New Customer Review - Girl vs. Ghost

Girl vs. Ghost
by Kate McMurry and Marie August

Isabel doesn't believe in magic, but her best friend Tripp does. Girl vs. Ghost is part comedy, part romance, and part paranormal. After Tripp inadvertently conjures up a ghost, we discover that Marc doesn't even know that he is one. Moreover, only Isabel can see Marc who is connected to her by a cable. Of course, given how much Isabel and Marc start out by hating one another, the real question isn't whether they will end up together but how they'll overcome their animosity to work together. And work together they must or Marc will forever remain an amnesiac ghost. The paranormal element unsettles me due to my religious beliefs. My main complaint otherwise is one I keep having about many first novels and that is: the writing quality is, not surprisingly, uneven. These concerns aside, the story was refreshingly cute for paranormal fiction, which is often dark. Also, I like that Marc is not a "bad boy," but just an innocent bystander. For those who are open to all aspects of the paranormal line of fiction, Girl vs. Ghost is worth checking out. [Note: Not currently owned by the Lincoln City Libraries -- consider ordering this title through InterLibrary Loan!] -- 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. 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.

Due South

Due South
[DVD Due]

Due South is one of my all-time favorite "buddy cop" shows. Airing new episodes from 1994-96 on CBS and then straight-to-syndication in 1997-98, this was a classic fish-out-of-water story, of Canadian Mountie Benton Fraser (played to perfection by Paul Gross), who ends up coming to Chicago from the Canadian wilderness. There, he gets teamed up with Ray Vecchio (David Marciano), a street-wise Chicago cop from a wacky Italian family. Though the series played the distinct differences between the characters for occasional laughs, their odd friendship grew quite strong, and the stories were frequently very serious police action tales. The supporting cast, including Fraser's pet wolf/dog Diefenbaker, and the ghost of Fraser's father, was terrific, and the series featured noteworthy guest stars in key roles - including Leslie Nielsen. After the two CBS seasons, there was a one-year production hiatus, then a new actor replaced David Marciano as a different "Ray" and the character chemistry shifted accordingly. You definitely want to watch this series from the pilot forwards, due to the growing relationships. Great stuff!

[ Internet Movie Database entry for this film ] | [ Due South episode guide at epguides.com ]

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New reviews appear every month on the Staff Recommendations page of the BookGuide web site. 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.

The Keeper of Lost Causes

The Keeper of Lost Causes
by Jussi Adler-Olsen

Chief Detective Carl Mørck has just returned to duty after a tragic shooting that killed one of his partners and paralyzed the other. Mørck is suffering from survivor's guilt because he could do nothing to save his colleagues. He is depressed and crabby and his co-workers keep their distance. His new assignment is to head Department Q, which is tasked to solve Denmark's coldest cases. Mørck's office is a windowless room in the basement. His superiors hope he will stay out of sight and out of mind. Mørck looks at the hovel that passes for his office. He does a little research and finds that the government has allotted several million kroner to his department. Mørck uses this information to demand an assistant, a car and that his office be painted. He gets Assad, an émigré from the Middle East. The cheerful Assad prods the morose Mørck to take an interest in one of the cases. It is the disappearance of Merete Lynggaard, a beautiful, talented and up-and-coming politician. She disappeared while on a ferry sailing from Denmark to Germany five years ago. Did she commit suicide by jumping overboard? Did she fall accidentally fall overboard? Did she plan her disappearance? Was she abducted? Mørck is appalled by the errors made by the original investigators and digs into old case. This novel is, by turns, humorous, poignant, twisty and engrossing. The book is not to be missed. [If you enjoy this, you may also wish to try the works of Stieg Larson, Anne Holt and Louise Penny.] -- recommended by Donna G. - Virtual Services Department

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

[ official Jussi Adler-Olsen web site ]

See more books like this on our Nordic Noir booklist

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New reviews appear every month on the Staff Recommendations page of the BookGuide web site. 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.

Did you know...? -- November 22nd

For many Americans (and perhaps those of other nationalities, as well) in their late 40s or beyond, November 22nd maintains its dark place in history as the day that United States President John F. Kennedy was assassinated in Dallas, TX in 1963.

