Calculated in Death (on CD)

Calculated in Death
by J.D. Robb (a.k.a. Nora Roberts)

I started the audiobook of this, and felt compelled to end it despite how awful it truly was. The entire premise is a detective, Eve Dallas, solving a corporate crime and a murder by relying on her billionaire boyfriend Roarke (entirely unbelievable- if he truly was a billionaire, why would she still be working on the streets as a detective anyway?!) It reads like a bad episode of Law and Order. I literally found myself fast forwarding through long asides and entirely too long psychological rants about Eve's perceptions of the killer. Maybe the other 40-some books in the series are better, but don't bother on this one. -- recommended by Jeremiah J. - Bennett Martin Public Library

[Also available in traditional print and Large Print formats.]

[ official J.D. Robb 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 - The Works of J.R.R. Tolkien

Did you miss Kristen's March 18, 2013 booktalk at the Gere BooksTalk group? Here's your chance to see her recommendations. Kristen presented a talk all about the works of fantasy author J.R.R. Tolkien, the creator of Middle Earth and the Lord of the Rings saga. Check out her booklist below, with entries hotlinked to the library catalog!

As an added bonus, Kristen provided us with the PowerPoint slideshow she used during her booktalk, which has additional background info about Tolkien and his life. Click here to view the PowerPoint presentation.

The works of J.R.R. Tolkien

The Unlikely Pilgrimage of Harold Fry

The Unlikely Pilgrimage of Harold Fry
by Rachel Joyce

Probably my absolute favorite read for 2012! Retired businessman Harold Fry, stuck in a life of established routine with his wife Maureen, with whom he barely communicates, finds his world put akilter when he receives a letter from a long-ago co-worker, Queenie Hennessy. Queenie is in a hospice in far northern England, dying, and just wants to say goodbye. Not a man of eloquent words, Harold none-the-less writes a short note to Queenie, puts on a jacket and tells Maureen he's going to drop off a letter at the nearest postbox. Only...when he gets to the neighborhood drop box, he continues on to the next box, and the next box after that. Ultimately, Harold finds himself walking down the road, starting in Southern England and planning to walk all 500 miles to Queenie's bedside, reasoning to himself that Queenie will have to live long enough for him to say goodbye in person. What starts off as a fairly lightweight, quirky novel, quickly builds drama and emotion, as Harold meets a number of colorful characters who help him on his journey. Though the antics of some of the folks who join him on his travels threaten to distract him from his mission, Harold looks deep within himself to find the strength to carry on, and to deal with some of the personal crises in his own life at the same time. A surprisingly weighty and emotional book! [Also enjoyable as an audiobook, read by actor Jim Broadbent.] -- recommended by Scott C. - Bennett Martin Public Library

[Also available in downloadable audio and downloadable E-book formats.]

[ official Rachel Joyce 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!

Land Girls

Land Girls
[DVD Land]

I have really enjoyed this series! Based in England, it tells the story of the women who worked the fields while men were off at war. Although there are some historical errors, it is still an enjoyable look at life in Britain during the War from the viewpoint of women doing their part to serve their country. [If you enjoy this, you may also wish to try Foyle's War on DVD.] -- recommended by Kim J. - Bennett Martin Public Library

[ Internet Movie Database entry for this series ] | [ official Land Girls web site from the BBC ]

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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!

A Necessary Evil

A Necessary Evil
by Alex Kava

This is book five in the Maggie O'Dell series by Nebraska author Alex Kava (pen name for Sharon Kava), and is a sequel to book one "A Perfect Evil". One doesn't have to have read the first book, or any of the others in between, to enjoy this title. Enough backstory is provided to bring the reader up-to-speed, but I found the story interesting enough to go back to book one to read its origins. FBI profiler, Maggie O'Dell is on the trail of two separate killers. One is leaving the decapitated heads of his victims all over Washington, DC and the other is murdering priests in a ritualistic manner in public locations all across the U.S. O'Dell has few leads when she receives an offer of assistance from a most unlikely source – her prime suspect in book one. The chapters alternate between Maggie and the Omaha police detective who is investigating the murder of a Catholic Monsignor in a men's room at Eppley Airfield in Omaha. She is brought in to provide a profile of the murderer and runs into a former love-interest from "Perfect Evil" who also has a personal interest in the Omaha murder. The man who was the suspect in book one is a sympathetic character and you're torn between understanding his background versus what he's suspected of doing, and it's not clear until near the end if he's a victim or a monster. A satisfying twist awaits you at the end. -- recommended by Charlotte K. - Bennett Martin Public Library

