Book Review: Nancy Drew - The Palace of Wisdom by Kelly Thompson and Jenn St.-Onge

Nancy Drew: The Palace of Wisdom
by Kelly Thompson (writer) and Jenn St.-Onge (artist) (YA PB (Graphic Novel) Thompson) 

I’m going to age myself — I grew up in the late 1960s/early 1970s, reading the Hardy Boys and Nancy Drew novels with equal interest (though my favorites were the novels in the Three Investigators series, which never achieved quite the popularity of Nancy, Frank and Joe). Both Nancy Drew and The Hardy Boys have gone through various transformations over time, updating the characters for new generations — though I haven’t read any of those versions from the 1980s, 1990s and early 2000s.

 

However, the cover of this new (2019) graphic novel caught my eye on the “New Materials” display in the Teen Room at the downtown library, and I’m really glad I gave it a shot. The Palace of Wisdom is a terrific update of the characters of both Nancy and the Hardy boys (who play a supportive role in this story), keeping them in their late teens (some of them have drivers licenses) but bringing them up-to-date with modern technologies, lingo and relationship statuses. Nancy is now living in River Heights, and obsessively solving crimes with the assistance of some capable tech-savvy sidekicks. When she receives an unusual anonymous message from her old home of Bayport, she feels compelled to return — where she hooks up with past friends Bess and George (and ultimately Frank and Joe Hardy).

 

The mystery she’s pulled into ties into her mother’s mysterious death years ago, though some of the new friends she makes in town have more recent losses that they’d like her to look into. The characters are all hip, fresh and sassy. The artwork is marvelous. Nancy is a much more active character than she was in the books of the 60s/70s, and a lot of fun is made (by the other characters) of her tendency to lose or forger her cellphone, leading to her getting in a lot of jams that her friends must rescue her from.

 

This graphic novel comprises a complete story, as it appeared in issues #1-5 of a new comic book — with the presumption that that comic book would continue, and this graphic novel ends on a major cliffhanger. I hope there will be additional issues, as I can’t wait to see more of this modern Nancy Drew’s adventures!

[If you’re into “retro” — investigate the old yellow-spine hardback Nancy Drew novels (a few remain in the libraries’ collection, attributed to Carolyn Keene. They’re definitely from another era, but you can see the character archetypes that have led to this new series.]

[ Wikipedia page on the history of Nancy Drew ] | [ Wikipedia page for Kelly Thompson ]

 

Recommended by Scott C.
Bennett Martin Public Library — Public Service

 

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 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 reviewer’s recommendations!

Book Review: I Promise by LeBron James

I Promise
by LeBron James (jP James)

Basketball superstar LeBron James here combines a surprisingly beautiful message with beautiful illustrations by Nina Mata to create a must-read for children. Although you may be wary of books that are more about a message than a story, this book is worth the read. It encourages readers to make a promise to themselves to be strong, be kind, be accountable, embrace change and to try again. He writes, “I promise to work hard and do what’s right, to be a leader in this game of life.”

 

I Promise follows a group of diverse children at school, on the playground, and on the basketball court. LeBron writes in a verse format and occasionally weaves in basketball phrases. “I promise to stand tall, rise up, and give all that I’ve got; to throw the alley-oop and uplift others on the spot.”

 

The book also encourages reading, going outside and being active, and standing up for what’s right. It’s a delightful read for any youngster.

[If you enjoy this, you may also wish to try The King of Kindergarten by Derrick Barnes, Be Kind by Pat Zietlow Miller.]

[ publisher’s official I Promise web page ] | [ official LeBron James web site ]

 

Recommended by Cindy K.
Bennett Martin Public Library — Public Service

 

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 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 reviewer’s recommendations!

Book Review: The Adoption by Zidrou and Arno Monin

The Adoption
by Zidrou (writer) and Arno Monin (artist) and Jeremy Melloul (translator) (741.5 Zid)

At first glance, I figured this graphic novel by Belgians Zidrou (writer) and Arno Monin (artist) was going to be a typical sentimental feel-good story. The cover sums up that impression — crusty old grandfatherly Gabriel faces off against adorable waif Qinaya, and you presume the story is about how an old white guy comes to love the little dark-skinned girl his children have adopted.

 

Don’t be misled — that is part of this complex story, but only part, and not the most important part. In a nutshell, retired Belgian butcher Gabriel does find it initially hard to connect when his forty-something son and wife adoption a little girl in Peru following a devastating earthquake that has left hundreds dead, including little Qinaya’s parents. In the first half of this two-part graphic novel, Gabriel does go through the growing pains of a new relationship and does come to love his incomprehensibly cute new granddaughter. That’s what makes the second half of this story the most important — when it turns out Gabriel’s son cut some corners in the adoption process and actually kidnapped Qinaya, whose parents turn out to be alive. In the second half of this story, Gabriel travels to Peru, first to see Qinaya one last time, but also in a voyage of personal growth and discovery, that leads him back to Belgium and a chance to mend some fences in his family.

