DVD Review: Dark Winds (Season One)

Dark Winds (Season One)
(DVD Dark)

I am a fan of the Longmire television series and am especially impressed with the Native American actors in the film version of the Longmire books by author Craig Johnson. One of the standouts in Longmire is actor Zahn McClarnon who portrays Officer Mathias on the Reservation in mythical Absaroka County. Recently I discovered that McClarnon is currently starring in the series Dark Winds as Lt. Joe Leaphorn in Navajo Nation, New Mexico. The series is based on the Leaphorn, Chee & Manuelito novels by acclaimed author Tony Hillerman (and continued by Tony’s daughter Anne Hillerman following Tony’s death), and produced by author George R.R. Martin and Robert Redford. The mysteries are top-notch and incorporate history, Navajo customs and language, and superb acting from the Native American actors and extras. Shot on location in New Mexico, this is one of the most powerful series I have seen in recent years.

 

Season One looks at events that occurred in 1971 involving conspiracies, murder and cover-ups with the FBI and the Buffalo Society. McClarnon gives an incredibly emotional performance as Joe Leaphorn who is determined to solve the cases of the murders of Navajo people at all costs. I am looking forward to seeing Season Two soon. Nebraskans should be very proud of actor Zahn McClarnon who spent part of his youth in Omaha, graduating from Omaha Central High School. Be sure to watch the bonus film on the making of this series which is included on the second disc.

 

(If you enjoy this, you may also wish to try Longmire. Also, Season Two of Dark Winds is now out on DVD as well. A third season is in pre-production, for airing in late 2024 or 2025.)

 

(Also available in traditional print format from authors Tony Hillerman and then Anne Hillerman.)

 

( Internet Movie Database entry for this film )

 

Recommended by Kim J.
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!

DVD/TV review: Annika - Season 1

Annika – Season 1
(DVD Annika)

In January, I reviewed Season Two of this wonderful detective series while waiting for Season One to come in. The first episode begins with the words “Call Me Annika” which brings to mind the opening words of Herman Melville’s Moby Dick: “Call me Ishmael.” Each episode of the series begins with Detective Annika Strandhed talking about a classic work of literature and how it relates to the current case she is trying to solve. Each episode builds on the previous one with Annika confiding to the audience her worries and fears regarding the relationships in her life. Set in beautiful Scotland, we get to enjoy breathtaking views of the sea, lochs and rivers that Annika and her team work in as the Marine Homicide Unit of Scotland’s police force. Be sure to watch season one before starting season two — episode six is especially good in terms of dramatic tension and a major plot development in the final scene. I highly recommend this series.

 

(If you enjoy this, you may also wish to try Shetland, or Prime Suspect.)

 

( Internet Movie Database entry for this series )

 

See Kim J’s review of season two of Annika in the February 2024 Staff Recommendations here on BookGuide!

 

Recommended by Kim J.
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!

DVD/TV Review: Endeavour complete series

Endeavour series
(DVD Endeavour)

From my first review of Endeavour when it started nine seasons ago: Endeavour follows the early years of policeman-in-training Endeavour Morse as he learns the ins and outs of police work with Investigator Fred Thursday in 1960s Oxford, England. As a fan of the Inspector Morse series with veteran actor John Thaw, I was curious to see how this series would hold up as a “prequel.”

 

Now the final season is over, I decided to go back and watch all of the seasons again from the beginning. One of the things that I liked most about this series is the superb writing and the attention to detail, tying together elements from the original Inspector Morse series and from the books by Colin Dexter. Endeavour Morse, always known as “Morse” to everyone, is a young Oxford-educated young man with a fondness for doing crosswords and solving mysteries, which is why he decided to try his hand at detective work. His knowledge of classical music, opera, Latin, and the classics gives him an edge over the other street-smarts cops that he works with in his division. The acting in this series is superb, with excellent acting by Roger Allam as Chief Inspector Fred Thursday, Anton Lesser as Superintendent Reginald Bright, James Bradshaw as Dr. Max DeBryn and of course, Sean Evans as Morse. One of the things that I would like to recommend is in the bonus features in Series Nine: a documentary about the making of this series and its previous series, Inspector Morse and Inspector Lewis. Do watch all of the bonus features as you will learn much more about the making of these marvelous productions. I have to admit that I am sad that this is done now, but the producers did a wonderful job of bringing the stories together.

