Media Mix

Book

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Life on the Refrigerator Door: Notes Between a Mother and Daughter

By Alice Kuipers

HarperCollins

$15.95

In this novel, 15-year-old Claire's relationship with her cancer-ridden mother is revealed through notes they leave for each other on the refrigerator.

"I found a lump in my right breast . . . I wanted to tell you before I went to the doctor's, but I suppose we haven't had the chance."

— A sample note

Claire's P.S. to her dead mother illustrates the seemingly selfish girl's vulnerability and strength in a way that wasn't apparent throughout her mom's illness.

Describing the effects of cancer on a relationship using shopping lists and sticky notes verges on kitschy and strips away any sense of gravity or emotion readers might feel.

— Reviewed by Alexis Burling

C-

Book

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The Shotgun Rule

By Charlie Huston

Ballantine

$21.95

It's "Reservoir Dogs" meets "Stand by Me" as a group of feckless teenage delinquents goes on a thieving and fighting bender after lifting a kilo of methamphetamine from Latino toughs.

"This is different. Going in someone's house when they're not there? Better yet, when they are? That's like the total opposite of doing what you're told."

— Burgeoning criminal George on his new hobby

Fans of gritty crime capers will delight in the madcap pace and Huston's knack for capturing the crude, tossed-off quippage of teenage boys.

The choppy, rapid-fire repartee gets a bit exhausting, and the gorier sequences (pencil stabbings! bike-chain beatings!) may prove too relentless for squeamish readers.

— Sara Cardace

B-

CD

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Liars

Liars

Mute U.S.

$14.98

Things get messy when these boundary-bashing art rockers try to rein in their sound.

"It's nothing to freak out about."

— Singer Angus Andrew sums up the album on "Freak Out"

The nightmarish funk of "Houseclouds" and the Beck-esque stomper "Clear Island" sound crazy-scary-cool.

The rest of the disc is discordant, dirgey dead weight. Hey! Those all start with the letter . . .

— Chris Richards

D

DVD

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Blades of Glory

Rated PG-13

Paramount

$29.99

After fierce figure-skating rivals Chazz (Will Ferrell) and Jimmy (Jon Heder) are banned from solo competition, they team up as the sport's first male-male pair.

"They're laughing at us."

"Hey, they laughed at Louis Armstrong when he said he was gonna go to the moon. Now he's up there, laughing at them."

— Chazz tries to give Jimmy a triple Salchow of inspiration

Ferrell is reliably funny as the bad boy of the Zamboni set, and the on-ice routines are enjoyably goofy.

Will Arnett and Amy Poehler playing a scheming, incestuous brother-sister skating duo should be worthy of a gold medal, but the material fails them. And Ferrell doesn't even deserve a bronze for his low-key effort on the disc's extras.

— Greg Zinman

B-

DVD

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Friday Night Lights: The First Season

Not Rated

Universal

$29.98

This earnest gridiron drama follows Eric Taylor (Kyle Chandler), the new head coach of the Dillon Panthers high school football team that means everything to a small Texas town.

"Don't you do that. Don't you smirk at me right now. I am very upset! You are not allowed to have sex! You are 15 years old!"

— Coach's wife Tami Taylor (Connie Britton) sets the rules for daughter Julie (Aimee Teegarden)

The Taylors are one of television's most realistically portrayed families. And the use of multiple hand-held cameras and natural light gives the show a distinctive look.

The faltering relationship between cheerleader Lyla (Minka Kelly) and crippled quarterback Jason (Scott Porter) slows the show to a crawl, and fans will be incensed by the lack of cast commentaries.

— G.Z.

A-

Game

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Brain Age 2: More Training in Minutes a Day!

Nintendo DS

Rated Everyone

Nintendo

$19.99

The title that started the explosion of "intelligence-boosting" games doles out a slew of new brain-crunching exercises.

Among the best of the challenges is a mode in which you play a virtual piano while reading sheet music.

Sometimes a game can use math concepts in an imaginative way that transforms the educational into genuine fun.

Sometimes it just feels like math.

— Christopher Healy

C+

Game

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John Woo Presents Stranglehold

PC, PlayStation 3, Xbox 360

Rated Mature

Midway

$49.99-$69.99

In this digital sequel to Woo's Hong Kong action classic "Hard Boiled," Chow Yun-Fat reprises the role of Inspector Tequila, a maverick cop who takes justice into his own hands.

Although PS3 owners will have to wait three weeks for their version of the game, they will get an exclusive remastered version of "Hard Boiled" (1992) on the Blu-ray disc.

Stepping into Chow's shoes and pulling off Woo's trademark run-and-gun stunts make for a concentrated blast of adrenaline-fueled chaos.

Parts of the gameplay get repetitive, and the difficulty level rises considerably in the later levels.

— Evan Narcisse

A-