Book Review: "Coral Glynn" by Peter Cameron

What a captivating little old-fashioned soap opera of a book!

It's England in 1950. Young Coral Glynn, a nurse, arrives at Hart House, an isolated mansion in the countryside, to care for the terminally ill Mrs. Maud Hart. Other than Mrs. Hart, the house is populated only by the housekeeper, Mrs. Prence, who takes an almost-immediate dislike to Coral, and Mrs. Hart's somewhat-estranged son, Clement, who was injured in World War 2, and spends most of his days brooding over his injuries. Clement sees in Coral a solution to keeping his beloved childhood friend, Robin, and their latent homosexuality, at arm's length; Coral sees in Clement stability, especially after she encounters children playing a disturbing game in the woods. All at once, they are propelled into a relationship both are unsure of, and as secrets are revealed, it appears Coral is not quite what she seems. This novel has all of the makings of the novels of days gone by—death, suspicion, misunderstandings, unrequited love (in many forms), desparity between classes, secrets, and intriguing characters.

Peter Cameron is a fantastic writer—his novels The Weekend and Someday This Pain Will Be Useful to You are among my all-time favorites. This is a very interesting departure from anything he's written before, and it really feels very old-fashioned, in an enjoyable way. If I have any criticism of this book, it's that I didn't feel that Cameron made a persuasive enough case for Coral's appeal to so many. To me, she seemed indecisive and flighty to a point that was somewhat annoying from time to time, but it didn't mar my enjoyment of the book overall. At slightly more than 200 pages, this is a very fast, enjoyable read, and the type of book you (or at least I) rarely see these days.

AI Results Show Recap: "But Did You See Hotel Rwanda?"

Let's say you're lactose intolerant. You know that every time you eat any dairy product or something containing dairy, you get sick and feel miserable for a day or two. Yet when presented with the opportunity to eat pizza and ice cream, you jump at it.

For me, American Idol is my pizza and ice cream. I know that it's going to anger or disappoint me (or make me sick) multiple times throughout the season, and yet I can't stop watching.

Last night America's top 10 and the judges' choices for the three Wild Card slots were revealed. While most of the contestants were my choices, I still am a little disappointed that two of my favorites didn't advance in favor of gimmickry and emotion.

Last night also saw the return of Grouchy McDuck, aka Interscope Records' Jimmy Iovine, as he sat in his little room and made comments about all of the contestants. While some of what he said was welcome acid to cut the frothy meringue of the judges' non-feedback, some of it was just mean-spirited. It would be nice if there was some middle ground between the often-unnecessary ego boosting from the judges and the painful (although honest) ego-crushing from Jimmy.

While he did praise some contestants, here are some of his more choice comments:

"This Joshua is the real deal. My job is to make sure this isn't Sister Act 3." "Heejun completely confuses me. His voice is sort of good, but this is American Idol, not American Comedian." "The judges gave Aaron a standing ovation. To me, he was like a cheesy Don Cheadle." "Creighton has an interesting voice. I think it's screechy. The judges liked him; I didn't." "Adam says he has a large black woman inside him. As of right now, he's not pulling either of them off."

Making it through to the top 10 on America's votes: Phillip Phillips, Jessica Sanchez, Hollie Cavanagh, Joshua Ledet, Heejun Han (seriously?), Skyler Laine, Shannon Magrane, Elise Testone, Colton Dixon and the "gentle giant," Jermaine Jones.

Onto the Wild Cards. I was hoping for a performance like Stefano Langone's mesmerizing rendition of I Need You Now last year, but I don't think we quite reached that level.

Jen was first up. I had a feeling she might be doomed when Ryan asked her before her performance, "Where did you go wrong the other night?" and she replied, "I don't think I went wrong. I guess I just didn't stand out as much as some other contestants." She sang The Beatles' Oh Darling, and while perhaps her Wednesday night performance didn't stand out, she really gave all of herself to this performance. But perhaps it was a little too much vocal pyrotechnics a little too late, because the judges were somewhat tepid with their feedback.

