MUSICAL TREAT
When we lived in San Francisco, we were fans of and Chanticleer subscribers. We heard them perform in large and small venues and felt as if we got to know some of the singers a bit. This men’s acapella choir tours around the U.S. and has even sung abroad. It was delightful to hear them locally in their Christmas concert at the Sarasota Opera House. None of the guys were familiar to us, but it was a wonderful evening of medieval songs, traditional English carols, and even a few popular tunes. For a taste of their exquisite harmonies, here’s a link to a 2021 rendition of “I Wonder as I Wander.”
VIEWING
The Chief Penguin and I finished watching The Crown last week which, despite the opinion of critics, we thought was well presented. And yes, we know it isn’t a documentary and the filmmaker has taken creative liberties with some scenes. In the later episodes Charles, now king, is portrayed quite positively, while Imelda Staunton is a convincing Queen Elizabeth.
Extraordinary Attorney Woo (Netflix)
Thanks to my sister Sal, I am enjoying this legal series. It’s a South Korean series about a high-functioning autistic young woman who is a newly hired lawyer at a prestigious firm. Although she struggles with everyday tasks like walking through a revolving door, she has a superb memory and is a creative thinker. Her portrayal is sensitively done, and one sees her colleagues gradually accepting her oddities and her abilities. The cases and clients are challenging ones for the firm, and Woo’s insights are often key to a successful resolution.
There are 16 episodes, each an hour long, and I’ve now watched three of them. As a side note, I read that several years ago, the state of Florida hired its first autistic lawyer, also a woman.
BOOK NOTE–MARGOT
I subscribe to BookBrowse, an online newsletter highlighting new publications. There are reviews, author interviews, and suggested titles for book groups. Some content is free to anyone. As a subscriber, I have the occasional opportunity to request an ARC (Advance Reading Copy) with the understanding that I will either share my impression of the book in a short review or participate in an online discussion of the book by formulating and posting a series of questions. I much prefer to do a brief review.
I just finished reading and posting a review of a novel to be published in Jan. 2023. It’s entitled Margot by Wendell Steavenson. I had mixed feelings about it as you will see if you read my First Impressions on the BookBrowse website at: https://www.bookbrowse.com/reader_reviews/details/index.cfm/ref/rr50935
Note: Header poinsettia photo and snowman ©JWFarrington (some rights reserved.)
