Monday, December 31, 2012

The Cole Cross-Reference Directory - Lincoln and Vicinity

The Cole Cross-Reference Directory - Lincoln and Vicinity
by Cole Publications [R 917.82 Col]

The downtown library just received the brand-new Cole Directory for Lincoln. Cole provides the "alternative" directory to the more-familiar Polk City Directory. One of the things that makes this directory extremely useful is that it includes addresses/names/phone numbers for residents of over 60 communities in southeast Nebraska as far west as Garland and as far south as Beatrice. For those of you not familiar with this source, it is used by marketers so it has a marketing section at the front with alphabetical lists of streets for each zip code and a street index. The most recent copy is kept at the 2nd floor Computer Lab Desk with the current City Directories; back issues are kept in our historical archives -- just ask staff for any, if you'd like to take a look.. [If you enjoy using this reference tool, you may also wish to try the traditional Polk's Lincoln City Directory.] -- recommended by Kim J. - Reference Services / Bennett Martin Public Library
[The libraries have an archive of Cole Directories going back to 1986. They started to include the data for all the other southeast Nebraska communities in 2005.]

[ official Cole Information web site ]


Have you used this reference resource? What did you think? Did you find this review helpful?

New reviews appear every month on the Staff Recommendations page of the BookGuide website. You can visit that page to see them all, or watch them appear here in the BookGuide blog individually over the course of the entire month. Click the tag for the reviewer's name to see more of this reviewers recommendations!

Sunday, December 30, 2012

Haywire

Haywire
[DVD Haywire]

While on a mission overseas Mallory Kane -- played by Gina Carino -- finds out she-s been double crossed by her own people. Now, on a revenge mission, Mallory must find a way to get back to the US while avoiding being arrested so she can clear her name. A lot of big names in this movie - Channing Tatum, Ewan McGregor, Antonio Banderas and Michael Douglas -- all-in-all an interesting movie to watch. The action scenes were pretty intense but the storyline was a little confusing at times. [If you enjoy this, you may also wish to try the Bourne Identity film series.] -- recommended by Carrie K. - Bennett Martin Public Library

[ Internet Movie Database entry for this film ] | [ official Haywire web site ]

 
Have you seen this one? What did you think? Did you find this review helpful?

New reviews appear every month on the Staff Recommendations page of the BookGuide website. You can visit that page to see them all, or watch them appear here in the BookGuide blog individually over the course of the entire month. Click the tag for the reviewer's name to see more of this reviewers recommendations!

Saturday, December 29, 2012

New Customer Review - Savvy

Savvy
by Ingrid Law [j Law]

I loved this book!!! My favorite thing about this book is that it is a fantasy but is also realistic. I love the way that when they turn 13 they get their "power", and that everyone has a different power. -- review submitted by Helen L. - a customer of the Gere Branch Library

Have you read this one? What did you think? Did you find this review helpful?

New Customer Reviews appear regularly in the pages of the BookGuide web site. You can visit the Customer Reviews page to see them all and/or submit your own, or watch them appear here in the BookGuide blog individually as we receive them.

Things Fall Apart

Things Fall Apart
by Chinua Achebe

A tragedy. Okonkwo is a hard-working elder in an African village, who has worked to redeem his father's poor reputation. Okonkwo is asked to guard a boy prisoner, Ikemefuna, who has been captured for killing a woman of their village. As white missionaries expand to Okonkwo's village...things begin to fall apart personally, and radical changes begin to unfold in the village. As the title foreshadows, the book doesn't end well, but still a very interesting view from another culture and perspective. [If you enjoy this, you may also wish to try Purple Hibiscus - Chimamanda Adichie; Say You're One of Them - Uwem Akpan; Lyrics Alley - Aboulela, Leila.] -- recommended by Jeremiah J. - Bennett Martin Public Library

[ Chinua Achebe page on Wikipedia ]

 
Have you read this one? What did you think? Did you find this review helpful?

New reviews appear every month on the Staff Recommendations page of the BookGuide website. You can visit that page to see them all, or watch them appear here in the BookGuide blog individually over the course of the entire month. Click the tag for the reviewer's name to see more of this reviewers recommendations!

Thursday, December 27, 2012

New Booktalk Booklist

Here's another Booktalk Booklist that we haven't previously shared here on the BookGuide blog -- former Gere Branch supervisor Carol S. presented Carol's Bookbag 2011 in November 2011 at both the Bethany and Gere BooksTalk sessions. Her talk covered 20 books, and featured a mix of both fiction and non-fiction titles. [Click here to check out the current schedule of Book Talks.]

