Think of a Number

Think of a Number
by John Verdon

Mark Mellery receives an anonymous note from someone in his past that challenges him to think of a number up to 1000. The writer claims that he knows Mellery so well that he can guess the number. Mellery plays the game and thinks of the number 658. He opens the second envelope to find out the sender's guess. Staring back at him in red ink is the number 658. The note implies that Mellery had wronged this person in the past. Mellery racks his brains trying to recall this person. It must have been someone he knew during his drinking days when he worked on Wall Street. What had he done in alcoholic haze? At his wit's end, Mellery turns to his old college classmate, Dave Gurney. Gurney, a retired NYPD detective, has settled into a comfortable life with his wife in the Catskills and he has little desire to look into these mysterious notes. Instead, he recommends that Mellery contact the local police. Mellery is loath to do so because it will bring unwanted publicity to himself and his retreat for the wealthy, the Institute for Spiritual Renewal. Gurney reluctantly agrees to look into matter. This suspenseful, well-plotted debut novel leads the reader down twisted roads to a killer bent on revenge. [If you enjoy this, you may also wish to try the Alex McKnight series by Steve Hamilton and the Inspector Gamache series by Louise Penny.] -- recommended by Donna G. - Virtual Services Department

[Also available in downloadable E-book format.]

[ Publisher's official website for both John Verdon and this book ]

Have you read 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 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 Review - Libby on Wednesday

Libby on Wednesday
by Zilpha Keatley Snyder [j Snyder]

Libby McCall has been home schooled. Now, at eleven, Libby is in public school for the first time because her mother thinks she needs to be "socialized". Being precocious, Libby is placed in eighth grade, a grade where even so-called normal students are often subject to ridicule. When she wins the prize of a weekly writing workshop with four other students, rather than risk more ridicule, Libby announces to her family: "I've decided to quit school." Her family denies her request and so Libby attends her first workshop where she learns that participants will critique each other's stories. I loved reading a full-length novel about a serious aspiring writer in the school environment. Moreover, I appreciated how each of the participants brought their own baggage to the table and ultimately needed to work through it as part of the writing process. -- review submitted by Allison H.-F. - a customer 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.

If You Ask Me (and Of Course You Won't) (on CD)

If You Ask Me (and Of Course You Won't...)
by Betty White [Compact Disc Biography White]

Betty White reads her own book to you on this book-on-CD. I enjoyed this light memoir as she discusses a few favorite topics. She doesn't dwell long on each topic but mentions her latest projects, working with Sandra Bullock, Jennifer Love Hewitt, Sigourney Weaver, the Hot in Cleveland TV show and her co-stars, reminiscences about her husband, some of her early work, and of course stories of her animals. Only two hours on CD. -- recommended by Charlotte K. - Bennett Martin Public Library

[Also available in downloadable audio and print formats.]

[ Betty White on Wikipedia ] | [ publisher's official If You Ask Me (and Of Course You Won't) web site ]

Have you read 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 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 "If You Like" list -- The Twilight Saga

We've put together a new "If You Like..." booklist, for fans of Stephanie Meyer's bestselling Twilight series. Featuring angsty teens, vampires, werewolves and relationship issues, Meyer's four-part saga has been one of the most popular series in Young Adult literature for the past 10 years.

The books have also been turned into four feature films, with a fifth scheduled to conclude the saga in 2012.

The new booklist -- If You Like "The Twilight Saga"... -- is now available on the BookGuide web site on the Author Readalikes page.

The Larry McMurtry biographies

Books | Literary Life | Hollywood
by Larry McMurtry [Biography McMurtry]

This trio of slim autobiographies was an unexpected delight. I haven't read any other titles than these from McMurtry's large output but I am a big fan of the Lonesome Dove TV installments and am familiar with the film of Terms of Endearment, primarily because part of it was made here in Lincoln. Whether you are a McMurtry devotee or not, these memoirs are very engaging on a cerebral, social, and cultural level. The chapters are short, sometimes carrying a similar thread throughout several, and give the sense that you are confabbing with Larry one on one -- whether it's talking about his childhood and a pivotal box of books given to him by an uncle or describing the M.O. of a persistent impersonator. Reading all three installments creates a fascinating yet down-homey portrait of this multi-faceted man of letters, bibliophile, and accidental screenwriter. His fond recollections of friends have charm and poignancy and his no-nonsense observations about acquaintances and events confirm his "outsider" status. The first volume is probably the 'dryest' but all three contain adroit and concise anecdotes about the people he's known and the things he's done and seen, from glimpsing Paul Newman only from afar when he visited the set of the first movie (Hud) made from one his novels (Horseman, Pass By), to owning rare-books stores in Washington DC and Texas, to winning a Pulitzer Prize and an Oscar. -- all recommended by Becky W. C. - Walt Branch Library

[ Larry McMurtry on Wikipedia ]
Have you read 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 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.

