You Are Here: Around the World in 92 Minutes by Chris Hadfield

You Are Here: Around the World in 92 Minutes
by Chris Hadfield [779.629 Had]

Astronaut Chris Hadfield shared numerous images of the Earth during his time as Commander aboard the International Space Station, and in this book he reproduces hundreds of those photos in a geographic chronology. The ISS makes a complete orbit of our planet every 92 minutes, offering astronauts short windows of opportunity to capture stunning images of specific areas of the globe. Hadfield’s images are just that — stunning. From patchwork quilts of vibrant farmland, and mysterious irrigation circles in arid lands, to fascinating natural patterns resulting from shifting plate tectonics and the distressing results of climate change, each page of this book is a marvel of visual splendor. Hadfield uses text sparingly, to explain that images would otherwise be complete mysteries. His playful sense of humor also shines forth in his commentary. This is a perfect “small” coffee-table book, and should appeal to anyone interested in aerial photography and space photography, as well as people fascinated by the obscure niches of our planet.

[If you like this item, you might like these too – Check out Chris Hadfield‘s presence on the internet, including his many visual posts from during his period in space. He’s the astronaut who filmed a music video, in outer space, of himself sing David Bowie’s “Space Oddity” in zero gravity!]

Recommended by Scott C.
Bennett Martin Public Library

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Inside the O'Briens by Lisa Genova

Inside the O’Briens
by Lisa Genova

Lisa Genova is skilled at researching a disease and telling a story of what it is like to have that disease from the viewpoint of the afflicted person and those around him/her. She has done it most famously with Alzheimer’s in Still Alice. This time she tells the story of a Boston, Irish family who find out that their patriarch has Huntington’s Disease. The disease is inherited so each of the grown children in the family must decide whether or not they want to find out if they have inherited the disease. The story is an engrossing one, but tends to get repetitive and melodramatic.

[If you enjoy this, you may also wish to try Left Neglected and Love Anthony, also by Lisa Genova]

[ official Lisa Genova author web site ]

 

Recommended by Tammy T.
Collection Management Department

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Delivery Man (on DVD)

Delivery Man
[DVD Delivery]

What if a sperm bank unintentionally used one prolific donor’s sperm exclusively for an entire year? There would be a man out there who is the biological father of hundreds of children, all roughly the same age. Meet David Wozniak, the ne’er-do-well in a family of hard-working butchers. Twenty years after the fact, a number of these offspring sue to find out his identity, known only to them as “Starbuck”. They also forward profiles of themselves via the sperm bank’s legal representative if he is interested in making contact with them. David can’t resist starting to look them up one by one, interacting with them anonymously. Then he finds out his on-again/off-again girlfriend is pregnant. So, in a matter of days, he embraces both his newly discovered and impending fatherhood with gusto. But what to do about revealing his identity to his numerous adult offspring? This film is a sweet surprise of humor, sentimentality, and heart. Vince Vaughn puts in his usual great ! performance as David, a man discovering a new set of possibilities for his dicey, seemingly dead-end life. Chris Pratt, subsequently the star of “Guardians of the Galaxy,” is spot-on as David’s best friend and attorney (sort of!) who happens to also be a stay-at-home father of four. The supporting cast is all very good as well. And it was nice that there was barely a swear word uttered in the entire movie. A charming, emotional story.

[If you enjoy this, you may also wish to try Life As We Know It, The Pacifier, No Reservations, The Internship, Donor Unknown (documentary).]

[ Internet Movie Database entry for this film ] | [ official Delivery man Facebook page ]

Recommended by Becky W.C.
Walt Branch Library

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The Sound of Music Companion by Laurence Maslo

The Sound of Music Companion
by Laurence Maslon [Music 782.14 qRodZm] 

This edition of this book came out in 2007, to coincide with a British stage revival of The Sound of Music, being produced by Andrew Lloyd Webber — who writes the introduction to this volume. The book has subsequently been re-edited and re-released in a 2015 “50th Anniversary” edition as well.

2015 marks the 50th anniversary of the release of the feature film version of The Sound of Music, Rodgers and Hammerstein’s masterful musical, starring Julie Andrews and Christopher Plummer. This musical, adapted from the stage musical, which itself was a highly fictionalized version of the life of real life Austrian musical family The Trapp Family Singers, has enjoyed constant and unending popular success in all its many iterations over the years. This book seeks to provide an overview of the history of The Sound of Music‘s development into both stage and film productions. Filled with rare and wonderful photos, lyrics from all the famous songs, and reproductions of rare handwritten documents from the producers, writers, lyricists and directors of many different versions of the show, this should be a must-read for anyone with a love for the movie. Having enjoyed seeing TSoM on the big screen during this year’s 50th anniversary tour, I found this tome fascinating and it really enhanced my viewing of the movie.

