Book Review: In by Will McPhail

In
by Will McPhail (741.5 McP)

Will McPhail is a cartoonist and contributor to the New Yorker magazine.

 

An aging, lonely millennial (Nick) visits (hilariously-named, and satirical) coffee shops in an attempt to reach out and connect with people — to combat his work-from-home loneliness. He goes through the same surface-level interactions in his daily life. (Hi, How are you, Fine thanks and you, What can I get you, …)

 

He feels that there is more to life he is missing out on, and he decides to stop playing by the same script and tries to heartfully open up to others. Sometimes it works; sometimes it hilariously doesn’t. When people do let him “in” — the black and white graphics change to metaphorical and colorful illustrations (think Dorothy in Oz).

 

A few emerging storylines mesh together in a dark twist of a clever yet poignant ending. Hilariously funny at times, contrasted with serious life issues that creep in. Completely relatable to modern-day post-COVID times.

With all this technology and social media “bringing us together”, why are we all still so distant?

 

( official Will McPhail web site )

 

This was one of dozens of Graphic Novel reviews submitted by library staff during our 2022 In-Service Training day on 9/23, all collected on A Day Full of Graphic Novels

 

Recommended by Jeremiah J.
Anderson and Bethany Branch Libraries

 

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DVD Review: NOVA: Particle Fever

NOVA: Particle Fever
by Thomas Campbell-Jackson and Gerry Ohrstrom [DVD 539.721 Par]

In 2008, thousands of scientists join forces to engineer and build the Large Hadron Collider (or LHC) at CERN in Switzerland. We meet six of the scientists each tasked with various roles. There are theorists, who crunch the numbers and philosophize through complex math. And then there are experimentalists, who build, design, and engineer experiments to verify these theories.

In 2010, scientists successfully send one ray of particles around the 17 mile loop. While scientists drink champagne and celebrate prematurely — a chemical leak and a host of other realities sink in, delaying the project two painful years.

On July 3, 2012, universal physics as we understand it was changed forever. Complete with stellar graphics and personal narratives, enjoy this fascinating inside scoop to one of the most expensive and rewarding scientific endeavors in human history — to find the elusive Higgs Boson particle, and to complete the standard model of particle physics.

[If you enjoy this, you may also wish to try Through the Wormhole with Morgan Freeman, Uranium: Twisting the Dragon’s Tail, Cosmos by Carl Sagan or NOVA: The Planets]

[ Internet Movie Database entry for this film ] | [ official Particle Fever web site ]

Recommended by Jeremiah J.
Anderson and Bethany Branch Libraries

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Golf for Dummies (on DVD)

Golf for Dummies
Gary McCord [DVD 796.352 McC]

As Ray Floyd said, "They call it 'golf,' because all the other four letter words were already taken." For anyone looking to brush up on their golf game (even beginners!), this DVD does a great job of making golf appealing and breaking the game down into simple steps. It is presented by PGA Golfer Gary McCord, and I really like how it isn't just a dry instructional DVD, but it is really rather entertaining! All the basics are covered including: types of clubs, gripping the club, improving putting, different types of shots, hazards and how to deal with them, and typical swing problems that occur and how to fix them. He offers practice tips and drills as well for these common issues. For anyone looking to brush up on their game, or look for some golf instruction from a seasoned golfer to beginner, I would highly recommend this DVD! -- recommended by Jeremiah J. - Bennett Martin Public Library [ see Jeremiah's Reviewer Profile and more of his reviews ]

[If you enjoy this, you may also wish to try David Leadbetter - Golf Instructional DVD's, 796.352's non-fiction.]

[Also available in traditional print (2nd edition) formats.]

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Frozen (on DVD)

Frozen
[DVD j Frozen]

Anna, a princess, ventures up a snowy mountain to find her sister Elsa--a queen with magical icy powers. Elsa has left Arendelle kingdom in eternal winter, and it is up to Anna and Kristoff to help find her sister and save the kingdom. Along the way they meet a laughable Snowman, Olaf, and other characters. The movie is clever, very funny at times, contains a great storyline and plot with a great ending. But what really makes the movie is the music. Clearly inspired from Broadway style tunes, several hits and awards have came from the music, including the hit song "Let it Go" performed by Idina Menzel, which won an Oscar for Best Original Song. Other hits include: "Fixer-Upper," "Love is an Open Door," and "For the First Time in Forever" Overall, the film is great especially for kids!. -- recommended by Jeremiah J. - Bennett Martin Public Library

[If you enjoy this, you may also wish to try Tangled, Brave.]

