25 Hill (on DVD)

25 Hill
[DVD 25]

This is a charming and inspirational family drama, written and directed by Corbin Bernsen (Psych, L.A. Law, etc.). 12-year-old Trey Caldwell's father gives him a soapbox derby car kit for Christmas, saying they'll build the car together, and Trey will race it. Soon after, his dad is called up for reservist duty in Afghanistan and is tragically killed. Trey decides that an appropriate tribute to his dad would be to finish building the car and try to race it. Trey is put in touch with a former winner of the National Soap Box Derby (also Bernsen), who lives in his same California town, and who has suffered a personal loss of his own. Reluctantly, the two team up and start a journey that takes them to Akron, Ohio and the national Soap Box Derby finals. Along the way, there are emotional losses to be coped with, relationship issues to be dealt with, technical problems with the derby car, rivalries with fellow racers to get past, and ultimately the possible end of the Derby tradition when it falls on financial hard times. This little independent film has a terrific cast, particularly Nathan Gamble as young Trey Campbell, and grizzled Bernsen as Roy Gibbs. Watch for a Lincoln connection as Trey tours the Soap Box Derby museum and the winning 1967 "Grasshopper" car from Lincoln, NE gets a moment in the spotlight. For anyone not familiar with this long-running all-American sport, this film is truly a love letter to the Soap Box Derby. My only complaint is that the movie gets a bit "preachy" at times, but Bernsen explains his motivation for that in a "making of" featurette on this DVD. -- recommended by Scott C. - Bennett Martin Public Library

[ Internet Movie Database entry for this film ] | [ official 25 Hill web site ]

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Forgive Me, Leonard Peacock

Forgive Me, Leonard Peacock
by Matthew Quick [YA Quick]

Forgive Me, Leonard Peacock starts off with Leonard's admission of his plan of killing his ex-best friend and then himself. But first he wants to give a gift to the four people who have meant the most to him in his daily life. As the reader you are completely immersed in Leonard's thoughts and spend a little over a day in his troubled mind. I originally thought it would be hard to connect to a character who is so emotionally cut off from others and is very dark, but as a character Leonard gradually becomes more and more relatable and even likeable. I read this book in one sitting and was wowed at the emotional punch that Quick is able to develop. The story is told entirely from Leonard's perspective in first person which allowed me an insight into his thoughts and feelings in a very real and emotional way. I was left with a feeling that was very similar to the way I felt after finishing John Green's The Fault in Our Stars, with its haunting beauty and immensely quotable passages. This is not a happy book or necessarily even an enjoyable one. For me it was a very rare reading experience, where the character really became something more. -- recommended by Wyatt P. - Gere Branch Library [If you enjoy this, you may also wish to try The Fault in Our Stars by John Green, or Eleanor & Park by Rainbow Rowell.]

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

[ official Forgive Me, Leonard Peacock page on the official Matthew Quick web site ]

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Murder Gets a Life (on CD)

Murder Gets a Life
by Anne George [Compact Disc George]

Patricia Anne and Mary Alice are a hoot! These warm and loving sisters get into all kinds of predicaments. All they want to do is to get to know Mary Alice's new daughter-in-law's family. Mary Alice's son, Ray, met Sunshine Dabs while he was living in Bora Bora. They had a whirl-wind romance and married on that tropical island. Sunshine has come back to Alabama and Ray will soon follow. Mary Alice and Patricia Anne meet Sunshine's grandmother in a cafe and wrangle an invitation from her to visit the family trailer compound. They walk into Meemaw's trailer to say hi to Sunshine. Instead of seeing Sunshine, they find a dead man on the floor. He has a knife in his chest that Meemaw describes as her "best hog butchering knife". There is blood on the floor but no Sunshine. What happened to her? Mary Alice and Patricia Anne take it upon themselves to find Sunshine. This book's charm and wit shines in the daily family activities. -- recommended by Donna G. - Virtual Services Department [If you enjoy this, you may also wish to try the works of Ellery Adams, Erika Chase and Donna Andrews.]

[Also available in Traditional Print format.]

[ official Anne George web site ]

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Enclave

Enclave
by Ann Aguirre [YA Aguirre]

For fans of the Hunger Games and Divergent, Enclave is the first in the dystopian Razorland trilogy. Kids in the Enclave only earn a name only if they make it to their fifteenth birthday. Many of them don't. Those that do are then sorted into one of three groups — Builders, Breeders, or Hunters. Deuce is a hunter and her directive is to go outside the enclave and bring home meat, facing off against the Freaks threatening to slaughter them all. Deuce has always followed the rules and wanted to be a hunter for as long as she could remember. When she is partnered with Fade, a hunter who doesn't play by the rules, her outlook begins to change and she realizes the Freak threat is more serious than the Enclave's elders are letting on. Deuce comes to understand that playing by the rules could get her killed, which sets her on a path she never expected to be on, with a boy she never thought she could trust. -- recommended by Sam N. - Gere Branch Library [If you enjoy this, you may also wish to try the other two books in the trilogy: Outpost and Horde. The Hunger Games trilogy by Suzanne Collins, the Divergent trilogy by Veronica Roth, the Legend series by Marie Lu.]

