Just Go With It

Just Go With It

Adam Sandler and Jennifer Aniston star in this romantic comedy. Danny (Sandler) has an interesting way of picking up women - he uses a wedding ring and makes them feel sorry for him claiming that his wife doesn't care about him. This plan seems to backfire when he meets a girl he actually cares about. He tells the girl he's getting a divorce and she insists on meeting his soon-to-be ex-wife. Danny convinces his assistant (Aniston) to pretend to be his wife and she lets it slip that she has kids. Then he's forced to make her kids pretend to be his as well. They end up going to Hawaii where secret feelings begin to reveal themselves. I loved this movie - the back and forth comedy between Aniston and Sandler is hysterical, plus the comic relief by Nick Swardson - who plays Aniston's fake boyfriend she was "cheating" on Danny with - just adds to the comedy dynamic. If you're looking for a break from reality and need a laugh check this one out. [If you enjoyed this movie, you may also like similar Adam Sandler or Jennifer Aniston movies such as 50 First Dates, The Bounty Hunter, or Management - all available through our library system.] -- recommended by Carrie K. - Bennett Martin Public Library and South Branch Library

[ Internet Movie Database entry for this film ] | [ official Just Go With It web site ]

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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.

New Booktalk Booklists - Gere Book Shares - 8/8 and 9/26/2011

During the summer months, the Gere Branch BooksTalk group didn't go on a complete hiatus, but instead continued to meet, once a month, on the 2nd Monday of each summer month. For these meetings, there was not a specified presenter, with a prepared book talk. Instead, those were "Book Share" opportunities!

All attendees were encouraged to share/recommend whatever they've been reading, listening to, or watching recently.

Lists were compiled of all the titles mentioned during both the August 8th and September 26th Book Sharing sessions. If you're looking for some good reading and/or viewing suggestions, check out the Gere Book Share - 8/8/2011 booklist, and Gere Book Share - 9/26/2011 booklist, both now on the BookGuide site.

And stop in every Monday afternoon, from 2:30 to 4:00, for the regular fall/winter season of Gere Books Talks, to share your love of reading with fellow book enthusiasts!

Set Sail for Murder (on compact disc)

Set Sail for Murder
by Carolyn G. Hart [Compact Disc Hart]

Senior sleuth Henrie O helps her old friend, James Lennox; protect his wife on a Baltic cruise. Jimmy's wife, Sophia Montgomery, will decide when her stepchildren get their inheritances from their late father's estate. Her stepchildren are not happy about the situation. There have been two attempts on Sophia's life and Jimmy is certain that one of her stepchildren is the culprit. Sophia has invited all of the children on the cruise and she will announce if the stepchildren will receive their inheritances now or if they will remain in the trust fund for ten more years. Sophia is concerned that her adult stepchildren will fritter away their inheritances and she is thinking about keeping the trust fund intact. Set Sail for Murder is the seventh book in this engaging series. As in the other books, the characters are drawn with a deft hand. They pop out at the reader. [If you enjoy this, you may also wish to try the works of Maddy Hunter, Donna Andrews and Ellery Adams.] -- recommended by Donna G. - Virtual Services Department

[Also available in downloadable audio and print formats.]

[ official Henrie O page on the official Carolyn G. Hart web site ]

Have you read or 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.

Making It: Radical Home Ec for a Post-Consumer World

Making It: Radical Home Ec for a Post-Consumer World
by Kelly Coyne and Erik Knutzen [640 Coy]

