Fiction
Double Cross by James Patterson. "Alex Cross is being targeted by two psychopathic killers."
New Year's Quilt by Jennifer Chiaverini. I have no idea what these books are about. The author lives in Madison. I should invite her to speak here and then I could ask her.
Comedy Recording
Ridiculous by Norm McDonald. Comedy album by Norm McDonald. Norm is the guy who was fired from Saturday Night Live because an NBC executive, and friend of O.J. Simpson, was angry at Norm's constant ridicule of O.J. We've had this CD a while but repackaged the disc into a handier case.
Bunch of Spanish
We don't have a literacy section so I lugged some beginning adult reader titles there.
5,005 Suenos Interpretados by Lucrecia Persico.
Windows XP by Ana Martos Rubio. Part of the Informatica para Mayores series.
Office 2007 by Jose Carlos Nicolas Rivas.
Cuando Vas A Tener un Bebe by Gloria Mayer and Ann Kuklierus.
Para la Salud de las Personas Mayores by Gloria Mayer and Ann Kuklierus
La Salud de los Adolescentes by Gloria Mayer and Ann Kuklierus.
Su Nino Se Enferme Gloria Mayer and Ann Kuklierus.
What to do for Teen Health by Gloria Mayer and Ann Kuklierus.
What to do When Your Child Gets Sick by Gloria Mayer and Ann Kuklierus.
What to do When You're Having a Baby by Gloria Mayer and Ann Kuklierus.
What to do for Senior Health by Gloria Mayer and Ann Kuklierus.
Wednesday, November 14, 2007
Thursday, November 08, 2007
A Shooting Guide, Margaret Truman Is Still Alive, Five DVDs
NonFiction
Personal Protection Handbook: A Comprehensive training manual for handgun, shotgun, rifle by Leonard M. Breure, Ph.D. Breure had 20 years as a military policeman and infantryman and 21 years as a police firearms instructor. Some of the illustrations in here stink, but Breure includes all the basics (combat mindset, awareness, marksmanship, weapons handling, reaction to stress) plus basic, intermediate and advanced shooting and dryfiring drills.
Large Print
Murderon K Street by Margaret Truman.Senator Simmons finds his wife dead. A lobbyist is suspect and another woman is killed.
DVD
I Now Pronounce You Chuck and Larry starring Jessica Biel and two ugly guys. Ugly guys fake gay marriage to qualify one guy's children for the additional pension.
Opus n Bill: a wish for wings that work. Opus Penguin and Bill the Cat travel to ask Father Christmas to let Opus fly. Trouble ensues. I don't know if Binkley, Steve Dallas, Cutter JOhn, et al appear.
Ratatouille starring [animated characters]. A rat yearns to cook. Did you know that rats' teeth grow and grow and grow? They have to chew on something or the teeth grow too long. Rats are disgusting.
Fabulously Fit Moms: super energized workout and Fabulously Fit Moms: lower body burn by Jennifer Nicole Lee. Some Oprah gal teaches you to get fit.
Personal Protection Handbook: A Comprehensive training manual for handgun, shotgun, rifle by Leonard M. Breure, Ph.D. Breure had 20 years as a military policeman and infantryman and 21 years as a police firearms instructor. Some of the illustrations in here stink, but Breure includes all the basics (combat mindset, awareness, marksmanship, weapons handling, reaction to stress) plus basic, intermediate and advanced shooting and dryfiring drills.
Large Print
Murderon K Street by Margaret Truman.Senator Simmons finds his wife dead. A lobbyist is suspect and another woman is killed.
DVD
I Now Pronounce You Chuck and Larry starring Jessica Biel and two ugly guys. Ugly guys fake gay marriage to qualify one guy's children for the additional pension.
Opus n Bill: a wish for wings that work. Opus Penguin and Bill the Cat travel to ask Father Christmas to let Opus fly. Trouble ensues. I don't know if Binkley, Steve Dallas, Cutter JOhn, et al appear.
Ratatouille starring [animated characters]. A rat yearns to cook. Did you know that rats' teeth grow and grow and grow? They have to chew on something or the teeth grow too long. Rats are disgusting.
Fabulously Fit Moms: super energized workout and Fabulously Fit Moms: lower body burn by Jennifer Nicole Lee. Some Oprah gal teaches you to get fit.
Wednesday, November 07, 2007
Five Fabulous Fiction
Fiction
Robot Dreams by Sara Varon. A graphic novel in pictures only; the book contains no dialogue or description. Robot and Dog visit the beach and Robot gets stuck in the sand. Unable to free Robot, Dog leaves him and attempts a variety of replacements. Robot stays rusting in the sand and daydreams.
We have a kid picture book by Varon entitled Chicken and Cat. Chicken visits his friend Cat in the city.
Amazing Grace by Danielle Steel. Yech,
Chase by Clive Cussler. I wonder who ghost wrote this one.
Stone Cold by David Baldacci. The Camel Club of Washington, D.C. fights to uncover secret government work. A Camel Club member has a revengeful casino owner after her.
A Christmas Beginning by Anne Perry. Superintendent Runcorn finds a body on Christmas vacation in Wales.
Robot Dreams by Sara Varon. A graphic novel in pictures only; the book contains no dialogue or description. Robot and Dog visit the beach and Robot gets stuck in the sand. Unable to free Robot, Dog leaves him and attempts a variety of replacements. Robot stays rusting in the sand and daydreams.
We have a kid picture book by Varon entitled Chicken and Cat. Chicken visits his friend Cat in the city.
Amazing Grace by Danielle Steel. Yech,
Chase by Clive Cussler. I wonder who ghost wrote this one.
Stone Cold by David Baldacci. The Camel Club of Washington, D.C. fights to uncover secret government work. A Camel Club member has a revengeful casino owner after her.
A Christmas Beginning by Anne Perry. Superintendent Runcorn finds a body on Christmas vacation in Wales.
Big Mish-Mash
AudioBook
The Sharper Your Knife, The Less You Cry: love, laughter, and tears at the world's most famous cooking school by Kathleen Flinn. Flinn was fired from her London-based management job while she was on vacation. Rather than panic and take the first job possible, Flinn moved to Paris to enroll in Le Cordon Bleu cooking school.
Runaway Ralph by Beverly Cleary. Ralph takes his motorcycle to Happy Acres Camp. C'mon. You know you want to read this one again.
NonFiction
Armed America: portraits of gun owners in their homes by Kyle Cassidy. We've had this book a while but had trouble getting a mylar cover for it. The lack of a simple, lousy mylar cover kept this sitting for a couple dang months.
Anyway, play the "What's that gun?" quiz by trying to identify the firearms without reading the photo captions. To make the game more difficult you can locate the errors in the captions. Portraits include WI residents.
Aftermath by Joel Meyerwitz. Meyerwitz showed up at the World Trade Center site with his cameras and started to shoot photos. Meyerwitz ended up with a press credential and was the only photographer to document the complete investigation and clean-up.
This is a big, oversized bok and also sat on our processing cart for a couple months. Not until we ordered in a 50 foot roll of mylar were we able to cover this one and Armed America.
Various Reference and FEMA Titles
Jefferson County Plat Book, 2007 by Rockford Map Publishers. I bought two copies; one copy for reference and one for check-out. I was going to a meeting in Jefferson and just picked these up at the Clerk's office while I was there.
Wisconsin Atlas and Gazetteer by DeLorme Map Company. Large format atlas of the state. Two copies. Our last copy of this is missing so I figured I should get two and keep one on hand all the time.
Arts in the Small Community by Maryo Gard Ewell and Michael F. Warlum. What the heck is this? A guide to organizing and starting arts groups. I think.
Homeowner's Guide to Retrofitting: six ways to protect your house from flooding by FEMA. When I was in college I took a basic geology class and the Professor had an exam question that involved building on a flood plain. The question was something like, "Downtown St. Peter lies on the flood plain. What should be done in case of a 100 year flood?" Apparently several students gave hippie answers about moving businesses and homes off the flood plain and razing the buildings. I wrote that people should either buy a boat or swim because they'll get flooded eventually. During the massive rains and flooding in 1994 the downtown did get flooded.
Protecting Building Utilities From Flood Damage by FEMA. I ended up living in downtown St. Peter during the last half of my senior year.
Taking Shelter From the Storm: building a safe room inside your house by FEMA. A few years after I graduated a major tornado ripped through St. Peter. The city and campus received a good amount of damage and I'm told my old apartment building took a beating.
The Sharper Your Knife, The Less You Cry: love, laughter, and tears at the world's most famous cooking school by Kathleen Flinn. Flinn was fired from her London-based management job while she was on vacation. Rather than panic and take the first job possible, Flinn moved to Paris to enroll in Le Cordon Bleu cooking school.
Runaway Ralph by Beverly Cleary. Ralph takes his motorcycle to Happy Acres Camp. C'mon. You know you want to read this one again.
NonFiction
Armed America: portraits of gun owners in their homes by Kyle Cassidy. We've had this book a while but had trouble getting a mylar cover for it. The lack of a simple, lousy mylar cover kept this sitting for a couple dang months.
Anyway, play the "What's that gun?" quiz by trying to identify the firearms without reading the photo captions. To make the game more difficult you can locate the errors in the captions. Portraits include WI residents.
