BOOKS:
(Literary) CONVERSATIONS AT CURLOW CREEK – David Malouf. A conversation between a man about to be hanged at dawn and the officer in charge of the hanging. Just cracked this open and I’m already engrossed. Malouf has this way of immediately quieting the reader into a trance. How does he do it?

(Young Adult) MARCELO IN THE REAL WORLD – Francisco X. Stork. This book was a wonderful surprise. I rooted for Marcelo and his big heart. When the book ended I wanted to keep in touch with Marcelo, he’d become so real to me. I wasn’t sure about the book at first, I thought, young adult without swords or dragons to slay? No mazes? Well, maybe the maze of the Real World and office cubicles.

Here’s the premise from School Library Journal: Marcelo Sandoval is a high-functioning, extremely self-aware teenager with Asperger's syndrome. He has an empathetic mother and a father, Arturo, who appears to be less empathetic as he pushes Marcelo to live in the "real world”.

BRANDO:

THE PACIFIC (Mini-series) – by director Stephen Spielberg debuted last night on HBO! Covers the Pacific Theater during WWII. Catch it if you can. It starts with Guadalcanal but if the previews are correct it will span the Philippines and the Malay Peninsula. The story and casting are tight and a must see for WWII buffs.

TREME – Fans of David Simon’s THE WIRE will be looking for this new up and coming drama series debuting on April 11, 2010. The series will focus on the people of New Orleans in the aftermath of Hurricane Katrina struggling to rebuild the city and retain their unique culture. Looks like it stars a couple of THE WIRE cast.

TEMPLE GRANDIN (HBO) – A biopic by Director Mick Jackson about Temple Grandin, an autistic woman who has become one of top scientists in humane livestock handling. Claire Danes’ performance is terrific.

INDIE RENTALS: Prisoner of the Mountains ­ Directed by Sergei Bodrov, starring his son Sergei Bodrov Jr. Based upon a short story by Leo Tolstoy, two Russian soldiers, Sacha and Vania, are ambushed in the Caucasus by Muslim rebels and taken prisoner. Luck for them the village leader, might want to make a trade. But will he? It's about brotherhood, war, and the smaller yet important stories between two vastly different cultures.

SCARY RENTAL: Let the Right One In Swedish Director Tomas Aldfredson’s, Frightening in its quiet realism, vampire movie. Although there’s an eerily hilarious scene with the owner’s dog, be forewarned there’s one (or a couple) of disturbing scenes. You’ve been warned. This movie is exactly the opposite of any vampire lore except maybe two. The WSJ raved about the cinematography saying there was much to study for any filmmaker. I had a funny experience with this one I was anticipating TWILIGHT and my father in-law said the new vampire movie was getting great reviews and so I rushed to get the paper only to be lured into this one. Ack!

BURGERS:
El Castillito (Mission, SF) – Excellent carne asada tacos.
Truly Mediterranean (Mission, SF) - The best chicken schwarma’s.