New Customer Review - Matched

Matched
by Ally Condie [YA Condie]

I loved this book. I went through a lot of mixed emotions throughout the book. You have to get used to it at first, because it takes time in the future. This book is quite long, but is worth the read. I encourage everyone to read this book, but you should probably wait until you are in 4th or 5th grade. -- review submitted by Taylor A. - a customer of the Gere Branch Library

Have you read this one? What did you think? Did you find this review helpful?

New Customer Reviews appear regularly in the pages of the BookGuide web site. You can visit the Customer Reviews page to see them all and/or submit your own, or watch them appear here in the BookGuide blog individually as we receive them.

Wednesday, December 26, 2012

Among Others

Among Others
by Jo Walton

Jo Walton's novel, Among Others, won both the Nebula Award and the Hugo Award this year for being the best science fiction or fantasy novel published in 2011. (It was also nominated for the World Fantasy Award, but didn't win that one). It joins a small and fairly select group of 21 other novels to have won both of these awards, including such distinguished works as Dune (by Frank Herbert), The Left Hand of Darkness and The Dispossessed (by Ursula K. Leguin), Ringworld (by Larry Niven), The Gods Themselves (by Isaac Asimov), Rendezvous With Rama (by Arthur C. Clarke), and The Forever War (by Joe Haldeman). This is significant, because, at its heart, Among Others is an aching love letter to the world of science fiction fandom. Among Others is told in the form of daily journal entries by a young teenaged Welsh girl who has been sent off to boarding school in England.

Morwenna Markova (Mor) is crippled, injured in a mysterious incident that caused the death of her twin sister as they opposed their crazed mother, who they believed to be a witch intending their destruction. Mor is an avid reader of science fiction (and fantasy) literature, and when she finds herself thrust into a new social setting and feels ostrasized by her "newness" and her physical condition, she becomes even more absorbed into her world of books. Among Others is a coming-of-age story, as Mor simultaneously delves even deeper into her world of literature and also begins to form new emotional and social bonds with the people around her, particularly as she reconnects with the father she never really knew (who also loves SF), and as she becomes a member of the local library's science fiction discussion club. The novel itself, in addition to being a "love letter to science fiction fandom" and a celebration of the effect that good literature can have upon all of us, is a genre work on its own, as Mor's use of magic provides her with ethical and personal challenges. I highly recommend this work, for its unusual writing structure, and for the wonderful tone Walton manages to capture in Mor's voice. [If you enjoy this, you may also wish to try many of the books on our Nebula Winners and Hugo Winners booklists.] -- recommended by Scott C. - Bennett Martin Public Library [Subscribe to Scott's monthly booklist newsletter It's All Geek to Me! - on the Books, Movies & More newsletter sign-up page].

[Also available in downloadable E-book format.]

[ Jo Walton entry on Wikipedia ] | [ official LiveJournal Blog for Jo Walton ]

 
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New reviews appear every month on the Staff Recommendations page of the BookGuide website. You can visit that page to see them all, or watch them appear here in the BookGuide blog individually over the course of the entire month. Click the tag for the reviewer's name to see more of this reviewers recommendations!

Zathura

Zathura
by Chris VanAllsburg

A book/DVD by the same author of Jumanji; Zathura takes a similar plot and shifts it into outer space. I especially liked the movie version, there is a great realization by the main character with an excellent ending. Might be kind of scary for younger kids, some of the scenes about space aliens are quite suspenseful.. [If you enjoy this, you may also wish to try Jumanji, Probuditi!, Two Bad Ants, Polar Express.] -- recommended by Jeremiah J. - Bennett Martin Public Library

[Also available in print formats.]

[ Internet Movie Database entry for this film ] | [ official Facebook page for Zathura ]


Have you seen (or read) this one? What did you think? Did you find this review helpful?

New reviews appear every month on the Staff Recommendations page of the BookGuide website. You can visit that page to see them all, or watch them appear here in the BookGuide blog individually over the course of the entire month. Click the tag for the reviewer's name to see more of this reviewers recommendations!

Sunday, December 23, 2012

The Double Helix

The Double Helix : A Personal Account of the Discovery of the Structure of DNA
by James D. Watson [575.1 Wat]

This somewhat controversial book describes the discovery of the double helix as the structure of DNA. However, this isn't simply a bunch of scientific jargon. It contains letters and personal accounts with fellow scientists Rosalind Franklin and Francis Crick. While Watson is believed to accumulate all the data and present it, the problem lies in who made the discovery first -- versus who published it first. Being published after Rosalind Franklin's death, the book is somewhat sexist towards her; keeping in mind that women weren't as accepted in a male dominated field. Great and fascinating read, and the scientific jargon is kept to a minimum. An interesting predecessor to current DNA findings and the Human Genome Project. [If you enjoy this, you may also wish to try DNA: The Secret of Life - James Watson and Medical firsts: from Hippocrates to the human genome - Robert Adler.] -- recommended by Jeremiah J. - Bennett Martin Public Library

[ James D. Watson page on Wikipedia ]

 
Have you read this one? What did you think? Did you find this review helpful?

