who made me fall in love with jazz when I was in middle school. His playing, his singing, his New Orleans swing – all of it is amazing. Enjoy.