Buck

Buck
[DVD 636.1 Buc]

Buck is not your typical big screen western cowboy movie, because unlike John Wayne and Clint Eastwood, Buck is the real thing. Buck is a documentary about the life of horseman cowboy Buck Brannaman. Brannaman is a leader in natural horsemanship and spends much of the year touring the country teaching horse clinics. Brannaman's personal story begins with a troubled childhood. Growing up he was a child rodeo star with an abusive father. As an adult he channeled his difficult past into a passion for teaching away the abusive training methods common in horse breaking and training. His empathy and understanding of the unique relationship between humans and animals is expressed in his gentle teaching style and methodology. The documentary weaves Buck's personal story with his philosophy of horsemanship. Buck is soft spoken, but articulate and straight to the point thus leading to some humorous and blunt moments throughout the film. Buck's many students play an important role in the documentary as well. An interview with Robert Redford credits Buck with much of the inspiration for the 1998 movie Horse Whisperer. Redford divulges quite a bit of interesting background information on Buck's contributions to the film's production (including the use of Buck's personal horse in the movie). Documentary enthusiasts will be pleasantly surprised by Meehl's style, which captures Buck's personal story through archival footage, and small subtle details. Keep watch for a small funny moment that allows Buck's personality to shine through in a diner, where he consumes many meals on the road. Those who are horse owners and western fans might appreciate a high quality genre documentary, which captures the spirit of the west. Everybody can expect to learn a thing or two about leadership, compassion and respect too. Buck is a must see uplifting documentary. [If you like this, you may also enjoy Black Beauty by Anna Sewell (Book & DVD), and War Horse by Michael Morpurgo j Morpurgo/YA PB Morpurgo.] -- recommended by Glory B. - Bennett Martin Public Library

[ Internet Movie Database entry for this film ] | [ official Buck web site ]
Have you seen 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 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.

Death Comes to Pemberley

Death Comes to Pemberley
by P.D. James

As a fan of both Jane Austen and P.D. James, I felt compelled to read the latest attempt to provide a sequel to Jane Austen's "Pride and Prejudice." Acclaimed mystery writer P.D. James provides an interesting follow-up story using the death of one of Jane Austen's characters as the basis for this mystery. Although James does an excellent job of writing in the style of Austen, she changes the character of Mr. Darcy enough that it does not seem like a sequel at all; it just seems like one of many attempts to pick up where Jane Austen left off following the marriage of Elizabeth Bennett and Fitzwilliam Darcy. Regardless, this is a fun read and I highly recommend it to anyone who enjoys good, clean mysteries. [If you enjoy this, you may also wish to try Pride and Prejudice by Jane Austen, The Moonstone by Wilkie Collins and P.D. James, A Mind to Murder by P.D. James.] -- recommended by Kim J. - Bennett Martin Public Library

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

[ official P.D. James / Death Comes to Pemberley web site ]

Have you read 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 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.

Let's Be Reasonable

Let's Be Reasonable
by Joel Sartore [814 Sar]

Native Lincolnite and renowned National Geographic photographer/essayist Joel Sartore's latest book combines his two great creative loves -- interesting photography and thought-provoking commentary. In this spare collection, he pairs iconic and/or quirky images, shot in many different locales (although quite a few of them are from right here in Nebraska), with truly thoughtful essays, both short and long. The images and words are indelibly entertwined, and the topics run the gamut from environmentalism, to commercialism to the issues of families and traditions. Though a fairly quick and easy read, I did end up finding myself thinking more strongly about many of the issues Sartore brings up. Ultimately, though, I enjoyed this book for his beautifully captured images. Recommended for fans of photography, and thoughtful prose, especially if you're from Nebraska! [If you enjoy this, you may also wish to try Sartore's Rare: Portraits of America's Endangered Species.] -- recommended by Scott C. - Bennett Martin Public Library


[ official Joel Sartore web site ]

Have you read 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 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.

How the West Was Won (on compact disc)

How the West Was Won (on compact disc)
by Louis L'Amour

L'Amour's version is based upon the screenplay for the movie How the West was Won which in turn was based upon a series in "Life" magazine (seven consecutive issues beginning April 6, 1959; available at Bennett Martin library). This story follows one family through several decades of Westward expansion in the 1800's including the Gold Rush, the Civil War, and the building of the railroads. In this case, I recommend you view the movie first. While listening to the cds I kept envisioning the movie actors and could easily follow the tale. This version differs slightly from the movie but remember this was based on the screenplay and screenplays are frequently altered during filming. More in-depth with some characters than the movie, and a very enjoyable story. -- recommended by Charlotte K. - Bennett Martin Public Library

[Also available in Print and DVD formats.]

