Tuesday, July 21, 2009

Two Adult, Thirteen Young Adult, One Sitting Library Director

Fiction

Best Friends Forever by Jennifer Weiner. Heh, heh. Weiner.

Blade: playing dead by Tim Bowler. Hey...this is a young adult novel. It was mis-cataloged. That means the title to this post is wrong.

Young Adult

Killer Pizza by Greg Taylor. Toby dreams of being a chef. He takes a summer job at Killer Pizza and has some cool co-workers. Then he finds out that Killer Pizza is "a front for a monster-hunting organization!"

Bloodhound by Tamora Pierce. Book two in the Beka Cooper series. Beka is now a "Dog", a local cop in Corus. When counterfeit coins start disrupting the local economy Beka and another Dog go undercover in another city, Port Caynn, where the coins originate.

The Reformed Vampire Support Group by Catherine Jinks. This is a good idea. But it should be a real-life guide for vampire book fans. (Charlie Huston fans excluded.)

Starclimber by Kenneth Oppel. Beginner pilot Matt is working on the Starclimber, "a vessel that literally climbs into the cosmos", on a voyage with scientist Kate. They end up surounded by strange lifeforms and the crew has to battle mechanical failures.

Just Another Hero by Sharon M. Draper. "Conclusion to the two-time Coretta Scott King honor trilogy," with HS students facing a mass murderer in their school.

Carbon Diaries, 2015 by Saci Lloyd. The environment "has gone completely mad" and the British government orders extreme cutbacks on carbon release. The weather still freaks out with frozen winters and vicious summer storms.

Hannah's Winter by Kierin Meehan. Hannah would rather be back in Australia than living in Japan. Hannah and her new friend Miki discover a riddle in a stationary shop.

Mysterious Benedict Society and the Perilous Journey by Trenton Lee Stewart. I took Boy #! to swim lessons a few weeks ago and grabbed the wrong book when we left. I think the one I got was the Mysterious Benedict Society. It was pretty good but I still fell asleep at the lessons. The humidity and heat in there always makes me sleepy.

The Knife of Never Letting Go by Patrick Ness. Must be a Spyderco book.

Amaranth Enchantment by Julie Berry. Yech.

Secrets of Truth and Beauty by Megan Frazer. Another yech.

Funny How Things Change by Melissa Wyatt. Yech, again.

Hunger: a gone novel by Michael Grant. Preppies.

Library Director

What to Do at the Desk: tasks to keep you occupied at the circulation desk during slow foot traffic by Gerard Saylor.

Friday, July 17, 2009

Another Variety Pack With a Recycled Title

DVD

Reno 911!: the complete sixth season starring [actors]. I like this show. The movie version was on tv the other day. They have a scene filmed in a library.

Doc Martin: season one and season two. "Brilliant but socially awkward and neurotic Doc Martin develops an aversion to blood, abandons his career as a celebrated London surgeon and becomes the only doctor in a sleepy small town where his tactless manner soon has everyone in an uproar." Recommended by Maury from the Mens Book Club.

Large Print

Trust No One by Gregg Hurwitz. Nick Horrigan is grabbed by a SWAT team and taken to a nuclear plant where a terrorist demands to speak to Nick. Nick has no idea who the guy is.

A Short History of Women by Kate Walbert. Blah.

Brooklyn by Colm Toibin. Young Irish woman in the 1950s leaves for work in Brooklyn. She has a tough transition, learns to like it, and then has to head back to Ireland.

NonFiction

Get Cooking by Sam Stearns. Kid cook does book.

AudioBooks

One Step Behind by Helen Mankell. Swedish murder mystery.

Two-Bear Mambo by Joe R. Lansdale. Hap and Leonard search for Leonard's missing lawyer, Florida. Florida was investigating the jailhouse death of a bluesman's son in the "Klan-infested East Texas town of Grovetown."

Wednesday, July 15, 2009

I Missed a Stack of Fiction

Fiction

Undone by Karin Slaughter. I was making fun of Slaughter's name the other day when my wife was reading one of her books. Suspenseful murder mystery in Georgia with a trauma doctor and some cops.

Guardian of Lies by Steve Martini. Defense attorney Paul Madriani defends a woman against murder in a case that involves secrets from the Cold War and priceless gold coins.
I listened to a Martini novel where some bad cops were setting up Madriani. There is a great get-even point where a bad cop is burglarizing Madriani's home and Madriani whacks the dude across the face with a club.

The Moon Looked Down by Dorothy Garlock. The Hellers escape from the dirty, filthy, stinking, rotten Nazis and move to Illinois. Once the war starts someone starts spreading rumors about the Heller family and the eldest daughter, now a newspaper reporter, tries to find out who is at fault.

Get Real by Donald Westlake. A comedic mystery by the recently deceased Westlake. Dortmunder and his burglary crew are followed by cameras from a reality tv show.

Fire and Ice by J.A. Jance. I already wrote that story about Jance at the Phoenix Public Library with the frozen Dove bars. I read yesterday that Phoenix PL has taken a major budget hit. They have tons of dough for capital projects like new branches and renovations, but they cannot spend that capital money on operating expenses.

Words

NonFiction

The Word Snoop: a wild and witty tour of the English language by Ursula Dubosarsky. A fun book on words, the history of the written word, and misuse of words. This whole freaking blog is a misuse of words.

Large Print

The Neighbor by Lisa Gardner. Hot chick on the cover.

A Rogue of My Own by Johanna Lindsey. Hot chick on the cover.

Burn by Linda Howard. Hot chick on the cover.

The Devil's Punchbowl by Greg Iles. River bridge on the cover.

There's Something About St. Tropez by Elizabeth Adler. Hot chick on the cover.

Knock Out by Catherine Coulter. Lincoln Monument on the cover.

Tuesday, July 14, 2009

James Lee Burke and Some Large Print with Plot Guesses

Fiction

Rain Gods by James Lee Burke. Hackleberry Holland has taken the job as town sheriff on the Texas-Mexican border. The mass grave of nine illegal immigrants is found behind a local church and Hack investigates the murder. Meanwhile, some dude and his dudette are being hunted by paid killers who think dude and dudette have information about the murders.

The Missing Ink by Karen E. Olson. "A tattoo shop mystery" Tattoo artist Brett makes an appointment to ink a girl's arm with her fiance's name. The girl never shows and Brett receives a visit from the cops asking about her. Brett ends up searching Las Vegas on the case.

The cover on this was really well done - the author posted an image online a few months ago - but the small size of the paperback takes away from it.

Suite 606 by J.D. Robb, Mary Blayney, Ruth Ryan Langan, and Mary Kay McComas. Short stories with ghosts, deception, lovers apart for years, pounding storm, twist of fate, mother and son lost in the threads of history, impaired wizard, ritualistic murder, etc.

Large Print with Guesses on Plot

Summer House by Nancy Thayer. My guess: Widow in her sixties returns to summer house with mixed feelings and meets a handsome new neighbor. Love ensues amidst her guilt on stepping out on the dead husband. With sex.

The Increment by David Ignatius. My guess: Tourist gets caught in the blood feuds of an old Italian village. With hot Italian girl sex.

Tempted by His Kiss by Tracy Ann Warren. My guess: Regency romance. With discrete sex.

The Wedding Girl by Madeleine Wickham. My guess: Laughter and champaign as young bride juggles wedding plans, pushy parents, ex-paramours, and a disinterested groom. With fears of infidelity sex.

Roadside Crosses by Jeffery Deaver. My guess: a serial killer specializes in vehicular homicide and staged auto "accidents". With cop and victim sex.

Monday, July 13, 2009

What to Read 27: Tom Piccirilli's "The Coldest Mile"

What to Read 27: Tom Piccirilli's The Coldest Mile. A continuation of the story told in The Cold Spot.


Four Audiobooks, Elvis Costello, Morrisey, Chesterfield Kings, others

Music CDs

Only by Night by the Kings of Leon. Limeys love Leon.

(Older tune.)


Years of Refusal by Morrissey. Embedding was disabled. Here is a link.

Relapse by Eminem. Rap music.

Secret, Profane and Sugarcane by Elvis Costello.

(Another old one.)



Living Thing by Peter, Bjorn and John. I have no idea about these dudes but they seem to sell records and dislike razors.

Psychedelic Sunrise by The Chesterfield Kings. Another favorite of Little Steven and his Underground Garage. [Independent thought, what's that?]





21st Century Breakdown by Green Day. I'm just not seeing it anymore with these guys. I'll try listening to the album but I don't expect much from it.