[ official Alex Kava web site ]
 
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New Booktalk Booklist - Travel the World From Your Armchair

Did you miss Shannon's March 8, 2013 booktalk at the Bethany BooksTalk group or March 11th booktalk at the Gere BooksTalk group? Here's your chance to see her recommendations. Shannon covered a diverse group of 11 books, all of which capture the essence of various geographical locales. Check out her booklist below, with entries hotlinked to the library catalog!

Travel the World From Your Armchair

New Booktalk Booklist - Karrie and Steph's Awesome Winter Book Talk - 2013

Did you miss Karrie and Stephanie's March 1, 2013 booktalk at the Bethany BooksTalk group? Here's your chance to see their recommendations. These two librarians covered a total of 19 different books - both fiction and non-fiction - on a variety of topics and in a variety of styles. Check out their booklist below, with entries hotlinked to the library catalog!

Karrie and Steph's Awesome Winter Booktalk

Silver Linings Playbook (the novel)

Silver Linings Playbook
by Matthew Quick

Silver Linings Playbook follows the life of Pat Peoples after he is released from a psychiatric facility in Baltimore. Pat's wife Nikki has decided that they need some "apart time" so Pat goes back to living with his parents in New Jersey, biding his time until "apart time is over". Pat spends his days running, lifting weights, and watching Eagles games with his father who also seems to have some mental issues. Pat's best friend Ronnie and his wife Veronica attempt to set up Pat with Veronica's sister Tiffany whose husband has just died. Soon after Tiffany starts following Pat as he runs, saying she is scouting him to be her dance partner at a local competition. Pat is obsessed with getting back with his wife so Tiffany says she will deliver her letter if Pat dances with her. The book does differ from the movie as the dance competition isn't the finale. Quick's writing style makes the book a quick read and hard to put down. [If you enjoy this, you may also wish to try Sorta Like a Rock Star or Boy21 also written by Matthew Quick.] -- recommended by Carrie K. - Bennett Martin Public Library

[Also available in downloadable audio format.]

[ official Matthew Quick / Silver Linings Playbook web site ]
 
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Silver Linings Playbook (on DVD)

Silver Linings Playbook
[DVD Silver]

After beating up his wife's lover, Pat Solitano (played by Bradley Cooper) is diagnosed with bipolar and is forced to stay at a mental institution in Maryland. After 8 months his mother brings him home to live with her and his father (played by Robert De Niro) who also suffers from a mental disease. Because of a restraining order Pat is not allowed to contact his wife Nikki, but wants to get in shape for when they will get back together. Pat's new life motto is "excelsior" where he looks for the silver linings in life. He spends his days running and reading books that are on Nikki's high school English syllabus. While running one day Pat sees his old friend Ronnie who invites him over for dinner. There he meets Tiffany, (played by Jennifer Lawrence) Ronnie's sister-in-law whose husband has just died. After a disastrous dinner Tiffany asks Pat to walk her home, then over the next few weeks begins to follow Pat when he runs. Since Pat is not allowed to talk to Nikki Tiffany promises to deliver her a letter if Pat will become her dance partner in a local competition. As they train for the competition things become interesting between them. This movie is made up of an all-star cast who deserve every award they were given. There is humor, but not too much, and you learn a lot about OCD and bipolar as the movie goes on. [If you enjoy this, you may also wish to try the book Silver Linings Playbook by Matthew Quick.] -- recommended by Carrie K. - Bennett Martin Public Library
[Also available in traditional print format.]

