Tuesday, February 12, 2008

Secrets, A. Lee Martinez, Kidnapping, Twin Higgins

DVD

Gone Baby Gone starring Casey Affleck, Michelle Monaghan, Ed Harris, Morgan Freeman. Private detective and his female partner are hired to help find a missing girl. The girl isn't missing, she was taken, and the path to find her becomes increasingly dangerous.

NonFiction

Fitness Walking, 2nd Edition by Therese Iknoian. Fitness programs for all levels, speeds, and distances.

A Lifetime of Secrets by Frank Warren. Warren created an interesting mix of post mail and the internet with www.postsecrets.com. People create and send their own postcards to Warren and each postcard carries a secret the sender has never before revealed. A sampling (last one is mine and not in the book):
"It sucks having your dad go to jail when you are only in sixth grade. I still hold it against him..."
"When I was in college I made $ writing papers for other people. Now I'm a teacher & I feel like a hypocrite every time I give a 0 for cheating."
"I greatly enjoy listening to Adam and the Ants and still remember most of the lyrics."

Fiction

Automatic Detective by A. Lee Martinez. Martinez writes a fun mix of humorous yet serious Science Fiction and Fantasy novels. Automatic has hulking machine Mack Megaton trying to earn citizenship in the Empire. He goes looking for his missing neighbors.

Death of a Gentle Lady by M.C. Beaton. A Hamish Macbeth mystery.

Killing Ground by Jack Higgins. British intelligence officer Sean Dillon decides to help Caspar whose Bedouin father kidnapped Caspar's thirteen-year-old daughter for marriage to an Iraqi terrorist.

Large Print

Killing Ground by Jack Higgins. British intelligence officer Sean Dillon decides to help Caspar whose Bedouin father kidnapped Caspar's thirteen-year-old daughter for marriage to an Iraqi terrorist.

Monday, February 11, 2008

Two DVDs, Steve Earle's Sister-in-Law, and Otis the Banjo Player

DVDs

W: the history of Wisconsin football. "This action-packed and fascinating DVD explores the famous names, games and plays that formed the great football traditions of this Big Ten favorite." With over twenty interviews.

1 and 0: one record setting season. "The story of the 2006 Wisconsin Badgers." Narrated by Matt Lepay, the "Voice of the Badgers", with game highlights, player commentary, and other extras.

Music

Recapturing the Banjo by Otis Taylor. Remind me, why did I order this? I must have seen it on list somewhere. It sure is good though. The booklet has a short essay on banjo history and it's origins in Africa and the way the instrument was appropriated by different cultures. Otis plays traditional folk tunes and contemporary songs. EDIT, 2-12-08: This is a good album.

Just a Little Lovin' by Shelby Lynne. "Inspired by Dusty Springfield." "Perhaps the first thing to make the listener aware of is that Lynne makes no attempt to sound like her subject. She is a singer with her own phrasing, manner of articulation, and sense of rhythm."

One Book

Smoothies and Juices: simple and delicious easy-to-make recipes by Christine Ambridge.

Friday, February 08, 2008

Natural Remedies in Spanish, Two Large Print, Two Fiction, Three Audio

Spanish

El Gran Libro de los Remedios Naturales by Luis Tomas Melgar.

Large Print

Sizzle and Burn by Jayne Ann Krentz.

Purrfect Murder by Rita Mae Brown

Fiction

Nightshadows by William F. Nolan. Anthology of horror short stories.

Rogue Officer by Garry Douglas Kilworth. British Infantry Lieutenenat "Fancy Jack" Crossman is posted to India right after the Mutiny. I read a before Crossman book once before, Winter Soldiers, and it was pretty good.

AudioBook on CD

High Crimes: the fate of Everest in an age of greed by Michael Kodas. Kodas joined an Everest expedition in 2004 and found thieves, whores, con men, blackmailers and drug dealers at the base camps. Koda was threatened by his own teammate, thieves stole their gear, and a partner was beaten unconscious.

Seduction of the Crimson Rose by Lauren Willig. Mary Alsworthy accepts a spying job from Lord Vaughn to finance the upcoming social season. she must infiltrate the Black Tulip's circle before their planned invasion of England is undertaken.

Monsters of Templeton by Lauren Groff. Willie returns home to Templeton, NY after a disasterous affair. When a dead lake monster surfaces the town's silence is disturbed and Willie learns her unknown father may be a local man. Willie starts digging around and founds out more about her family and town than expected.

Wednesday, February 06, 2008

Three DVDs and Two AudioBooks

DVD

Snow Buddies starring a bunch of puppies and voice-overs. "Daring dogs have to band together with their new friends and muster up the courage to face the fur-raising challenges ahead. But will they have what it takes to win the race and find their way back home?" Shelved downstairs in the children's section.

The Brave One starring Jodie Foster, Terrence Howard, Naveen Andrews. New York radio host is assaulted and fiancee murdered. Radio host gets a pistol and goes out for revenge. I think.

Across the Universe starring Julie Taylor, Evan Rachel Wood, Jim Sturgess. Liverpudlian goes to U.S. in 1960s. Meets gal who joins anti-war movement. Story told through the performances of Beatles songs.

AudioBooks

Stranger in Paradise by Robert B. Parker. Ex-con Crow shows up in Paradise, MA asking Jesse Stone to leave him alone while he looks for a runaway teen girl. Four hours, 48 minutes long.

7th Heaven by James Patterson. "The women's murder club's most terrifying case ever."

Tuesday, February 05, 2008

New Music with a Finn

Rock

I'll Be Lightning by Liam Finn. Finn is touring with the old man's band. In Milwaukee Liam did a solo opening act with his computer and played about five songs. I'm hoping to see his uncle Wednesday evening in Milwaukee.

In Rainbows by Radiohead. Is this the album the band was selling exclusively online?

Grammy Nominees 2008 with Justin Timberlake, Amy Winehouse, U2, others.

White Chalk by PJ Harvey. Polly Jean's latest release.

The Reminder by Feist. Canadian girl sells song to Apple and makes it huge.

MJB by Mary J. Blige. Tattooed singer sings songs. I'm not sure if I've heard heard her sing unless is was in the background of a soundtrack.

Country

Dirt Farmer by Levon Helm. Helm looks like he must have smoked two packs a day for the past 40 years. The disc is supposed to be very good.

Dwight Sings Buck by Dwight Yoakam. Bakersfield resident Dwight sings the Bakersfield Sound songs of Bakersfield resident Buck Owens.

Monday, February 04, 2008

New Music, Hannah Montana, and My So Called Life

DVD

Hannah Montana: one in a million. Four episodes from the television series. With the "totally rockin' Jonas Brothers".

My So Called Life: the complete series starring Claire Danes. Five discs with all 19 episodes of this chick show.

CD

Good Thing Going by Rhonda Vincent. Bluegrass musician Vincent's album has been on several Best of 2007 lists. Her website is kinda neat. There are lots of photos of the Bluegrass Cruise.

Rocket Man: number ones by Elton John. Twelve number one hits plus five other favorites.

Blood on the Tracks by Bob Dylan. Because I thought we should have a copy.

Friday, February 01, 2008

DVDs with Bollywood, Zombie Sheep, Jovovich and Saws

When Hearts Collide starring Sonali Bendre and Kunal. College student gal meets guy over internet. But, she is arranged to marry a rich dude. "Will the power of love be enough to overcome family obligations and pressures?" We own no other Bollywood picture and I figured to give one a try.

Naked Prey starring Cornel Wilde. Maybe you saw this on AMC. A safari expedition is captured by a hostile African tribe. All but one are tortured and kill. The one survivor is stripped of his clothes and set running for some warriors to chase and kill for sport. Their sporting prey turns out to be more dangerous than simple-minded game.
Here is a tidbit from the DVD booklet that you may have missed when watching the movie. That orphan is a girl. Not a boy.

Resident Evil: extinction starring Milla Jovovich, Oded Fehr, Ali Larter. Alice and her friends make a last stand against the undead in a dead Las Vegas that has been abandoned to the desert.

Saw III starring Angus MacFayden. People are captured, tortured and killed. Jigsaw has disappeared with his apprentice but soon returns.

Saw IV starring Darren Lynn Bousman. A captured policeman has 90 minutes to "overcome a series of traps and save an old fried...or face the deadly consequences."

Damages: the complete first season starring Glenn Close, Ted Danson, Rose Byrne. Recent law graduate Ellen joins big-time firm of Patty and is involved in class-action lawsuit against a wealthy CEO. Murder comes next.

No End in Sight: Iraq's descent into chaos. "The first film of its kind to chronicle the reasons behind Iraq's descent into guerilla war, warlord rule, criminality and anarchy. No End in Sight is a jaw-dropping insider's tale of wholesale incompetence, recklessness and venality. Based on over 200 hours of footage, the film provides a candid retelling of the events following the fall of Baghdad in 2003."

