Still Missing

Still Missing by Chevy Stevens
Adult New Books Display Main Level– STEVENS

It was another ordinary day for Annie O’Sullivan. She had an open house to run then she was off to have dinner with her boyfriend. The open house was slow but Annie had high hopes when just before closing another prospect came for a viewing. Annie was not as lucky as she thought, after showing the house to the man he abducted her and kept her captive for about 12 months in a remote cabin in the mountains. You learn Annie’s story through sessions with her psychiatrist. As you hear the horrific story unfold it is hard to imagine Annie’s life being put back together. Annie is also assisting in the police investigation to figure out who the kidnapper was and why he was fixated on Annie. There are some clues that do not make sense to Annie or the investigators. Readers will be shocked once the true story of Annie’s abduction unfolds. Chevy Stevens debuts a shocking, disturbing and great first novel.

Round Trip

Round Trip
Picture Book Shelves-Lower Level JON


Recently, I was talking with a fellow library worker about the importance of picture books, especially regarding the recent article in the New York Times about the declining popularity of the picture book. The idea of words and pictures together opens up children's minds to different ways of reading. There are picture books for adults, too. We call them Graphic Novels.

She recommended this picture book, Round Trip, as an example of what could be accomplished within the framework of the picture book. Round Trip is phenomenal. The story is relatively simple, with prose details that mainly serve to further the graphic element of the book. However, the book is interactive. Once one is done reading the book, one simply flips it over and reads it the other way. The simple, black and white illustrations are transformed into completely different images before your eyes.

I never read this book growing up, and had never heard of Ann Jonas before. As an adult, I really appreciate the art that went into this book and highly recommend it for children of all ages. Even grown up ones.

An Impartial Witness

An Impartial Witness by Charles Todd

Adult New Book Mystery Todd


The second in the WWI nurse Bess Crawford series. Having brought back wounded soldiers from the war in France to Hampshire in Britain, Bess was at the train station for a short leave in London. There she saw a woman sobbing and holding the arm of an officer in a Wiltshire regiment. Her distress stopped Bess because she knew her face from the photograph that one of her patient's, pilot Lieutenant Evanson, had kept by his side. When the Wiltshire officer mounted the train, the woman dashed out of the station. Bess tried to follow her, but lost her in the crowds.

Back in France Bess read in a newspaper that Mrs. Marjorie Evanson had been found dead. So begins a mystery that has several other people murdered or almost murdered, Bess crossing over to England as often as possible, a large cast of characters, including her wonderful father who had had his own regiment in India and his aide, Simon, who assists Beth.

A quicker read might have helped keep all of these characters straight, but it has a great sense of life in Britain during WWI and of the battlefields in France. Not as good as the Maisy Dobbs series, but a pleasant read nonetheless.

The Lacuna

The Lacuna by Barbara Kingsolver

Adult Cd Book Kingsolver


Kingsolver reads this beautifully written book herself, and while her voice is a bit soft, she does the book justice in an understated, non-dramatic way. I like her way of letting the book speak for itself without over dramatization. Kingsolver actually performs many of the accents very well, North Carolina and Mexican especially. Her Russian is serviceable. Kingsolver's greatest narration is for the character Violet Brown, Harrison Shepherd's stenographer, thanks to whom this story was not burned, but was instead locked away for 50 years.

The book is a saga of a boy who grew up in Mexico with his flighty Mexican mother who had left his American father in Washington, D.C. for an oil man who lived on an island. While that affair didn't last long, it provided Harrison days of pleasure of diving into water and finding a cave full of fish, that he discovered had another entrance on the ocean side that could be accessed at low tide. He loved to see how long he could stay under.

Later they move to Mexico City where he attends a church school, this in the days when the church is banned from pretty much everything; it is a school for the slow witted, though Harrison is very bright. He happens upon Frida Kahlo in the marketplace one day and offers to help her carry her bundles, thus coming into the employ of Diego Rivera as a plaster mixer. Harrison spends years in the Rivera household as cook, typist for guest Leon Trotsky, but after the brutal murder of Trotsky he returns to the States. There, in Ashville, N.C. he has a successful career as a writer of romantic novels about the Aztecs, until the House of un-American Activities begins to pursue him. It is a chilling reminder of our past 50 years ago, and a warning of what seems to be brewing in some circles today. Spectacular novel.