Wait for Me by Moby. Bald guy plays more keyboards and eats vegetables.

My Turn by Tanya Tucker. Wasn't Tucker a pill popping sex machine in the '80s? I read that somewhere.

Jazz in the Garden by The Stanley Clark Trio with Hiromi and Lenny White. I first heard of Clarke was when he teamed up with Stuart Copeland and a girl singer to make Animal Logic.





Led Zeppelin II
by Led Zeppelin. The last disc cracked so I replaced it.

Chickenfoot by Chickenfoot. "Super group" with Sammy Hagar, Joe Satriani, Chad Smith, and Michael Anthony.

DVD

Marvelous Machines! Military C-5 Galaxy and C-130 Hercules. "Learn about the exciting world of military aircraft up close..from high flotation landing gear to the massive turbofan engines." This was meant for the kids' collection in the basement but landed in adult DVD. We'll see how it goes and move it down if there are no takers. Not that there is any more room for additional kids DVDs. That space is packed full.

Audiobooks

The Tourist by Olen Steinhauer. 10 CDs at 12 hours. "Milo is drawn into a conspiracy that links riots in the Sudan, an assassin committing suicide, and an old friend who's been accused of selling secrets to the Chinese."

The Secret Speech by Tom Rob Smith. 10 Cds at 11 hours. The Soviet Union in 1956 is politically fracturing after the death of Stalin. Former state security cop Leo is being hunted by revenge for Leo's past eagerness at work. I read this book's predecessor, Child 44, and it was fairly decent.

Loser's Town by Daniel Depp. Hollywood P.I. is hired to protect actor from a blackmail scheme by a gangster with aspirations of being a movie producer. Depp got a lot of early press for this novel because he is Johnny Depp's older brother. The book is supposed to be good.

The Devil's Punchbowl by Greg Iles. Penn is the new mayor of Natchez, MS and has taken the job to help change things. Penn learns that one of the town's casino riverboats has been pulling in high rollers with blood sport. Penn has to go up agains the big money and the Natchez locals who get a share.

Sunday, July 12, 2009

Tuesday, July 07, 2009

Two

Fiction

Black Hills by (supposedly) Nora Roberts. I'm starting to think almost all these authors with multiple books a year are purely ghost written. This "Roberts" book has a blue cover - like many of her other books - with a full moon and a leopard.

NonFiction

Top 10 Florence and Tuscany by Reid Bramblett. A travel guide from DK's Eyewitness Travel series. The cover says, "Pull-out map and guide." Well I would certainly hope so. How crappy would a travel guide be without a map?

Monday, July 06, 2009

Norwegian Chick Rockers, More Mexican Wrestling, Two CDs Worth of Nick Lowe

Music CDs

Saint Valentine's Day Massacre by The Cocktail Slippers. Norwegian chicks sing garage rock tunes. Featured by Little Steven on his syndicated radio show which I love to listen to.

Quiet Please: the new best of Nick Lowe by Nick Lowe. You have to be cruel to be kind.

DVDs

Thin Ice starring Tom Selleck, Kathy Baker, William Sadler, Camryn Manheim. Selleck has done a excellent job with these adaptations of Robert B. Parker's Jesse Stone novels.

Dia de los Muertos. Mexican wrestling featuring El Hijo Santo vs. La Park in a steel cage match.
Viva Guerrero!. Eddie Guerrero's wrestling life is celebrated by other famous wrestlers.

Reaper: season two starring That Guy From Twin Peaks, That Guy From Grounded for Life. Slacker finds out his parents sold his soul to the devil. Now slacker has to work for the devil by catching escaped souls.

Fiction

Even by Andrew Grant. Former nsval intelligence officer from Britain is set-up for murder in New York City.

Wednesday, July 01, 2009

John Ceepak, Lansdale, Tractors, Vietnam Memoir

Fiction

Mind Scrambler by Chris Grabenstein. John Ceepak and his narrating partner Danny Boyle return for another mystery on the New Jersey shore. The two are on vacation in Atlantic City when Danny meets an old friend who nannies for a magician. The girl is strangled and Ceepak and Boyle get involved.

Punisher: War Journal: Secret Invasion by Fraction, Remender, Spurrier, Chaykin, Macdonald, Dell'Edera. Judging from the cover the Punisher fights green aliens with pointy ears.

Run A Crooked Mile by Janet LaPierre. Rosemary moves to the California mountains to be alone. He she ends up taking in the dog of a recent murder victim. Mystery and danger follow.

Vanilla Ride: a Hap and Leonard novel by Joe R. Lansdale. East Texas pals Hap and Leonard tend to stir up trouble and when "rescuing a friend's daughter from an abusive, no-good drug dealer" Hap and Leonard end up stirring trouble with the Dixie Mafia who want payback.
Lansdale does real good work.

NonFiction

Classic Farmall Tractors: history, models, variations and specifications 1922-1975 by Kenneth Updike.

The Ghosts of Thua Thien: an American soldier's memoir of Vietnam by John A. Nesser. "Nesser was deployed to the Ashau Valley, site of some of the war's heaviest fighting, and served eight months as an infantry rifleman before becoming a door gunner for a Chinook helicopter. In this stirring memoir, he recalls in detail the exhausting missions in the mountainous jungle, the terror of walking into an ambush, the dull-edged anxiety that filled quiet days, and the steady fear of being shot out of the sky."

Monday, June 29, 2009

Romanticize It All You Want, But Bonnie and Clyde were Scumbag Killers

Fiction

Dropped Dead Stitch by Maggie Sefton. "Delicious Recipes and Knitting Pattern Included." I think you know my opinion on this book.

Hot House Flower and the Nine Plants of Desire by Margot Berwin. I needed to buy more chick books. Divorcee Lila starts learning about plants and rare plants and finds a rare fern in a NYC laundromat. Lila travels to the Yucatan jungle to plant hunt.

A Wild Affair by Gemma Townley. Jessica finds her fiance in an embrace with another woman. Jessica awakes in the bed of her fiance's male business rival. Soon Jessica sees that htings are not as they appeared, can she save what she has lost?

The Dark Horse by Craig Johnson. Johnson's novels are supposed to be pretty good. "Interweaving classic noir sensibilities with contemporary themes of social justice, Craig Johnson's popular Walt Longmire mysteries transport readers to the sparse and rugged landscape of Wyoming."

The Help by Kathryn Stockett. in 1962 Mississippi a recent college grad, a black maid who just lost a son, and a black cook with a sassy mouth "come together for a clandestine project that will put them all at risk...because they are suffocating within the lines that define their town and their times."

NonFiction

Go Down Together: the true untold story of Bonnie and Clyde by Jeff Guinn. If learned all you know about Bonnie and Clyde from the movies "the real story is completely different - and far more fascinating...Clyde and Bonnie were perhaps the most inept crooks ever, and their two-year crime spree was as much a reign of error as it was of terror."

Joan: the mysterious life of the heretic who became a saint by Donald Spoto. We needed a new Joan of Arc biography to replace the one falling apart.

Town and Country Days Parade

Friday, June 26, 2009

Just a Bunch of Books

Novels I Will Not Read

Pygmy by Chuck Palahniuk. Foreign exchange student is actually a spy and saboteur sent to plan and execute a terrorist attack "that will bring this big dumb country and its fat dumb inhabitants to its knees."
I wonder how many spies and terrorists have come to the U.S. all charged-up to cause trouble and then, after staying awhile, said "Screw that," and joined the neighbors for a beer?

Patterns in the Sand by Sally Goldenbaum. "A Seaside Knitters Mystery." How exciting! A knitting mystery. There's nothing that says death and suspense like knitting.

A Rogue of My Own by Johanna Lindsey. Is this one of those romances where the wild, free-roaming dude is drawn into the arms of some broad who tames his ways? Johanna Lindsey lives in Maine. Lindsey sells tons of books but I wonder if any are ghost written. I'll also bet she has the bucks to have a pretty big house - but I'll also bet she wasted her money on couches and bathtubs instead of installing an indoor shooting range.

NonFiction For Paranoids and Casual Reading

If Your Kid Eats This Book, Everything Will Be Okay: how to know if your child's illness is really an emergency by Lara Zibners, MD.

Mental Floss Presents Be Amazing by Maggie Koerth-Baker. Learn to Leave you mark on history, Train a cat, win a duel, build a dynasty, sell a kidney on the black market, perform your own surgery.
The surgery section mentions Aron Ralston who had his arm crushed and stuck when rock climbing in Utah in 2003. After a few days Ralston cut his arm off to get out. My brother mentioned once about meeting or hearing about this guy before the accident and that basically Ralston was an idiot and bound to have something happen to him.

