Pearls Falls Fast by Stephan Pastis

Pearls Falls Fast
by Stephan Pastis [741.5 Pas]

Enjoyable oversized trade paperback collection of recent Pearls Before Swine comic strips, featuring the sarcastic and anti-social "Rat" and the doofus "Pig", plus their various quirky anthropomorphic neighbors. I particularly enjoy the idiotic attempts by the legion of crocodiles to convince Zebra to let them kill and eat him. Pastis has an occasionally (unpleasantly) nasty sense of humor, while at the same time regularly poking fun at himself, with the various characters speaking directly to him as an animated (and much beleaguered) cartoonist. The thing I appreciate the most about this oversized collection is that Pastis has provided background notes for many of the cartoons in this compilation -- making this kind of a "director's cut" collection. If you're not into biting satire, with occasional forays into cartoon violence, then this is definitely not the comic strip for you. But, if you don't have thin skin, and you're looking for a good laugh -- I highly recommended Pearls Before Swine, and this collection in particular! -- recommended by Scott C. - Bennett Martin Public Library [ see Scott's Reviewer Profile and more of his reviews ]

[If you enjoy this, you may also wish to try the various other Pearls Before Swine compilations.]

[ official Pearls Before Swine web site ] | [ Pearls Before Swine page on Wikipedia ]
 
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The Great Heist by Jeff McArthur

The Great Heist: The Story of the Biggest Bank Robbery in History
by Jeff McArthur [364.155 McA]

In 1930, six men entered a bank in Lincoln, NE and in 8 minutes made off with more than 2.7 million dollars. This book explores the local officials, a connection to Al Capone that led the Secret Six of Chicago to offer assistance, and Al Capone's brother who had disappeared but was living in Nebraska as an upright citizen. -- recommended by Sandy W. - Gere Branch Library

[If you enjoy this, you may also wish to try The 1931 Hastings Bank Job and the Bloody Bandit Trail by Monty McCord 364.155 McC.]

[ official Jeff McArthur web site ] 

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Four: A Divergent Story Collection by Veronica Roth

Four: A Divergent Story Collection
by Veronica Roth [YA Roth]

This is companion book to the Divergent series. "Four" includes 4 short stories written from the viewpoint of Four (the leading male character from the Divergent series). I enjoyed reading this to add some more depth to Four's character. Getting to hear his internal thoughts adds much to what the reader already knows about him. If you choose to read this book, I would recommend reading "Divergent" first. -- recommended by Marie P. - Bennett Martin Public Library

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

[ official Veronica Roth web site ]

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All the President's Men

All the President's Men
[DVD All]

One of the most outstanding films of the 1970s -- based on the book by reporters Woodward and Bernstein, which chronicled their journalistic investigations into the Watergate scandal that ultimately led to Richard Nixon stepping down from the office of President of the United States. The performances in this are flawless -- Robert Redford and Dustin Hoffman bring the reports to life, and Jason Robards definitely earned his Supporting Actor Oscar for his portrayal of Washington Post editor Ben Bradlee. Though a dark moment in our country's political history, this film celebrates the free press and the pugnacious nature of journalism in the 1970s -- a journalistic era that's quite different from the one in which we live now. This DVD release includes numerous "special features", sure to appeal to anyone interested in both American history, and the craft of film-making. One of my top ten favorite films of all time! -- recommended by Scott C. - Bennett Martin Public Library [ see Scott's Reviewer Profile and more of his reviews ]

[Also available in traditional print format.]

[ 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. Click the tag for the reviewer's name to see more of this reviewers recommendations! 

Stories I Only Tell My Friends and Love Life by Rob Lowe

Stories I Only Tell My Friends (2011) and Love Life (2014)
by Rob Lowe both [Biography Lowe]