New reviews appear every month on the Staff Recommendations page of the BookGuide website. You can visit that page to see them all, or watch them appear here in the BookGuide blog individually over the course of the entire month. Click the tag for the reviewer's name to see more of this reviewers recommendations!

Katy Perry the Movie: Part of Me

Katy Perry the Movie: Part of Me
[DVD YA 781.66 Per]

An interesting documentary on the life of Katy Perry and her 2011 year-long California Dreams World Tour, chronicling her life on and off stage. Interviews range from her parents -- she grew up in a very religious household -- to her producers, and cover the ups and downs from her first record to her divorce with Russell Brand. [If you enjoy this, you may also wish to try any of Katy Perry's music CDs, Teenage Dream, One of the Boys, or her newest re-release Teenage Dream the Complete Confection.] -- recommended by Carrie K. - Bennett Martin Public Library

[ Internet Movie Database entry for this film ] | [ official Katy Perry Part of Me web site ]

 
Have you seen this one? What did you think? Did you find this review helpful?

New reviews appear every month on the Staff Recommendations page of the BookGuide website. You can visit that page to see them all, or watch them appear here in the BookGuide blog individually over the course of the entire month. Click the tag for the reviewer's name to see more of this reviewers recommendations!

Wednesday, December 19, 2012

Virgin River

Virgin River
by Robyn Carr

First book in the Virgin River modern romance series. Melinda "Mel" Monroe is a recent widow, in her early 30's, from a busy L.A. hospital, who decides to accept a position as Nurse Practitioner/Midwife in the rustic, rural fictional community of Virgin River in northern California. She needs a change from her current hectic pace and hopes this will help her finish grieving the loss of her husband, murdered in a convenience store robbery nine months earlier. Her first night in Virgin River she has a delicious supper at the only bar & grill in town, owned and run by 40-year-old Jack Sheridan, retired Marine and very single. But the 70-year-old town doctor doesn't know she was recruited by busy-body Hope McCrea, and insists he doesn't need her assistance, and her rent-free cabin is less-than-ready for her (Hope didn't get it cleaned up, and the porch collapses with Mel on it). Deciding this was a mistake, city-girl Mel has breakfast the following morning at the bar & grill on her way out of town, chatting with Jack. But a newborn has been abandoned at Doc's doorstep so Mel grudgingly agrees to stay temporarily to care for the baby. Then, a woman is due to deliver in a couple of weeks so Mel stays for that. Then another woman is due in 4 weeks. And on it continues, as Jack tries to convince her to stay permanently (with the town enjoying watching confirmed bachelor Jack obviously smitten with Mel).

Being the first book in this series, you'll meet many of the neighbors to set the stage for further books (20 so far) -- farmers, ranchers, orchard owners, retired military buddies, a local boy who's Jack's surrogate son -- including the medical staff at nearby Grace Valley and Valley Hospital (from Carr's "Grace Valley" series), though in this case "nearby" means an hour's drive along winding country roads through the redwoods. The area is populated with folk who know the importance of community since they are located in such a remote environment and must rely on each other. You'll meet Jack's Marine buddies for their annual "Semper Fi" reunion (which is a favorite event in town), deal with the illegal marijuana growers, there's a break-in at Doc's that threatens Mel's life, and follow Mel on her medical rounds. Sometimes Mel is a tad naïve about country life (which can get irritating) and Jack is too perfect but, what the heck, it's a fiction book, and fun to watch the romance unfold from both Mel's and Jack's point of view. Not a sedate romance novel, the love scenes are graphic but not raunchy. This romance focuses on Jack and Mel, but the rest of the characters are well-drawn and in each successive book a different couple is the focus, yet those we've already met do not disappear into the background as their lives continue to unfold. An enjoyable read about people you'll come to care for. Read the series in order. -- recommended by Charlotte K. - Bennett Martin Public Library

[ official Virgin River page on the official Robyn Carr web site ]

Have you read this one? What did you think? Did you find this review helpful?

New reviews appear every month on the Staff Recommendations page of the BookGuide website. You can visit that page to see them all, or watch them appear here in the BookGuide blog individually over the course of the entire month. Click the tag for the reviewer's name to see more of this reviewers recommendations!

New Customer Review - Invasion of the Road Weenies and Other Warped and Creepy Tales

Invasion of the Road Weenies and Other Warped and Creepy Tales
by David Lubar [j Lubar]

This is a perfect book for someone who would rather listen to a bunch of different, smaller stories than one big one. Also if you are a fan of weird, creepy, or just plain strange. Prepare to feel bad for the antagonist as these short stories will change your point of view of the world forever. -- review submitted by Jonas S. - a customer of the Gere Branch Library

Have you read this one? What did you think? Did you find this review helpful?