Thursday, June 25, 2009

Three NonFic, Two Fic

Fiction

The Scoop by Fern Michaels. Daisy Multroon takes over an ice cream stand in rural Georgia from her aging great aunt. Daisy is retreating from a soured engagement in the big city and decides a change of pace is in order. Daisy promptly and disastrously finds out that running a small business in a small town is tougher than she thought; her experience as a Atlanta investment banker has not prepared her for teenage employees, unreliable suppliers, and the handsome building inspector, Bud. Sparks fly between Daisy and Bud and they are not sparks of love. Yet.

I made all that up.

Swimsuit by Maxine Paetro and James Patterson. Ex-cop reporter hunts Hawaii for missing supermodel.

NonFiction

Methland: the death and life of an American small town by Nick Reding. Reding researches Oelwin, IA whose depressed economy has become dependent on the meth trade.

Novelist and former Deputy Sheriff Donald Harstad is from NE Iowa. He had four or five good crime novels set in rural Iowa. What the heck has Harstad been doing? Maybe I should try and find the guy's phone number or email and ask him.

Not So Big Remodeling: tailoring your home for the way you really live by Sarah Susanka and Marc Vassallo. "With small thoughtful changes the home you live in can be the home you love."

The NFL Gameday Cookbook: 150 recipes to feed the hungriest fan from preseason to the Super Bowl by Ray Lampe.

Wednesday, June 24, 2009

What to Read 26: Brent Hartinger

I had a phone interview with author Brent Hartinger about two of his novels, Geography Club and Order of the Poison Oak. But, the dang camera was accidentally turned off about 30 seconds into our conversation. I was too humiliated to try and re-schedule another phone call.


Lazy Greyhounds, A Couple Novels

DVD

The Mighty Celt starring Gillian Anderson and Robert Carlyle. Boy living with single mom in Ireland strikes deal with greyhound trainer to get to keep a dog if boy trains dog to win three races.
I bought this because it has greyhounds and Gillian Anderson.

Princess of Nebraska starring [people you do not know]. Pregnant Chinese student studying in Nebraska travels to San Francisco for, possibly, an abortion. Directed by Wayne Wang who does good stuff.

Journey to the Center of the Earth starring Brendan Fraser. People fall into the center of the Earth and overcome cgi produced obstacles.

Fiction

Finger Lickin' Fifteen by Janet Evanovich. I think I read one of these books a long time ago. I don't know bupkis about the characters but have heard enough to make this prediction: Plum goes after a bail-jumper, Plum's grandmother acts crazy, Plum experiences sexual tension and romantic trouble, other bounty hunters both help and hinder.

The Memory Collector by Meg Gardiner. Jo calls herself a 'deadshrinker'. She is a forensic psychologist who helps determine the mental state of people before they died. She gets called to help with a guy who has lost his short term memory. While Jo helps the guy she discovers a link between the guy and a 'biological agent'.

Non Fiction

The Secrets of Happy Families: eight keys to building a lifetime of connection and contentment by Scott Haltzman, M.D.

Thursday, June 18, 2009

A Quick One Before I'm Away

Fiction

Below Zero by C.J. Box. This is supposed to be real good.

Roadside Crosses by Jeffery Deaver. I'm not sure I've ever read one of his novels but I really a short story that was good.

Relentless by Dean Koontz.

The Little Stranger by Sarah Waters. A haunted house in 1940 England.

The Neighbor by Lisa Gardner. Gardener's thrillers are supposed to be above average.

Knock Out by Catherine Coulter. What does Coulter write anyway? Both thrillers and romance? Or Thrillers with some romance? read it and find out yourself.

Cemetery Dance by Douglas Preston and Lincoln Child. I'm late on getting this one.

The Cheater by Nancy Taylor Rosenberg. I don't care.

French Gardener by Santa Montefiore. "Santa"? What the heck kind of name is that?

Love's Pursuit by Siri Mitchell. The cover has a redheaded gal with a head cover and black clothes so this must be an inspirational fiction set in Amish country or something. Let me check... Nope, but I was kinda close. It is in Stoneybrooke, MA way back when.

Repeat After Me by Rachel DeWoskin. Young New York woman Aysha meets a Chinese student in the U.S. They marry and move to China. Cultural goofs provide humor.

The Selected Works of T.S. Spivet by Reif Larsen. Unique novel told with illustrations.

NonFiction

Mad Science: experiements you can do at home - but probably shouldn't by Theodore Gray.

Chemical Cowboys: the DEA's secret mission to hunt down a notorious ecstasy kingpin by Lisa Sweetingham. True crime tale of an international drug ring trading in Ecstasy tablets. Also endorsed by Bill Crider.

American Cheeses: the best regional, artisna, and farmhouse cheeses: who makes them and where to find them by Clark Wolf. Endorsed by Gerard Saylor (that's me) and other Wisconsin types.

World War One: a short history by Norman Stone. We did not have much on WWI so I bought this.

Large Print

Medusa by Clive Cussler and Paul Kemprecos.

Tim Finn, Practical Shooting, Exercise, Guy WIth No Shirt

Music CDs

The Conversation by Tim Finn. The great Finn sings songs. Didi I mention I was going to drive to Milwaukee and see this dude in early 2008? He was scheduled on a night when we had a massive snow fall. I did not bother trying to drive in that mess. But, it was snow so much the show was cancelled anyway.

Blackout!2 by Methodman and Redman. The popular rappers team up again.

DVD

Practical Shooting: handgun techniques, volumes 1-3 by Matt Burkett. Tips, training, and instruction on IPSC by professional shooters Burkett, Brian Enos and Don Golembieski. If those check-outs out maybe I'll get a shotgun or rifle one.

Fool's Gold starring ThatGuyWithNoShirt and TheGalWhoIsNotAsHotAsEveryoneSays. Recently divorced couple head to the Carribean to find a treasure ship that sunk in 1715 while gangster tries to catch the husband.

SHAPE 20-Minute Makeover. Exercise video.

21 starring Kevin Spacey, Laurence Fishburne, Kate Bosworth. College students learn to count cards and play Blackjack in Las Vegas. They get in trouble.

The Dark Knight starring Christian Bale. A replacement.

There's a Place For Us: the 34th annual UW Varsity Band Spring Concert. It took forever to get this cataloged.

AudioBooks on CD

Sleeping Dogs by Ed Gorman. 5 discs at 5 hours. Endorsed by Bill Crider.

The Sorceress: the secrets of the immortal Nicholas Flamel by Michael Scott. 11 discs at 14 hours. A YA title. Unednorsed by Bill Crider (as far as I know anyway).

Punk Rock Punks Produce Album 35 Years Later

Music CDs

...For the Whole World to See by Death. According to allmusic.com the three Hackney brothers of Detroit started playing soul and funk and then moved into the proto-punk scene in 1973. They were signed to a label but refused to change to a friendlier band name. The naming argument caused a rift in the band and only now are all seven of their singles being released on CD.

You don't see many black guys playing punk, which reminds me of The Dirtbombs. The Dirtbombs are also from Detroit and we also have an album of theirs here, We Have You Surrounded, which includes this tune.


Wednesday, June 17, 2009

New Stuff, Old Stuff, Bikini Stuff

DVD

Taking Chance starring Kevin Bacon. A Marine Lieutenant Colonel reads the obituary for a young Marine and sees they graduated from the same high school. The LTC volunteers to accompany the body back from Delaware back to burial in Wyoming.

Defiance starring Daniel Craig. James Bond fights the Nazis in the Polish woods.

SHAPE: sculpt your abs. This is a replacement for a lost item.

SHAPE: ultimate bikini body workout. Workout routine. No bikinis involved.

Land of the Lost: Seasons One, Two, and Three starring [people from the seventies]. All three seasons of the 1970s kids television show. I would maybe watch one or two episodes off of here to see what looks familiar. But, otherwise, I consider this a complete waste of time.

Maybe I could buy this for my brother's birthday. I still have not gotten him anything and it has been about two months. Does he really need anything anyway? Couldn't I make a donation in his name to the Gerard Saylor Foundation for Knife and Firearms Appreciation?

National Treasure 2 starring Nicolas Cage, Harvey Keitel. This looks stupid. I suppose kids like it though. Our whole family went to see UP! when my in-laws were in town. Boy Number One, who is six, got quite scared when the bad guy was shooting at everyone.

