Ristar in Sonic's Ultimate Genesis Collection

Ristar in Sonic’s Ultimate Genesis Collection
[Video Game Sonic’s] 

This is a bright colorful game featuring a little guy in the shape of a star, named Ristar. This was originally on the Sega Genesis in 1995; however you can still play it without a Genesis on Sonic’s Ultimate Genesis Collection available on PS3 and Xbox, which comes with a multitude of other games. Ristar is a 2D platform style game set on other planets, whose leaders have been mind controlled by an evil space pirate. What I found a bit weird about it was that Ristar has a grab ability and his arms are sort of stretchy so you can grab onto things and propel yourself in multiple directions or maybe forced to grab on to object above you to avoid spikes and other hazards. This took me a little getting used to but there is something like that in every game. This is also how he attacks; grab an enemy, pull it toward you and pretty much head-butt it, which is amusing. I had played Sega Genesis back in the 1990’s but did not know about this one till fairly recently, and because of this it had a nice old and new feel to it. Overall it’s a really fun game and I would suggest it to other players who enjoy 2D platformers.

[ Ristar on Wikipedia ] | [ Ristar on Sega gaming Wiki ]

Recommended by Kristen A.
Gere Branch Library

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Girl, Wash Your Face by Rachel Hollis

Girl, Wash Your Face: Stop Believing the Lies About Who You Are So You Can Become Who You Were Meant to Be
by Rachel Hollis [248.843 Hol] 

I had a couple of friends recommend this, maybe because of the straightforward way Rachel Hollis speaks (she’s very no-nonsense, and I totally dig that), or maybe because she’s very in touch with her spiritual self, which I admire and respect. I also wonder if these friends recommended this book to me because they felt like I need to stop believing lies about who I am so I can become who I am meant to be. (Um, I have to admit, that title kind of confuses me…..)

I must admit, I’d never heard of Rachel Hollis before. As a practicing Catholic, I’m kind of in the dark when it comes to the female Christian speakers. I’m not big on self-help books, even the kind that are in-your-face like this one is.

That being said, it was kind of fun to listen to. Hollis can be self-deprecating without being awkward about it, yet she owns her accomplishments. One thing I really do appreciate about her style of writing here is that each chapter is broken down into something she’s learned–then she goes into story-mode, explaining what happened. She ends with what she’s learned, enumerating things she’s taken away from that experience and things that helped her. It’s a bit Type-A, but I like that about her.

[If you enjoy this, you may also wish to try Of Mess and Moxie: Wrangling Delight Out of This Wild and Glorious Life, by Jen Hatmaker]

[ official Girl, Wash Your Face web site ] | [ official The Chic Site by Rachel Hollis ]

Recommended by Tracy T.
Bennett Martin Public Library

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Are You Scared, Darth Vader? by Adam Rex

Are You Scared, Darth Vader?
by Adam Rex [jP Rex] 

This is a charming and amusing juvenile picture book, with some gorgeous artwork. Star Wars’ ultimate villain, the armored and wheezing Darth Vader is roaming a dark, dank, swampy planet — think Yoda’s swamp world of Dagobah from The Empire Strikes Back — and a taunting child-like voice keeps pestering him about whether anything could “scare” him, to which Vader replies in typically Vader-like dark meaningful statements (that are easy to imagine James Earl Jones intoning).
For each example of something that could potentially “scare” Darth Vader, a small figure appears around him — such as a werewolf, a vampire, a witch, etc. — essentially children in Halloween costumes. Despite the obvious “children’s picture book” nature of this, there are moments of both poignancy and surprise, particularly with an unexpected ending.

I figured I would merely be slightly amused by this book. But, as it turns out, I really enjoyed the artwork and storytelling, and may even consider purchasing this one for my own Star Wars book collection!

[If you enjoy this, you may also wish to try The Vader-related cartoon volumes by Jeffrey Brown, including Darth Vader and Son and Vader’s Little Princess.]

[ publisher’s official Are You Scared, Darth Vader? web page ] | [ official Adam Rex web site ]

Recommended by Scott C.
Bennett Martin Public Library

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Spinning Silver by Naomi Novik

Spinning Silver
by Naomi Novik

Fantasy author Naomi Novik has created another marvelous work of fiction with Spinning Silver, a folktale about a kingdom called Lithvas which is ruled by a demon-possessed Tsar. The kingdom is constantly raided by creatures (the Staryk) from another realm on the edge of this kingdom which can only survive in perpetual winter. The fairytale is a mix of the Rumplestiltskin fairytale and the well-known story of Beauty and the Beast with a Jewish heroine, Miryem, at the center of it all. I loved how the author used different characters from the story to tell what was happening from his or her point of view. I was drawn into the struggle between cultures and kingdoms from the very start and literally could not put the book down. Themes of family, loyalty, prejudice, and love are all explored in an entertaining yet creative way. I highly recommend this book.