[Also available in downloadable audio format.]

[ official Enclave page on the official Ann Aguirre web site ]

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We're the Millers

We're the Millers
[DVD We're]

After a small-time pot dealer gets robbed his boss forces him to make up for it by picking up a new shipment from Mexico. He recruits a stripper and two teenagers to play his cover family, increasing his chances of making it across the border. Funny movie, excellent casting. -- recommended by Carrie K. - Bennett Martin Public Library

[ Internet Movie Database entry for this film ] | [ official We're the Millers web site ]
 
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Star Wars: Jedi Academy

Star Wars: Jedi Academy
by Jeffrey Brown [j Brown]

Jeffrey Brown, the marvelous cartoon artist who previous brought us Darth Vader and Son and Vader's Little Princess, applies his same artistic style and sense of humor about the Star Wars universe to this short illustrated novel. Unlike the earlier two volumes, which were essentially collections of single-panel stand-alone cartoons, Star Wars Jedi Academy has a narrative structure. The story follows the adventures of a young Tatooine boy, Roan, whose dream of becoming a starfighter pilot like his older brother is sidetracked when he is selected to attend the Jedi Academy, where he'll be taught how to become a Jedi Knight by such elders as Yoda. Brown tells Roan's story through extensive cartoon-style imagery, in addition to humorous text. Roan himself is an artist, and join's the Jedi Academy's "newspaper" club, illustrating that publication with his own comic-strips. Though a "fish out of water", having joined studies at the Academy at an older age than most of the other students, Roan quickly befriends several of his classmates, and his story is filled with lots of silly typical school-related incidents and activities -- as long as your school is the one where they teach you how to use the force, building your own lightsabers, and study the cultures of alien worlds. Although I enjoyed many of Brown's single-panel cartoons in his earlier books, there were also a lot that didn't really "click" for me. In Star Wars Jedi Academy, I thought his humor and visual storytelling style really worked much better, and I highly recommend this light little volume for any Star Wars fan! -- recommended by Scott C. - Bennett Martin Public Library [If you enjoy this, you may also wish to try Darth Vader and Son, and Vader's Little Princess.]

[ official Jeffrey Brown's Comics web site ]

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A Caribbean Mystery

A Caribbean Mystery
by Agatha Christie

This Miss Marple story is set in the tropics rather than England when our sleuth takes a vacation - sort of. Her nephew thought it would be good for her, but even though she's not in St. Mary Mead, she finds herself in the midst of another murder mystery. While sitting on the beach, one of her fellow guests begins telling her stories about his life and shows her a photograph of a person he says is a murderer. He hastily puts the photograph away when other guests approach. Shortly thereafter, he is found dead. The hostess of the B&B all the guests are staying at is quite distraught about the matter - even more so as the story progresses and one of her employees is also found dead. As usual Miss Marple helps solve the mystery with her keen observations and knowledge of human behavior. While this was not one of my favourite Agatha Christie novels, it was entertaining and the change of setting mixed things up nicely. This would appeal to readers who like mysteries or those who want a good read set on a warm tropical island. -- recommended by Kristen A. - Gere Branch Library

[Available in a variety of formats - check the links above!]

[ official Agatha Christie web site ]

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Time Magazine's Top Ten Fiction and Non-Fiction Books of 2013

Time Magazine's Top Fiction and Non-Fiction of 2013
submitted Jan 2014 by BookMan

Fiction

The Encyclopedia of Early Earth
by Isabel Greenberg

Lexicon
by Max Barry

The Interestings
by Meg Wolitzer

The Ocean at the End of the Lane
by Neil Gaiman

NOS4A2
by Joe Hill

The Signature of All Things
by Elizabeth Gilbert

The Lowland
by Jhumpa Lahiri

The Flamethrowers
by Rachel Kushner

Tenth of December
by George Saunders

Life After Life
by Kate Atkinson

Non-Fiction and Biographies

The Selected Letters of Willa Cather
by Andrew Jewell and Janis Stout [Biography Cather]

Falling Upwards: How We Took to the Air
by Richard Holmes [387.7 Hol]