Black Sheep starring Nathan Meister (and other people you never heard of). The bucolic farmland of New Zealand turns red. Henry returns to the family sheep farm to sell his share of the farm. In Henry's absence his brother has been genetically altering the animals. The altered sheep go on a flesh eating rampage across the countryside. ZOMBIE SHEEP!

Tuesday, January 29, 2008

An Unlikely Trio on the Road to Library Adventure

Music CD

Juno: music from the motion picture. Soundtrack with songs by Barry Louis Polisar, Kimya Dawson, The Kinks, and a bunch of other bands.

Spanish

Controlar la Diabetes. Diabetes health in Spanish.

Large Print

Duma Key by Stephen King.

Monday, January 28, 2008

True Crime, Energy Victory, Gun Book, Audio Book

NonFiction

Never Enough
by Joe McGinniss. Investment banker Robert Kissel was murdered in his family's luxury apartment in Hong Kong. Police charged his wife with murder. The police claimed inheritance, she claimed abuse.

Energy Victory by Robert Zubrin. I caught this guy on BOOK-TV too. Zubrin's recommendations go against the popular topics. His take on the best and most effective way to achieve energy independence.

Modern Law Enforcement Weapons and Tactics, 3rd edition by Patrick Sweeney. "A complete look at firearms training methods and law enforcement gear." Sweeney wrote the two AR-15 books we have, when i did an author search for him this came up.

AudioBooks

Trail of Crumbs: hunger, love, and the search for home by Kim Sunee. When Kim was three years old her mom took her to the marketplace and left her. Three days a later a policeman found her. Adopted, and growing up in New Orleans, Kim becomes mistress to a French millionaire and finds solace in food and cooking.

Fiction: Four Paperbacks and Several Hardcovers

Fiction

Half the Blood of Brooklyn by Charlie Huston. Joe Pitt works as a general fixer and finder in the hidden vampire community of Manhattan. Noir mysteries with a twist. A vampire novel that isn't stupid.

Beverly Hills Dead by Stuart Woods. Former policeman Rick Barron is not head of production at Centurion Studios during the Red Scare. "The witch hunt is spreading, and with it come deception, murder, and dirty dealings."

Standard of Honor by Jack Whyte. Knights of Templar reinvade the Holy Lands under the sadist and egomaniac Richard the Lionhearted. Master-at-arms Sir Henry and his son Andre are compelled to attend.

Rowdy in Paris by Tim Sandlin. Rowdy celebrates his one and only championship win with two French gals. Rowdy wakes the next morning to find his championship belt buckle has been taken by the ladies. Rowdy heads to Paris to recover it. Comedic hijinks ensue.

Their Christmas Wish Come True by Cara Colter. A Harlequin paperback.

Swimming Without a Net by Mary Janice Davidson. Mermaid gets involved with "hunky marine biologist" while on a visit to the royal merfamily in the Cayman Islands.

Poetry

Collected Poems by Philip Larkin. "One of the best-known and best-loved poets of the English-speaking world." Accessible poetry that is enjoyable to read.

Releasing February 5th


Stranger in Paradise by Robert B. Parker. Paradise, MA Police Chief Jesse Stone has Wilson "Crow" Cromartie, the ex-con hitman, return looking for a runaway teen living with her mom in Paradise.

Friday, January 25, 2008

Four Fiction

At The City's Edge by Marcus Sakey. Jason returned from Iraq with an "other than honroable" discharge. He's having trouble getting back into Chicago's civilian life when his brother is murdered. Jason and Elena from the City's Gang Intelligence Unit both find themselves in peril.

Hunter's Run by George R.R. Martin and others. I bought this because Martin is a popular author.

Releasing January 29th

Purrfect Murder by Rita Mae Brown.

The Appeal by John Grisham.

Sound and Vision (apologies to Bowie)

Music CDs - there are more titles waiting on new CD cases to arrive.

High School Musical 2: non-stop dance party. Dance remixes from the second movie. In the kid section.

High School Musical 2: soundtrack. The original soundtrack, also downstairs.

American Gangster by Jay-Z. Rapper dude raps. I'm not sure if I've heard any of his tunes or not.

Double Wide and Live by Southern Culture on the Skids (SCOTS). SCOTS is known for being a live band. I've never seen them live so I figured I'd buy this one. I have Dirt Track Date sitting around if anyone wants to borrow it.

Definitive Collection, 1983-1987 by Steve Earle. Lake Mills does NOT have this collection by roots rocker Earle. But, you can reserve it on our catalog and Germantown Public Library will send it over. How does a fat, balding, old, junkie like Earle get a pretty, young wife like Allison Moorer? Earle has a radio show on Sirius satellite radio and, I just found out, has a small role on HBO's The Wire.

DVD

Blonde Ambition starring Jessica Simpson, Luke Wilson, Andy Dick. Judging from the back cover's synopsis this is a remake of Legally Blonde. Ditzy Oklahoma blonde visits boyfriend in New York. Blonde finds boyfriend with other girl. Blonde gets big job and new boyfriend as "revenge".

GamePlan starring Dwayne Johnson, Kyra Sedgewick, NFL quaterback with massive ego is suddenly saddled with his previously unknown 8-year-old daughter.

Inside Man starring Denzel Washington, Clive Owen, Jodie Foster, Christopher Plummer, Willem Dafoe. A highly planned bank robbery falls apart into a hostage situation.

Once. Once is on several best of the year lists for 2007. Follows an Irish guitarist and keyboardist who spontaneously team up for a week and write songs together.

Oswald's Ghost. "How could someone as inconsequential as Lee Harvey oswald have killed someone as consequential as John F. Kennedy?" Forty years of obsession over the assassination is studied by PBS' American Experience.

Thursday, January 24, 2008

It Never Ends, More NonFiction

Guns

Gun Digest Book of Combat Handgunnery, 6th Edition by Massad Ayoob. From basic to advanced with information on weapons, ammunition, holsters, mistakes, etc. I'd love to take a look at Ayoob's personal firearms collection, I'll bet it is extensive.

Screaming Eagles: 101st Airborne Division by Russ and Susan Bryant. We have an 8-year-old Devourer of Books who was in the other day checking out books on Army Rangers. So I bought this one.

Local History

People, Their Places, and Things by Roland R. Liebenow, M.D. Some scumbags have stolen our other two copies of this. This copy goes into Reference.

Everything Else

2008 Writer's Market edited by Robert Lee Brewer. Sell your work.

Complete Reflexology Tutor: Everything you need to achieve professional expertise by Ann Gillanders.

Easy Massage by Fiona Harrold. A compact book.

Wiring: step-by-step instructions by Larry Johnston.

Drying Flowers by Barbara Radcliffe Rogers.

Making Wreaths by Barbara Radcliffe Rogers.

Decorating Hints and Tips: more than 2,000 practical solutions to help you improve your home by Julian Cassell and Peter Parham. Another DK book.

Peterson's College Money Handbook 2008. Aid packages from over 2,000 undergraduate institutions.

Peterson's Make Summer Count 2008: programs ans camps for teens and kids. Girls First at Madeiara School in Virginia is $2395 for two weeks.

Curious Boys Book of Adventure: 100 hijinks and escapades by Sam Martin. Making a catapult, a wooden whistle, a pinhole camera, an igloo, a telephone.

Wednesday, January 23, 2008

I'm Finally Running Out of New Stuff to Write About

NonFiction

Helen Farnsworth Mears by Susan Porter Green. A biography of the Wisconsin sculptor. I found this stuck on a high shelf in a back room. The book was donated in 1996 and never cataloged until last week.

Complete Idiot's Guide to Digital Video by Karl Bardosh. "Focus in on the future of moviemaking."

Gang Leader for a Day by Sudhir Venkatesh. Venkatesh's story was told in Freakonomics. Venkatesh was a graduate student when he visited a Chicago housing project with a multi-part survey on urban poverty. Venkatesh enters an abandoned building and is immediately taken captive by a local drug gang who suspect his intentions. Venkatesh ends up making friends with the gang leader and observes the gang and neighborhood for the next ten years.

What to do With Your History or Political Science Degree by Sarah Dunham and Lisa Vollmer. Please tell me. I majored in both of those.

Smart Hiring: the complete guide to finding and hiring the best employees by Robert Wendover. Here is a tip from my own personal experience: Want to avoid bad employees? First things first and hire a good one. Includes: interview questions, resume evaluation, recruitment and advertising, etc.

Quickbooks 2008: the official guide by Kathy Ivens. Since our previous version checked out like mad this one should be popular.

Green Bay Packers: the complete illustrated history by Don Gulbrandsen. What else is there to say that is not in the title?

Quilting a Patchwork Garden by Lynette Jensen. Quilting.