I wouldn't have described myself as a Rob Lowe "fan" up to now but I've enjoyed him very much in a handful of the movies and tv shows in which I've seen him. And in recent years he's been 'everywhere' in view, as they say. So, I decided to take a look at these two recent memoirs from this pretty-boy "Brat Pack" alumni and found them quite enjoyable. Lowe, who started acting in local and regional productions as a child and has rarely been out of work in the last 30+ years, being sober and married for almost 25 of those -- but not before falling into the trap of excesses that tempt many a young and handsome actor -- is an excellent writer and story-teller. Lowe grew up in Ohio, but after two divorces and some health problems, his mother moved him and his brothers to Malibu, California in 1976. In this ultimately fortuitous change of fate, Rob spent his teen years down the street from the Sheens and the Penns and in just a few years became one of the hottest young male celebrities in the world, dating everyone from Melissa Gilbert to Princess Stephanie of Monaco. In addition to growing up around current and future acting royalty, he's also met an array of other actors and celebrities over the years, some in odd circumstances, such as drinking milk with a bath-robe-wearing Cary Grant when on a house date with Grant's daughter. Lowe relays such surreal events with both wryness and affection. In addition, I kept being amazed at how he has ended up at so many crucial 'intersections' of pivotal events. For example, and unknown to him for several years after the fact, he was on a plane flight that some of the 9/11 hijackers were using as a practice run in August 2001. For all that he has lived a life of fame and sometimes fortune, Lowe manages to 'keep it real' by recognizing the value of his family and friends and filtering out most of the nonsense that accompanies a life in film and television. The first book is mainly about himself and his earl y career and the second is focused more on the importance of his wife and sons to him, and how he keeps sight of the goal of living an honest and fulfilling life. The title of the second book, in fact, is as much an admonition "[You should] love life", as it is an account of the loves of/in his life. I still wouldn't describe myself as a hardcore fan of Rob Lowe, but he's definitely a very interesting and very hard-working celebrity. And still very easy on the eyes! -- recommended by Becky W.C. - Walt Branch Library [ see Becky's Reviewer Profile and more of her reviews ]

[If you enjoy this, you may also wish to try the audiobooks of these same titles; also The Outsiders; St. Elmo's Fire; The West Wing; and Parks and Recreation.]

[Links above should take you to all available formats of both of Lowe's biographies.]

[ Rob Lowe page on Wikipedia ] | [ official Rob Lowe page on IMDb ]

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New reviews appear every month on the Staff Recommendations page of the BookGuide website. You can visit that page to see them all, or watch them appear here in the BookGuide blog individually over the course of the entire month. Click the tag for the reviewer's name to see more of this reviewers recommendations!

Customer Review - Shift

Shift
by Jennifer Bradbury [j Bradbury]

Shift is a excellent quick read. It is under 300 pages so it is fast and makes for a great story. The characters show a deep friendship that must be changed in order to grow and it makes you reflect on your own life. The humor and truth to the story is compelling and keeps you hooked because of the mysteries that lie within. Recently making the transition to college from high school my self, I can relate on many levels and it very accurately portrays many of the struggles that comes with moving on and keeping your existing friends. The greatest strength of this book is it doesn't waste any time getting into the story. You're moving as soon as you hit page 2. I highly recommend this title to anyone looking to not get into a new series and have a quick read, especially for young adults getting ready, making, or have recently made the transition to college. -- review submitted by Alex 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, 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.

Go Ask Alice by Anonymous

Go Ask Alice
by Anonymous

I'll admit, I had never heard of this apparently *famous* book before. I saw it come across the desk to be checked in, and I was intrigued. Before I even began to read it, a friend commented, "Oh, cool, you're reading that!" Go Ask Alice is written in diary format... we're never actually told the name of the author. It's presented as a work of fiction, though it could totally have been a true story. The protagonist is a young teenager who is struggling with life, as teenagers often do. She wants to fit in, she wants a certain boy to like her, she finds her parents and siblings irritating but loves them SO MUCH! Quite by random, she is given a drink, at a party, that has been laced with acid. She has a "trip" and decides she loved the experience. What follows is her slow descent into drug addiction, sexual promiscuity, and life on the streets. As a parent, I find it frightening -- as someone who went through similar teenage issues, I found it quite relatable. -- recommended by Tracy T. - Bennett Martin Public Library [ see Tracy's Reviewer Profile and more of her reviews ]

[If you enjoy this, you may also wish to try Catcher in the Rye by J.D. Salinger, Breakfast at Tiffany's by Truman Capote.]

[ Go Ask Alice page on Wikipedia ]

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Smoke Gets in Your Eyes...and Other Lessons From the Crematory by Caitlin Doughty

Smoke Gets in Your Eyes...and Other Lessons From the Crematory
by Caitlin Doughty [Biography Doughty]

Told with humor and compassion, this memoir is about a young woman's desire to explore the topic of death. She takes a job at a crematory and later attends mortuary school and becomes a licensed mortician. This memoir is a frank behind the scenes look at the death industry in this country. It will make you think about how our society approaches death and dying. -- recommended by Tammy T. - Bennett Martin Public Library

[If you enjoy this, you may also wish to try Stiff: the Curious Lives of Human Cadavers by Mary Roach.]

[ official The Order of the Good Death web site - managed by Caitlin Doughty ]

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New reviews appear every month on the Staff Recommendations page of the BookGuide website. You can visit that page to see them all, or watch them appear here in the BookGuide blog individually over the course of the entire month. Click the tag for the reviewer's name to see more of this reviewers recommendations!