 

(If you enjoy this, you may also wish to try the original series, Inspector Morse.)

 

(Also available: many of the Inspector Morse novels by Colin Dexter.)

 

( Internet Movie Database entry for this series )

 

See Kim J.’s original review of Endeavour, in the November 2014 Staff Recommendations here on BookGuide!

 

Recommended by Kim J.
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!

DVD Review: Station Eleven (based on the novel by Emily St. John Mandel)

Station Eleven
TV mini-series based on the novel by Emily St. John Mandel (DVD Station)

One of my daughter’s favorite books is Station Eleven by Emily St. John Mandel, a book about what happens when the swine flu Pandemic kills off most of the population. Mind you, this book was published in 2014, years before COVID. Because of the focus on trying to keep culture alive, specifically theater, music and literature, I decided to give the new mini-series a try. The mini-series, Station Eleven, is based on the internationally acclaimed novel but with many changes in characters and plot. Even so, the series holds the same basic idea: survivors of the Pandemic must attempt to rebuild their world while keeping hold of the best of their culture: Shakespeare plays, music performance, and literature. A group of survivors bands together, calling themselves the Traveling Symphony, performing plays on their established route around Lake Michigan. Small groups of survivors who have formed new communities such as the one at the Severn Airport in Michigan invite the players to come perform for them. This happens 20 years after the Pandemic, bringing together all of the storylines and resolving them in one climactic performance. Much of the series revolves around a graphic novel that was created by one of the characters. Referred to as “the prophecy,” all of the main characters have some tie to this novel — only a few copies exist, but the impact of the story affects many people over the course of these twenty years.

 

I have to say that I really enjoyed the post-Pandemic story and how connected all of these characters were to the mission to save the best of humanity. However, the DVD set had no rating. I would view this with caution due to Language; Graphic Violence; Adult Situations; and Themes.

 

(If you enjoy this, you may also wish to try The Road by Cormac McCarthy, and the film adaptation of that, The Road starring Viggo Mortensen.)

 

(Also available in traditional print format.)

 

( Internet Movie Database entry for this 10-episode mini-series )

 

Recommended by Kim J.
Bennett Martin Public Library — Public Service

 

Have you watched (or 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 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 Oxygen Farmer by Colin Holmes

The Oxygen Farmer
by Colin Holmes (Holmes)

This is a new science fiction title by author Colin Holmes, author of the book Thunder Road, his debut novel. I was intrigued by the cover of this book when it arrived at the library, so I decided to give it a chance. The story is set in the future and mainly takes place on the moon where our main character works and lives. Farmer Millenium (Mil) Harrison produces oxygen which is used by anyone living on the moon or just visiting. Most of his life’s work has been to produce and store oxygen to prepare for Earth’s first mission to Mars. Early on in the story, Mil accidentally falls into an area that has restricted access and discovers a hidden facility that had been buried on the moon before Mil ever came there over 35 years ago. When Mil starts asking questions, attempts are made on his life as well as the lives of anyone he has shared this information with. This government conspiracy goes back to the days of the Reagan administration in the United States and it is possible that the Russians are involved too. So who can he trust? Certainly not the head of the Space Agency, who just happens to be his estranged daughter. This is an excellent book which I expect someone to make into a movie. Think of this book as a cross between The X-Files and The Martian with a little bit of Star Wars thrown in for good measure. I highly recommend this book.