[ Internet Movie Database entry for this film ] | [ official Silver Linings Playbook web site ] 

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Happy Never After

Happy Never After
by Kathy Hogan Trochek

Callahan Garrity is a former Atlanta cop, a part-time investigator and co-owner of the House Mouse cleaning service. What starts out as a missing person case turns into a murder investigation. Callahan is asked to find the missing member of a 1960s singing group, the VelvetTeens. The group is asked to be in a movie and sing their hit song, Happy Never After. But Vonette and Rita have find Delores, who they haven't heard from in 20 years or the movie deal is off. Things become complicated when the VelvetTeens former manager, Stu Hightower, tells Vonette and Rita that he owns the rights to the group the VelvetTeens and their songs. They ca'?t perform as the VelvetTeens or sing their hits. Rita confronts Stu and threatens him. That night she is found drunk at his house, holding the gun that killed Stu. Rita's defense attorney asks Callahan to do some investigative work. Callahan finds a number of people who despised Stu, including his ex-wife who tried to burn down his house. Callahan uses some creative and amusing techniques to gain access to the gated community where Stu lived and to interview his neighbors. This book is a good read on a lazy afternoon. Trocheck also write romances under the pen name Mary Kay Andrews. -- recommended by Donna G. - Virtual Services Department

[ official Happy Never After page on the official Mary Kay Andrews / Kathy Hogan Trocheck web site ]
 
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The Silent Land

The Silent Land
by Graham Joyce

Jake and Zoe are skiing in the French Pyrenees when they are buried in an avalanche. After extricating themselves from the snow they discover the hotel and village are apparently evacuated due to further avalanche dangers, and their cell phones aren't functioning probably due to towers being destroyed. They remain at the hotel waiting for rescue as they begin to make interesting discoveries. A love story of life, memories, regrets, and relationships with Twilight Zone overtones. You immediately believe they are dead but the ending is not what I expected. -- recommended by Charlotte K. - Bennett Martin Public Library

[Also available in downloadable E-book format.]

[ official The Silent Land page on the official Graham Joyce 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!

The Blue Blazes

The Blue Blazes
by Chuck Wendig

The Blue Blazes is the story of Mookie Pearl, a thug and solider for The Organization. The Organization runs all the gangs in New York City, and the cerulean trade. Cerulean allows the user the ability to see the things that come from below New York as they really are, while also giving the user certain... other powers. Mookie just wants to do right by his job. So when the Boss's grandson asks Mookie to find the mythical death's head, the only thing that may save the cancer stricken Boss and stop an all out gang war from erupting, Mookie does as he asks and makes a short trip to the underworld. All while his estranged daughter Nora is trying to make a move to take over the organization and get revenge against Mookie. I would best describe The Blue Blazes as a cross between The Dresden Files and The Godfather with a huge helping of originality thrown in. The writing is dark and at times quite funny, while the descriptions and dialogue are gritty and gothic. I look forward to what I hope becomes a new series. I would recommend Blue Blazes to someone who is looking for a more dark and gritty urban fantasy novel. [If you enjoy this, you may also wish to try The Dresden Files series by Jim Butcher.] -- recommended by Wyatt P. - Gere Branch Library


[ official Chuck Wendig web site ]

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Zero Dark Thirty

Zero Dark Thirty
[DVD Zero]

Based on real events, this controversial film follows a CIA Agent named Maya and her quest to find Osama Bin Laden. Driven and confident Maya interrogates Al-Queda members and tracks down leads in an effort to find Bin Laden's exact location. When she believes she finds him she must them convince not only her boss but the CIA that she's right. Jessica Chastain shines as Maya in this epic film. [If you enjoy this, you may also wish to try Zero Dark Thirty: the Shooting Script 791.437 ZerYb, or any of the books about Seal Team Six.] -- recommended by Carrie K. - Bennett Martin Public Library

[ Internet Movie Database entry for this film ] | [ official Zero Dark Thirty 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!