Men We Reaped: A Memoir
by Jesmyn Ward [Biography Ward]

Going Clear: Scientology, Hollywood and the Prison of Belief
by Lawrence Wright [299.936 Wri]

Five Days at Memorial: Life and Death in a Storm-Ravaged Hospital
by Sheri Fink [362.11 Fin]

The Book of My Lives
by Aleksandar Hemon [Biography Hemon]

Forty-One False Starts
by Janet Malcolm [not in LCL collection]

The Bully Pulpit: Theodore Roosevelt, William Howard Taft and the Golden Age of Journalism
by Doris Kearns Goodwin [973.911 Goo]

Command and Control: Nuclear Weapons, the Damascus Accident and the Illusion of Safety
by Erik Schlosser [363.17 Sch]

Book of All Ages: The Life and Opinions of Jane Franklin
by Jill Lepore [Biography Mecom]

Death Rides the Zephyr

Death Rides the Zephyr
by Janet Dawson

It's late December in 1952. Passengers eagerly board the luxurious California Zephyr for Christmas visits with relatives and friends. Zephyrette, Jill McLeod and the porters see to the comfort of the passengers. Most of the passengers are congenial, a few are crabby and one is murderous. Jill uses her wits to find the killer. The book deftly describes a way of life that doesn't exist anymore. It's easy to visualize the passengers moving from their compartments to the dining car or the observation car. Dawson outlines the extensive research that she did for this book in the afterward and is as interesting as the book. -- recommended by Donna G. - Virtual Services Department [If you enjoy this, you may also wish to try the works of Susan Elia MacNeal, Victoria Thompson and Suzanne Arruda.]

[ official Death Rides a Zephyr web site and official Janet Dawson web site ]

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People Magazine's Top 10 Books of 2013

People Magazine's Top Ten Books of 2013

A Lincoln City Libraries' Reader List submitted January 2014 by BookMan

  Tenth of December: Stories
by George Saunders [Saunders]

The Goldfinch
by Donna Tartt [Tartt]

Going Clear
by Lawrence Wright [299.936 Wri]

The Interestings
by Meg Wolitzer [Wolitzer]

The Lowland
by Jhumpa Lahiri

Johnny Carson
by Henry Bushkin [Biography Carson]

The Husband's Secret
by Liane Moriarty [Moriarty]

Wave
by Sonali Deraniyagala [Biography Deraniyagala]

Manson
by Jeff Guinn [Biography Manson]

The Engagements
by J. Courtney Sullivan [Sullivan]

White House Down

White House Down
[DVD White]

Jamie Foxx and Channing Tatum star in this action-adventure drama. While touring the White House with his daughter, Agent Cale (Tatum), finds himself forced to save the President when terrorists take over the White House. Good storyline, humor was there but not enough to make it the focus... -- recommended by Carrie K. - Bennett Martin Public Library [If you enjoy this, you may also wish to try Olympus Has Fallen; it came out the same year with almost the same plot.]

[ Internet Movie Database entry for this film ] | [ official White House Down web site ]

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Somebody Up There Hates You

Somebody Up There Hates You
by Hollis Seamon

This short novel follows 17 year old Richie as he fights for his life in hospice. Richie has been left ravaged by his cancer treatment and he knows his time is limited. They don't just move people to hospice for nothing. Richie claims he and every other patient in hospice suffer from SUTHY (Somebody Up There Hates You). While in hospice, Richie has the pleasure of meeting 15 year old Sylvie, a fierce girl determined to make the most of the time that is given to her. Richie experiences the highest of highs and the lowest of lows as his experiences with girls send his life into a tailspin. Richie manages to find trouble at every turn with the help of his uncle and Sylvie, stressing out the hospital staff, his grandmother, and his mother (much to his dismay). Throughout the book, Richie is sarcastic and stoic about the way he handles himself, but at times he shows that he really is just a young boy battling a terrible disease. Watching Richie develop relationships with his caregivers and new friends, while trying to accept that he may not be around long to cultivate them, is a battle that is well portrayed throughout the book. The reader will find sympathy as they read about Richie, but will also find humor in his view on life. People who enjoy the twisted humor of John Green will find this book appealing. -- recommended by Sam N. - Gere Branch Library [If you enjoy this, you may also wish to try The Fault in Our Stars or any other book by John Green.]

