My Must List

I'm taking a cue from one of my favorite publications, Entertainment Weekly, and writing my own Must List: everything in entertainment that is making me happy right now. Most of it isn't reading-related, but who cares?

• The supporting cast of Nurse Jackie: Of course Edie Falco is wonderful; who had any doubts about that? But I am really loving (most of) the rest of the cast, especially the adorable Merritt Wever, who plays the loopy, sincere, kindhearted nursing student Zoey. I'm also liking Peter Facinelli as Dr. "Call Me Coop!" Cooper, who mindlessly grabs the nearest boob when he's nervous. His offer to treat pharmacist Eddie to Quizno's made me laugh like a lunatic. An offer of Quizno's doesn't sound funny? It's not, really. That's Facinelli's gift.
• Lady Gaga: She opened for my beloved NKOTB when I saw them back in the fall, and I really liked her delightfully weird set. I never imagined that she would blow up like she has, though. Each of her three singles has found a home on my iPod. Should I feel guilty about my daughter's hearing "I want to take a ride on your disco stick" fairly often in the car? Yes. Do I? No.
• Bound South, by Susan Rebecca White: I picked this up after a quick scan of the back cover when I was desperate for a beach read, so my expectations weren't terribly high. However, I was floored by this book. I'm serious; I absolutely loved it. The characters were fantastic: relatable and not at all stereotypical (always a concern when an author writes about the south). I also like they way that White plays with chronology: the book jumps ahead in time fairly often, and it just works. Bound South is the perfect blend of entertainment and literary quality, and I think that everyone should read it.
• Daisy of Love: Awesomely bad trashy "reality" TV. If only they could bring back Weasel and his tingly yam. I've missed him since his second-episode elimination.