 

The artwork in The Adoption is absolutely phenomenal, from the highly detailed and expressive characters, to the well-realized geography — both up close and in scenic backdrops. The storyline is emotional and I challenge any reader not to be affected by the twists and turns.

 

Highly recommended!

[If you enjoy this, you may also wish to try The House by Paco Roca, Paul at Home by Michel Rabagliati.]

[ publisher’s official The Adoption web page ] | [ one of many Zidrou author pages for this Belgian writer ] [ official Arno Monin Instagram feed ]

 

Recommended by Scott C.
Bennett Martin Public Library — Public Service

 

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 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 reviewer’s recommendations!

DVD Review: The Broken Hearts Gallery (2020)

The Broken Hearts Gallery (2020)

(DVD Broken)

 

I hadn’t seen any trailers or promos for this one, so when I saw that the DVD had come out at WalMart, I immediately placed a hold on it at the library. Then my wife ended up bringing home a copy from her library branch before my hold had even come in! Great minds think alike!

 

Lucy (Geraldine Viswanathan) is a 20-something art gallery assistant whose life is upended by the end of her long-time romantic relationship AND her being fired from the gallery shop she accidentally sabotaged. Lucy has compulsively collected mementos from all her failed relationships — her shelves in the flat she shares with two friends look like a tchotchke shop. A soused Lucy accidentally gets into the car driven by Nick, thinking he’s a Lyft driver, and goes off on an inebriated rant. Nick gives up on convincing her he’s not her driver, and drives her home. Later, she connects back up with him in the boutique hotel he’s remodeling, and a friendship begins. Happenstance leads to one of Lucy’s mementos being put up on the balcony wall of Nick’s “hotel”, with a caption explaining how it represents a broken relationship — and the Broken Hearts Gallery has begun. Lucy’s skills with social media turn the concept into an underground success, and Lucy and Nick become ground zero for people wishing to donate their own mementos of broken relationships.

 

There’s a lot more to this than it sounds — relationships fluctuate, job possibilities come and go, Nick’s future hotel is in question, and the question of “Will Lucy and Nick” every really connect is central to the whole thing. Suffice it to say, despite road bumps and detours along the way, this really is a Rom-Com.

 

I really enjoyed this!

[ Internet Movie Database entry for this film ] | [ official Broken Hearts Gallery web site ]

 

Recommended by Scott C.
Bennett Martin Public Library — Public Service

 

Have you watched 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 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 reviewer’s recommendations!

Music Book Review: Whatever it Takes by Tom Morello

Whatever It Takes

by Tom Morello (Music 781.66 Morello)

 

Tom Morello is one of the most legendary rock guitarists of our time, having been a founding member of Rage Against the Machine, and then going on to play with Audioslave, Prophets of Rage, and his solo act, the Nightwatchman. Not only is he known for his inventive guitar playing, which includes very creative use of effects and extended techniques, but he’s among very few artists who carried the traditions of protest music forward into the 90s and beyond. In Whatever It Takes, Morello offers us a little bit of an autobiography, but done through the context of a photo book. There’s a section devoted to his childhood, then a string of early bands he played in before Rage Against the Machine, and then lots of cool ephemera related to the rise of Rage and his work in subsequent bands. There are fun anecdotes here that you’ll appreciate if you’re a guitar player, just a fan of any of the bands Morello has worked with, or if you’re a songwriter hoping to make a mark yourself.

[If you enjoy this, you may also wish to try Guitar Anthology by Rage Against the Machine, or Play It Loud: Instruments of Rock and Roll by Jason Kerr Dobney.]

[ publisher’s official Whatever it Takes web page ] | [ official Tom Morello web site ]

 

Recommended by Scott S.
Polley Music Library

 

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 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 reviewer’s recommendations!

Check out this, and all the other great music resources, at the Polley Music Library, located on the 2nd floor of the Bennett Martin Public Library at 14th & "N" St. in downtown Lincoln. You'll find biographies of musicians, books about music history, instructional books, sheet music, CDs, music-related magazines, and much more. Also check out Polley Music Library Picks, the Polley Music Library's e-mail newsletter, and follow them on Facebook!

