Sherlock Holmes: The Complete Series

Sherlock Holmes: The Complete Series
[DVD Sherlock]

In the 125 years since his first appearance in 1887, the "Great Detective" has been portrayed on screen in hundreds of different productions, by 75 different actors. In my case, Jeremy Brett, from the superb PBS Mystery adaptations, will always be "my" Holmes. However, I enjoy tracking down and watching other versions as well. This DVD set collects all 39 episodes that were produced for a 1954 Sherlock Holmes series produced for American television, starring Ronald Howard as Holmes and Howard Marion Crawford as his Watson. Filmed in Paris, though mainly on soundstages, this series is an oddity. Out of 39 half-hour episodes, only four are based on actual Conan Doyle stories (and even those are very loose adaptations). The rest are all original stories for television. The performances are earnest and enthusiastic, though Crawford's Watson can be a bit of a dullard. Howard makes a fine Holmes, though not as serious and intent as many other verions of the detective. For a true Holmesian fan, this series is an essential one to watch -- I'm quite pleased to see that somebody donated this to the libraries' collection! [Note: Check out the Elementary booklist on the BookGuide site for dozens of Holmes-related stories/novels.] -- recommended by Scott C. - Bennett Martin Public Library
[ Internet Movie Database entry for this series ]
 
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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.

New Customer Review - Theodore Boone: Kid Lawyer

Theodore Boone: Kid Lawyer
by John Grisham [j Grisham]

A murder case, a small town, and a kid whose parents are lawyers. What do you get? This book! It is a perfect mix of crime, action, and suspense! -- review submitted by Jonas 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.

New Customer Review - Seeds of Rebellion

Seeds of Rebellion
by Brandon Mull [j Mull]

Warning!!! If you haven't finished the first book yet, this may spoil it. After Jason finds his way back to the beyond, his face is all over the news. But he can't stop thinking about Lyrian and how much they need his help, so he keeps trying to find his way back so he can warn friens about the word being a fraud. One day he's about ready to give up ,but then the music starts coming from the hippo enclosure... Get ready to read the bombastic conclusion of the second book in the Beyonders trilogy!!! -- review submitted by Jonas 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.

New Customer Review - The Lost Hero

The Lost Hero
by Rick Riordan [j Riordan]

I like this book because it has adventure with friends. Leo, Piper and Jason are friends of the Olympians. I would recommend this book to people who like Percy Jackson books, even though Percy isn't in the story. He returns in the next book, The Son of Neptune. -- review submitted by Johan K. - 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.

The Killer of Little Shepherds

The Killer of Little Shepherds: A True Crime Story and the Birth of Forensic Science
by Douglas Starr [364.152 Sta]

If you're a fan of CSI, here is the beginnings of real forensic science during the late 1800s in France where science and technology is used to track down and convict a serial murderer. [If you enjoy this, you may also wish to try The Poisoner's Handbook: Murder and the Birth of Forensic Medicine in Jazz Age New York by Deborah Blum, and The Murder Room: The Heirs of Sherlock Holmes Gather to Solve the World's Most Perplexing Cold Cases by Michael Capuzzo.] -- recommended by Sandy W. - Gere Branch Library

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

[ publisher's official Killer of Little Shepherds web site ] | [ official Douglas Starr 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.

The Artist

The Artist
directed by Michael Hazanavicius [DVD Artist]

Winner of five Oscars including Best Director, Best Actor, and Best Picture. According to an interview with the lead actor Jean Dujardin, The Artist was filmed in only 35 days! Peppy Miller (Bérénice Bejo), an upcoming star steals the spotlight from silent film star, George Valentin. When George thinks things can't get any worse, it is Peppy who ultimately comes to his rescue. Brilliant acting and dancing; pay special attention to the sound editing, which gives the film a strikingly modern feel without sacrificing old-Hollywood nostalgia. [If you like this, you may also enjoy Sunset Boulevard or the films of Charlie Chaplin] -- recommended by Jeremiah J. - Bennett Martin Public Library

[ Internet Movie Database entry for this film ] | [ official The Artist web site (US) ]
 
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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.

