esrosedotblog

I really like young adult novels. It is a genré which is getting more recognition. Mostly because some very good writers are working in this area and the readership almost requires that the fiction meet the standards of full force adult literary fiction. I just finished a great book called Will Grayson Will Grayson by John Green. Will Grayson is two kids. One upper case, the other lower case, who are the protagonists and they will meet each other somewhere near the middle of the book and play a part in each others' lives through a third character who is probably the real protagonist, a huge gay guy named Tiny Cooper. Cooper is a character's character. He knows the Graysons because the upper case Will is his straight best friend. The lower case will is a gay teenager who he will meet as a result of a failed date/meetup. Will's, not Tiny's. Mostly these are teen struggles with self and the various kinds of love. Straight Will has a girlfriend who is more of a friend than a girlfriend. What's the deal? They do not know. But they find out. Lower case will, the gay one, has a gay on line experience only to find that, well, it ain't what it seems. Tiny is exuberant and big in every aspect of his life. He must figure out how he can find love and why having 16 love affairs may not be the best way to find real love. The book does not flinch from looking at the end of relationships, best friends, boyfriends. Everyone helps everyone else and it is a nice time. I got this because of the gay content but it isn't much focused on that as most YA adult books are not these days. The gay aspect simply becomes a part of the social fabric like anything else. A thread. And that is the way we always wanted it. Now it is here.

There is nothing to today's film. This is Martin Bonner (2013) is so understated that it seems it is hardly there. I almost ditched it at the last minute after reading some reviews. But something told me. And I am glad that I stayed. Nothing happens and everything happens. A man gets out of prison, two men meet, one supposedly a counsellor, who it turns out is in his first job. A kind of failure. The other an ex-con. Twelve years for vehicular homicide. After they meet, they get together every once in awhile. The counsellor, Martin Bonner, is really second string. There is a "mentor" but he is a christer and doesn't really connect with the ex-con who needs a friend. Just one will do. The ex-con's daughter shows up for the first meeting after 12 years. Bonner is asked to come along. He does. The first meeting is very awkward and almost would not have happened without Bonner. That is about it. But everything happens. Friendship. Fatherhood, daughterhood, new starts both from lost paths only different. It is a wonderful, small, tiny film with all kinds of loose ends (intentional) and we get to sit and watch. I loved it. I would even watch it again. A 4 out of Netflix5.

Today is turkey, a full breast. Roasted this morning. We eat a lot of turkey. I have tried all the forms. It is not the most convenient animal to prep. But I will get maybe 6 meals out of it. The whole breast, roasted. No additives. I debone it. It tastes fresh no matter how long it is frozen. Kind of a mess but very worth it if I mentally underwrite it as 6 meals. Turkey. Breast. Forget the legs and thighs.

Labels: books, films, food, gay life, young adult lit