Wednesday, June 10, 2009

Hogdoggin' and Nine Large Print Novels

Fiction

Hogdoggin' by Anthony Neil Smith. Billy Lafitte was a Deputy Sheriff and suspected terrorist from Southwest Minnesoto. Lafitte cut town, went underground, and ended up joining a outlaw motorcycle club as their enforcer. Lafitte's nemesis, an FBI agent, is convinced that Lafitte is a traitor and is squeezing Lafitte's ex-wife and kids to get Lafitte to show himself. Lots of violence, action, some sex, and a great scene with some teenagers hanging out in a parking lot.

Monarch of Mulligan Bay by David Mathias. A paranoid 1930s gangster converts his paper money for gold. A Wisconsin gas station owner gets the gold and buries it, telling only his priest at confesssion. Years later the priest, now in prison, tells riddles to reveal the story. Local author.

Large Print

Sag Harbor by Colson Whitehead. Black teen in late '80s is social outcast at his prep school. He and his brother get to spend the summer in Sag Harbor with the families of other black professionals. Teen has "trials and tribulations...but maybe, with a little luck, things will turn out differently this summer."

Cry Mercy by Mariah Stewart.

The Sign by Raymond Khoury.

The French Gardener by Santa Montefiore.

Forgotten Garden by Kate Morton.

Borderline by Nevada Barr.

One Day at a Time by Danielle Steel.

Silent Man by Alex Berenson.

Mermaids in the Basement by Michael Lee West.

Non Fiction

Hosting a Library Mystery: a programming guide by Elizabeth M. Karle.

Friday, June 05, 2009

I'm Sick of All These Vampire Books

Fiction

Fugitive by Phillip Margolin. Guy rescues prison warden in riot, flees to African dictatorship when accused of a murder, flees Africa after screwing dictator's wife, goes on trial in US with dictator and real murderer from before trying to kill him.

Matters of the Heart by [supposedly] Danielle Steel. Crap.

Medusa by Clive Cussler with Paul Kempros. Don't care.

The Lovers by John Connolly. I cannot keep Connolly and Connelly straight.

Skin Trade by Laurell K. Hamilton. Vampires humping vampires humping werewolves while killing each other.

Undead and Unwelcome by MaryJanice Davidson. Vampires and werewolves have sex and romance.

The Story Sisters by Alice Hoffman. "At one a coming-of-age tale, a family saga, and a love story of erotic longing." Presumably there are no vampires.

Non Fiction


Resilience by Elizabeth Edwards. "My famous husband cheated on me with some blond. May as well write a book."

Thursday, June 04, 2009

Street Fighting in New Ulm! Wilco in Pajamas! Dylan vs. Van Morrison! Los Straitjackets Conquer All!

Music CDs

The Further Adventures of Los Straitjackets by Los Straitjackets. I go gaga for Los Straitjackets. Speaking of which...

The Fame by Lady Gaga. What's the deal with this broad? There is a cover story about her on the current Rolling Stone but I did not read it. I think the writing in Rolling Stone is crap.

Together Through Life by Bob Dylan. I did read the Dylan article in Rolling Stone. The writing was crap. The author was trying to drop names, sounded like a know-it-all jerk, and made annoying guesses at future Dylan lyrics from what Dylan said during the interview.

Astral Weeks: Live at the Hollywood Bowl by Van Morrison. Morrison performs his famous album live.

Heart On by Eagles of Death Metal. This isn't new but it was sitting on my desk so I'll list it here as padding.

DVD

Street Warrior starring Max Martini. War veteran returns home to find brother in coma after match in "brutal and corrupt fight club." Jack joins the club for revenge.

New in Town starring Renee Zellweger, Harry Connick, Jr., J.K. Simmons. Miami executive sent to New Ulm, MN during wintertime to take over manufacturing plant.

I'd be interested in watching this except that Harry Connick is in it. That and the film was shot in Cana-freakin'-da. They should have shot it in New Ulm and shown Schells. Or stuck a Luehring in as an extra. Or headed east to Gustavus.

Boy in the Striped Pajamas starring [people]. 8-year-old boy during World War Two plays in the woods and makes friends with other boy who wears pajamas and cannot come from outside his fence.

Ashes of American Flags by Wilco. Performances filmed in Oklahoma, Louisiana, Alabama, Tennessee, and District of Columbia. Twenty songs.

Non Fiction

Perennials for Midwestern Gardens: proven plants for the heartland by Anthony W. Kahtz.

Monday, June 01, 2009

Wisconsin Farmer, Ghost Writing, Color Painting, Faces

Large Print

Rogue by [supposedly] Danielle Steel.

Non Fiction

Stump Ridge Farm by Pearl Swiggum. Tales by former newspaper columnist Swiggum.

The Barn Came First by Pearl Swiggum. See above.

Perennials for Minnesota and Wisconsin by Don Engebretson and Don Williamson. Double Dons. Don Duo. Don Ditto. Duplicate Dons.

Snakes of Wisconsin by Rebecca Christoffel and others. There are only twenty snakes listed, and only four rattlesnake bites between 1982-1999.

Facial Expressions: a visual reference for artists by Mark Simon.

Dynamic Color Painting for the Beginner by Diane Edison.

Friday, May 29, 2009

Hipster Hair Country Band, Elvis Costello's Wife, Pop Music

CDs

Unstoppable by Rascal Flatts. I don't think I've ever heard any of their songs. Judging by the hipster hair and the clothes they wear this one of those country-pop bands.

Quiet Nights by Diana Krall. More jazz vocals and piano by Declan's wife.

Now That's What I call Music! 30 by various artists.
Alternate titles for this disc include:
Now That's What I Call Uninventive Top Forty! 30

Now That's What I Call Overly Produced Tripe! 30

Now That's What I Call Crap! 30
Now That's What I Call Purposely Skanky Pop Girls! 30
Now That's What I Call I Love Skanky Pop Girls! 30
Now That's What I Call I'm Not Kidding, I'm A Weirdo! 30

Tuesday, May 26, 2009

Two Books With Coffee, Adventure, Comic Killer, Garfield, Soviets

Adult Fiction

Brewed, Crude and Tattooed by Sandra Balzo. Maggy Thorsen is stuck in her coffee shop when a spring snow storm snows her into the mall. Maggy ventures down the service corridor and finds the mall owner dead. She meets other stranded people and, soon one of them are dead.

I got stuck in a mall once. I was in Towne East Square in Wichita when a tornado warning was broadcast. We, my girlfriend and myself, were there while she was looking for a wedding ring. We got crammed into a concrete walled service corridor behind the shops for a half hour or so.

Gone Tomorrow by Lee Child. Let me guess: Reacher 1-drinks coffee, 2-hooks up with a babe, 3-solves a mystery against nasty people, 4-beats and kills nasty people, 5-hits the road.

Jack Wakes Up by Seth Harwood. Adreniline fueled crime novel with former Hollywood big-shot Jack squiring some thugs through San Francisco's night life. When the thugs start getting murdered Jack gets guys after him.

Anthony Neil Smith plugged this book so much you'd think he was getting a cut of the profits. Or, he has a serious man-crush. He got me to buy either way.

The Scarecrow by Michael Connelly. Crime writer writes crime novel about crime writer.

Hunt At the Well of Eternity by Gabriel Hunt. 1920s styled adventure novel with Gabriel Hunt helping a woman in distress by traveling to Mayan ruins in Guatemala. Penned by the great James Reasoner.

The Secret Speech by Tom Rob Smith. Leo Demidov returns from Smith's first novel. Child 44. Leo and his wife have adopted two girls orphaned during one of Smith's previous operations in the KGB. It's 1956 and Kruschev promises change from the tyranny of Stalin. Now the previously hard-core KGB cop Leo is being hunted for revenge.

Razor Sharp by Fern Michaels. My 52100 steel Spyderco Mule is not razor sharp anymore. I was using that thing to cut anything and everything during yard work over the weekend.

Garfield Fat Cat Three Pack, Vol. 3 by Jim Davis. Kids always check these out. It's neat that all the strips, even the dailies, are in color.

Punisher Comics

Punisher War Journal, Civil War, Vol. 1 by Fraction, Olivetti, and Deodato.

Punisher War Journal, Goin' Out West, Vol. 2 by Fraction, Olivetti and Fernandez.

Punisher War Journal, Hunter/Hunted, Vol. 3 by Fraction, Olivetti, Walker, Wegener, and Chaykin.

Punisher War Journal, Jigsaw, Vol. 4 by Fraction, Remender, Chaykin.