New Customer Review: The Book of Earth

The Dragon Quartet, Book 1: The Book of Earth
by Marjorie B. Kellogg

This book starts like a regular book but then everything goes wrong for Erde. A priest takes control and gets rid of her best friend. Then she runs away and meets a dragon named Earth. It's an action packed book with lots of twists and turns. -- review submitted by Garret C. - 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.

Nine Stories

Nine Stories
by J.D. Salinger

A great book of nine, complex, short stories! All having strange endings, which are not tied up with a nice "happy ending" bow when the story is over. Many characters live upscale lives, but are dealing with hardships and many with the pain of World War II in some way or another. The selfishness and narcissism of the characters is what is so intriguing. Salinger leaves many loose ends giving the reader leeway for imagination and consideration. If you enjoy short fiction without the fluff of a "happily ever after" ending, I highly recommend Nine Stories. -- recommended by Jessica H. - Walt Branch Library

[ Wikipedia page for J.D. Salinger ] 

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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.

New Customer Reviews - Looking for Alaska

Looking for Alaska
by John Green [YA Green]

John Green addresses teen issues well in the truthful but funny book. Given that it is his first published book, it seems as if he has been working at writing for many years given the detail and depth of this story. An interesting format of the book is the chapter formats. In the beginning it is chronicled leading up to the climax of the story, and then begins to count forward in time after the climax. The story goes into detail about the main character, Miles, and his feelings about starting a new private school by choice to try and set a path for himself to find "The Great Perhaps". This book is full of humor, truth, and fun. It is a must read for any young adult. -- review submitted by Alex A. - a customer of the Gere Branch Library



When I first heard about Looking for Alaska, I thought it was going to be just a fun read... Boy, was I ever wrong. This is not a walk in the park. More like a walk in hurricane Katrina. I'm not saying the emotions in this book were a roller coaster, but the way the book changes was. Because, when you first meet Miles or as the "Colonel" calls him, "Pudge". You think he'll be a smart, not-stupid, boy. You think he'll turn down cigarettes, beer, and girls who'll use him just for..pleasure. Oh no. He does them all. The same goes for Alaska. This may not be the best book in the world but it does make you think what you would do if you were in Pudge's shoes. Also, if your looking for a long read, this is the book. Even if it is only 221 pages, it feels like forever. -- review submitted by Vanessa L. - 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.

Picture Essays: A Journey Through Life With Camera in Hand

Picture Essays: A Journey Through Life With Camera in Hand
by William E. Ramsey [978.225 Ram]

This one caught my eye on the "new books display" and I'm glad I took a look. Picture Essays is a marvelous photographic treasure trove of Omaha and Nebraska history. Ramsey, a photojournalist for over fifty years in the Omaha area, has compiled an impressive collection of images that chronicle the history of that city (and beyond). Each photograph is accompanied by a personal essay by Ramsey, reminiscing about historical factoids associated with the images or about the circumstances in which the images were shot. His memories are shared in a folksy, matter-of-fact manner, not like a dry historical tome. Major national celebrities and sports figures are featured, but more impressively, Ramsey has celebrated the lives of people known mainly for their works in Eastern Nebraska, with particular emphasis on Boys Town and the churches of Omaha. A small percentage of the images within come from Ramsey's travels across the country and across the world, but mostly, this is a love letter to the river city and its storied history. This is not exactly a book I'd sit down and read cover to cover, but for anyone who's fascinated by Omaha, I'd recommend browsing this one -- a perfect "coffee table" book to inspire a bit of reminiscing of your own! [We don't have as many books in our collection on Omaha history as we do Lincoln, but for those interested in the Capital City's history, told in a folksy way like this one, I'd recommend the books by Mary Jane Nielsen and Jim McKee.] -- recommended by Scott C. - Bennett Martin Public Library

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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.