Stiltsville

Stiltsville by Susanna Daniel

Adult New Fiction Daniel


This piece of domestic fiction follows 26 year old Frances Ellerby on her first trip to Miami in a community of houses built on stilts in Biscayne Bay called Stiltsville. There she meets Dennis DuVal, the owner, and it isn't long before she moves from Atlanta to become part of his world, which includes his parents, his wild sister Bette, with whom she lives for a time, and his friend Marse who becomes her best friend.

Dennis and Francis eventually marry and have a daughter. Their life is wound into Miami's lush tropical beauty and way of life. They take their boat out to Stiltsville to fish, eating out on porches. They don't have many friends, mostly Dennis's parents, Bette and Marse and her various boyfriends of the moment. Neither Franny nor Dennis is extraordinary, but they have a singular love that enables them to ride out hurricanes and temptations and that holds them up when difficult times come. A heartwarming and unforgettable book.

Wink

Wink: The Ninja Who Wanted to Be Noticed by J.C. Phillips.
Picture Book Shelves – Lower Level - PHI

Wink has always wanted to be a ninja, but when he finally is admitted to ninja school, he keeps getting into trouble. His kicking and jumping skills are fine, but he has difficulty with the silent and stealthy part. Every day, he returns home dejected and listens to advice from his grandmother over their evening tea. Finally, he finds a career where he fits in perfectly. The bright cut-out illustrations suit the story perfectly. This book is perfect for young would-be ninjas who have yet to master the silent and stealthy aspect, as well as anyone trying to find their place in the world.

Blood, Sweat, and Chalk: The ultimate football playbook

Blood, Sweat, and Chalk: The Ultimate Football Playbook
by Tim Layden Adult Nonfiction – New Book Shelves Upper Level 796.332 L

Despite the scholarly pretensions of Baseball, Football is the most intellectual of the major sports. The physical aspects are more obvious, but strategy and concepts have a major effect on the games. “Blood, Sweat, and Chalk” by Tim Layden traces the evolution of offensive and defensive strategy throughout football history. From the Single Wing offense designed by Pop Warner in the early 1900’s to the Double A-gap blitz of today, football has always been an escalating intellectual arms race between offense and defense. Layden does an excellent job of making the basic concepts understandable to laymen. For fans who want to really understand the game of football and its history, this is a must-read.

College, Inc.

College, Inc.
College Search-Upper Level – 378.04 C


Frontline is a TV series produced by WGBH and shown on most PBS stations. Each episode is an hour long investigative documentary. There have been many great ones over the past 10 years, but a recent one that was released to DVD and is quite interesting in my opinion is College Inc.

College Inc. is about the history, rise, and issues with for profit colleges and universities which are different than public universities or non profit universities. Publicly funded higher education, such as community colleges and public universities, are run with publicly raised funds, either from the state or raised through a community college district, much like a library district or K-12 school district. They are governed by either community college district boards (locally elected) or in the case of public universities, by boards either elected directly by voters or appointed by other publicly elected officials.

Non profit colleges, such as Madonna University, receive no public funding, and raise capital through endowments and donations (mostly from alumni). They are run in many ways, like other non profit institutions. For profit schools, such as University of Phoenix, are run like corporations. They are run by publicly traded companies and therefore are responsible to shareholders. Like other publicly traded companies, their primary goal is to turn a profit.

College Inc. delves into the issues of for profit universities. It covers issues of priorties, funding, accreditation, admissions approaches and their focus on online education. The film discusses how many community colleges struggle, with falling funding, to accommodate the higher education capacity that for profit colleges step in to take up. Unfortunately, most for profit schools are much more expensive than community colleges and even most publicly funded universities, saddling more Americans with additional debt.

In a time when funding is dropping for many public institutions, this documentary raises the issue of how we should be providing education to those for whom other traditional universities and colleges are not an option or not appropriate. Recommended viewing for those interested in issues of education, public versus private control, and the nature of for profit instiutions.