New Customer Reviews appear regularly in the pages of the BookGuide web site. You can visit the Customer Reviews page to see them all and/or submit your own, or watch them appear here in the BookGuide blog individually as we receive them.

Time Out [cd]

Time Out
by The Dave Brubeck Quartet [Compact Disc 781.65 Bru]

I felt challenged, when I saw my colleague's review of Miles Davis' Kind of Blue, which he described as arguably the greatest jazz album of all time, to write up a recommendation of my own favorite jazz cd. And this review seems appropriately timely, considering the passing of musician Dave Brubeck, at the beginning of December. Time Out was a 1959 album by the Dave Brubeck Quartet, and is a marvelous, infectious combination of upbeat tones and traditional West Coast Jazz elements. The album is comprised of only 7 tracks, and features Brubeck on piano, Paul Desmond on alto sax, Eugene Wright on bass and Joe Morello on drums. The album's title is a light-hearted warning to listeners that most of the tracks experiment with unusual rhythyms and time signatures, including 9/8 and 5/4 patterns. All 7 tracks are very memorable pieces, but the stand-outs include "Take Five," "Blue Rondo a la Turk," "Kathy's Waltz" and "Pick Up Sticks." This album is definitely a feel-good jazz album, and is always the album I recommend to anyone looking to sample the field for the first time. Although poorly reviewed when it first came out, Time Out sold extremely well, becoming the first jazz album to go Platinum (sell 1,000,000 copies) -- the single "Take Five" also went Platinum on its own. Unforgettable music, and forever timeless. -- recommended by Scott C. - Bennett Martin Public Library [Subscribe to Scott's monthly booklist newsletter It's All Geek to Me! - on the Books, Movies & More newsletter sign-up page].

[ Background into about Time Out on Wikipedia ] | [ DaveBrubeck.com ]

Have you listened to this one? What did you think? Did you find this review helpful?

New reviews appear every month on the Staff Recommendations page of the BookGuide website. You can visit that page to see them all, or watch them appear here in the BookGuide blog individually over the course of the entire month. Click the tag for the reviewer's name to see more of this reviewers recommendations!

Tuesday, December 18, 2012

A Zombie Ate My Cupcake

A Zombie Ate My Cupcake
by Lily Vanilli [641.865 Van]

This one visually caught my eye on the library's "new book" display shortly after Halloween. The cover illustration, of two candy skull-style cupcakes, is very reminiscent of the traditional confections that are part of the Mexican "Dia de los Muertos" celebration. Opening up the book, though, I was confronted by a wide variety of creepy, gross and somewhat repellent cupcake decorations -- perfect for a spooky party or as an antidote to the standard pink and glittery cupcakes that you'll see in grocery-store baked goods sections. The primary focus of this cute little book is on the decorating -- in fact, there are only seven basic cupcake and frosting recipes in an appendix at the back of the book. Instead, there are 25 nicely-illustrated guides to how to create morbid-looking cupcakes with frostings, sauces and the less-common mediums of fondant and marzipan. In fact, marzipan, the shapeable, clay-like candy, features prominently in many of the recipes -- as worms crawling out of cupcake eyeballs, as zombie fingers crawling out of a chocolate cupcake grave, as human ears on mutant ear cupcakes, as fake insects, and as orbiting planets above Raspberry Spacecakes. My two favorites in the book, at least in terms of how realistic they look in the accompanying photographs, have to be "Shattered Glass", in which shards of candy glass are stabbing into white cupcakes that they bleed cherry sauce, and "Bleeding Hearts", in which red velvet cupcakes and white fondant, molded into the shape of aortas and they coated in thick cherry sauce, look like a frighteningly realistic heart. -- recommended by Scott C. - Bennett Martin Public Library [Subscribe to Scott's monthly booklist newsletter It's All Geek to Me! - on the Books, Movies & More newsletter sign-up page]

[ LilyVanilli.com ]

 
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New reviews appear every month on the Staff Recommendations page of the BookGuide website. You can visit that page to see them all, or watch them appear here in the BookGuide blog individually over the course of the entire month. Click the tag for the reviewer's name to see more of this reviewers recommendations!

New Booktalk Booklist - Great Books to Give as Gifts 2012

Lincoln City Libraries' Youth Services Coodinator Vicki Wood presented her annual booktalk on Great Books to Give as Gifts at both the Bethany and Gere BooksTalks groups in November, as well as at the December "Lunch at the Library" presentation at Bennett Martin Public Library downtown. [Click here to check out the current schedule of Book Talks.]

Vicki's booktalk booklist was formatted as a PowerPoint slideshow, which you can view at the following link on the libraries' website:


Great Books to Give as Gifts [2012]

 
You can also find some of Vicki's past "Great Books to Give as Gifts" booktalks (a year-end tradition) mixed in with our index of past Booktalk Booklists.