Aftermath by Joel Meyerwitz. Meyerwitz showed up at the World Trade Center site with his cameras and started to shoot photos. Meyerwitz ended up with a press credential and was the only photographer to document the complete investigation and clean-up.
This is a big, oversized bok and also sat on our processing cart for a couple months. Not until we ordered in a 50 foot roll of mylar were we able to cover this one and Armed America.
Various Reference and FEMA Titles
Jefferson County Plat Book, 2007 by Rockford Map Publishers. I bought two copies; one copy for reference and one for check-out. I was going to a meeting in Jefferson and just picked these up at the Clerk's office while I was there.
Wisconsin Atlas and Gazetteer by DeLorme Map Company. Large format atlas of the state. Two copies. Our last copy of this is missing so I figured I should get two and keep one on hand all the time.
Arts in the Small Community by Maryo Gard Ewell and Michael F. Warlum. What the heck is this? A guide to organizing and starting arts groups. I think.
Homeowner's Guide to Retrofitting: six ways to protect your house from flooding by FEMA. When I was in college I took a basic geology class and the Professor had an exam question that involved building on a flood plain. The question was something like, "Downtown St. Peter lies on the flood plain. What should be done in case of a 100 year flood?" Apparently several students gave hippie answers about moving businesses and homes off the flood plain and razing the buildings. I wrote that people should either buy a boat or swim because they'll get flooded eventually. During the massive rains and flooding in 1994 the downtown did get flooded.
Protecting Building Utilities From Flood Damage by FEMA. I ended up living in downtown St. Peter during the last half of my senior year.
Taking Shelter From the Storm: building a safe room inside your house by FEMA. A few years after I graduated a major tornado ripped through St. Peter. The city and campus received a good amount of damage and I'm told my old apartment building took a beating.
Friday, November 02, 2007
CD-DVD
CD
The Argument by Fugazi.
DVD
Spider-Man 3 starring Tobey Maguire, Kirsten Dunst, James Franco, Thomas Haden Church. I never saw the second one. I wonder if Bruce Campbell is in this one.
Bob & Tom Comedy All Stars Tour featuring Mike Birbiglia, David Crowe, Nick Griffin, Ralph Harris, Greg Warren. A comedy tour featuring comedians who regularly appear on the Bob &Tom radio program. Since the radio show plays locally I figured someone might like this.
Pilates essentials: for beginners and improvers by Lindsey Jackson. This yoga crap is very, very popular.
The War by Ken Burns. Six disc set of the documentary series. I stopped watching this on television after the first episode since I knew the DVD version was coming out so soon.
Alive Day: Home From Iraq. Alive Day is the anniversary of your catastrophic injury. An opportunity to celebrate your survival. James Gandolfini interviews 10 soldiers and Marines who were severely disabled during their recent service.
Flight of the Living Dead starring [a bunch of unknown actors]. Zombies at 37,000 feet.
The Argument by Fugazi.
DVD
Spider-Man 3 starring Tobey Maguire, Kirsten Dunst, James Franco, Thomas Haden Church. I never saw the second one. I wonder if Bruce Campbell is in this one.
Bob & Tom Comedy All Stars Tour featuring Mike Birbiglia, David Crowe, Nick Griffin, Ralph Harris, Greg Warren. A comedy tour featuring comedians who regularly appear on the Bob &Tom radio program. Since the radio show plays locally I figured someone might like this.
Pilates essentials: for beginners and improvers by Lindsey Jackson. This yoga crap is very, very popular.
The War by Ken Burns. Six disc set of the documentary series. I stopped watching this on television after the first episode since I knew the DVD version was coming out so soon.
Alive Day: Home From Iraq. Alive Day is the anniversary of your catastrophic injury. An opportunity to celebrate your survival. James Gandolfini interviews 10 soldiers and Marines who were severely disabled during their recent service.
Flight of the Living Dead starring [a bunch of unknown actors]. Zombies at 37,000 feet.
Tuesday, October 30, 2007
Two Novels, Two DVDs
Fiction
Mister B. Gone by Clive Barker.
The Heir by Barbara Taylor Bradford.
DVDs
Mr. Brooks starring Kevin Costner. Don't let the presence of Demi Moore and Dane Cook dissuade you. Serial killer enjoys killing people, serially.
1408 starring John Cusack and Samuel L. Jackson. Journalist Cusack spends the night in a haunted hotel room. Stephen King must have more money than several small countries. Maybe he should buy New Guinea.
Mister B. Gone by Clive Barker.
The Heir by Barbara Taylor Bradford.
DVDs
Mr. Brooks starring Kevin Costner. Don't let the presence of Demi Moore and Dane Cook dissuade you. Serial killer enjoys killing people, serially.
1408 starring John Cusack and Samuel L. Jackson. Journalist Cusack spends the night in a haunted hotel room. Stephen King must have more money than several small countries. Maybe he should buy New Guinea.
Thursday, October 25, 2007
More Audiobooks, More Large Print, More This, More That
AudioBooks
Bill of Wrongs: the Executive Branch's assault on America's fundamental rights by Molly Ivins. Change this book around and the title could be a complaint about Pres. Clinton.
Clapton: the autobiography by Eric Clapton. Drug. Drugs. Drugs. Drugs. Drugs. Booze. Booze. Booze. Guitar playing.
Be the Pack Leader by Cesar Millan. The "dog whisperer" fella from television.
Shoot Him if He Runs by Stuart Woods. If you don't want to read the regular or large print versions you can listen to the CD version.
Now and Then by Robert B. Parker. Same as the print version listed below.
Comic
Futurama Conquers the Universe by Matt Groenig (and a bunch of his peons). Six stories. I have the new straight-to-DVD movie on order.
Large Print
Ministry of Special Cases by Nathan englander. Argentina's Dirty War against it's own people seen by Kaddish Poznan who has been rejected by his fellow Jews in Buenos Aires.
Where Angels Go by Debbie Macomber. Three angels - Shirley, Goodness and Mercy - help people out during Christmas.
Slipknot by Linda Greenlaw. Jane moves back to Maine after too much violence in Miami. Finds a Maine murder anyway.
White Heat by Cherry Adair. Terrorism tied up in staged suicide of art restorer.
Family Acts by Louise Shaffer. Two strangers are informed they are joint inheritors of a rundown opera house in Georgia. What's the connection?
Coming Undone by Susan Andersen. Wild woman Priscilla is about to break out as a country music superstar. After firing her manager Priscilla's record company assigns studly Jared to keep an eye on her.
Consequences by Penelope Lively. Wealthy Lorna marries poor artist Matt and move to a village in Somerset and have a child. Things are great until World War Two.
Blaze by Richard Bachman. One of Stephen King's first Bachman novels. King found it sitting and cleaned it up for publication. A crime story about mentally challenged Blaze who works with an experienced crook.
Science Fiction
Fleet of Worlds: 200 years before the discovery of the Ringworld by Larry Niven and Edward M. Lerner.
Bill of Wrongs: the Executive Branch's assault on America's fundamental rights by Molly Ivins. Change this book around and the title could be a complaint about Pres. Clinton.
Clapton: the autobiography by Eric Clapton. Drug. Drugs. Drugs. Drugs. Drugs. Booze. Booze. Booze. Guitar playing.
Be the Pack Leader by Cesar Millan. The "dog whisperer" fella from television.
Shoot Him if He Runs by Stuart Woods. If you don't want to read the regular or large print versions you can listen to the CD version.
Now and Then by Robert B. Parker. Same as the print version listed below.
Comic
Futurama Conquers the Universe by Matt Groenig (and a bunch of his peons). Six stories. I have the new straight-to-DVD movie on order.
Large Print
Ministry of Special Cases by Nathan englander. Argentina's Dirty War against it's own people seen by Kaddish Poznan who has been rejected by his fellow Jews in Buenos Aires.
Where Angels Go by Debbie Macomber. Three angels - Shirley, Goodness and Mercy - help people out during Christmas.
Slipknot by Linda Greenlaw. Jane moves back to Maine after too much violence in Miami. Finds a Maine murder anyway.
White Heat by Cherry Adair. Terrorism tied up in staged suicide of art restorer.
Family Acts by Louise Shaffer. Two strangers are informed they are joint inheritors of a rundown opera house in Georgia. What's the connection?
Coming Undone by Susan Andersen. Wild woman Priscilla is about to break out as a country music superstar. After firing her manager Priscilla's record company assigns studly Jared to keep an eye on her.
Consequences by Penelope Lively. Wealthy Lorna marries poor artist Matt and move to a village in Somerset and have a child. Things are great until World War Two.
Blaze by Richard Bachman. One of Stephen King's first Bachman novels. King found it sitting and cleaned it up for publication. A crime story about mentally challenged Blaze who works with an experienced crook.
Science Fiction
Fleet of Worlds: 200 years before the discovery of the Ringworld by Larry Niven and Edward M. Lerner.
Wednesday, October 24, 2007
Heavy Metal and Spanish CDs plus the usual suspects
CDs
The Art of Partying by Municipal Waste. Some dude on a FARK discussion was plugging these dudes and I got to thinking that I should order some heavy metal bands. Here is a review.