[If you like this item, you might like these too – There are several other books that chronicle the history of this movie (and stage show), often in more detail, and I also recommend the biographies of the various actors, actresses and musical industry personnel who were associated with The Sound of Music in its many incarnations.]

[ Sound of Music film page on Wikipedia ]

Recommended by Scott C.
Bennett Martin Public Library

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The Bible: The Epic Miniseries (on DVD)

The Bible: The Epic Miniseries

[DVD Bible]

This Emmy-nominated 2013 television series, along with the companion movie “Son of God”, has very good production values and fairly naturalistic performances. It was the highest rated cable show of 2013. Actress Roma Downey (“Touched by an Angel”) and her producer husband Mark Burnett (“Survivor”, “The Apprentice”) are rightly proud of this overview of the many dramatic and inspiring events and teachings from The Holy Bible. Although I have several quibbles with accuracy, the whole feel and sensibility of the series is compelling and realistic, even though miracles and wonders are not in the ’empirical’ realm of human life. The large cast is mostly unknown to American audiences but most of them do a nice job of earnestly portraying dynamic yet flawed people. Diogo Morgado, a popular Portuguese actor, stands out as Jesus.

[ Internet Movie Database entry for this film ] | [ official The Bible Miniseries web site ]

 

Recommended by Becky W.C.
Walt Branch Library

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Heir to the Jedi
by Kevin Hearne

The first Luke Skywalker adventure of the “new continuity” is a fun story of Luke trying to figure out how to be a Jedi with no one to guide him. A clunky first-person narrative and jarring use of modern vernacular make this a good-not-great book. Overall, a fun read for any Star Wars fan.

[If you enjoy this, you may also wish to try Tarkin by James Luceno and Star Wars: A New Dawn by John Jackson Miller]

[ Books and Comics on the official Star Wars web site ] | [ official Kevin Hearne web site ]

Recommended by Corey G.
Gere Branch Library

Check out more Star Wars books on BookGuide in The Star Wars Reading List

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Come Away With Me (on CD)

Come Away With Me
by Norah Jones [Compact Disc 781.65 Jon]

This CD is soft jazz music with piano and vocals by Norah Jones. This was her first album and I think its pretty pleasant. I tried her second album and didn’t like it as well as this one; I don’t know what her other ones are like. If you like listening to piano music, I’d suggest this CD. -- recommended by Kristen A. - Gere Branch Library [ See Kristen's Reviewer Profile and more of her reviews ]

[If you enjoy this, you may also wish to try any of the music by George Winston; my favorite is his Linus & Lucy album]

[ official Norah Jones web site ]

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I Take You by Eliza Kennedy

I Take You
by Eliza Kennedy

I received an Advanced Reader Copy of this book back in November (2014) from LibraryThing, but I was unable to get to it until March (2015). Once I picked it up, I didn’t want to put it down!

I’m surprised to see that this is the first novel written by Ms. Kennedy, as she has such a natural flow, as though the situations and conversations were happening right in front of me. It was very easy to get into and become a part of this story! I especially appreciate the tone that this book is written in–that is, I like the fact that our protagonist is a powerful, independent, sexually driven woman. I think some common misconceptions about women and their sexuality are addressed in this story, and I admire the way Ms. Kennedy handled them. I will be passing this one around to my friends–but I’m going to make sure I get it back, as I know I’ll count this among those I like to re-read!!! And I look forward to reading more by Eliza Kennedy!!! -- recommended by Tracy T. - Bennett Martin Public Library [ see Tracy's Reviewer Profile and more of her reviews ]

[If you enjoy this, you may also wish to try The Devil Wears Prada by Lauren Weisberger or Confessions of a Shopaholic by Sophie Kinsella]

[ official publisher page for Eliza Kennedy ]

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Kraken: An Anatomy by China Mieville

Kraken: An Anatomy
by China Mieville 

Kraken is the story of Billy Harrow, a worker at the British Museum, where he specializes in the preservation of squids. One day their giant squid vanishes from its display. Soon thereafter the body of a man is found, impossibly placed within a glass bottle.