[If you enjoy this, you may also wish to try Uprooted, by Naomi Novik, and The Temeraire series, also by Naomi Novik]

[ official Spinning Silver page on the official Naomi Novik web site ]

Recommended by Kim J.
Bennett Martin Public Library

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Hank & Jim: The Fifty Year Friendship of Henry Fonda and James Stewart by Scott Eyman

Hank & Jim: The Fifty Year Friendship of Henry Fonda and James Stewart
by Scott Eyman [791.43 Eym] 

Two American movie icons — Jimmy Stewart and Henry Fonda — met as young men, were diametrically opposed in their political/religious philosophies and had very different styles of acting, but forged and kept a lifelong friendship in which sometimes being together without even speaking was proof of their bond. Nebraska’s own child, Fonda was urged by Dorothy “Doe” Brando, Marlon’s mother, to give acting a try. The 20-year-old had already attended college for a couple of years but dropped out and returned home. He had been helping out the Omaha Community Players with cleaning, set-dressing and other non-performing tasks when Mrs. Brando recognized his potential. At the same time, teen-aged James Stewart of Indiana, Pennyslvania helped in his father’s hardware store when he wasn’t in school or occupied with other projects or small-town work. His interest in acting began when he was in prep school and continued to develop while he attended Princeton. Hank and Jim’s paths would cross in New York City, via Joshua Logan and a crappy shared apartment. Each man was infatuated by the same woman, actress Margaret Sullavan, early on and Fonda was briefly married to her. Both men had many affairs and Henry went on to acquire 4 more wives but Jimmy eventually found his one and only, Gloria. Both men started as stage actors and became Academy-Award winning feature film stars. Jim and Hank shared a love of model airplanes, they both served on active duty in World War II, and both rarely agreed on the same version of mutual anecdotes. Fonda’s personal life was characterized by detachment and difficulty with communicating. Stewart was a loving father to his children and stepchildren. This is a fascinating look not only at these two famous men as persons but gives a lot of detail as to the workings of stage and screen productions and relationships. For both, their final years were not necessarily happy, but what an incredible gift of artistry they gave to the world.

[ publisher’s official Hank & Jim web page ] | [ official Scott Eyman web site ]

Recommended by Becky W.C.
Walt Branch Library

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Stripped Bare and Dark Signal by Shannon Baker

Stripped Bare
by Shannon Baker

When the libraries’ Just Desserts mystery fiction discussion group read and discussed the second book in the Kate Fox series, Dark Signal, at our July meeting, I found that I had enjoyed that entry enough (one of my “Rated 10” books for 2018), that I wanted to go back and read the first book in the series, Stripped Bare.

Set in the Nebraska Sandhills, where author Shannon Baker had lived for a big chunk of her life, Stripped Bare‘s sleuth is Kate Fox, the ranching wife of the Grand County Sheriff, Ted Fox. When Ted is shot at the home of one of the county’s wealthiest residents, investigating the shooting death of that man, Kate finds herself drawn into the investigation, first to help prove her husband’s innocence in the killing, then to eliminating suspicion against her niece (who she’s been raising like a daughter). When her incapacitated husband is revealed to have been unfaithful, Kate’s investigation becomes even more personal.

This is a fast-paced read, with lots of terrific characters — Kate has a huge extended family, and they’re all meddling in her life. Kate is a very sympathetic narrator, and the author does a marvelous job of capturing the setting of the Sandhills very effectively. The wide open spaces becomes an important “character” in the novel. I absolutely loved Dark Signal, which was more of a rural police procedural, but felt like I was missing some of the details in Kate’s background. Reading Stripped Bare, which feels much more like an “amateur detective” story, definitely fills in those gaps. I highly recommend both volumes! I’d give Stripped Bare a “9” and Dark Signal a “10”. I would recommend this series to anyone who enjoys Craig Johnson’s Longmire series of novels.
 

[ publisher’s official Stripped Bare web page ] | [ official Shannon Baker web site ]

Recommended by Scott C.
Bennett Martin Public Library

Reminder: Don't miss the August 2018 Just Desserts meeting, tomorrow, Thursday, August 30th, at the South Branch Library (27th & South St.), from 6:30 to 8:00 p.m. We'll be discussing James Grippando's novel Most Dangerous Place.