New Customer Review - Dead End in Norvelt

Dead End in Norvelt
by Jack Gantos [j Gantos]

This book is a great story so far! It has been very funny reading it and it feels like I am in the book with Jack the main person in this story! You should read it to find out more I got it at Barnes & Noble. -- review submitted by Natalie 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.

Gone (on DVD)

Gone
[DVD Gone]

When her sister goes missing Jill (Amanda Seyfried) is scared that the man who kidnapped her previously has returned for her but took her sister instead. After the police don't believe her she starts her own hunt to find her sister and her abductor. Interesting storyline, good acting, was a pretty good movie. [If you like this, you may also enjoy pretty much any movie where the police don't believe the victim's story so they try to fix their problem on their own.] -- recommended by Carrie K. - Bennett Martin Public Library
[ Internet Movie Database entry for this film ]
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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.

New Customer Review - Fifty Shades of Grey

Fifty Shades of Grey
by E.L. James [James]

OMG!!! This book is so good I read it in two days:-) can't wait to read the next two! -- review submitted by Danielle B. - 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.

New Customer Review - Fall From Grace

Fall From Grace
by Wayne Arthurson [Arthurson]

It did not hold my interest, but I still finished, and it ended up a good book. -- review submitted by Danielle B. - 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.

The Innocent (on audio)

The Innocent
by David Baldacci

Clever plot, interesting characters, engaging plots and fast-moving -- very well written. [This review is of the downloadable audio version of this title.] -- recommended by Diane E. - Technical Processes Department/Bindery

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

[ official The Innocent page on the official David Baldacci 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.

Just Ride

Just Ride: A Radically Practical Guide to Riding Your Bike
by Grant Petersen [796.6 Pet]

Just Ride is unabashedly opinionated, but Grant Petersen absolves you in the introduction from agreeing with him on everything. "I'm not asking you to buy everything - just to consider everything," he says. While there are some of his opinions that I strongly disagree with, he makes a strong case for his most central argument: that the influence of racing on the world of bicycling has led to practices that are not suitable for non-racing cyclists (Petersen calls them "Unracers"). He wants to free cyclists from feeling compelled to follow the trends established by bike racers, and he gives practical advice to encourage them to adopt practices more suited to the way they ride and in so doing, restore more fun and practicality to cycling. -- recommended by Peter J. - Virtual Services Department

[ Wikipedia page for Grant Petersen ]

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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.

New Customer Review - A World Without Heroes

A World Without Heroes
by Brendon Mull [j Mull or jPB Mull]

It is a great book!!! A bit lengthy, but designed for young readers it will keep you hanging to the very last page!!! Fans of his previous series, Fablehaven, Will enjoy this book where a boy is plunged into a world different than ours, but they speak English and are humanoid, luckily, because if they didn't it would just be some foreigner rambling around without knowing what was happening. But he tells someone that he is from where English is from, and soon finds out that he is a Beyonder, which basically means he's from a different world. But he soon finds himself neck deep in trouble with an all powerful emperor that will stop at nothing to catch him. He ends up in the middle of an intense rebellion against him, and becomes the first hero in a world without them. Great book! I'm only rating it nine because I'm really picky. Read it! Now! It's awesome! -- review submitted by Jonas 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.

New Customer Review - Jake Ransom and the Skull King's Shadow

Jake Ransom and the Skull King's Shadow
by James Rollins [j Rollins]

If you like action, adventure, fantasy, and historical fiction this is the best book for you to read! -- review submitted by Mattew - a customer at 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.