To the surprise of no one, J.Lo chose Jeremy next. He sang Carrie Underwood's I Know You Won't. When he gets going and hits the bigger notes, his voice is really pure and powerful, but I don't like the breathiness and choppiness of some of his phrasing, particularly at the start of songs. But he hit some really great notes, while J.Lo watched him lovingly, tears in her eyes. Overcome with emotion, Jeremy couldn't finish the last note. He told the judges that he promised them he'd prove how good he could be if they gave him a second chance, and the judges all talked about what a nice guy he is and how talented he is, although the praise reached hyperbolic proportions when J.Lo said he had one of the most beautiful voices she had ever heard.

Steven chose Brielle, who nearly knocked Ryan down in her need to be the center of attention her excitement. Despite Jimmy and the judges' criticism of contestants singing Adele, she chose to sing Someone Like You in an effort to prove to the judges that she "lives for this," and "does it all day every day." (Sweetie, you're in high school.) This just wasn't very good; there are songs that you should tear into and songs you should leave alone. This was clearly the latter. Steven told her she was "pitchy in her turnarounds" and he "just didn't hear it tonight."

Randy's second selection was (no surprise) Deandre, who had pulled back his hair into a ponytail to await the judges' decision, but then let it down again as he announced he'd be singing Georgia on My Mind. To me, Deandre's performance was like that of a figure skater or gymnast in medal contention at the Olympics—he has all of the skills, but in an effort to win just throws everything he has out and hopes he will succeed. He flipped his hair, he growled, he was soulful, he used his falsetto, but I thought all in all, the song was a bit of a mess. (Jimmy said earlier that Deandre is talented but "needs a coach." I felt this performance proved that.) But the judges lapped up the excess, telling him he should "sing this way all the time."

J.Lo gave Erika another shot. She picked Lady Gaga's Edge of Glory, and really gave it all she had. I love her voice, even though I knew she probably would succeed at Jen's expense. The judges told her she "knocked it out of the park."

The final wild card slot went to Reed. Rather than take this opportunity to show a mellower side, he sang Bill Withers' Use Me, and it was just one big mess of scatting, cackling (this year's growling, I guess), mugging, and an occasional sung note. The judges told him he nailed it, and that they loved "the artist" in him.

After Ryan salivated by making the contestants wait until after the break to find out the judges' decisions, the choices were revealed: Randy chose Erika, J.Lo chose Jeremy (insert surprised face here), and Steven chose Deandre.

All in all, it's not a bad group of people, although I would have traded Heejun and Jermaine for Creighton and Aaron, and Shannon for Jen.

Next week: the guys sing Stevie Wonder songs and the ladies sing Whitney Houston songs, courtesy of mentor Mary J. Blige! (Yes, you heard it: they'll be singing songs by two singers that the judges tell contestants they shouldn't try and sing. This will either be hot or, like Haley Johnsen's performance, "a little trainwrecky.")

Until next week...

AI Recap: "What the Adele?"

Dear Randy Jackson,

We know you're in the music business. We know you played with Journey, recorded with Mariah Carey, and know almost everyone is to know. But sadly we're not getting the "goosies" every time you name drop someone else from the industry. After all, J.Lo doesn't say, "When we were making Gigli, Ben Affleck told me..." and Steven, well, Steven is a whole different story. Pretty please?

My apologies for that interlude. It's time for "some of the most buzzed about people in the country" to take the stage—it's your top 12 ladies, America! Honestly, if a female is to break the sensitive-guy-with-guitar streak this year, many of them are going to have to do better than last night.

Randy recycled his jacket from Tuesday's show, and J.Lo borrowed a pair of Shannon Magrane's short-shorts and paired them with a one-sleeved top that threatened to assimilate her around the middle of the show. And Steven was wearing a jacket that was definitely a couch in its previous life.

Cannon fodder Chelsea started off the show. All the footage of Chelsea they've shown to date is that she apparently forgot her words during the group round in Hollywood. Inexplicably, she chose to sing Carrie Underwood's Cowboy Casanova, which is a fun song but not one to demonstrate your vocal prowess. Chelsea has a strong, husky voice, and did a fine job, but to go first when you've gotten no camera time, you need to blow it out of the water and sadly, everyone stayed in the water. Randy assured Chelsea that she "definitely can sing," but questioned her song choice, as "we've all seen the 'Carrie thing' already." J.Lo said the song made her sound nasally and commiserated with her that "it sucks to go first," while Steven's feedback was, "You sang good, but watch your phrasing, and watch your timing." Ryan tried to garner some sympathy votes by telling the judges that Chelsea's heart was beating so fast she couldn't get control, but everyone had already moved on.