And it just gets exponentially stranger from then on.

Despite the plot being a bit convoluted at times and dragging a little in the middle, I really enjoyed this surreal trip down the rabbit hole. Mieville excels in describing an alternate version of London – both disturbing and magical – and manages to keep a straight face throughout his tale. No small feat considering how utterly absurd (and entertaining) his story is. -- recommended by Rasmus T. - Anderson and Bethany Branch Libraries

[For other magic versions of London, you may also wish to try Neverwhere by Neil Gaiman and Midnight Riot by Ben Aaronovitch]

[ official China Mieville blog ]

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Roverandrom by J.R.R. Tolkien

Roverandom
by J.R.R. Tolkien [j Tolkien]

This is an adventure story of a puppy named Rover who irritates a wizard and is then transformed into a tiny little toy. Determined to find the wizard and beg to be turned back into a real dog he sets out and on the way flies over the ocean on the back of a bird that carries him off the edge of the world to moon. He spends time there with the Man of the Moon and his dog Rover. Because there can’t be two dogs named Rover, our little friend is re-named Roverandom. Roverandom has many more adventures on the way to finding the wizard again, returning to his natural state and going back home. Written by J.R.R. Tolkien as a story for his children, it’s a good story in its own right with Tolkien style, but please note this has no relation to his Middle Earth / Lord of the Rings series. Recommended if you like a lighthearted fantasy read. -- recommended by Kristen A. - Gere Branch Library [ see Kristen's Reviewer Profile and more of her reviews ]

[If you enjoy this, you may also wish to try Poems and Stories by Tolkien, which also has short stories.]

[ official Tolkien Estate web site ] | [ official Tolkien Society web site ] 

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Night at the Museum: Secret of the Tomb on DVD

Night at the Museum: Secret of the Tomb
[DVD j Night]

As a fan of the original Night at the Museum, I knew that I had to see this final movie in the Museum trilogy. Although this movie was not as funny as the first two movies, I still enjoyed watching it. The tone throughout seems more melancholy. I was especially moved by the performances of veteran actors Mickey Rooney and Robin Williams, both whom passed away after the release of this film. Ben Kingsley is wonderful as the father of Ahkmenrah and Hugh Jackman steals the show as Camelot’s King Arthur. I would definitely watch this if you enjoyed the first two films. -- recommended by Kim J. - Bennett Martin Public Library

[If you enjoy this, you should try the first two Night at the Museum films.]

[ Internet Movie Database entry for this film ] | [ official Night at the Museum web site ]

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The Raft by S.A. Bodeen

The Raft
by S.A. Bodeen

Robie is on her way back to the Midway Atoll Islands in the Pacific Ocean after visiting her aunt in Hawaii. Having made the trip many times, Robie boards the cargo plane headed towards the islands at the last minute. She is familiar with the pilot, but the co-pilot Max, she has never met. The place runs into a storm and is damaged. Max yells for her to put on a life jacket, and throws her out of the plane. After she hits the water, Max grabs her and pulls her into the raft that he has pulled from the plane. Now, they must survive the shark filled waters until help comes, with only one bottle of water, and a bag of skittles.

Though slow moving at times, due to the nature of the story, it was a suspenseful and quick read. This book was a Golden Sower Nominee for 2014-2015.  -- recommended by Marie P. - Bennett Martin Public Library

[If you enjoy this, you may also wish to try The Compound by S.A. Bodeen]
[ official S.A. Bodeen web site ]

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The Girl on the Train by Paula Hawkins

The Girl on the Train
by Paula Hawkins

Rachel takes the same train to work every morning. She can see into the backyards of some of the houses the train passes. She likes to imagine what the lives of the people who live there are like, particularly a couple she has named “Jason” and “Jess.” One day, Rachel sees something from her usual spot on the train which is very unordinary, and causes her to become involved in Jason and Jess’ lives. This is told from the viewpoints and dates of three different women, so it can be a little confusing if the reader is not paying careful attention. It also seems a bit like a chose to keep the storylines straight. Once they come together, the story really picks up, and is hard to put down. Suspenseful and exciting, readers will be caught up in the story. When reading this myself, I finished the last half of the book in a matter of hours, and would not continue on my day until I had. -- recommended by Marie P. -- Bennett Martin Public Library

[If you enjoy this, you may also wish to try Gone Girl by Gillian Flynn]

[ official Paula Hawkins author web site ]

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S'mores: Gourmet Treats for Every Occasion

