Prayers for Sale

Prayers for Sale
by Sandra L. Dallas

Set during the 1930s, Hennie Comfort is fast approaching the age of 90 and will soon be moving from her Colorado home to spend the rest of her days with her daughter in Iowa. As she prepares to move, she reflects back on her life, through a series of stories that she shares primarily with Nit Spindle, a young newlywed and new neighbor to Hennie. This is an enjoyable read that includes a few twists and turns along the way to a surprising (for some) conclusion. Be watching for the clues to the Blue Dress pictured on the cover. -- recommended by Sheila J. - Bennett Martin Public Library

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

[ publisher's official Prayers for Sale web site ] | [ Reading Group Discussion Guide for Prayers for Sale ] | [ official Sandra Dallas 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 web site. 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.

Chess in Concert

Chess in Concert
music by Benny Andersson, Tim Rice and Bjorn Ulvaeus [Compact Disc 782.14 Che]

Thrilling! Spectacular! Moving! Intriguing! Can you imagine that any of these could apply to a staged musical about the classic mental game of chess? Well they do! The original recording of this show, released in the mid-1980s and featuring the vocal talents of Elaine Paige, Murray Head and Tommy Korberg, is one of my favorite soundtracks, even though I've never seen an actual production of the musical. In 2008, a pair of concert-format performances of the songs from this show was given at the Royal Albert Hall, which featured multi-platinum recording artist Josh Groban and Tony nominees Idina Menzel (Wicked) and Adam Pascal (RENT). This non-dramatized version of Chess in Concert was then shown on PBS and released as a double-disc CD set. Chess, as a story, features a political, emotional and strategic battle for supremacy between rival chess players over the course of two world-championship chess tournaments. Defections, both political and romantic, taint the pureness of the mental challenges of the game, and rivals find themselves uncertain of who and what they are playing for. The musical features some powerful songs, including "Quartet", "Budapest is Rising", "One Night in Bangkok", "Someone Else's Story", and my particular favorites, "Where I Want to Be" and "Nobody's Game". In this version, Groban is terrific, as expected, but I was particularly impressed by both Menzel and Pascal, who each have strong, flexible voices. My only complaint about this excellent album is that the recordings were live, and audience applause (though justified) reduces the emotional impact that silence would have had at the end of several tracks. Though both versions of this soundtrack are worth hearing, I'd definitely recommend giving this one a try! -- recommended by Scott C. - Bennett Martin Public Library

[Also available in original 1984 show and Selections from Chess (sheet music) formats.]

[ official Chess in Concert 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 web site. 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.

Hunter's Run

Hunter's Run
by George R.R. Martin, Gardner Dozois and Daniel Abraham

Exciting, visceral, thought-provoking science fiction at its best. This novel, begun in the late 1970s by authors Martin and Dozois, languished in a desk drawer for nearly two decades than was handed over to Abraham to update and conclude. It's amazing how it doesn't feel like a multi-author work. Ramon Espejo is a mining prospector working on the distant planet Sao Paulo. Ramon's got a temper that easily goes out-of-control, and after a violent incident in a bar leaves a man dead, Ramon needs to escape into the planet's wilderness for some "away time". Unfortunately, the discovery he makes in the remote mountains starts him on a desperate race back to civilization with an alien threat close on his heels. What, on the surface, is ostensibly an action-packed scifi adventure has a lot more going for it. Ramon is an intensely unlikeable character, who grows on the reader as the story progresses. The settings are gritty and believable. The aliens introduced in the story are fantastic. And the issues raised -- what it means to be human, how to control one's baser instincts, how to empathize with the inhuman -- will keep you thinking long after you've finished the book. -- recommended by Scott C. - Bennett Martin Public Library

[ Publisher's official Hunter's Run web page ]

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 web site. 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.

Heat of the Sun

Heat of the Sun

Trevor Eve plays Inspector Albert Tyburn, a Scotland Yard detective who takes justice into his own hands and is subsequently exiled to Colonial Kenya, in this 1930s-set PBS Mystery presentation. Though there are some occasional discrepancies in period setting, props and plot logic, the performances and atmosphere of this short-run series more than make up the difference. Eve is marvelous as Tyburn, as is Susannah Harker as his romantic interest, the pilot Emma, and Julian Rhind-Tutt as Assistant Superintendant James Valentine. This is a series of 3 two-hour episodes (originally aired in hour-long installments), and the stories are gripping. The set designers did a marvelous job of capturing the era of British Colonialism in Kenya. My only complaint is that the relationship between Albert and Emma seems to progress far too rapidly, considering how "damaged" he is as a character when they first meet. Otherwise, if you're a fan of historical mysteries, this should be right up your alley! -- recommended by Scott C. - Bennett martin Public Library

[ Internet Movie Database entry for this series ]

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

New reviews appear every month on the Staff Recommendations page of the BookGuide web site. 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.

Hush, Hush

Hush, Hush
by Becca Fitzpatrick

A sacred oath, a fallen angel, a forbidden love. This story takes many twists and turns and was very difficult to put down. It debuted at #10 on the New York Times Bestseller List. The heroine in the story, High School student Nora Grey, feels a strong physical attraction and an even stronger emotional connection to the new transfer student, Patch, who seems to know more about Nora than her closest friend. Patch makes it obvious that he is interested in Nora, but Nora sees him as trouble. She does her best to steer clear, however, Patch seems to show up wherever she goes. After a series of unexplainable encounters and what appeared to be an attempt on her life, Nora is unsure of who to trust. She begins to wonder if she is quickly losing her mind, but feels she can't confide in anyone. After getting a glimpse of a large, disturbing, black scar in the shape of an upside down V on Patch's back, Nora begins seeking answers. What she finds is more frightening than Patch himself. At first, you may want to write this book of as part of the Stephanie Meyer Twilight Saga series, but the story takes a completely different direction. Elements of fantasy, thriller, action and romance, you may be left feeling spooked during parts of the story. -- recommended by Jessica H. - Walt Branch Library

[ Publisher's Hush, Hush web page ] | [ official Becca Fitzpatrick 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 web site. 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.