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

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Red Cell

Red Cell
by John Kalkowski [j Kalkowski]

After winning a baseball game through a clever tactic of throwing the rosin bag at a crucial moment in the game, Will Conlan, an eighth grader, captures the attention of Red Cell: A division of Homeland Security responsible for fighting terrorism. Through Will and his class's clever ideas, and a brutal overbearing teacher Mr. Tenepior-- by thinking outside of the box, the agency uses the students' ideas to thwart a terrorist plot. The premise of the book is that children think outside of the box, and have no qualms about what can or cannot be done, and are therefore open to new innovative ideas. A little far-fetched that an 8th grader saves the world, but a great read-- action-packed, and a lot of twists and turns for a relatively short book (about 150 pgs). -- recommended by Jeremiah J. - Bennett Martin Public Library [If you enjoy this, you may also wish to try The Underdogs - Mike Lupica; Curveball: The Year I Lost My Grip - Jordan Sonnenblick.]

[ official Video Commercial for Red Cell on YouTube ] | [ official John Kalkowski web site ]

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Live in Swing City: Swingin' With the Duke

Live in Swing City: Swingin' With the Duke
by Lincoln Center Jazz Orchestra with Wynton Marsalis [Compact Disc 781.65 Lin]

This album was the result of recording a Great Performances documentary at the Supper Club in New York City, back in August 1998. It features the works of primarily Duke Ellington, and a few arrangements of Billy Strayhorn (a close collaborator with Ellington for years) with guest vocalists Milt Grayson and Dianne Reeves. The CD focuses on big band swing hits in front of live dancers (you can hear them clapping and cheering in the background on several pieces). Wynton Marsalis brings his A-game, you really hear his improvisational ability and his versatility as a trumpeter. His "Portrait of Louis Armstrong" is spot on, and sounds "just like Louis would have played it." But in contrast, his "Mood Indigo" channels more of Bix Beiderbecke. The rest of the performers don't hold back either, (especially Wycliffe Gordon, trombonist on "Black and Tan Fantasy"). Overall, the arrangements allow Duke Ellington's personality to shine through, but at the same time keep a m odern flair. I thought executive producer Rob Gibson summarized the evening well: [the dancer's that night] "couldn't help but swing." -- recommended by Jeremiah J. - Bennett Martin Public Library [If you enjoy this, you may also wish to try Jazz at Lincoln Center, Portraits by Ellington, Best of Ken Burns Jazz.]

[ official Live in Swing City: Swingin' With the Duke page on the Wynton Marsalis site ]

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Skyfall

Skyfall
[DVD Skyfall]

A computer hacker compromises M16, the headquarters of Her Majesty's Secret Service exposing the agency and it's members. James Bond must overcome his personal qualms with M, and save the agency before it is too late. Contains tons of action and suspense from the opening scene to the ending credits, and several well-thought out subplots. Some have said this is the greatest Bond movie of all time-- I wouldn't give it that distinction, but action movie fans certainly won't be disappointed. Adele won Oscar for Best Song. [If you enjoy this, you may also wish to try Quantum of Solace, Casino Royale, other James Bond DVDs, books by Ian Fleming.] -- recommended by Jeremiah J. - Bennett Martin Public Library
[ Internet Movie Database entry for this film ] | [ official Skyfall web site ]

See more titles like this on our 50 Years of James Bond booklist 

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Warm Bodies

Warm Bodies
[DVD Warm]

In post-apocalyptic earth where zombies roam, a small hold-out of living have to fight them. *Yawn, we've heard this story a thousand times. But Warm Bodies isn't just your typical zombie war movie... "R" the zombie is different – he can "feel." In an ambush situation, he saves the living "Julie," by having her pretending she is one of the dead. They bond together in an abandoned airplane. Through consuming her ex-boyfriend in the ambush, he retains some of the boyfriend's memories and his heart begins to "warm" – Can Julie reunite with the living and prove to her father that the zombies are changing for the better? Suspenseful at times, but I wouldn't consider it horror; the previews also made it appear to be a light-hearted cutesy comedy but it is certainly not. The "bonies" – zombies who have become so decrepit they cannot be warmed, are quite scary for younger kids. Overall, I enjoyed it – a pretty clever twist to your traditional zombie movie. -- recommended by Jeremiah J. - Bennett Martin Public Library [If you enjoy this, you may also wish to try the novel Warm Bodies by Isaac Marion.]