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Ripper Street: Season Three

Ripper Street: Season Three
[DVD Ripper] 

Season 3, picks up after last season, but at least several months if not a year or so later, and I recommend you watch the previous seasons before this one. The series is set in White Chapel London just after the Jack the Ripper killings; the police staff that are featured in the show are those who had worked on the cases, although they occurred before the series began. This season starts with a train wreck robbery and members of the police and their family and friends are reunited in the ruin after not seeing one another for a long time. As with previous seasons each episode is another case for the police yet there remains an overarching mystery over the season. This train wreck case is not fully solved till the last episode. Not wanting to reveal any spoilers, I won’t discuss the plots much. Many tid bits from the character’s past resurface in this season which was intriguing and enjoyable as some had been obscured for the whole show. Yet some parts of the cases and the character’s personal lives remain mysterious going into the next season. As with previous seasons, this is rated M for mature due to violence, language, adult themes and nudity, so it’s not a show for everyone. However if this is not bothersome and you enjoy historical mysteries and CSI type shows or books, I highly recommend it to you, as in addition to the crimes investigated there is ample character development and interpersonal relationships at play with mysteries of their own.

[If you enjoy this, you may also wish to try the first two seasons of Ripper Street.]

[ Internet Movie Database entry for this series ] | [ BBC’s official Ripper Street web site ]

Recommended by Kristen A.
Gere Branch Library

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Lost in Yonkers by Neil Simon

Lost in Yonkers
by Neil Simon [812 Sim] 

When auditions for an upcoming local production of Neil Simon’s show Lost in Yonkers were recently taking place, I was reminded that it’s been several years since I read it. So I decided to give it another read. I’m glad I did — this Pulitzer-prize-winning stage drama is a powerful character study. One of the most autobiographical of Simon’s many, many works — this is set in the years of WWII, starting in 1942. Following the death of their mother, a financially struggling father, Eddie, takes his two sons, Jay (15) and Arty (13) to live, temporarily, with their domineering German grandmother Kurnitz, in her flat about the family’s Yonkers candy store. Throw in Eddie’s brother, Louie, who may be “bent”, Aunt Bella — a well-meaning but challenged young woman who takes the two brothers into her confidence, and the other aunt, Gert, who has a breathing/speech problem, and you’ve got a heckuva mix of characters to play off of each other.

This is one of Neil Simon’s most emotional plays. Yes, there is humor, as would only be expected from the playwright of The Odd Couple and Barefoot in the Park, but mixed in with complicated relationships, there are a lot of funny bits. The relationship between Jay and Arty is particularly poignant, and their connection to their furtive uncle Louie (portrayed by Kevin Spacey in the original Broadway production) provides some interesting moments. But it is EVERYone’s relationship to the family matriarch, Grandma Kurnitz, that forms the core of this play. I can’t wait to see Lost in Yonkers performed locally! [Currently playing at the Haymarket Theatre through September 2nd!]

[ Lost in Yonkers entry on Wikipedia ] | [ Neil Simon entry on Wikipedia ]

Recommended by Scott C.
Bennett Martin Public Library

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The Immortalists by Chloe Benjamin

The Immortalists
by Chloe Benjamin

 I picked this up because I saw it was one of the first few choices given as Jimmy Fallon’s original NBC Tonight Show Book Club. (He ended up choosing a different book for the first one, which I hope to read down the road… Children of Blood and Bone by Tomi Adeyemi.)

It was a really interesting story about four siblings who go to see a fortune teller to find out when they will die. The story that follows is each sibling’s life, with regards to what the fortune teller told them. (She insisted on seeing them each separately.)

The story begins with them as small children in 1969 and ends up in present day, so it really held a great appeal for me, as that ran the span of my own current lifetime.

While I liked the way the story was written and I found each character interesting and captivating, something about this book put me off a bit. I had a hard time getting “caught up” in it. It wasn’t so much that I didn’t want to continue. I was always interested in it, I wanted to continue reading it… but I wasn’t DYING to know what happened next. I’d recommend to others, though–hopefully other readers will find it more captivating than I did.