39 Clues Book One: The Maze of Bones

The Maze of Bones by Rick Riordan
Youth Fiction-Lower Level – THIRTY-NINE CLUES

Amy (age 14) and Dan (age 11) heard the devastating news that their grandmother Grace Cahill passed away. Amy and Dan were very close to Grace. They would visit her on the weekends and some relatives considered them to be Grace’s favorites. Amy and Dan are orphans; their guardian is Aunt Beatrice who wants nothing to do with them. She set them up in an apartment with an au pair, the most current of whom is Nellie Gomez. Aunt Beatrice accompanied the children to Grace’s funeral. They were amazed by the amount of relatives that were in attendance. At the funeral Amy and Dan were invited to the reading of Grace’s will along with a select few other relatives. They learn that they had a choice between receiving one million dollars from Grace or they could enter in a contest to find the greatest treasure of all. Amy and Dan decide to go for the treasure. They are offered the first clue and need to find a total of 39 clues. Amy and Dan are not the only family members fighting for the treasure either. The first clue is hard enough and now in competition with other relatives the race is on. As they decipher the first clue Amy and Dan learn how powerful the Cahill family is, especially with legendary relatives such as Ben Franklin and Wolfgang Mozart. Nellie accompanies Amy and Dan in their adventurous and dangerous quest for the 39 clues. Will they be able to find the second clue before the others?

The Maze of Bones is the kickoff novel in the 39 Clues series, all which are penned by famous authors. To continue onto the treasure check out the other titles:

One False Note by Gordon Korman
Youth Fiction-Lower Level – THIRTY-NINE CLUES

The Sword Thief by Peter Lerangis
Youth Fiction-Lower Level – THIRTY-NINE CLUES

Beyond the Grave by Jude Watson
Youth Fiction-Lower Level – THIRTY-NINE CLUES

The Black Circle by Patrick Carman
Youth Fiction-Lower Level – THIRTY-NINE CLUES

In Too Deep by Jude Watson
Youth Fiction-Lower Level – THIRTY-NINE CLUES

The Viper’s Nest by Peter Lerangis
Youth Fiction-Lower Level – THIRTY-NINE CLUES

The Emperor’s Code by Gordon Korman
Youth New Book Shelves-Lower Level – THIRTY-NINE CLUES

Storm Warning by Linda Sue Park
Youth New Book Shelves-Lower Level – THIRTY-NINE CLUES

Into the Gauntlet by Margaret Peterson Haddix
Youth New Book Shelves-Lower Level – THIRTY-NINE CLUES

The Heirloom Tomato

Heirloom Tomato: From Garden to Table: Recipes, Portraits, and History of the World's Most Beautiful Fruit by Amy Goldman, photographs by Victor Schrager

Cooking Collection - Upper Level – 641.65642 G

Here's another gorgeous book for all the foodies out there! It is filled with recipes that sound great (like "Green Tomato and Currant Chutney"), and gorgeous color pictures as well. Every possible variety of tomato is profiled in the first half with full-color photos. The photos aren't just pictures of tomatoes, though; they are artfully designed so that the light shines perfectly on the tomatoes, with pretty dishes and pedastals and interesting backgrounds. This is as much an art book as it is an exhaustive history and portrait of tomatoes. There is a listing of seed sources at the back of the book. Stunning, mouthwatering, and practical all at once!

Doctor Who: The Visual Dictionary

Doctor Who: The Visual Dictionary
by Neil Corry Adult Nonfiction – New Book Shelves Upper Level 791.457 D

TARDIS. Dalek. Slitheen. Judoon. Ood. Krillitanes. Racnoss. Plasmavores. Carrionites. Toclafane. Sontaran. Vashta Nerada. Vespiforms. Pyroviles. Raxacofallapatorians. Bannakaffalatta. If these words mean anything to you, you need to read “Doctor Who: The Visual Dictionary.” This book will keep you up to date on post-2005 events in the world’s longest-running sci-fi television series. While full coverage since 1963 would require a set of encyclopedias, this book gives the reader a solid background on events following the 2005 relaunch. It contains few new revelations, but will keep most fans sated until the new season begins. And no, the book isn’t bigger on the inside.