15 Rayos by Kinto Sol. A compilation album by the three Garcia brothers. Hip-hop social commentary. The Garcia's used to live in Milwaukee, then went to Chicago.
AudioBooks
A Woman in Charge by Carl Bernstein. "Stunning portrait of Hillary Rodham Clinton shows us, as nothing else has, the true trajectory of her life and career with its zigzag bursts of risks taken and safety sought...an audiobook that enables us, at last, to address the questions Americans are insistently - even obsessively - asking about Hillary Clinton: What is her character? What is her political philosophy? Who is she? What can we expect of her?"
The War: an intimate history: 1941 - 1945 by Geoffrey C. Ward and Ken Burns. The audio version of the book version of the PBS mini-series.
The Choice by Nicholas Sparks. Young single dude falls for new, redheaded neighbor.
You've Been Warned by James Patterson. Would be professional photographer Kristin works full-time as a nanny. Kristin also has a forbidden lover. When she has a shot for a show at a Manhattan gallery her love life threatens her career.
Fiction
A Lick of Frost by Laurell K. Hamilton. Vampire sex. Or, maybe, "faerie" sex.
Home to Holly Springs by Jan Karon. Father Tim retires from Mitford returns to Holly Springs, Mississippi after 38 years and finds some personal connections to his past still remain.
NonFiction
Musicophilia: tales of music and the brain by Oliver Sacks. "From a man who is struck by lightning and suddenly inspired to become a pianist at the age of forty-two, to an entire group of children with Williams syndrome who are hypermusical from birth; from with 'amusia,' to whom a symphony sounds like the clattering of pots and pans, to a man whose memory spans only seven seconds - for everything but music."
Yale Book of Quotations edited by Fred S. Shapiro. An accurate quotation book that corrects misperceptions with an emphasis on modern quotes.
My Grandfather's Son: a memoir by Clarence Thomas. Justice Thomas was raised by his grandfather in Savannah, Georgia. Thomas' teacher called him an underachiever when he was 14. "I took her words to heart."
Large Print
Week from Sunday by Dorothy Garlock. Adrianna has to marry in a week to receive her father's estate.
The Art of Partying by Municipal Waste. Some dude on a FARK discussion was plugging these dudes and I got to thinking that I should order some heavy metal bands. Here is a review.
15 Rayos by Kinto Sol. A compilation album by the three Garcia brothers. Hip-hop social commentary. The Garcia's used to live in Milwaukee, then went to Chicago.
AudioBooks
A Woman in Charge by Carl Bernstein. "Stunning portrait of Hillary Rodham Clinton shows us, as nothing else has, the true trajectory of her life and career with its zigzag bursts of risks taken and safety sought...an audiobook that enables us, at last, to address the questions Americans are insistently - even obsessively - asking about Hillary Clinton: What is her character? What is her political philosophy? Who is she? What can we expect of her?"
The War: an intimate history: 1941 - 1945 by Geoffrey C. Ward and Ken Burns. The audio version of the book version of the PBS mini-series.
The Choice by Nicholas Sparks. Young single dude falls for new, redheaded neighbor.
You've Been Warned by James Patterson. Would be professional photographer Kristin works full-time as a nanny. Kristin also has a forbidden lover. When she has a shot for a show at a Manhattan gallery her love life threatens her career.
Fiction
A Lick of Frost by Laurell K. Hamilton. Vampire sex. Or, maybe, "faerie" sex.
Home to Holly Springs by Jan Karon. Father Tim retires from Mitford returns to Holly Springs, Mississippi after 38 years and finds some personal connections to his past still remain.
NonFiction
Musicophilia: tales of music and the brain by Oliver Sacks. "From a man who is struck by lightning and suddenly inspired to become a pianist at the age of forty-two, to an entire group of children with Williams syndrome who are hypermusical from birth; from with 'amusia,' to whom a symphony sounds like the clattering of pots and pans, to a man whose memory spans only seven seconds - for everything but music."
Yale Book of Quotations edited by Fred S. Shapiro. An accurate quotation book that corrects misperceptions with an emphasis on modern quotes.
My Grandfather's Son: a memoir by Clarence Thomas. Justice Thomas was raised by his grandfather in Savannah, Georgia. Thomas' teacher called him an underachiever when he was 14. "I took her words to heart."
Large Print
Week from Sunday by Dorothy Garlock. Adrianna has to marry in a week to receive her father's estate.
Monday, October 22, 2007
Flavorful Assortment
DVD
Planet Terror starring Rose McGowan, Freddy Rodriguez, Michael Biehn, Jeff Fahey, Josh Brolin. A purposefully B-Movie with B-level actors. Except for Michael Biehn, that guy is great.
Hoax starring Richard Gere, Alfred Molina, Marcia Gay Harden. Clifford Irving convinces a publisher that he was asked by Hoard Hughes to pen Hughes' autobiography. Irving devices an "elaborate scheme to prove his fake manuscript is real."
Transformers starring Shia LeBouf, Tyrese Gibson, Josh Duhamel, Anthony Anderson. Tripe.
Fiction
Blink of an Eye by Ted Dekker. A Saudi princess and a genius surfer dude hook-up as targets of a California manhunt.
Now and Then by Robert B. Parker. Spenser investigates an unfaithfull wife. Husband kills several people. Dead wife's lover blames Spenser. Dead wife's lover is terrorist financier. Terrorist financier goes after Spencer's girlfriend. Spenser has a hissy-fit with guns.
Pandora's Daughter by iris Johansen. Some schizophrenic gal doctor is psychic and people want to kill her. Or something like that.
NonFiction
U.S. Coin Digest 2008: the complete guide to current market values.
Guinness World Records 2008. "With glow in the dark features." With: Most Votes for a Chimpanzee in a Political Campaign, Longest Beet, Oldest Female to Row an Ocean, Largest Hotel Complex.
Leviathan: the history of whaling in America by Eric Jay Dolin. I've recently read a few sea stories that involved whaling and the industry sounds fascinating. Whale oil was the main source of fuel for lighting and used for in production of soap, textiles, leather, paints, etc.
See You in a Hundred Years: forgotten America by Logan Ward. Heather and Logan take young son, move to Virginia and live with only 100 year old technology. Apparently they forgot that Brownie cameras were available 100 years ago because they didn't add any photos to the dang book.
Giving: how each of us can change the world by Bill Clinton.
Unruly Americans and the Origins of the Constitution by Woody Holton. The successfull efforts by ordinary Americans to force democracy back to the forefront after the Framers got scared of too much freedom and focused on commerce.
I Am America (and So Can You) by Stephen Colbert. Awarded the Stephen T. Colbert Award for the Literary Excellence.
Private Soldiers: a year in Iraq with a Wisconsin National Guard unit by Benjamin Buchholz. A photo history.
Planet Terror starring Rose McGowan, Freddy Rodriguez, Michael Biehn, Jeff Fahey, Josh Brolin. A purposefully B-Movie with B-level actors. Except for Michael Biehn, that guy is great.
Hoax starring Richard Gere, Alfred Molina, Marcia Gay Harden. Clifford Irving convinces a publisher that he was asked by Hoard Hughes to pen Hughes' autobiography. Irving devices an "elaborate scheme to prove his fake manuscript is real."
Transformers starring Shia LeBouf, Tyrese Gibson, Josh Duhamel, Anthony Anderson. Tripe.
Fiction
Blink of an Eye by Ted Dekker. A Saudi princess and a genius surfer dude hook-up as targets of a California manhunt.
Now and Then by Robert B. Parker. Spenser investigates an unfaithfull wife. Husband kills several people. Dead wife's lover blames Spenser. Dead wife's lover is terrorist financier. Terrorist financier goes after Spencer's girlfriend. Spenser has a hissy-fit with guns.
Pandora's Daughter by iris Johansen. Some schizophrenic gal doctor is psychic and people want to kill her. Or something like that.
NonFiction
U.S. Coin Digest 2008: the complete guide to current market values.
Guinness World Records 2008. "With glow in the dark features." With: Most Votes for a Chimpanzee in a Political Campaign, Longest Beet, Oldest Female to Row an Ocean, Largest Hotel Complex.
Leviathan: the history of whaling in America by Eric Jay Dolin. I've recently read a few sea stories that involved whaling and the industry sounds fascinating. Whale oil was the main source of fuel for lighting and used for in production of soap, textiles, leather, paints, etc.
See You in a Hundred Years: forgotten America by Logan Ward. Heather and Logan take young son, move to Virginia and live with only 100 year old technology. Apparently they forgot that Brownie cameras were available 100 years ago because they didn't add any photos to the dang book.
Giving: how each of us can change the world by Bill Clinton.
Unruly Americans and the Origins of the Constitution by Woody Holton. The successfull efforts by ordinary Americans to force democracy back to the forefront after the Framers got scared of too much freedom and focused on commerce.
I Am America (and So Can You) by Stephen Colbert. Awarded the Stephen T. Colbert Award for the Literary Excellence.
Private Soldiers: a year in Iraq with a Wisconsin National Guard unit by Benjamin Buchholz. A photo history.