100 Unforgettable Dresses

100 Unforgettable Dresses
by Hal Rubenstein [746.922 Rub]

Take a trip through the last 50+ years via signature dresses and some eminent women who wore them. A wide variety of examples is included, from Grace Kelly and Jackie Kennedy and Marilyn Monroe to Grace Jones and Stevie Nicks and Phyllis Diller (whose outrageous couture has a tie to Nebraska). Rubenstein, a fashion editor, highlights such things as the cultural significance, artistic vision, and dressmaking details of the gowns, costumes, and ready-to-wear dresses that are chronicled. Photographic images abound to accompany the examples but not all are as crisp as they might be. All in all, this is a fun and somewhat fascinating read, even if the world of 'red carpet glamour' and 'high fashion' seems to be a far cry from everyday life. Two of my favorite inclusions are the "Went with the Wind" receiving gown from the Carol Burnett Show, and an optically intriguing cocktail dress by Azzedine Alaia worn by supermodel Stephanie Seymour. -- recommended by Becky W.C. - Walt Branch Library
 
[ publisher's official 100 Unforgettable Dresses web site ] | [ official Hal Rubenstein 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.

Guts (on CD)

Guts
by Kristen Johnston [Compact Disc Johnston]

This is an autobiography of 3rd Rock From The Sun star Kristen Johnston and is read by the author. In it she talks about being bullied as a child, getting her first acting job, her drug addictions, hospital stays, her stint in rehab and the challenge that is staying sober. She even writes her own faux-obituary after her guts blow up because of drug usage and she's all alone in her London flat. I know that you probably get tired of reading about celebrities and their drug problems, but her writing style and comedic anecdotes make listening to the 4 discs worth while. [If you enjoy this, you may also wish to try 3rd Rock From The Sun seasons 1 and 2, which are available through the library, or Carrie Fisher's autobiographies Wishful Drinking or Shockaholic.] -- recommended by Carrie K. - Bennett Martin Public Library

[Also available in print format.]

[ Wikipedia page for Kristen Johnston ] | [ Kristen Johnston on the Internet Movie Database ]

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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.

New Customer Review - The Hunger Games

The Hunger Games
by Suzanne Collins [YA Collins]

I love this book! It is a great combination of Action, Adventure, and Romance! I read the whole series and it is awesome! It took me 2 days to read it! It was that good! -- review submitted by Ashley A. - 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.

New Customer Review - The Body Finder

The Body Finder
by Kimberly Derting. [YA PB]

This book is a three book series. The Body Finder is the first one. The story is very suspenseful and at times scary. I think this would make a very very good night time book. -- review submitted by Skyler W. - 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.

New Customer Reviews - The Fault in Our Stars

The Fault in Our Stars
by John Green [YA Green]

One Word: Amazing. This is just one of those books you could. Not. Put. Down. I would encourage everybody to read The Fault in Our Stars. You'd think it would be one of those stupid cliches where the boy and girl with cancer fall in love but no, it's much more. It shows the true struggles of a girl with cancer, from family to first love. You'll laugh, cry, and smile, wanting more with each and every page. -- review submitted by Vanessa L. - a customer of the Gere Branch Library

This book is one of my all time favorites in YA fiction. The voice of the main character, sixteen year old cancer patient Hazel is both smart and cynical while still retaining an air of humor and comedy. The actual writing is pure gold. The writing manages to insert yourself into the main character without being her. You feel her emotions and pain without being so first person. the story and plot itself is also refreshingly original and wonderfully planned. -- review submitted by Wyatt P. - 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.

One for the Money (on DVD)

One For the Money
based on the book by Janet Evanovich [DVD One]

Katherine Heigl and Jason O'Mara star in this Janet Evanovich book turned movie. Heigl plays Stephanie Plum a recently fired and now broke woman who is forced to take a job at her cousin's bail bondsman business to stay afloat. Her first assignment as a bounty hunter is to find and bring in her ex (Jason O'Mara), a cop being charged with murder. But the deeper she researches the incident, the more she learns that maybe he's innocent. A pretty funny movie, not advertised as much so it wasn't as popular. The storyline goes along with the book, and the back and forth between Heigl and O'Mara is quite humorous. -- recommended by Carrie K. - Bennett Martin Public Library
 
[Also available in a variety of print, audio and downloadable formats.]

[ Internet Movie Database entry for this film ] | [ official One For the Money 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.