Monday, December 17, 2012

The Prepper's Pocket Guide

The Prepper's Pocket Guide: 101 Things You Can Do To Ready Your Home for a Disaster
by Bernie Carr [363.34 Car]

This is a nice little starting guide for preparedness. A number of things are common sense such as having a first aid kit and fire extinguisher in your home - and knowing how to use them. Other things are more complex, such as learning how to make your own water filter. The best aspect of this book in my opinion was that from the simple to the complex, the author repeatedly states that anyone, over time, can do this. Even if you don't have much space for storing emergency items or money for purchasing them, it's important to do what you can with what you have. I think because of this attitude, this book would appeal to anyone who has an interest in preparing themselves and their homes for any sort of emergency.

Have you read this one? What did you think? Did you find this review helpful?

New reviews appear every month on the Staff Recommendations page of the BookGuide website. You can visit that page to see them all, or watch them appear here in the BookGuide blog individually over the course of the entire month. Click the tag for the reviewer's name to see more of this reviewers recommendations!

Saturday, December 15, 2012

The Princess Bride

The Princess Bride
[DVD Princess]

This is the perfect all around movie. I begins with an ill boy who is off school. His grandpa comes round to read him book called "The Princess Bride". The boy is skeptical that a book could be entertaining, but soon starts to enjoy it. This fairy tale movie really has something for everybody; a love story with a princess and a pirate mixed with the sword fighting adventures of a Spaniard seeking the man who killed his father. This movie was made in the 80's so it's special effects can be a bit comical - especially the rodents of unusual size. I'd recommend it to anyone who is after a good movie. It stars Cary Elwes, Robin Wright, Mandy Patinkin and Andre the Giant. This movie is based on Williams Goldman's book The Princess Bride. [If you enjoy this, you may also wish to try the book the movie is based on: The princess bride: S. Morgenstern's classic tale of true love and high adventure, by: William Goldman.] -- recommended by Kristen A. - Gere Branch Library
 
[Also available in print format.]

[ Internet Movie Database entry for this film ] | [ official Princess Bride web site ]

 
Have you seen this one? What did you think? Did you find this review helpful?

New reviews appear every month on the Staff Recommendations page of the BookGuide website. You can visit that page to see them all, or watch them appear here in the BookGuide blog individually over the course of the entire month. Click the tag for the reviewer's name to see more of this reviewers recommendations!

Friday, December 14, 2012

Kind of Blue [cd]

Kind of Blue
by Miles Davis [Compact Disc 781.65 Dav]

Arguably, the greatest jazz album of all time. In 2008, it reached quadruple platinum status. It is said that Miles Davis came up with the jazz settings only a few hours before the recording session - so the players would truly be improvising. Contains the pieces: "So What," "Freddie Freeloader," "Blue in Green," "All Blues," and "Flamenco Sketches." Featuring: Miles Davis on trumpet, Julian "Cannonball" Adderley on alto saxophone, Paul Chambers on double bass, Jimmy Cobb on drums, John Coltrane on tenor saxophone, Bill Evans on piano, and Wynton Kelly on piano [If you enjoy this, you may also wish to try Classical Brubeck - Compact Disc 781.68 Bru, Miles Davis (book) - Music 781.65 DavYm, Miles Davis: Ken Burns jazz - Compact disc 781.65 Dav.] -- recommended by Jeremiah J. - Bennett Martin Public Library

[ "Kind of Blue" page on Wikipedia ] | [ official Miles Davis web site ]


Have you listened to this one? What did you think? Did you find this review helpful?

New reviews appear every month on the Staff Recommendations page of the BookGuide website. You can visit that page to see them all, or watch them appear here in the BookGuide blog individually over the course of the entire month. Click the tag for the reviewer's name to see more of this reviewers recommendations!

New Customer Review - Howl's Moving Castle (book)

Howl's Moving Castle
by Diane Wynne Jones [j Jones]

Set in a world of magic and witches, this a delightful book for all ages. The main character, Sophie Hatter, is a strong minded 18-year-old who always looks on the bright side, even when an evil witch turns her into an old woman. -- review submitted by Sammy B. - a customer of the Gere Branch Library

Have you read this one? What did you think? Did you find this review helpful?

New Customer Reviews appear regularly in the pages of the BookGuide web site. You can visit the Customer Reviews page to see them all and/or submit your own, or watch them appear here in the BookGuide blog individually as we receive them.