You might be surprised to learn how many other well-known individuals in the fields of popular culture have also passed on this day, in various years, throughout history. Here are some highlights:

Authors who died on November 22nd (year in brackets)

• Jack London [1916] -- author of "Call of the Wild"
• Aldous Huxley [1963] -- author of "Brave New World" -- same exact day/year as JFK
  
• C.S. Lewis [1963] -- author of the Narnia series -- same exact day/year as JFK
  
• C.C. Beck [1989] -- prominent mystery author
• Leonard Wibberley [1983] -- author of "The Mouse That Roared"
• Anthony Burgess [1983] -- author of "A Clockwork Orange"

Prominent actors/entertainers/artists who died on November 22nd (year in brackets)

• Scatman Crothers [1986]
• Sterling Holloway [1992]
• Mae West [1980]
• Michael Conrad [1983] -- Hill St. Blues
• Shemp Howard [1955]
• Mark Lenard [1996] -- Sarek in the Star Trek series/movies
• Michael Hutchence [1997] -- INXS lead singer
• Parley Baer [2002]
• Verity Lambert [2007] -- first producer of Doctor Who in 1963
• Dave Cockrum [2006] -- long-time artist on The X-Men

What is it about November 22nd?

Not Afraid of Life: My Journey So Far

Not Afraid of Life: My Journey So Far
by Bristol Palin [Biography Palin]

This was interesting to me. I am not really into politics, this book is about an Alaskan young lady. Bristol told her story including the struggles she faced as an unwed mother, with the support of her loving family, while in the political spotlight. She spoke of many struggles young people face today. She said her faith led her to aspire to find ways to help other young people. [If you enjoy this, you may also wish to try: The Memory Keeper's Daughter-fiction by Kim Edwards; The Help, historical fiction by Kathryn Stockett; Lavender Morning, contemporary romance fiction (1st in Edilean series), by Jude Deveraux; Married to Laughter, a love story featuring Anne Meara, non-fiction by Jerry Stiller.] -- recommended by Kathy H. - Walt Branch Library

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

[ Wikipedia page for Bristol Palin ]

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New reviews appear every month on the Staff Recommendations page of the BookGuide web site. 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.

A new addition to the official Sherlock Holmes canon!

Holmesians and other mystery fans were treated this month to the first new Sherlock Holmes novel that is considered to be part of the official "canon" of Holmes stories, at least as far as the Arthur Conan Doyle estate is concerned.

The House of Silk, by author Anthony Horowitz (creator of the Foyle's War television series, and author of the Alex Rider series of young adult novels, among others), was released on November 1st, 2011. This book marks the very first time -- ever -- that a non-Doyle-written novel has been acknowledged as belonging to the Holmes "canon" -- those stories that are considered truly and completely official by those individuals in charge of the Doyle estate.

This book's release, along with the appearance of other recent new Holmes-related tie-in books, like Kim Newman's The Hound of the D'Urbervilles (a Moriarity-centric story collection), Between the Thames and Tiber: Further Adventures of Sherlock Holmes by Ted Riccardi, and A Study in Sherlock (an anthology edited by Laurie R. King), inspired us to update our extensive Sherlock Holmes booklist on the BookGuide side.

Elementary... has had several additional titles added to it, both current and classic. All titles still owned by the Lincoln City Libraries are hotlinked to the libraries' online catalog. All other titles can be ordered through the InterLibrary Loan service.

All of which leads us to the following questions: If you are a Holmes fan, which of the hundreds of Holmes tie-ins, pastiches or parodies have you enjoyed the most? Which do you think are truest to the original Doyle Holmes stories?

A Fatal Grace

A Fatal Grace
by Louise Penny

Louise Penny's second volume in the increasingly popular Inspector Gamache series is once again set in the small Canadian town of Three Pines, just north of the U.S. border. When a brittle, unpleasant domineering woman is killed by electrocution while attending a curling match on a bitterly cold day, shortly after Christmas, Gamache and his team of Surete investigators is called in from Quebec to investigate. Nobody liked her, nearly everybody had a reason to hate her or even wish her dead; but there's more to the killing than meets the eye. Equal parts cozy and police procedural, the Inspector Gamache mysteries feature colorful casts of well-rounded characters. Gamache, himself, is an immensely likeable man, as are many of the routine denizens of Three Pines (introduced in Still Life). The brutally cold winter described in this volume (it was originally entitled Dead Cold) is well-realized, and the mystery is crafty. Penny has a penchant for revealing all the clues as you're going along, but still often catching you by surprise in the final few pages. A sidebar mystery is dealt with, in part, in this volume, as we begin to peel away the layers of a work-releated crisis that Gamache lived through several years earlier. Excellent, flavorful mystery...I highly recommend it! [If you enjoy this, you may also like the traditional classic mysteries of Agatha Christie.] -- recommended by Scott C. - Bennett Martin Public Library

[ official Louise Penny web site ]

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New reviews appear every month on the Staff Recommendations page of the BookGuide web site. 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.

