Good Listening

BLUES

Two Men Play the Blues, Willie Nelson, Wynton Marsalis (Blue Note, 2008) • Wynton and Willie have a history of leaping into genres other than their own—jazzman Marsalis performs with symphony orchestras; country icon Nelson covers pop standards. In this gem, recorded at New York’s Lincoln Center, it’s all common ground, a collaboration of two giants, seamlessly melding the best influences in modern-day country and jazz.

ROCK

Viva La Vida, Coldplay (Capitol, 2008) • After three years, the British supergroup has released an instant classic. Under legendary producer Brian Eno, the band hasn’t been afraid to explore new complexities, both of sound and lyrics—with their fans voting a resounding yes. Their No. 1 single, “Viva La Vida,” led the way in the United States. Only rapper Lil Wayne came anywhere close to competing with this spectacular outing.

Good Reading

FICTION

American Wife: A Novel, by Curtis Sittenfeld (Random House, 2008) • Ever wonder what it’s like behind the public mask of presidential life? Fiction often goes where nonfiction fears to tread, and Sittenfeld’s novel is able to take us deep within the private world of First Lady Alice Blackwell. Stuck with her controversial husband-president, she must carry out her duties in full public view, while memories of a very different past challenge her most intimate sense of self.

NONFICTION

My Stroke of Insight: A Brain Scientist’s Personal Journey, by Jill Bolte Taylor (Viking, 2008) • At the age of 37, Taylor was an unlikely candidate for a massive stroke, yet an “explosion” in her brain’s left hemisphere left her unable to move, talk, read or, incredibly, recall any of her life.

As a Harvard-trained brain scientist, she was the perfect if unfortunate observer of her condition, and this account of her eight-year recovery—a journey through mental realities completely foreign to her—offers fascinating spiritual insights and perspectives on the workings of the human mind.

Good Viewing

COMEDY

Nim’s Island (20th Century Fox, 2008; rated PG) • Set on an idyllic island, this father-daughter adventure will grab the whole family. For 11-year-old Nim (Abigail Breslin), life revolves around playing with her animal friends and exploring nature with her dad, Jack (Gerard Butler). But when Jack goes missing in a storm and a stray e-mail brings a reclusive writer (Jodie Foster) into the mix, paradise unravels. The three face daunting personal challenges that force them to help one another—and to grow.

DRAMA

The Bucket List (Warner Home Video, 2008; rated PG-13) • Imagine having six months to live and an eccentric loaner as your cancer ward roommate. Enter Edward Cole (Jack Nicholson) and Carter Chambers, played with quiet elegance by Morgan Freeman. The two senior citizens become unlikely friends who embark on a zany road trip. Their goal? To check off experiences—such as skydiving and racecar driving—from their life-long wish lists of things to do. . . before they kick the bucket. Rob Reiner has directed another human-condition winner, which asks the big question: What is one’s true legacy?