The Last Course

The Last Course
by Claudia Fleming [641.86 Fle]

Although I enjoyed going through this collection of one of my favorite things – dessert – I think it could have been better, in terms of reaching a broad audience of non-professional cooks/chefs. Only about one-third of the recipes are accompanied by a photo of the finished dish, and many of the recipes are rather complicated or involve multiple parts of preparation. It does make me curious to go to the source restaurant but I'm sure the prices would be a shock even if the fare is as fabulous as it looks and seems. I appreciate that the recipes are divided by content/type of dessert and there are helpful tips on wine pairing, and food/spice characteristics. What bothers me, though, is the amount of "discard" this and that in the instructions. Albeit this was published over ten years ago, 'going green' is not a brand-new concept so it would be nice to get suggestions for what can be done with leftovers, such as egg whites or yolks, either to complement the dish being made or use in another. What I ended up wishing for over all was that someone ELSE would make the desserts that caught my eye and then let me taste-test them! I'll accept a delivery of chocolate caramel tarts or lavender lemon pound cake any time. -- recommended by Becky W.C. - Walt Branch Library

[ official North Fork Table and Inn – Claudia Fleming's restaurant ]

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Gone Girl

Gone Girl
by Gillian Flynn

A wife goes missing... the iron is left on, a pot still boiling on the oven. Where did she go? Who did this? What is her husband, now the prime suspect, going to do? The book alternates from the husband's point of view (Nick), and previous journal entries from the missing wife's diary (Amy), leading up to an explosive page turning second half. However (without giving anything away), I didn't think the ending was as satisfying as the rest of the book. Nevertheless, you'll have a hard time putting this one down, as nearly every single chapter ends in a cliff-hanger. Contains offensive language. -- recommended by Jeremiah J. - Bennett Martin Public Library

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

[ official Gillian Flynn / Gone Girl web site ]  

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The Wurst is Yet to Come [on downloadable audio]

The Wurst is Yet to Come
by Mary Daheim [downloadable audio]

Judith McMonigle Flynn and her cranky cousin, Serena, head to Oktoberfest to help man the State Bed & Breakfast Association booth. Judith's reputation as a detective has preceded her and the local police chief asks for her help when the body of Dietrich Wessler, the town's patriarch, is found. Serena provides much of the humor through out this witty book. [If you enjoy this, you may also wish to try the works of Donna Andrews and Cleo Coyle.] -- recommended on audio by Donna G. - Virtual Services Department

[Also available in traditional print format.]

[ official Mary Daheim web site ]

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New Customer Review - The Great Gilly Hopkins

The Great Gilly Hopkins
by Katherine Paterson [j Paterson]

When we first meet Gilly Hopkins, we learn that in the past three years she's already been in two different foster homes. When her caseworker Miss Elllis turns into the driveway of yet another home, she asks Gilly to get rid of her bubble gum before they get out. Gilly obliges -- by spreading her gum "under the handle of the left-hand door as a surprise for the next person who might try to open it". Seconds within her arrival at her new foster home, Gilly has sat herself down at a piano stool and is pounding out "Chopsticks". Before you think Gilly is just acting out, listen to some of her thoughts about her new foster mom: "What an awful smile she had" and "Listening to that woman was like licking melted ice-cream off the carton." Gilly is one angry girl! Yet underneath all the bravado and attitude, there's a girl who wants to be liked. You see, no family has kept Gilly long enough for Gilly to consider it worth her time to unpack her suitcase at each new place. As for that suitcase, Gilly carries a photograph in it of her mom -- and that photo is the only thing that remotely triggers tears. Unfortunately, just because Gilly has a heart that doesn't mean Gilly is easy to like. Quite the opposite! Gilly is a porcupine with her quills always bared. If this were any other book, Gilly's new guardian Maime Trotter might instantly win her over and the rest of the book would be about how love changed Gilly. But this is a realistic portrayal of a foster kid, inspired by Paterson's own experience of being a foster mom, and so love doesn't come easy to Gilly. In the process of learning to accept Maime Trotter, Gilly talks back to adults, tells the only girl at school who attempts to be friends with her that she makes Gilly sick, gets into fights, and steals from her neighbor. She also keeps writing her mom, telling her about how horrible life is, and asking to be rescued. The story takes an unexpected twist when Gilly receives a response to her letter. In The Great Gilly Hopkins, Katherine Paterson has created a brat whom we grow to love despite Gilly's best attempts to antagonize everyone. -- review submitted by Allison H.-F. - a customer of the Bennett Martin Public Library