AudioBook on CD

How Starbucks Saved My Life: a son of privilege learns to live like everyone else by Michael Gates Gill. Gill was a divorced, laid off, former six-figure earning, brain tumor carrying, pregnant girlfriend dating dude whose sole luxury was a daily latte at Starbucks. One day the manager asked if he wanted a job and he accepted.

Subject Heading: Cookery

Cookbooks

Party Fun! by Jenny Dodd. For kid parties with themes, cakes, invitations, treat bags, food, games. I'll take this one home for Saturday's birthday party.

Dinnertime Easy Slow Cooker Recipes edited by Lois White. Slow cooker directions for appetizers, beverages, soups/stews, meat, poultry, small batches, desserts. From Better Homes and Gardens.

The New Slow Cooker edited by Jennifer Olski. Same items as above but this book is from Taste of Home.

The Good Housekeeping Cookbook: 1,039 recipes from America's favorite test kitchen edited by Susan Westmoreland. From Good Housekeeping.

Cooking Light Annual Recipes 2008 edited by Heather Averett. Editors' favorites from Cooking Light.

Four More Fiction Including a Bill Crider Recommendation

Fiction

Uncommon Reader by Alan Bennett. Queen Elizabeth chases her corgis into a bookmobile and feels obligated to borrow a book. The Queen starts to read widely and finds her world view changed and her Royal routines questioned which "soon leads to surprising and very funny consequences for the country at large."

Notes From the Backseat by Jody Gehrman. Gwen travels to a wedding with her boyfriend Coop and his best friend, Devil Blonde Dannika. The normally confident Gwen goes "psycho jealous".

Sun and Moon, Ice and Snow by Jessica Day George. Based on a Nordic fairy tale. A woodcutter's daughter agrees to live with a polar bear for one year in exchange for wealth for her family.

School for Scumbags by Danny King. Teenage delinquent Wayne ends up in yet another school. But the Gafin School for Misdirected Boys seems intent on teaching the wrong things. Crider has a good write-up.

Graphic Novels

Vampire Hunting

Guilty Pleasures, Volume One
by Laurell K. Hamilton with Brett Booth, Stacie M. Ritchie and Jess Ruffner-Booth. "In a world where vampires, werewolves, and other supernatural creatures are legal citizens of the United States, Anita Blake is an animator - someone who literally raises the dead for a living. But she moonlights as a vampire hunter, called in to resolve situations that are too much for conventional police to handle." I think Hamilton is one of those prose authors who add lots of sex to the vampire violence. I looked for sex stuff in this one but found nothing good.

Four HellBoy Titles
Troll Witch and Others
Strange Places
Right Hand of Doom
Conqueror Worm

Hellboy is demon who was brought to Earth as an infant by the Nazis in 1944. Hellboy was raised by the U.S. Army and the Bureau for Paranormal Research and Defense. With red skin, stumps on his head from his filed down horns, and a tail Hellboy works as an unflappable investigator of paranormal threats. A fun series.

Large Print Fiction by the Dozen (minus four)

Large Print

Power Play by Joseph Finder. The executives of Hammond Aerospace are attending a retreat in a remote lodge. Their opening night dinner is taken over by gunmen intent on ransoming the lot of them. Junior Exec Jake Landry's mysterious past comes to the rescue.

Robert Ludlum's The Arctic Event by James H. Cobb. Lt. Col. John Smith searches Wednesday Island in Northern Canada to recover a spy plane with weaponized anthrax. Also searching are an arms merchant and the Russians.

The McKettrick Way by Linda Lael Miller. Meg McKettrick wants a kid but not necessarily a husband. Meg and neighboring cowboy Brad are attracted to one another but Brad wants marriage and family together.

The Four Agreements by Don Miguel Ruiz with Janet Mills. This is NonFiction not Fiction. Some sort of self-help book on "the self-limiting beliefs that rob us of joy."

The Vanishing Act of Lesme Lennox by Maggie O'Farrell. I think we have the regular print version of this. Iris gets a phone call saying her great-aunt Esme is being released from her mental institution after 60 years and would she please come pick her up? "I have a great aunt?" Esme replies. Why was she locked up? Why was Iris never told of Esme? Why was Esme forgotten there?

Protect and Defend by Vince Flynn. I'll take a guess at this one. There is a threat to the country by terrorists or traitors. Federal officials - either Special Forces, CIA or lawyers - fight the enemy against their own bureaucratic and shortsighted leaders. There is a beautiful, brave and plucky woman character.

A Time to Die by Beverly Barton. Deke shot and paralyzed Lexie during an African coup. Deke was a soldier working undercover and his guilt follows him after retirement to his job at Dundee Private Security. Lexie now heads an international charity when the son of a coup leader threatens her. Deke is hired to protect her.

Still Summer by Jacquelyn Mitchard. Is this the lady who lives in Madison? Yep, it is.

Tuesday, January 22, 2008

Four Fun Fiction Favorites For Favorable Fans

Fiction

Sizzle and Burn by Jane Ann Krentz. Paranormal woman in romance.

Duma Key by Stephen King. Suffering from King Bloat at 607 pages.

Secret Between Us by Barbara Delinsky. "Nothing will break the mother-daughter bond. Not even the truth." Girl drives over guy in street, mom takes the rap.

Sword Song : the Battle for London by Bernard Cornwell. Cornwell's latest covers the 885 Battle for London between Danes and Saxons.

NonFiction: Beer Book, Landscaping, Business, a Minnesotan

NonFiction

Beer

Beer by Michael Jackson. Famous beer and whiskey writer Jackson died this past August. Jackson's beer and whiskey books from DK are always beatifully illustrated and full of interesting info about both readily available and rare brews. Jackson even wrote an article on Wisoncsin beer for his website. Tyranena is not listed in the book but New Glarus and Huber are. The book even has the the updated web address reflecting the new Canuck owner.

Health

Everything Health Guide to Arthritis by Carol Eustice. "Professional advice on managing pain, choosing the right treatment, and leading an active lifestyle."

Dealing with Food Allergies in Babies and Children by Janice Vickerstaff Joneja, PhD, RD. Descritpions strategies, detailed information, essential nutrients.

Kazdin Method for Parenting the Defiant Child by Alan E Kazdin, PhD. Kazdin directs the Yale Parenting Center and Child Conduct Clinic and has distilled 30 years of Center experience into this guide.

Is It a Big Problem or a Little Problem?: When to Worry, When Not to Worry, and What to Do by Amy Egan, MA, et al.

School Success for Kids with Asperger's Syndrome by Stephan M. Silverman, PhD and Rich Weinfeld. Practical strategies for parents and teachers, classroom practices, parental advice, successfull interventions for parents.

Self-Help Skills for People with Autism: a systemic teaching approach by Stephen R. Anderson, PhD, et al.

Minnesotan

Dog Says How by Kevin Kling. Humorous true stories by the actor and NPR commentator. Well fancy that, he attended Gustavus.

Business

Freelancing for Newspapers: writing for an overlooked market by Sue Fagalde Lick. All newspapers rely on freelancers to provide stories. Learn how to break into the market.

101 Businesses You Can Start with Less Than One Thousand Dollars For Stay-at-Home Moms & Dads by Heather L. Shepherd.

Complete Idiot's Guide to Starting a Home-Based Business, Third Edition by Barbara Weltman.

Knock'em Dead, 2008 by Martin Yate, C.P.C. "The ultimate job search guide."

History

Miniature Books: 4,000 or tiny treasures by Anne C. Bromer and Julian I. Edison. Extensively illustrated with color photos of miniature books through time.

Indian Mutiny by Julian Spilsbury. The Indian mutiny of 1857 by Indian soldiers who slaughtered their English officers and families. A read a novelization of this, Nightrunners of Bengal by John Masters, that spoke about the split among the Indian soldiers and how the mutiny was planned and enacted.

Boom!: voices of the sixties by Tom Brokaw.

Other

Sound of Music Companion by Laurence Maslon. The family, the stage version, the motion picture.

Complete Idiot's Guide to the World of Harry Potter by Tere Stouffer.

52 Backyard Landscaping Projects by Kristen Hampshire.

Friday, January 18, 2008

A NonFiction Stack. Good Thing I Had My New Knife For These, Too.

Iraq

House to House: an epic memoir of war by SSG David Bellavia. I had already put this as a maybe on my selection list when, by pure chance, I caught the author talking on C-SPAN (watch it here). Bellavia graduated as a theater major - which could explain his enthralling talk - joined the Army, was sent to Iraq, and had his Bradley riding infantry unit assigned to the Marines for the Battle of Fallujah. Bellavia purposefully wrote about all the nasty bits to show how war is.

War on Two Fronts: an infantry commander's war in Iraq and the Pentagon by Col. Christopher P. Hughes. Hughes invaded in Iraq in 2003, fought insurgents and did civilian administration, returned to the Pentagon to fight bureaucracy and help with "nation building".

