Playing By Heart is a movie with a well known cast. Usually, these all-star, intertwining stories movies fall flat to me. Maybe my hopes are too high. In this case, you get a fun cast who were pretty big names at the time (some still are, some not to much) like Gena Rowlands, Sean Connery, Madeleine Stowe, Gillian Anderson, Angelina Jolie, and Ryan Phillipe. Oh, and let's not forget a truly unforgettable small moment with Alec Mapa. This is how I ALWAYS see Alec Mapa now 'cause this was the first way I saw him.
It's got some pretty good music mixed throughout and the story is cute, but the best thing is the dialogue. These are smart people and you won't hear the humor unless you listen to the dialogue closely. There are some beautiful thoughts mixed in like "Talking about music is like dancing about architecture" and is definitely worth a look. Just remember to pay attention.
Fingersmith by Sarah Waters is a longer book so I might skip next months recommendation as it could count as two. The first book I read by this author was Affinity, recommended by a friend, and I really loved that one, too. I then read this one and tend to recommend it more because it has just a bit more meat on its bones. It will surprise you, I promise, and you will enjoy every moment of the journey. Her writing in these two books and Tipping the Velvet is beautiful, descriptive, and lyrical. Her stories are romantic and entertaining. I don't know what happened, though, because I will not recommend The Night Watch or The Little Stranger. It was a chore to get through NW and I didn't feel like it went anywhere worthwhile. The well-written, interesting tidbits of the past were not enough to save it. I read just less than half of LS and gave up. I learned from those cases that her writing is only beautiful in relation to the stories. Otherwise it seems overly pedantic and occasionally excruciating. That being said, Fingersmith (and Affinity) are worth taking the time to read. Parts of it still stick with me and it's been a few years since I read either.
