March 2020

It’s March, and you’re in luck! We have more picks for you at the library!

 

 

 

Paula – Circulation

Doctor Sleep, starring Ewan McGregor, Rebecca Ferguson, and Kyliegh Curran, New DVD Doctor Sleep

Doctor Sleep is the fantastic sequel to Stephen King’s eerie The Shining. Now an adult and struggling with alcoholism, Dan Torrence is still haunted by the events from his stay at the Overlook Hotel during his childhood. Looking for a fresh start, Dan moves to a new town and begins to turn his life around. Just when things are returning to normal, Dan meets Abra, a girl with the same abilities, or “shine,” that he has. She tells him of the True Knot, a cult that is hunting down innocent people with “the shine” and feeding off of their abilities to become immortal. Together, they must find a way to stop the True Knot and save Abra’s life, for she is their next target. The film is an excellent follow-up to The Shining. Ewan McGregor is as talented as ever and shines in his role, pun intended. Full of mystery and suspense that will keep you on the edge of your seat, Doctor Sleep is a great movie for any Stephen King fan.

Pat – Circulation

The Peanut Butter Falcon, starring Shia LaBeouf, Zack Gottsagen, and Dakota Johnson, New DVD Peanut Butter Falcon

This is an authentic and heartwarming movie. The Peanut Butter Falcon is an adventure story that begins when Zak, a young man with Down Syndrome runs away from the nursing home where he lives to chase his dream of becoming a professional wrestler.  He hides out in a boat owned by Tyler, a hard-up fisherman still mourning the death of his older brother.  The two of them form a bond that leads to a very heartwarming friendship, and Tyler works to fulfill a promise he made to get Zak to a wrestling school run by The Saltwater Redneck. Great acting and a well done movie.

Chris – Circulation

A New Way to Bake: Classic Recipes Updated with Better-For-You Ingredients from the Modern Pantry, by Martha Stewart Living Omnimedia, Nonfiction 641.815 NEW

I love this idea of using wholesome, healthy ingredients and not feeling guilty or fat after eating.  This book takes old and new recipes and switches ingredients to enhance the flavor and make them a little more nutritious. Simply changing the flour makes it a healthy choice.

 

Chris – Technical Services

The Blue Zones Kitchen: 100 Recipes to Live to 100, by Dan Buettner, New Nonfiction 641.563 BUE

Author Dan Buettner researched areas around the globe where people live long and have less dementia and asks the question, “What do they eat?” The answer is a plant-based vegetarian diet. A very interesting read.

 

 

Desk 88: Eight Progressive Senators Who Changed America, by Sherrod Brown, New Nonfiction 328.7309 BRO

Sherrod Brown, a US Senator from Ohio elected in 2006, tells the stories of eight senators who also occupied desk #88 and how each made a decisive contribution to creating a more just America.

 

 

 

Cathy – Circulation

The Piano Guys, by The Piano Guys, CD 786 Piano Guys

The Piano Guys play modern music with a twist: to the piano or cello. Listeners will recognize most of the tunes and hopefully really enjoy their interpretation. Their mix of classical music with film scores, rock hits, and pop favorites paired with their creative videos resonate with audiences across generations.

 

January 2020

It’s January! Spend the new year with one of our Staff Picks!

 

 

 

 

 

Melissa – Technical Services

Evicted: Poverty and Profit in the American City, by Matthew Desmond, Nonfiction 339.46 DES

Desmond won the Pulitzer for this work. It’s an eye-opening account of how both poor tenants and landlords who cater to low-income families struggle. He follows several people living in Milwaukee in 2008-2009. He does an amazing job of showing the full, cyclical impact poverty can have on a person; how much of their government benefits go towards rent (hint: they have not received a dime more towards housing costs since 1995); how evictions are used strategically; how landlords know they can take advantage of poor tenants. He doesn’t paint landlords as villains, however. In his opinion, they aren’t. They often overlook missed rents and work with people to the extent that they can, but they too have much at stake. This book reads like a novel, and for many of us, can function as eyes into a lifestyle we are fortunate enough to not have to endure.

Cathy – Circulation

The Dog Who Knew Too Much: a Chet and Bernie mystery, by Spencer Quinn, Fiction Quinn

A nice cozy mystery told from a dog’s point of view. Chet and his owner Bernie are a team of private investigators. They are hired to find a kid who has gone missing from a wilderness camp in the high country. The boy’s mother thinks the boy’s father, her ex, has taken the boy, but Chet makes a find that sends the case in a new and dangerous direction. Perfect for a cold winter’s read!

 

Paula – Circulation

Star Wars Trilogy. IV, V, VI, starring Mark Hamill, Harrison Ford, and Carrie Fisher, DVD Star Wars Trilogy V. 4, 5, 6

With the newest movie of the saga in theaters, it’s time to revisit the trilogy that started it all. The original Star Wars trilogy is an icon in movie history, and it is one of the absolute best sci-fi series ever made. Everyone and their grandma has seen Star Wars. If you haven’t, what are you waiting for? Don’t listen to the nay-sayers and haters who think it isn’t good. They’re wrong. With an amazing cast of characters, epic space battles, and the adventure of a lifetime, Star Wars is a classic for people of all ages.