Spanish Language Books for Adults
Fiction
I attended a program at WLA that past week that addressed Spanish speaking Library users. One suggestion was to not buy Spanish language translations of popular authors like Stephen King because readers will just read the original English versions instead. I had independently decided on that three weeks ago when I was selecting these titles. But, it's tough to choose titles when the authors are from Colombia or Chile. So, I cheated and bought a few translations.
El Jardin de las Fieras by Jeffrey Deaver.
Esta Que Ves by Xavier Velasco.
Cielo de Tango by Elsa Osorio.
Muerte Natural y Otros Suicidios by Eduvigis Hernandez
Cell by Stephen King.
El Amante Turco by Esmeralda Santiago.
El Reino: la victoria final by Tim LaHaye and Jerry B. Jenkins.
Cien Anos de Soledad by Gabirel Garcia Marquez.
Ines de Alma Mia by Isabel Allende.
Inmoral by Brian Freeman.
Hija de la Memoria by Kim Edwards.
Fantasmas de Pasado by Nicholas Sparks.
Adios Muchachos by Daniel Chavarria.
NonFiction
Yoha: como Metodo de Relajacion by Anna Trokes.
Papa Rico, Papa Pobre by Robert T. Kiyosaki.
Como Comprar una Vivienda para Dummies by Eric Tyson.
La Disciplina hasta los Tres Anos by Jeanne Warren Lindsay and Sally McCullough.
Consiga un Trabajo Hoy by Luis Cortes, Jr.
Amuletos, Esencias y Sahumerios Para el Hogar by Abu D. Napir.
Ayudate a ti Mismo by Dave Pelzer.
Una Vida con Proposito by Rick Warren.
Su Mejor vida Ahora by Joel Osteen.
La gramatica de la Astrologia by Zadkiel.
Alimentos Sanadores Para el Sobrepeso edited by Aurora Giribaldi.
Ingles para Conversar: Ingles en 100 Dias.
I attended a program at WLA that past week that addressed Spanish speaking Library users. One suggestion was to not buy Spanish language translations of popular authors like Stephen King because readers will just read the original English versions instead. I had independently decided on that three weeks ago when I was selecting these titles. But, it's tough to choose titles when the authors are from Colombia or Chile. So, I cheated and bought a few translations.
El Jardin de las Fieras by Jeffrey Deaver.
Esta Que Ves by Xavier Velasco.
Cielo de Tango by Elsa Osorio.
Muerte Natural y Otros Suicidios by Eduvigis Hernandez
Cell by Stephen King.
El Amante Turco by Esmeralda Santiago.
El Reino: la victoria final by Tim LaHaye and Jerry B. Jenkins.
Cien Anos de Soledad by Gabirel Garcia Marquez.
Ines de Alma Mia by Isabel Allende.
Inmoral by Brian Freeman.
Hija de la Memoria by Kim Edwards.
Fantasmas de Pasado by Nicholas Sparks.
Adios Muchachos by Daniel Chavarria.
NonFiction
Yoha: como Metodo de Relajacion by Anna Trokes.
Papa Rico, Papa Pobre by Robert T. Kiyosaki.
Como Comprar una Vivienda para Dummies by Eric Tyson.
La Disciplina hasta los Tres Anos by Jeanne Warren Lindsay and Sally McCullough.
Consiga un Trabajo Hoy by Luis Cortes, Jr.
Amuletos, Esencias y Sahumerios Para el Hogar by Abu D. Napir.
Ayudate a ti Mismo by Dave Pelzer.
Una Vida con Proposito by Rick Warren.
Su Mejor vida Ahora by Joel Osteen.
La gramatica de la Astrologia by Zadkiel.
Alimentos Sanadores Para el Sobrepeso edited by Aurora Giribaldi.
Ingles para Conversar: Ingles en 100 Dias.
Monday, October 15, 2007
Six Country and Western, One Rap, One Simpsons
CDs
Country and Western
Greatest Hits by Trisha Yearwood.
Still Feels Good by Rascal Flatts. I don't know their music but they are trying to look real good and disaffected on the album cover. The back of CD booklet has them posing by a house pool in the hills around Los Angeles. I recognize the house, tv shows and movies have been used it as a location.
Crazy Ex-Girlfriend by Miranda Lambert. Is Lambert the crazy ex-girlfriend or is she singing about the crazy ex-girlfriend?
Upfront and Lowdown by Teddy Thompson. A cover album of older country western tunes. We have another Thompson album with his original work, Separate Ways.
Seven Miles Out Of Town by Bob Wills and The Texas Playboys. There are still original members of Wills' band out touring.
It's Not Big It's Large by Lyle Lovett and his Large Band. The great Lyle Lovett.
Rap
Graduation by Kanye West.
Soundtrack
The Simpson: a whole lot more original music from the television series by [who knows?]. With great songs like Ode to Branson, What do I think of the Pie?, O Pruny Night, Welcome to Moe's, "Yokel Chords" Medley.
Country and Western
Greatest Hits by Trisha Yearwood.
Still Feels Good by Rascal Flatts. I don't know their music but they are trying to look real good and disaffected on the album cover. The back of CD booklet has them posing by a house pool in the hills around Los Angeles. I recognize the house, tv shows and movies have been used it as a location.
Crazy Ex-Girlfriend by Miranda Lambert. Is Lambert the crazy ex-girlfriend or is she singing about the crazy ex-girlfriend?
Upfront and Lowdown by Teddy Thompson. A cover album of older country western tunes. We have another Thompson album with his original work, Separate Ways.
Seven Miles Out Of Town by Bob Wills and The Texas Playboys. There are still original members of Wills' band out touring.
It's Not Big It's Large by Lyle Lovett and his Large Band. The great Lyle Lovett.
Rap
Graduation by Kanye West.
Soundtrack
The Simpson: a whole lot more original music from the television series by [who knows?]. With great songs like Ode to Branson, What do I think of the Pie?, O Pruny Night, Welcome to Moe's, "Yokel Chords" Medley.
Friday, October 12, 2007
Three CDs and a Tarantino
CDs
Let it Go by Tim McGraw. I guess this guy sings okay. His wife is good looking.
Now That's What I Call Music! 25. A bunch of chart topping tunes. Remember, that's the title talking, not me. I haven't heard any of these songs. But Library staff member Stephanie will probably check this one out.
Timbaland Presents: Shock Value by Timbaland. A rapper? I think so. That Justin Timberlake guy is on several tunes which confuses me. Timbaland, Timberlake, Timbaland...I used to think they were the same person.
DVD
Death Proof starring Kurt Russell, Rose McGowan, Sydney Poitier. Tarantino's half of his and Robert Rodriguez's Grind House. Kurt Russell is in it so it has to be good.
You doubt me about Kurt Russell? Well then take a look at The Thing, Used Cars, or Big Trouble in Little China. But don't watch Tango and Cash. What a massive pile of junk that was. Massive.
Let it Go by Tim McGraw. I guess this guy sings okay. His wife is good looking.
Now That's What I Call Music! 25. A bunch of chart topping tunes. Remember, that's the title talking, not me. I haven't heard any of these songs. But Library staff member Stephanie will probably check this one out.
Timbaland Presents: Shock Value by Timbaland. A rapper? I think so. That Justin Timberlake guy is on several tunes which confuses me. Timbaland, Timberlake, Timbaland...I used to think they were the same person.
DVD
Death Proof starring Kurt Russell, Rose McGowan, Sydney Poitier. Tarantino's half of his and Robert Rodriguez's Grind House. Kurt Russell is in it so it has to be good.
You doubt me about Kurt Russell? Well then take a look at The Thing, Used Cars, or Big Trouble in Little China. But don't watch Tango and Cash. What a massive pile of junk that was. Massive.
Thursday, October 11, 2007
DVDs
DVD
Black Book starring a bunch of Dutch actors. Rachel Stein tries to escape Holland with other Jews but is the only survivor of a Nazi ambush. Rachel joins the resistance, is assigned to tempt a Captain at German headquarters, and finds out the Resistance has a mole.
28 Weeks Later starring Robert Carlyle, Rose Byrne, Catherine McCormack. I screwed up on this one and ordered the full screen version. I hate full screen versions, 1/3 to 1/2 of the picture ends up getting chopped off to fit the screen. Dang it.
High School Musical: The Concert starring a bunch of teen actors. Touring stage production of High School Musical.
TMNT starring a bunch of voice overs. Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles are still around. Amazing.
Gracie starring Dermot Mulroney Elisabeth Shue. Fifteen year old girl soccer player has no girls team to play for. So, she challenges her parents and school policy to play on the boys team. based on Elisabeth Shue's time in high school.
A Merry Bunny Christmas starring Max and Ruby. Here is a guess: Ruby bosses Max around, Max is Mischevious.
Black Book starring a bunch of Dutch actors. Rachel Stein tries to escape Holland with other Jews but is the only survivor of a Nazi ambush. Rachel joins the resistance, is assigned to tempt a Captain at German headquarters, and finds out the Resistance has a mole.
28 Weeks Later starring Robert Carlyle, Rose Byrne, Catherine McCormack. I screwed up on this one and ordered the full screen version. I hate full screen versions, 1/3 to 1/2 of the picture ends up getting chopped off to fit the screen. Dang it.
