Healing Waters (on CD)

Healing Waters
by David Arkenstone [Compact Disc 534 Ark]

All the tracks on this CD are piano music combined with the sounds of running water from a stream. The sound of the water was continuous track to track. The instrumentals would stop but you'd still hear the running water between the songs, then the music would start up again. It was very relaxing to listen to. Some people may find it so relaxing you could try listening to it to get to sleep. I think it's a nice CD to have on while studying because I like gentle music on in the background. -- recommended by Kristen A. - Gere Branch Library [ see Kristen's Reviewer Profile and more of her reviews ]

[If you enjoy this, you may also wish to try Blue Mind: The Surprising Science That Shows How Being Near, In, On, or Under Water Can Make You Happier, Healthier, More Connected and Better at What You Do by Wallace Nichols; Swim: Why We Love the Water by Lynn Sherr; Any music by George Winston.]

[ David Arktenstone entry on Wikipedia ] | [ official David Arkenstone web site ]

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Into the Storm (on DVD)

Into the Storm

[DVD Into]

My wife and I watched this schlocky natural disaster movie mainly due to the presence of Richard Armitage in the cast -- we've both enjoyed him in the Hobbit trilogy, and in North & South and the BBC's recent Robin Hood series as Sir Guy of Gisborne. In this, Armitage is merely one of several key ensemble players whose lives are impacted by a series of tornados in a small Oklahoma community. The plot follows two main threads -- the quest of a bunch of storm chasers to track and engage with a monster twister, and the lives of various members of the community of Silverton, Oklahoma. The acting ranges from impressive and believable, to overblown high school play. The plot is very loose and -- for the most part -- forgettable. However, the special effects are tremendous. The multiple tornados seen on screen are exceptionally believable, and the physical weather and wind effects on the actors in multiple scenes are frighteningly realistic. Additionally, I have to give this film's scenic and set designers kudos -- the look of tornado ravaged neighborhoods was devastatingly realistic as well. If you're looking for a well-acted and well-thought-out movie, don't bother. But if you're a weather junkie, and in the mood for a mindless "popcorn" movie, give this one a try! -- 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 Twister.]

[ Internet Movie Database entry for this film ] | [ official Into the Storm web site ]

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Faceoff edited by David Baldacci

Faceoff
edited by David Baldacci [813.08 Fac]

Eleven short stories that pair our favorite authors and their characters. I'm a Lincoln Rhyme (Jeffery Deaver) and Lucas Davenport (John Sandford) fan so was pleased to see a short story that put them together ("Rhymes with Prey" -- gotta love that title). In this case, the two of them cementing a friendship seemed to happen rather quickly for their natures but this is afterall a short story format. On the plus side, their mystery was interesting and believable, and most of the favorite series characters made an appearance. Other authors were paired with" like" characters, for example Repairman Jack (by F. Paul Wilson) is a paranormal series -- he "repairs" situations for people that involve curses, ancient evil, and demons. Jack is set in a short story in New Orleans with Heather Graham's series characters - Michael Quinn and Danni Cafferty - who also deal with old, supernatural evil. No need to read this book in order, pick and choose which authors you're interested in, or find a new author based on who they are paired with. Sit back and enjoy Harry Bosch, Aloysius Pendergast, and Jack Reacher, to name a few. If you haven't yet read some of these characters, these short stories will give you a quick introduction that might pique your interest enough to pick up a full-length novel starring that character. -- recommended by Charlotte K. - Bennett Martin Public Library [ see Charlotte's Reviewer Profile and more of her reviews ]

[ publisher's official Faceoff web site ]

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Ordinary Grace

Ordinary Grace
by William Kent Krueger

I read this book for the libraries Just Desserts mystery fiction discussion group, which recently chose it as their book-of-the-month. I've enjoyed the books in Krueger's Cork O'Connor series, and had the opportunity to see Krueger in person in April 2014, when he appeared at a bookstore in Lincoln, to promote Ordinary Grace. At the time, Krueger said that Ordinary Grace is his personal favorite of all the books he's written, and the one of which he's the most proud. This stand-alone novel, which won the Edgar Award for best Mystery Novel of the year, is set in the early 1960s, in a small, rural Minnesota town -- New Bremen. Told from the point-of-view of Frank Drum, the 13-year-old son of the town's Methodist minister, this is a coming-of-age tale for both Frank and his younger brother Jake, during a summer in which several local deaths all have a major impact on the townspeople of New Bremen. This tale is told very simply, but still reaches out and grabs you, demanding that you pay attention to all the small details of description and dialog. The character relationships make this story feel exceptionally "real" -- several Just Desserts group members, who grew up in small towns just like New Bremen, said the story pulled them in and reminded them of what small town life was like for them as children. In the end, though a mystery lies at the heart of this story, this is not a traditional "mystery novel", the likes of which Krueger is well-known for. Instead, this is a slice-of-life novel, with unforgettable characters and emotional confrontations. I can't recommend this highly enough! -- 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 other books by William Kent Krueger, although be aware that Ordinary Grace is different than any of his other novels.]