Thursday, December 13, 2012

The Adventures of TinTin on DVD

The Adventures of TinTin
[DVD Adventures]

The Adventures of TinTin is a marvelous animated movie produced by Steven Spielberg and Peter Jackson with a star-studded vocal cast including Daniel Craig as the evil Mr. Sakharine, Andy Serksis as Captain Haddock, and Jamie Bell as TinTin. The computer-generated animation in this film are far better than any I have seen, particularly in the fast-action chase scenes. As a fan of swashbuckling movies with great swordfighting, this was the best example of animated sword fights ever. My whole family enjoyed watching this. My youngest daughter would say that the real hero of this film is TinTin's wonder-dog, Snowy. I highly recommend this film. -- recommended by Kim J. - Bennett Martin Public Library

[Also available in the libraries' collection -- numerous books in the TinTin graphic novel series that inspired this movie.]

[ Internet Movie Database entry for this film ] | [ official Adventures of Tin-Tin web site ]


Have you seen this one? What did you think? Did you find this review helpful?

New reviews appear every month on the Staff Recommendations page of the BookGuide website. You can visit that page to see them all, or watch them appear here in the BookGuide blog individually over the course of the entire month. Click the tag for the reviewer's name to see more of this reviewers recommendations!

Mistletoe Mysteries Booklist - Updated for 2012!

It's a December tradition at the Bennett Martin Public Library downtown -- the appearance of the annual Mistletoe Mysteries book display, featuring winter holiday-themed mystery fiction from both the past and present! This year, when the display hadn't gone up by December 3rd, we started getting concerned questions from mystery fans!

In addition to sampling the books on the display at the downtown library, the Mistletoe Mysteries booklist on the BookGuide site has once again been completely updated, to include new holiday-themed mysteries added within the the past year. If you're a fan of this traditional mystery sub-genre, stop by the online booklist to see what new titles have been added!

Deep in the Valley

Deep in the Valley
by Robyn Carr

Book One in the Grace Valley trilogy takes place in northern California, in the fictitious town of Grace Valley, filled with an assortment of likable characters where community and friendship are highly valued. Think An Irish Country Doctor and All Creatures Great and Small but not as sedate. June Hudson has a full professional life and many friends, but at age 37 is wishing for a relationship but in this small town there are no available prospects. She is also overworked and is taking applications seeking a second doctor for her clinic. But the ideal candidate she's giving a try seems to have a shady past. Then the DEA and other law enforcement agencies are zeroing-in on the illegal marijuana growers and an interesting man with a secret has been quietly appearing at June's house. For the most part a light, easy, enjoyable read though topics covered include sexual harassment, spouse abuse, the need for rural medicine for the poor, and the issues of illegal marijuana growers. You'll grow attached to the regular characters and enjoy the quiet romance. These characters will also cross-over into Carr's other series, The Virgin River series. [If you enjoy this, you may also wish to try All Creatures Great and Small and An Irish Country Doctor.] -- recommended by Charlotte K. - Bennett Martin Public Library

[ official Deep in the Valley page on the official Robyn Carr web site ]

 
Have you read this one? What did you think? Did you find this review helpful?

New reviews appear every month on the Staff Recommendations page of the BookGuide website. You can visit that page to see them all, or watch them appear here in the BookGuide blog individually over the course of the entire month. Click the tag for the reviewer's name to see more of this reviewers recommendations!

Tuesday, December 11, 2012

American Horror Story: The First Complete Season

American Horror Story: The First Complete Season
[DVD American]

This horror, drama, mystery TV series from FX Networks stars Connie Britton, Dylan McDermott, Jessica Lange, and Evan Peters. When a family moves into a large old home many strange things happen. The nosy neighbor next door, (Jessica Lange) seems to know an awful lot about the house and its previous owners, as does her daughter who keeps showing up inside the home, uninvited. One of the Dad's counseling patients really likes his daughter, but he thinks this is a bad idea. Are there ghosts in the house? Will the daughter's new friend help them or hurt them? [If you enjoy this, you may also wish to try The Tell-Tale Heart, DVD, by Edgar Allan Poe; Alfred Hitchcock Presents, season one DVD; The Birds, DVD.] -- recommended by Kathy H. - Walt Branch Library

[ Internet Movie Database entry for this series ] | [ FX's official American Horror Story web site ]

 
Have you seen this one? What did you think? Did you find this review helpful?

New reviews appear every month on the Staff Recommendations page of the BookGuide website. You can visit that page to see them all, or watch them appear here in the BookGuide blog individually over the course of the entire month. Click the tag for the reviewer's name to see more of this reviewers recommendations!