High School Musical: The Concert starring a bunch of teen actors. Touring stage production of High School Musical.
TMNT starring a bunch of voice overs. Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles are still around. Amazing.
Gracie starring Dermot Mulroney Elisabeth Shue. Fifteen year old girl soccer player has no girls team to play for. So, she challenges her parents and school policy to play on the boys team. based on Elisabeth Shue's time in high school.
A Merry Bunny Christmas starring Max and Ruby. Here is a guess: Ruby bosses Max around, Max is Mischevious.
Tuesday, October 09, 2007
Fiction and NonFiction
Fiction
Camp Ford by Johnny D. Boggs. The cover makes this look like a western. The story is actually set during the Civil War. Win MacNaughton enlists in the Union Army, is captured in Louisiana, and then sent to Camp Ford in Texas where the inmates start a baseball team and challenge the guards to a game.
Tango for a Torturer by Daniel Chavarria. Chavarria is an interesting character. Chavarria is a Uruguayan professor of literature and an expert in the history of prostitutes and prostitution.
Aldo Bianchi is a former Argentine revolutionary now living in Italy. On vacation in Havana Aldo meets a hooker and through her finds out the location in Havana of the torturer from Argentina he is hunting. Aldo sets out for personal justice.
"Daniel Chavarria portrays the sensuousness and skullduggery of contemporary Havana - a city that offers erotic thrills to pleasure-seeking tourists, even as it hides the villains in its humid embrace."
An Ice Cold Grave by Charlaine Harris. Harper Connelly can communicate with the dead ever since she was twelve years old and struck by lighting. She now makes her living by locating missing and murdered people. Harper's latest job in North Carolina sets her into the path of a killer after teenage boys.
Large Print Fiction
Heartbreak Town by Marsha Moyer. Lucy Hatch is raising her son in Mooney, TX when her ex-husband and former country music star Ash Farrell shows up and parks his trailer in her backyard. Will they get back together? Will town gossip drive them further apart?
Beyond Reach by Karin Slaughter. Police Detective Lena Adams is a murder suspect in a neighboring town. Her superior, Police Chief Tolliver, heads over to help her out. Tolliver's wife is not happy about Tolliver's behavior but soon finds herself in the middle of things.
NonFiction
In Other Words: the meanings memoirs of euphemisms by Dominique Enright. Laced mutton: a prostitute. Given your cards: dismissed from your job. Take a walk: a defecting spy. Prestigious: in a real estate agent's description this means expensive.
Essentials Grilling: simple & delicious recipes that are easy to make by Bernice Hurst.
Comfort Food: a selection of traditional recipes just like your grandma used to make by Parragon Publishing.
Marine Corps Tank Battles in Korea by Oscar Gilbert. "We just loaded shells into that goddamn thin. It was just a bonfire. That tank was burning from one end to the other in no time at all" G.G. Sweet's encounter with a T-34 tank near Pusan.
North American Exploration by Michael Golay and John Bowman. Entries covering every major expedition, leader, geographical feature, and milestone.
I'm listening to the audio version of Dan Simmons' The Terror which is set Arctic Canada and based on a true expedition. I'll have to look it up in here.
What Makes Flamingos Pink?: a colorful collection of Q & A's for the unquenchably curious by Bill McLain. The stuff they eat makes them pink, I knew that already. I did not know that "chickenpox" dates from 1720 and is labeled as such to show it's mildness in comparison to smallpox.
Public Executions: from Ancient Rome to the present day by Nigel Cawthorne. The attempted quartering of Robert-Francois Damiens, They continued their repeated efforts for more than an hour, without making any progress towards dismembering him other than stretching his joints to a great length. This was probably due to the fact that the horses were young and vigorous. Consequenetly they were too wilful and unruly to pull with a concerted effort. The physician and surgeon on hand told the commissioners that, unless the main sinews were cut, it would be difficult, if not impossible, to carry out the sentence of dismemberment.
Camp Ford by Johnny D. Boggs. The cover makes this look like a western. The story is actually set during the Civil War. Win MacNaughton enlists in the Union Army, is captured in Louisiana, and then sent to Camp Ford in Texas where the inmates start a baseball team and challenge the guards to a game.
Tango for a Torturer by Daniel Chavarria. Chavarria is an interesting character. Chavarria is a Uruguayan professor of literature and an expert in the history of prostitutes and prostitution.
Aldo Bianchi is a former Argentine revolutionary now living in Italy. On vacation in Havana Aldo meets a hooker and through her finds out the location in Havana of the torturer from Argentina he is hunting. Aldo sets out for personal justice.
"Daniel Chavarria portrays the sensuousness and skullduggery of contemporary Havana - a city that offers erotic thrills to pleasure-seeking tourists, even as it hides the villains in its humid embrace."
An Ice Cold Grave by Charlaine Harris. Harper Connelly can communicate with the dead ever since she was twelve years old and struck by lighting. She now makes her living by locating missing and murdered people. Harper's latest job in North Carolina sets her into the path of a killer after teenage boys.
Large Print Fiction
Heartbreak Town by Marsha Moyer. Lucy Hatch is raising her son in Mooney, TX when her ex-husband and former country music star Ash Farrell shows up and parks his trailer in her backyard. Will they get back together? Will town gossip drive them further apart?
Beyond Reach by Karin Slaughter. Police Detective Lena Adams is a murder suspect in a neighboring town. Her superior, Police Chief Tolliver, heads over to help her out. Tolliver's wife is not happy about Tolliver's behavior but soon finds herself in the middle of things.
NonFiction
In Other Words: the meanings memoirs of euphemisms by Dominique Enright. Laced mutton: a prostitute. Given your cards: dismissed from your job. Take a walk: a defecting spy. Prestigious: in a real estate agent's description this means expensive.
Essentials Grilling: simple & delicious recipes that are easy to make by Bernice Hurst.
Comfort Food: a selection of traditional recipes just like your grandma used to make by Parragon Publishing.
Marine Corps Tank Battles in Korea by Oscar Gilbert. "We just loaded shells into that goddamn thin. It was just a bonfire. That tank was burning from one end to the other in no time at all" G.G. Sweet's encounter with a T-34 tank near Pusan.
North American Exploration by Michael Golay and John Bowman. Entries covering every major expedition, leader, geographical feature, and milestone.
I'm listening to the audio version of Dan Simmons' The Terror which is set Arctic Canada and based on a true expedition. I'll have to look it up in here.
What Makes Flamingos Pink?: a colorful collection of Q & A's for the unquenchably curious by Bill McLain. The stuff they eat makes them pink, I knew that already. I did not know that "chickenpox" dates from 1720 and is labeled as such to show it's mildness in comparison to smallpox.
Public Executions: from Ancient Rome to the present day by Nigel Cawthorne. The attempted quartering of Robert-Francois Damiens, They continued their repeated efforts for more than an hour, without making any progress towards dismembering him other than stretching his joints to a great length. This was probably due to the fact that the horses were young and vigorous. Consequenetly they were too wilful and unruly to pull with a concerted effort. The physician and surgeon on hand told the commissioners that, unless the main sinews were cut, it would be difficult, if not impossible, to carry out the sentence of dismemberment.
Monday, October 08, 2007
CDs and Two DVDs
CD
It's been a while since we had new CDs. So here you go, Glenn.
Magic by Bruce Springsteen. You can find reviews anywhere. Steven Van Zandt has been promoting the disc like mad on his radio show.
Revival by John Fogerty. Latest album by Fogerty. The first in three years. I think that close to the whole catalog of Fogerty and Creedence discs is available through the library.
Echoes, Silence, Patience & Grace by Foo Fighters. What happened to the bassist from Nirvana?
Awakening by Melissa Etheridge. I've never much enjoyed her tunes much but she does have a strong singing voice. This is her "cancer" disc, songs about life drawn from her chemo treatments.
O.C.M.S. by Old Crow Medicine Show. I bought Big Iron World by Old Crow Medicine Show a few months ago and think it is great. A neat mix of country and rock (I read a description saying" neo-traditionalist folk" which is probably most accurate). I searched for the band on YouTube and found some other great tunes from O.C.M.S..
Last Days of Wonder by The Handsome Family. I don't recall how I heard of this duo. Probably by searching the catalog for alt-country or doing the same search through Allmusic.com. One of the former directors at Watertown, Matt Williams, was a msic fan and also cataloged the music CDs. Cataloging is incredibly boring but a good cataloging, with proper subject headings, makes catalog searching a breeze and uncovers items that would otherwise go unnoticed.
Anyway, I listened to two earlier albums from Watertown PL and decided we should get this 2006 release.
DVD
Knocked Up starring Katherine Heigl and Seth Rogen and Paul Rudd. Gla gets pregnant during one night stand with Loser Dude. Loser Dude and gal come to grips with impending parenthood. A comedy.
The Valet starring a bunch of French actors. Billionaire philanderer Pierre is caught by paparazzi while he is out with his supermodel mistress. Pierre tries to convince wife that the mistress is really the girlfriend of the valet caught in the paparazzi photographs with them. This had a write up in People or Entertainment Weekly or some gossip rag.
It's been a while since we had new CDs. So here you go, Glenn.