 

(If you enjoy this, you may also wish to try The Martian by Andy Weir, the film adapation The Martian starring Matt Damon or the TV series The X-Files by Chris Carter.)

 

( official Colin Holmes web site )

 

Recommended by Kim J.
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: A Christmas Story Christmas

A Christmas Story Christmas
(DVD Christmas)

The first time I saw the 1983 movie A Christmas Story, I was expecting something completely different. Instead of a heart-warming, sentimental story about a family’s Christmas in the 1950s, this hilarious film looks at Christmas through the eyes of a child who sees everything going wrong for him. A Christmas Story became one of my favorite Christmas movies to watch during the holiday season.

 

I was excited to find that a new movie was produced recently looking at the characters from that original production nearly 30 years later. In A Christmas Story Christmas: Ralphie Comes Home, Peter Billingsley stars again as Ralphie Parker, looking at Christmas through the eyes of the Dad who is responsible for making sure everything turns out just right for his own young family as they celebrate Christmas with his Mom in his childhood home. Unfortunately, Ralphie has to deal with the loss of his own father and his inability to secure a publisher for his book that he has written while trying to make this a memorable occasion for his kids.

 

This excellent movie is filled with the same kind of imaginary scenes that made the original film the classic it became. We see all of the actors who played important roles in the original return for cameos as their adult characters. We see the same department store and its “visit Santa and his elves” but with the twist that its Ralphie’s kids waiting in the long line this time. The filming is well done, re-creating the look from the original set but fast-forwarded to the year 1973. We don’t have Darren McGavin as Old Man Parker (the actor passed away in 2006) but his photo is everywhere and there are clips from the original production as Ralphie remembers things his Dad did. We also don’t have actress Melinda Dillon (Mother Parker); she passed away shortly after this new film was released. Otherwise, the film does have the same feel as its predecessor.

 

A Christmas Story Christmas was co-produced by Jean Shepherd’s two adult children, Randall and Adrian Shepherd. One thing that I loved was the scene where Ralphie goes to visit his friend Flick in the neighborhood bar, Flick’s Tavern. The camera pans to a spot on the wall with a sign that says “In God We Trust; All Others Pay Cash.” This, of course, is the name of the book by Jean Shepherd that the original film was based on. I thought it was a nice touch to include that. The story was based on the author’s memories of growing up in the Hessville neighborhood of Hammond, Indiana.

 

I recommend this movie for anyone who is a fan of the original story.

 

(If you enjoy this, you may also wish to try the original A Christmas Story.)

 

( Internet Movie Database entry for this 2022 film )

 

Recommended by Kim J.
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!

DVD Review: Kindness Matters

Kindness Matters
(DVD Kindness)

I am one of those people who find it hard to resist movies with pictures of adorable dogs on them; you would think that I would have learned my lesson from last year’s A Christmas Doodle DVD which still holds the record for lowest rating from this reviewer. Anyway, the blurb on the cover made this one sound appealing: A boy named Lincoln is bullied for the way he talks; a lonely man rescues a puppy who transforms his life; an inspiring story illustrates how kindness can make a difference. First off, I will say that this film, unlike A Christmas Doodle, seemed to have a plot and the filming was actually good. There was enough conflict to hold my interest and I enjoyed the separate storylines that showed the impact that the stray dog had on two families. On the other hand, there were aspects of the story which I found unbelievable. The sudden romance between the man who rescues the dog and a former classmate he just happens to run into out in the desert; the nanny who decides to give up going back to England and shows up at Lincoln’s house (in the nick of time); and several other things which just irritated me. It is still worth watching, but will not be a contender for anyone’s best-of-the-year lists.

 

(If you enjoy this, you may also wish to try A Christmas Doodle, or A Dog’s Way Home.)

 

( Internet Movie Database entry for this film )

 

See Kim J’s review of the movie The Christmas Doodle (referenced in this month’s review) in the January 2022 Staff Recommendations here on BookGuide!