[ official Louis L'Amour web site ]

Have you 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 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.

Murder in C Major

Murder in C Major
by Sara Hoskinson Frommer

Joan Spencer grew up in Oliver, Indiana. After her husband dies suddenly, she and her teenage son, Andrew, move back to her hometown to pick up the pieces of their shattered lives. Oliver has grown into a busy college town and Joan finds a few familiar faces and revives an old friendship. She lands a job as director of the senior center and she joins the Oliver Civic Symphony where she plays viola. Rehearsals go well until the obnoxious first oboist, George Petris, collapses during the big oboe solo in the Schubert. He is rushed to the hospital where he dies. Violinist, Yoichi Nakamura, is the first person to suggest that George's death may not have been natural because it reminds Yoichi of his uncle's death in Japan from fugu poisoning. An autopsy confirms that he was poisoned. Lieutenant Fred Lundquist determines that the deadly puffer fish may not be the only source of this poison. And he turns to Joan for guidance in the musical world. Frommer weaves her love of classical music into this well-crafted debut novel. [If you enjoy this, you may also wish to try the Benni Harper series by Earlene Fowler, the China Bayles series by Susan Wittig Albert and the Deborah Knott series by Margaret Maron.] -- recommended by Donna G. - Virtual Services Department

Have you read 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 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.

Support Your Local Sheriff

Support Your Local Sheriff
[DVD Support]

This movie was a fabulous combination of the perfect cast, a witty and sarcastic script, and an era in which the traditional, staid, heroic western was ripe for satirisation. Garner's wise-ass persona, exemplified in his role of Bret Maverick, pokes perfect fun at the overly heroic "white hat" stars of tradtional westerns. His Jason McCullough is looking for a quick buck while making his way to Australia, and stumbles across a temporary position as Sheriff of a small gold-rush town. He sobers up the town drunk, Jack Elam, to become his deputy, and goes up against the powerful Danby family in a hilarious showdown on main street. There's also an unwanted romance with Mayor's daughter, and the complication that McCullough doesn't really like to work very much at all. It's all goofy fun, with an extremely wry sense of humor. Elam's particularly funny in one of his first major film roles! [There was a follow-up film, Support Your Local Gunslinger, which was entertaining but not quite as good as this film. Of course, Garner fans should see Maverick and The Rockford Files.] -- recommended by Scott C. - Bennett Martin Public Library

[ Internet Movie Database entry for this film ]

Have you seen 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 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 Garner Files

The Garner Files
by James Garner

James Garner has always been one of my absolute most-favorite television actors. Though I was born a little too late to have enjoyed him in Maverick, I consider The Rockford Files to be, perhaps, one of the most perfectly-constructed television series ever made. And James Garner deserves the lion's share of the credit for that. He puts out the impression of gruffness or, as he mentions in his biography, "crochetyness", but underneath it, he's got a warm personality. His autobiography is definitely written in his voice -- he shares anecdotes, both positive and negative, from throughout his career. He's blunt but honest about the people whom he has issues with, but cordial and sentimental about the creative types whom he respects. He spends about equal time on his TV and movie careers, but also a large amount of the book covers his personal life outside of the show-biz trappings -- his hard-scrabble youth, his love of both golf and racing cars, and the issues of growing older. I very much enjoyed this book, and recommend it highly to anyone who's a fan of Garner's extensive body of work on screen. [If you enjoy this, you may also wish to try This is Jim Rockford..., Maverick on DVD, The Rockford Files on DVD, James Garner's feature films, particularly The Great Escape, Murphy's Romance, My Name is Bill W., Support Your Local Sheriff, and so many others...] -- recommended by Scott C. - Bennett Martin Public Library


[ James Garner page on Wikipedia ] | [ official Internet Movie Database page for Garner ]

Have you read 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 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.