The DIY movement has been gaining momentum for quite some time bringing about a revival in canning, homesteading, urban farming and knitting circles to name a few. While nearly everyone appreciates the results of homemade, it can be a time consuming undertaking with a full time job, family, friends etc. Making It is a charmingly written and thorough practical household DIY reference resource book that accommodates busy people who want to integrate environmental friendly homemade products and projects into their household. To achieve this, authors Kelly Coyne and Erik Knutzen structured the chapters of the book in relationship to time management! Projects and tasks are broken up into chapter timelines; day to day, week to week, month to month and season to season tasks and recipes. As for content, the book is home-ec for adults. As a reference book, Making It includes friendly introductions to soap-making, various homemade toiletries and cleaning supplies, practical use of medicinal herbs, homemade condiments, laundry, mending, gardening, home brewing, and even beekeeping. At times while reading it seems to be a somewhat haphazard collection of tasks and ideas for making things at home from scratch. However, as an introductory book to the DIY homemaking, it is a great place to start. The recipes are simple and easy to follow. The authors took great care in writing practical instructions, with time management and economy in mind. Most of the recipes are feasible to do as a DIY beginner and without access to exotic supplies. Readers be prepared to use your visual imagination, the book contains a few illustrations, but no photographs to compare your projects to. That said, it is chock-full of neat projects and homemade philosophy for living on the cheap and making a healthier happier home. [If you enjoy this, you may also wish to try DIY Projects for the self-sufficient homeowner: 25 ways to build a self-reliant lifestyle (640 qMat), The Backyard Homestead by Carleen Madigan (641.3 Mad), The edible front yard: the mow-less, grow-more plan for a beautiful, bountiful garden by Ivette Soler (635 Sol), Urban homesteading: heirloom skills for sustainable living by Rachael Kaplan and K. Ruby Blume (640 Kap), Grow Great Grub by Gayla Trail (635.048 Tra), and Mother Earth News (magazine).] -- recommended by Glory B. - Bennett Martin Public Library


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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.

Community - The Complete First Season

Community - The Complete First Season

This TV comedy series began during the 2009-2010 television season, on NBC and is beginning its third season this year. Set at a community college, this series features an ensemble cast, though when it began a large number of the stories focused on Jeff (Joel McHale), a lawyer whose degree has been proven to be faulty. As he entered Greendale Community College, he ended up joining a study group for his Beginning Spanish class. That group consists of Pierce (an older, somewhat bigoted man, trying to recapture his youth), Britta (an attractive young feminist who occasionally goes overboard), Troy (a former standout high school athlete who is having trouble fitting in), Annie (a recent high-school honors grad, who had a crush on Troy), Shirley (a middle-aged housewife having some relationship issues) and Abed (an Indian student obsessed with pop culture and TV tropes). As the season progressed, stories focused less on Jeff and more on the entire cast, with Abed proving to be an amusing breakout cast member. Towards the end of season one, and throughout much of season two, the producers broke the tradional barriers between the television audience and the cast, having fun with standard TV traditions (and movie traditions) along the way. This series can be a wild ride, veering between extreme parody and sentimentality. However, if you let the characters build on you, it can be worth the ride in the end. The relationships that have built up between the characters over two years are tremendously satisfying, even if some of the individual stories end up being too "out there". -- recommended by Scott C. - Bennett Martin Public Library

[ Internet Movie Database entry for this series ] | [ official Community web site ]

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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.

New Customer Review - Little Women

Little Women
by Louisa May Alcott

Meet sixteen-year-old Meg, the plump and matronly oldest sister; Jo, the awkward and rambunctious tomboy; Amy, the spoiled and artistic blond; and Beth, the quiet and reserved youngest sister. With their father away at war, the girls grow up under the watchful eye of Marmee. Despite the absence of their father, the family is close knit. The Marches sing together. They help the needy, even to the point of giving up their Christmas breakfast to help a starving family. Not being rich themselves, they produce their own entertainment. Of course, the March family is not perfect, which is why we love them. Under the moral direction of their mother, they also learn many life lessons. Little Women continues to be one of my favorite books. -- review submitted by Allison H.-F., a customer of the Bennett Martin Public 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.