Friday, May 22, 2009

Nazis, Slutty Vampires, Fat Guy in a Fat Suit

DVD

Valkyrie starring Tom Cruise. This has a neat cast with Terence Stamp, Tom Wilkinson, Bill Nighy, Kenneth Branagh. I'll try to watch this one.

Paul Blart Mall Cop starring Kevin James. Self-important shopping mall security guard has to rescue hostages in a mall.

We had our van battery go dead at Madison's East Towne Mall a couple years ago. The security guard came by with a jump start battery kit. I had to fill out a long release form and show my driver's license just to get the freaking jump start done. The 20-year-old mall guard's body resembled the Michelin Man's. But, with a tighter belt, a puffy looking blue uniform, and dark sunglasses. After getting the van started, this twit of a guard handed me a toy badge for Boy Number One. He handed the badge over as if it were a magnanimous gesture from a solid and brave public servant. His self esteem was misplaced.

True Blood: the complete first season starring [people]. Girl who can read minds cannot read a vampire's mind. Other vampires have sex.

Monday, May 18, 2009

Wine and Large Print

Large Print

Malice by Lisa Jackson

Bloodprint by Kitty Sewell

Cursed by Carol Higgins Clark

The Way We Were by Marcia Willett. There was a discussion on an author website about novel titles taken from song lyrics. This page.

Tyler by Linda Lael Miller.

Summer on Blossom Street by Debbie Macomber.

Honolulu by Alan Brennert.

First Family by David Baldacci.

Non Fiction

Windows on the World Complete Wine Course, 2009 Edition by Kevin Zraly.

Surprised by Joy: the shape of my early life by C.S. Lewis.

Friday, May 15, 2009

Janette Oke Flick, Three Large Print, Jewelry

DVD

Love Takes Wing starring Haylie Duff, Patrick Duffy, Cloris Leachman, Lou Diamond Phillips. Small town doctor Belinda fights an unknown plague. One town member blames the disease on the local orphanage while Belinda swaps spit with the local blacksmith.
You know what I really dislike about these Janette Oke movies? They're sneaky. These DVDs are pretty popular here but a new DVD will get released and I won't see the release. So, I end up being late ordering the darn thing.

Large Print

Vision in White by Nora Roberts. "Book One in the Bride Quartet." Wedding photographer Mackensie Elliot runs into the bride's brother and sees stars.

Wicked Prey by John Sandford. Lucas Davenport keeps a lid on the crazies at the Republican Convention in St. Paul.

Mr. and Miss Anonymous by Fern Michaels. Eh, I already mentioned this one. Look it up in a previous post.

NonFiction

1000 Jewelry Inspirations: beads, baubles, dangles, and chains by Sandra Salamony.

Thursday, May 14, 2009

What to Read 25: Guns

A selection of gun books available from the Library. Sit back, this is another long one.


Monday, May 11, 2009

Washington Crime and Columbine

DVD

It's Pimpin' Pimpin' by Kat Williams. Concert performance by stand-up comic Kat Williams. Williams may be familiar after several acting jobs in the movies.

Lars and the Real Girl starring Ryan Gosling, Emily Mortimer, other people. Lars loves his life-sized doll, Bianca. When he gets feelings for a real person the love triangle causes trouble.

Fiction

Wicked Prey by John Sandford. Let me take a wild guess. A vicious killer (or rapist) is on the loose in Minnesota and must be caught by series hero Lucas Davenport.
Dang! I was wrong. The Republican convention in St. Paul has crazies running around.

Road Dogs by Elmore Leonard. Three of Leonard's characters from previous novels meet and take on a job together. With sex and backstabbing.

The Way Home by George Pelecanos. Chris finds a a body in a house he is remodeling. He leaves it alone to avoid trouble. Then, Chris goes missing.
Pelecanos is so good that even his abridged audio versions are great.

Summer on Blossom Street by Debbie Macomber. Some book with a small dog on the cover.

NonFiction

Columbine by Dave Cullen. Cullen did extensive research for ten years and clears away the rumour and myth of Columbine; hesets the record straight on what happened and who the two kid murderers really were.

Dynamic Color Painting for the Beginner by Diane Edison.

Perennials for Midwestern Gardens: proven plants for the heartland by Anthony W. Kahtz.

Obama: the historic campaign in photographs by Deborah Willis and Kevin Merida. I'm regretting this purchase already. For three reasons: 1- The campaign is long over and the President has been in office for over three months. 2- Political books are always iffy here. 3- Photography books are even more iffy.
Emmit Smith is on page 97.

Wednesday, May 06, 2009

Mexican Wrestling and JA Konrath Goes Undercover

DVD

Fiesta Lucha! with El Hijo Santo, Nicho El Millionario, Super Parka, and others. You can tell it's Mexican wrestling because of the masks.



Copa de Lucha! with L.A. Park, Hijo Del Santo, Rey Misterio, Sr. and others.

JCVD starring Jean-Claude van Damme. Van Damme plays himself as a washed-up action star who returns to Belgium for a break. He ends up caught in a bank during a robbery and the cops think he is the culprit.

Incendiary starring Obi-Won Kenobi, Michelle Williams. Mom in London loses kid in terrorist bombing when out to visit her secret lover. She gets caught up in the police investigation and a cover-up of the bombing.
I wonder if this is like that poor Brazilian guy the Limey cops shot in the subway.

The Curious Case of Benjamin Button starring Brad Pitt and Cate Blanchett. I don't care.

Fiction

Afraid by Jack Kilborn (JA Konrath). A black helicopter crashes in rural Wisconsin and "unleashes something horrifying." A old sheriff, a firefighter, and a single mom have to fight to stop it.
According to Barry Eisler there is a horrifying and queasy part involving toe-sucking.
Does anyone in WI actually buy Schmidt beer?

NonFiction

Lucky Girl by Mei-Ling Hopgood. Mei-Ling was adopted and never cared about her Chinese background until her Taiwanese family tracked her down when she was in her twenties.

Tuesday, May 05, 2009

Chick Movie, Crime Scene Novel, Suburban Suspense, Western

DVD

Bride Wars starring Kate Hudson and Anne Hathaway. Best friends have catfight when they inadvertently book the same wedding day at the Plaza Hotel in New York.

Fiction

Safer by Sean Doolittle. Doolittle lives in Omaha. Poor guy.

Out at Night by Susan Arnout Smith. Crime scene tech Grace is on vacation when the FBI calls on her. A recent murder victim was texting her name right before his death. Grace can either help out of be a suspect.

Brimstone by Robert B. Parker. Latest western from Parker featuring recurring characters from Resolution and Appaloosa.

Monday, May 04, 2009

Fourteen CDs But Only Five I'm Interested In

Music CDs

"Mr. Lucky" by Chris Isaak. Former boxer, part-time actor, West Coast living singer sings songs while idolizing The King.

It's Not Me, It's You by Lily Allen. Latest craze from England sings songs.

Midnight at the Movies by Justin Townes Earle. Allison Moorer's stepson sings songs.

Back to the River by Susan Tedeschi. Derek Trucks' wife sings songs with her great voice.

Country Club by John Doe and The Sadies. Famous punk rocker John Doe does a full-on country album by singing songs.

Love Me Tonight by John Nemeth. Singer who grew up in Idaho sings songs. YouTube clips linked from his website.

WOW Hits 2009 by [various]. "30 of today's top Christian artists" who sing songs.

All I Ever Wanted by Kelly Clarkson. Girlie pop music by song singer.

Hannah Montana: the movie: original soundtrack by Miley Cyrus. Girlie pop music for 12 year olds by 15 year old song singer.

Defying Gravity by Keith Urban. Nicole Kidman's husband sings songs.

Speed of Light by Corbin Bleu. Television show washout sings songs.

Greatest Hits by Mariah Carey. Replacement copy. Sing. Song.

Uncle Charlie by Charlie Wilson. Former Gap Band singer sings songs.

Willie and the Wheel by Willie Nelson and Asleep at the Wheel. Texas singers sing songs.

Saturday, May 02, 2009

Marge, Hair, Garfield, Bread, Cop From Philadelphia

Fiction

Father's Day by Keith Gilman. Ex-cop from Philadelphia is hired to find the missing daughter of an old friend. During the investigation he uncovers links to the suicide of another friend.
I rarely buy books off email solicitations but decided to get this one after looking at the author's web page.
The cover image is very similar to the cover image on a Charlie Huston novel.

Intent to Kill by James Grippando. "Accidents happen. But this was no accident." Sounds like Holland.