Monday, December 10, 2012

Venomous

Venomous
by Christopher Krovatin

I don't normally read many books with the main character being male, but Locke's story was appealing to me because of my background in social work. Locke has severe issues with being able to control his anger, something he has been dealing with since he was in elementary school. He and his mother refer to his anger as "Venom" and Locke believes he can actually feel it running through his veins when he loses his temper. Locke is not a bully, but his anger has exiled him from any kind of social life with the exception of one friend, who has problems of his own. His social life changes, whether for the best or worse is up to the reader, when Locke attends a party and meets a new group of people his age. One new person in particular is a girl, who becomes his love interest in the story. The one thing that impressed me about the character is that he is a really good son and brother, despite his issues. His physical description of being very thin and wearing glasses, does not fit the stereotype of a teen with anger issues, so it seems to add another dimension to the character's personality. It's a fictional, yet honest story of a troubled teen trying to attain maturity, self-knowledge and to once and for all, rid himself of the "Venom." The Graphic novel style illustrations make this book really unique and add another dimension to the story. It's my opinion that this book would best be suited for adults and older teens as it has elements of sex, violence, drugs and drinking throughout the story. -- recommended by Jessica H. - Walt Branch Library

[ Wikipedia page for Christopher Krovatin ]

Have you read this one? What did you think? Did you find this review helpful?

New reviews appear every month on the Staff Recommendations page of the BookGuide website. You can visit that page to see them all, or watch them appear here in the BookGuide blog individually over the course of the entire month. Click the tag for the reviewer's name to see more of this reviewers recommendations!

New Customer Review - Chasing Vermeer

Chasing Vermeer
by Blue Balliett [j Balliett]

This book was amazing. I liked how it was a mystery and the characters had to solve a bunch of puzzles. This book had a lot of adventure and logic involved. I also like how Calder has pentominoes and uses them to figure things out. Also, I think it's cool how Petra is really good at writing and discovers things through that. My favorite part is how in the pictures there's a hidden puzzle. -- review submitted by Helen L. - a customer of the Gere Branch Library

Have you read this one? What did you think? Did you find this review helpful?

New Customer Reviews appear regularly in the pages of the BookGuide web site. You can visit the Customer Reviews page to see them all and/or submit your own, or watch them appear here in the BookGuide blog individually as we receive them.

Saturday, December 8, 2012

Sleuths, Sidekicks and Stooges

Sleuths, Sidekicks and Stooges
by Joseph Green and Jim Finch [R 809.387 qGre]

In an ongoing effort to promote some of the excellent reference books in the libraries' non-circulating Reference collection, let me bring your attention to this terrific tool for mystery fans! Sleuths, Sidekicks and Stooges is a massive oversized encyclopedia of mystery protagonists, organized alphabetically by the name of the sleuth -- be they Sherlock Holmes, Nero Wolfe, Travis McGee or Sam Spade. You'll find details descriptions of each sleuth, from their physical appearance to their basic personality traits, plus notes as to how many novels and/or stories they were featured in (up through 1995). Additionally, if the sleuth had a partner or sidekick, they get their own detailed blurb -- Spenser's Hawk, for instance. Additionally, if the sleuth has a regular police antagonist -- what the editors of this volume call "stooges" -- they also will get their own descriptive blurbs, within the broader scope of the sleuth's main entry. The book features extensive indexes to the Authors, Books, Sidekicks and Stooges, as well as a helpful appendix itemizing dozens of Sherlock Holmes parodies up through the mid-1990s. This is an excellent research volume for mystery fans -- I'm only sorry an updated edition has not been produced since 1997. But for classic mystery lovers, this is an essential tool! -- recommended by Scott C. - Bennett Martin Public Library [Subscribe to Scott's monthly booklist newsletter It's All Geek to Me! - on the Books, Movies & More newsletter sign-up page]

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New reviews appear every month on the Staff Recommendations page of the BookGuide website. You can visit that page to see them all, or watch them appear here in the BookGuide blog individually over the course of the entire month. Click the tag for the reviewer's name to see more of this reviewers recommendations!

Big Sky Country

Big Sky Country
by Linda Lael Miller

A good ol' modern cowboy romance. This is the first book of three in a new series that takes place in Parable, MT. Sheriff Slade Barlow, the illegitimate son of a wealthy rancher, was never acknowledged by his father, and lived a hardscrabble life with his single mother. He's stunned to learn he's inherited half of the entire estate - which doesn't set well with his half-brother Hutch. Re-enter Joslyn Kirk who left town in shame due to her stepfather swindling many of the townfolk out of their life savings. Now a software designer she's recently sold her highly successful company and has secretly begun paying them back. Sparks fly between Slade and Joslyn. We meet memorable, likeable characters that make this series and town come alive. A nice romance, a quick easy read, a couple of love scenes. How can you not like a cowboy romance with characters named Slade and Boone? [If you enjoy this, you may also wish to try Book #2 is Big Sky Mountain; Book #3, Big Sky River, is due out in Dec.] -- recommended by Charlotte K. - Bennett Martin Public Library

[Also available in book-on-cd, downloadable E-book and Large Print formats.]

