I have read many of Tepper's novels, but this was the first and is still by far my favorite. I find that her characters are often somewhat two-dimensional, especially the largely unsympathetic males, and her dialogue can occasionally seem awkward and stilted. However, the breathtaking ingenuity Tepper exhibits in designing and ever-so-slowly revealing the astonishing post-apocalyptic society called Women's Country more than compensates for these flaws. Gripping on a first read, this book will surprise and disturb you again and again.

This is the outstanding introduction to the Greensky trilogy, a compelling philosophical exploration ingeniously disguised as a children's fantasy series. In the fantasy world of Greensky, the peaceful Kindar live in trees, read each others' minds, and glide from place to place with silken wings. Guided by their revered rulers, the Ol-Zhaan, the Kindar have nothing to fear... except for falling from their paradise and being forced to face the demons that lurk beneath the forest floor.

In addition to providing a marvelous coming-of-age tale set in a wonderful new world, this book will provoke you to ponder and debate important questions about the nature of good and evil. Is it possible to eliminate violence from a society by segregating and repressing the passions? Should governments/priesthoods/scientists withold potentially dangerous knowledge from laypeople to protect them, and does this unshared power inevitably corrupt?

Read this book with your kids!

I've made at least ten of the recipes so far, from lamb stew with spinach and orzo to spicy black bean to lentil with brown rice, and every one has been tasty and straightforward to make, including the vegetarian ones. I cook once or twice a week and eat each dish for several days, so this kind of consistency is important!

Note that these are generally not quick recipes in the sense of being able to whip them up on the spot - most I've tried involve throwing things in the pot to simmer at least an hour or two before I intend to eat, and many suggest soaking beans overnight, etc. But the time spent actively preparing the food is usually not that much, and the results have always been well worth it. Enjoy!

This brash "Romeo + Juliet" is unlike any other film version that preceded it and is guaranteed to make a strong impression whatever its flaws. The old world gentility of Zeffirelli's vision has been brutally stripped away here, leaving a film that blazes with potent imagery and throbs with the violence of adolescent passion. I found the translation deeply unsettling at first, but once I relaxed and allowed myself to admire the filmmakers' inventiveness, I realized that this version was both stunningly creative and, in its way, quite true to Shakespeare's tragic tale of star-crossed teenage love.

Admittedly not the strongest start, but recommended regardless as the first volume of one of my favorite science fiction series of all time. Vonda McIntyre tends to incorporate a few favorite elements into many of her short stories and novels, and I consider this series to be the culmination of her imaginings, even if it didn't get the same kind of critical attention as "Dreamsnake" or "The Moon and the Sun." "Starfarers" is a bit slow, used mainly to introduce the principals and really only hinting at the adventures to come, but the payoff in the next three novels is more than worth it.

Fans of Kenneth Branagh will immediately recognize his hand in the sly humor, innuendo, and love of staged Shakespeare that permeate this film, even if the man himself remains behind the camera. "A Midwinter's Tale" is an endearing little comedy about a motley band of unemployed actors who are following one man's dream of bringing "Hamlet" to life in the abandoned church of a dispirited community. In the process, the players find pride and abandon prejudice, bonding in that kind of temporary dysfunctional family so common to theatre life.

I wouldn't call this a masterpiece, but it's fun - definitely worth a look if you're an aficionado of satire, Branagh, or the Bard.

It becomes clear fairly early on that one of the main themes of "Dark Harbor" is poison - that which has seeped into the Weinbergs' marriage as well as that which lurks within the mushrooms that Polly Walker's character identifies in the woods. Writer/director Adam Coleman Howard wove that idea into an unconventional drama/thriller carried almost entirely by four characters: an heiress, her older husband, a young drifter, and the haunting Maine landscape.