Book Review: Midnight Sacrifice by Melinda Leigh

Midnight Sacrifice

by Melinda Leigh (Leigh)

 

This book is number two in the Midnight series, dealing with a serial killer that had gotten away in the first book. The author provided enough background on the characters in this book to get the reader up-to-speed with past events so I didn’t flounder around lost in characters and events.

 

The suspense slowly and surely builds as the killer continues to kidnap victims one by one in this small Maine town. We learn why he needs his ritual that, in his mind, is required as part of the kidnappings, and what he hopes to accomplish with the murders. The reader isn’t subjected to participating in gruesome violence, and at times feels sympathetic toward the killer.

 

This is a mystery and a romance, and as such reminded me of Nora Roberts’ novels. The author pulled me into the story right away and kept the pages turning as the narrative and suspense unfolded. This was a quick, enjoyable read.

[ official Midnight novels page on the official Melinda Leigh web site ]

 

Recommended by Charlotte M.
Bennett Martin Public Library — Public Service

 

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 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 reviewer’s recommendations!

 

Charlotte read this book for last month's (February 2021) Just Desserts mystery fiction discussion group discussion of the works of Melinda Leigh. Don't miss the March 2021 Just Desserts meeting, tonight at 6:30 p.m. on Zoom, when group members will discussion Anthony Horowitz' novel Magpie Murders.

Book Review: Long Story Short: 100 Classic Books in Three Panels by Lisa Brown

Long Story Short: 100 Classic Books in Three Panels
by Lisa Brown (YA 741.5 Bro)

For anyone who remembers Cliff’s Notes (which originated right here in Lincoln, NE in the late 1950s), or the more recent SparkNotes (which launched in the late 1990s), author/illustrator Lisa Brown is here to give you even more abbreviated study guides to some of the classic works of English-language literature! For some time, Brown (wife of author Daniel Handler — a.k.a. Lemony Snicket) has been produced the regular cartoon “Three Panel Book Review” for the San Francisco Chronicle newspaper and its website.

 

Long Story Short compiles 100 of her “three panel reviews” (although I think she may have create some original content for this volume as well. For this collection, the reviews are broken into broad categories — “Big Thoughts”, “(Un)Happy Families”, “Jeepers! (Creatures!)”, “Love”, “Sex”, “Death” and more. Each section starts with a slightly-longer cartoon sequence, but the majority if what appears in the book are as advertised — the plot of a work of classic fiction condensed and simplified down into three simple cartoon panels. Some are simply a straight-forward synopsis of a book’s critical plot points, while others take a more humorous or satiric view of the original novel’s essence. All generally tend to be funny, even if darkly humorous.

 

Not all 100 are real winners, but I’d say I laughed at about 65% of the 100 titles profiled. Admittedly, it would help the casual reader to already be a little familiar with the works being condensed and shared. But even if you don’t know all of them, you’ll get quite a few chuckles along the way. Similarly, not all of Brown’s cartoon-style art is equal in quality across the board, but it hits its mark more often than not.

 

Wry, dry, sardonic…and sharing of love of literature. Definitely worth checking out!

[ official Long Story Short page on AmericanChickens.com — the official Lisa Brown web site ]

 

Recommended by Scott C.
Bennett Martin Public Library — Public Service

 

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 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 reviewer’s recommendations!

CD Review: Hotspot by the Pet Shop Boys

Hotspot
by the Pet Shop Boys (Music Compact Disc 781.66 Pet)

If you are itching to get your disco/synth-pop/techno-groove on, grab this 2020 album from one of the premier 1980s super-duos. Masters of hook-laden songs incorporating lush, plush, slightly nasal vocals which have just an edge of sand with smooth, beat-driven primo electronic accompaniment, Neil Tennant and Chris Lowe deliver the goods again, updated without losing that oh-so-distinctive PSB feel. Along with several bouncy numbers, there are a couple that are more quiet and contemplative. Hotspot is an all-around enjoyable offering of tasty techy coolness, if this kind of music is your “cuppa”.

[If you enjoy this, you may also wish to try Pet Shop Boys Discography: The Complete Singles Collection by Pet Shop Boys, Actually by Pet Shop Boys — this and many other albums are available on Hoopla through LCL, or Musique Vol. 1, 1993-2005 by Daft Punk. Other artists of interest may be: Depeche Mode, Human League, A-ha, Soft Cell, A Flock of Seagulls, Howard Jones, Thomas Dolby, Spandau Ballet, Peter Schilling, Thompson Twins, Donna Summer, Jean Michele Jarre, Duran Duran, and Tears for Fears.]

[ official Hotspot page on the official Pet Shop Boys UK web site ]

 

Recommended by Becky W.C.
Walt Branch Library

 

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 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 reviewer’s recommendations!

