Fargo 50k 50/50 Raffle Results

50/50 Raffle

The Library's raffle proceeds will go towards our interior renovation.  The Drawing was Wednesday, June 27th at 7 PM in Commons Park.



Not peeking at the names.




Reading the Name.




Winner!  Gerry Riddle of Lake Mills won $292.50.  The same amount goes toward our renovation.

Guess Who Ordered Two Copies By Accident

Fiction 

The Edge of Maybe by Ericka Lutz.  Something about ex-punk rockers in Northern California andpast intrudes into present.

The Edge of Maybe by Ericka Lutz.  Lutz should be happy.  I bought a second copy by mistake.  Lut'z bio lists her many jobs and activities over the years.  I bet most people zero in on her past job as a stripper.

Tuesday's Child by Fern Michaels.  Cover has flowers on it.

Heartbroken by Lisa Unger.  Cover has ocean waves, an island and cloudy sky with sun shining through.

Room Full of Bones by Elly Griffiths.  Mystery series.  Forensic archaeologist hired to see bones of medieval bishop and finds a a second, more recent, dead guy.  

Fifty Shades of Guns and Knives by Joe Sacco

Fiction

Fifty Shades Darker by EL James.  Page 316 says, " Do you want to leave your bag with Taylor?" I ask Ethan.

Fifty Shades Freed by EL James.  Page 115 says, "Do you want me to spank you, Anastasia?"

Straight Razor Days by Joel Thomas Hynes.  Poetry collection by a Newfie.  My commentary is here: http://youtu.be/4MjfcDkY0Yc.

The Long Earth by Terry Pratchett and Stephen Baxter.  Collaborative novel by Pratchett and Baxter.  Something to do with time travel.  I think.  Partly set in Madison, WI.

NonFiction

The AR-15: volume 4 by Patrick Sweeney.  "Plus: extreme torture testing"  Extreme?  Really?  Well, more or less, he does shoot them with birdshot.

Knives: 2012 edited by Joe Kertzman.  Look at all the custom knives you are too poor or cheap to purchase.

Journalism by Joe Sacco.  Sacco uses comics to tell stories.  The drawings add so much to his reporting on the war in Iraq and the culture clash of African immigrants with the natives of Malta.

Wonderdads: the best dad and child activities in Chicago by Regina Lewis.   Page 70 says, "There are bike trails and prairie paths and deer everywhere."

Mom, Dad...Can We Talk?: insight and perspectives to help us do what's best for our aging parents by Dick Edwards.  How to and why to discuss issues of health, aging, and death with your parents.

Town and Country Days Parade

Town and Country Days

Town and Country Days is the last weekend every June.  There is a carnival in Commons Park across the street from the library (no photos).  There is a beer tent (no photos).  There are bands playing (no photos).  There are food stands (no photos).  The Boy Scouts have a dunk tank (no photos).  There is a parade.

Some Whale and Jeffery Deaver

DVD

Big Miracle starring Ted Danson, Kristen Bell.  Whale gets stuck under ice flow and gets on the news.



Large Print

XO by Jeffery Deaver.  Deaver writes a novel and his publisher, apparently, uses the same graphic designer who does all those James Patterson novels.

Let Love Find You by Johanna Lindsey.  What if someone is hiding from love?  Does that make it a game of hide-and-seek?

Little Night by Luanne Rice.  A novel set in Manhattan?  Outrageous!

What is the Crime rate in Sweden?

Audio Books on CD

Three Seconds by Anders Roslund and Borge Hellstrom.  13 CDs at 16 hours.  Methamphetamine trade in prison ends in a police informant's murder.  Investigating officer finds unsolved cases and government secrets.

Fiction

Wicked Business by Janet Evanovich.  "A Lizzy and Diesel Novel".

The Hives Have Returned

A Very Thin Plastic Thing Shaped Like A Wheel With A Centered Hole

Lex Hives by The Hives.  Loud music mixed with lead man bombastic silliness.

Here is the first single.



The Internet

Is Filled With poor quality audio and video.

Like This:


And this, too:

No Copies of 50 Shades? Try Lorelei James

Fiction

Raising Kane by Lorelei James.  Page 187 says, "He trailed kisses down her torso, stopping briefly to [censored] her [censored], then her right.  [censor]. When his tongue [censored] she [censored].[censored]. [censored]. [censored]. [censored]."

Let Love Find You by Johanna Lindsey.  Cover has skimpily dressed model, galloping horse, stone bench, wind blown scarf,  and manor house.

The Storm by Clive Cussler and Graham Brown.  Another wrecked ship in the desert.

Third Gate by Lincoln Child.  Page 153 says, "For a minute, Rush didn't look back."

A Conspiracy of Friends by Alexander McCall Smith.  Another dog book.

Mission to Paris by Alan Furst.  More sublime espionage writing about World War Two by the great Furst.

XO by Jeffery Deaver.  Page 141 says, "She noted the big red Buick speeding away."

Large Print Excerpts

Large Print

Enchantments by Kathryn Harrison.  Replacement for our original copy that had the wrong pages inserted.  Page 103 says, "Masha...made from the skins of a white Siberian tiger...whose diamonds...departed the pastry shop.

Blue Asylum by Kathy Hepinstall.  Page 74 says, "A little girl...escaped...her...jellyfish."

Book of Lost Fragrances by M.J. Rose.  Page 413 says,"Jac...pointed... other explorers...to risk...the nun."

Afterwards by Rosamund Liption.  Pages 251 to 321 say, "Rosamund...officially...signed...her name...in view of her parents...our little fish."

A Land More Kind Than Home by Rosamund Lupton.  Pages 1 to 540 says, "I..w...i...l...l...e...a...t...T...w...i...z...z...l...e...r...s...a...l...l...d...a...y."

Double Dose of Piccirilli

Piccirilli in Print

The Last Kind Words by Tom Piccrilli.  The Great Piccirilli's latest novel.  Terry split from his criminal relatives after his brother, Collie, killed eight people.  Days before his execution Collie says one killing was by someone else, someone else still on the loose.  Terry revisits what happened the day of the killings.

Piccirilli on CD

Last Kind Words by Tom Piccirilli.  9 CDs at 11.5 hours.  Same as above but with some guy named Mike reading it to you.

Canadian

Michael Buble: crazy life by Olivia King.  Page 97 says, "David's luxury pad in Malibu was becoming a second home to Michael."  Page 106 says, "Brian Bromberg...had grown...very heavily...hungry for...goalposts...His life was...cagey...on the internet...top-secret...was...a bit ridiculous."

DVD

Personal Training with Jackie:  30 day fast start with [someone named Jackie, presumably].  Really fit gal exercises.




Joyful Noise starring Dolly Parton and Queen Latifah.  Church choir clashes over choral cooperation.  You know who plays great bad guys?  Courtney B. Vance.

What to Read 47: library repairs and "Razor Days" by Joel Hynes

What to Read 47: library repairs and "Razor Days" by Joel Thomas Hynes.

Gillian Flynn Returns! So does Steven Saylor (no relation)

Fiction

Gone Girl by Gillian Flynn.  Flynn's third novel.  A wife disappears on the eve of her fifth wedding anniversary and her "golden-boy husband" is suspect.  Flynn's novels Sharp Objects was darn good.  FLynn's novel Dark Places was excellent.

Mortal by Ted Dekker and Tosca Lee.  Some sort of fantasy novel.

The Seven Wonders by Steven Saylor (no relation).  Another mystery novel featuring Gordianus the Finder.  Gordianus is not yet "the Finder" but just turned 18 and is on a tour of the seven wonders of the world.

Undead and Unstable by Mary Janice Davidson.  More of the same, I suppose.  If you already read the series you'll pick it up anyway.

Large Print

True Sisters by Sandra Dallas.