[ official Somebody Up There Hates You and Hollis Seamon web site ]

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I Could Chew on This: and Other Poems by Dogs

I Could Chew on This: And Other Poems by Dogs and I Could Pee on This: And Other Poems by Cats
by Francesco Marciuliano [817 Mar]

This pair of humor volumes, released in 2012 (Cats) and 2013 (Dogs), are perfect little bon mots of hilarity for anyone who considers themselves to be either a dog-lover or cat-lover at heart. Marciuliano pairs gorgeous photos of individuals dogs or cats, with poems, ostensibly written by a dog or cat, and therefore presented in the pet's mindset. If you've ever wondered what's on the mind of your household fur-covered companion, you'll find these little gems to be right on the money. The photos are perfect pairings with many of the poems -- the expressions on the animals' faces perfectly match the subject matter and attitude expressed in the poetry. Although both of these books were quick reads -- 30 minutes each at most, I laughed longer and more continuously at each of them than at many so-called "humor" books by stand-up comics. The only drawback -- if you're not a "pet person", you may not get as much out of these! -- recommended by Scott C. - Bennett Martin Public Library

[ official Marciuliano web site ]

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Out of Circulation

Out of Circulation
by Miranda James

There are fireworks in Athena, Mississippi but they are not the pyrotechnic sort. The library board of directors is making plans for the annual fundraising gala. The Ducote sisters feel that their spacious home is perfect for the event while Vera Cassity thinks that her mansion is much better suited for the party. The Ducote sisters win the battle but sparks fly at the fundraiser when Azalea has words with Vera. Shortly after their argument Vera falls down the servant's stairs. Board member Charlie Harris tries to stay out of the fray but he involves himself in the investigation when Azalea, who is his housekeeper, is found standing over Vera's body. This book has a lot of charm. Some of it comes from the likable characters and much of it comes from Diesel, Charlie's Maine Coon cat. Diesel doesn't have any special powers he just does what cats do and brings pleasure to many people. -- recommended by Donna G. - Virtual Services Department [If you enjoy this, you may also wish to try the works of Ellery Adams, Erika Chase and Blaize Clement.]

[ official "Cat in the Stacks" series web site and Miranda James web site ]

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The Rosie Project

The Rosie Project
by Graeme Simsion

Don Tillman is a genius professor in genetics at an Australian university. He's unaware he has Asperger's, a high-functioning form of Autism, which contributes to his social awkwardness and the precise manner in which he lives his life. Don decides it's time to find a wife. If you watch TV's The Big Bang Theory think Sheldon Cooper seeks a wife. However, Don is not obnoxious as Sheldon can often be, he's actually considerate and sweet while oblivious. He creates a 16-page, front and back, questionnaire that he submits to an online dating site. He feels this will weed-out those who are incompatible and thus save him time. Don continues to tweak his questionnaire as he makes personal discoveries throughout the book. In the meantime, Don meets Rosie, a TA for his friend and fellow professor. Thinking Rosie has applied he asks her out for a disastrous evening at a restaurant. But they become friends and he decides to assist her in locating her biological father - after all, he is a genetics prof. But not everything follows Don's plan. The adventures, and misadventures, of Don and Rosie are hysterical, intelligent, sweet, and poignant without being excessively sentimental. There are laugh-out loud moments, and times you feel so badly for Don. At no time does the author cross the line into ridiculing Don as he tries to sort out the dating paradigm in particular and social activities in general. This is a wonderful story that has become one of my favorites. -- recommended by Charlotte K. - Bennett Martin Public Library

[ official The Rosie Project web site ] | [ official Graeme Simsion web site ]

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Booktalk Booklist - A Nutshell History of Western Theatre

Are you a fan of traditional theatre? Did you miss former South Branch librarian Jim W's booktalk -- A Nutshell History of Western Theatre -- back in May 2010, at both the Bethany BooksTalk group and the Gere BooksTalk group?

If you're curious about the materials available through the Lincoln City Libraries on the history of stagework, you can see Jim's booktalk booklist at the following link:

A Nutshell History of Western Theatre

Hamlet (2009) on DVD

Hamlet
by William Shakespeare [DVD Hamlet]

As a fan of all things Shakespeare, I have amassed a collection of Hamlet films over the years with various actors in the lead role. This version by the Royal Shakespeare Company is by far one of the best. David Tennant plays the moody prince alongside acting greats Patrick Stewart and Oliver Ford Davies. Tennant's portrayal of the "mad" prince is brilliant. Stewart is superb in his dual roles as both the slain King and his brother, Hamlet's Uncle Claudius. I highly recommend this DVD for all Shakespeare fans. -- recommended by Kim J. - Bennett Martin Public Library [If you enjoy this, you may also wish to try the other filmed versions of Hamlet, starring Laurence Olivier, Mel Gibson and Kenneth Branagh.]

[Various editions/printings of Shakespeare's original play are available in the libraries' collection.]