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A Field of Darkness

A Field of Darkness
by Cornlia Read

This is a moody mystery set in 1988. Cornelia Read paints a desolate picture of Syracuse that matches the tone of the book. Her heroine, Madeline Dare, struggles with living a blue-collar life which a far cry from her childhood where she grew up with the comforts of wealth. Madeline's father-in-law shows her a set of dog tags that he found in a field. He tells her that two young women were murdered it in 1969. Madeline is shocked to see her cousin's name etched on the pieces of metal. Lapthorne is her favorite cousin and she can't believe that he was involved. She sets out to find the truth. This debut novel is interesting but the writing is uneven. Flashes of humor are mixed lengthy complaints by Madeline about life in the rust belt of New York. [If you enjoy this, you may also wish to try the works of Jeff Crook and Douglas Corleone.] -- recommended by Donna G. - Virtual Services Department

[Also available in downloadable E-book format.]

[ official A Field of Darkness page on the official Cornelia Read web site ]

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Alphas: Season One

Alphas: Season One
[DVD Alphas]

Alphas was an original series produced for the Syfy (formerly the SciFi) US cable network. Unlike a lot of Syfy's other, more outlandish series, Alphas was grounded in a contemporary world only slightly different from our own. David Strathairn (Good Night and Good Luck, The Bourne Ultimatum, The Days and Nights of Molly Dodd) starred as Dr. Lee Rosen, a scientist studying the increasing numbers of humans who have evolved much more highly developed physical and mental abilities than the average man. He has put together a team of some of these "Alphas" to help him locate more of these people, before they do harm to themselves or others. Alphas was a quirky mix of crime procedural -- some newly developed Alphas used their special abilities to commit crimes -- and plausible science fiction. The series, sadly, was cancelled after only two seasons and the libraries currently do not own season two. But I do recommend sampling season one, in the hopes that season two will be added to the collection eventually. The writing, acting and production values were top notch, and the characters were definitely people you could grow to care about. [If you enjoy this, you may also wish to try Eureka, and Warehouse 13, also both produced for the Syfy network, and set in contemporary times. There are also strong similarities between Alphas and the general underlying plots of the X-Men feature films and the syndicated scifi series Mutant X, which aired from 2001 to 2004.] -- 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].

[ Internet Movie Database entry for this series ] | [ Syfy's official Alphas web site ]

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Suspect

Suspect
by Robert Crais

This was my first read by Robert Crais (pronounced crase; his fans call themselves "craisies") which follows LAPD cop Scott James, who is recovering from a shooting that left him seriously injured and his partner, Stephanie, killed. Scott has refused a medical retirement but after many months is still battling pain and PTSD (post-traumatic stress disorder). He's desperately seeking a slot somewhere, ANYWHERE, within LAPD and is forced upon the K-9 unit. There he partners with Maggie, a former Marine explosives-sniffing dog who lost her partner to an IED and sniper attack. She also is suffering from PTSD and may be dropped from the force. Together, she and Scott help each other heal while they seek out the identity of the men who murdered Stephanie. One does not need to be a dog fan to enjoy this mystery. The story is told from both Scott's and Maggie's points of view. Maggie is not anthropomorphized, and her chapters are fascinating as we learn how Maggie relates to the world. Scott is allowed on the fringe of the investigation because of his involvement as a victim, and he's the one to notice a few irregularities which others dismiss. He and Maggie end up on their own and in serious danger. The characters and their backgrounds held my attention, nor did I guess "whodunnit" though I had some very broad, overall suspicions in that general direction. Good mystery, good suspense, likable characters, pleasing epilogue; overall a satisfying read. Crais also writes the Elvis Cole, Joe Pike mysteries. So far this one is a stand-alone and I liked this one so well I hope this is the first in a planned series. -- recommended by Charlotte K. - Bennett Martin Public Library

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

[ official Suspect page on the official Robert Crais web site ]

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