Road to Grace by Richard Paul Evans.

Ties That Bind by Marie Bostwick. "A Cobbled Court Novel."

Thunder and Rain by Charles Martin.

Betrayal by Christina Dodd. "A Bella Terra Deception Novel."

No Longer a Gentleman by Mary Jo Putney.

Three Flicks

DVD

Memorial Day starring James Cromwell, Minnesotans.  13-year-old questions his grandfather about WWII.  13-year-old grows up to serve in Iraq.  With flashbacks including a FG42.




Chronicle starring [teenagers and adults acting as teenagers].  Teens develop super powers.




The Woman in Black starring Harry Potter.  Harry Potter is sent to a remote village to settle an estate.

Parking Lot Pandemonium!

Beaucoup Buick Bashing!

Farmers Market

Farmers Market

More guest photography by some six-year-old.

Chicago Whiskey, German Terrorists and Rifles

NonFiction

Heartland Serial Killers: Belle Gunness, Johann Hoch, and murder for profit in the Gaslight Era Chicago by Richard C. Lindbergh.  "Johann Hock was a debonair bigamist and wife killer who boasted of having perfected a 'scientific technique' to romance and seduction. Belle Gunness was a nesting 'Black Widow' whose sprawling farm in Northwest Indiana was a fatal lure for lonely bachelors seeking the comforts of middle-age security by answering matrimonial advertisements placed by Gunness."

Whiskey Breakfast: my Swedish family, my American life by Richard C. Lindberg.  Growing up as first generation American kid in a stoic Swedish household.

Baader-Meinhof: the inside story of the R.A.F. by Stefan Aust.  The definitive history of the Red Army Faction from it's 1960's origins to the bombings, bank robberies, kidnappings, hijackings, prison escapes, and mass suicide.  I watched the movie version of this and it was quite good.

Classic American Combat Rifles edited by Terry Wieland.  I would not have purchased this if I knew it is just a collection of Gun Digest articles dating back as far as 1957.

[sic]: a memoir by Joshua Cody.  Composer from Wisconsin lives in New York and gets cancer.Bone marrow transplant and full radiation but, I'm told, the book is not a total downer of hospital beds, pain medication, and worried relatives.

Top 10 Chicago by Elaine Glusac, et al.  "You guide to the best of everything."  Page 46 says, "Better yet, why not stop into both!"

The Rough Guide to Europe on a Budget edited by Honathan Bousfield, et al.  Visit all the places the Baader-Meinhof gang bombed.

Lee Goldberg's Busboy

Fiction

King City by Lee Goldberg.  Goldberg's latest novel.  Let me be clear, I have no idea what this book is about.  I have avoided all of Goldberg's online comments and promotions because I want the whole novel to be a mystery once I start it.  I will not even read the back cover.  I do not like the front cover.

Poetry

American Busboy by Matthew Guenette.  Madison guy writes poems.  Don't we all put cornstarch in our polyester pants to keep from getting butt rash?...brings the mindset of a stifled serving class to life...alliteration worthy of Chaucer...untouchable waitresses step on the heads of busboys.

A Good Part of the Library Runs on Coffee

Overlording Marketing Plan for Ancient Handbooks

NonFiction

The Successful Marketing Plan: how to create dynamic, results-oriented marketing by Roman G. Hiebing, et al.  Page 238 says "Part III. Tactical Plans."

Handbook to Life in Ancient Mesopotamia by Stephen Bertman.  Page Page 109 says "Observed by his queen and courtiers, Ur-Nanshe, with his son in tow, proudly commences the construction of a new temple.  Below, we see him with drink in hand."

Handbook to Life in Ancient Egypt by Rosalie David.  Page 127 says "Egypt's first step to establish this empire was to repossess Nubia."

Handbook to Life in Ancient Rome by Lesley Adkins and Roy A. Adkins.  Is Lesley the man's or woman's spelling?  Page 386 says "horseshoes 185".

Overlord: the illustrated histoy of the D-Day landings by Ken Ford and Steven J. Zaloga.  Good thing you added in that "J", Zaloga.  Because Zaloga is such a common name.  Page 271 says "1st Dorsets".

Indigenous, Donations, Discounts

Indigenous Cheeseheads

Mothers and Daughters by Rae Meadows.  Young mom finds some of her dead mom's belongings and "discovers links to pieces of her family history but is puzzled by much of the information the box contains" including her grandmother catching an Orphan Train from New York.  Madison.

Bird Sisters by Rebecca Rasmussen.  Young twin girls Milly and Twiss live in Spring Green, WI during the summer of '47.  Their golf pro father is injured and unable to gold, the mom says they will stay poor, and cousin Bett comes to visit.  Spring Green.

The Long Way Home by Karen McQuestion.  35-year-old Marnie's boyfriend keels over from a heart attack.  Marnie raised the boyfriend's son, Troy, but now his rotten birth mother takes him away.  Friends from Marnie's grief counseling group travel with her to Las Vegas to visit Troy. (I originally typed that as Las Begas.  I'd visit a town called Las Begas.)  Milwaukee.

Healing the Heart of Democracy: the courage to create a politics worthy of the human spirit by Parker J. Palmer.  Why does the cover list his name like this: Parker J. PALMER?  Why the upper case?  Madison.



Donations

Cavalryman of the Lost Cause: biography of J.E.B. Stuart by Jeffry D. Wert.  "Provides new details about Stuart's childhood and youth, and he draws on letters between Stuart and his wife, Flora...eager for glory, daring sometimes to the point of recklessness."

Tried by War: Abraham Lincoln as Commander in Chief by James M. McPherson. Go Gusties!

Killing Lincoln: the shocking assassination that changed America forever by Bill O'Reilly and Martin Dugard.  I looked at the pictures.

James Madison by Richard Brookhiser.  "The Father of Constitution, for he more than any other man got it written and ratified.  He called for the Constitutional Convention in Philadelphia in 1787...took notes on every speech...led the fight for ratification in his native Virginia...co-authored the Federalist papers...shepherded the Bill of Rights through the First Congress...ate those little snack cakes his wife, Dolly, made."

Grant's Final Victory: Ulysses S. Grant's heroic last year by Charles Bracelen Flood.  After a financial swindle the terminally ill Grant would write up to 10,000 words a day to finish his memoirs "and save his family from financial ruin."

Unbroken: a World War II story of Survival, resilience, and redemption by Laura Hillenbrand.  Survival as a POW of the Japanese.  I looked at these pictures, too.

Discounts

The Ancient Roman World by Ronald Mellor and Marni McGee.  Chapter 19, How to Get Rich in Rome: business and trade.

The Ancient Greek World by Jennifer T. Roberts and Tracy Barrett.  Chapter 24, "A pestilent man": Philip of Macedon.

The Ancient Egyptian World by Eric H. Cline and Jill Rubabcaba.  Chapter 4, Thank you, Rosetta Stone: hieroglyphs.

Double Dose of Max Collins Plus One Comic Book

Fiction

Lady, Go Die by Max Allan Collins and Mickey Spillane.  The long lost sequel to Spillane's I, the Jury.  Spillane wrote this one after I, the Jury came out in 1947 but he shelved the manuscript.  Collins has been taking old Spillane manuscripts and finishing them.  Sometime Collins just has to polish up a draft.  Other times Collins does a lot more work with a partial manuscript.  Collins has done press and interviews to promote Lady but I've ignored it all to avoid any spoilers before I read the novel.

Antiques Bizarre by Barbara Allan.  Barbara is Max Allan Collins's wife.  They collaborate on this cozy mystery series. I spoke very briefly to Barbara at Bouchercon.  She is a very nice lady.

The Columbus Affair by Steve Berry.  This is supposed to be quite good.  A thriller with a kidnapping and search for 500-year-old secret.

