Anderson East, "Encore" (Elektra) As a sign that Anderson East is an artist on the rise, he's been handed a tune for his new album by some pretty special songwriters — no less than two guys...

"Ferdinand " is a first-rate animated tale adapted from the beloved 1936 children's book about a pacifist Spanish bull who just loves to sit around and sniff flowers. It's often dark, sometimes...

"Alone" (Liveright Publishing Co.), by Michael Korda Interest in the 1940 cross-channel evacuation of British soldiers amid the French collapse in World War II has sprung to life this summer,...

The A-List collaborators on Eminem's new album scream "I want a radio hit," with Beyonce, Ed Sheeran, Pink and Alicia Keys co-starring on the songs. It wouldn't be hard to believe, especially...

Annette Bening gives Gloria Grahame a nobility rarely shown to faded Hollywood actresses in "Film Stars Don't Die in Liverpool," a tender if generic portrait of aged glamour. Based on the 1986...

"The Ninth Hour" (Farrar, Straus and Giroux), by Alice McDermott Alice McDermott's stunning new novel, "The Ninth Hour," does for contemporary literature what "Call the Midwife" has done for...

Van Morrison, "Versatile" (Sony) Van Morrison has proven that he'd rather be singing than anything else. Stage chatter? Not so much. Interviews? Not his thing. But he loves making...

In one of the dreamy moments of surrealism that punctuate Sebastian Lelio's otherwise realistic "A Fantastic Woman," the film's transgender protagonist, Marina (Daniela Vega), walks down the street...

Luke Bryan, "What Makes You Country" (Capitol Records Nashville ) If Luke Bryan has faced criticism from some country purists that his anthems aren't true to the music form's roots, he's got an...

It's a crime to waste Reese Witherspoon. You know what's worse? To waste Reese Witherspoon AND Candice Bergen. That lovely bit of casting alone — Witherspoon and Bergen as daughter and mom...