Book Review: The Big Book of Cidermaking by Christopher Shockley and Kirsten K. Shockley

The Big Book of Cidermaking: Expert Techniques for Fermentingand Flavoring Your Favorite Hard Cider
by Christopher Shockley and Kirsten K. Shockley (663.2 Sho)

 

I’ll have to admit — I don’t drink beer. I enjoy an occasional cocktail or wine cooler, or glass of white wine. But if I’m going to indulge in any “adult” beverage, my first choice is going to be a hard cider.

 

So when I saw this book on the libraries’ “new books” display, all about the history of, and mechanics of creating your own hard ciders at home, I was fascinated. I can remember when my dad made his own wine at home, in the early 1970s, and I have other friends and relatives who brew their own beer. The authors of The Big Book of Cidermaking go into incredible detail about how to engage in this craft hobby. In particular, I appreciated the chapters touching on the different flavor elements of the many varieties of apples used in cider distilling. As is usually the case with books from Workman Publishing, the photos accompanying the text are absolutely gorgeous.

 

On the other hand, the authors are also straight-forward in their explanations for how equipment-intensive cidermaking can be — I don’t think it’s something I’ll pursue — but this book makes me appreciate all the various local small-brew companies in the Lincoln, NE area that have established Lincoln as a hotbed for craft cideries. Places like Glacial Till, Saro Cider and James Arthur Vineyards have been producing impressive small-batch hard ciders for the past several years, many available canned or bottled in local grocery and liquor stores. If you have been curious about what it would take to create your own ciders — this is the perfect book for you. If you just want to know more about what goes into these fruity beverages, give this one a try!

[ publisher’s official Big Book of Cidermaking web site ] | [ ferment.works – the official web site of Christopher and Kirsten Shockley ]

 

Recommended by Scott C.
Bennett Martin Public Library — Public Service

 

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 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 reviewer’s recommendations!

New BooksTalk Booklist: Weird History

 

Under the Lincoln City Libraries' current COVID-19 safety processes, the Bethany and Gere Branch BooksTalk series have returned in a modified format for the time being -- they are currently being held as Library BooksTalks on Zoom, using the Zoom online meeting software. [ Click here for a schedule of upcoming online BooksTalks, and the information for logging in to take part! ]

We try to make available printable and searchable copies of the lists of books discussed at these talks -- depending on whether the individual presenters provided a list for sharing.

L.G., one of the staff at the Gere Branch Library, was the presenter on Zoom on February 19, 2021. They had a theme of Weird History.

You can see a list of the materials L.G. discussed at:

Weird History

An audio recording of Lisa's talk was saved, and has now been shared as part of the libraries' audio podcasting series. You can listen to Lisa's talk at the following link:

Audio Podcast of this BooksTalk

Interested in being added to an e-mail list for notifications about future In-Person or Online Book Talks? Visit our E-mail Groups Sign-Up page to sign up!

DVD Review: Safety Last! (1923) with Harold Lloyd

Safety Last! (1923)

(DVD Safety)

 

I first saw this DVD in the libraries’ collection shortly after having the opportunity to tour Harold Lloyd’s boyhood home, outside of Beatrice in Gage County, Nebraska in 2019. Lloyd is one of Nebraska’s cinematic treasures, having grown up in Gage County, before eventually making his way to Hollywood, and film fame.

 

Safety Last! is one of Lloyd’s masterworks, originally released in 1923. Lloyd is generally considered to be one of the silent film era’s three single-star auteurs — Charlie Chaplin was the “sweet innocent”, as personified by his Little Tramp character; Buster Keaton was the stoic, emotion-less outsider; and Lloyd was the “every man” that audiences could identify with. Safety Last! is 73 minutes of humor, adventure and spectacular stunt work, most notably the classic scene in which Harold hangs from a skyscraper’s clock face by the clock’s hands.

 

In addition to the beautifully restored film itself, this DVD set from Criterion also features two marvelous documentaries, including “Harold Lloyd: The Third Genius” (108 minutes), all about Lloyd’s life and film work.

[Be aware that the Gage County Classic Film Institute here in Nebraska has, for years, held an annual film festival in Beatrice, celebrating the lives and careers of Gage County natives who’ve gone on to fame in the film and TV industry. You can follow them on Facebook to see what native film star is featured next, and/or you can visit Lloyd’s boyhood home in Burchard, NE, now a small-town museum.]

[ Internet Movie Database entry for this film ] | [ Wikipedia page for Safety Last! ]

 

Recommended by Scott C.
Bennett Martin Public Library — Public Service

 

Have you watched 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 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 reviewer’s recommendations!