Wild Thing by Josh Bazell.  I don't remember what this is about.  Let's take a look...oh, yeah.  A former mob hit man in hiding in Minnesota helps a paleontologist in trouble.  This, too, is supposed to be quite good and funny, fast, and furious.

Waters of Star Lake by Sara Rath.  Rath lives in Spring Green, WI.  Natalie Waters vacations in the northwoods in the center of Dillinger rumors and timber wolf turmoil.  Whenever I see the word northwoods I think of Leinenkugel.

Blotto, Twinks and the Dead Dowager Duchess by Simon Brett.  Kind of like Jeeves and Wooster but with a mystery.  I think Brett used to be a race car driver but I am too busy to check.

The Singles by Meredith Goldstein.  Bride-to-be wants no single guests.  I don't know if this is a comic novel or what.

Calling Invisible Women by Jeanne Ray.  How do you know when they arrive?

Jack of Ravens by Mark Chadbourn.  Fantasy novel.  Modern guy walks into a mist and emerges into Celtic Britain.  He finds his way to the timeless Otherworld and figures to bide his time for two thousand years.

Dark Magic by James Swain.  Swain's Miami based mysteries do well.  Dark has psychic who is part of a crime prevention group.

Black & White by Raymond Benson.  Part of the Black Stiletto series featuring 1950s crime fighter Judy Cooper.  The Stiletto has to rescue a kidnapped girl.

Beautiful Sacrifice by Elizabeth Lowell.  Archeologist is looking for stolen Mayan artifacts.  Federal cop named Hunter helps her out.  Romance happens.

Redemption by Kate Flora.  Portland cop Reggie's holiday weekend is cancelled to recover a drowned body.  The body is a homeless man and former classmate and fellow Vietnam Vet Reggie.  Reggie's death may not have been accidental.

City of Rocks by Michael Zimmer.  Western novel.  What happened out there in City of Rocks wasn't clean.  It was grimy and smelly and gut-numbingly cold.  And it was scary.  Men died for stupid reasons, and when they did, they didn't just grab their chests and fall over.  They got knocked down hard and the life spilled out of them like blood from a butchered hog.  I guess I ought to know since I was there.  Since it was me who did most of the killing that day.

Graphic Novel

Troop 142 by Mike Dawson.  "Join the Boy Scouts for a week of campfires, merit badge courses, group showers and merciless hazing at Pinewood Forest Camp, New Jersey, in the summer of 1995."  Camp Drake used to have Mountain Dew in old style glass bottles.

NonFiction

Guttenberg Bible by Steve Guttenberg.  Hilarious memoir of life in Hollywood.

Another Beautiful Day in Southern Wisconsin

Southern Wisconsin


[I took this last Tuesday but today is even nicer.]

Music for Monkeys - Music on CDs

Music Come to Life by the Dark Magic of Science!

Up All Night by One Direction.  British boys belting ballads.




Whatever by Hot Chelle Rae.  What a coincidence.  The title is exactly what I was thinking about this disc of song singers. They sound very peppy.




Bangarang by Skrillex.  What is the deal with this?  Electronica or something?  All I know is that kids will check it out.




Point of Morrow by The Shins.  I used to think these guys were from Australia.  Pop music for adults. I know that cardboard CD cases are supposed to be "green" but the stupid thing just tore.




Own the Night by Lady Antebellum.  Country music by people who won a Grammy or something.




MDNA by Madonna.  There are so many, many things I could write about Madonna and none of them fit here.

Hymns by Guy Penrod.  Christian rock checks out.  I'm trying this one out.




Otis Taylor's Contraband by Otis Taylor.  We have Taylor's Recapturing the banjo and it is pretty good.  Here is a track off Recapturing.




Stronger by Kelly Clarkson.  Peppy pop tunes for people.

Media for Monkeys - DVD

DVD Hoo-hoo-  hooo-hoo-hoo

Miss Representation featuring Condoleeza Rice, Lisa Ling, Rosario Dawson.  I ordered this?  I don't remember ordering this.  The difficulty of girls to grow up into positions f power when media culture emphasizes youth and beauty.



Into the Abyss: a tale of death, a tale of life by Werner Herzog.  Herzog looks at the aftermath of a triple murder in Conrow, TX.


Exhale: core fusion thighs and glutes by Core Fusion (Fred DeVito and Elisabeth Halfpapp).  Exercises.




Eagleheart: season one starring Chris Elliott.  Massive silliness with lots of blood.

Large Print Redux (Now WIth More Cover Commentary!)

Large Print

Crystal Gardens by Amanda Quick.  Quick's covers come covered in roses.

Stolen Prey by John Sandford.  Big house in the woods at night.  I'm not sure if the vertical lines on the cover are supposed to be rain drops, scratches on a photo, or fold marks in photo paper.

The Last Boyfriend by Nora Roberts. Bed covered in flower petals, burning candles on bedside table, framed photos next to the candles.  One photo is a picture of a house.  Nothing says romance like black-and-white photos of old buildings.

The Sins of the Father by Jeffrey Archer.  Silhouette of a couple on a park bench staring at the Statue of Liberty during sunset.  The sepia toning looks awful.

What Doesn't Kill You by Iris Johansen.  Some cover as the regular print edition with a Jennifer Garner look alike pointing a pistol at the viewer.


Fiction


Overseas by Beatriz Williams.  I think this is some sort of time-travel romance set in WWI France and modern, super-wealthy Manhattan.

Unnatural Acts by Stuart Woods.  Photo of a restaurant called Elaine's with a CLOSED sign over the double door entrance.

NonFiction


Using Your Computer: the beginner's guide, third edition by Kyle MacRae.  The cover image screams "Great for seniors.  Go online with your granddaughter!"  The inside says, "Task Manager has several tabs but you're interested in Applications."

Four of Violence, Four of Love

DVD

Exhale: core fusion 30 day sculpt.  Weekly workouts.

Ike: countdown to D-Day starring Tom Selleck.  Mustache-free Selleck shaves in a bald spot to convince the Limeys, Frogs and Yanks to work together.

Birdsong starring [British and French actors].  Young Englishman falls for a married woman before World War One.  She leaves him and he joins the Army when the war begins.  The book was pretty decent.

Heaven is Waiting starring [actors I never heard of].  Widower who has not dated since his wife's death is very uncomfortable with his grown daughter's boyfriend.

War Horse starring [CGI Death and Destruction].  Guy really loves his horse.

The Vow starring Rachel McAdams, Channing Tatum.  Wife wakes with coma forgetting last five years of life.  Wife starts to listen to parents and see a past fiancee.  Husband woos her back.

We Bought A Zoo starring Jason Bourne, That Guy From Wings.  They bought a zoo.

Haywire starring Obi-Wan Kenobi, Bill Paxton, Gina Carano.  Girl super-spy kicks and shoots her way out of trouble.

Shame starring Michael Fassbender.  Guy tries to drown his issues with anonymous sex.

The Sun Came Out: the making of the album 7 Worlds Collide starring Neil Finn, other musicians.  Guys from Radiohead, guys from Wilco, Johnny Marr, Eddie Vedder, Bic Runga, KT Tunstall and others make an album.  I've been listening to this in the background and it is interesting.  The double album is available for checkout.

Knitwear for Badger Tailgaters in Love

NonFiction

Sasha Kagan's Classic Collection by Sasha Kagan.  Knitting patterns.  I like these books because I always check out the models.

Here's Johnny: my memories of Johnny Carson, The Tonight Show, and 46 years of friendship by Ed McMahon.  Memoir by sidekick.  What will Andy Richter write in a few years?

For Packers Fans Only!: wonderful stories from great fans celebrating America's team by Rich Wolfe.  A local Rotary Club member lived in Green Bay in the '60s and got to know several players.