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

[ official Ordinary Grace page on the official William Kent Krueger web site ]

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Nightcrawler (on DVD)

Nightcrawler

[DVD Nightcrawler]

Lou Bloom - played by Jake Gyllenhaal - decides to try out crime journalism and purchases a camera and police scanner. After his first story he's addicted and soon blurs the line between reporting and participating. Gyllenhaal was great in this role, totally transformed himself to fit the character. Very intense storyline, somewhat graphic at times, but worth the watch. -- recommended by Carrie K. - Bennett Martin Public Library [ see Carrie's Reviewer Profile and more of her reviews ]

[If you enjoy this, you may also wish to try All The President's Men, Zodiac, and other movies about journalists.]

[ Internet Movie Database entry for this film ] | [ official Nightcrawler 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. Click the tag for the reviewer's name to see more of this reviewers recommendations! 

The Astronaut Wives Club by Lily Koppel

The Astronaut Wives Club
by Lily Koppel [629.45 Kop]

I was checking this book in for a patron when I stopped to take a look at it. I thought, "I don't know that anything has ever been written about the WIVES of astronauts before--I'd really like to know their perspective!" And that's exactly what this book was about. It began with The Original Seven--the wives of the first group of astronauts--and ended with The Nineteen--the last group of wives to have husbands going up in space in the late 60's and early 70's. These women formed the Astronaut Wives Club, and they were the glue that held the NASA space team together. I really enjoyed this book, though it was difficult to follow, at times, since several new people were being introduced all the time, yet older members of the group were still prominent. Nevertheless, I really felt for these women and the joys and struggles they endured during such a radical, changing time in the history of our country and our world! -- 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 Mozart's Wife by Juliet Waldron.] 

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

[ official Astronaut Wives Club web site ]

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Land Girls: Series 1 (on DVD)

Land Girls: Series 1
[DVD Land]

This is a drama set in World War II England about a group of women working on a farm as land girls. During the war women living in the city went to the countryside and worked on farms for the war effort. I picked this up thinking I'd get a sense of what life was like for the land girls; I liked it at the beginning but it turned into a soap opera type of show before long. I thought it'd be of a historical focused show, but the time era is really just a backdrop to the gossipy characters. I didn't really enjoy it, but if you're more into dramas than I am, you may like it better than I did. -- recommended by Kristen A. - Gere Branch Library [ see Kristen's Reviewer Profile and more of her reviews ]

[If you enjoy this, you may also wish to try Land Girls: Series 2 and 3; Call the Midwife: Seasons 1-4.]

[ Internet Movie Database entry for this film ] | [ Land Girls episode guide on Wikipedia ]

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The Magicians by Lev Grossman (on CD)

The Magicians
by Lev Grossman [Compact Disc Grossman]

I started off reading this one for my science fiction club's monthly book discussion, then ran out of time and switched to the audio book-on-cd adaptation, which I ended up enjoying far more than the traditional printed version. Narrator Mark Bramhall brings a perfect narrative tone to all the characters in this modern-day fantasy tale. Often described as "Harry Potter for adults", this is the story of a group of disaffected young adults, who were all "discovered" in their youth and given the opportunity to go to a school for magicians in the eastern United States. The first third of the book chronicles their education -- and their rebellious nature -- while the latter two thirds follows their lives after their schooling is over and they have to find a way to integrate into a mundane society, when they've got the wonders of the magician world at their fingertips. There are parts of this novel that I enjoyed tremendously, and other parts that were completely off-putting -- the sex and drug abuse for example. There are many fascinating characters, although you'll end up being annoyed at many of them. In the end, I find myself grudgingly recommending this book -- it is exceptionally well-written -- but with the caveat that many readers will ultimately be either offended or exasperated by both the characters and the plot. Let the reader beware! -- 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 two sequels, The Magician King and The Magician's Land.]

[Also available in traditional print format.]

[ official The Magicians page on the official Lev Grossman web site ]

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Fury on DVD

Fury
[DVD Fury]

Army sergeant Wardaddy - played by Brad Pitt - commands a group of rag tag soldiers in a Sherman tank. After the death of a member of his crew he is given a rookie as replacement. Out-gunned and out-numbered the story follows this crew going into battle in Nazi Germany. -- recommended by Carrie K. - Bennett Martin Public Library [ see Carrie's Reviewer Profile and more of her reviews ]

[If you enjoy this, you may also wish to try Kelly's Heroes, Lebanon, and other tank movies along with Saving Private Ryan, Band of Brothers, and the Hurt Locker.]

[ Internet Movie Database entry for this film ] | [ official Fury 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. Click the tag for the reviewer's name to see more of this reviewers recommendations!