 

Recommended by Kim J.
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!

Book Review: The Cookie That Changed My Life and More Than 100 Other Classic Cakes, Cookies, Muffins by Nancy Silverton

The Cookie That Changed My Life and More Than 100 Other Classic Cakes, Cookies, Muffins
by Nancy Silverton (641.865 Sil)

I am one of those people who cannot pass up a good cookbook with a catchy title or excellent photo on the cover when I look at the New Book Display. I checked out this one because I wanted to see what recipes renowned chef Nancy Silverton picked out as “classic” recipes but with her own touch on each of them. The cookbook is an excellent assortment of dessert recipes with step-by-step instructions as well as detailed information about the ingredients you should buy and the equipment you should use in baking each recipe. What I enjoyed most about the book is the commentary provided by Ms. Silverton describing what she was looking for in the recipe to create “perfection.” In some cases, she took a recipe by some other famous cook and made it her own by adding different ingredients (this is the case with the cookie that changed her life — a simple recipe for peanut butter cookies that she improved upon by adding a peanut butter topping and roasted Spanish peanuts). Nearly every recipe includes a large glossy photo of the finished product — something that I especially look for in cookbooks. This is an excellent book for browsing or for adding to your collection, especially for those new to cooking desserts. I highly recommend this.

 

(If you enjoy this, you may also wish to try The Cake Bible by Rose Levy Beranbaum.)

 

( Nancy Silverton entry on Wikipedia )

 

Recommended by Kim J.
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: Annika - Season Two

Annika: Season Two
(DVD Annika)

I had heard about this mystery series and decided to sample it on PBS online. Like Shetland, this investigative team attempts to solve unexplained murders in Scotland; but instead of being set in the Shetland Islands, this Marine Homicide Unit focuses on murders that take place in bodies of waters surrounding Scotland and its islands. What is different about this series is the head Investigating Detective is a single mother, Annika, who is placed with a team that includes an old boyfriend of hers. More time is spent giving the viewer background information on each of the members of the team than in providing detail about the murdered victim, but it seems to work well.

 

The two things that I like best about this series are its use of a famous literary work as the framing story for each episode and the technique of having the main character address the audience with personal thoughts and feelings, such as what one would experience watching a Shakespeare play with the main character giving you background information that other characters are not able to hear. The main detective is humorous, intelligent and complex. You soon discover that parenting is difficult for her, partly because she did not have a good relationship with her own parents, who live in Norway. I recommend this series but it is important to watch Season One before starting on this set.

 

(If you enjoy this, you may also wish to try Shetland.)

 

( Internet Movie Database entry for this series ) | ( BBC’s official Annika web page )

 

Recommended by Kim J.
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!

Book Review: Just Jerry - How Drawing Shaped My Life - A Memoir

Just Jerry: How Drawing Shaped My Life: A Memoir
by Jerry Pinkney (j Biography Pinkney)

I learned about this book at a Library Conference that I attended recently. As a fan of Jerry Pinkney’s illustrations for many years, I was thrilled to hear that a biography of the award-winning author had been published just this year. The book was written to encourage young people to fulfill their dreams in spite of obstacles that stand in their way. For Jerry, those obstacles included dyslexia, which had not even been named as a condition when he was young, and being Black, at a time when schools were still segregated and opportunities for a young Black youth far and few between. Jerry describes in great detail the difficulties he had in school until he gets the opportunity to express himself through his art with the encouragement of his teacher. Once Jerry decides on a career in art, he fought racism to be able to win a scholarship to art school beyond high school and began a career which demonstrated his talents over many decades. This was a wonderful true story of one boy’s dream to become an artist and all the people who believed in him and helped him to make his dreams come true. I really enjoyed the art and the story of his life; I highly recommend this book.

 

(If you enjoy this, you may also wish to try The Art of Beatrix Potter by Beatrix Potter.)