Tailgating Cookbook: recipes for the big game by Bob Sloan.  Page 170 says, "When you want to serve meat and don't feel like dealing with the grill, this is the way to go."

Five Love Languages: how to express heartfelt commitment to your mate by Gary Chapman.  Page 123 says, "They began dating in their senior year at high school."

Chicken Encyclopedia: an illustrated reference by Gail Damerow.  Page 203 says, "Persian Rumpless \ See: Manx Rumpy."

Fiction

Hard Country by Michael McGarrity.  "A novel of the old west."  New Mexico territory.  McGarrity's mystery series featuring a modern day New Mexico policeman is pretty good.

Bascom's Trump by Douglas Bradt.  Anthony wants to avoid the draft in 1969 so he tries out for the Badger's football team.

Mega Manga Chain Restaurants

NonFiction

Mega Manga: the complete reference to drawing manga by Keith Sparrow.  288 pages worth of an animation style I do not understand.  I booked an artist to do a manga workshop for teens this June 20th.

Good, Better, Best Dining Out: a no-nonsense guide to America's chain restaurants by Josh Dinar. Categories include best skillets, best seafood, crab cakes, wine lists.

Happy Days Hearing A Cold Blue Sea, Second Edition

NonFiction

Handy Religion Answer Books, Second Edition by John Renard, Ph.D.  What is a Sufi?  What is a sacrament?  Are there contemporary remnants of CIT?  What is sectarian Shinto?  WHy did Lutheran Brotherhood change their name?  How many students attend daily chapel at Gustavus Adolphus College? (just kidding on those last two)

Large Print

Art of Hearing Heartbeats by Jan-Philipp Sendker.  Lawyer goes missing without a clue.  Wife and daughter find years old love letter from Burmese woman.  Daughter searches.

Red Ruby Heart in a Cold Blue Sea by Morgan Callan Rogers.  The cover says: Western set on the Atlantic shoreline.  The back cover says: Young in girl in Maine and her lobsterman father have to recover after her mom disappears.  Lobsterman means fisherman not a half-man half-lobster.

Audio on CD

My Happy Days in Hollywood: a memoir by Garry Marshall.  Dick van Dyke Show, Odd Couple, happy days, Laverne & Shirley, Mork & Mindy, Flamingo Kid, Beaches, Pretty Woman, Princess Diaries.

Batman Sells Crocheted Arrows to Cornbread Stooges

NonFiction

Selling All-in-one for Dummies by Tom Hopkins, et al.  I do not get many opportunities to et al anyone.  This is seven sales manuals bound in one volume.

Cornbread Mafia by James Higdon.  True crime tale of "a homegrown syndicate's code of silence and the biggest marijuana bust in American history".  Kentucky moonshiners diversify in the '70s and '80s.

Tunnel Rats in Vietnam by Gordon L Rottman, illustrated by Brian Delf.  Lucky to be alive and lucky to have any hearing if they fired their pistols in those narrow tunnels.

Batman: the return of Bruce Wayne by Grant Morrison.  Batman has to travel through time fighting evil in different eras.

Batman: time and the batman by Grant Morrison.  Oh, man, I hope this isn't the same thing as the previous one.  Good, similar stories and not a different print format.

Teeny Tiny Crochet: 35 adorably small projects by Catherine Hirst.  This is of teeny, tiny interest to me personally.

U.S. Navy SEALs by Hans Halberstadt.  Lots of photos of grimacing guys with guns.

Three Stooges Scrapbook: updated edition by Jeff Lenburg et al.  Hah!  I et al'ed again.

Sinful Smoothies: delicious drinks for everyday indulgence by Ryland Peters and Small.

Green Arrow: salvation by J.T. Krul et al.  Hah!  Again!  Arrow and Sir Gallahad fight a demon.

DNA and Social Networking: a guide to genealogy in the twenty-first century by Debbie Kennett.

Six Novels

Fiction

Year of the Gadfly by Jennifer Miller.  High School journalist is out to reveal a secret society intent on vigilante justice that is "exposing students and teachers alike for even the most minor infraction."

All Woman and Springtime by Brandon W. Jones.  A mathematical genius and her best friend are snuck out of North Korea into sexual slavery in the South and then the United States. Well, that sounds uplifting.  [Bill Crider says: We former English teachers recommend a six-year sentence in Folsom for people who use the word snuck unless those people are Dizzy Dean.]


Sins of the Father by Jeffrey Archer.  Archer's bio mentions his Oxford education, his five years in the House of Commons, and his twenty years and the House of Lords.  Archer's bio does not mention he served two years of a four year prison term for perjury and perverting the course of justice.


Home by Toni Morrison.  Korean War vet returns home and rescues "his medically abused younger sister and take her back to the small Georgia town they come from and that he's hated all his life."


Guilt by Degrees by Marcia Clark.  Los Angeles prosecutor takes dead end case of murdered homeless man.  Homeless man had conneciton to the ax murder of a LAPD policeman from two years earlier.  Sleuthing begins.
  11th Hour by James Patterson and Maxine Paetro.  The Patter Factory production line is on schedule.

Reloading Mended Pencil Jewelry

NonFiction

Reloading for Handgunners by Patrick Sweeney.  Page 115 says, "Uniformly-seated primers are an important part of accurate ammunition."

Mend it Better: creative patching, darning, and stitching and Kristin M. Roach.  Page 82 says, "It was perfect with sweaters, tights, cute jackets, woven scarves, and all that other glorious winter attire."

Creating Textures in Colored Pencil by Gary Greene.  Page 108 says, "Layer Light Umber."

The Bead Jewelry Bible by Dorothy Wood.  Page 49 says, "Tie the ends together, working two reef knots one after the others (see Tying Knots)."

Service: a Navy SEAL at war by Marcus Luttrell with James D. Hornfischer.  Page 89 says, "Finally, we reached our destination - an abandoned four-story building situated on a circular chain of streets that everybody called the Racetrack."

The Passage of Power by Robert A. Caro.  Page 451 says, "It went against his nature - against his desire, his need, for control, and for the secrecy which is a form of control - control and secrecy that he would have had had he insisted that the investigation into the assassination be made by a Texas court of inquiry that was under his thumb and by an FBI headed by a longtime ally."

Non Fiction Invasion of Food and Crafts

Food

Everyday Gluten-Free Slow Cooking by Kimberly Mayone and Kitty Broihier.  140 recipes.  I still have no idea what gluten is.

Brewer's Apprentice by Greg Koch and Matt Allyn.  I'm not sure how many home brewers are in town or how many of them like brewing books, but the photos are fantastic.  Includes interviews and information from several master brewers.

Light and Healthy Cooking: 250 delicious, satisfying, guilt-free recipes edited by Rosemary Ellis.  From Good Housekeeping.

Vegan Slow Cooker by Kathy Hester.

French Classics Made Easy by Richard Grausman.  250 recipes.  "Ten-minute souffle, a contemporary Bouillabaisse, a lighter, quicker cassoulet".

Crafts

Threads Sewing Guide: a complete reference form America's best-loved sewing magazine edited by Carol Fresia.  Page 97 says "Frequently, a top, blouse, or jacket includes sufficient ease for the bust, but it still isn't flattering."

Painting Vibrant Watercolors: discover the magic of light, color and contrast by Soon Y. Warren.  Page 106 says "Reference Photo."

The Complete Colored Pencil Book by Bernard Aime Poulin.  Page 133 says "A landscape perspective is a matter of point of view."

Jelly Roll Sampler Quilts: 10 stunning sampler quilts to make from over 50 patchwork blocks by Pam and Nicky Lintott.  Page 23 says "Take two colour B 2 1/2in squares and a colour A 2 1/2in x 8 1/2in rectangle and using the same technique make four of these units."