Magic by Bruce Springsteen. You can find reviews anywhere. Steven Van Zandt has been promoting the disc like mad on his radio show.
Revival by John Fogerty. Latest album by Fogerty. The first in three years. I think that close to the whole catalog of Fogerty and Creedence discs is available through the library.
Echoes, Silence, Patience & Grace by Foo Fighters. What happened to the bassist from Nirvana?
Awakening by Melissa Etheridge. I've never much enjoyed her tunes much but she does have a strong singing voice. This is her "cancer" disc, songs about life drawn from her chemo treatments.
O.C.M.S. by Old Crow Medicine Show. I bought Big Iron World by Old Crow Medicine Show a few months ago and think it is great. A neat mix of country and rock (I read a description saying" neo-traditionalist folk" which is probably most accurate). I searched for the band on YouTube and found some other great tunes from O.C.M.S..
Last Days of Wonder by The Handsome Family. I don't recall how I heard of this duo. Probably by searching the catalog for alt-country or doing the same search through Allmusic.com. One of the former directors at Watertown, Matt Williams, was a msic fan and also cataloged the music CDs. Cataloging is incredibly boring but a good cataloging, with proper subject headings, makes catalog searching a breeze and uncovers items that would otherwise go unnoticed.
Anyway, I listened to two earlier albums from Watertown PL and decided we should get this 2006 release.
DVD
Knocked Up starring Katherine Heigl and Seth Rogen and Paul Rudd. Gla gets pregnant during one night stand with Loser Dude. Loser Dude and gal come to grips with impending parenthood. A comedy.
The Valet starring a bunch of French actors. Billionaire philanderer Pierre is caught by paparazzi while he is out with his supermodel mistress. Pierre tries to convince wife that the mistress is really the girlfriend of the valet caught in the paparazzi photographs with them. This had a write up in People or Entertainment Weekly or some gossip rag.
Non Fiction, Large Print Fiction
Large Print
North River by Pete Hamill. I read a reprint of a Hamill book a few months ago which had a story about a journalist in trouble with the IRA. That was a good book.
Dr. Jim Delaney of Manhattan treats the down-and-out residents of Manhattan. Delaney has been grieving his wife's suicide in the North River for a while when his three-year-old grandson is unexpectantly left on his doorstep.
Falling Man by Don DeLillo. The emotional aftermath of 9/11 on several New Yorkers. Title is from the image of the falling restaurant worker from Windows on the World.
Killer Weekend by Ridley Pearson. Sun Valley, Idaho Patrolman Walt Fleming saved the life of U.S. Attorney General Shaler seven years ago. Now Walt is Sheriff and Fleming is back in town to announce her candidacy for President; and another threat on her life is underway.
Died in the Wool: A Torie O'Shea mystery by Rett MacPherson. I think this is one of those "cutesey" cozy mysteries. There is probably some quilting, sewing, or cooking in it.
Hourglass by Barbara Metzger. Some romance between a soldier's widow and and a ghost from the Crusades. Sounds stupid to me.
NonFiction
Who's Watching the Spies: establishing intelligence service accountability edited by Hans Born, et al. The strengths and weaknesses of several countries' intelligence services and how different experiments have worked out.
Generals: Andrew Jackson, Sir Edward Pakenham, and the Road to The Battle of New Orleans by Benton Rain Patterson. The six week Battle of New Orleans begun in December, 1814. The death of Pakenham and the rise of Jackson.
Universal Book of Mathematics: from abrcadabra to Zeno's Paradoxes by David Darling. A one volume encyclopedic look at mathematics history and theory.
Ferrari: from the prototype 125 and classic 250 GTO to Ferrari's stunning F430 supercar by Andrew Chapman. A photo history. If you like this check out Inside Ferrari: unique behind-the-scenes photography of the world's greatest Formula One team.
Diabetic Cookbook: simple and delicious recipes for a healthy life by Sarah Banbery. As if the subtitle would be difficult and revolting recipes to kill you fast.
Vanishing Beauty by Bertie and Dow Winkel. A coffee table photo book of vanishing cultural traditions from around the world.
Drawing Animals by Victor Amburs. Sketching guide.
North River by Pete Hamill. I read a reprint of a Hamill book a few months ago which had a story about a journalist in trouble with the IRA. That was a good book.
Dr. Jim Delaney of Manhattan treats the down-and-out residents of Manhattan. Delaney has been grieving his wife's suicide in the North River for a while when his three-year-old grandson is unexpectantly left on his doorstep.
Falling Man by Don DeLillo. The emotional aftermath of 9/11 on several New Yorkers. Title is from the image of the falling restaurant worker from Windows on the World.
Killer Weekend by Ridley Pearson. Sun Valley, Idaho Patrolman Walt Fleming saved the life of U.S. Attorney General Shaler seven years ago. Now Walt is Sheriff and Fleming is back in town to announce her candidacy for President; and another threat on her life is underway.
Died in the Wool: A Torie O'Shea mystery by Rett MacPherson. I think this is one of those "cutesey" cozy mysteries. There is probably some quilting, sewing, or cooking in it.
Hourglass by Barbara Metzger. Some romance between a soldier's widow and and a ghost from the Crusades. Sounds stupid to me.
NonFiction
Who's Watching the Spies: establishing intelligence service accountability edited by Hans Born, et al. The strengths and weaknesses of several countries' intelligence services and how different experiments have worked out.
Generals: Andrew Jackson, Sir Edward Pakenham, and the Road to The Battle of New Orleans by Benton Rain Patterson. The six week Battle of New Orleans begun in December, 1814. The death of Pakenham and the rise of Jackson.
Universal Book of Mathematics: from abrcadabra to Zeno's Paradoxes by David Darling. A one volume encyclopedic look at mathematics history and theory.
Ferrari: from the prototype 125 and classic 250 GTO to Ferrari's stunning F430 supercar by Andrew Chapman. A photo history. If you like this check out Inside Ferrari: unique behind-the-scenes photography of the world's greatest Formula One team.
Diabetic Cookbook: simple and delicious recipes for a healthy life by Sarah Banbery. As if the subtitle would be difficult and revolting recipes to kill you fast.
Vanishing Beauty by Bertie and Dow Winkel. A coffee table photo book of vanishing cultural traditions from around the world.
Drawing Animals by Victor Amburs. Sketching guide.
Wednesday, October 03, 2007
Piles of Books
Fiction
Last Chicken in America:a novel in stories by Ellen Litman. Stories about the Russian emigres in Squirrel Hill, Pennsylvania.
Storm Runners by T. Jefferson Parker. Matt Stromsoe hit rock bottom when his family was murdered by a bomb. The bomber was Matt's childhood friend and his wife's ex-lover. Rebuilding his life with a private detective firm Matt is assigned to protect a local newsman from a stalker. A stalker who has ties to the man imprisoned for killing Matt's family.
In the Country of Men by Hisham Matar. Nine year old Suleiman lives in Libya in 1979. His father travels frequently for business but one day Suleiman sees him across the square in big sunglasses. His mother starts burning his fathers old books. The man in the parked car outside asked sinister questions. His friend's father disappears and then reappears on television being interrogated.
Headmaster's Dilemma by Louis Auchincloss. Michael Sayre is the Headmaster at Averhill prep school. A sexual assault on campus brings a lawsuit by the student victim's parents. Michael opposes the lawsuit while the conniving President of the Board of Trustees sees an opportunity to dismiss Michael.
Undead and Uneasy by Mary Janice Davidson. Part of Davidson's chicklit vampire humor novels.
Queen of Babble in the Big City by Meg Cabot. Continuing character of Lizzie Nichols. Lizzie's big mouth get her in trouble with her would be mother-in-law, at new job at a law firm, and everywhere else.
Sundown, Yellow Moon by Larry Watson. Author of Montana, 1948 which I read for a book discussion. In 1961 Bismarck, North Dakota Gene's father walked into the state capitol, shot a state senator to death, walked home, and hung himself. The reasons why died with both men but speculation continued for years. Forty of those years have passed and Gene is back in town trying to figure out why it all happened.
Red Sea by Emily Benedek. A thriller. Four airliners explode in midair on the same day. Governments and people around the world are in panic. Aviation reporter Marie Peterssen has a theory about the event that is confirmed by an Israeli airline security expert. Together they uncover a plot to explode a nuclear warhead in New York Harbor.
World Without End by Ken Follett. This one earned some some big reviews. A sort-off continuation of Follett's Pillars of the Earth. 14th Century England where the cathedral in Knightsbridge "at the center of a web of love and hate, greed and pride, ambition and revenge." Follett still has a full head of hair but that hair doesn't extend several inches up like it used to.
Trespass by Valerie Martin. Chloe Dale is living the good life in rural New York. Except for the strange poacher on her land and her anger over Iraq. When Toby brings home his pregnant Croatian girlfriend Chloe immediately dislikes her. When the girlfriend brings along her mom, the trouble grows.
Wedding Officer by Anthony Capella. British Army officer Captain James Gould is assigned the authority to approve soldiers to marry Italian girls. Gould's rarely grants the needed approval. So the townspeople conspire to get him a new cook: the widowed and beautiful Livia.