My Word is My Bond

My Word is My Bond
by Roger Moore and Gareth Owen [Biography Moore]

Actor Roger Moore, best known as "The Saint" and James Bond 007, recounts his life, nearly chronologically, from his childhood in Englad, his plays, his movies, and his work with UNICEF. He mostly sticks to his ideal of "if you can't say anything nice about someone then say nothing at all" so this is NOT a kiss-and-tell book with nasty gossip about celebrities. As all good biographies do, this one has photos in the middle of the book. [If you enjoy this, you may also wish to try Elizabeth: The Queen Mother: A Twentieth Century Life by Grania Forbes.] -- recommended by Charlotte K. - Bennett Martin Public Library


[ Page for this book on the official Sir Roger Moore web site ]

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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.

iPod - The Missing Manual [2011 ed.]

iPod: The Missing Manual [2011 ed.]
by J.D. Biersdorfer with David Pogue [Music 786.76 Bie 2011]

If you consider yourself merely "competent" to use your iPod, I recommend this volume from the Missing Manuals publishers at O'Reilly. This 2011 edition covers the iPod Classic, the Shuffle, the Nano and the iPod Touch. You've probably got the "basics" down, and understand how to use the main controls of your iPod. This book will help you make the most effective use of your device's sub-menus, as well as showing you the best ways to use iTunes to manage your music and video collection. Includes handy sections on loading photos, using your iPod as a digital personal assistant, surfing the web with the iPod Touch, troubleshooting, and the vast array of peripheral devices available to make even more use of your iPod. With a huge digital music collection, I particularly appreciated a section on how to move your music to an external hard drive, without disrupting how the iTunes software recognizes where to find your collection. Recommended for those who already have some minimal iPod experience. [If you're into personal entertainment tech and/or computer software, but need help, I'd recommend the other volumes in the Missing Manuals series.] -- recommended by Scott C. - Bennett Martin Public Library

[ official Missing Manuals web site ]

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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.

For Husker Fans Only!

For Husker Fans Only!
edited by Rich Wolfe [796.332 NebYw]

This is a marvelous collection of essays, by Nebraska fans, about the experience of being a Nebraska football fan. In these 48 pieces, you'll get a variety of personalities, sharing what it's been like to follow the Huskers their entire lives. Some come from writers who've been fans since before Bob Devaney took the reins, and others are from fans of the more recent generations. Chapters include "Growin' Up Husker", "Sweet Home Memorial Stadium", "A Hard Way to Make an Easy Living", "I Saw It On the Radio", "Put Me in Coach", "On the Road Again", "Huskerpalooza", "Ah, a Female Husker Fan", and "Fandemonium". Rich Wolfe edits a series of similar volumes for football and baseball programs across the county. He inserts little arcane facts about football facts, which often have nothing to do with the Huskers, to fill out the ends of many of the pages, and some of these fall flat. But, if you're looking for unique voices sharing the experience of what it's like to be a part of Husker Nation, this is a volume you shouldn't pass up! [The libraries have a huge collection of materials related to Husker football and its history, most of which is in the 796.332 Neb__ section of the non-fiction.] -- recommended by Scott C. - Bennett Martin Public Library

[ This book's entry at Huskerpedia.com ]

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.

Enchanted Cornwall: Her Pictorial Memoir

Enchanted Cornwall: Her Pictorial Memoir
by Daphne DuMaurier [914.23 DuM]

I picked up this photograph filled memoir by one of my favorite authors. Daphne Du Maurier tells the story of how she first came to Cornwall on a holiday with her mother and her sister Jeanne when she was nineteen. They stayed at a farm in Cumberland and Du Maurier writes "earlier holidays could not compare with this my first experience of rugged scenery, of running water coursing through the hills down to the lake." It was love at first sight. Later that year Du Maurier, her mother and two sisters returned to Cornwall to buy a house to use for their holidays. They settled on Ferryside near the village of Fowey. After the house was renovated, twenty-year-old Daphne moved in to pursue her writing career. She roamed the hills and sailed along the Cornish coast soaking up the atmosphere and finding inspiration for her novels. It was on one of her walks that she found Menabilly, a deserted manor hidden away down a long driveway. This house was the model for Manderlay in Rebecca and for the estate in My Cousin Rachel. Du Maurier found Jamaica Inn, the setting for her book with the same name by accident. Daphne Du Maurier and her friend Foy Quiller-Couch were out riding and got lost in the dark, desolate Bodmin Moor. They stumbled upon the inn. Once inside, Daphne and Foy learned stories about smuggling, wrecking and legends of the Moors. The entertaining glimpses of Du Maurier's past is illustrated will color photographs taken by Nick Wright. -- recommended by Donna G. - Virtual Services Department

[ official www.dumaurier.org web site ]

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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.