Mr. and Miss Anonymous by Fern Michaels. Lily is a struggling college student who donates her eggs at a fertility clinic. Pete, also in need of money, is donating sperm. The two meet at the clinic. Nineteen years later they meet again at the same time two teenagers, with links to the same clinic, disappear and hit the news. One of the missing teens looks exactly like Pete.

Marge Book by Matt Groenig [and a legion of writers]. All you wanted and didn't - really did not - want to know about Marge Simpson.

NonFiction and Hair

Great Hair: secrets to looking fabulous and feeling beautiful every day by Nick Arrojo. I found out the other day that hair books check out like mad. This guy is from that What Not to Wear show that my wife always watches.

Good to Great Hair: celebrity hairstyling techniques made simple by Robert Vetica.

21st Century Economy: a beginner's guide by Rany Charles Epping. "All the knowledge you need to make sense of the latest headlines and evonomic trends behind todays crises and tomorrow's opportunities."

Garfield Fat Cat 3-Pack, Vol 4 by Jim Davis. Garfield books always check-out too.

Sock Knitting by Laura Chau. This had some great reviews that referred to the great illustrations of techniques and steps.

Bread Baker's Apprentice: mastering the art of extraordinary bread by Peter Reinhart. A lot of people were reserving this title from other libraries so I bought one for here.

Wednesday, April 29, 2009

One Canadian, One Englishman, One Cheesehead, One Smart Aleck, Some Fiction

Fiction

Dead and Gone by Charlaine Harris. "A Sookie Stackhouse novel." I ordered the DVD version of that HBO show based on this series of books.

NonFiction

Always Looking Up: the adventures of an incurable optimist by Michael J. Fox. Fox retires from acting and has to find something else to do with his time.

My Booky Wook by Russell Brand. Crazy tales by the English comic about drug issues, a bizarre father, general outrageous behavior.

Unlikely Disciple: a sinner's year at America's holiest university by Kevin Roose. Student from Brown University does a study abroad semester at Liberty University in Virginia. Has a good time meeting and learning about different people.
[EDIT: the author dude, or a pal of his, just googled his way over here from a Brown University IP address.]

Coop by Michael Perry. Perry is on to chickens and pigs now. Tales of his family life, his childhood, and a listing of his many boneheaded adventures and mistakes.

Large Print

Loitering with Intent by Stuart Woods. Woods's ghost writers sure are busy.

The Perfect Poison by Amanda Quick. So are Quick's.

Tea Time for the Traditionally Built by ALexander McCall Smith. The television series is supposed to be pretty good.

Deadlock by Iris Johansen. So an E in Johansen signifies what, Danish? An O is Norwegian or Swedish?

Tuesday, April 28, 2009

Not Much NonFiction

NonFiction

The Foreclosure of America: the inside story of the rise and fall of Countrywide Home Loans, the mortgage crisis, and the default of the American dream by Adam Michaelson. Written by former Countrywide executive who witnessed the stupid decisions by executives. "examines the marketing of a mirage and the bad business decisions that brought the nation to the brink."

Democracy in America by Alexis De Tocqueville. A new copy and new translation of the classic tome written after the Frenchman's 1831 trip to the U.S. One of the books received through our Picturing America grant.
I had a high school teacher, Selby Klein, who loved this book and how it still reflected modern America. This was the same guy who, when talking about communism, referred to his time in Korea with, "I killed those commies with relish!" He was a very good teacher.

Founding Brothers: the revolutionary generation by Joseph J. Ellis. Another part of the Picturing America grant. The intertwining lives of John Adams, Aaron Burr, Benjamin Franklin, Alexander Hamilton, Thomas Jefferson, James Madison, and George Washington.

Thursday, April 23, 2009

More Miscellaneous Material (Maybe Middling, Maybe Magnficent)

DVD

How to Play Blues and Blues Rock Guitar by Guitar World and Andy Aledort.

Beginning Hard Rock and Heavy Metal by Guitar World and Andy Aledort.

Music on CD

Shine by Martina McBride. Good Looking Gal sings modern country.

Fiction

Nothing But Trouble by Susan May Warren. PF Sugar returns home to Kellogg, MN for her sister's wedding. This is PJ's first visit in ten years and she is sure her best pal's husband is not a killer.

Why do I bother? Is anyone reading this? I'm paying more attention listening to the Fratellis album than doing this anyway.

Home Safe by Elizabeth Berg. "A beautifully written and richly resonant story of a mother and daughter in emotional transit...widowed...loss and grief...meddling...unsolicited and unwelcome advice...shocking discoery...double life...money disappeared...unusual job...phone call from a stranger...path of discovery...sexual experimentation."
I made that last one up.

The Confession by James Patterson by Maxine Paetro. I'm betting Paetro did all the heavy lifting on this one. "Women's Murder Club tracks a killer with a taste for the super-rich."

Non-Fiction

Wisconsin Barns by Nancy Schum-Burgess. When you get sick of Jerry Apps' Wisconsin books take a look at all the neat photos in this one.

AudioBook on CD

Chosen by Ted Dekker. Horror novel.

What to Read 24: Poetry by Mark Kraushaar

Local writer Mark Kraushaar just won the 2009 Felix Pollak Prize in Poetry from the University of Wisconsin Press. UW Press just published his winning collection entitled, Falling Brick Kills Local Man. We, of course, have a copy at the Library.

I have a brief discussion about poetry with Mr. Kraushaar and he reads three of his poems. I had to edit out over five minutes of discussion so ignore any odd transitions.

Monday, April 20, 2009

Nothing Exciting

Fiction

Loitering with Intent by Stuart Woods.

First Family by David Baldacci.

Deadlock by Iris Johansen.

Tea Time for the Traditionally Built by Alexander McCall Smith.

Large Print

Just Take My Heart by Mary Higgins Clark.

Lowboy by John Wray.

Dylan by Linda Lael Miller.

NonFiction

Mommy Calls: Dr. Tanya answers parents' top 101 questions about babies and toddlers by Tanya Remer Altmann, MD.

AudioBooks

The Ice Diaries: the untold story of the USS Nautilus and the cold war's most daring mission by Captain William R. Anderson

Wednesday, April 15, 2009

Glocks, More Sniping, Sam Spade, Naughty Secretaries

DVD

Frost Nixon starring Frank Langella and Michael Sheen. Nixon agrees to interviews with David Frost in an attempt to salvage his reputation. Opps, should have thought that over.

Fiction


Fatal Flip by Peg Marberg. Small-town interior designer Jean Hastings gets a job to redo an old Victorian house being "flipped" by a local realtor partnership. Harried preparations for the open house get even more frantic when one of the "flippers" is found dead.
This is like one of those recipe murders but instead there are "Decorating tips included".

Remembering the Bones by Frances Itani. Born on the same day as Queen Elizabeth II, Canadian lady Georgina is invited to the queen's 80th birthday. On her drive to the airport she crashes off the road into a wooded ravine. Her memories of family stories, her wit, and the various roles she has played in life help keep her alive.

NonFiction

The Accounting Game: basic accounting fresh from the lemonade stand by Darrell Mullis and Judith Orloff. Accounting training from the example of a child's lemonade stand to learn assets, liabilities, earnings, inventory, etc.

To Be A Military Sniper by Gregory Mast and Hans Halberstadt. All the steps and training snipers go through to become a skilled sniper.
I helped judge the Senior Portfolios for the local high school last year. Senior Portfolios are a graduation requirement with students pulling together examples of school work and personal life over the past four years to show how they have changed and grown. One kid was all set to join the Marines. He had only a week or two after graduation and then he was headed straight to San Diego for training. His contract had him signed up to head to sniper skill after his advanced infantry training. I tried keeping on eye on the local paper for the inevitable Corps press release about him but never saw anything.

Gun Digest Book of the Glock, 2nd Edition by Patrick Sweeney. "How to accessorize and tune your Glock." There isn't much customization to do with a Glock so there is plenty of information on model variations, calibers, sights, barrels, and so forth.

12 SAT Practice Tests, with PSAT, Second Edition by McGraw-Hill.

The Naughty Secretary Club: the working girl's guide to handmade jewelry by Jennifer Perkins. The main title intrigues, the subtitle disappoints.

Hella Nation: looking for Happy Meals in Kandahar, rocking the side pipe, wingnut's war against The Gap, and other adventures with the totally lost tribes of America by Evan Wright. Observations of "people for whom the American dream is either just out of grasp of something they've chosen to reject altogether."

How to Sell Your Home in Any Market by Loren K. Keim.

Knitting: the complete guide by Jane Davis.