 

( official Jerry Pinkney web site )

 

Recommended by Kim J.
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: Star Trek: Picard - Season Three

Star Trek Picard: Season Three
(DVD Star)

I am a lifetime fan of Star Trek and have watched every spinoff over the years. Star Trek: The Next Generation was by far my favorite because of the exceptional cast, especially Patrick Stewart as Captain Jean-Luc Picard. I was thrilled when it was announced that Picard was coming out as a separate series and waited anxiously for the first season to debut. I was not prepared for the big changes in style for the new series and found many of the characters to be extremely unlikeable. Still, I stuck with the series for two seasons but did not continue to watch it because of how unhappy I was with the writing. Imagine my surprise when I discovered that the final season of Picard involves most of the crew of the Enterprise from Next Generation in their final mission together. The writing in this series was superb and the acting even better, especially the villain, Vadic, played marvelously by Amanda Plummer, daughter of the late Christopher Plummer, who also played a wonderful villain (Chang) in Star Trek: The Undiscovered Country. All of the extras in this multi-disc set are well worth watching, especially the documentaries. If you are a fan of Next Generation at all, you have got to watch this series.

 

(If you enjoy this, you may also wish to try Classic Star Trek, Star Trek the Next Generation or Star Trek Discovery)

 

( Internet Movie Database entry for this series ) | ( official Star Trek: Picard web site )

 

Read Scott C.’s review of the first season of Star Trek: Picard, in the December 2020 Staff Recommendations here on BookGuide!

 

Recommended by Kim J.
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!

Book Review: 1964: Eyes of the Storm by Paul McCartney

1964: Eyes of the Storm
by Paul McCartney (Music 781.66 McCartney)

For anyone with an interest in the Beatles or the photography of Paul McCartney, this very large book of photos taken in 1964 shows the response to the Beatles in their first tour to Paris and America as seen through the lens of Paul McCartney’s camera. The social commentary along with the excellent photos make this a fascinating book to read. I was especially struck by the comments made by Paul as he describes seeing a gun and bullets on a police officer for the first time in his life on his visit to America. Violence was always an unspoken fear during their tour, especially in this period of civil unrest following John F. Kennedy’s assassination. I found many similarities between the social upheaval in the early 1960s with current events in the world now. I highly recommend this book.

 

(If you enjoy this, you may also wish to try The Lyrics: 1956 to the Present (volumes I and II) also by Paul McCartney.)

 

( official 1964: Eyes of the Storm page on the official Paul McCartney web site )

 

Recommended by Kim J.
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!

Book Review: The Mystery of Edwin Drood by Charles Dickens; plus final Just Desserts meeting of 2023 is tonight!

The Mystery of Edwin Drood
by Charles Dickens (Dickens)

I have read nearly every book written by English author Charles Dickens, so I decided to make it a goal to read the few books by Dickens that I have not read in the coming year. I decided to start with Dickens’ last work, The Mystery of Edwin Drood, which was unfinished at the time of Dickens’ death at age 58 following a stroke. From the beginning of the book, it is apparent that this story is unlike anything else that Dickens has created due to its initial setting in an opium den with one of the main characters delirious from the effects of smoking opium from a pipe. Of all the books I have read, this novel is one of the darkest that I have read. Dickens spends more time with descriptive passages demonstrating the differences between dark and light, evil and good, and characters who demonstrate all of these. The main plot seems to be built around a beautiful young orphan who is engaged to be married to a childhood friend, Edwin Drood, an undeserving young man who doesn’t seem to know what he wants out of life. Both young people have guardians who have worked to prepare the couple for their upcoming marriage without checking to see if this is what they really want. There are several characters who seem to be in love with the young lady, named Rosa, who would gladly be willing to take Drood’s place. Conflict arises when the couple break off the engagement and young Drood goes missing. It appears that Edwin has either left the country or has been murdered by one of his rivals. Unfortunately, we will never know the outcome of this mystery since Dickens suffered a stroke and died while writing this book. I would venture to say that it is just as well that the book was not completed. The dark imagery, violence, drug abuse and racism that fill this book make this one of Dickens’ most complicated stories, and definitely not one of his best.