Tailoring: the classic guide to sewing the perfect jacket by the editors of Creative Publishing International.  Page 71 says "Allow to dry overnight to set lapel."

Lovely Knits for Little Girls: 20 just-right patterns, just for girls by Vibe Ulrik Sondergaard.  Page 23 says "Cut star shape and attach to dog's tail with duct tape."  [Just kidding.]

Other

The Complete Credit Repair Kit: a plain English guide to improving your credit score and fixing your credit by Brette McWhorter Sember, JD.

All Girls (Except for one guy)

Fiction

Grey Expectations by Clea Simon.  A cat mystery.

The Proposal by Mary Balogh.  Scoeity widow falls for a Lord who used to be a farmer.

Deadlocked by Charlaine Harris.  Sookie Stackhouse helps solve a murder before the Vampire King comes to town.  What?

Dead Level by Sarah Graves.  Home Repair is Homicide series.  I just checked the circ's and this series has been quite popular here.

Breaking News by Fern Michaels.  I read the description and it made no sense to me.  Something about Charleston, SC and Toots, who has 8 ex-husbands, and her friends planning a wedding and selling cosmetics.

One Guy

Last Storyteller by Frank Delaney.  Delaney Ireland novels keep getting shorter.  2005's Ireland ran 559 pages.  This book is 385 pages.

Two Plus A Wisecrack

Fiction

Wind Through the Keyhole by Stephen King.  Bill Crider had a link to a ranking of all of King's novels.  I did not read the rankings but was surprised that King has published 62 novels.  I thought King put out many more than that.

Crystal Gardens by Amanda Quick.  "A Ladies of Lantern Street Novel:

Wisecrack

Cheerleading Professionals by Sara Green.  Junior nonfic on cheerleaders.  I wonder if Megan Abbott bought this yet.

Wisecrack Explanation

Abbott's forthcoming novel is about a high school cheer team and their coach.  Abbott - who I sort of follow online - constantly posts cheerleading commentary.

Nothing New, Here is a Fashion Show

Fashion New

Dunedin Public had a second fashion show this year.  Here is the short version:



Here is the long version:




Dunedin, is that you in the black and white striped top?

Fargo 50 Fundraising Project

Fargo 50k Fundraising Project

The Library has planning an interior renovation for two years.  We are 80% of the way to our fundraising goal of $250,000.  This week we launched our 50k Fundraising Project.  We hope to raise the last $50,000 and start the project this autumn.

Tax deductible donations can be made through the Lake Mills Community Foundation at PO Box 33, Lake Mills, WI, 53551.  For more information on the project contact Gerard Saylor, Library Director at 920-648-166 or lmdir@mwfls.org

Ho-Hum

Large Print

Dorchester Terrace by Anne Perry.  Death.

Lost Years by Mary Higgins Clark.  More death.

Come Home by Lisa Cottoline.  Cover cliches.

Stay Close by Harlan Coben.  No tennis.

The Return of A. Lee Martinez

Fiction

Emperor Mollusk Versus the Sinister Brain by A. Lee Martinez.  Another funny sci-fi novel from Martinez.  He writes fun stuff.  Try it out.

The Witness by Nora Roberts.  Heck if I know.  Romance?  Romantic murder?

The Innocent by David Baldacci.  Cover image implies a sniper and his daughter on the run in Washington D.C.    Flyleaf says: government hit man refuses a job and goes on run. Government Hit Man meets 14 year old orphan whose parents were murdered.  Government Hit Man assists girl.

Devil's Bones by Larry D. Sweazy.  What's the deal with this guy?  I see Sweazy's name around.  Oh yeah, I saw a catalog promo and then Bill Crider plugged it.  Crider says, "The Devil's Bones is a tightly written thriller that gets the job done."

Death at the Wedding Feast by Deryn Lake.  Historical mystery in England.

Unnatural Acts by Stuart Woods.  "A Stone Barrington" novel.

What Doesn't Kill You by Iris Johansen.  Cover image has model who looks like Jennifer Garner and is pointing a SIG at the reader.  Well, it looks like a SIG anyway.

Counseling DVDs

Stop Bullying: standing up for yourself and others presented by Mark Brown.  Advice to kids on how to react and do when bullied.

Bullying: what every adult needs to know presented by Mark Brown.  Advice to parents about kid bullying.

Journey Through the Shadows: hope for healing after someone you love has died by suicide featuring Iris M. Bolton and Stephenie Weber.

Helping Parents Grieve: finding new life after the death of a child with Kris Ford and Paula D'Arcy.

More Mark Kraushaar Poetry

NonFiction

The Uncertainty Principle by Mark Kraushaar. See? It's on the shelf, Kraushaar.

I did a What to Read video with Kraushaar a couple years ago but the following video is more recent. Kraushaar was invited to do a reading in New York but I see no video of that.



Canada by Eyewitness Travel, Rebecca Miles, Managing Editor. Travel guide. Starting East and moving West. Many pretty pictures and graphics.

50 Shades of Driven Schmoozing

Fiction

Driven by James Sallis. Sallis's Drive was the basis of the recent flick. This follows the same character, Driver, as he is on the run from mob killers. Should be pretty good, Tom Piccirilli liked it.

Fifth Victim by Zoe Sharp. Next in the thriller series following female bodyguard Charlie Fox. Fox is hired to protect a banker's daughter on Long Island. "Electrifying tale of cross and double-cross." Sharp was at Bouchercon in 2011. I think I mentioned that before. I did not speak to Sharp but she was at the shooting simulator that I hung out at for a while.

Fifty Shades of Grey by EL James. Big deal novel because of the sex content. You're an adult, read it if you like.

Shear Murder by Nancy J. Cohen. Previous novels in this series, A Bad Hair Day, have circ'ed really well. South Florida hairstylist is planning her own wedding when, as a maid of honor at a pal's wedding, someone dies. From a knife. In the chest.

NonFiction

Golden Rule of Schmoozing: the authentic practice of treating others well by Aye Jaye. This most be a donation.

Large Print

Limpopo Academy of Private Detection by Alexander McCall Smith. More mystery in Botswana.

Cover Image Trends

Large Print

Peoples Backs

Proof of Heaven by Mary Curran Hackett.

An Available Man by Hilma Wolitzer.

Dressmaker by Kate Alcott.

Water Scenes

The Odds: a love story by Stewart O'Nan.

Outdoor Scene With Wolf

Lone Wolf by Jodi Picoult.

Mystery Figure or Face in the Background or Blurred

Before She Dies by Mary Burton

Boy in the Suitcase by Lene Kaaberbol and Agnete Friis.

Chasing Midnight by Randy Wayne White.

Miscellaneous

Friday Nights by Joanna Trollope.

Enchantments by Kathryn Harrison.

Another Baseball Novel, Another Joe Ledger Thriller

NonFiction

Heaven on Earth: a journey through Shari'a Law from the deserters of ancient Arabia to the street of the modern Muslim world by Sadakat Kadri. A bunch of notes, a bibliography, and an index but no photos. "Kadri realized that many people in the West harbored ideas about Islamic law that were hazy or simply wrong."

Mountains of Light: seasons of reflection in Yosemite by R. Mark Liebenow. I already purchased a copy of this but his father donated this second copy a few days ago. Liebenow had a nice write-up in the Madison paper.

Fiction

Assassin's Code by Jonathan Maberry. Super agent Joe Ledger rescues some hostage students in Iran. The Iranians ask his team to recover six stolen nuclear warheads buried in oil fields. Ledger and his team fight genetically engineered bad guys.

Calico Joe by John Grisham. Rookie phenomenon for the Chicago Cubs is cheered on by the son of an opposing pitcher.

Cloudland by Joseph Olshan. Serial killer in northern Vermont seems to be working off an unfinished manuscript stolen from the library of a local reporter.