Hogs in the Shadows: combat stories from Marine snipers in Iraq by Milo Afong. I bought this on since a couple other sniper books have checked out. Those are some neat rifles.

Biography

A Boy Named Shel by Lisa Rogak. "Life and times of Shel Silverstein." Silverstein's kid poetry was a big deal when I was in elementary school. Silverstein also wrote the lyrics to "A Boy Called Sue."

Sharper Your Knife, the Less You Cry: love, laughter, and tears at the world's most famous cooking school by Kathleen Flinn. Flinn was on vacation when her boos fired her. She came back and immediately enrolled in Le Cordon Bleau in Paris. Sharp knife huh?

Murdered by Mumia: a life sentence of loss, pain, and injustice by Muareen Faulkner and Michael Smerconish. You've likely heard the celebrity advocates' version of Mumia Abu-Jamal's murder conviction. Here is the other side presented by Faulkner's widow.

Condoleeza Rice: an American life by Elisabeth Bumiller.

A Skating Life by Dorothy Hamill. This will check-out. Difficult and long training, depression, failed marriages, and massive successes.

Her Last Death by Susanna Sonnenberg. Sonnenberg gets a late night phone call that her mother is in a coma. Sonenberg's thought? It's about time. Her mother was a drunk, sex using, liar.

Other NonFiction

Depression: your questions answered by Melvyn Lurie, MD. A DK book.

Jim Cramer's Stay Mad for Life: get rich, stay rich (make your kids even richer) by James J. Cramer and Cliff Mason.

How Toyota became #1: leadership lessons from the world's greatest car company by David Magee.

Censoring Science: inside the political attack on Dr. James Hansen and the truth of global warming by Mark Bowen. Fighting political shenanigans attempting to censor scientific results.

Good Calories, Bad Calories: challenging the conventional wisdom on diet, weight control, and disease by Gary Taubes.

Power to Change the World: the truth about nuclear energy by Gwyneth Cravens. "Initially a skeptic about nuclear power" Cravens researched the topic from Uranium mining to waste disposal and changed her mind. Here is a refutation of the major arguments against nuclear power.

Books for Women

Self Magazine's 15 Minutes to Your Best Self by Lucy S. Danziger.

5 Minute Face: the quick and easy makeup guide for every woman by Carmindy. The one name author works for the What Not to Wear television program.

Modern Bride Survival Guide by Antonia van der Meer. A Vandermeer lives in town.

Thursday, January 17, 2008

Hoky Smokes! Piles of Fiction! Good Thing I Had a New Knife To Open Those Boxes

Mysteries

Serpent's Daughter by Suzanne Arruda. The third novel by Kansas resident Arruda featuring American photojournalist Jade del Cameron in 1920 Africa. Jade travels to Morocco to visit her mother. Her mother is kidnapped, a man is murdered, Jade is accused of murder and must find her mother. Through "the twisting alleys of Marrakech, across desert landscapes, crenallated Kasbahs and mountain strongholds." Arruda has an interesting website with details about 1920 Africa she learned during her research.

Oscar Wilde and a Death of No Importance by Gyles Brandreth. Arthur Conan Doyle is urged by Oscar Wilde to visit Oscar's apartment after a gay gigolo, Billy Wood, is found dead inside. Upon arrival they find Wood's body missing. This received a starred review by Booklist for it's great characters and excellent setting.

Death Song by Michael McGarrity. Sheriff Kevin Kerney works the murder of a policeman's wife in Santa Fe while his son works the policeman's murder in another jurisdiction. A missing teen, drug trafficking and a double murder in Albuquerque are all set among the "stunning visual sense of place in the vast New Mexico landscape."

Three Sisters by James D. Doss. Colorado rancher Charlie Moon assists in what looks like a bear mauling. But when the deceased victim's sister, TV psychic Cassandra, raises a stink Charlie finds he may be after a human killer.

Midnight Rambler by James Swain. Jack Carpenter lost his police job when he caught serial killer Simon Skell. Skell is due for execution when forensic evidence from a recent murder shows he may be innocent. Further evidence points to Carpenter as the real killer. Carpenter finds that the original murders involved more than Skell alone as he sets to prove himself right.

Fiction

Mommies Behaving Badly by Roz Bailey. Ruby Dixon's family leave their stolen cars and other urban disasters behind them and move from New York City to Portland, OR. Ruby has trouble adjusting to life in the suburbs.

Gentlemen of the Road by Michael Chabon. Originally enititled, Jews With Swords. Two itinerate adventures travel through the Caucusus Mountains in 950 AD. Pressed into the service of a Persian prince they must help raise an army to fight against the prince's uncle.

Into Hot Air: Mounting Mount Everest by Chris Elliott. Chris "What an idiot" Elliott discovers evidence that his great-uncle was the first man to scale Mt. Everest. Chris travels to Nepal convinced he can resolve the mystery of his uncle's disappearance. Idiot.

Bleeding Kansas by Sara Paretsky. The Schapens and Grelliers have been neighbors and enemies since 1850. The Schapens are upset when a Wiccan moves nearby and the feud goes gonzo.

Third Degree by Greg Iles. Lauren is pregnant but doesn't know who the father is. Lauren's husband Warren's business is getting an IRS audit. Armed men ring the house in preparation for an assault. Five hours in a bad day.

Almost Graceland by Steve Carlson. Vay Johnson was born January 8th, 1935 in Memphis, TN. Besides sharing a birthday with Elvis Presley Vay also bears a remarkable resemblance to Elvis. Is Vay Elvis' "dead" twin? In 1977 Vay receives a surprise invitation to Graceland and begins an odd friendship with The King.

Matala by Craig Holden. Darcy rapidly bores of the artifacts and museums in her expensive trip across Europe. When she meets handsome Will she takes up with him and his lover, Justine. Will and Justine are con artists and see Darcy as an fresh fruit. But Darcy is sharper than she seems and Darcy and Justine are engaged in a war of wits as they smuggle a package into Greece.

6 Sacred Stones by Matthew Reilly. Some over the top fiction about six stones that will save the world by showing Jack West how to find and work the ancient "Machine". A reviewer wrote that it's a a globe trotting junior-high-level romp.

Farther Shore by Matthew Eck. This has all sorts of good reviews. A small group of Marines are left behind in Ethiopia and have to travel across the urban and rural wasteland back to their unit.

Fighter by Craig Davidson. Davidson's short story collection Rust and Bone was pretty good. So I bought this one. Wealthy Paul is viciously beaten and starts boxing to protect himself and build his manhood. Rob has been pushed and trained by his father and uncle to be a professional fighter and financial savior of the family. Both men meet at a bare knuckles fight venue.

A Killer's Kiss by Willaim Lashner. I don't know what this is about. Look it up yourself.

Antony and Cleopatra by Colleen McCullough. Antony and Octavian battle for control of the Roman Empire and Cleopatra and Livia attempt to drive and control their men into power.

Troy: Fall of Kings by David Gemmell. "The bloodthirsty armies of Agamemnon lay siege to the golden city of Troy and its staunch but outnumbered defenders." With Odysseus, Achilles, Helikaon, Hektor and the rest.

Run by Ann Patchett. Former Boston Mayor Bernard looks to protect all his kids, even the secret ones, after a tragic car accident.

Inspirational Fiction

Till Morning is Night by Leisha Kelly.

Zero-G by Anton Gansky. Tuck has to put his faith in God as he pilots a tourist spacecraft 70 miles up. His craft his been sabotaged and even hero pilot Tuck needs help to fight this enemy.

Short Stories

Deportees and Other Stories by Roddy Doyle. Doyle has some really funny novels. This is a bunch of stories. Not a novel.

Tuesday, January 15, 2008

3:10 to Yuma, Bill Crider, and some NASCAR romance

DVD

3:10 to Yuma starring Christian Bale and Russell Crowe. Dan Evans offers to transport vicious crook Ben Wade to the train depot and send him along to trial. Trouble ensues.

Fiction

Houston Homicide by Bill Crider and Clyde Wilson. Det. Ted Stephens investigates a multiple murder in 1960 Houston. Ted is already in trouble with his colleagues when he asks legendary P.I. Clive Watson for assistance.
Co-author Clyde Wilson is quite the character in Houston's history. Wilson took some of his stories and worked with Crider to develop this mystery novel.

Total Control by Pamela Britton. Indi Wilcox works with Miracles to grant terminally ill children their dreams. Indi is steaming mad when NASCAR driver Todd Peters misses a meeting with one of those kids. Todd tries to make things right and win Indi over.

Large Print

Beverly Hills Dead by Stuart Woods.