Large Print

Serendipity by Louise Shaffer. 37-year-old mom researches her famous parents and grandparents.

The Tourist by Olen Steinhauer. Former CIA officer goes back undercover when a long hunted killer's capture leads to clues that a colleague may have been a double-agent.

Spade & Archer by Joe Gores. A prequel to The Maltese Falcon.

Tuesday, April 14, 2009

Four DVDs with Germans, Frenchies, Spaniards, and Hot Chicks

DVD

The Reader starring Kate Winslett and Ralph Fiennes. Lady working streetcar in post-war Berlin has affair with teen man. Years later he sees her again when she is brought to trial as a concentration camp guard.
You already know about this one. Winslett does nude scenes and wins an Oscar.

Tell No One starring Krisitn Scott Thomas and a bunch of French actors. Doctor is still grieving the death of his wife eight years ago. When new bodies are found at her murder site he is against suspected by the cops. Then he gets a video e-mailed to him suggesting his wife is still alive.
This is supposed to be an incredibly good thriller.

Time Crimes starring [Spaniards]. "One of the best time travel movies of all time." A man being hunted by a killer stumbles into a lab and enters a time machine.

The Spirit starring Scarlett Johansson, Eva Mendes, Sarah Paulson. Central City cop Denny Colt is killed but brought back to life as The Spirit.

Monday, April 13, 2009

Fifteen Novels

Fiction

Pride and Prejudice and Zombies by Jane Austen and Seth Grahame-Smith. Zombies make everything better.

Wicked Games by Lisa Jackson and Nancy Bush.

Boneman's Daughters by Ted Dekker. Serial killer the BoneMan wants the perfect daughter. When the girls he kidnaps do not meet his expectations he breaks all their bones and leaves them to die.

Miss Julia Delivers the Goods by Ann B. Ross. Goods delivered by Miss Julia.

Look Again by Lisa Scottoline. Lady almost throws away a "have you seen this child" flyer when she recognizes the kid as her adopted son.

Old City Hall by Robert Rotenberg. Radio host Kevin Brace answers his front door covered in blood and tells the deliveryman, "I killed her." But strange fingerprints, a self-destructive victim, and the defendants refusal to say anything past that one statement leaves the situation questionable.

Just Take My Heart by Mary Higgins Clark. Broadway star runs into man who killed her best friend years ago. When Broadway star is shot her husband is accused. The prosecutor finds things are not what they appear.

Cursed by Carol Higgins Clark. "A Regan Reilly Mystery."

Nightwalker by Heather Graham. Ghost of murdered man haunts the last woman to see him alive and a private investigator.

The Perfect Poison by Amanda Quick. "An Arcane Society Novel."

Large Print

Execution Dock by Anne Perry.

Love Mercy by Earlene Fowler.

Long Lost by Harlan Coben.

Handle With Care by Jodi Picoult.

Nightwalker by Heather Graham.

NonFiction: Diesels, Dogs, Disorders

NonFiction

How Your Child Learns Best: brain friendly strategies you can use to ignit your child's learning and increase school success by Judy Willia, MD, MEd. Targeted strategies from a neurologist working as a full-time classroom teacher.

OCD Answer Book: professional answers to more than 250 top questions about obsessive-compulsive disorder by Patrick B. McGrath, Ph.D. At least 5 million people in the U.S. are experience symptoms of obsessive compulsive disorder.

Bipolar Disorder Answer Book: professional answers to mor than 275 top questions by Charles Atkins, M.D.

Troubleshooting and Repairing Diesel Engines, 4th Edition by Paul Dempsey.

60,000+ Best Baby Names by Diane Stafford. Baby name books always check-out.

Retirement Planning for the Utterly Confused by Paul Petillo.

One Nation Under Dog: adventures in the new world of prozac-popping puppies, dog-park politics, and organic pet food by Michael Schaffer. My dog has awful breath. We need to get her teeth cleaned.

What to Read 23: Zombies!

Three zombie novels.

Pride and Prejudice and Zombies by Jane Austen and Seth Grahame-Smith.
World War Z by Max Brooks.
The Rising by Brian Keene.


Rest of the AudioBooks

AudioBooks

The Touch of Fire by Linda Howard. Western romance. One of those romances where th woman changes the guy.

Terminal Freeze by Lincoln Child. "In remote Alaska, a monster is discovered frozen in th ice. Despite warnings from locals, the creature is freed from its icy coffin and is now stalking its victims one by one."

Blood Sins by Kay Hooper. Tessa Gray is recruited by the FBI to infiltrate a religious cult.


Plum Spooky by Janet Evanovich. Stephanie Plum and fellow bounty hunter Diesel search th New Jersey Pine Barrens for a wanted killer and his new partner.

Another Life by Andrew Vachss. Burke's father-figure, a "legendary crime planner", lies in a coma. Shadowy government man promises to provide th best medical care and to clear the criminal records of Burke and anyon who helps to find a Saudi Prince's kidnappd two-year-old son.

The Women by T.C. Boyle. Fictional telling of Frank Lloyd Wright's love affairs.

Thursday, April 09, 2009

Eighty-Nine Hours of AudioBooks on CD

Audiobooks

Safer by Sean Doolittle. 8 CDs at 9 hours. Family moves to Midwest town. Guy tries to fit in but ends up ticking off the Neighborhood Watch president and getting accused of a nasty crime.
This is supposed to be a incredibly good. But, I have not read the book yet because I ended up ordering the dang, to-be-released paperback instead of the hardcover. Stupid internet.

Night and Day by Robert Parker. 5 CDs at 5 hours. Jesse Stone has to track down a home invader who forces women to strip and pose for the camera. "Stone has to track this sicko down before the crimes become more serious."

A Darker Place by Jack Higgins. 8 CDs at 9 hours. Russian writer fakes defecting to the British but is still loyal to Putin and intends to infiltrate British intelligence.

Lost Witness by Robert Ellis. 11 CDs at 14 hours. LAPD cop Lena Gamble is in trouble from her officers and is given a unsolvable case with pieces of an unidentified corpse found in a dumpster.

The Associate by John Grisham. 9 CDs at 11 hours.

The Renegades by T. Jefferson Parker. 9 CDs at 11 hours. LAPD Sheriff's Deputy Charlie Hood knows that the American West still holds outlaws. When a fellow deputy is killed while on patrol with Hood, Hood sets out to find the bad guys.

Black Ops by W.E.B. Griffin. 16 CDs at 19 hours. Shooting. Fighting. Intrigue.

Daring to Dream by Nora Roberts. 9 CDs at 11 hours. She uses ghost writers doesn't she?

Wednesday, April 08, 2009

NonFiction by Size

NonFiction

4.75" x 6.5". Home Brewer's Answer Book: solutions to every problem, answers to every question by Ashton Lewis. "Will the lack of Krausen removal have a major effect on the flavor of my beer?"

6" x 8". Condo Owner's Answer Book: practical answers to more than 125 question sabout condominium ownership by Beth A. Grimm. My parents just bought a condo in town.

6" x 8". Diabetes Answer Book: practical answers to more than 300 top questions by David K. McCulloch. "What is a Charcot foot?"

7" x 9". LLC or Corporation: how to choose the right form for your business by Anthony Mancuso.

8" x 10". Great Hair: elegant styles for every occasion by Davis Biton. Skanky tattoo on page 135.

8.25" x 10 7/8". Knit One, Embellish Too: hats mittens and scarves with a twist by Costte Cornelius-Bates.

8.25" x 10 7/8". Quick and Clever Felting: over 30 stylish products using felt applique, needle felting, wet felt and other easy techniques by Ellen Kharade.

8.5" x 10". Bags That Rock: knitting on the road with Kelley Deal by Kelley Deal. Bass player makes bags with a '70s vibe.

8.75" x 10.25". Lacy Little Knits: clingy, soft and a little risque by Iris Schreier.

8.75" x 10 7/8". Classic Elite Knits: 100 gorgeous designs for every occasion by Classic Elite Yarns. Many cardigans.

10 1/8" x 12 1/8". DC Comics Encyclopedia: the definitive guide to the characters of the DC universe: updated and expanded.

Monday, April 06, 2009

Mystery Science Theater 3000 DVD

DVD

Mystery Science Theater 3000: Volume XIV. Four classic motion pictures critiqued by two robots and a guy lost in space. The titles are: Mad Monster, Final Justice, Soul Taker, and Manhunt in Space. Since this is a four disc set the check-out time is two weeks instead of the regular one week. Just imagine, 14 delicious days of devilish dialogue describing deplorable dramatists.