Come Home by Lisa Scottoline. Meh. People will read this no matter what.

The Fiddler by Beverly Lewis. Amish dude falls for non-Amish gal. Fiddling involved

One DVD/Blu-Ray Set

DVD

The Descendants starring Mr. Hollywood, Beau Bridges. On both Blu-Ray and DVD discs. Widower finds out his dead wife was cheating on him. I just heard that Blu-Ray was chosen as a name because Blue Ray was too common to be trademarked.

Digital Signals That Are Translated By A Computer Into Sound

Digital Signals That Are Translated By A Computer Into Sound

Hunger Games: songs from District 12 and beyond by Neko Case and others. Songs sung by Neko Case, Secret Sisters, others. The fold-out smells weird.

Break It Yourself by Andrew Bird. A former Page mentioned this singer guy on the Facebook. I liked the songs and figured others will too. The sounds quality of this clip is much better than that previous Case clip.

Audiobooks on CD

Death Comes Silently by Carolyn Haines. 7 CDs at 9 hours. What is it with book covers looking at past a beach and wooden boardwalk to the water? I was getting sick of those covers a while ago.

A Short Sharp Shock by Kim Stanley Robinson. 4 CDs at 4.5 hours. Watch Out! Look Behind You! Run! Runnnn!!!

DVD

The Outfit starring Robert Duvall, Joe Don Baker, Karen Black. Let The Violent World of Parker tell you the story. Good luck finding a decent trailer but here is an excerpt.

Fiction

Mystery Writers of America Present Vengeance edited by Lee Child. I ended up on the email list for Zoe Sharp so I know she has a story in here. That and her name is right on the freaking cover. Other tales by Dennis Lehane, Alifair Burke, Michelle Gagnon.

Death Comes Silently by Carolyn Hart. Same cover as the audiobook version listed above. Duck!

Gypped by Carol Higgins Clark. According to the cover an underwater tornado in a swimming pool is sucking up 50 dollar bi- Go! Don't Wait! Just GO!

Big Cat Nap by Rita Mae Brown. Sleeping cat solves a murder with - No! No! Please! No!

Dorchester Terrace by Anne Perry. Murder mystery with no cats but plenty of Englishmen.

Canadian Short Stories, Paul Cain, Hunger Games Tie-Ins

Hunger Games Tie-Ins

The Hunger Games Tribute Guide by [unknown editors]. Lots of photos of teenage actors.

The World of the Hunger Games by Kate Egan. More photos of teenage actors and movie stills.

The Hunger Games: the official illustrated movie companion by [unknown editors]. More photos of teenage actors, movie stills, and behind-the-scenes photos.

Fiction

The Complete Slayers by Paul Cain. Cain was a king of noir writing. Included is one novel, Fast One, and 13 short pieces written for the pulp magazines. This book is intended more for the big-time fan than casual reader. There is a biographical piece by Max Allan Collins and Lynn F. Meyers, a gallery of old cover art, and signatures of Collins, Meyers, and Ron Lesser (the cover artist).

Stopping for Strangers by Daniel Griffin. "These stories about artists, lovers, brothers and strangers acutely probe love, loss and the family ties that bind," I've met Griffin before, he's a good dude.

Separate Kingdoms by Valerie Laken. Short stories by Milwaukee based author. I read these, I liked them. Laken spent time in Russian after the cold war ended and still travels back there. She uses those experiences in some neat stories. One has a lesbian couple traveling to adopt a child but, since they are gay, they have to pretend to be a prospective single parent and her best pal.

Nocturnal by Scott Sigler. I have no idea what this is about.

Lost Years by Mary Higgins Clark. Some sort of mystery or thriller or suspense novel. No one probably cares what the book is about. They'll see Clark's name and read it anyway.

Harbor Nocturne by Joseph Wambaugh. Another cop story. I used to read all the Wambaugh books I could get when I was in middle and high school.

Limpopo Academy of Private Detection by Alexander McCall Smith. Intrigue in Africa.

Capitol Murder by Phillip Margolin. The cover designer sleep-walked through this one. The cover is just a night time image of the U.S. capitol dome.

Crime Comic and Super Spy Guy

Fiction

Ali Baba and the Forty Thieves Reloaded by Poulomi Mukherjee. Modern retelling with Mumbai rickshaw driver Ali chancing across the vault of a gang of bank robbers.

Spy Who Jumped Off the Screen by Thomas Caplan. I read a good review about this one. Former spy "has become, almost by accident, the number one film star in the world." He is recruited back to spy work to stop a nuclear warhead transfer.

Hanging Hill by Mo Hayder. More Hayder horror.

Bleed for Me Acoustically on the Picket Line

DVD

A Dangerous Method starring Keira Knightley, Michael Fassbender. Knightly plays crazy patient receiving treatment by Carl Jung. This is a David Cronenberg flick so assume weirdness mixed with sexuality.



Fiction

Picket Line by Breena Wiederhoft. Former Wisconsin lady moves to Oregon and writes a comic book novel. Plot: Gal moves to Northern California and gets caught in battle between developer and environmentalists. Wiederhoft made a very good book trailer.



Waking Hours by Lis Wiehl. Some sort of novel with demons. Teen girl is killed and only suspects are the other teens that were at the same party. Forensic psychiatrist and former linebacker are having supernatural experiences related to the murder.

Bleed for Me by Michael Robotham. Robotham does good work and his books circ' well here. Psychologist answers his front door to find his daughter's friend covered in blood. The teen girl remembers nothing but the blood is from her dead father.

NonFiction

Play Acoustic: the complete guide to mastering acoustic guitar styles by Dave Hunter. Comes with two CDs and a spiral binding so the sucker lays flat.

Top 10 San Diego by Pamela Barrus. Top 10 lists of things to do and see. I always like to stay in my hotel room and watch local television stations.

Variety Pack With Guns and a Liebenow

Music on Thin Discs With a Center Hole

Welcome to Condale by Summer Camp. I don't recall why I ordered this. I must have seen a catalog listing or sales rank. Maybe I heard a tune on BBC 6.



X 2011: Christian rock hits by [lots of people]. 16 tunes of singers singing rock hymns.



NonFiction

Mountains of Light: seasons of reflection in Yosemite by R. Mark Liebenow. A natural tour of Yosemite as "Liebenow calls on the spirit and legacy of John Muir to rediscover nature and recover his own exuberance for life."

Gun Digest Book of the AR-15: Volume 3 by Patrick Sweeney. Rifle reviews, caliber commentaries, fancy photographs.

Baltimore: the plague ships: volume one by Mike Mignola. Comic book novel set in 1916 France with zombies or something. Mignola is best known for the Hell Boy comic series.

Audiobook on CD

Drift: the unmooring of American military power by Rachel Maddow. 6 CDs at 7.5 hours. One of those authors people love or hate depending on political affiliation.

The Complete Louie is a Satanic Highway Patrolman

DVD

Highway Patrolman starring [Mexican Actors]. Back in the pre-internet 1980s and 1990s all I could rely on for movie news was the video store rack, The New Yorker, and Roger Ebert's annual compendiums. I don't recall how I heard about this one but I know I read a review somewhere and it only took 20 years for me to get my hands on a copy.

Plot: Pedro is a young, naive rookie highway patrolman who runs into corruption and poverty in rural Mexico. (The only one of two clips I could find.)



Louis: the complete first season starring Louie C.K. fighting with Nick DePaolo. I posted this before but had to return a defective DVD.

My Week With Marilyn starring Michelle Williams and Kenneth Branagh. Go-fer chauffeurs Marilyn Monroe around.



NonFiction

Satan Is Real: the ballad of the Louvin Brothers by Charlie Louvin with Benjamin Whitmer. I read about this online. "The beautiful and tragic saga of the Louvin Brothers - one of the most legendary country duos of all time." The Louvin Brothers became a very minor internet sensation due to an old album cover from which the book is named.