Thursday, January 10, 2008

One, Single, Solitary, Solo, Story of a Southern Wisconsin Celebrity Slaying by Servant

Large Print

Loving Frank by Nancy Horan. Novelized tale of when Frank Lloyd Wright left his wife and six kids for his neighbor's wife and moved with her to Spring Green, WI.

Wednesday, January 09, 2008

Two Local Histories, One Evanovich, Dave Grossman "On Combat"

Fiction

Plum Lucky by Janet Evanovich. Plum travels to Atlantic City to recover the money her grandmother found, money wanted by Diesel.

NonFiction

On Combat: the psychology and physiology of deadly conflict in war and peace, 2nd Edtion by Lt. Col. Dave Grossman. Grossman's work focuses on combat and killing as applied to military service members and police officers. He has done studies on how people are trained to kill and how their physical and mental reactions to the act. This book discusses how to " train the mind to become inoculated to stress, fear and even pain."

Local History

In Those Days by Henry L. Sonneborn. From the preface, "This book is all about memories, thoughts that come in teh night, my boyhood and my life on the newspaper."

I Remember, I Remember by Harriett Loomis. From the Introduction, "The stories in this book are largely concerned with events that occurred in our family and during our life the village of Lake Mills, Wisconsin, from about 1900 to 1915."

Friday, January 04, 2008

Bender the Robot, a Desert Shoot-em-up, Naomi Watts

DVDs

Bender's Big Score starring [a bunch of voices]. Evil, nudist aliens force Bender to travel through time stealing Earth's treasures. The direct to DVD full length feature film from the television show.

The Kingdom starring Jason Bateman, Jamie Foxx, Chris Cooper, Jennifer Garner. An investigative team of FBI agents travel to Saudi Arabia to work a bombing investigation and then get in trouble with Saudi radicals.

Eastern Promises starring Naomi Watts and Viggo Mortensen. Mobster (played by Viggo) starts a relationship with a midwife (played by Naomi) who has evidence against his criminal cohorts.

CD

Raising Sand by Robert Plant and Alison Krauss.

Fiction

Custer's Brother's Horse by Edwin Shrake. A British author, former Confederate soldier and a young girl face a kangaroo court in TX. The escape and are chased across Texas by the cavalry.

Shadow Music by Julie Garwood. Love, murder and adventure in medieval Scotland.

The Shooters by W.E.B. Griffin. Army commando Castillo is tasked with rescuing a captured DEA agent in South America.

Blood Dreams by Kay Hooper. A Senator's daughter is kidnapped by a ruthless killer. A special FBI investigative unit teams up with a secretive civilian group to find her and stop the killer.

Book of Old House by Sarah Graves. Jake finds a book under the stairs of her 190 year old house. She has a local book historian look at it and he ends up murdered. Uh-oh.

Large Print

Hand of Evil by J.A. Jance. Suspense in the Arid-zona desert.

Bleeding Kansas by Sara Paretsky. Two neighboring families have feuded since 1850.

NonFiction

Don't Bet Against Me! by Deanna Favre. Favre beats cancer and goes on the breast cancer awareness trail.

Saturday, December 29, 2007

One NonFiction

NonFiction

Nina Hartley's Guide to Total Sex by Nina Hartley and I.S. Levine. Actress and registered nurse Hartley writes "a thorough, level-headed and straightforward look at all things sexual...Unlike many other sex guides, this one does not include illustrations or photos, which makes it a comfortable choice for more reserved or reticent readers."

Thursday, December 27, 2007

Romances in Spanish, Large Print, and Paperback

Spanish

Mentiras Piadosas by Lisa Unger.

Large Print

Mine Till Midnight by Lisa Kleypas. Amelia and her family receive an inheritance and rise from impoverishment to the upper-class. Amelia's family are not managing the sudden rise gracefully. Amelia turns to wealthy and civilized Cam to for help. But, Cam wishes to leave his wealth and return to his Gypsy roots.

Romance

Irish Hearts containing Irish Thoroughbreds and Irish Rose by Nora Roberts

In My Wildest Fantasies by Julianne MacLean. "She looked up at him, so tall and musculine before her. There, you see? she wanted to say. And you wonder why people feel safe in your presence."

Wednesday, December 26, 2007

DVDs: Homer, a Gaiman fantasy, Halloween Remade, B-Movie Heaven

DVDs

Simpsons the Movie starring Homer Simpson, Drone from Sector 7G. I have not seen this yet. I received my own copy yesterday as a Christmas gift so at least I want have to wait for a Library copy.

Stardust starring Michelle Pfeiffer, Claire Danes, Robert DeNiro, Sienna Miller, Ricky Gervais. Tristan travels into a fairy land to recover a fallen star in hopes of winning a girl's hand. Turns out the star takes the form of a girl. Also turns out that a wicked queen wants the star to achieve immortality. Trouble ensues. That Sienna Miller is a good looking gal.

Halloween starring Malcolm McDowell, Brad Dourif. A remake directed by Rob Zombie. As remakes go this is supposed to be quite good. If you like this picture we have a couple other Zombie directed films to try, House of 1000 Corpses and Devils Rejects, both of which are sitting unwatched on my desk at home.

Last Sentinel starring Don Wilson, Bokeem Woodbine, Keith David. What a cast! Electronically enhanced drone police take over the world. What a concept! Beautiful rebel learns to fight the drones to save mankind. What a plot! Bought from Arrow for $16.60. 16.60!? Soylent Green and Wassup Rockers were cheaper than that!

Wednesday, December 19, 2007

"Greatest Hits" by Social Distortion

Music

Greatest Hits by Social Distortion. Career spanning collection of the band with eleven tunes.

As I Am by Alicia Keys.

AudioBooks

Venetian Betrayal by Steve Berry. 12 CDs at 15.33 hours runtime. Rare book dealer Cotton Malone escapes a Danish museum fire to find the fire was set as part of a plot by the Supreme Minister of the Central Asian federation. The Supreme Minister plans to equal the conquering achievements of Alexander the Great. But, the last obstacle in the Minister's path is the recovery of Alexander's tomb which holds a "miraculous healing serum."

World Without End by Ken Follett. 36 CDs at 45.5 hours runtime. The sequel to Follett's 1989 bestseller and recent Oprah selection, Pillars of the Earth. 1327 England sees four kids witness a double murder in the woods outside of town. All four boys and girls grow up to follow different paths but are connected by the killing.

NonFiction

Complete Guide to Dream Kitchens. I still have not finished painting my kitchen. Once I do maybe I can read the directions for "installing a gorgeous farmhouse sink...choosing and installing new cabinets and countertops...installing a single-handle faucet with pull-out sprayer."

Large Print

Antony and Cleopatra by Colleen McCullough. Sequel to October Horse with Caesar dead and the Rome divided. Antony and Octavian compete and scheme for the Emperor's throne.

Monday, December 17, 2007

Two AudiBooks on CD Plus Hundreds Online

AudioBooks

Until I Find You by John Irving. 28 discs at 35.5 hours. Young Canadian jack is dragged from English North Sea port to English North Sea port by his mother in search of their church organist father who has gone on a tattoo addiction bender. Jack grows up, becomes an actor, and Irving "renders...richness of detail and range of emotions" to tell the tale.

T is for Trespass by Sue Grafton. Kinsey Milhone versus a sociopathic killer who finds her victims through her caregiving jobs.

Overdrive Audio Titles

I am on the selection committee for the Wisconsin Public Library Consortium which selects downloadable audio titles. Unfortunately I was left out of the last committee meeting but the committe just spent $8,000 on new titles that are appearing online today, 17 December 2007, at http://dbooks.wplc.info/. Take a look. You can get A through S of the Grafton series.

Large Lot of Large Print

Large Print

How many of these Large print standing orders did I sign up for anyway? 50?

Down River by John Hart. Adam Chase leaves his self-imposed exile in New York City to return to North Carolina. Then he gets beaten up, confronted by his family and the girl who rejected him, and people start dying. I'm guessing this is a mystery but it's difficult to tell from the book jacket. Read it and let me know.

Away by Amy Bloom. I read the review for this when it came out but am not sure if I ordered the regular print version. Lillian is the sole family survivor of a Russian pogrom. Lillian escapes across Europe and the Atlantic to the Lower East Side. When Lillian hears that her daughter Sophie may be alive, she sets off across the U.S. and the Bering Sea back to Russia and into Siberia.

Tell-Tale Horse by Rita Mae Brown. We received the regular print version in September. The cover illustration is very similar to the regular print.

Race by Richard North Patterson. Sen. Corey Grace is in a ruthless political race for his party's presidential nomination. Grace must fight the "incendiary issues" of racism, terrorism, religious fundamentalism, gay rights and media monopoly and decide who he really is.

Last Noel by Heather Graham. Escaped killers invade the O'Boyle house during a Christmas blizzard. Skylar is determined to survive by pretending all is well in an effort to throw the killers off guard.