Our "mobile DJ," Erika got a makeover before the show, as she's now sporting longer, straight blonde hair with cool reddish streaks. She sang Heart's What About Love, doing a much stronger job with the song than Melissa McGhee in Season 5, or Season 9 also-ran Janell Wheeler. I really like Erika's voice and stage presence. Steven thought there was "something magical" about Erika's confidence, as it "breathes wings into a song." (Someone's been breathing something, I'd venture to say.) Randy said she had almost an "Adele-like" vibe he'd never heard before (despite the fact that she sang an Adele song for her final performance, Dawg?), and then said, "She's a singing DJ, when have you heard of that?" J.Lo was sort of impressed but felt like Erika was holding back, and told her she needed to "push it harder."

Up next, my favorite, Jen. Apparently her family owns a frigging vineyard. How cool is that? For reasons I don't quite understand, Jen sang Adele's One and Only. While she has terrific stage presence and a great tone to her voice, I just didn't feel this song was the showcase she needed. There were a few great moments, but overall, it left me wanting more. Given some of her performances in Hollywood and Las Vegas, I just don't get why she chose this song, but she did explain that she had been through something similar to Adele a few years ago, so the song meant something to her. The judges were more appreciative than I was, although they didn't go wild. Steven told Jen that her "confidence makes your voice fly" (again with the wings) and Randy called her "one of the greatest singers in the competition" and told her she shouldn't forget she has "the swag, the runs" to rely on. I worry about her chances but hope she's a wild card pick if she doesn't make it in otherwise.

Ever the troublemaker, Ryan asked Randy, "Gender to gender, how are the girls doing compared to the guys?" Randy admitted that upon watching the show back, "the judges were a little lenient on the guys." (No way. Really? Would never have known.) He mentioned that they gave passes to some people that should have been criticized (but despite Ryan's egging him on, wouldn't name names), and said that "the girls are coming out scorching!" (More proof Randy is in a whole different universe.)

Want a reality check? Brielle has been watching the show since she was six years old. (If rest facilities have free wi-fi, I'm so there.) The pride of Staten Island sang (Sittin' On) The Dock of the Bay, and for the tiniest of seconds sounded like Haley Rinehart. But then it became clear that the song was a little too low for her as she was "watching the tides roll een." She tore into the rest of the song and it was all just a little too much for me. There should be a balance between the gusto and some restraint, but judging from her mother's comments, I don't think restraint is a word used often in their household. J.Lo said that people underestimate Brielle, that while she may not have the biggest voice, she's a "true performer, a true entertainer." Steven praised her "great sense of the blues." (C'mon, now. I'd say Billie Holliday or Nina Simone had a great sense of the blues. Brielle?) Randy said she had a little Janis Joplin in her(!) and said that when he listened to her, "Man, I was like 'yo.'" That pretty much sums it up, no?

Another one who has gotten precious little camera time, Hallie came next. Her pre-performance package demonstrated a little deficit in the personality department, but her rendition of Feelin' Good was really skillful, almost a little sexy. And then as soon as the song was over, much like Ruben Studdard used to do, she slipped back into no-personality zone. J.Lo said she had "some really beautiful moments" and looked like a star, while Steven praised the "old-timey, old-fashioned" quality of her voice. Randy, despite praising her "great, amazing voice," chose that moment to demand she declare what type of artist she wanted to be. (No one else was asked that, mind you.) Does she want to be a soul singer, a torch singer? Then, inexplicably, his need to name drop reached epic ridiculousness, as he explained that "Lana Del Rey is doing her thing, interestingly." What? Lana Del Rey and Hallie Day have nothing in common except rhyming last names, Dawg. Does Hallie remind him of Haley from last year and his inexplicable need to tear her apart?