Large Print

The Thief by Clive Cussler. "An Isaac Bell Adventure." Something sinks.

Passing Love by Jacqueline E. Luckett. Better than passing on a cold. According to the cover this is set in Paris. Paris, France. Not Paris, Texas.

Little Girl Gone by Drusilla Campbell. Cover has a photo of a bored pit bull and a girl.

Joe Lansdale Returns

Fiction

Edge of Dark Water by Joe R. Lansdale. Teens want to dig up dead friend to cremate her and take her ashes to Hollywood. This is a Lansdale novel so violence is sure to ensue.

Chomp by Carl Hiassen. Alligator wranglers son goes along when dad hired to help a reality tv show. Humor ensues.

Guilty Wives by James Patterson and David Ellis. Four women are living the high roller life during a long weekend in Monte Carlo. All four women awake on a yacht surrounded by police and charged with murder. Tension ensues.

Elegy for Eddie by Jacqueline Winspear. Fruit seller in 1933 London is killed. Maisie Dobbs investigation ensues.

Letter From A Stranger by Barbara Taylor Bradford. Gal discovers her grandmother is alive ten years after she was thought dead. Investigation ensues.

Buried in Buttercream by G.A. McKevett. Hollywood P.I. Savannah hires an insufferable woman as her wedding planner. Wedding Planner found dead in Savannah's pool. Sleuthing ensues.

The Unseen by Heather Graham. A Texas Ranger and a U.S. Marshal in present day San Antonio use their paranormal powers to investigate murders that include long missing bodies from the past. Ghostliness ensues.

Betrayal by Danielle Steel. Film director discovers someone has been embezzling. Ghost writing ensues.

93.5 Hours of Books and 3 Music CDs

Music on Round, Shiny, Thin Things

Cornershop and the Double-O Groove Of by Cornershop. British song singers.

WOW Hits 2012 by [bunch of people]. "30 of today's top Christian artists and hits" sing songs.

Minnesota Lumberjack Songs by Brian Miller. Gopher trills tunes.

Books on Compact Disc, The New Wave in Sound Technology

Game of Thrones by George R.R. Martin. 28 CDs at 33.5 hours. I read that the mini-series has a lot of nudity. This makes sense since young men tend to read a lot of fantasy novels. That short guy, Peter Dinklage, always does some good acting.

A Clash of Kings by George R.R. Martin. 31 CDs at 37 hours.
Tell All by Chuck Palahniuk. 5 CDs at 5.5 hours. This was on sale. Some humor novel set in "old Hollywood". Should the quote go before or after the period?

Private Lives of Pippa Lee by Rebecca Miller. 6 CDs at 7.5 hours. 50-year-old wife and her husband have moved to a smaller home in anticipation of retirement. Pippa's wild life from 30 years ago "has begun to seep in and invade her present."

Information Officer by Mark Mills. 8 CDs at 10 hours. Spy drama set on Malta during WWII while the island is under siege by the dirty, rotten, filthy, stinking nazis. I listened to this and thought the story was OK. But, Mills does a fantastic job with the setting.

Music, Spies, Muppets, and Cliffs

DVD

A Lonely Place to Die starring [people you never heard of]. Climbers discover a 8-year-old girl hidden on mountain top. They help girl and are followed by kidnappers and the mercenaries the girl's mob father sent to get her. This line is on the cover, "Alison, the group leader, convices her crew to rescue her." Free tip: if you have to convince your pals to rescue a "terrified, dehydrated" girl you need different friends.



Tinker, Tailor, Soldier, Spy starring Gary Oldman, Colin Firth, Tom Hardy, John Hurt. A retired spy is brought back by the British service to hunt down a mole.



The Muppets starring Jason Segel and Amy Adams. Muppets make mirth mocking monied madman.



Hugo starring [kid actors]. I'm not sure what this is about. I never read the book.



Adventures of Tintin starring CGI Characters. Young journalist lives adventurously.



Music on Plastic Disc With a Shiny Side

Chickenfoot III by Chickenfoot. What's a nice way to this...? Rock-star rejects reform? Mature men madly make music?

84.85 Hours of Audio Excitement

Audiobooks on CD

The Black Arrow by Robert Louis Stevenson. 7 CDs at 8.5 hours. Young orphan discovers his guardian killed the orphan's father. Orphan joins the fellowship of the Black Arrow for vengeance during the War of the Roses.

At Last Comes Love by Mary Balogh. 9 CDs at 11 hours. These romance novels always have pretty models on the cover. Am I supposed to believe that gals who look like that are having trouble finding dudes?

Deadly Game by Christine Feehan. 11 CDs at 13.25 hours. Another one of those ghosts and vampires and werewolves and witches kind of books.

A Perfect Blood by Kim Harrison. 13 CDs at 17 hours. The cover model on this one is leaning over and showing cleavage so you can assume it is not one of those Amish romances. Some scary guy in the background is veiled in fog.

The Lady Most Likely... by Julia Quinn, Eloisa James, and Connie Brockway. 7 CDs at 8.6 hours. "A novel in three parts." Looks like each author tells the story from a different character. The model on this cover has her back to the reader and is wearing some fancy 1890s dress.

The Mormon People: the making of an American faith by Matthew Bowman. 9 CDs at 11.5 hours. I was going to write that this is probably not that exciting but considering that everyone was trying to kill the Mormons until they hit Utah this has some great potential.

Raylan by Elmore Leonard. 5 CDs at 6.5 hours. Guess who is behind on episodes of Justified? That is correct, I am behind on episodes of Justified. Every time I watch that show I think I should by another Glock.

Stop Acting Rich: ...and start living like a real millionaire by Thomas J. Stanley. 7 CDs at 8.5 hours. His advice? Don't spend any money. But, how will I buy a new Glock? How about a used one?

Bunch of Movies

DVD

Melancholia starring Kirsten Dunst. Justine's wedding is difficult for her to enjoy when Earth is about to end. Approved by famed novelist Tom Piccirilli.



Young Adult starring Charlize Theron, Patton Oswalt. YA writer returns to 20 year high school homecoming but has still not adjusted to adulthood. Remember when every Charlize Theron movie included her in at least one nude scene? You could depend on it, "Oh, a Charlize Theron movie. We can see her topless again."



3=1: the films of Jan Sharp. Three documentaries by filmmaker Jan Sharp. "All my life I've been making documentaries that were intrusive, where I've seduced people into revealing themselves for the good of others."



Moneyball starring Brad Pitt, Jonah Hill, Philip Seymour Hoffman. You know about this one already. Here.

A Very Harold and Kumar Christmas starring John Cho and Kal Penn. Neil Patrick Harris is insane.



J. Edgar starring Leonardo DiCaprio, Naomi Watts. Naomi Watts? I didn't know she is in this, I may watch it now.



Celtic Thunder: Voyage starring [singing Irish guys]. Irish guys sings songs to swoon skirts.



Elite Squad: the enemy within starring [Brazilians]. Rio de Janeiro's Special Police Operations Battallion is more infantry than police.When the unit's leader starts to stop the vicious gangs he he inadvertently opens a path for corrupt cops.

Make Believe

Fiction

Fall From Grace by Richard North Patterson. Son founds out recently dead father had many secrets. Son starts to hide evidence that a family may have murdered the dad.

Born to Darkness by Suzanne Brockman. Judging by the cover a guy and spend time exercising at night in New York. The flyleaf has some former commando hired as a test subject in a telekinesis lab.

Another Piece of Heart my Jane Green. (I've never given much of a dang about Janis Joplin or her music. So there.) 37-year-old gal marries guy with kids. One kid hates the new wife.

