New things people might like or be interested in.

Just a few things to check out if you are bored or hungry or anything in between.

Wild Abandon the new novel Joe Dunthorn, his second novel since his highly successful debut Submarine.

Watch The Throne rap giants Jay-Z and Kanye West's collaborative album. The name and artwork remind us of the combined ego that was involved in this venture.

Julie Bertuccelli's new film starring Charlotte Gainsbourg is showing now in the IFI. Beautiful looking film.

Passed this new place today on South Anne St. Looked interesting. If you are stuck for somewhere to eat give it a whirl and let us know how you find it.

Pete Doherty Plays Lead In French Film.

Enfant Terrible of English music Pete Doherty or Peter Doherty as he prefers to be called, has just wrapped on his first film. Confessions of a Child of the Century see's Doherty take the lead as Octavian a 19th-century dandy from the book of the same name by Alfred de Musset. The story revolves around a love triangle in which Charlotte Gainsbourg will play one of the corners. Director Sylvie Verheyde who has a César to her name had initial reservations about casting Doherty but has been impressed with his performance.

"It went really well. I wasn't a fan before and of course I knew his reputation, but I laid down the rules and he kept them. He was on time every day, he didn't turn up with a hangover and he never missed a single shoot. In fact he was much more pleasant and less of a pain than many professional actors. He's cultivated, literary, sincere and has emotional depth."

She has stated that Doherty's reputation did get in the way of funding for the film, which is €25,000 short of its modest €3m budget. Doherty's not speaking French led to the film being shot in English which meant it received none of the generous grants France normally allocates to productions.

But it's not all doom and gloom. Photographs from the shoot show him looking every inch the wastrel dandy in top hat and dress coat. The feeling that he could be using a lot of himself to play the part  might not be a bad thing. Very few actors would be able to draw on a life of excess like he could, which is what the part demands. Also Doherty is now a cult hero in France with scenes of mass hysteria at his concerts and public appearances. The French see him as the troubled poet he wants to be and so they know people will see the film. In fact Charlotte Gainsbourg recently said he reminded her a bit of her father. In France that is a good thing.

Five Album Covers I Like

I was recently talking to a friend about album covers that we liked and why we liked them. It made me think of cover art and how peoples taste in it differs, even if they have similar tastes in music. Here are just five album covers I particularly like.