Monday, September 27, 2010

Woodward Avenue: Cruising the Legendary Strip



Woodward Avenue: Cruising the Legendary Strip
by Robert Genat Adult Nonfiction – New Book Shelves Upper Level 977.434 G


Return with us now to those thrilling days of yesteryear, when gasoline cost under 50 cents per gallon, Detroit was the center of the automotive universe, and big V-8’s ruled the road. “Woodward Avenue: Cruising the Legendary Strip by Robert Genat is a time trip of a book, vividly returning those of a certain age to their youth, and provoking envy in those of us too young to remember the years when auto careers were made or broken on how cars performed on Woodward late at night. The book focuses largely on the street-racing scene of the fifties and sixties, but also provides plenty of nostalgia for the more serene cruisers. Genat reminisces about the iconic Woodward drive-ins like Teds and the Totem Pole during a virtual cruise along the circuit between Royal Oak and Pontiac where the action took place. He goes into detail about the most legendary street racing machines of the time and their drivers, along with the radio stations and music that provided the soundtrack for a generation of drivers. A look at the Dream Cruise phenomenon that has cropped up over the last decade appropriately concludes the book; they are both celebrations of the glory days in the Motor City.


Friday, September 24, 2010

The Last Song



The Last Song
New Dvd Shelves - Main Level - DRAMA LAS


The Last Song tells the story of teenage Veronica “Ronnie” Miller’s (Miley Cyrus) summer with her estranged father (Greg Kinnear) at a small Georgia beach town. Her parents divorced years before and in the process, her father stopped visiting Ronnie and her younger brother Jonah. Ronnie is extremely angry about this abandonment and decides to stop nurturing her talent as a pianist which is a gift that her father helped foster.

At first, Ronnie is very unhappy about being forced to spend the summer with her father and little brother. She feels like an outsider because she has been living in New York City for many years. Moreover, there is a rumor that her father started a fire in the historic town church so he has become an outcast in the town. Thus, Ronnie feels very alone until she meets Will (Liam Hemsworth). Will is a blonde, athletic, and caring young local boy who takes a liking to the ornery Ronnie right from the beginning. Ronnie is not having any of his advances until she realizes that Will cares about the things that matter the most to her. Soon Ronnie is wrapped up in her first romance and all the joy and delight that accompany such experiences. As her heart softens, Ronnie even decides to play the piano for the first time in a long while. She is finally happy and begins to make amends with her father. The summer is turning into a joyful time, until a few tragic secrets come to light.

The Last Song which was directed by Julie Anne Robinson was written before the novel of the same name. Both were written by celebrated author Nicholas Sparks. Since the movie was filmed on location in a beautiful beach town called Tybee Island, Georgia, there is a magical feel to it that only enhances viewers’ enjoyment. Anyone who enjoys love stories with deep messages of forgiveness and hope will love The Last Song.



Tuesday, September 21, 2010

The Tinderbox



The Tinderbox by Jo Bannister
Adult Mysteries - Main Level – BANNISTER


A fifteen-year-old girl goes missing after her clarinet exam. She was a happy, well-loved, cared for, upper-middle class teenager in Birmingham. It makes no sense to her family, and the police have no leads. Six years later, her brother sees a documentary in school about homeless people in an area of London called "The Tinderbox." He thinks he sees Cassie in the background, and shows it to his parents. Laurence Schoefield, their father, heads for The Tinderbox to find her.

The Tinderbox is an incredibly dangerous place. One must belong to a "family" in order to gain protection and stability. "Jonah the Loner" does not belong to a family, though, and somehow finds himself helping Laurence Schoefield try to find his daughter. Jonah and Schoefield find themselves in treacherous situations, barely escaping with their lives on more than one occasion. They have a mutual distrust of each other, and yet a loyalty they can't explain. Their relationship is one of the most interesting parts of the book.

The action is great. This book has a fast pace with enough grit to make you cringe as you feel the discomfort of its homeless characters. Will Laurence Schoefield find his daughter? Will she come home with him? Will Jonah let Schoefield help him? Will they even get out alive? You'll have to read the book to find out. Trust me - it's worth it! I'd read another book by Jo Bannister!