[Also available in traditional print and book-on-cd formats.]

[ Internet Movie Database entry for this film ] | [ official Warm bodies web site ] 

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Into the Wild

Into the Wild
by Jon Krakauer [917.98 Kra]

Chris McCandless, a young twenty-something from a well-off family in D.C., ditches his upper middle class life and hitchhikes into the Alaskan wild; four months later his body is found in an abandon bus used as a shelter in the middle of the Alaskan forest (this isn't a spoiler, it is known from the cover of the book). Krakauer does an amazing job of retracing Chris' final steps and putting together the pieces of his transient life. For as dark as the subject matter is, Krakauer adds his own personal experiences of being a young man with a knack for the outdoors, hiking, and climbing to paint a picture of McCandless as not some naive lunatic who wondered off to his own demise, but as an intelligent young man with a passion for the outdoors who died doing what he loved. Even more intriguing are the hauntingly relevant quotes from people like Thoreau, Twain, John Muir at the beginning of each chapter. Into the Wild is a warning to the over-ambitious, but at the same time a reminder to go out and do what you love – an overall metaphor for life. -- recommended by Jeremiah J. - Bennett Martin Public Library [If you enjoy this, you may also wish to try Into the Wild (DVD), based on the Krakauer book; Into thin Air – also by Krakauer.]

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

[ Wikipedia page for Into the Wild ] | [ Wikipedia page for Jon Krakauer ]

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Parental Guidance

Parental Guidance
[DVD Parental]

This is a really great family film – I enjoyed it from beginning to end! Billy Crystal and Bette Midler are grandparents who get stuck babysitting their grandchildren of Type-A, high-strung, over-protective parents (Marisa Tomei). Hilarity ensues when a technological house and the grand-kids take over. It is up to the grandparents to keep the children safe and sound until the parents get back from their trip. One of my favorite scenes was the duet of "The Book of Love" between Midler and Crystal. All around a great comical family movie, and a positive overall message at the end about bringing families together. (Watch after the credits for funny outtakes, too – it looks like they had a blast making the movie!). -- recommended by Jeremiah J. - Bennett Martin Public Library

[ Internet Movie Database entry for this film ] | [ official Parental Guidance web site ]

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A League of Their Own (on DVD)

A League of Their Own
[DVD League]

I absolutely love this movie! Two sisters join the first professional baseball league for women. As they tour and play more games you start to see the toll it takes on their relationship. I really like the touching ending as well, but you will need to brush up on your baseball lingo. It includes an all-star cast including: Geena Davis, Lori Petty, Tom Hanks, Rosie O'Donnell, Madonna, Jon Lovitz, and Bill Pullman. Tom Hanks is particularly comical. Won a few Golden Globes, and several other awards. -- recommended by Jeremiah J. - Bennett Martin Public Library [If you enjoy this, you may also wish to try The Sandlot, The Rookie, Trouble With the Curve.]

[ Internet Movie Database entry for this film ]

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Red (on CD)

Red
by Taylor Swift [Compact Disc 781.642 Swi]

This is Taylor Swift's fourth album, and it but remarkably steps out of the "country" genre she is known for. My two most favorite songs on the CD are "We are Never Getting Back Together" and "I Knew You were Trouble." These break-up song titles, inspired the title of the CD in which Swift says all of her emotions which have run rampant the past few years are summarized in the color "red"-- "there is nothing beige about it." The CD overall is great, and I really appreciate Swift's knack for writing her own lyrics-- they're very clever. -- recommended by Jeremiah J. - Bennett Martin Public Library [If you enjoy this, you may also wish to try Speak Now - Taylor Swift, or Taylor Swift (self-titled album).]

[Also available in vocal selections format.]