Little country spitfire Skylar chose to sing Stay with Me by Faces. I had never heard the song before, but I thought Skylar was fantastic. She really is a pint-sized Reba McEntire, although she threw some Proud Mary-era Tina Turner moves into her performance. Here is one young girl with a great voice and some serious stage presence. She really blew me away. Of course, this is one of Randy's favorite songs, and in fact, he even recorded a version of the song with "Mr. Travis Tritt." He called Skylar a "rockin', performin' country singer." J.Lo said that Skylar made the song one of her favorites, too, and that she truly embodies the whole package they're looking for. Steven said she "made Galveston proud" (where she auditioned) and that "you're a pistol, you're on fire." Skylar mentioned that her dress was really tight and she had been practicing breath control the entire week.

Pretty Baylie, clad in her pink pageant gown, perched seductively on a stool, sang Lonestar's Amazed. It was just not good. She didn't hit a right note the entire time, and her voice was really shaky. We had our first Paula moments of the season, as Steven told her, "I'm not sure it was the best song, but you're pretty." J.Lo one-upped him with, "You're not pretty, you're beautiful. But the song was shaky the whole time." Baylie explained, too, that her dress was really tight, and Ryan asked J.Lo for advice. "Get a bigger dress," J.Lo recommended. Desperate to turn the spotlight back to himself, Randy said, "You know, Ryan, when you wear your dresses?" "I stop at the heels," Ryan explained. (Well, Julianne Hough is really tall, you know?)

Finally, the show has decided it can longer pretend Hollie didn't get cut just before the top 24 last season. She's like a tiny doll-like elf, and I love her hybrid British-Texas accent. She sang Reflection by Christina Aguilera (from Mulan), a song previously tackled by Ayla Brown in Season 5, Jordin Sparks in Season 6, and Jasmine Murray in Season 8. (Yes, I remember all of this stuff. My mind is a pop culture junkyard.) I thought Hollie was fantastic—powerful when she needed to be, controlled when it was appropriate, and really strong vocally. Steven praised her passion but told her she needed to let her hair down (literally) next time. J.Lo mentioned that Hollie is one of her favorites, and she mentioned that last season, after Hollie was cut, she told her if she came back, she could win the whole thing, and she still believes that. Always feeling the need to criticize the stronger performances, Randy mentioned that in choosing a Christina Aguilera song, she had to "slay the dragon," and let go a little more. Of course, he also told her that it "wasn't all perfect." Nice.

Haley "We Barely Know You Anyway" Johnsen was next. I'll admit that when Ryan announced she'd be singing Sweet Dreams, I immediately thought of the Patsy Cline song. I couldn't imagine she'd perform The Eurythmics' Sweet Dreams (Are Made of This), but boy, was I wrong. Eek. Seriously. She wore a dress that was all fishnets at the bottom, and flailed around the stage in a strange green light. Vocally she changed up a lot of the song and it just didn't work. J.Lo said that she hoped "America could hear all of the special things" in Haley's voice despite the fact it was the wrong song and the wrong arrangement. Steven told Haley that, "some of your turnarounds weren't perfect, but what in life is?" He also said that she performed well on stage, and that was "half of it." Strangely, Randy was the voice of reason this time, calling the performance "more of a nightmare instead of a dream," "pitchy all over the place," and "a little trainwrecky." And catch this, my friends: I. Agree. With. Randy.

Shannon traded in her short-shorts for a white pageant gown and sang Kathy Troccoli's Christian song, Go Light Your World. (And if you don't believe my pageant comment, Miss Tennessee 1997, Lanna Keck, sang this song at Miss America. You're welcome.) The song wasn't that impressive but she has a really powerful voice. Randy praised her "Lauryn Hill-like vibrato," J.Lo told her she sings with such passion for a 16-year-old and that her performance gave J.Lo her first "goosies" of the night. (There's a catchphrase that needs to die a quick death.) Steven said, "You started out low and gospelly, but then my reality check bounced, and you took it up a notch." (Sometimes I think people just look at him like an elderly grandparent, hoping for a nugget of wisdom in the midst of all of the gibberish.)