[If you enjoy this, you may also wish to try Wild, by Cheryl Strayed, Escape, by Carolyn Jessop or Stolen Innocence, by Elissa Wall.] [ official The Immortalists page on the official Chloe Benjamin web site ]

Recommended by Tracy T.
Bennett Martin Public Library

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Little Grey Cells: The Quotable Poirot

Little Grey Cells: The Quotable Poirot
by Agatha Christie [823 Chr]

This marvelous little hardback book is a pocket-sized collection of Hercule Poirot “quotations”, taken from the 33 novels and more than 50 short stories written by Agatha Christie that featured her famous Belgian detective. Throughout his career, Poirot was well known for solving his cases by exploring the human psychology of both the victims and perpetrators of crimes. Unlike, say, Sherlock Holmes, who was far more intrigued by the physical evidence that could lead to the solution of a crime, Poirot loved to explore the mental processes and motives that would lead to a criminal act. As he says in “The King of Clubs”, “In the little grey cells of the brain lies the solution of every mystery.”

This collection of quotes is broken up into thematic chapters, including “Human Nature”, “The English”, “Symmetry & Order” (so, so important to Poirot), “Detective Work”, “Truth & Lies”, “Food & Drink”, and “My Dear Hastings”, just to name a few. Within each chapter, each quote — some are very short and others are a paragraph or more in length — gets its own separate page, complete with reference to the novel or short story it original appeared in. At the end of the book are two “extras” — an afterword pulled from Christie’s papers, in which she explains the Love/Hate relationship she developed with Poirot over decades of writing his adventures, and an appendix identifying every Poirot novel and short story.

Special Event: Don’t miss “The Mystery of Agatha Christie”, a special 90-minute presentation at the Gere Branch Library on Sunday, September 30th, 2018, 2:00-3:30 p.m. — a celebration of all things “Christie”, covering the author and her life (including her mysterious 11-day disappearance), her entire body of written work, and the stage, screen and television adaptations of her stories. Then, join fellow theater-goers in attending the play Black Coffee, starring Hercule Poirot, at the Lincoln Community Playhouse in late October 2018.

“It is sometimes difficult for a dog to find a scent, but once he has fount it, nothing on earth will make him leave it! That is if he is a good dog! And I, Hercule Poirot, am a very good dog!” — from the short story, “The Chocolate Box” (it also appears in the play “Black Coffee”). [Note: I found it helpful to imagine David Suchet, TV’s most famous Poirot, reading all the quotes in this book!]

[ official Little Grey Cells web site ] | [ official Agatha Christie web site ]

Recommended by Scott C.
Bennett Martin Public Library

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What About Bob? (on DVD)

What About Bob?
[DVD What] 

Bill Murray has built a career on playing wacky, oddball comic characters, starting in sketch comedy series Saturday Night Live, and with such hits as Caddyshack, Stripes, Ghostbusters and so many more. In more recent years, though he’s remained “quirky”, he’s branched out into some acclaimed, serious, dramatic roles, in such films as Rushmore, Lost in Translation, The Life Aquatic With Steve Zissou and Hyde Park on Hudson.

I’ll have to admit, my favorite Murray performances are those where he’s a little looser in his comedy. My favorite two Bill Murray movies are Groundhog Day (1993) and this one, What About Bob? (1991), which he did back-to-back. Murray’s offbeat chemistry (as out-of-control neurotic Bob Wiley) with Richard Dreyfuss (as uptight therapist Dr. Leo Marvin) is marvelous.

Ultimately, this is almost slapstick farce in nature, and the humor is very broad at times. But, this is still one of those movies that I laugh at every single time I see it!

[If you enjoy this, you may also wish to try Groundhog Day, or any of the dozens of other Bill Murray comedies.]

[ Internet Movie Database entry for this film ]

Recommended by Scott C.
Bennett Martin Public Library

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Colossal (on DVD)

Colossal
[DVD Colossal] 

This is an artsy, introspective sci-fi film that wants to be much more than it can pull off. Anne Hathaway plays Gloria, an aimless writer for an online magazine, and alcohol abuser. When her excesses cause her long-time boyfriend to break up with her and eject her from his townhouse, Gloria returns to the small New England town where she grew up, to try to collect herself and figure out what to do next with her life. Shortly after returning, she encounters Oscar (Jason Sudeikis), an old grade-school classmate of hers, currently running a struggling local tavern. As Gloria finds a place in her new life, connecting with Oscar and his friends Joel (Austin Stowell) and Garth (Tim Blake Nelson), she continues to drink too much and not remember anything the next day.

