Our reviewers have some of the best suggestions on what to read, what to see and and what to listen to each month. Let Lacy Simons of hello hello books,  Jim Dandy and Tiffany Howard of Opera House Video and Nathaniel Bernier of Wild Rufus Consignments fill you in on this month's killer book, movie and music reviews.

Books

The Gift: Creativity and the Artist in the Modern World.
Reviewed by Lacy Simons

This month's pick is Lewis Hyde's classic The Gift: Creativity and the Artist in the Modern World. (Check out one of the covers to see its former subtitle, which I guess was too misleadingly suggestive to use for the 25th anniversary edition we have for you in the shop.)

We've been reading this aloud at home in dribs and drabs, which is, as it turns out, a sensical way to read it, given one of the early themes of the book: give it away, give it away, give it away now. (Oh, hello, early '90s. I didn't see you there. Move along now, will you?) Early on, Hyde pulls in folktales to illustrate the value and necessity of sharing your gift, whatever it may be, with a community of your choosing, even if that community is just one other person. This all sounds potentially treacle and gag-inducing, but (despite the impression its current Hallmark-card cover gives) the book is anything but. It's erudite without being forbidding or boring; it's inspirational without being gimmicky or simplistic. And, as the LA Times points out, "Over the years, The Gift has developed a cult following among writers and artists who rarely lend their names to anything as potentially sentimental as a book on 'creativity' — David Foster Wallace, Zadie Smith and Geoff Dyer among them. To Jonathan Lethem, it’s 'a life-changer'; video artist Bill Viola calls it 'the best book I have read on what it means to to be an artist in today’s economic world.'"

Pick it up! It's March, and we all need a pile of inspiration.

Lacy Simons is the owner and operator of hello hello books, which opened in August 2011 adjacent to Rock City Cafe, in Rockland. She is a reader, a maker and a collector of fine-point pens and terrible jokes. To find more picks and reads: facebook.com/hellohellobooks Twitter: @hellohellobooks.

Movies

Cirque Du Soleil: Worlds Away
Reviewed by Jim Dandy

I can't remember the last time I enjoyed a good circus. Somewhere in one of my past childhoods there must have been a wondrous tent filled with unimaginable fantasies come true. Or did I just dream it? I can almost smell the dirt floor, the sweat and manure. Well, step right up! Now, through the magic of DVD, you can direct your attention to the center ring from the comfort of your own living room. Your seat awaits. Cirque Du Soleil: Worlds Away will fulfill fantasies you never knew you had. See gravity-defying  Japanese feudal battles performed right before your very eyes. (Hint, it's done with wires.) See freaks and other oddities as they act out a thrilling mash-up of Beatles classics. See the sad clown as they set him on fire. See the young lady chase the handsome aerialist through dream after dreamlike fantasy, all for the benefit of a thin plot to tie together all of of these wondrous sights.

This was my first Cirque De Soleil experience and I was blown away. The acrobatics and costumes defy description. So, friends, whether you love the Beatles or just hate clowns, see this movie. It's a visual masterpiece. The circus has never smelled so sweet. 

Tiffany Howard and Jim Dandy co-own Opera House Video, an independent video rental store in downtown Belfast featuring an extensive collection of new releases, foreign films, documentaries, classics and television series. Each takes turns writing the movie review. Find them on Facebook at Opera House Video.

Music

Rebirth by Jimmy Cliff
Reviewed by Nathaniel Bernier

I hadn't listened to any Jimmy Cliff for a few years, save for some of the classics, but hadn't turned up a full album.  This recording starts out with such gusto and such a heavy amount of energy that I have listened to it over and over since picking it up.  Working with punk musician (Rancid) and sometimes-producer Tim Armstrong seems to have really helped turn this album back to a root origin. In fact, in the song Reggae Music he unfolds a history of his own path, starting way back in the 1960s with Leslie Kong, recording songs "in the style of ska." This song kind of sets the mood for the entire 46-minute ride.

This new release for one of the pioneering voices from Jamaica seems to really open up a lot of old doors, conjuring up memories of the ska sounds of the past, the styling of which he started with.  It's a similar production style as T-Bone Burnett did with BB King's hugely successful One Kind Favor album from 2008, when Burnett basically had BB revert back to his single-amp reverb sound of the 1950s.  And Cliff nails it here, what an amazing way to pay homage to your humble upbringing by digging up that "old sound" and putting new life to it.  The old-school style of horn-heavy, skankable ska really shines on this.  A few slower-paced reggae songs are thrown in to mix it up for your aural pleasure.  All in all, this rebirth of Jimmy is exactly what the doctor ordered. This is five-stars.

Nathaniel "Natty B" Bernier, owner of  Wild Rufus Records (Consignments), previously retail and now online, has immersed himself in music for 35 years, hosting several radio shows, deejaying at clubs and parties, writing music reviews and interviewing artists. He is located on the coast of Maine and continues to live through music. Find him at www.wildrufus.com or wildrufus.blogspot.com/.