 

(If you enjoy this, you may also wish to try Bleak House, David Copperfield or A Tale of Two Cities , all also by Charles Dickens.)

 

( Wikipedia entry for Charles Dickens )

 

Recommended by Kim J.
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!

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If you're a mystery fan, you're invited to join us for this month's Just Desserts meeting tonight, October 26th, at 6:30 p.m. in the 4th floor auditorium of the Bennett Martin Public Library downtown at 14th & "N" St. -- this mystery-themed discussion group meets on the last Thursday of each month, January through October. Tonight, in our 2023 season finale, we'll be discussing the life and works of classic American mystery author Dashiell Hammett. After this meeting, Just Desserts will take a year-end hiatus and then return in late January 2024.

 

Even if you haven't read anything for this specific discussion, you can still participate, and learn about great new mysteries to try! For more information, check out the Just Desserts schedule at https://lincolnlibraries.org/bookguide/book-groups/#justdesserts

DVD Review: The Lost King

The Lost King

(DVD Lost)

 

This is a delightful film based on the true-life experiences of amateur historian Philippa Langley who spearheaded a search for the burial location of King Richard III of England. Based on her research, Philippa becomes certain that the remains of King Richard III are located in an area of Leicester where the Greyfriars Church had possibly been. After many setbacks, the archaeological dig takes place and the remains of an adult male with a curved spine are found. With DNA testing, it was proved that this was, indeed, King Richard III. What I loved about this film was the incredible performance by actress Sally Hawkins (playing Philippa) as she fights against the male-dominated society that ignores her work and her achievements every step of the way. Incredible performances by Harry Lloyd as King Richard III and Sally Hawkins as Philippa Langley make this a must-see for anyone interested in English history or Shakespeare’s version of Richard III. The bonus films at the end are fun to watch, too.

 

(If you enjoy this, you may also wish to try The Hollow Crown: The Wars of the Roses, or Richard III.)

 

( Internet Movie Database entry for this film )

 

Recommended by Kim J.
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!

Book Review: The Longmire Defense by Craig Johnson + new Just Desserts meeting tomorrow

The Longmire Defense

by Craig Johnson (Johnson)

 

The newest book in the Longmire series finally investigates Walt Longmire’s relationship with his grandfather Lloyd. It has been hinted in the past that their relationship was stormy at best, which is something of an understatement. As Walt becomes involved in an investigation into murders in his grandfather’s past, he uncovers a coverup at both the federal and state levels that puts him in the center of a legal battle that could result in the loss of his job and his life. What I enjoyed most about this book is that we find Walt examining his own feelings about his job, his co-workers, and most importantly, his family. The biggest bombshell involves Walt’s relationship with his deputy, Vic Moretti. Where do things stand with this affair?

 

As much as I enjoyed The Longmire Defense, I must warn that there are some graphic details involving a rape case of a young woman that I wish had not been included, but it does demonstrate the level of evil that Walt is fighting as Sheriff of Absaroka County.

 

(If you enjoy this, you may also wish to try any of the other books in the Longmire series by Craig Johnson.)

 

( official Craig Johnson web site )

 

Review Donna G.’s review of Junkyard Dogs in the August 2010 Staff Recommendations here on BookGuide!
Read Charlotte M.’s review of Steamboat Springs in the December 2013 Staff Recommendations here on BookGuide!
Read Charlotte M.’s review of The Highwayman in the October 2016 Staff Recommendations here on BookGuide!
Read Kim J’s review of Hell and Back in the January 2023 Staff Recommendations here on BookGuide!

 

Recommended by Kim J.
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!