Chris – Technical Services

Linda Ronstadt: The Sound of My Voice, New Nonfiction DVD 921 RONSTADT, L.

The most popular female artist of the 1970’s, Linda was the first artist to top the Pop, Country, and R & B charts simultaneously. Her extraordinary vocal range and ambition created unforgettable songs across rock, pop, country, folk ballads, American standards, classic Mexican music, and soul. She was the voice of my generation.

 

 

The Art of Mending, by Elizabeth Berg, Fiction Berg

The author asks the question, “Is it too late to mend the hurts of the past?” She skillfully explores family secrets, sibling interactions and rivalries, and the black sheep of the family.  She confronts some of the deepest mysteries of life, as she explores how even the largest sins can be forgiven by the smallest gestures, and how grace can come to many through the trials of one.

 

 

July 2018

It’s July! Celebrate summer and the 4th of July with some of our Staff Picks!

 

 

 

 

 

Michelle – Administration

Love, Simon, Starring Nick Robinson, Jennifer Garner, and Josh Duhamel, New DVD Love, Simon

Love, Simon is an adorable coming-of-age story, made in the same style as my favorites from the 80’s, but modernized to reflect society and teens today. The movie, which made me both laugh and cry in equal measures, is based on the YA book “Simon vs. the Homo Sapiens Agenda” and follows the story of Simon Spier, who is keeping a huge secret from everyone in his life.

 

Chris – Technical Services

The Child in Time, Starring Benedict Cumberbatch, Kelly MacDonald, and Stephen Campbell Moore, New DVD Child in Time

The Child in Time is a BBC Masterpiece Theatre 2017 production. Based on the award winning novel by Ian McEwan, it stars Benedict Cumberbatch and Kelly MacDonald as a couple who has lost a child. Don’t be put off by the heartbreaking story for it is “heart mending”, as a father works through the pain of a daughter lost. It is an exploration of love, loss, acceptance, and renewed hope and joy. I highly recommend it.

Hubbell – Circulation

The Sinner, Starring Jessica Biel, Bill Pullman, and Christopher Abbott, New DVD Sinner Season 1

Jessica Biel is a happy new mother enjoying a day at the beach with her family when she commits a shocking act of violence without any provocation. She confesses, but the case’s detective, Bill Pullman, begins to ask questions about the true motivations of her crime. What is uncovered is a sad and sordid story of a sheltered girl, her devotion to a dying sister, and a hidden troubled upbringing. The Sinner surprises often, both in plot twists and sheer subject matter.

Paula – Circulation

The Lord of the Rings, Starring Elijah Wood, Ian McKellen, and Viggo Mortensen, DVD Lord…Fellowship, DVD Lord…Two, and DVD Lord…Return

One of the greatest fantasy series of all time, The Lord of the Rings is an absolute work of perfection. The series follows a young Hobbit named Frodo and his group of friends who are sent on a quest to destroy the One Ring of Power in order to save Middle Earth from falling into darkness. In the book series, J. R. R. Tolkien, a master of fiction, created an entire world full of unique characters and breathtaking landscapes that are beautifully depicted in the films. Each major character has their own story line that progresses throughout the films and captivates the viewers in a way that most stories do not. The Lord of the Rings is by far my favorite movie series, and is a must-see for all lovers of fantasy, adventure, friendship, and heroism.

 Mary – Reference

The Caregiver: Poems, by Caroline Johnson, New Nonfiction 811.54 JOH

This collection of poems is both beautiful and powerful, and while written as a tribute to the author’s parents, they are relatable to everyone. Managing her parent’s terminal illnesses over twelve years, the author states to have, “found caregiving to be the most important, profound job I’ve ever had. It has been a privilege and an honor…”

 

 

Jean – Reference

Upside Down in the Middle of Nowhere, by Julie T. Lamana, Juvenile Fiction J Lamana

The experience of Hurricane Katrina written in the voice of a 10-year old girl, living in the lower-ninth ward. This story will transport you to the world of a young girl who wants nothing other than to celebrate her birthday party with her happy, tight-knit family, and yet finds her life literally ripped apart by the devastating hurricane and its aftermath. Prepared to be sad, moved and inspired – this book will stay with you for a long time after you finish reading it!

 

Melissa – Technical Services

Lincoln in the Bardo, by George Saunders, Fiction Saunders

 “Bardo” is a state of being after death, similar to purgatory or limbo. It is where Abraham Lincoln’s youngest son, Willie, finds himself after dying of typhoid. He is not alone, rather surrounded by a truly colorful cast of characters whose forms are shaped by the lives they led; an artistic rendering of perpetual suffering. The prose itself is unique too, as the story is comprised entirely of either dialogue or quotes from historical sources. This is Saunders’s first novel, and it’s apparent why he won the 2017 Man Booker Prize for it. It’s vivid yet dark, and wholly transcendent.