Mystery
When Day Breaks by Mary Jane Clark. The cover has a picture of a pool deck and pool water with an electrical cord snaking into the water and the shadow of a woman falling across the cord.
Fools Rush In by Ed Gorman. A positive review by Bill Crider.
First Wave by James R. Benn. Billy Boyle is General Eisenhower's personal investigator. Boyle didn't earn the job, his family connections helped with that. But, Boyle turns out to be a better detective than anyone, including himself, thought. Boyle hits the Algerian beach in 1942 investigating the murders of American and French servicemen and runs across would-be girlfriend and British agent Diana. Diana is captured by the Vichy French and Boyle is out to rescue her.
In Cold Pursuit by Sarah Andrews. This is a neat one. The author received a National Science Foundation grant to visit Antarctica to research the novel. A science based mystery set in Antarctica with geologist Valena Walker arriving at McMurdo Station to find her professor arrested for the murder - by exposure - of a journalist out to discredit the professor's work.
Several years ago I was watching a kid's program on Antarctica that sent a junior high aged girl reporter down there for a report. One person she talked to was a gruff, middle-aged guy with a bad case of rosacea and a ratty wool sweater. You could tell that the girl did not like being around the guy, and that the guy did not like being a tour guide to a thirteen year old. But, they got enough uncomfortable film footage of him showing her some fish.
Night Work by Steve Hamilton. Hamilton's books have been steady in maintaining high quality. Or so I've read.
New Yorker Joe Trumbull is pretty fearless after years of travel in rotten neighborhoods as a juvenile probation officer working to keep his high-risk kids out of jail. Tonight, however, Joe is terrified at the prospect of his upcoming blind date. His first date in two years since the murder of his fiancee. This is a mystery so you know things do not go well.
Kissing Christmas Goodbye by M.C. Beaton. An Agatha Raisin mystery.
Fantasy
A Nameless Witch by A. Lee Martinez. We are late to get this one on our shelves. I missed it's publication in the Spring. Martinez wrote the humorous and action filled fantasy novels Gil's All Fright Diner and In the Company of Ogres. This is a good one too. Nameless is a beautiful witch cursed with the a hunger for cannibalism. Her beauty draws men but her literal hunger to eat them alive makes her stay away. Along with her pet demon duck she enters human society and helps a village and a White Knight fight off a horde of goblins and their wizard boss.
NonFiction
Ana's Story: A Journey of Hope by Jenna Bush. Seventeen year old Ana has been raped, is now a mother and is HIV positive. A true story account from one of the people Jenna met through her work with UNICEF.
Is Jenna the one that got busted for underage drinking in Austin? It's bad enough to get a citation and have to tell your parents. It's worse to have the citation spread across the news media and repeated over and over for years. Example: I was flipping through an issue of Rolling Stone once and scanned a Jennifer Aniston interview. It's Rolling Stone so that had to detail her complaints about Bush. In there was a comment about her walking through her agent's office with her husband, Brad Pitt, in tow. A Bush girl is summer interning there and Pitt says, "Hey, Jenna, wanna go get a beer? Ha ha ha ha." Great, the 'sexiest man in America' just made a joke at your expense.
Last Chicken in America:a novel in stories by Ellen Litman. Stories about the Russian emigres in Squirrel Hill, Pennsylvania.
Storm Runners by T. Jefferson Parker. Matt Stromsoe hit rock bottom when his family was murdered by a bomb. The bomber was Matt's childhood friend and his wife's ex-lover. Rebuilding his life with a private detective firm Matt is assigned to protect a local newsman from a stalker. A stalker who has ties to the man imprisoned for killing Matt's family.
In the Country of Men by Hisham Matar. Nine year old Suleiman lives in Libya in 1979. His father travels frequently for business but one day Suleiman sees him across the square in big sunglasses. His mother starts burning his fathers old books. The man in the parked car outside asked sinister questions. His friend's father disappears and then reappears on television being interrogated.
Headmaster's Dilemma by Louis Auchincloss. Michael Sayre is the Headmaster at Averhill prep school. A sexual assault on campus brings a lawsuit by the student victim's parents. Michael opposes the lawsuit while the conniving President of the Board of Trustees sees an opportunity to dismiss Michael.
Undead and Uneasy by Mary Janice Davidson. Part of Davidson's chicklit vampire humor novels.
Queen of Babble in the Big City by Meg Cabot. Continuing character of Lizzie Nichols. Lizzie's big mouth get her in trouble with her would be mother-in-law, at new job at a law firm, and everywhere else.
Sundown, Yellow Moon by Larry Watson. Author of Montana, 1948 which I read for a book discussion. In 1961 Bismarck, North Dakota Gene's father walked into the state capitol, shot a state senator to death, walked home, and hung himself. The reasons why died with both men but speculation continued for years. Forty of those years have passed and Gene is back in town trying to figure out why it all happened.
Red Sea by Emily Benedek. A thriller. Four airliners explode in midair on the same day. Governments and people around the world are in panic. Aviation reporter Marie Peterssen has a theory about the event that is confirmed by an Israeli airline security expert. Together they uncover a plot to explode a nuclear warhead in New York Harbor.
World Without End by Ken Follett. This one earned some some big reviews. A sort-off continuation of Follett's Pillars of the Earth. 14th Century England where the cathedral in Knightsbridge "at the center of a web of love and hate, greed and pride, ambition and revenge." Follett still has a full head of hair but that hair doesn't extend several inches up like it used to.
Trespass by Valerie Martin. Chloe Dale is living the good life in rural New York. Except for the strange poacher on her land and her anger over Iraq. When Toby brings home his pregnant Croatian girlfriend Chloe immediately dislikes her. When the girlfriend brings along her mom, the trouble grows.
Wedding Officer by Anthony Capella. British Army officer Captain James Gould is assigned the authority to approve soldiers to marry Italian girls. Gould's rarely grants the needed approval. So the townspeople conspire to get him a new cook: the widowed and beautiful Livia.
Mystery
When Day Breaks by Mary Jane Clark. The cover has a picture of a pool deck and pool water with an electrical cord snaking into the water and the shadow of a woman falling across the cord.
Fools Rush In by Ed Gorman. A positive review by Bill Crider.
First Wave by James R. Benn. Billy Boyle is General Eisenhower's personal investigator. Boyle didn't earn the job, his family connections helped with that. But, Boyle turns out to be a better detective than anyone, including himself, thought. Boyle hits the Algerian beach in 1942 investigating the murders of American and French servicemen and runs across would-be girlfriend and British agent Diana. Diana is captured by the Vichy French and Boyle is out to rescue her.
In Cold Pursuit by Sarah Andrews. This is a neat one. The author received a National Science Foundation grant to visit Antarctica to research the novel. A science based mystery set in Antarctica with geologist Valena Walker arriving at McMurdo Station to find her professor arrested for the murder - by exposure - of a journalist out to discredit the professor's work.
Several years ago I was watching a kid's program on Antarctica that sent a junior high aged girl reporter down there for a report. One person she talked to was a gruff, middle-aged guy with a bad case of rosacea and a ratty wool sweater. You could tell that the girl did not like being around the guy, and that the guy did not like being a tour guide to a thirteen year old. But, they got enough uncomfortable film footage of him showing her some fish.
Night Work by Steve Hamilton. Hamilton's books have been steady in maintaining high quality. Or so I've read.
New Yorker Joe Trumbull is pretty fearless after years of travel in rotten neighborhoods as a juvenile probation officer working to keep his high-risk kids out of jail. Tonight, however, Joe is terrified at the prospect of his upcoming blind date. His first date in two years since the murder of his fiancee. This is a mystery so you know things do not go well.
Kissing Christmas Goodbye by M.C. Beaton. An Agatha Raisin mystery.
Fantasy
A Nameless Witch by A. Lee Martinez. We are late to get this one on our shelves. I missed it's publication in the Spring. Martinez wrote the humorous and action filled fantasy novels Gil's All Fright Diner and In the Company of Ogres. This is a good one too. Nameless is a beautiful witch cursed with the a hunger for cannibalism. Her beauty draws men but her literal hunger to eat them alive makes her stay away. Along with her pet demon duck she enters human society and helps a village and a White Knight fight off a horde of goblins and their wizard boss.
NonFiction
Ana's Story: A Journey of Hope by Jenna Bush. Seventeen year old Ana has been raped, is now a mother and is HIV positive. A true story account from one of the people Jenna met through her work with UNICEF.
Is Jenna the one that got busted for underage drinking in Austin? It's bad enough to get a citation and have to tell your parents. It's worse to have the citation spread across the news media and repeated over and over for years. Example: I was flipping through an issue of Rolling Stone once and scanned a Jennifer Aniston interview. It's Rolling Stone so that had to detail her complaints about Bush. In there was a comment about her walking through her agent's office with her husband, Brad Pitt, in tow. A Bush girl is summer interning there and Pitt says, "Hey, Jenna, wanna go get a beer? Ha ha ha ha." Great, the 'sexiest man in America' just made a joke at your expense.