Stay Close by Harlan Coben. "Three people living lives they never wanted, hiding secrets that even those closest to them would never suspect, will find that the past never truly fades away."

Phantom by Ted Bell. Some sort of sailboat.

Force of Nature by C.J. Box. Some guy wants to silence someone else regarding something from 12 years previous.

NonFiction

Some Assembly Required: a journal of my son's first son by Anne Lamott with Sam Lamott.

Glock Married Jesus in the Wild

NonFiction

Glock: the story of America's gun by Paul M. Barrett. the fascinating story of a guy who decided to compete for an Austrian Army contract and won. The revolution in arms design, marketing, and intense business competition. I had a Glock 22 but .40 ammo was too darn expensive compared to 9mm. I saw an ad some used model 21 pistols but .45 ammo is even more expensive than .40.

Marriage Rules: a manual for the married and the coupled up by Harriet Lerner, Ph.D. 106 rules including: Avoid Cutoffs, Apologize, Be Experimental, so on, so forth.

Simply Jesus: a new vision of who He was, what He did, and why He matters by N.T. Wright. No photos.

Wild: from lost to found on the Pacific Crest Trail by Cheryl Strayed. One of those books where someone loses or job or marriage and decides to make a long trip. You go hiking for months and cannot take one measly little photo to put in your book?

Monthly Allottment of Large Print

Large Print Fiction

Fear Index by Robert Harris. Physicist figures financial fix for falutin' figurers.

My Wicked Little Lies by Victoria Alexander. Romance.

Celebrity in Death by J.D. Robb. Book.

Jaguar by T. Jefferson Parker. I just read some praise about Parker's Hood series.

My Allergies Are Winning

More Music

Home by Dierks Bentley. Some country guy.

Emotional Traffic by Tim McGraw. Another country guy.

A Different Kind of Truth by Van Halen. Go online to read complaints by long-time fans.

El Camino by The Black Keys. Rock guys from Ohio.

The Descendants: music from the motion picture. I read a recommendation.

Ringo Franklin Now

Digital Messages Are Embedded Onto The Reflective Surface.

2012 by Ringo Starr. Drummer sings songs.



Now That's What I Call Music! 41 by [Hey, I actually heard of a few of these people].



Knew You Were Waiting: the best of Aretha Franklin, 1980-1998 by Aretha Franklin. Singer sings '80s tripe.

Bunch of Movies

DVD

Martha Marcy May Marlene starring Elizabeth Olsen. A "gripping psychological thriller" according to the box.



The Confession starring Kiefer Sutherland and John Hurt. A "unique tale of redemption" according to the box.



The Big Year starring Steve Martin, Owen Wilson, Jack Black. A "smart, funny comedy" according to the box.

The movie trailer is awful. Here is something else.


Hell and Back Again featuring Sergeant Nathan Harris and his family. A "unprecedented exploration of the moving image" according to the box.



The Guard starring Brendan Gleeson and Don Cheadle. A "fish-out-of-water tale of murder" according to the box.



Courageous starring [no actor names listed]. A "deleted scenes" according to the box.



The Hammer starring Raymond J. Berry. A "This product is authorized for sale in the USA only" according to the box cover.

What to Read 46: "The Art of Fielding" by Chad Harbach

What to Read 46

The Art of Fielding by Chad Harbach,.

Have You Hugged Your Motorcycle Today?

NonFiction

Legendary Motorcycles by Luigi Corbetta. Coffee table book full of motorcycles, motorcycle riders, motorcycle adverts, and reinforcing tape so the book will not fall apart.

McGraw-Hill's ACT: 2012 edition. Pass the exam. Get into a highly regarded college. Graduate college. Move back home.

McGraw-Hill's SAT: 2012 edition. Look for a job. Drink fancy beer you cannot afford. Take GRE. Pass GRE. Get into a highly regarded graduate school.

Large Print Disease

DVD

Contagion starring [many big name actors]. Big name actors pretend to die. Other big name actors pretend to heal the sick.



Large Print

Kill Shot by Vince "Killer Flu" Flynn. Thriller novel with an assassin character.

Home Front by Kristin "Death On Heels" Hannah. Mom serves in Iraq while Dad watches the kids. Mom is changed.

Roam by Alan "Not Lazarus" Lazar. Something about a dog on a wooden bench according to the cover.

Sunrise on Cedar Key by Terri DuLong-"ing for Death". Grace starts her personal and business lives over on Cedar Key Island.

The Summer Garden by Sherryl "Bury'em In The" Woods. Something to do with Ireland, the state of Virginia, and romance.

Miami Basketball House

NonFiction

Insiders' Guide to Miami by Dara Bramson.

Don't Put Me In, Coach: my incredible NCAA journey from the end of the bench to the end of the bench by Mark Titus. Titus is the winningest player in NCAA basketball history with a Big Ten titles, a Final Four appearance and 9 career points.

No Biking in the House Without a Helmet by Melissa Fay Greene. The Greene family had four biological children, "We so loved raising our four children by birth, we didn't want to stop. When the clock started to run down on the home team, we brought in ringers."

Garfield, Golob and Guns.

NonFiction

Garfield Fat Cat 3-Pack: Volume 8 by Jim Davis. Kids love these compendiums. Includes Garfield Blots Out the Sun, Garfield Goes Bananas, Garfield Large and In Charge.

Garfield Fat Cat 3-Pack: Volume 6 by Jim Davis. With Garfield Rounds Out, Garfield Chews the Fat, Garfield Goes to Waist.

Garfield Fat Cat 3-Pack: Volume 4 by Jim Davis. Has Garfield Makes It Big, Garfield Rolls On, Garfield Out to Lunch.

Shoot: Your Guide to Shooting and Competition by Julie Golob. Golob, nee Goloski, is a professional shooter and former member of the U.S. Army Marksmanship Unit. There is a book trailer but it is kinda boring. Here is a competition video instead.



77 Reasons Why Your Book Was Rejected: (and how to make sure it won't happen again!) by Mike Nappa. Recommended by Bill Crider. Reason #57: You Have A Sales History and it Sucks. Reason #29: you stink at grammar and spelling.

Midnight Rising: John Brown and the raid that sparked the Civil War by Tony Horwitz. Horwitz mines the Civil War again. Before I traveled to Australia for a semester of college I looked around at Australia books. I found a $1.00 copy of Horwitz's One For the Road about hitchhiking the circumference of Australia. I still have it at home.

Blue Nights by Joan Didion. Didion's daughter dies.

Family Circle Family Dinners by Linda Fear, Editor in Chief. Recipes for food.

One Pot and Stews: amazingly tasty...surprisingly simple! by No Name Conglomerate. I may have just weeded a one pot recipe book.

Gun Digest Book of the Tactical Rifle by Patrick Sweeney. Guns.

Four Fables

Fiction

The Killing Way by Tony Hays. Arthur is close to being elected supreme King of Britian but a murdered girl is blamed on Merlin. Mad Malgwyn, Arthur's the one armed scribe, is requested to clear Merlin. Malgwyn despises Arthur for rescuing him from a battlefield death.

Poison Flower by Thomas Perry. Does this guy write spy thrillers as well? Maybe that is another guy, Perry won an Edgar Award.

Weird Photo by Internet Serendipity. While searching for a photo of Perry with an Edgar this shot of Michael Chabon (by the Austin Statesman) appeared




The Thief by Clive Cussler and Justin Bell. More aquatic adventures.

Illusion by Frank Peretti. More suspense by Peretti. I assume this is a Christian themed novel like his previous ones.

Musical Interlude to Remain Relevant

Musical Interlude

"To keep a blog relevant you must keep it current."

I am doing library bills this morning and was listening to BBC's 6 Music (as I often do) and a song came on that reminded me of this tune:




Off a charity album, The Sun Came Out, available from the library.