The Prostitutes' Ball (on CD)

The Prostitute's Ball
by Stephen J. Cannell [Compact Disc Cannell]

Detective Shane Scully and his temporary partner, Sumner (Hitch) Hitchens, are assigned to investigate a shooting on the grounds of an abandoned mansion in the hills above Hollywood. The victims are a renowned producer and two prostitutes. When Scully and Hitchens close the case they are left with a piece of evidence that does not fit. This bit of evidence causes Scully and Hitchens to look at the history of the dilapidated mansion that still has a Christmas tree and gifts in the living room. They learn that a double murder and suicide was committed there twenty-five years before. Scully and Hitch poke around in the old case and find that many things were "swept under the rug" in order to close it. The Prostitute's Ball was published shortly after Stephen Cannell died. The Shane Scully books and The Rockford Files TV series were two of the gifts that Cannell gave the world. [If you enjoy this, you may also wish to try the works of Michael Connelly, Robert Crais and Jonathan Kellerman.] -- recommended by Donna G. - Virtual Services Department

[Also available in print format.]

[ official Prostitutes' Ball page on the official Stephen J. Cannell web site ]

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New reviews appear every month on the Staff Recommendations page of the BookGuide web site. 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.

Freak Nation

Freak Nation
by Kate Stevens [306.1 Ste]

Equal parts fascinating and frustrating, this volume is a guide to over 100 odd or extreme American subcultures. The fascinating parts are some of the factoids that Stevens provides about odd groups, both big and small. Curious to see the basics about such well-known subcultures as Trekkies, Model Railroaders, Survivalists, Deadheads, Conspiracy Theorists, Tea Partiers and Hackers? Look no further -- each entry features information on each group about: "also known as", origins of the culture, "how to recognize", where the culture exists, who the "heroes" or figureheads of the culture are, most distinctive traits, "biggest controversy", "biggest misconception about", buzzwords of the culture, and what the signs are to identify minor fans, major fans and super fans of that culture. The "frustrating" part of this book, for me, is its organization -- it is NOT in alphabetical order, with entries instead being grouped by categories (Collectibles, Fashion, Art, etc.). The book does not feature an index at the back to cross-reference by "group name" or interests. While much of the content is presented non-judgmentally, the author does inject some rather snarky comments hear and there about some of the specific groups. There were also some fairly obviously subcultural groups which were not included, for no obvious reason. Despite my complaints, however, I enjoyed reading this book, picking profiled groups at random, and for readers looking for a relatively light and amusing way to learn about odd subcultures, this is a fun and quick read. -- recommended by Scott C. - Bennett Martin Public Library

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New reviews appear every month on the Staff Recommendations page of the BookGuide web site. 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.

New Customer Reviews - Writing Books for Teens

Customer Allison H.-F. recently submitted several reviews to the Customer Reviews pages of BookGuide, all on the topic of encouraging teens and other youth to write. You can check out her reviews of Write Your Own Story, Writing Mysteries, Movies, Monster Stories and More!, Spilling Ink: A Young Writer's Handbook, What's Your Story, and Writing Magic: Creating Stories That Fly on the 2011 Customer Reviews page.

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New Customer Reviews appear regularly in the pages of the BookGuide web site. 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.

New Customer Review - Rascal

Rascal
by Sterling North [599.744 N81r or j599.744 Nor]

In the first chapter of his fictional memoir, Sterling heads out with his dog Wowser and his best friend Oscar to the woods and across a creek. In the process of digging at a rotten stump, Wowser frightens a mother raccoon. Sterling takes one of the young that she leaves behind. Oscar's mom shows the boys how to feed a raccoon. Thus begins the adventures of a boy and his raccoon. School is out, giving ample time for both to bond. Midway into their adventures, one of Sterling's older sisters comes to visit. She hires a housekeeper, makes home cooked meals, and orders Sterling to remove the canoe from the living room. By the way, raccoons were not the only animal Sterling had brought home. His sister was none too happy to also discover a crow that liked to shout in church and even some skunks. You might think her visit would have changed their life but, soon enough, Sterling's sister returned to her home. Then, Sterling resumes his fairly independent life, which is far from lonely or boring, because of the critters he brings home.