Eden

Eden
Adult Graphic Novels-Main Level - EDE

Pablo Holmberg's new collection of short comic vignettes is immediately engaging. This is his first book publication, though he has been publishing online for years now. He lends a sense of honesty and whimsy that is refreshing to keep seeing in independent comix.

Eden is not really a graphic novel. It is more like a series of short comix poems or stories. Some are heartfelt. Some are funny. Some are cute. Some are thought provoking. Some have a wonderful sense of innocence. This book is a very quick read, and yet it gives the readers an idea of what is possible in comix and how stories can be told in four simple frames.

Published by Drawn and Quarterly, a Montreal based independent comix publisher, dedicated to finding great new talent in the independent comix world, this is a gem. Even if you are reading something else right now, you can take a break and savor this book all in one sitting, or read a few strips when you want, out of order if you please!

Saving CeeCee Honeycutt

Saving CeeCee Honeycutt By Beth Hoffman

Adult New Fiction Hoffman


“Momma left her red satin shoes in the middle of the road. That’s what three eyewitnesses told the police.” And thus begins the tale of 12 year old Cecelia Rose Honeycutt, as told by Beth Hoffman in her charming debut novel Saving CeeCee Honeycutt.

The story begins in 1967 in Willoughby, Ohio, a place that is “absolute hell” according to CeeCee’s mother, a transplanted, mentally ill 1951 Vidalia Onion Queen who has a penchant for parading around town in her pageant gowns. Life is truly hell for CeeCee because her mother’s shocking behavior has made her a lonely outcast. When her mother is run over by a Happy Cow Ice Cream truck, CeeCee’s hapless father sends her to live with her great aunt Tootie in Savannah, Georgia, promising her “One day you’ll thank me for this.”

I don’t want to give this beautiful story away so I’m not going to reveal any more details. Suffice it to say that Southern charm, love, eccentricity, and acceptance are all major elements, and female friendship is warmly celebrated.

Anyone who enjoyed Fried Green Tomatoes or Steel Magnolias will love this book.

The Shadows: Books of Elsewhere Volume 1

The Shadows by Jacqueline West
Youth New Book Shelves -Lower Level – WEST

After Ms. McMartin passed away Olive Dunwoody and her parents moved into the fully furnished Victorian house. Olive is an only child so she passes her summer days away by exploring the old house and all of it's furnishings. Olive notices something weird, none of the pictures can be removed from the walls and what is even more weird some of the pictures seem to move! Since Olive was very keen on exploring she was always finding great trinkets. The best thing she found was a pair of spectacles. She discovered that while wearing the spectacles she can acutally go into the paintings. She then meets a most unusual creature, a talking cat! Horatio, the cat, warns Olive not to lose the glasses or spend too much time in a painting or she could be stuck there. While in the paintings she meets a boy named Morton. Olive promises Morton that she will help him be free. Olive is determined to learn more about the house, the paintings, the talking cats but she is not sure who to trust. Join Olive in her adventures into Elsewhere.

A Dog's Purpose

A Dog's Purpose by W. Bruce Cameron
Adult New Books Display Main Level– CAMERON

This is a very touching novel told from the dog’s point of view. First off we meet Toby, who is rescued by a lovely lady who unfortunately does not have a license for her dog rescue operation. Senora, as Toby calls her, treats her dogs well, making sure they have food, water, and regular vet checkups. Since the rescue operation is not licensed poor Toby is euthanized. He is reborn again in a puppy mill. Once he was “adopted” his new owner left him in a hot car. A nice lady rescued him out of the car and took him in. He was named Bailey and was very loved by his family. He went on many great adventures and had a lifetime of happiness. His next incarnation he becomes a female! Ellie is a German shepherd search and rescue dog. After Ellie he becomes a black lab named Buddy. Through each of the dog’s reincarnations he/she has learned valuable lessons that stay with the dog throughout the years. Finally as Buddy do we learn the importance of all that he learned through the years as well as Buddy’s true purpose as a dog. This was a wonderful story, although there were a few sad times but overall this is a great book for all animal lovers. This book will make you want to go home and give your pet a big kiss and a hug!

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.

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.

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!

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.

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.