Friday, September 17, 2010

Theodore Boone: Kid Lawyer



Theodore Boone: Kid Lawyer by John Grisham
Youth Fiction-Lower Level – GRISHAM


Theodore “Theo” Boone is a very smart 8th grader. When he grows up he can’t decide if he wants to be a lawyer or a judge. Theo’s parents are both lawyers and they have their own law firm called Boone and Boone. Theo’s Uncle Ike used to be a lawyer, but Theo only sees Uncle Ike on Mondays for 30 minutes and in an unspoken agreement Ike never comes around Theo’s parents. Theo likes to spend all his free time hanging out at the courthouse. He knows everyone there; clerks, bailiffs, lawyers and even judges. The biggest case that Strattenburg has ever had is about to start. Peter Duffy is on trial for the brutal murder of his wife. The case is all anyone can talk about. Theo’s friends always come to him for advice. Theo’s friend Julio asked for help in a big way. Julio has information about the murder case that will convict Peter Duffy of murdering his wife. Theo is now in a bind, the trial has already started but he knows a key piece of the story. He promised Julio that he would keep everything a secret so Julio would not get in trouble. Theo makes a very hard decision and asks his Uncle Ike for help. Theo hopes that Ike will be able to keep Julio's secret as well. Grisham leaves a cliffhanger at the end ensuring a sequel. Theodore Boone: Kid Lawyer 2 is due out 2011.

Thursday, September 2, 2010

Killer of Sheep



Killer of Sheep: The Charles Burnett Collection by Charles Burnett
DVD Collection - Main Level - DRAMA KIL


Killer of Sheep takes place in the Watts district of Los Angeles during the 1970s. Stan is a husband and father working long hours at a slaughterhouse while trying to keep up with the work at home. Although there is not much of a plot, the film is filled with sad and interesting situations that are all centered on the difficult lives of these people. “I come from a working-class environment and I wanted to express what the realities were. People were trying to get jobs, and once they found jobs they were fully concerned with keeping them. And they were confronted with other problems, with serious problems at home for example, which made things much more difficult,” Charles Burnett said about making this film.

Charles Burnett wrote, directed, shot and edited this film for his final thesis at UCLA in 1978. The film did not get a theatrical release until 2007 because of licensing issues with the music. For this reason, Killer of Sheep has been relatively unknown to most of the public. Despite its popular anonymity, it has received the Critic’s award at the 1981 Berlin Film Festival, won the 1991 Independent Spirit Awards for Best Director and Best Screenplay, was selected in the Library of Congress’ National Film Registry in 1990, and in 2002 was selected as one of the National Society of Film Critics’ 100 Essential Films of all time.

If you enjoy the Italian neo-realist aesthetic (think Federico Fellini and Roberto Rossellini) or just appreciate a good film, then give Killer of Sheep a try.


Wednesday, September 1, 2010

I Was Told There'd Be Cake



I Was Told There’d Be Cake: Essays by Sloane Crosley
Adult Nonfiction – Upper Level – 814.6 C


This book of essays by Sloane Crosley, who is a book publicist, is a great read. She writes about her life and the awkward situations she manages to get herself into in New York City after college. For example, one of the longer essays is about how her childhood best friend, who she has not seen or spoken to since high school, suddenly asks Crosley to be her maid of honor. Or there is the fact that Crosley has a collection of plastic toy ponies that she embarrassingly keeps hidden in a kitchen drawer, worrying about what her family will think of her if she dies and they find them. Some of Crosley’s essays are about her childhood memories, such as playing Oregon Trail, attending summer camp, and hiding family members’ toothbrushes when she was angry. Overall, Crosley’s essays are very funny and fans of David Sedaris and similar authors will enjoy her book.


Alone



Alone by Lisa Gardner
Adult Fiction Shelves Main Level- GARDNER

When Catherine Gagnon was twelve years old she was kidnapped, tortured and held in an underground pit for 28 days until hunters found her purely by accident. Now 25 years later she faces new hardships and tragedy. Her husband Jimmy, beloved son of a Federal Judge, was shot and killed by a sniper. Police were called to the Gagnon residence because Jimmy was holding his wife and son at gunpoint. Bobby Dodge is the sniper that pulled the trigger. Little did he know that action would change the course of his career and ultimately his life. Bobby was convinced that he followed protocol and did everything by the book when it came to the shooting of Jimmy Gagnon. Now his life is falling apart, the judge is personally going after Bobby for murdering his son saying that Bobby and Catherine were in on the murder together. Meanwhile the man who was convicted of kidnapping Catherine is out on parole and starts stalking Catherine. Was the shooting of Jimmy Gagnon justified? Who is behind all the strange occurrences? If you enjoy this book check out the others in the D.D. Warren series.




Hide by Lisa Gardner
Adult Mysteries Main Level- GARDNER











The Neighbor by Lisa Gardner
Adult Fiction Shelves Main Level- GARDNER











Live to Tell by Lisa Gardner
Adult New Book Display Main Level- MYSTERY GARDNER