New Customer Review - Dead in the Water

Dead in the Water
by Stuart Woods

I have enjoyed Stuart Woods' writing but have found that he spends entirely too much time on the relationships that Stone Barrington has in each book. I don't mind if he has a relationship or two and that it has an impact on the story but he goes into too much detail about their interactions. I would much rather prefer that the relationships not be such a big part of the books. Otherwise, I enjoyed this book and enjoy trying to figure out exactly how things happened before they are revealed at the end. -- review submitted by Michael E. - a customer of the Bennett Martin Public 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.

Chuck

Chuck

A classic tale of computer geek sees something he shouldn't and now needs to be protected by government agents while foreign operatives hunt him down. Zachary Levi plays Chuck, a computer genius who works at a Buy More and lives with his sister and her fiance Captain Awesome. After Chuck's former college roommate sends him an email filled with pictures encoded with government secrets that, once viewed, stick in your brain he is forced to be guarded by CIA Agent Sarah Walker and NSA Agent John Casey. The back and forth relationships between the characters are what makes the show so fantastic. Not to mention the stunts, the storylines and the comic relief of Chuck's best friend Morgan and the rest of the Buy More crew. [If you enjoy this, you may also like Chuck seasons two and three, or Burn Notice - about a spy working with his best friend and his ex girlfriend.] -- recommended by Carrie K. - Bennett Martin Public Library and South Branch Library

[ Internet Movie Database entry for this series ] | [ official Chuck 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 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.

102 Minutes

102 Minutes
by Jim Dwyer and Kevin Flynn [973.731 Dwy]

This narrative of the World Trade Center aspect of 9/11/2001 was published in 2005. Journalists Dwyer and Flynn are both native New Yorkers, so they had an additional impetus to analyze and piece together what the victims' and rescuers' perspectives were. Not only do we journey from shortly before the first airliner cleaved into Tower One to nearly midnight of that day, but we find out much about what led up to such a catastrophic chain of failure and destruction. By following the timeline through records of radio and telephone communications, and eyewitness accounts, the authors make the account intimate and gripping while yet presenting the facts clearly and cohesively. [If you enjoy this, you may also wish to try A Nation Challenged: A Visual History of 9/11 and its Aftermath.] -- recommended by Becky W.C. - Walt Branch Library


[ official 102 Minutes interactive web site from the New York Times ] | [ Jim Dwyer page on Wikipedia ]

[Note: This review was the 1,111th review submitted by any staff members to the Staff Recommendations page on the BookGuide site. This fact seems rather symbolic!]

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.

Hachi - A Dog's Tale

Hachi - A Dog's Tale [DVD j Hachi]

If you have a sentimental bone in your body, have a box of tissues handy when you watch this film! After hearing wonderful things about the movie Hachi, I finally took the time to watch it on DVD recently and found myself opening crying at various times throughout the film. Based on a real-life incident that took place in China, Hachi is about an adorable - and rare - Akita pup that gets lost in delivery to its proper owner, and temporarily adopted by a college professor who stumbles across it in an east-coast train station. Against his wife's better wishes, Professor Parker ends up adopting Hachi permanently when no-one else shows up to claim him. The Akita breed forms unbreakable bonds with their human "masters", and Hachi is no exception. He breaks through fences and doors in order to accompany Wilson to and from his daily train stop to work. When tragedy strikes the Wilson family, Hachi's love and loyalty are put to harsh test. The human performances in this film are great -- with Richard Gere as Parker Wilson, Joan Allen as his wife, and a large cast of recognizable faces as other family members, friends, co-workers and students. However, it is the team of dogs that the film-makers worked with as Hachi that steal the show. These dogs are astonishingly expressive, and my heart simply broke at the strength of relationship between Hachi and Wilson...a love that transcends time. Don't forget to watch the extras on this disc, particularly those that tell the story of the real-life "Hachi" that inspired this fictionalized story. -- recommended by Scott C. - Bennett Martin Public Library

[Also available in Hachiko: The True Story of a Loyal Dog.]