[ Internet Movie Database entry for this film ] | [ official Royal Shakespeare Company web site ]

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Customer Review - Seeing Red

Seeing Red
by Kathryn Erskine [YA Erskine]

Seeing Red by Kathryn Erskine is deserving of multiple literary awards. It's that good. First, Seeing Red is about relationships, ones between families and ones with neighbors. Red's dad has just died. Erskine has effectively explored reactions to death in her previous novels. Having even myself grieved in different ways, I appreciated that in Seeing Red each family member is handling grief in their own way and learning to respect their differences. Because Red's dad ran a business, the family also has a lot of dealings with neighbors. Some are good, some are not so good. Of the novels I've read by Erskine, Seeing Red has the most complex range of characters. Seeing Red is also about bullies and racism. Bullies come in different forms. As a teacher, I have read and watched enough about bullying to know there aren't any simple answers. Erskine recognizes this, while also making clear that the solution lies within each of us. As for racism, I also respected Erskine's exploration of it. When Red tried to walk away from a gang, and they threatened him, he backed down. He agreed to hit the schoolmate. And immediately regretted it. But also had to live with it, because that schoolmate had been a friend. Later, when Red started to dig through his dad's desk in preparation to move, he discovered a land claim that led to his realization that one of his ancestors had murdered a black person. He didn't want to acknowledge this fact. Yet to deny it would mean being dishonest in his history report to his teacher. And losing an opportunity to right a sin from the past. In earlier novels by Erskine, I've criticized her almost too perfect endings. In Seeing Red, yes, there are some wonderful changes. We expect this both in novels and in life. But reality also remains wholly present. Last, Seeing Red is about history and bringing about change. Red thinks history is stupid. Why care about something that's in the past and unchangeable? But everyone has the ability to make a difference, if only they would try. And history isn't just something to read about. We can make history daily with our actions. Interviews with Erskine often bring out her strong belief that change is something that young people can invoke. Seeing Red is a remarkable example of how hard it can be, but also how important it is, to make a difference. I can't stress enough how realistic yet hopeful this book is. There is so much depth to Seeing Red. It also has the positive of being told from the viewpoint of a male protagonist, still a rare find and feat in literature for young people. Read it today. And expect to hear news of awards in the upcoming months. -- review submitted by Allison H.-F. - a customer of the Bennett Martin Public Library

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New Customer Reviews appear regularly in the pages of the BookGuide web site, particularly during the Summer Reading Program. 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.

Charm & Strange

Charm & Strange
by Stephanie Kuehn [YA Kuehn]

I can't say much about the plot of Charm & Strange because really anything I'd say would spoil it for the reader, but I am able to talk about the main character. The chapters alternate between Drew/Win, Drew is the angry young boy who was forced to spend a summer with his family where something horrible occurred, while Win is a lonely teenager who has spent the last few years at a remote boarding school, hiding dark secrets about is childhood and even the person he is. I will admit that I didn't enjoy reading Charm & Strange. As the reader you are kept in the dark and are really discovering Win's past and what is wrong with him as the story progresses, which at times was very frustrating to me. The writing is impeccable, Kuehn's prose does an amazing job at putting the reader in the mind of Win and Drew and draws us a picture of a very injured and wronged boy. I didn't like Win as a main character, but by the end I realized I didn't have to. Win isn't a character to like, he is someone who you are meant to understand, to learn. Charm & Strange is by far the most allusive and poignant young adult book I have read recently, if not ever. The ending brought the mystery of what happened to young Drew and why Win is mentally scared the way he is, to a close and while not a happy ending, it was by far the best and most satisfying way to end the story. This book will not please every reader, and is not a book to go into looking for a happy ending, but it is a book that will leave the reader with a strong and lasting mark. -- recommended by Wyatt P. - Gere Branch Library

[ official Stephanie Kuehn web site ]

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Booktalk Booklist - Thrilling Airship Adventures!

Did you miss Scott's booktalk -- Thrilling Airship Adventures: The World of Steampunk -- back in December 2012, at both the Bethany BooksTalk group and the Gere BooksTalk group?

Do you love the retro futurism of TV shows like The Wild Wild West or The Adventures of Brisco County Jr. or The Secret Adventures of Jules Verne -- set in the past but using seemingly "futuristic" technologies and inventions? Do you like stories of Mad Scientists out to conquer Victorian England with their steam-powered robots? Do you like adventure, intrigue and romance featuring beautiful female airship pilots and cunning con-artists? Does the concept of late-1800s alternate history tales captivate you? If you answered yes to any of these questions, you may be interested in some of the dozens of Steampunk-related materials Scott included in his talk!

This extensive booklist is available as a pdf at the following link:

Thrilling Airship Adventures