Here is a sampling of the show of what the show is like:


Bankruptcy Guide, Quilting Novel, Comic Book

Fiction

In the Dark by Brian Freeman. Duluth cop Jonathan Stride's met his wife, Cindy, in high school. His would-be sister-in-law was murdered when Cindy and Jon were teens. Years later one of the dead sister's friends has returned to write a book on the murder. A new murder and the suicide of a witness to the sister's murder make Jon investigate.

Turn Coat by Jim Butcher. "A novel of the Dresden Files." Harry Dresden is asked by a member of the White Council (the governing body of "magical" people) to help him when he is accused of treason.

The Lost Quilter by Jennifer Chiaverini. Another Elm Creek Quilts novel by the lady from Madison. Something about a runaway slave who did a quilt and her son who was raised in Elm Creek Farm.

Fatally Flaky by Diane Mott Davidson. Goldy Schulz is catering multiple wedding receptions when the best friend of her godfather is murdered. Goldy goes undercover at the local spa where she suspects a link to the murder.

Borderline by Nevada Barr. Anna Pigeon suffers PTSD from the adventures in the last novel. She is canoeing in Big Bend National Park and finds a half-drowned pregnant woman who someone is trying to kill.

Gotham Central, Book One: In the Line of Duty by Ed Brubaker and Greg Rucka. "As a cop in Gotham City, you not only have to face some of the most colorful and violent criminals in the world, but you also have to deal with the city's vigilante: The Batman! Living in the shadow of the bat can be tough - especially when the Dark Knight is used to playing by his own rules."

NonFiction

How to File for Chapter 7 Bankruptcy by Stephen Elias and Robin Leonard. New for 2009.

Thursday, April 02, 2009

Four DVDs I Could Care Less About But Will Check-Out Like Crazy

DVD

Marley and Me starring Kathleen Turner, Broken-Nose Wilson and Jennifer Aniston. Guy and wife in Florida get dog that misbehaves.
My dog misbehaves all the time but I don't see anyone making a movie out of it. Maybe no one wants to see a hairy beast eating used tissues out of the garbage.

Twilight starring [teen hearthrobs]. Teenage girl Bella moves to small town Washington and "meets mysterious and handsome Edward" who is a vampire and has to battle his taste for blood to not eat her.
The way I understand it is like this: Vampire guy is hundreds of years old. Girl is about 16 years-old. Doesn't that make this the most extreme case of pedophilism ever? That is incredibly disturbing.

Seven Pounds starring Will Smith. Conscience laden Ben sees has a mysterious connection to seven different people.

Columbus Day starring Val Kilmer, Marg Helgenberger, Handy Manny. Thief is trying to unload merchandise and connect with ex-wife and daughter.

Monday, March 30, 2009

Twelve Novels

Fiction

Laura Rider's Masterpiece by Jane Hamilton. Comedic novel with Laura and Charlie Rider of Hartley, WI leading a platonic marriage. When local radio gal Jenna starts emailing with Charlie, Laura decides to try out her writing skills by emailing as Charlie.

Lavender Morning by Jude Deveraux. Jocelyn Minton inherits a house and all possessions of her good friend Miss Edi. The house is in a Virginia town Jocelyn never heard of, and the mystery of Miss Edi's past dates back to 1941.

Still Life by Joy Fielding. Casey is a successful and happily married business woman. When a car wreck leaves Casey broken and comatose she is still able to hear everything in her hospital room. As she listens Casey finds her friends may not really be friends, and the car wreck may not have been an accident.

Alexander Cipher by Will Adams. Daniel Knox is at an archaeological dig in Alexandria, Egypt. When a catacombs are unearthed Daniel goes inside to investigate the possibility that it may be the tomb of Alexander the Great. Such a find would make Daniel famous, or whoever can shunt Daniel aside.

The Secret by Beverly Lewis. First in a new series by Lewis.

Serendipity by Louise Shaffer. Carrie Manning is thirty-seven and aimless. Her mother, who she never really knew, just died and Carrie starts to investigate into her famous theater family's history.

Mysteries

Whisper in the Dark by Robert Gregory Browne. "Naked. Incoherent. Covered with blood. That's how detective Frank Blackburne finds her - a beautiful Jane Doe brandishing a pair of scissors near the scene of a brutal murder. Is she the perpetrator? Or is she the only eyewitness to the handiwork of Vincent Van Gogh, a twisted serial killer with an 'artistic' bent?"

Ghouls Just Haunt to Have Fun by Victoria Laurie. "M.J. agrees to use her paranormal abilities on a new TV show called Haunted Possessions." When a knife on the show turns into lets a demon into the world M.J. and her ghost hunter friends get to work.

Small Crimes by Dave Zeltserman. Former cop Joe Denton gets out of prison early and heads home where the local district attorney bears the facial scars that put Denton in prison. No one wants Denton back.

Dare to Die by Carolyn Hart.

Romance

So Enchanting by Connie Brockway. Paperback romance with: lovely young lady, London society, Lord Greyson, fraud, Scottish Highlands, young witch, set fire to a passion, thrown together by danger and desire.

Large Print

Pursuit by Karen Robards.

DVD leftovers, DeNiro, Indians, James Bond

DVD

What Just Happened? starring Robert DeNiro, [other big names]. Comedy of a twice divorced Hollywood producer trying to save two of his movies. "A bitingly sharp comedy about what it takes to survive a treacherous world of backstabbing, greed, and runaway egos."

Cat Dancers. Ron and Joy Holiday move from ballet dancers into training and performing with lions, tigers and jaguars. Their marriage dynamic changes when a young male performer joins the business. A new Bengal tiger makes things fatal.

Quantum of Solace starring Daniel Craig, Olga Kurylenko. James Bond is out for justice. I think.

Slumdog Millionaire starring [Indian actors you never heard of until the Oscar ceremony]. Kid makes it rich on Indian version of Who Wants to be a Millionaire. Has to show he was not cheating.

Dear Zachary: letters to a son about his father. Andrew Bagby was murdered by his crazy girlfriend in Nov, 2001. Crazy girlfriend flees to Canada and fights extradition. When crazy girlfriend announces pregnancy best friend decides to do a movie about Bagby for his unborn son and starts to follow the legal efforts of Bagby's parents to get legal custody of child.

Leftover from popular titles ordered for the MWFLS DVD group purchase.

Mad Money starring Stephen Root, Diane Keaton, Queen Latifah, Katie Holmes, Ted Danson. Three women conspire to steal worn paper money from the shredder at a Federal Reserve bank.

Definitely, Maybe starring Ryan Reynolds, Isla Fisher, Derek Luke. Chick movie about a widower of something.

Jumper starring Darth Vader, Michael Rooker. David is able to teleport himself anywhere in the world. He discovers others like himself and is "thrust into the midst of an ancient war while being hunted by a bloodthirsty band of zealots sworn to destroy all Jumpers."

The Hulk starring Edward Norton, Liv Tyler, Tim Roth. Scientist gets angry and turns green.

10,000 B.C. starring [people I never heard of]. Guy with dreadlocks fights animals and people to rescue his girlfriend.

Love Guru starring Mike Meyers, Jessica Alba, Justin Timberlake, Vern Troyer. Guru has to help hockey player win back wife and Stanley Cup.

Mr. Woodcock starring Billy Bob Thornton, Sean William Scott, Susan Sarandon. Seventh grader is tormented by his PE teacher. Years later he visits home and the teacher is not dating his mom.

Good Luck Chuck starring Dane Cook, Jessica Alba. [some stupid plot].

No Reservations starring Catherine Zeta-Jones and Aaron Eckhart. Remake of some French movie. Chefs in fancy restaurant hook-up.
The back cover has a photo of Eckhart and Zeta-Jones about to liplock. Do you think Eckhart kept thinking he was about to suck face with a woman who smooches Michael Douglas? Yeesh.

Kid Movies

Bolt voiced by John travolta and Miley Cyrus. Action hero acting dog Bolt and his hamster side-kick are stranded in New York and have to make way back to Hollywood.

Ballet Shoes starring Lucy Boynton, Emma Watson. "Three orphans, raised as sisters, leave their sheltered lives and embark on an exhilarating journey that takes them to the heights of the stage, screen, and sky!"

City of Ember starring Bill Murray. The underground city of Ember is losing it's generator. Teens travel to find their way out before everything goes dark.

Return from Witch Mountain starring [interchangeable Disney kids plus that weird looking kid], Christopher Lee, and Bette Davis. Two evil adults use a boy's supernatural powers for evil.