[ Internet Movie Database entry for this film ] | [ official Hachi 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 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.

On the Air: The Encyclopedia of Old-Time Radio

On the Air: The Encyclopedia of Old-Time Radio
by John Dunning [R 791.44 Dun]

Incredibly detailed guide to all the old-time radio programs -- dramas, sitcoms, informational shows -- which aired from the 1920s through the 1960s. Although this guide only gives descriptions of the shows, without separate entries for performers or networks, the descriptions they offer for each show have far more detail than any other guide. Information provided includes the show's broadcast history, directors, producers, stars, orchestras, creators, and a long description of the basic plot and/or backstory for each of the dramas and comedies. Dunning provides an extensive bibliography of other books and articles on his topic, and the index at the back of the book is huge -- if you want to know which radio programs Lucille Ball appeared on with regularity, you'll find them all cross-referenced here. I have found this reference volume exceptionally helpful in answering questions about classic radio shows; the only complaint I would offer is that there are absolutely no illustrations in the entire 800+ page book! If you'd like to browse this volume, it is available only in the reference collection at the Bennett Martin Public Library downtown! [If you enjoy this, you may also wish to try The Encyclopedia of American Radio -- shorter descriptions, but more illustrations!.] -- recommended by Scott C. - Bennett Martin Public Library


[ Old-Time Radio 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 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.

New Customer Review - Dirt

Dirt
by Stuart Woods

This is the second book in a seris by Stuart Woods that features Stone Barrington. I enjoy his style of writing but find that he tries to include too many characters. There are times that I have found myself having to go back and review who did what when he brings someone back later in the book. I also appreciate the fact that he doesn't try to mislead you about who may have committed the crime. There are too many authors that throw an oddball twist at the end of books. Stuart Woods keeps things straight and lets the story unwind the mystery. -- review submitted by Michael E. - a patron of the Bennett Martin Public 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.

The Photographer

The Photographer
by Emmanuel Guibert [958.1 qGui]

Sometimes distance, language and culture are barriers to understanding a country. Afghanistan has been a country in an area of the world of great mystery for most Americans. Afghanistan was pushed to the forefront of American news after 9/11. I picked up The Photographer after reading about it on the American Library Association's recommended nonfiction reading list for 2010. The Photographer combines the diaries and images of French photographer Didier Lefèvre's and fill in the blank illustrations of Emmanuel Guibert to tell the fantastic and dangerous account of a French Doctors Without Borders team in 1986. In 1986 Afghanistan was at war with the Soviet Union. The Photographer takes the reader through the treacherous Hindu Kush Mountains with a caravan that must avoid targeted roads while the country is at war. The caravan's purpose is to deliver people and supplies to remote regions of Afghanistan. The Photographer includes two unconventional elements which make it a very exciting read. One is in its visual presentation. Using a mixture of b&w photographs and drawings I felt as though I was reading a unique documentary movie. Guilbert's The Photographer is a travel diary, photo book, and graphic novel all in one. This is a unique must read for those curious about Afghan culture and history. [If you enjoy this, you may also wish to try The 9/11 Report or Waltz with Bashir.] recommended by Glory B. - Bennett Martin Public Library


[ official Emmanuel Guibert web site ]

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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.