S’mores: Gourmet Treats for Every Occasion
by Lisa Adams [641.865 Ada]

S’mores — the perfect summer cookout snack! I was thrilled to learn that Nabisco was coming out with a S’mores-flavored Oreo cookie variant this summer, then this s’mores cookbook passed across the desk at the downtown library and I started to drool. You’d think there wouldn’t be that many different ways to make s’mores — after all, the basic recipe calls for graham crackers, chocolate bars and toasted marshmallows…pretty simple, hmm? What Adams does in this recipe book is deconstruct the basic recipe and rebuild it with a variety of other common elements, and/or bring in some items you’d never have thought of to combine with standard s’mores fare. The one ingredient that remains consistent throughout the recipes is the toasted marshmallow. However, Adams’ recipes replace the traditional graham cracker with outer layers as unusual as pound cake, cookies (of various flavors), pre-made chocolate taco shells, brownie bites, waffles and waffle ice-cream cones, croissants, etc. Additional ingredients added to the interior range from various non-traditional chocolate flavors to fruits, popcorn, crushed breakfast cereals, jelly, etc.

Throughout, the author gives helpful hints on how to prepare the ingredients — for instance she prefers to pre-warm the bottom cracker with the chocolate on it, so the chocolate will be all melty — and over half the recipes include beautiful full-page photographs of the finished products. It was those photos that first pulled me into this one. I recommend this book for anyone interested in experimenting with a classic snack concept, and for foodies looking for great food pictures. I can’t wait to try a couple of these recipes, the next time I have some coals left over after a cookout! -- recommended by Scott C. -- Bennett Martin Public Library [ see Scott's Reviewer Profile and more of his reviews ]

[ official Lisa Adams web site ]

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Healing Waters (on CD)

Healing Waters
by David Arkenstone [Compact Disc 534 Ark]

All the tracks on this CD are piano music combined with the sounds of running water from a stream. The sound of the water was continuous track to track. The instrumentals would stop but you'd still hear the running water between the songs, then the music would start up again. It was very relaxing to listen to. Some people may find it so relaxing you could try listening to it to get to sleep. I think it's a nice CD to have on while studying because I like gentle music on in the background. -- recommended by Kristen A. - Gere Branch Library [ see Kristen's Reviewer Profile and more of her reviews ]

[If you enjoy this, you may also wish to try Blue Mind: The Surprising Science That Shows How Being Near, In, On, or Under Water Can Make You Happier, Healthier, More Connected and Better at What You Do by Wallace Nichols; Swim: Why We Love the Water by Lynn Sherr; Any music by George Winston.]

[ David Arktenstone entry on Wikipedia ] | [ official David Arkenstone web site ]

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Into the Storm (on DVD)

Into the Storm

[DVD Into]

My wife and I watched this schlocky natural disaster movie mainly due to the presence of Richard Armitage in the cast -- we've both enjoyed him in the Hobbit trilogy, and in North & South and the BBC's recent Robin Hood series as Sir Guy of Gisborne. In this, Armitage is merely one of several key ensemble players whose lives are impacted by a series of tornados in a small Oklahoma community. The plot follows two main threads -- the quest of a bunch of storm chasers to track and engage with a monster twister, and the lives of various members of the community of Silverton, Oklahoma. The acting ranges from impressive and believable, to overblown high school play. The plot is very loose and -- for the most part -- forgettable. However, the special effects are tremendous. The multiple tornados seen on screen are exceptionally believable, and the physical weather and wind effects on the actors in multiple scenes are frighteningly realistic. Additionally, I have to give this film's scenic and set designers kudos -- the look of tornado ravaged neighborhoods was devastatingly realistic as well. If you're looking for a well-acted and well-thought-out movie, don't bother. But if you're a weather junkie, and in the mood for a mindless "popcorn" movie, give this one a try! -- recommended by Scott C. - Bennett Martin Public Library [ see Scott's Reviewer Profile and more of his reviews ]

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

[ Internet Movie Database entry for this film ] | [ official Into the Storm web site ]

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Faceoff edited by David Baldacci

Faceoff
edited by David Baldacci [813.08 Fac]