I must say that this film disappointed me. It held my attention, but in general felt acted, like a scripted play rather than a glimpse into the actual lives of real people. And while normally I adore Alan Rickman's rich, mellifluous voice, his delivery here was often stilted and mechanical, perhaps because he was concentrating so hard on trying to maintain his dreadful American accent with its grating overemphasized r's.

The ending was not the surprise to me that other reviewers described, although no doubt partly because I knew there was a twist and so watched the whole thing with an eye towards alternative interpretations of what was shown. I suppose that now that my guess has been confirmed that I should go back to see which clues I missed, but it just doesn't seem worth it.

I originally purchased this album just because I was a fan of Anthony Stewart Head's work on Buffy, including his singing (I wish his lovely rendition of "Behind Blue Eyes" had been released). To my surprise, "Music for Elevators" has stayed on heavy rotation in my CD player. Many of the songs are strongly reminiscent of Sting's "Brand New Day," but ASH appears less whimsical and more earnest, producing passionate, poetic lyrics perfectly accompanied by the catchy beats of collaborator George Sarah.

In contrast to previous reviewers, I would rate "This Town In the Rain" as one of my least favorite tracks; highlights for me included the opener "What Can You Tell Me?" "Owning My Mistakes," the quirky reworking of the Beatles' "We Can Work It Out," and "Last Time" by Buffy creator Joss Whedon. I also adore James Marsters' husky spoken reprise of lyrics from "Owning My Mistakes" at the very end of the album, just under 12 minutes into the 16th track.

Mel Gibson does justice to a wonderful story (based on the novel by Isabelle Holland) in "The Man Without a Face," his directorial debut. Commonly underrated as an actor because of his good looks and blockbuster action hits, Gibson is also terrific as the scarred recluse Justin McLeod, cantankerous and charismatic by turns. Like his student, Chuck (Nick Stahl), we notice the terrible burns less and less as the friendship between the boy and his tutor develops, as we penetrate the surface to the beauty beneath. (By the way, as one reviewer noted, only one half of McLeod's face has been disfigured - the title refers, not to McLeod, but to Chuck's absent father.)

I do wonder why Gibson chose to eliminate the homoerotic overtones in their relationship - in the novel, Chuck's yearning for a genuine father figure is inextricably entangled with his confusion regarding his sexual identity and attraction to his tutor, and these twin needs force the dramatic climax that ends their time together. Perhaps Gibson preferred to keep the plot simpler, concentrating on the themes of prejudice, the joy of teaching, and the friendship and platonic love that his protagonists learn from each other. Or perhaps he feared that his viewing audience would not be as sympathetic towards a homosexual McLeod who killed a previous pupil in a drunk driving accident. Some reviewers appear to feel that the movie did not end as well as it began, and I think this could well be chalked up to the Hollywood sanitization of the last third of Holland's book.

Still, this is a quietly splendid first film for director Gibson - a moving tribute to the transformative power of friendship and a funny, sometimes painful coming-of-age story expertly combined.

I made the mistake of watching "The Patriot" for the first time just after rewatching "Braveheart," next to which the former pales by comparison. Gibson does his usual competent job in portraying Benjamin Martin, a former soldier and widowed father torn between his perceived responsibilities to family and community, and haunted by the memory of his own capacity for violence. However, the rest of the characters appeared one dimensional and uninteresting to me, particularly the evil colonel, who is a cardboard cutout villain with no redeeming qualities (the writers don't even bother to delve into his motivations for the atrocities he commits to set himself up as Martin's nemesis). The movie dragged at times, as well, despite the beautiful trappings; the dialogue lacked sparkle, and the "humorous" scenes, such as the one involving the ink... just weren't my cup of tea.

I must admit that "The Patriot" inspired me to crack a few dusty volumes of my encyclopedia and old U.S. history textbook to re-educate myself on the real participants in the Revolutionary War. But if you want a moving and compelling story about a reluctant hero's courageous fight for freedom, skip this movie and watch Gibson's powerful performance in "Braveheart" instead.