Heir by Barbara Taylor Bradford. Edward Deravnel runs the family's business empire in 1918 England. But, all is not well. Edward has to fight off relatives, rumours, and the new influenza epidemic. (If you are interested in the history of the flu epidemic check-out The great influenza : the epic story of the 1918 pandemic by John M. Barry.)

Mark's Story: The Gospel according to Peter by Tim LaHaye and Jerry B. Jenkins. Latest part of the Jesus Chronicles. Mark witness Jesus' last day on Earth then, and with Peter, chronicles the history of Jesus and growth of the church.

NonFiction

A Family Christmas edited by Caroline Kennedy. Kennedy shares poetry, prose and other items from different authors. Selections from Billy Collins, Pearl S. Buck, JFK, and...David Sedaris!

Thursday, December 13, 2007

Cannibalism, violent Frenchmen, Hispanic skaters, Kinsey Milhone, Bill Bryson

DVD

Soylent Green starring Charlton Heston, Edward G. Robinson, Chuck Connors. Detective in 2022 NYC on the trail of a murderer finds a grisly truth of overpopulation. I got this from Arrow for $9.10. I should order Omega Man and Planet of the Apes for a Heston Sci-Fi set.

District B13 starring a bunch of hoppy Frenchmen. I read a good review of this by Crider. In 2010 Paris a wall surrounds District B13 where police service is not provided. Undercover cop Damien enters the District to infiltrate a gang and defuse the neutron bomb they have. Lots and lots of action with those French guys who can jump over and through anything.

Wassup Rockers starring a bunch of unknown teen actors. Goofy Hispanic skateboarders skate to Beverly Hills, try to romance rich white girls, get chased away by rich, white teen dudes, and try to get back to the safety of South Central Los Angeles. "Overflowing with tenderness and sly humor."

Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix starring The Usual Trio plus famous Brit actors/ Lord Voldemort has returned and Hogwarts is under pressure by the Ministry of Magic who don't believe in Voldemort's return.

Superbad starring Jonah Hill, Michael Cera, Bill Hader, Seth Rogen. Two high school geeks try to buy booze for the ball to bone beautiful broads.

The Beyonce Experience, Live starring Beyonce and her band. Filmed at Beyonce's Los Angeles concert in September, 2007.

Bourne Ultimatum starring Matt Damon, Julia Stiles, David Strathairn, Scott Glenn, Joan Allen. Wow! Scott Glenn is in this! Has anyone given this picture a poor review? I have yet to see it but want to. I spilled coffee on this one.

AudioBooks processed and (time-dated!) by Hannah the Page

T is for Trespass by Sue Grafton. The latest and greatest Kinsey Milhone mystery. Except this time Grafton also writes from the perspective of sociopathic caregiver Solana Rojas. Ten discs at 12.5 hours.

Hot Shot by Susan Elizabeth Phillips. Susannah recruits three men to her garage business that she turns into an empire that competes with her father's company. Thirteen discs at 15.5 hours.

Big Boned by Meg Cabot. Packed full of plot as ex-pop star and Assistant Dorm Director Heather pines for vegan math professor Tad, has her ex-con dad finally move out, and has another murder to deal with. Seven discs at eight hours.

Mystery

Hand of Evil by J.A. Jance. Another mystery in the Arizona desert. Newscaster Ali Reynolds has just lost her job and her newly revealed philandering husband. Ali offers to help a friend find her teen daughter and becomes involved in the gruesome murder in the desert south of Phoenix.

Large Print

Christmas Jars by Jason F. Wright. "Reporter Hope Jensen uncovers the secret behind the 'Christmas Jars' - glass jars filled with coins and bills, anonymously given to people in need."

T is for Trespass by Sue Grafton. See above.

NonFiction

Why Marines Fight by James Brady. "Why do Marines fight? Why fight so well? Why run toward the guns? Now comes a thrilling new book, pounding and magnificent in scope, by the author some Marines consider the unofficial 'poet laureate' of their Corps."

Decorating With Ceramic Tile by Jerri Farris. Innovative techniques and patterns for floors, walls, backsplashes and accents.

Shakespeare: the world as stage by Bill Bryson. Bryson "sorts through the colorful muddle" of biographical information about Shakespeare to "reveal the man himself". Bryson follows the work of previous biographers and details his own research along the way.

State of Wisconsin Blue Book, 2007-2008 edited by Lawrence S. Barish. "Contains a vast amount of information about Wisconsin state government." All three branches, statistical information, elections, state symbols, constitution and more.

Tuesday, December 11, 2007

DVDs and Spanish

DVD

Grey's Anatomy starring some actors. This has to be a chick show. With a guy character nicknamed "McDreamy" how could it not? Here's what I know about this show: mostly washed -up actor and amateur race car driver hits it big, one actor guy calls other actor guy a fag, other actor guy says,"Doesn't bother me; I'm strong", the one actor guy says, "I was drunk" and then gets fired.

Ocean's Thirteen. Pretty people (except Elliott Gould), wearing pretty clothes, in pretty places.

Spanish NonFiction

Mi Perro: una guia practica para el ciudado su perro by David Sands.

Mi Gato: una guia practica para el ciudado su gato by Angela Gair

Recetas Sin Sal by Jacques LaFond.

Recetas 0% colesterol Jacques LaFond.

2,002 Recetas de Cocina by Maria Jose Valero.

Spanish Fiction

S de Silencio by Sue Grafton.

El Corazon Helado by Almudena Grandes

Monday, December 10, 2007

The Onion, racial history, goth chicks, a DVD

DVD

Pirates of the Caribbean: At World's End starring Kiera Knightley and some dudes. A couple months ago I watched number two in this series and what a mess that picture was. I'm not going to bother with this one unless there is an easy way to fast forward to all the Kiera Knightley and Chow Yun Fat scenes.

NonFiction

AlterNation by Shannon Okey and Alexandra Underhill. Alterations and embelleshment for "alternative" fashions.

One Drop: my father's hidden life--a story of race and family secrets by Bliss Broyard. Anatole Broyard and his family passed as black once his family moved from New Orleans to New York in the 1920s. Anatole became a literary critic and raised his family in both Connecticut and Massachusetts. Bliss and her brother Todd were only told the secret of their father's heritage two months before Anatole's death by cancer. Bliss traces her father's, and the family's, history.

Dyslexia: how to survive and succeed at work by Dr. Sylvia Moody. Covering work organization, time management, writing skills, dealing with emotions. I thought of maybe putting in a dyslexia joke but decided that would be unkind.

Alexander and the Wonderful, Marvelous, Excellent, Terrific Ninety Days by Judith Viorst. Alexander, his wife and their three kids move back into his parent's house during their own home renovation. The kid-free Viorst household is turned upside down. I tried to think of some Alexander jokes but could not.

Our Dumb World: Atlas of the Planet Earth, 73rd Edition by Scott Dikkers. With articles on U.S. states, continents, and countries. "Ivory Coast - Unstable at last...Liberia-Escaping the American dream...Belgium-A proud tradition of chocolage, and also some other stuff...Myanmar-You will be shot on sight...Australia-As seen on Animal Planet...Canada-For the United States see pages 9-22."

Get Fit While You Sit: Easy workouts from your chair by Charlene Torkelson. Torkelson is the 1969 valedictorian of LMHS.

Audiobook

Darkest Evening of the Year by Dean Koontz. Some sort of psychic dog or something. You know what kid of dog is lazy? Greyhounds.

Friday, December 07, 2007

A Quick One Before I'm Away

Fiction

Beyond Eden by S.L. Linnea. NO idea what this one is about. My wife suggested I purchase it.

The Black Lizard Big Book Book of Pulps edited by Otto Penzler. Oh my. Over a thousand pages of noir goodness in two novels and over fifty stories. From Black Mask, Dime Detective, Detective Fiction Weekly, and others.

T is for Trespass by Sue Grafton. Eh.

DVD

Waitress starring Keri Russell, Nathan Fillion (the guy from Firefly), Cheryl Hines, AND Andy Griffith. There was a crazy lesbian at one job I worked at who had an infatuation with Keri Russell. I mean crazy. If I had the authority I would have fired her. Heck, I would have had the sense not to hire her.

Thursday, December 06, 2007

NonFiction Stack

NonFiction

Free For All: oddballs, geeks, and gangstas in the public library by Don Borchert. Longtime California library employee tells all. drug busts, neglected kids, burkha-wearing breakdowns, sex toys in the book return. The most interesting events I've had were the AWOL soldiers getting arrested in Kansas, and the shapely lady in tight green pants with no underwear in Arizona.

Identical Strangers: a memoir of twins separated and reunited by Elyse Schein and Paula Bernstein. Elyse and Paula both knew they were adopted. But not until Elyse was in her thirties and tried to track down her birth mother did she get the shock that she had a twin sister. What's worse, the twins were separated as infants for a psychological study.

