John Grogan's Short List

He's the author of the best seller Marley & Me and a new memoir, The Longest Trip Home. Here's what John Grogan has been watching, reading, listening to and harboring fond feelings for. (Oh, and he also went to see that flick about the couple and their crazy dog.)

The Wire I don't subscribe to HBO, but after the umpteenth friend insisted that I just had to watch this police drama set in Baltimore, I bought the first season on DVD. I was hooked within the first 10 minutes, and now I'm on Season 2. In a world of predictable and hackneyed story lines, The Wire is fresh, nuanced and raw. You will find no black and white here, only a million shades of gray.

Valkyrie The true story of a plot inside the Third Reich to assassinate Hitler. The critics have been mixed on this one, but I found Tom Cruise's performance credible and the story compelling, even if we all know the outcome before the opening credits roll.

The Story of Edgar Sawtelle, by David Wroblewski A boy, a dog, struggles of life and death, even a ghost. What's not to like?

Emotionalism, by the Avett Brothers I discovered the Avett Brothers while browsing in one of those iconic hippie shops in San Francisco's Haight-Ashbury district. The album was playing on the store's sound system, and I was instantly smitten. It is impossible not to grin while listening to this infectiously upbeat blend of folk, rock and bluegrass, all played on acoustic instruments and with whimsical, witty lyrics to boot.

Jenna Fischer as Pam on The Office My (wife-approved) celebrity crush. Redefining adorableness.