The round-up of what caught our eyes (or ears) this month:

Children’s corner

• The Three Little Pigs and Goldilocks by James Marshall. Marshall's George and Martha stories were beloved in our house growing up, but I just recently discovered these other two on one of our trips to the library. The traditional, very familiar stories get a breath of fresh air with sprinklings of dry humor. They are a pleasure to read aloud, and children seem to have an affinity for them too. -Sophie

• If you happen to be looking for nice children's music or lullabies that don't make you want to knock your head against a wall, we really enjoy Elizabeth Mitchell. And Jewel's Lullabye album is nice, too. Her voice is so unique! -Maria

good (or not so good) reads

• I just finished Love In the Ruins by Walker Percy. It's the third Percy novel I've read and I'm still conflicted on what I think of him as a novelist. I don't love his fiction. Intriguing, yes. Amusing, certainly. Thought-provoking, very often, and very often discomforting. Five years back, Maria and I spearheaded a "bookclub" with some family members and selected Percy's The Second Coming. Maria enjoyed the book, particularly his "masterful punctuated and humorous conversation." Sophie found it...distasteful. Two more Percy novels later, and I might finally be coming around to her side. I resist being perceived as prudish about literature in particular, art in general, but there is something in Percy's novels that leaves a bad taste in my mouth. And yet, there are those brilliant passages, so prescient, so perceptive of human nature, that maybe redeem it all. -Sarah

what to watch

• If you like stand up and you like British humor, I think you'll like the show James Acaster: Repertoire. (On Netflix.) He is quirky and smart and so committed to his gig that it's impressive. Every now and then it feels like maybe he's losing his grip on you but then all of a sudden he reels you back in. Plus the way the four episodes work together is masterful. Big thumbs up. -Maria

• Over the summer we watched The Good, the Bad and the Ugly (available Amazon Prime). It was one of those movie choices I resigned myself to watching and not particularly enjoying...but I was so wrong. It was such a thrilling, exciting, fabulous, crazy, awesome film. Just last weekend, we discovered the first movie in the "Man with No Name Trilogy" Fistful of Dollars was also available. Again, I resigned myself to a boring old movie, and again I found myself on the edge of my seat. For a Few Dollars More is also on Prime, so I guess I know what I'll be doing tonight... -Sarah

for your ears

• A list of the best podcasts. I personally really like More Perfect, Revisionist History, and Serial, but it looks like I have quite a few more to try out. Podcasts are how I get cleaning and chores done. In fact, I probably do more cleaning than I would otherwise so that I can finish whichever episode I'm listening to...! -Maria