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If you're a mystery fan, you're invited to join us for this month's Just Desserts meeting tonight, September 28th, at 6:30 p.m. in the 4th floor auditorium of the Bennett Martin Public Library downtown at 14th & "N" St. -- this mystery-themed discussion group meets on the last Thursday of each month, January through October. Tonight, we'll be discussing the 2022 debut novel All Good People Here by Ashley Flowers.

 

Even if you haven't read anything for this specific discussion, you can still participate, and learn about great new mysteries to try! For more information, check out the Just Desserts schedule at https://lincolnlibraries.org/bookguide/book-groups/#justdesserts

Book Review: Bury Your Dead by Louise Penny

Bury Your Dead

by Louise Penny (Penny)

 

I started reading the Louise Penney novels about Chief Inspector Armand Gamache last year at the recommendation of fellow co-worker Scott C., who knows that I enjoy both mysteries and books in a series. Although I loved the setting for the series [fictional town Three Pines in Canada] I found the characters unappealing and the writing downright irritating. I was told to keep reading, that the series improves after the first four books. I have to admit that by book five, I was hooked. Book six, Bury Your Dead, is one of the best mysteries I have read. The author keeps you guessing as to the identity of the murderers until the very end. It is important to read book five (The Brutal Telling) before reading this title as they are tied together by murder plots. What I loved most about Bury Your Dead, is the historical aspect of this book, delving into the settling of Quebec and the war over control of Canada by the French and English armies. One of the techniques used by the author to move the story along is the use of flashbacks by the main character, letting us see a catastrophe that happened in between these two stories, albeit a small chunk at a time. The entire story is not revealed until the very end. Having these glimpses of the Chief Inspector’s mind and his feelings as he comes to grips with what happened is a powerful method to tell this story of betrayal and healing. I highly recommend this book.

 

(If you enjoy this, you may also wish to try The Brutal Telling by Louise Penny, and the Shetland series by Ann Cleeve, particularly Red Bones.)

 

( official Louise Penny web site )

 

Recommended by Kim J.
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: All Creatures Great and Small: Season Three

All Creatures Great and Small: Season Three
(DVD All)

I just recently viewed the third season of All Creatures Great and Small which aired on PBS this Spring and decided that it was time to do a recommendation for this marvelous series. I am a huge fan of James Herriot (aka James Alfred Wight) and have read all of his books and every book that the library owns on him and his beloved Yorkshire. Part biographical, part fictionalized accounts of experiences that he and his son had as veterinarians in the Thirsk area of Yorkshire, James recounts life working in the Yorkshire Dales for the incredible owner of the veterinary practice, Siegfried Farnon (aka Donald Sinclair). This series had been televised before with Robert Hardy as Siegfried and Christopher Timothy as James Herriot back in the 1970s-80s, but this new series has many things going for it to rival the original production. First and foremost, the new All Creatures cast brings a more realistic edge to each character, giving them more emotional growth as they move from childish banter in the early episodes to serious topics such as the beginning of World War II in season three. With this season we see James happily married to his beloved Yorkshire farm girl, Helen, but the possibility of James enlisting as a soldier threatens to tear them apart. The theme for season three seems to be finding love and losing the ones you love as the young men are leaving for war. There are wonderful performances from all of the main characters, but especially from the characters of Siegfried (Samuel West), Tristan (Callum Woodhouse) and James (Nicholas Ralph), the three veterinarians in the practice. I look forward to the next season!

 

(If you enjoy this, you may also wish to try James Herriot’s Favorite Dog Stories, all of the books in the All Creatures Great and Small series by Herriot, James Herriot’s Cat Stories, James Herriot’s Yorkshire, The Real James Herriot: A Memoir of My Father by Jim Wright, and the original All Creatures Great and Small series (1978-80 and 1988-90) with Robert Hardy and Christopher Timothy.)

 

( Internet Movie Database entry for this film ) | ( official All Creatures Great and Small web site )

 

Recommended by Kim J.
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!