Engineering the Impossible

Engineering the Impossible
by the National Geographic Society [DVD 620 Nat]

Absolutely fascinating look at the incredible human and engineering feats that went into the construction of three of history's most iconic structures -- The Colosseum, Chartres Cathedral and the Great Pyramid of Giza. NatGeo does a great job of showing recreations of what the work would have looked like, and the exploration of how these miracles of architecture were accomplished without modern technology will blow your mind. What I found most interesting, however, was the look at engineering techniques that were first made use of for these types of massive projects, which are still in use today! [If you like this, you may also enjoy the book To Engineer is Human by Edward Petroski.] -- recommended by Scott C. - Bennett Martin Public Library

[Also available in audiotape, book-on-cd [abridged or unabridged], and Large Print formats.]

[ Internet Movie Database entry for this film ]

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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.

New Customer Review - Poppy

Poppy
by Avi [j Avi]

This story was a great adventure and friendship story. I love the whole series too! -- review submitted  by Natalie 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.

Strength in What Remains

Strength in What Remains
by Tracy Kidder [Biography Deo]

Kidder, who won the Pulitzer Prize for his book The Soul of a New Machine, has a gift for writing engrossing non-fiction, which is all the more compelling of course because it really happened. Strength in What Remains is the incredible story of a young man named Deogratias (Latin for "thanks be to God"). At 24 he was a 3rd year med student in Burundi, but as genocide raged through Burundi and Rwanda, Deo was forced into a harrowing 6 months of escape. He landed in NYC with no English, no contacts, and only $200 in his pocket. Through the generosity of strangers and his sheer determination to succeed, Deo goes from sleeping in Central Park, to a job delivering groceries for $15 a day, to being accepted into Columbia University. Yet this book is not just about his journey from unbelievable violence and despair to realizing his own aspirations of becoming a doctor. It's also a portrait through Deo's eyes of the genocide that killed some 800,000 people in Rwanda and Burundi, and how he is able to live with his nearly incapacitating memories of the war. I found myself thinking more than once that I would not have been able to survive what he went through (both in Africa and here in the US); it's a riviting and uplifting book. -- recommended by Steph E. - Anderson and Bethany Branch Libraries

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

[ official Tracy Kidder 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.

Jeremiah Johnson

Jeremiah Johnson
[DVD Jeremiah]

An American soldier goes west to escape war and becomes a mountain man. He is taken in by an old trapper who teaches him how to survive off the land. After treading an Indian burial ground, he suffers strange misfortune: love and lives lost as well as a grudge between him and the Crow Indian tribe. Beautiful scenery and a great role portrayed by Robert Redford. Not the action-packed "cowboys and indians" Western you'd expect, rather slow moving. [If you like this, you may also enjoy Butch Cassidy and the Sundance Kid, Gunsmoke, Dr. Quinn Medicine Woman, and Dances with Wolves.] -- recommended by Jeremiah J. - Bennett Martin Public Library

[Also available in audiotape, book-on-cd [abridged or unabridged], and Large Print formats.]

[ Internet Movie Database entry for this film ]

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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.

New Customer Review - Hamlet

Hamlet
by William Shakespeare [822.33 Sha]

I believe that the thoughts behind Hamlet last through the ages. In this modern era, most people do not want to tackle items written in the type of English, though I think it is an excellent idea! Hamlet is about a prince's struggle with family. All of us have had family issues at some point in time, so let's not deny that. Anyways, the ghost of Hamlet's father, the king, visited Hamlet in the middle of the night, when he was speaking with a couple of people that lasted through the entire book. In the encounter with his father's ghost, Hamlet learns that his uncle, the current king, poisoned his father in order to take the throne. The issue of love comes in with Ophelia, whom Hamlet loves and Ophelia ends up loving him back. Though the famous "To be or not to be..." speech is very touching and a lot of what it says still is true to this day, it was basically a very lengthy way of dumping Ophelia. Hamlet ended up watching his mother die, after he returned from England, where he was sent, on account of him being "insane." After that, he ended up doing something fatally fun... fencing. Overall, I believe Hamlet to be an intriguing and amazing read, perfect for those hot and humid summer days. -- review submitted by Sarah D. - 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.