Ryan took to the stools with young Jessica to warn everyone that she had been sick during the week, suffering from swollen vocal cords, and she was worried about her performance. PSYCH OUT!! Singing Jennifer Hudson's Love You I Do with the stage presence of a performer twice her age and amazing vocals. Seriously. The judges gave her a standing ovation, calling her performance one of the best of the two nights. Steven praised her exceptional timing and flawless turnarounds, and said that "The San Diego Chargers are going to have to pay you the next time you sing the National Anthem for them." Ever the name-dropper, Randy praised her "Beyonce-like vibrato" (I wonder how that differs from Shannon's "Lauryn Hill-like vibrato"?)

Elise got the closing spot and chose to sing Adele's One and Only, because once was not enough. She started out at the piano and then moved away from it, and while there were a few rough spots, she definitely had the power and variety of tone to make her performance stand out more than Jen's, sadly. (I could have done without the horrible banquet display flowers in her hair, but now I'm just nitpicking.) The judges called her a "force to be reckoned with."

Without a mystery 13th contestant, we had extra time, so Ryan asked each of the judges who stood out tonight. Randy picked Elise, Jessica, Skyler, Erika, and Jen; J.Lo picked Jessica, Hollie, Skyler, Elise, and Jen; and Steve picked Elise, Jessica, Hollie, and Skyler.

Then, of course, the judges were asked to weigh in on the guys. All three chose Phillip, Joshua, and Deandre, while Randy also mentioned Heejun(!) and Steven included "White Chocolate" (Adam). No Creighton? You have got to be fricking kidding me. I hope America doesn't let me down on this one.

My picks for the top 5 ladies: Jessica, Hollie, Skyler, Elise, and Erika, although I'm holding out hope that Jen scores a wild card if nothing else. (I do think Shannon will make it, however, probably over Erika, but I thought Erika's overall performance was stronger.)

Tonight, a "super-sized" results show, which means 90 minutes of inane filler, a Ford music video, another baby picture from Adam Brock, and a weak group number, followed by 30 minutes of dream crushing. And by that, I mean my dreams.

Can't wait!

Book Review: "Contents May Have Shifted" by Pam Houston

Pam, the narrator of this absolutely fantastic book, can't seem to stay in one place. An author and writing instructor with little luck on the romantic front, the one thing she seems to have inherited from her dysfunctional parents is a sincere love of travel and a restlessness to explore.

Contents May Have Shifted follows Pam all over the world, from ranches and spas, to monasteries, religious shrines, hotels, and landmarks, in locations as diverse as the American Southwest, Alaska, Bhutan, Tibet, Laos, Spain, Scotland, Newfoundland, and Australia. Sometimes she travels with friends, sometimes colleagues, sometimes lovers (or ex-lovers), and sometimes she is trying to escape it all. And she has no shortage of flying-related complications, whether on a jet plane or a small turbo prop! Pam's (and Pam Houston's) tremendous appreciation for wherever she is and whomever she is with, no matter the circumstances, is both heartwarming and, at times, heartbreaking, but moving all the same.

While this book hooked me from start to finish, especially since the sphere of my personal travel experiences is so narrow, I give you one warning: this book is not told in a linear way, so as it jumps from place to place, it jumps from time to time. Sometimes she's with one partner, sometimes another, and sometimes she's simply dealing with friends and their issues. I think it's a true testament to Houston's skills as a writer that she's able to present such a full story through short snippets told out of temporal order. If you can suspend your need for order and just give in to this book about the joy of travel and relationships, you will love it as much as I did. And if you want more Pam Houston, I highly recommend her short story collections Cowboys are My Weakness and Waltzing the Cat.

"American Idol" Recap: What Kind of Chocolate Do You Like?

So after what seems like 525,600 minutes (but what has been, in actuality, six weeks), it's finally time to start the live performance shows. First up: the top 12 guys, along with the "surprise" 13th guy who will get a shot at redemption.

Interestingly enough, if you consider that 6 of the 10 winners have been guys, and guys have won the last four seasons, the odds are fairly good that this season's winner performed last night. And while I felt a few could be worthy of a confetti explosion come late May, I'm always doubtful that America and I are on the same wavelength.

But onto the show. Randy was surprisingly dressed up, wearing a long jacket, J.Lo decided to cover herself tonight (more on that later), and Steven was wearing a zebra-print jacket I swear Allison Iraheta wore during Season 8. (The more I watch Steven, the more he's starting to look like Janice from The Muppet Show.)