Terminator Salvation

Terminator Salvation

This 2009 entry into the Terminator film franchise (following Terminator [1984], Terminator 2: Judgment Day [1991] and Terminator 3: Rise of the Machines [2003]) was a powerful, action-packed entry into the storyline of humans fighting for survival in a dystopic future ruled by intelligent machines. While the producers attempted to set this film up so that you didn't need to know the plots of the previous films in the series, I think viewers unfamiliar with the story of John Connor and his mother, Sarah, might have still felt a little lost. In Terminator Salvation, Christian Bale stars as John Connor, one of the leaders of the human rebellion in the early 21st century. Bale gives a hard-edged, angry, brooding performance throughout the film. However, I was more impressed by Sam Worthington, who plays a man who regretably killed two people and was executed for his crime, only to be reborn as one of the mechanical terminators designed in human form -- which believes it actually is human. Worthington's is the more emotional of the performances, with true character growth. The supporting case is all very strong. The action is hot and heavy in this fast-paced film, but it is important to watch for the little moments of humanity in the midst of all the explosions and special effects. An excellent new film in the series. -- recommended by Scott C. - Bennett Martin Public Library
[Also available: several tie-in novels associated with this movie.]

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

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

New reviews appear every month on the Staff Recommendations page of the BookGuide web site. 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.

J.D. Salinger, 1919-2010

Reclusive American writer J.D. (Jerome David) Salinger -- author of the controversial yet classic novel, Catcher in the Rye, died January 78, 2010, at his home in Cornish, NH.

Although Salinger's literary output consisted of only three novels and a number of short stories, he is still considered one of the most prominent and influential American authors of the 20th century. For details, see the following links:

New York Times obit for Salinger

Wikipedia page for J.D. Salinger (detailed biography with complete list of credits)

Salinger's works in the Lincoln City Libraries online catalog

Photographing America 1929-1947

Henri Cartier-Bresson, Walker Evans : photographing America 1929-1947
edited and with an introduction by curator Agnès Sire ; essay by Jean-Francois Chevrier] [770.922 Sir]

Henri Cartier-Bresson and Walker Evans shared a mutual administration society. Cartier-Bresson said, "If it had not been for the challenge of the work of Walker Evans, I don't think that I would have remained a photographer." Evans, in a review of Cartier-Bresson's book The Decisive Eye wrote, "Cartier-Bresson was and is a true man of the eye. More, he was one of the few innovators in photography." In 1946 Cartier-Bresson sailed to New York to prepare his show at the Museum of Modern Art. While he was in America, Cartier-Bresson and two companions made a 77-day road trip from the Atlantic Ocean to the Pacific photographing daily life. This book is filled plates of Cartier-Bresson's work as it compares to Evans' work made during the Great Depression. I found it fascinating to view the images and see how Cartier-Bresson used Evans' work to as a starting point to develop his own interpretation of similar scenes. Evans used lines to draw the viewer into the image and wonder about person's story. While Cartier-Bresson found the discordant element in the image and made the viewer stop and ponder the mystery. [If you like this one, you may also enjoy books about Dorothea Lange, Gordon Parks, Wright Morris.] -- recommended by Donna G. - Virtual Services Department

[ Wikipedia page for Henri Cartier-Bresson ] | [ Wikipedia page for Walker Evans ]

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 web site. 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.

One Book One Nebraska - 2010 - Wright Morris

Following the ongoing success of the first several years of One Book One Nebraska, featuring Willa Cather's My Antonia, Omaha mystery novelist Alex Kava's One False Move, Mari Sandoz' classic history text Crazy Horse, Nebraska State Poet William Kloefkorn's autobiography Restoring the Burnt Child, and Bess Streeter Aldrich's A Lantern in Her Hand, the Nebraska Library Commission, the Nebraska Center for the Book, the Nebraska Library Association, the Nebraska Regional Library Systems and other organizations are sponsoring yet another year of One Book One Nebraska in 2010!

The 2010 selected title is Wright Morris' novel, The Home Place. You can find more information about the 2005-2010 events at the official One Book One Nebraska Web site.

Alone

Alone
by Loren Estleman

Valentino is a UCLA film archivist who's job it is to recover long-lost movies for the university. Of course his quest leads to mysteries and people associated with the Hollywood of old, thus providing an interesting connection between the old and the new. This story places him in a modern day murder involving the now deceased Greta Garbo. Valentino balances his sleuthing with supervising the renovation of The Oracle, a dilapidated movie theater. He has to keep the workers painting and plastering while dealing with a corrupt building inspector. I learned a lot about the early days of the talking movies and about Greta Garbo. Did you know that her first film was a promotional piece for a department store in Sweden called How Not to Dress? I didn't. Lovers of the silver screen will enjoy the trivia about legendary and little known screen stars. [If you like this one, you may also enjoy The Baker Street Letters and books by Dianne Emley.] -- recommended by Donna G. - Virtual Services Department
[ official Valentino mystery series page on the official Loren Estleman 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 web site. 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.