The Bippolo Seed and Other Lost Tales

The Bippolo Seed and Other Lost Tales
by Theodore Geisel/Doctor Seuss [jP Seuss]

I grew up on Dr. Seuss books. Some of the earliest things I remember reading on my own were the traditional "Cat in the Hat", "One Fish, Two Fish, Red Fish, Blue Fish", "Green Eggs and Ham", "Yertle the Turtle" and "My Book About Me". I remember mourning when Theodore Geisel passed away, knowing that his last few books, such as "The Butter Battle Book" would be the last new Dr. Seuss titles I'd ever see. Therefore, I was very surprised and pleased to stumble across this book on the New Books display in the kids book room. This book collects seven rare and obscure short works Geisel created for various magazines back in the 1950s and 1960s. Some of these stories play out very similarly to his well-known tales, while others are true oddities. I found myself in a nostalgic mood while enjoying this short collection -- it should appeal to any Seussian fan, in addition kids having their very first Seuss experiences. Not great literature, but a fascinating look at a missing chapter in the life of Dr. Seuss! -- recommended by Scott C. - Bennett Martin Public Library [subscribe to Scott's monthly booklist newsletter It's All Geek to Me! - on our Books, Movies & More subscription page]

[ publisher's official The Bippolo Seed 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.

New Booklist - The Essential Photographers

A new entry in our series of booklists called "The Essentials of..." has been posted to the BookGuide booklists page.

Glory B., one of the libraries' photography afficionados, has contributed a brand-new non-fiction list focusing on twenty prominent photographers from the 19th through the 21st centuries. If you, too, are a student or fan of the art form of photography, from Ansel Adams to Dorothea Lange to Alfred Stieglitz, we encourage you to check out The Essential Photographers, to see which artists she recommends paying attention to.

Each photographer's entry in the booklist will connect to the libraries' online catalog, to allow you to see which books we have, both by and about that artist. There are also links to web sites with more information about each individual.

If you'd like to merely browse our shelves for materials about photographers and photography, we encourage you to check out the books and DVDs in the Dewey Decimal number range from 770 to 779.

Thanks, Glory, for sharing your expertise!

This Means War

This Means War
[DVD This]

CIA agents FDR (Chris Pine) and Tuck (Tom Hardy) are partners and best friend until they each fall in love with Lauren Scott (Reese Witherspoon). Each determined to win her affections they sabotage each others' dates, but when real bad guys get involved they're forced to work together again. A good date movie with a lot of good comedy and action moments. [If you like this, you may also enjoy The Bounty Hunter starring Jennifer Aniston and Gerard Butler, Killers with Katherine Heigl and Ashton Kutcher, or Star Trek starring Chris Pine.] -- recommended by Carrie K. - Bennett Martin Public Library

[ Internet Movie Database entry for this film ] | [ official This Means War 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.

New Customer Review - Paper Towns

Paper Towns
by John Green [YA Green]

John Green really goes in depth with this book. It is about a boy named Quintin but everyone calls him Q. His life suddenly changes when a friend who has lived next door to him since he was a kid runs away. Again. The only difference is that this time, she doesn't come back in the amount of time that she usually does. Left with poetic clues by Margo, Q and his friends go looking for Margo, and it takes them to the most unimaginable places physically, mentally,and emotionally. It is a great read for young adults and will keep you on your toes. -- review submitted by Alex A. - a customer of the Gere Branch Library

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The Lady in Gold

The Lady in Gold
by Anne Marie O'Connor [759.36 Kli]

Klimt's painting was originally titled "Portrait of Adele Bloch-Bauer," but when the Nazis acquired it, (i.e. stole it) they changed the name to the "Lady in Gold," since Adele was Jewish. Many years after World War II, Adele's heirs filed suit to obtain the portrait. The book touches on both art and history and on the emotions that both can evoke. -- recommended by Rianne S. - Walt Branch Library

[ Publisher's official Lady in Gold 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.