Talk Show

Talk Show
by Dick Cavett [791.45 Cav]

After years in the entertainment industry as the host of his own titular TV talk show, Dick Cavett was invited by the New York Times to pen a regular "column" for that august publication. Knowing that Cavett came from Lincoln, I was happy to find Talk Show on the new books display recently. Cavett has a witty, observational tone to his writings. He's also very funny, in that dry, intellectual, "New Yorker" way. Still, despite the type of sophisticated image that he projects, it is fun to hear him talk of his formative years living in Lincoln. Cavett's subject matter for his columns varies wildly, from the expected remembrances of his talk show days and the many celebrities he interacted with, to his childhood, to his public battles with severe depression. Cavett is easy to listen to -- I sampled the book-on-cd version of this title. However, whether you're reading this or listening to it, I caution that Cavett is an unapologetic liberal, and conservatives or supporters of George W. Bush are likely to be put off by some of Cavett's angrier columns. Never-the-less, it's a pleasure to re-visit one of the 1970s and 1980s TV icons I grew up on...especially with the "local" connection! [If you enjoy this, you may also wish to try Cavett's earlier books. Also, the libraries have several DVD compilations featuring "best of" collections of bits from the Dick Cavett Show...these are definitely worth checking out!] -- recommended by Scott C. - Bennett Martin Public Library

[Also available in book-on-cd format.]

[ Dick Cavett entry on Wikipedia ] | [ official Dick Cavett NYT blog from which this book originated ]

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.

Live Long and Prosper, Star Trek!

We celebrate the 45th anniversary of the first airing of the classic Star Trek series (September 8, 1966 NBC) today.

The libraries have always had a huge collection of Star Trek books, whether you're looking for non-fiction books about the various TV and movie incarnations in this series, biographies of the many actors involved in Trek history, or any of the hundreds of novels set in the Star Trek universe.

If it is the latter you are interested in, we've got our extensive Star Trek Reading List booklist -- which chronicles all of the known professionally-published and authorized novels and short story collections from the late 1960s to the present. This list is updated two or three times per year, and is hotlinked into the libraries' online catalog, so that readers can check on the availability of the titles that are locally owned.

Several of the Star Trek books (both fiction and non-fiction) have been reviewed on the Staff Recommendations pages of BookGuide over the past few years -- you can scope out some of those reviews on the Staff Recommendations Index (by reviewer); the main Trekker there is Scott C.

And don't forget, the libraries own DVD boxed sets for all five generations of Star Trek television series -- Classic Trek, Next Generation, Deep Space 9, Voyager and Enterprise -- all that is missing the Animated series. You'll find hotlinks to all of those in our TV Tie-Ins booklist (scroll down to the Star Trek section).

To wrap up this blog entry, here are five Star Trek quotes associated with the Classic Trek series - the Kirk, Spock, McCoy era. Can you identify the episode or movie they come from?

1. "I didn't mean to say that the Enterprise should be hauling garbage. I meant to say that it should be hauled away AS garbage!"

2. "You may find that having is not so pleasing a thing as wanting. This is not logical, but it is often true."

3. "Brain! Brain! What is Brain?"

4. "I have been, and always shall be, your friend."

5. "I'm from Iowa. I only work in outer space."

May you Live Long and Prosper! And remember..."Dammit, Jim. I'm a librarian, not a webmaster!" /sdc

New Booklist - The John H. Ames Reading Series - First 200

The John H. Ames Reading Series, a service of the Jane Pope Geske Heritage Room of Nebraska Authors, is celebrating not only its 25th year, but will soon play host to its 200th reading by a Nebraska author. (click the above link to see the Fall/Winter 2011 schedule)

To celebrate, we've compiled a handout/booklist that lists all of the first 200 readings that have taken place as part of the series. That booklist is now available in electronic form on the libraries' BookGuide readers tools site -- The John H. Ames Reading Series - First 200 (a PDF document).

Most of these readings have been filmed over the years, and are available for those who are interested - they can be viewed in the Heritage Room, or (in many cases) can be checked out for home viewing.

These readings are an invaluable resource for research about local authors, and can be fun to watch for fans of the specific writers, editors and poets that are featured.