Eleven short stories that pair our favorite authors and their characters. I'm a Lincoln Rhyme (Jeffery Deaver) and Lucas Davenport (John Sandford) fan so was pleased to see a short story that put them together ("Rhymes with Prey" -- gotta love that title). In this case, the two of them cementing a friendship seemed to happen rather quickly for their natures but this is afterall a short story format. On the plus side, their mystery was interesting and believable, and most of the favorite series characters made an appearance. Other authors were paired with" like" characters, for example Repairman Jack (by F. Paul Wilson) is a paranormal series -- he "repairs" situations for people that involve curses, ancient evil, and demons. Jack is set in a short story in New Orleans with Heather Graham's series characters - Michael Quinn and Danni Cafferty - who also deal with old, supernatural evil. No need to read this book in order, pick and choose which authors you're interested in, or find a new author based on who they are paired with. Sit back and enjoy Harry Bosch, Aloysius Pendergast, and Jack Reacher, to name a few. If you haven't yet read some of these characters, these short stories will give you a quick introduction that might pique your interest enough to pick up a full-length novel starring that character. -- recommended by Charlotte K. - Bennett Martin Public Library [ see Charlotte's Reviewer Profile and more of her reviews ]

[ publisher's official Faceoff web site ]

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Ordinary Grace

Ordinary Grace
by William Kent Krueger

I read this book for the libraries Just Desserts mystery fiction discussion group, which recently chose it as their book-of-the-month. I've enjoyed the books in Krueger's Cork O'Connor series, and had the opportunity to see Krueger in person in April 2014, when he appeared at a bookstore in Lincoln, to promote Ordinary Grace. At the time, Krueger said that Ordinary Grace is his personal favorite of all the books he's written, and the one of which he's the most proud. This stand-alone novel, which won the Edgar Award for best Mystery Novel of the year, is set in the early 1960s, in a small, rural Minnesota town -- New Bremen. Told from the point-of-view of Frank Drum, the 13-year-old son of the town's Methodist minister, this is a coming-of-age tale for both Frank and his younger brother Jake, during a summer in which several local deaths all have a major impact on the townspeople of New Bremen. This tale is told very simply, but still reaches out and grabs you, demanding that you pay attention to all the small details of description and dialog. The character relationships make this story feel exceptionally "real" -- several Just Desserts group members, who grew up in small towns just like New Bremen, said the story pulled them in and reminded them of what small town life was like for them as children. In the end, though a mystery lies at the heart of this story, this is not a traditional "mystery novel", the likes of which Krueger is well-known for. Instead, this is a slice-of-life novel, with unforgettable characters and emotional confrontations. I can't recommend this highly enough! -- recommended by Scott C. - Bennett Martin Public Library [ see Scott's Reviewer Profile and more of his reviews ]

[If you enjoy this, you may also wish to try other books by William Kent Krueger, although be aware that Ordinary Grace is different than any of his other novels.]

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

[ official Ordinary Grace page on the official William Kent Krueger web site ]

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Nightcrawler (on DVD)

Nightcrawler

[DVD Nightcrawler]

Lou Bloom - played by Jake Gyllenhaal - decides to try out crime journalism and purchases a camera and police scanner. After his first story he's addicted and soon blurs the line between reporting and participating. Gyllenhaal was great in this role, totally transformed himself to fit the character. Very intense storyline, somewhat graphic at times, but worth the watch. -- recommended by Carrie K. - Bennett Martin Public Library [ see Carrie's Reviewer Profile and more of her reviews ]

[If you enjoy this, you may also wish to try All The President's Men, Zodiac, and other movies about journalists.]

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

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The Astronaut Wives Club by Lily Koppel

The Astronaut Wives Club
by Lily Koppel [629.45 Kop]

I was checking this book in for a patron when I stopped to take a look at it. I thought, "I don't know that anything has ever been written about the WIVES of astronauts before--I'd really like to know their perspective!" And that's exactly what this book was about. It began with The Original Seven--the wives of the first group of astronauts--and ended with The Nineteen--the last group of wives to have husbands going up in space in the late 60's and early 70's. These women formed the Astronaut Wives Club, and they were the glue that held the NASA space team together. I really enjoyed this book, though it was difficult to follow, at times, since several new people were being introduced all the time, yet older members of the group were still prominent. Nevertheless, I really felt for these women and the joys and struggles they endured during such a radical, changing time in the history of our country and our world! -- recommended by Tracy T. - Bennett Martin Public Library [ see Tracy's Reviewer Profile and more of her reviews ]

[If you enjoy this, you may also wish to try Mozart's Wife by Juliet Waldron.] 

[Also available in downloadable audio, book-on-cd, downloadable E-book and Large Print formats.]

[ official Astronaut Wives Club web site ]

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