Reed opened the show with a manic, jazzy, spazzy, utterly awkward version of Maroon 5's Moves Like Jagger. He tried to throw in everything he could—a little scatting, a little moonwalk, playing the drums like Sheila E. (did you see her on the Oscars Sunday night? Glamorous life, indeed.), heck, he even forgot to take the word "s--t" out of the song and was censored. Randy once again called him "this season's Casey Abrams," J.Lo said the song was "a great way to show America what they're dealing with," and Steven incorrectly name checked Reed's band, Shoeless Revolution, calling them "Shoeless Generation," and saying that "a whole new generation will love your a--." (Steven got censored, too, but after the word was heard on television. Call the FCC!)

You might not have known Adam has a baby daughter, Whitney, whom he and his wife like to dress in giant head bows. (When I saw his wife wearing a vintage Hillary Clinton headband, I understood.) Oh, and apparently he has a large black woman inside of him (never heard that one before) and he wants to show the world "what white chocolate is about." (Can I point out now that white chocolate isn't really chocolate, just a pale imitation?) Adam chose to sing a straight-from-karaoke version of Aretha Franklin's Think. I thought it was awful and in his leather jacket, t-shirt, and Pittsburgh Steelers' "terrible towel," he just looked like a dad trying to hard to impress his kids into thinking he's cool. Steven's adjective wheel spun to "brilliant" for this performance, Randy said that he liked Adam's 1970s-era "blue-eyed soul" (really?), and J.Lo said she was waiting for the big finish, which she loved. (Points for Adam's supporters' signs "Brock On" and "Brock the Vote," though.)

Awkward dialogue break #1: Ryan: "Steven, what kind of chocolate do you prefer?" Steven: "Dark." Randy: "I consider myself milk, but dark is cool." (Shut up, Dawg. You weren't even included in the conversation.)

Deandre showed he was more Milli Vanilla with a warbly version of Earth, Wind & Fire's Reasons. Other than one beautiful high note toward the end, I found him really off-key, with really awkward transitions between his head voice, his falsetto, and his lower register. He does flip his hair quite beautifully, though. J.Lo said that his voice was "so perfect," while Randy called him "one of the most commercial guys" on the show, "ready to make a record right out of the box." And then, in Nigel's favorite manufactured ploy two young girls from the audience apparently were dying to hug Deandre. Yeah, right.

Colton showed us the secrets of his hairdo (one dab isn't enough for him) and he paid tribute to his sister, Schyler. Choosing to sing Paramore's Decode, Colton started out behind the piano, sang on stage for a bit, and ended up on top of the piano, James Durbin-style, complete with dramatic lighting. I actually really like his voice and hope he sticks around. Randy said it was great to "finally have our own indie alt-rocker singing Paramore" on the show, and both J.Lo and Steven called him a "relevant artist," although J.Lo mentioned she likes it better when she can "feel his heart" through his music.

Hanging on the stools with Jeremy, Ryan referred to him as the "spirit stick" of the group, the one who is constantly cheering everyone else on. He sang Sara Bareilles' Gravity, which I love (plus I can never forget the Mia Michaels-choreographed dance routine from So You Think You Can Dance). Jeremy has a nice voice, but his phrasing is really breathy at times. However, I thought he did really, really well. Steven called the performance "beautiful" (go figure) and said that Jeremy has "a big, big heart, and for that alone, you should be America's idol." (Steven, you're judging a singing competition, remember?) J.Lo said that Jeremy is "blessed by God with a voice that affects everyone," while Randy kept blathering on about "sangers" in the competition, and then said, "America meet Jeremy. Jeremy meet America."

Awkward dialogue break #2: Ryan: "Steven, how do you feel so far?" Steven: "I'm as confused as a baby in a topless bar." Then Steven proceeds to pull down his shirt, sneeze and expose his nipple, teasing J.Lo for her Oscar dress, to which she shrieked, "There was no nipple!"

Nice lead-in for Aaron, no? He sang Never Can Say Goodbye, and I thought he sounded great and worked the audience well. The judges gave him the night's first standing ovation, and Randy praised his "beautiful vocals, mad vocals" because "this boy can sing!" Steven blathered about how Aaron has raised the bar for himself, because now he has to top this. Doesn't everyone have to top their first performance? (God, I hope so.)