Have you read this one? What did you think? Did you find this review helpful?

New Customer Reviews appear regularly in the pages of the BookGuide web site. 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.

New Booklist on BookGuide - Nordic Noir

Call it "the genre literary movement 'the Girl' gave birth to". Though that's a bit misleading. Writers from Sweden, Norway, Finland and Iceland have been plumbing the psychological depths of killers and cops for quite some time -- notably the writing team of Per Wahloo and Maj Sjowall, who combined for ten books featuring detective Martin Beck from 1965 to 1975. However, the category of crime writing now known as Nordic Noir didn't gain a huge following outside of its European origins until Stieg Larsson's The Girl With the Dragon Tattoo

achieved explosive international fame in 2008, with over 27 million copies sold in 40 different countries.

The elements that contribute to make Nordic Noir a distinctive subgenre of mystery/thriller are as follows: streamlined language, downtrodden, world-weary, troubled and often anti-social heroes, and settings of cool, dark climates with strong anti-political, anti-government social attitudes. Most of these elements are common to the traditional American "noir" novels -- think Dashiell Hammett, Raymond Chandler, James M. Cain, Patricia Highsmith, and Elmore Leonard. However, the one thing that differs in Nordic Noir from traditional American Noir is the somewhat scathing look at the contemporary Scandinavian socio-political world. For an intensely liberal, admired culture that enjoys a strong welfare state, there's a great deal of dissatisfaction and frustration with government, big business and traditional organizations of power and influence, including law enforcement! In addition to Stieg Larsson (who died in 2004) and Henning Mankell (whose deeply-troubled protagonist Kurt Wallander has been successfully interpreted on television by Kenneth Brannagh), some of the key authors in this increasingly popular new literary category are: Arne Dahl, Ake Edwardson, Karin Fossum, Arnaldur Indridason, Lars Kepler, Camilla Lackberg, Jo Nesbo, Hakan Nesser and Helene Tursten, though these just scratch the surface.

Click here to see the full booklist, featuring over 25 authors in this popular mystery/thriller subgenre!

New Customer Review - Emily of New Moon

Emily of New Moon
by Lucy Maud Montgomery [j]

"Do you know that your pa has only a week or two more to live?" These words of Ellen greet Emily upon her return from her glorious walk. When he dies, Ellen still doesn't offer Emily comfort. She informs Emily that her relatives are coming to the house to decide who will raise her. Emily expresses the wish that her relatives will love her. Ellen denies her even this hope, advising Emily that people don't love strange children. The rest of the book is about her life with the relatives who drew the winning straw to take in Emily. Although I love Anne of Green Gables, Emily of New Moon is my favorite creation of Lucy Maud Montgomery. Both girls are imaginative, outspoken, and passionate. Yet unlike Anne, Emily is more introverted with darker moods and less social grace. Perhaps for these reasons, Emily is often rejected for her differences, rather than embraced and loved like Anne. Therefore, I feel more akin to Emily. -- 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. 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.

New Customer Review - Harriet the Spy

Harriet the Spy
by Louise Fitzhugh [j]

One of the more controversial characters in children's literature, Harriet isn't particularly nice. Harriet runs through the house, slams doors, and yells at adults. She is opinionated, recording blunt facts about her neighbors but also ridiculing even her friends in her journals. She's also rude. Once she interrupted a family dinner to scream. Harriet is no more of a role model than Greg Heffly of Diary of a Wimpy Kid fame, but remains as popular and as loved. In the light of mostly absent parents, the most stabilizing forces in Harriet's life are Ole Golly, her friends, and her notebook. In the second half of the book, Harriet's life is turned upside down when she loses those stabilizing forces. The dominant way I identify with Harriet is that she wants to be a writer. Harriet's practice of observing people and keeping notes has inspired many an author, including me. -- review submitted by Allison H.-F. - a patron of the Bennett Martin Public Library

Have you read this one? What did you think? Did you find this review helpful?

New Customer Reviews appear regularly in the pages of the BookGuide web site. 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.