State Fair (on compact disc)

State Fair
by Earlene Fowler [Compact Disc Fowler]

It's county fair time. Bennie Harper Ortiz splits her time between working at the Sinclair Folk Art Museum and Artists Co-op booth and escorting her great-aunt Garnet around the exhibits. When a replica of a Harriett Powers story quilt is stolen and a fairgoer is found murdered at the Piebald Farm exhibit Bennie investigates and Garnet is her eager assistant. They sort through a list of suspects with a variety of motives. Fowler paints a great picture of the hustle and bustle of a fair. Carnies calling out to passersby to come try their luck at games of chance. The aroma of fair food wafts through the air. 4-Hers proudly show their cattle and hogs in hopes of winning the grand champion trophy. This delightful book, filled with homespun charm, is a blue ribbon winner. [If you enjoy this, you may also wish to try the works of Elizabeth Lynn Casey, Monica Ferris and Amanda Lee.] -- recommended by Donna G. - Virtual Services Department

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

[ official State Fair page on the official Earlene Fowler web site ]

Have you read or 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.

AnnaBelle, You Did What? An Epic Tale

AnnaBelle, You Did What? An Epic Tale
by Don Darnell [793.33 Dar]

I've met Don Darnell and enjoyed his company as a library customer several times, and enjoyed his descriptions of writing this book. Enough so that I decided to read it. I'm glad I did! AnnaBelle, You Did What? is a marvelously entertaining personal memoir, with a specific focus. Don explores his experiences learning to dance with his beloved wife, AnnaBelle, starting in their fifties. For anyone who has spent time at the PlaMor Ballroom, enjoying big band music, and wishing they had the skills and gumption to be out on the floor twirling around without embarrassing themselves. Don's writing style is light, and full of wonderful self-deprecating observations. The local nature of the events in the books should connect well with Lincoln readers, especially those with a few years under their belts. And on top of everything else, this is a passionate love story. For anyone who's watched the classical dances on Dancing With the Stars and wistfully wished they could take part, this book provides a glimpse of how enjoyable the world of amateur dancing can be. I also loved the reminiscing about the Big Band era musicians, such as the Bobby Layne Orchestra. Quite an enjoyable read. Congrats, Don! -- recommended by Scott C. - Bennett Martin Public Library


[ official PlaMor Ballroom web site ]

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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.

The House of Collectibles Price Guide to Star Trek Collectibles

The House of Collectibles Price Guide to Star Trek Collectibles
by Sue Cornwell and Mike Kott [745.1 qCor - 4th edition 1996]

This is a 260+ page guide to the world of Star Trek collectibles, covering 43 different categories of merchandise and products that were released to tie in to the classic Star Trek tv series (1966-69), and its later sequels, Star Trek the Next Generation (1987-94), Star Trek Deep Space Nine (1993-99) and Star Trek Voyager (1995-2001). This particular collectibles guide came out in 1996, and thus pre-dates the series Enterprise and the recent Star Trek reboot movie. Opening with a six-page brief history of Star Trek collecting, and a five-page guide to buying and selling Star Trek merchandise, the remainder of the book is a massive catalog to all things Trek -- including numerous black and white photos and an 8-page color photo insert in the middle. Each category of collectible merchandise provides a broad overview description, then detailed product lists identifying every authorized product released in that category. Categories range from the obvious -- Books, Model Kits, Puzzles, Puzzles and Toys -- to the odd and obscure -- Autographs, Blueprints, Costume Patterns and Jewelry. Keeping in mind that the price ranges mentioned in this 1996 volume are a bit of date, this is still an invaluable catalog for collectors wanting to identify all the authorized products put out up to that date. As a Star Trek collector, may you "Live Long and Prosper!" [If you enjoy this, you may also wish to try A Trekker's Guide to Collectibles With Values (although it is older than the reviewed title!).] -- recommended by Scott C. - Bennett Martin Public Library


[ official House of Collectibles web site ]
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