Barely seen Chase, "this season's country crooner," said that he's "as country as you can get." He sang Hunter Hayes' Storm Warning well, although the song didn't show off his voice to its fullest potential. He's a terrific performer, though, and toward the end of the song, proceeded to spin around while kicking his leg, which was pretty professional. Steven told Chase he looked like Brendan Fraser in The Mummy, and said "there are probably a lot of mummies [mommies] in America rooting for you." J.Lo praised his "movie star good looks and good voice," while Randy told him he had "mad skills."

So are "totally unique" and "individual" code words for "gay" on the show? That was how Ryan prefaced the introduction to Creighton, who blew me out of the water with an amazingly powerful-yet-restrained, vocally beautiful rendition of True Colors. (The lights behind Creighton even turned to a rainbow flag, although I know the lyric to the song is "Your true colors are beautiful like a rainbow.") I didn't feel the judges gave him anywhere near the praise he deserved. Yes, they used words like "stupendous" and "so beautiful," but chose to focus more on the fact that more than half of the guys performing would be going home. And then Randy said something about "we're going to think about the back story, the image, the whole thing, but you can sing." Huh?

And it's back to Phillip Phillips this week. (Points for the producers for titling a picture of his family with "Phillip Phillips Phamily Photo." Hee.) He sang In the Air Tonight, and I loved it. (How cool was it that Phillip Phillips sang some Phillip Collins?) Some people find him annoying and too derivative of Dave Matthews, and while there's no denying he sounds a lot like him, there's something irresistible about him. J.Lo mentioned that when they got back from last year's auditions, all they could talk about were Scotty and Lauren, while this year, all they could talk about was Phillip. J.Lo praised his "special talents," while Steven said he has a "crazy kind of voice, and really hit [his] stride." Stupid Randy said he "wasn't jumping up and down with the reharm of the melody." Whatever, Dawg. If warbling Deandre is commercial, Phillip is mad ready.

Young Eben was next into the breach, and he inexplicably chose to sing Adele's Set Fire to the Rain. Even with the fiery backdrop usually reserved for Motown week when someone sings (Love is Like a) Heat Wave, Eben was not on pitch for a good portion of the song. Sad, because he seems like a really likable kid, and it really does make an argument that he could have waited an extra year or two. The judges mentioned that he was a little pitchy, a little flat, and Steven, while praising his "straight, beautiful voice," suggested he "listen to some blues records and shake it out."

Heejun, minus one of his usual hats, introduced us to his dancing mother, and then promised to prove that "Asian people can not only outscore you on their SATs, they can also sing and melt their hearts...the females." He sang a perfectly adequate version of Robbie Williams' Angels, and while he really has a beautiful voice, his performance wasn't exceptional to me in any way. He also tends to drop the ends of some words when he sings them. All of the judges seemed to agree he didn't choose the right song, although his voice is "as smooth as silk." Ryan tried to get Heejun to explain why he chose the song, and he started saying that everyone has angels around them, blah blah blah.

Joshua rounded out the top 12, and the contestant that apparently has gotten the nickname "Mantasia," broke out Jennifer Hudson's You Pulled Me Through. Wow, what a voice. I was pleased to see that while he really let loose vocally, he didn't veer into Jacob Lusk-like histrionics. The judges gave him a standing ovation, and Randy said, "This is what singing is about!" J.Lo was so moved by Joshua's voice she told him she wanted to punch him, but told him he could be an R&B or gospel star right now. Steven said that he has "the voice the world has been waiting for."

And finally, the judges revealed that the contestant with the shot at redemption was the "Gentle Giant," Jermaine Jones. (I was surprised, because I couldn't understand why they would have even mentioned Johnny Keyser as a possibility, since he was cut before the top 40, if they weren't bringing him back.) Jermaine sang Luther Vandross' Dance with My Father, and his beautiful baritone, combined with the story behind the song, made me a little weepy. I just don't know how his voice will do in this competition, or whether he's engendered enough support. But his mother loves him.

My choice for the top five: Creighton, Joshua, Aaron, Phillip, and Colton, although it's entirely possible Deandre, Heejun, or Reed could sneak in. (I believe the judges will pick Deandre and/or Reed as wild cards, though.)