[ official Big Sky Country page on the official Linda Lael Miller web site ]


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New reviews appear every month on the Staff Recommendations page of the BookGuide website. You can visit that page to see them all, or watch them appear here in the BookGuide blog individually over the course of the entire month. Click the tag for the reviewer's name to see more of this reviewers recommendations!

Wednesday, December 5, 2012

New Customer Review - The Best of Altan

The Best of Altan
by Altan [Compact Disc 781.63 IreA]

Some Irish music that is very soothing. They are really talented even if Irish isn't a part of your heritage. That's the case with me, And I still enjoy it. Check it out, and If you don't like it, no big deal. But you probably will. -- review submitted by Jason S. - a customer of the Gere Branch Library

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New Customer Reviews appear regularly in the pages of the BookGuide web site. You can visit the Customer Reviews page to see them all and/or submit your own, or watch them appear here in the BookGuide blog individually as we receive them.

Tuesday, December 4, 2012

Grimm: Season One

Grimm: Season One
[DVD Grimm]

Grimm is a TV series about a cop in Portland named Nick Burkhardt who learns he is an ancestor of the original Grimms. After his aunt dies he inherits the power to see supernatural creatures. These creatures look like average humans to everyone else which makes his life as a detective interesting. All of his cases seem to involve some sort of creature whether they're evil or harmless. Along the way he meets Monroe, a Blutbad aka a big bad wolf, who becomes his confidant and adviser on all things supernatural. The show is great if you love fairy tales or are looking for a new crime drama. There is some humor but not to an excess. The special effects are great - no two creatures look the same. [If you enjoy this, you may also wish to try Once Upon a Time - another TV series putting a new spin on old fairy tales.] -- recommended by Carrie K. - Bennett Martin Public Library

[ Internet Movie Database entry for this series ] | [ NBC's official Grimm web site ]

 
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New reviews appear every month on the Staff Recommendations page of the BookGuide website. You can visit that page to see them all, or watch them appear here in the BookGuide blog individually over the course of the entire month. Click the tag for the reviewer's name to see more of this reviewers recommendations!

New Booktalk Booklist - Characters & Curiosities

Here's another booklist from the archive of booktalks presented at various locations of the Lincoln City Libraries. In this case the speaker was Kathryn K. from the Bennett Martin Public Library downtown, who spoke at the Bethany BooksTalk group back in February 2011. [Click here to check out the current schedule of Book Talks.]

Kathryn spoke about a mix of both fiction and non-fiction titles, under the overall theme "Characters & Curiosities". Chick the link below to see her full booklist, as a convenient PDF.


Monday, December 3, 2012

Doodle Stitching: The Motif Collection

Doodle Stitching: The Motif Collection: 400+ Easy Embroidery Designs
by Aimée Ray [746.44 Ray]

If you haven't done embroidery before and want to give it a try, this is a great book to start with. It tells you about the basic stitches, has clear diagrams, and includes photos of what the stitch looks like on fabric. They have a number of step by step projects, and what I particularly like about this book is that they suggest variations for each project beyond using different colours. In the back half of the book are a wide array of motifs; they have baby, circus, flowers, food, space, under the sea, and a woodland fairytale among others. Included in the back is a CD with digital copies of all the motifs, making it easy to make enlargements or to combine multiple motifs into an arrangement. Over all the book does a very nice job on making things so clear and simple, even to someone who has never attempted embroidery before. [If you enjoy this, you may also wish to try Doodle Stitching: Fresh & Fun Embroidery for Beginners also by Aimée Ray.] -- recommended by Kristen A. - Gere Branch Library

[ official Aimee Ray web site ]

 
Have you read this one? What did you think? Did you find this review helpful?

New reviews appear every month on the Staff Recommendations page of the BookGuide website. You can visit that page to see them all, or watch them appear here in the BookGuide blog individually over the course of the entire month. Click the tag for the reviewer's name to see more of this reviewers recommendations!

O Pioneers!

O Pioneers!
by Willa Cather

Willa Cather, 1873-1947, has written several novels set in Nebraska. I might have read this earlier as I grew up here, but sometimes it's good to read or reread such classics. "O Pioneers!" reminds me just how difficult it was to live on this land, how life has its low moments and its high points. [If you enjoy this, you may also wish to try other Cather novels, or Bess Streeter Aldrich's pioneer novels.] -- recommended by Meredith M. - Heritage Room of Nebraska Authors

[O Pioneers! is available in a wide variety of formats and languages. This link (or the links above) should take you to ALL versions of this title in the libraries' collection.]

[ official Willa Cather Foundation web site ] | [ Wikipedia page for O Pioneers! ]


Have you read this one? What did you think? Did you find this review helpful?

New reviews appear every month on the Staff Recommendations page of the BookGuide website. You can visit that page to see them all, or watch them appear here in the BookGuide blog individually over the course of the entire month. Click the tag for the reviewer's name to see more of this reviewers recommendations!