Tuesday, October 02, 2007
Novels, but "No Guns, No Knives, No Personal Checks"
Fiction
View From Mount Joy by Lorna Landvik. Teenaged Joe Anderson moves to Minneapolis with his mom and gets involved with libidinous cheerleader Kristi. Years later Joe ends up working at Haugland Foods grocery. Joe expected to play professional hockey or travel the world and is disappointed in his current job. But, when Kristi comes back to town from own own wild trips whose life has turned out better? "A dramatic, heartbreaking, and hilarious novel."
Many Bloody Returns: Tales of Birthdays with Bite edited by Charlaine Harris and Toni L. P. Kelner. Birthday themed, vampire short stories. Bill Crider has one in here.
Mark's Story by Tim LaHaye and Jerry B. Jenkins. A new series, The Jesus Chronicles, by the authors of the Left Behind series.
The Assassin by Andrew Britton. Only Ryan Kealey is suspicious of an Iranian plot to bomb the U.N. [what's the point of bombing the U.N.? Of course he is suspicious.] He thinks the plan is a ruse and is after the real threat.
Heartsick: a Thriller by Chelsea Cain. Gretchen Lowell is the beautiful and alluring acquaintance of Portland police detective Archie Sheridan. When I say "acquaintance" I mean torturer. Two years ago Gretchen captured and tortured Archie for ten days. Serial killer Gretchen inexplicably released Archie and turned herself in. Now Archie cannot stay away and visits her once a week saying he wants to find unknown victims. When a new killer stalks victims in Portland Archie tries to use Chelsea as a helper.
Sophie's Dilemma by Lauraine Snelling. Inspirational fiction and book two in the Daughters of Blessing series. These book covers by Bethany House are always the same. Bethany has the same cookie cutter format of a demurely dressed, pretty younger lady and a mildly blurred, outdoor background.
Eulalia by Brian Jacques. A Redwall tale. A juvenile fiction novel too, but hey, you read Redwall books them 10-20 years ago and liked them then.
Large Print
Shoot Him if He Runs by Stuart Woods. Large Print of the book listed in an earlier update.
NonFiction
Cartoonist's Bible: an essential reference for the practicing artist by Franklin Bishop. Contents includes sections on Tools and Materials, Starting to Draw, Types of Cartoon, Going Professional and Expressions File.
Easy Organic Cooking: the essential organic cookbook for you and your family by Parragon Publising.
No Guns, No Knives, No Personal Checks: the tales of a San Francisco cab driver by Larry Sager. Stories from Sager's cabbie days in the 1990s when he doubled as a student.
View From Mount Joy by Lorna Landvik. Teenaged Joe Anderson moves to Minneapolis with his mom and gets involved with libidinous cheerleader Kristi. Years later Joe ends up working at Haugland Foods grocery. Joe expected to play professional hockey or travel the world and is disappointed in his current job. But, when Kristi comes back to town from own own wild trips whose life has turned out better? "A dramatic, heartbreaking, and hilarious novel."
Many Bloody Returns: Tales of Birthdays with Bite edited by Charlaine Harris and Toni L. P. Kelner. Birthday themed, vampire short stories. Bill Crider has one in here.
Mark's Story by Tim LaHaye and Jerry B. Jenkins. A new series, The Jesus Chronicles, by the authors of the Left Behind series.
The Assassin by Andrew Britton. Only Ryan Kealey is suspicious of an Iranian plot to bomb the U.N. [what's the point of bombing the U.N.? Of course he is suspicious.] He thinks the plan is a ruse and is after the real threat.
Heartsick: a Thriller by Chelsea Cain. Gretchen Lowell is the beautiful and alluring acquaintance of Portland police detective Archie Sheridan. When I say "acquaintance" I mean torturer. Two years ago Gretchen captured and tortured Archie for ten days. Serial killer Gretchen inexplicably released Archie and turned herself in. Now Archie cannot stay away and visits her once a week saying he wants to find unknown victims. When a new killer stalks victims in Portland Archie tries to use Chelsea as a helper.
Sophie's Dilemma by Lauraine Snelling. Inspirational fiction and book two in the Daughters of Blessing series. These book covers by Bethany House are always the same. Bethany has the same cookie cutter format of a demurely dressed, pretty younger lady and a mildly blurred, outdoor background.
Eulalia by Brian Jacques. A Redwall tale. A juvenile fiction novel too, but hey, you read Redwall books them 10-20 years ago and liked them then.
Large Print
Shoot Him if He Runs by Stuart Woods. Large Print of the book listed in an earlier update.
NonFiction
Cartoonist's Bible: an essential reference for the practicing artist by Franklin Bishop. Contents includes sections on Tools and Materials, Starting to Draw, Types of Cartoon, Going Professional and Expressions File.
Easy Organic Cooking: the essential organic cookbook for you and your family by Parragon Publising.
No Guns, No Knives, No Personal Checks: the tales of a San Francisco cab driver by Larry Sager. Stories from Sager's cabbie days in the 1990s when he doubled as a student.
Friday, September 28, 2007
Lots of Military History
DVD
The Wind That Shakes the Barley starring Cillian Murphy, Padraic Delaney, Orla Fitzgerald. Angie the Page said, "I've been wanting to see this." A drama about the Irish Revolution and resulting Civil War. By the way, I wrote that with an Irish accent.
NonFiction
Intimate Voices From the First World War edited by Svetlana Palmer and Sarah Wallis. Court testimony, letters and diary entries from English, Russian, German, Polish, and Turk soldiers and civilians.
The History of the French Foreign Legion: from 1831 to the Present Day by David Jordan. Lots of photos. To join you must shave your head, run (a lot!), and be thin.
Images of Barbarossa: the German invasion of Russia, 1942 by Christopher Ailsby. A general history with many photographs.
Himmler's Crusade: the Nazi expedition to find the origins of the Aryan race by Christopher Hale. More history on the stupidity of the filthy, rotten Nazis.
Complete Encyclopedia of Hunting Rifles and Shotguns by A.E. Hartink. A very nice book. Organized by manufacturer and including everything from run-of-the-mill Marlins to high-end European firearms. High quality color photos.
The Wind That Shakes the Barley starring Cillian Murphy, Padraic Delaney, Orla Fitzgerald. Angie the Page said, "I've been wanting to see this." A drama about the Irish Revolution and resulting Civil War. By the way, I wrote that with an Irish accent.
NonFiction
Intimate Voices From the First World War edited by Svetlana Palmer and Sarah Wallis. Court testimony, letters and diary entries from English, Russian, German, Polish, and Turk soldiers and civilians.
The History of the French Foreign Legion: from 1831 to the Present Day by David Jordan. Lots of photos. To join you must shave your head, run (a lot!), and be thin.
Images of Barbarossa: the German invasion of Russia, 1942 by Christopher Ailsby. A general history with many photographs.
Himmler's Crusade: the Nazi expedition to find the origins of the Aryan race by Christopher Hale. More history on the stupidity of the filthy, rotten Nazis.
Complete Encyclopedia of Hunting Rifles and Shotguns by A.E. Hartink. A very nice book. Organized by manufacturer and including everything from run-of-the-mill Marlins to high-end European firearms. High quality color photos.
Thursday, September 27, 2007
Stack O' NonFiction
NonFiction
Wilderness Survival: living off the land with the clothes on your back and the knive on your belt by Mark Elbroch and Mike Pewtherer. Trapping, fishing, fire starting, making tools, preserving food, rock boiling, hygiene, making rope, etc. Too bad the illustrations are lousy.
Naked Roommate: and 107 other issues you might run into in college by Harlen Cohen.
Unbelievably Good Deals and Great Adventures That You Absolutely Can't Get Unless You're Over 50 by Joan Rattner Heilman. Airfare, car rentals, hotels, golf.
Online Shoppers' Survival Guide by Jacquelyn Lynn. No knives required on this one.
True Crime: true stories of the world's most infamous murderers, thieves and con artists by Nick Yapp. Essays on events, people and groups. Fascinating reading at each page you open to. Take a look at The Mafia Encyclopedia if you like this one.
365 Dish A Day: a recipe for each day of the 365 days in a year by Parragon Publishing.
American Cars: From the legendary Model T to awesome modern custom hot rods by Fredric Winkowski and Frank D. Sullivan. A photobook that is not quite coffee table sized; but all shots are full color.
Wilderness Survival: living off the land with the clothes on your back and the knive on your belt by Mark Elbroch and Mike Pewtherer. Trapping, fishing, fire starting, making tools, preserving food, rock boiling, hygiene, making rope, etc. Too bad the illustrations are lousy.
Naked Roommate: and 107 other issues you might run into in college by Harlen Cohen.
Unbelievably Good Deals and Great Adventures That You Absolutely Can't Get Unless You're Over 50 by Joan Rattner Heilman. Airfare, car rentals, hotels, golf.
Online Shoppers' Survival Guide by Jacquelyn Lynn. No knives required on this one.
True Crime: true stories of the world's most infamous murderers, thieves and con artists by Nick Yapp. Essays on events, people and groups. Fascinating reading at each page you open to. Take a look at The Mafia Encyclopedia if you like this one.
365 Dish A Day: a recipe for each day of the 365 days in a year by Parragon Publishing.
American Cars: From the legendary Model T to awesome modern custom hot rods by Fredric Winkowski and Frank D. Sullivan. A photobook that is not quite coffee table sized; but all shots are full color.
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