Music Book Review: Bedroom Beats & B-Sides by Laurent Fintoni

Bedroom Beats & B-Sides: Instrumental Hip Hop & Electronic Music at the Turn of the Century

by Laurent Fintoni (Music 781.66 Fin)

 

Home studio recording productions have become increasingly common in recent decades, mostly built around computers as the center of home studio spaces. However, this book takes us back to the era immediately before computers became the focus of recording studios, where a “bedroom studio” for making beats consisted of hardware devices like samplers, turntables, drum machines, and analog or digital tape recorders. The mid-90s were a magical time for DJs, with a wide stylistic overlap between instrumental hip-hop and a range of electronic dance music idioms. Bedroom Beats & B-Sides begins its exploration at this pivotal moment in music history, and then takes us forward to about 2010, by which time many new genres have coalesced and new technology has enabled lots of people to make music on their own terms without the cost and complication of going into formal recording studios.

 

The book features a unique organizational style into “tapes” rather than chapters, with each “tape” containing song-based subheadings that serve as recommended listening lists. There are some classic as well as obscure song references to track down, and like the music discussed in the book, they’ll take you all over the US and Europe to burgeoning underground music scenes whose artists proved to be influential. I found this book especially exciting in how it ties the work of all of these scenes together, inspiring and influencing one another as they all evolved. The lines between hip-hop and electronica are quite blurred during the period documented in this book, and we can see how artists like DJ Shadow and the Beastie Boys matured alongside the work of Aphex Twin and Massive Attack. Since the time period this book focuses on, pop music in general has continued to absorb influences from many styles, and musicians have taken more control over their own sounds by making their own recordings. The essential changes in technology and society that made this possible are well documented in this book.

[If you enjoy this, you may also wish to try Bass, Mids, Tops: An Oral History of Soundsystem Culture by Joe Muggs & Brian David Stevens, Bring That Beat Back: How Sampling Built Hip-Hop by Nate Patrin or Raw Music Material: Electronic Music DJs Today by Walter Huegli.]

[ publisher’s official Bedroom Beats web page ] | [ official Laurent Fintoni web site ]

 

Recommended by Scott S.
Polley Music Library

 

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 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 reviewer’s recommendations!

Check out this, and all the other great music resources, at the Polley Music Library, located on the 2nd floor of the Bennett Martin Public Library at 14th & "N" St. in downtown Lincoln. You'll find biographies of musicians, books about music history, instructional books, sheet music, CDs, music-related magazines, and much more. Also check out Polley Music Library Picks, the Polley Music Library's e-mail newsletter, and follow them on Facebook!

Music Book Review: Understanding Records -- A Field Guide to Recording Practice by Jay Hodgson

Understanding Records: A Field Guide to Recording Practice
by Jay Hodgson (Music 781.49 Hod)

 

Understanding Records is a book aimed at people in music academia, but I found it helpful as someone getting into music recording at home. The idea is that the academic study of music has mainly focused on aspects like composition, arrangement, and performance without much attention to what Hodgson calls “recording practice.” He makes an analogy to “seeing the screen” in film arts.

 

Suppose we were focused on theater performance and half-heartedly acknowledged that sometimes people film performances for later viewing. Even in this situation, artistic choices must be made about how it’s filmed. Beyond that, new levels of artistry are available along with recording media. This book looks at those artistic choices and techniques at the level of tracking, mixing, and mastering. I learned that The Beatles were early adopters of many of these techniques that went beyond the “recording a live performance” approach. This book comes with Spotify playlists of commercial tracks that are a mixture of well-known songs (mostly rock and pop) plus lesser known tracks that the author was involved in creating. There are also short technique demonstration tracks to help train your ear, plus some YouTube videos to see how this is done in contemporary software.

 

While wordy and repetitive at times, I enjoyed reading through this book and listening to the examples when prompted. It clued me into when & how to use a number of features in software I already use. It also gave me new aspects to listen for when I’m enjoying a record.

[ publisher’s official Understanding Records (2nd edition) web page ] | [ official Jay Hodgson faculty page on the Western University web site ]

 

Recommended by Garren H.
Bennett Martin Public Library — Public Service

 

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 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 reviewer’s recommendations!

Check out this, and all the other great music resources, at the Polley Music Library, located on the 2nd floor of the Bennett Martin Public Library at 14th & "N" St. in downtown Lincoln. You'll find biographies of musicians, books about music history, instructional books, sheet music, CDs, music-related magazines, and much more. Also check out Polley Music Library Picks, the Polley Music Library's e-mail newsletter, and follow them on Facebook!