Utter Incompetents: ego and ideology in the Age of Bush by Thomas Oliphant. Well, I'm guessing Oliphant is anti-Bush. "How could some of the smartest, most experienced and politically savvy people in Washington screw up so badly?"


Father Knows Less, Or: "Can I Cook My Sister?"
by Wendell Jamieson. City Editor of the New York Times is caught flatfooted by his son's queries.

Day of Battle: the war in Sicily and Italy, 1943-1944 by Rick Atkinson. Atkinson won the Pulitzer Prize for the first book in his World War Two series, An Army at Dawn. The Italian campaign seemed to always play second fiddle to the landings in Western France. But, after reading a couple memoirs and histories I found out that A LOT happened there.

Clapton: the autobiography by Eric Clapton. Drugs, booze, drugs, booze, rehab, drugs, booze, rehab.

The U.S. Army/Marine Corps Counterinsurgency Field Manual. The current plan on Iraq.

All the Rage: the Boondocks past and present by Aaron McGruder. Compilation of strips and all the ones that were edited and censored. Plus some interviews.

Daring Book for Girls by Andrea J. Buchanan and Miriam Peskowitz. Jump rope, palm reading, building a campfire, math tricks.

Knives 2008 edited by Joe Kertzman. Be still, my beating heart.

Born Standing Up by Steve Martin. Martin's reminiscing of his wild and crazy guy days. He wore the white suit so people could see him better.

Combat Techniques: an elite forces guide to modern infantry tactics by Chris McNab and Martin J. Dougherty. I saw the authors to this and thought, "Hey, I'll get that." But, the book comes in and I find that this Andy McNab is not the former British soldier and current novelist Andy McNab. Dang it.

Warrior: a visual history of the fighting man by R.G. Grant. A DK book. Very high quality survey of warfare through the ages.

Complete Guide to Attics and Basements by Philip Schmidt and Matthew Paymar. Guide to finishing and fixing attics and basements. Great. Like I have not been trying to finish the dang kitchen for the last four months.

Tuesday, December 04, 2007

Twenty More - Ruth The Page Is On A Processing Tear

Science Fiction

Making Money by Terry Pratchett. A comedic novel, don't let the Science Fiction tag scare you away. The efficiency of the Postmaster General of Ankh-Morpork is noticed and he is promoted to run the Royal Mint.

Large Print

Blood Brothers by Nora Roberts. Who cares? Let's get to the Mysteries.

Mystery

Crimson Eve by Brandilyn Collins. Wacky cover photo of the author with odd highlighting on the back. Something about an English estate agent having an assassin after her.

No Time for Goodbye by Linwood Barclay. Fourteen year old Cynthia awakes to find her family completely disappeared. Gone with no trace. Twenty-five years later a follow-up newspaper article on her story ends with her father's old hat mailed to Cynthia in Connecticut. Ooohh, sounds suspenseful and thrilling.

All Shots by Susan Conant. A dog mystery for women.

Best American Mystery Stories, 2007 edited by Carl Hiaasen and Otto Penzler. WIth Lawrence Block, Laura Lippman, John Sandford and a bunch of other people.

Noble Lies by Charles Benoit. This had a real good review. Mark Rohr has been bouncing around the globe for the last decade and ends up as a bouncer in a Thailand whorehouse. Robin Antonucci comes from the States and asks Mark's help in finding her brother, Shawn. Easy money for Mark; squire her around and take her cash. But, when they meet a Thai whore claiming to be Shawn's wife and two men are killed Mark is in trouble with the local thugs.

Cutthroat by Steve Brewer. Solomon gage is billionaire Dominick Sheffield's "troubleshooter". Sheffield's sons are making trouble in Africa and Solomon is sent to either clean up - or make a mess - to get them out of trouble.

Fiction

God's Demon by Wayne Barlow. Another very good review. The demon's in Hell have ruled under Prince Beelzebub ever since Lucifer's failed revolution in Heaven. Lord Sargatanas is the only demon to regret his actions and miss Heaven. Now Sargatanas wants to go back an starts a rebellion in Hell to try and earn his way back to Heaven.

All Through the Night by Suzanne Brockmann. "A Troubleshooter Christmas"

Tipperary by Frank Delaney. Epic story of Ireland told by nature healer Frank in 1900.

Song For Night by Chris Abani. "How do we get through that minefield?" you ask your fellow soldiers. Easy, send one of those kids through to clear the mines. "What if they set one off?" you ask. Easy, cut out his tongue beforehand so he won't scream.

Sandrine's Letter to Tomorrow by Dedra Johnson. Mistreated girl Sandrine has a lousy mother and as a light-skinned black is subject to abuse by both black and white in 1970s New Orleans.

Vanishing Act of Esme Lennox by Maggie O'Farrell. Iris gets a call telling her that Great-Aunt Esme is being released from the mental wing of the Cauldstone Hospital after Sixty-one years. "I have a great-aunt?" What secrets will this unearth?

Faraday Girls by Monica McInerney. Maggie attends the family's Christmas in July celebration and "uncovers unexpected family history and learns that the women she thought she knew so intimately all have something to hide."

Almost Moon by Alice Sebold. Some novel of "shocking import".

Redemption by Lee Jackson. People carry their ID everywhere, gas prices are insane, and a black market and barter system has taken root. When ex-con Ben Trinity walks into Redemption, MT he's followed by Homeland Security.

Baltimore, or, The Steadfast Tin Soldier and the Vampire by Mike Mignola and Cristopher Golden. Graphic novel by the author of Hell Boy. Baltimore unearths a vampire on the battlefields of World War One France. Lightly illustrated.

Kill Zone by Jack Coughlin and Donald A. Davis. Coughlin is a retired Marine Gunnery Sergeant and sniper. His recent autobiography, Shooter, was pretty good so I have high hopes for this sniper themed novel featuring - wow, what a coincidence! - a Marine Gunnery Sergeant sniper. Coughlin looks like he has chunked out and avoided the barber since his retirement a few years ago. Good for him.

Just Beyond the Clouds by Karen Kingsbury. Christian Fiction.

LARGE PRINT

Large Print

Dark of the Moon by John Sandford. Murders in rural Bluestem, MN and detective Virgil Flowers in on the case.

Black and White by Dani Shapiro. Clara Brodeur's famous photographer mother is dying. Clara still angry over the "unsettling nude portraits" of her that made her mother famous.

Almost Dead by Lisa Jackson. Cissy is getting divorced, her two year old is acting out, and her family members are dying off. Cissy notices strange things: perfume inteh air, missing belongings, footsteps.

Lord John and the Brotherhood of the Blade by Diana Gabaldon. Lord John fights with his Regiment in Germany and investigates his father's shameful death from seventeen years before.

Agnes and the Hitman by Jennifer Crusie and Bob Mayer. Chick lit author and action author team up for a chicktion novel.

Abstinence Teacher by Tom Perrotta. Local High School human sexuality teacher and local soccer coach clash over her course.

Gift by Richard Paul Evans. Some Christmas thing.

Devil's Labrynth by John Saul. Ryan is sent to Catholic boarding school after his father's death. A new priest's infatuation with exorcism seems to bring in evil rather than drive it away.

Fiction

Christmas Letters by Debbie Macomber. This must be a donation, it's dated 2006.

Thursday, November 29, 2007

Christopher Walken

DVD

Hairspray starring Christopher Walken. Genius filmmaker John Waters had his film Hairspray turned into a stage musical in 2002. This is the film version of the stage version of the film version. This version is almost Ricki Lake free but full of Walken.

Fiction

Hokus Pokus by Fern Michaels. No idea what this is about. Someone checked out the book before I read the cover.

Bidding for Love by Katie Fforde. Fashionable Londonder inherits antiques store in the hinterlands.

NonFiction

Breast Cancer Clear and Simple:all your question answered by the American Cancer Society. Choose a doctor, treatment choices and effects, support groups.

Spanish

Complementos Abalorios: como crear magnificos y originales disenos con cuentas by Alexandra Kidd

Wednesday, November 28, 2007

DVDs, Koontz, Large Print, Etc.

DVD

Little Britain: complete first season. BBC comedy series "meet Vicky Pollard, the gloriously incoherent trailer trash teenager. And Emily Howard, the world's least convincing transvestite. Then there's Andy, sitting all day in his wheelchair painstakingly looked after by Lou, who has no idea his friend can walk."

The Gymnast starring Dreya Weber and Addie Yungmee. Jane injures herself and quits gymnastics. A chance meeting gives her a job in a "cirque style aerial act" partnered with Serena. The two gals start dating or something.

Live Free or Die Hard starring Baldylocks, Timothy Oliphant, That Guy From the Apple Ads.

Fiction

Darkest Evening of the Year by Dean Koontz. Lady who rescues dogs gets a new one and a bad guy starts showing up.