 

 

 

February 2017

It’s February! Let’s hope for an early spring and in the meantime enjoy the recommended titles below.

 

 

 

 

Sue – Circulation

The Room with the Second Best View by Virginia Smith, New Fiction Smith

This is the third book in the delightful Goose Creek series (preceded by The Most Famous Illegal Goose Creek Parade andSirius: The Little Dog Who Almost Changed History by Jonathan Crown). In this book, Millie and Al are working on the Victorian house they bought with plans to convert it to a bed and breakfast. They aren’t planning on opening for a couple of years yet, but with their close friends Justin and Susan getting married soon, Millie has invited some of the wedding guests to stay at the house (without telling Al, of course.) When Justin’s formidable great aunt shows up three weeks before the wedding, will Al be able to survive her demands and will Justin and Susan survive her attempts to take over the wedding planning? Meanwhile, Millie and her best friend have had a falling out over preparations for the town’s 150th anniversary celebration. If you want a fun and light, feel-good read, I recommend the titles in this series. Also includes recipes.

A Hundred Pieces of Me by Lucy Dillon, Fiction Dillon

Gina is rebuilding her life after a serious illness and divorce. She decides to simplify her life and keep the 100 things that mean the most to her. When she is landed with an underfed, frightened greyhound who has been abused, Gina, who is not a dog person and knows nothing about caring for a dog, decides to drop him off at a shelter, but as he grows on her and she sees in him another being who needs a fresh start in life, they develop a bond. The book shines a light on the abuse often suffered by greyhounds used for dog racing when they don’t perform well or get old or injured. This is a bittersweet and touching story about healing from past wounds and moving forward.

The Midnight Plan of the Repo Man by W. Bruce Cameron, Fiction Cameron

This mystery is loads of fun! It has humor, suspense, action, supernatural elements, romance, loyal friendships, and a cute dog. Ruddy is a former college football star down-on-his luck and now working as a repo man. When he begins to hear a voice speaking to him, he fears he is losing his mind. But it turns out to be the voice of a murdered man named Alan who wants Ruddy to help him bring his killers to justice. Throw in a good-looking but dim-witted best friend, a sister trying to keep the family business afloat, her harebrained new boyfriend, and the daughter of the murdered man, for whom Ruddy falls hard, and you have a laugh-out-loud supernatural mystery that will keep you compulsively reading until the final page. The lead and supporting characters are a delight and you root for them to succeed as they get into one jam after another.

Ordinary Grace by William Kent Krueger, Fiction Krueger

Touching and beautifully written, this is a gripping coming-of-age novel about tragic loss and finding hope in the aftermath of such loss. The events of the summer of 1961, when Frank Drum was 13 years old and living along the Minnesota River with his parents, older sister, and younger brother, changed all their lives. Frank tells his story 40 years later, looking back at that fateful summer. It was a summer filled with tragedy, beginning with the death of a boy hit by a train and followed by more personal losses for Frank and his family. Though suffering great loss, the family also experienced small miracles that summer that brought healing to their broken lives.

Good Dog: True Stories of Love, Loss, and Loyalty edited by David DiBenedetto, Nonfiction 636.7 Dib

Celebrating the special place dogs hold in our hearts, this is a collection of over 50 essays, by turns funny and moving, written by a multitude of noted authors about dogs that have touched their lives. Each dog is unique and special in his or her own way, with quirky personality traits, yet all the essays have one thing in common: the love the authors have for their dogs and how that love was returned wholly and unconditionally.

Pat – Circulation

Sully starring Tom Hanks, New DVD Sully

On January 15, 2009, Chesley “Sully” Sullenberger landed a U.S. Airways jet with 155 passengers and crew in the middle of the Hudson River in New York City after Flight 1549 was struck by a flock of Canadian geese seconds after takeoff from La Guardia Airport. He saved all aboard and became a hero around the world.

Sully is portrayed by Tom Hanks, who is brilliant, and in every role he plays he is fully committed. The story itself also provides some interesting insight into the event. Clint Eastwood does a good job of making a story we already think we know interesting. Definitely enjoyed it and thought it worth seeing.

Chris – Circulation

Loveless by My Bloody Valentine, CD 781.66 MY BLOODY VALENTINE

With the theme of Valentine’s Day comes Loveless by My Bloody Valentine, but for those who may be less fortunate in this area. This album is heralded as the definitive shoegaze album by both critics and fans. Originating in the late 1980s, shoegaze is a subgenre of alternative rock that got its name from the performance style of of the artists-they often get enveloped in their own world and just gaze down at their shoes instead of the crowd. That being said, this is a very personal style that the listener can get lost in especially with headphones. My Bloody Valentine piles layers upon layers of guitar effects and distortion in their production, burying the vocals underneath and in effect giving them a dreamlike quality. This style is in full effect on Loveless, thus why the album has become synonymous with shoegaze.