Lake Eden Cookbook

Lake Eden Cookbook
by Joanne Fluke [641.5 Flu]

Christmas is near and Delores Swenson is holding her 4th Annual Cookie Exchange luncheon and we?re invited. Hannah is catering the lunch and she has thoughtfully provided a binder of her recipes for each guest. There are no photos in this cookbook. Instead, it has the feel of a real community cookbook. The kind put out by church groups where everyone contributes a recipe or two with notes and serving suggestions. The recipes range from appetizers to soups and main dishes to the cookies that Hannah serves at The Cookie Jar. Fix yourself Hannah's Razzle Dazzle Champagne Cocktail and snuggle into a comfortable chair and enjoy the cookbook. This is a well-done series tie-in book and a delight for culinary mystery fans. [If you enjoy this, you may also wish to try Debbie Macomber's Christmas Cookbook and the Coffeehouse mystery series by Cleo Coyle.] -- recommended by Donna G. - Virtual Services Department


[ official Joanne Fluke web site ]

Have you read 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 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 Booklist - If You Like...The Help

Carrie K., of the Bennett Martin Public Library downtown, has put together a new "If You Like..." booklist, for fans of the 2009 bestseller The Help, by Kathryn Stockett. Set during the civil rights era of the 1960s and dealing with issues of race relations and domestic help, the novel is touching, comical and full of wry observations on human relationships.

It was also turned into a feature film in 2011, which is being mentioned as a possible Oscar contender.

Carrie's booklist -- If You Like "The Help"... -- is now available on the BookGuide web site on the Author Readalikes page.

Feynman

Feynman
by Jim Ottavanian [Biography Feynman]

This is a fascinating, and very readable biography of one of the most interesting and influential minds of the 20th century. Richard Feynman (1918-1988) was one of the foremost theoretical physicists in scentific history. His story is told here, in graphic-novel semi-autobiographical format. The art, while occasionally sketchy and off-putting, never-the-less captures Feynman's spirit (as evident in Feynman's own words), and serves as an extremely simplified introduction to numerous concepts in advanced physics. I was only vaguely aware of Feynman's contributions to world of science, but through this intriguing telling of his life's story, I'm curious enough now to want to track down some of the more traditional books that both he and his biographers have published over the years. Congrats -- job well done, Mr. Ottaviani! -- recommended by Scott C. - Bennett Martin Public Library


[ publisher's official Feynman web site ] | [ official Publishing site of Jim Ottaviani ]

Have you read 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 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 Review - Every Cloud Has a Silver Lining

Every Cloud Has a Silver Lining
by Anne Mazer [j Mazer]

Abbey Haye's family is super talented. In the introductory book of the series, Every Cloud Has a Silver Lining, Abbey wishes to be like anyone else in her family. Then Abbey's fifth-grade teacher announces that this year their grade will have a special creative writing workshop every week. As part of this special writing class, Abbey receives a notebook in which she can write whatever she wants. Soon after Abbey receives that notebook, she gets so caught up with writing in it that her teacher has to reprimand her: "Put the notebook away. We're going to begin our math quiz." Yet Abbey continues to believe that she needs to become a sports star for her to be a "super member" of the Hayes family and so she diets, trains, and works out. I'm not sure why she latches specifically onto sports, but ultimately Every Cloud Has a Silver Lining is a light-hearted story about a girl who struggles to find her talent in all the wrong places. -- review submitted by Allison H.-F. - a customer 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.

New Booktalk Booklist - Kim's Kart 2011

Kim S., supervisor of the Anderson and Bethany Branch Libraries, presented an all-new booktalk at the Bethany Branch BooksTalk session on December 2, 2011, talking about a mixture of fiction and non-fiction titles that appealed to her recently.

The booklist from her booktalk -- Kim's Kart 2011 -- is now available on the BookGuide web site on the Booktalk Booklists page. Click the preceeding link to see the master index, or click the link for her booktalk title to see just that specific booklist!

And don't forget -- although they are on hiatus right now, the Gere BooksTalk and Bethany BooksTalk winter/spring sessions will be starting up again shortly -- starting in early January, we encourage you to stop by Bethany on Friday mornings at 10:30 and Gere on Monday afternoons at 2:30 to hear presentations about great books for you to read!

New Customer Review - My Antonia

My Antonia
by Willa Cather [Cather]

The introduction of My Antonia is contrived. For another thing, because My Antonia is often about everyone but Jim, for awhile I wasn't sure who I should care about. Moreover,Cather's style initially felt like descriptive treatises. Eventually though, Cather reeled me in with her complex portrait of the folks of Black Hawk. Not only does each different culture have its share of drunks, partiers, rapists, murderers, and, oh, also good people, but they're expertly intertwined. These lines written by Jim, about the weather, accurately summarize the feel of My Antonia: "This is reality, whether you like it or not. All those frivolities of summer, the light and the shadow, the living mask of green that trembled over everything, they were lies. This is what was underneath. This is the truth." -- review submitted by Allison H.-F. - a customer 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.