And tonight...two more hours of singing! It's the ladies' turn! (Jen Hirsh, don't disappoint me!!)

Book Review: "The Fallback Plan" by Leigh Stein

Esther Kohler just graduated from Northwestern. Although she dreams of being an actress, she's not really interested in actually pursuing that career right now. In fact, she doesn't really feel like doing much of anything. When she moves back home to live with her parents, she envisions days of laying on the couch in her pajamas, watching lots of television, re-reading her favorite children's books, and existing under a haze of prescription drugs.

Her parents, however, have other plans for Esther, and find her a job babysitting for the young daughter of neighbors Amy and Nate Brown. But the Browns' infant daughter died six months earlier, and they haven't quite recovered from that blow. Esther finds herself becoming the responsible one, caring for May as well as Amy, and serving as Nate's confidante, all while her own personal life is in a bit of a shambles. She finally realizes that she needs to shake herself out of her complacency, especially where her interactions with the Browns are concerned, but she's still not sure where that leaves her.

This book surprised me. It wasn't what I expected, and just when I thought I had it all figured out, it threw me for a bit of a loop, in a good way. Some of the reviews of the book said it was uproariously funny. I thought it was definitely wry and humorous, but not hysterical, but that didn't detract from its charm. Esther is a character that really grew on me; she was much deeper than she seemed at the novel's start, and much more aware of what was going on around her. Leigh Stein did a really good job capturing the angst and rudderlessness that many recent college graduates feel, when you're not quite ready to be an adult, yet no one is still willing to treat you as a child, at least the way you want. I really enjoyed this.

My favorite performances of 2011...

Sunday night the Oscars will be awarded to a few lucky people. Since I'm fairly certain I'll be pleased with some of the winners and disappointed with others, I thought that this year I'd put together a list of those actors and actresses who gave what I felt were the best performances of the year, whether or not they were nominated for Oscars.

So, in no particular order, here goes:


Michael Shannon, Take Shelter: Michael Shannon gave a truly Oscar-worthy performance as a man trying to make sense of his increasingly disturbing (and perhaps apocalyptic) dreams. Is he hallucinating? Is he seeing visions of what is to come? Whatever the reason, Shannon does an incredible job of portraying a man just barely (if that) holding himself together. Watch the trailer.



Ryan Gosling, Drive: Ryan Gosling had one heck of a year in 2011. While his sexy, charming performance in Crazy, Stupid, Love endeared him to audiences and his strong idealism in The Ides of March was captivating, he was at his most magnetic, his most enigmatic, and his most dangerous in the underappreciated but fantastic Drive. Playing an unnamed guy whose specialty is serving as a getaway driver, Gosling brought menace, charm, and sex appeal to this role. So good. Watch the trailer.



Felicity Jones, Like Crazy: This movie of an all-consuming love that has to weather a great deal of turmoil was tremendously moving, and while Anton Yelchin did a terrific job, Felicity Jones, as the sometimes-aloof, sometimes deeply obsessed Anna, was marvelous. And when I found out that nearly the entire movie was improvised by the actors, my admiration grew. Loved the movie; was dazzled by the performances. Watch the trailer.



Michelle Williams, My Week with Marilyn: After turning in an emotionally searing performance last year in Blue Valentine, Michelle Williams stepped into the role of an indelible icon and nailed it, garnering her third Oscar nomination. But while she completely captured the oft-imitated breathy sexuality and amazement with her own appeal, Williams' portrayal of Marilyn Monroe's vulnerability and naked desire for love is what has stuck with me. She deserves the Oscar, although she'll be passed over again this year. Watch the trailer.



Joseph Gordon-Levitt, 50/50: We've watched Joseph Gordon-Levitt grow up before our eyes, from the awkward teenage alien on the television hit Third Rock from the Sun to the romantic foil in (500 Days of) Summer, Gordon-Levitt has demonstrated magnetism, charm, power, and sex appeal in many of his roles. But in 50/50, he truly came into his own. Playing Adam, a young man diagnosed with cancer which may or may not be fatal, he walked the thin line between anxiety and despair, depression and rage, while maintaining a sense of humor and empathy for those suffering around him. Watch the trailer.