[ official Taylor Swift web site ]

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Run Lola Run

Run Lola Run
[DVD Run]

This is an extremely suspenseful (relatively short) German film; Manni has lost 100,000 Deutschmarks to pay off a mob boss and is about to rob a grocery store; it is up to Lola who "runs" to stop him or come up with the money on her own. Three different scenarios play out of how things might go down; at only 81 minutes this film is extremely action packed and will have you on the edge of your seat the whole time. -- recommended by Jeremiah J. - Bennett Martin Public Library [If you enjoy this, you may also wish to try Downfall, The Counterfeiters, Das Boot (some of the other German films at LCL).]

[ Internet Movie Database entry for this film ] | [ official Run Lola Run web site ]

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The Georgia O'Keeffee Collection

The Georgia O'Keeffe Collection

"I found I could say things with color and shapes that I couldn't say any other way... things I had no words for." -- Georgia O'Keeffe.This timeless collection of paintings and photography is available through our CAMIO Database (Catalog of Art Museum Images Online). O'Keeffe is hailed as the "Mother of American Modernism." Her work explores up-close blossoms, Western American (New Mexico) landscapes and subject matter, as well as some city-scapes and photography as well. Femininity, birth, life, and death are strong themes in her art. I encourage you to explore these timeless pieces of American History, as well as other artists and images CAMIO has to offer. -- recommended by Jeremiah J. - Bennett Martin Public Library [If you enjoy this, you may also wish to try Georgia O'Keefe (DVD); 759.13's; O'Keeffe: The Life of an American Legend, by Hogrefe.]

[Please note: The CAMIO database is available only while on a terminal that is physically within one of the Lincoln City Libraries.]

[ official Georgia O'Keeffe Musuem web site ] | [ Georgia O'Keeffe: About the Painter site from PBS' American Masters ]

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Davidsbunderlantze

Davidsbunderlantze
by Robert Schumann [downloadable resource]

Davidsbundlertanze, Op. 6, is a collection of pieces written for solo piano. The actual title refers to a philosophical "League of David" Music Society in which they defend contemporary music against its detractors or "Philistines." It's two primary member's consist of Robert Schumann's two alter-egos: the passionate "Florestan" and introverted "Eusebius." Each one of the pieces is initialed at the end by its author: F or E, (keeping in mind that Robert Schumann composed the entire set). The set lasts about 30 minutes, depending on if the artist takes the repeats. Every single one of these pieces is a gem, but I particularly like "Zart und singend," and "Frisch." The Stephen Hough recording is one of my favorites, and keep in mind this piece is ONLY accessible through our online database. There is no CD of the piece in our system. This is one of the epic pieces of the Romantic Era, and I encourage you to explore other pieces from our music databases! -- recommended by Jeremiah J. - Bennett Martin Public Library [If you enjoy this, you may also wish to try Smithsonian Global Sound database, Jazz Music Library database, other pieces accessible through Classical Music Online.]

[ Robert Schumann Wikipedia page ]

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The 2nd Law

The 2nd Law
by Muse [Compact Disc 781.66 Mus]

The 2nd Law was released in October 2012, and the second track "Madness" has been played on the radio consistently ever since. The rest of the album is good, but not nearly as great. The very first track actually quotes a theme from Led Zeppelin's Kashmir, and some of the other songs on the CD sound awfully similar to other bands like U2 and Coldplay. Muse themselves claims influences from Michael Jackson, David Bowie, Skrillex, Queen, and Stevie Wonder. The album makes great use of mixed meter (One of the pieces is in 5/4) and its use of mixed modes (a variant type of scale). "Madness" was on the top of the Billboard Alternative chart for 19 weeks, and was nominated for a Grammy for "Best Rock Song," it clearly dominates the rest of the album. [If you enjoy this, you may also wish to try Muse - Absolution; Muse - The Resistance; The Origin of Symmetry; Black Holes and Revelations.] -- recommended by Jeremiah J. - Bennett Martin Public Library

[ official Muse web site ]

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"The Woman Who (Maybe) Struck Out Babe Ruth and Lou Gehrig" - an article review

"The Woman Who (Maybe) Struck Out Babe Ruth and Lou Gehrig"
by Tony Horwitz in the Jul/Aug 2013 Smithsonian