Large Print

Third Degree by Greg Iles. The book jacket description makes no sense. Something about a lady's husband going nutso, her being pregnant by another guy, and armed men surrounding the house.

Creation in Death by J.D. Robb. The victim in policewoman Eve Dallas' latest homicide investigation was employed by her billionaire husband. It seems the victim was killed by a copycat killer who is also out to get Eve.

Chase by Clive Cussler. Detective Isaac Bell chases the murderous train robber, called the "Butcher Bandit", across the West in 1906.

NonFiction

Rural Ramblings: 30 years of rambling by Gloria Hafemeister. Columnist from Watertown Daily Times who writes about her life on a family farm.

North Country Notebook: Volume 2 by George Vukelich.

Wednesday, November 14, 2007

Patterson (again), Norm (repackaged), Spanish (sort-of)

Fiction

Double Cross by James Patterson. "Alex Cross is being targeted by two psychopathic killers."

New Year's Quilt by Jennifer Chiaverini. I have no idea what these books are about. The author lives in Madison. I should invite her to speak here and then I could ask her.

Comedy Recording

Ridiculous by Norm McDonald. Comedy album by Norm McDonald. Norm is the guy who was fired from Saturday Night Live because an NBC executive, and friend of O.J. Simpson, was angry at Norm's constant ridicule of O.J. We've had this CD a while but repackaged the disc into a handier case.

Bunch of Spanish

We don't have a literacy section so I lugged some beginning adult reader titles there.

5,005 Suenos Interpretados by Lucrecia Persico.

Windows XP by Ana Martos Rubio. Part of the Informatica para Mayores series.

Office 2007 by Jose Carlos Nicolas Rivas.

Cuando Vas A Tener un Bebe by Gloria Mayer and Ann Kuklierus.

Para la Salud de las Personas Mayores by Gloria Mayer and Ann Kuklierus

La Salud de los Adolescentes by Gloria Mayer and Ann Kuklierus.

Su Nino Se Enferme Gloria Mayer and Ann Kuklierus.

What to do for Teen Health by Gloria Mayer and Ann Kuklierus.

What to do When Your Child Gets Sick by Gloria Mayer and Ann Kuklierus.

What to do When You're Having a Baby by Gloria Mayer and Ann Kuklierus.

What to do for Senior Health by Gloria Mayer and Ann Kuklierus.

Thursday, November 08, 2007

A Shooting Guide, Margaret Truman Is Still Alive, Five DVDs

NonFiction

Personal Protection Handbook: A Comprehensive training manual for handgun, shotgun, rifle by Leonard M. Breure, Ph.D. Breure had 20 years as a military policeman and infantryman and 21 years as a police firearms instructor. Some of the illustrations in here stink, but Breure includes all the basics (combat mindset, awareness, marksmanship, weapons handling, reaction to stress) plus basic, intermediate and advanced shooting and dryfiring drills.

Large Print

Murderon K Street by Margaret Truman.Senator Simmons finds his wife dead. A lobbyist is suspect and another woman is killed.

DVD

I Now Pronounce You Chuck and Larry starring Jessica Biel and two ugly guys. Ugly guys fake gay marriage to qualify one guy's children for the additional pension.

Opus n Bill: a wish for wings that work. Opus Penguin and Bill the Cat travel to ask Father Christmas to let Opus fly. Trouble ensues. I don't know if Binkley, Steve Dallas, Cutter JOhn, et al appear.

Ratatouille starring [animated characters]. A rat yearns to cook. Did you know that rats' teeth grow and grow and grow? They have to chew on something or the teeth grow too long. Rats are disgusting.

Fabulously Fit Moms: super energized workout and Fabulously Fit Moms: lower body burn by Jennifer Nicole Lee. Some Oprah gal teaches you to get fit.

Wednesday, November 07, 2007

Five Fabulous Fiction

Fiction

Robot Dreams by Sara Varon. A graphic novel in pictures only; the book contains no dialogue or description. Robot and Dog visit the beach and Robot gets stuck in the sand. Unable to free Robot, Dog leaves him and attempts a variety of replacements. Robot stays rusting in the sand and daydreams.
We have a kid picture book by Varon entitled Chicken and Cat. Chicken visits his friend Cat in the city.

Amazing Grace by Danielle Steel. Yech,

Chase by Clive Cussler. I wonder who ghost wrote this one.

Stone Cold by David Baldacci. The Camel Club of Washington, D.C. fights to uncover secret government work. A Camel Club member has a revengeful casino owner after her.

A Christmas Beginning by Anne Perry. Superintendent Runcorn finds a body on Christmas vacation in Wales.

Big Mish-Mash

AudioBook

The Sharper Your Knife, The Less You Cry: love, laughter, and tears at the world's most famous cooking school by Kathleen Flinn. Flinn was fired from her London-based management job while she was on vacation. Rather than panic and take the first job possible, Flinn moved to Paris to enroll in Le Cordon Bleu cooking school.

Runaway Ralph by Beverly Cleary. Ralph takes his motorcycle to Happy Acres Camp. C'mon. You know you want to read this one again.

NonFiction

Armed America: portraits of gun owners in their homes by Kyle Cassidy. We've had this book a while but had trouble getting a mylar cover for it. The lack of a simple, lousy mylar cover kept this sitting for a couple dang months.
Anyway, play the "What's that gun?" quiz by trying to identify the firearms without reading the photo captions. To make the game more difficult you can locate the errors in the captions. Portraits include WI residents.

Aftermath by Joel Meyerwitz. Meyerwitz showed up at the World Trade Center site with his cameras and started to shoot photos. Meyerwitz ended up with a press credential and was the only photographer to document the complete investigation and clean-up.
This is a big, oversized bok and also sat on our processing cart for a couple months. Not until we ordered in a 50 foot roll of mylar were we able to cover this one and Armed America.

Various Reference and FEMA Titles


Jefferson County Plat Book, 2007 by Rockford Map Publishers. I bought two copies; one copy for reference and one for check-out. I was going to a meeting in Jefferson and just picked these up at the Clerk's office while I was there.

Wisconsin Atlas and Gazetteer by DeLorme Map Company. Large format atlas of the state. Two copies. Our last copy of this is missing so I figured I should get two and keep one on hand all the time.

Arts in the Small Community by Maryo Gard Ewell and Michael F. Warlum. What the heck is this? A guide to organizing and starting arts groups. I think.

Homeowner's Guide to Retrofitting: six ways to protect your house from flooding by FEMA. When I was in college I took a basic geology class and the Professor had an exam question that involved building on a flood plain. The question was something like, "Downtown St. Peter lies on the flood plain. What should be done in case of a 100 year flood?" Apparently several students gave hippie answers about moving businesses and homes off the flood plain and razing the buildings. I wrote that people should either buy a boat or swim because they'll get flooded eventually. During the massive rains and flooding in 1994 the downtown did get flooded.

Protecting Building Utilities From Flood Damage by FEMA. I ended up living in downtown St. Peter during the last half of my senior year.

Taking Shelter From the Storm: building a safe room inside your house by FEMA. A few years after I graduated a major tornado ripped through St. Peter. The city and campus received a good amount of damage and I'm told my old apartment building took a beating.

Friday, November 02, 2007

CD-DVD

CD

The Argument by Fugazi.

DVD

Spider-Man 3 starring Tobey Maguire, Kirsten Dunst, James Franco, Thomas Haden Church. I never saw the second one. I wonder if Bruce Campbell is in this one.

Bob & Tom Comedy All Stars Tour featuring Mike Birbiglia, David Crowe, Nick Griffin, Ralph Harris, Greg Warren. A comedy tour featuring comedians who regularly appear on the Bob &Tom radio program. Since the radio show plays locally I figured someone might like this.

Pilates essentials: for beginners and improvers by Lindsey Jackson. This yoga crap is very, very popular.

The War by Ken Burns. Six disc set of the documentary series. I stopped watching this on television after the first episode since I knew the DVD version was coming out so soon.

Alive Day: Home From Iraq. Alive Day is the anniversary of your catastrophic injury. An opportunity to celebrate your survival. James Gandolfini interviews 10 soldiers and Marines who were severely disabled during their recent service.

Flight of the Living Dead starring [a bunch of unknown actors]. Zombies at 37,000 feet.

Tuesday, October 30, 2007

Two Novels, Two DVDs

Fiction

Mister B. Gone by Clive Barker.

The Heir by Barbara Taylor Bradford.

DVDs

Mr. Brooks starring Kevin Costner. Don't let the presence of Demi Moore and Dane Cook dissuade you. Serial killer enjoys killing people, serially.

1408 starring John Cusack and Samuel L. Jackson. Journalist Cusack spends the night in a haunted hotel room. Stephen King must have more money than several small countries. Maybe he should buy New Guinea.