This was a very interesting article in Smithsonian Magazine (July/August 2013) about how women athletes began competing with men-- sometimes playing on the same teams in semipro baseball leagues. The article is mostly about how Jackie Mitchell struck out both Babe Ruth and Lou Gehrig back-to-back in 1931; and...she was only 17 years old at the time! It also mentions other notable female baseball players, such as Lizzie Arlington - the first woman in baseball's minor leagues. The article describes pitch-by-pitch how Jackie's match-up with Gehrig and Ruth went down, but also muses on the possibility that Gehrig and Ruth might have purposely struck-out to gain publicity for the league. Overall, a very fascinating article. Props to Tony Horwitz at Smithsonian Magazine for researching the story. -- article recommended by Jeremiah J. - Bennett Martin Public Library [ See Jeremiah's reviewer profile | See Jeremiah's reviews on BookGuide ] [If you enjoy this, you may also wish to try A League of Their Own (DVD); Sports Illustrated; ESPN Magazine.]

[ official article link on the Smithsonian's web site ] 

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Beethoven's Hair

Beethoven's Hair
by Russell Martin [Music 780.92 Beethoven]

This was a extremely fascinating read. After Ludwig van Beethoven died, several composers and friends clipped lockets of hair as a keepsake. One of these was student and friend Ferdinand Hiller; the locket of hair stayed in the Hiller family, passed down to his son Paul, but then disappeared at some point in World War II - resurfacing to a family in Denmark, where it was passed down to an adopted daughter who later auctioned it off. In the 1990s the locket was sold to two Americans Alfredo Guevara, Jr. and Ira Brilliant, two Beethoven enthusiasts. However, two questions remain: How did the locket end up in Denmark? And what was Ludwig van Beethoven's ultimate cause of death? A historical odyssey mixed with recent scientific testing reveals some startling clues about Beethoven's health, his life, and his destiny for greatness. [If you enjoy this, you may also wish to try Beethoven: Biography of a Genius by George Marek.] -- recommended by Jeremiah J. - Bennett Martin Public Library

[Also available in downloadable E-book format.]

[ official Beethoven's Hair web site ] | [ official Russell Martin web site ]

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Les Miserables (2012) on DVD

Les Miserables (2012)
[DVD Les]

I was familiar with the background of Les Miserables by Victor Hugo, and I knew the musical version existed, but I had actually never seen the stage version or previous movies of it until this movie; I was pretty impressed. Prisoner Jean Valjean (Hugh Jackman) put in jail for stealing bread for his starving family leaves on parole; when a priest offers the prisoner a second chance, the man makes the most of it, becoming a mayor, but skipping out on his parole -- Javert, an officer who goes by the extreme letter of the law has pursued Jean Valjean for a number of years. Fantine (Anne Hathaway) is removed from a paying job for having an illegitimate daughter, Cosette (Amanda Seyfried). She works the dangerous streets, and sells her hair and some of her teeth to survive. She manages to find a family for Cosette to live, but they don't take very good care of her. Jean Valjean vows to help Cosette as a favor to Fantine, and pays them to take her away from the home. Fast forward several years, Cosette falls in love with Marius, but they can't be together for long because Jean Valjean must escape from Javert yet again. Marius and his revolutionary friends vow to fight against having another emperor of France by creating an uprising. Fast forward again, all of the other revolutionaries have fallen except Marius and the students' small hold-out in a fort made out of furniture. The French military essentially comes in and slaughters them, except for an injured Marius who escapes, barely, only because Jean Valjean drags him through a sewage duct. Marius and Cosette finally can be together... but at what cost. From the opening scene, I knew this was going to be absolutely epic. The size and scale of the movie, the scenery, the music, the production team did an extraordinary job. The singers are exceptional (except Russell Crowe, who clips off every. single. phrase he sings.), and the movie was nominated for a slew of awards, and won 3 Academy awards, including Anne Hathaway for Best Supporting Actress. This is a monumental film coming in at nearly 3 hours long, and don't except an entirely happy ending... its called "the miserables" for a reason. [If you enjoy this, you may also wish to try Les Miserables - Victor Hugo book; Les Miserables (1998 DVD) with Liam Neeson and Uma Thurman.] -- recommended by Jeremiah J. - Bennett Martin Public Library

[Also available in Motion Picture Soundtrack on CD, traditiona print formats.]

[ Internet Movie Database entry for this film ] | [ official Les Miserables web site ] 

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