This part is critical, because on the other side of the world, bizarre events begin — a “colossal” 60′ tall monster has begun appearing in Seoul, South Korea and wreaking havoc, injuring people and destroying buildings, before mysteriously vanishing. Initially horrified, Gloria becomes obsessed with the fact that the monster’s appearances seem to coincide with her own drunken visits to a nearby small playground. She runs tests that confirm to her that the monster’s appearances in Seoul at 8:05 a.m. Eastern time precisely match her own actions. When she tells (and shows) her new small circle of friends about this, things take an unfortunate turn for the worse.

The performances in Colossal are all terrific, particularly Hathaway and Sudeikis. Unfortunately, the characters all become highly unlikable and go down paths that are increasingly depressing. There are moments of comic levity, and moments of introspection, as Gloria tries to sober up and take responsibility for the chaos she’s unleashed on the other side of the world. But in the end, no matter how well made the film is…it’s still vaguely depressing. Still I’m glad I watched it as a DVD from the library, and do recommend it for anyone looking for something a little different.

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

Recommended by Scott C.
Bennett Martin Public Library

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I've Got You Under My Skin by Mary Higgins Clark

I’ve Got You Under My Skin
by Mary Higgins Clark [Clark]

Laurie Moran knows firsthand what it feels like to live without closure of a loved one’s murder. Five years ago, her husband was murdered in front of their then three-year-old son Timmy. Timmy still has nightmares about “Blue Eyes,” the only distinguishing feature of the killer. Laurie is haunted, not only by the questions of who and why but also the killer’s last words to Timmy, “Tell your mother she’s next, then it’s your turn.”

As producer of the new show Under Suspicion, Laurie examines murder cases which have gone cold. By getting viewpoints from friends and family of the victim, Laurie hopes that her show can bring new light to unsolved cases. The first episode is to feature Betsy Powell, who was killed 20 years ago after the graduation gala of her daughter and three friends. As details begin to emerge from each of the people who was in the house that night, Laurie learns that each of them had their own reasons for wanting Betsy dead.

Laurie hopes that Under Suspicion will not only capture audiences when it airs, but more importantly, bring the killer to justice. The show has already caught the attention of a pair of blue eyes…

Laurie Moran is a down to earth character that audiences will relate to. The authors do a good job balancing the heaviness of the cases with Laurie’s family life and coworkers, which bring lightness and humor to the book. The suspects are presented, and the reader is allowed to draw their own conclusions before the killer is revealed in an exciting conclusion. As the other books in this series feature the same main characters as I’ve Got You Under My Skin, readers who enjoy this title will certainly enjoy others in the series. Aside the novels that she has written with her daughter, Carol Higgins Clark, this is the first book that Mary Higgins Clark has co-authored.

[Note: Although this first entry is written only by Mary Higgins Clark, all subsequent volumes in the series are co-written by Clark and Alafair Burke.] [If you enjoy this, you may also wish to try The Burning Room, by Michael Connelly, A is for Alibi, by Sue Grafton or Desert Heat, by J.A. Jance.]

[ official “Under Suspicion” series page on the official Mary Higgins Clark web site ]

Recommended by Marie P.
Bennett Martin Public Library

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It Happened on Broadway: An Oral History of the Great White Way by Myrna and Harvey Frommer

It Happened on Broadway: An Oral History of the Great White Way
by Myrna Katz Frommer and Harvey Frommer [Music 782.14 Fro] 

For anyone who is a fan of classic Broadway history, this is an essential read. In the grand historical tradition of previous “oral histories”, the Frommers gathered the remembrances of dozens of Broadway luminaries — both on stage, and behind the scenes — and in this volume they let those memories flow. Sometimes the effect can be of letting Carol Channing go on a stream-of-consciousness ramble, or Celeste Holm recollect how she got her role in the original cast of Oklahoma, sometimes it’s the children of famous Broadway composers and lyricists, remembering what their noteworthy parents’ creative processes were like — growing up hearing Dad tinkle out future Broadway hit songs on the piano in his home office.

There’s a strong feeling of sitting around a cozy living room, listening to Broadway legends tell their personal little stories in this volume. Originally published in 1998, and re-printed in 2004, It Happened on Broadway captures the history of Broadway from the earliest days of vaudeville and Tin Pan Alley, up through the mid-1980s. This volume is definitely oriented towards readers who have at least a passing knowledge of Broadway’s movers and shakers in the mid-20th century. Fortunately, it also includes a Who’s Who index at the front of the book, giving nutshell biographies of all the folks who are quoted throughout the book. The oral history recollections are then broken into thematic sections, including: “Broadway Calling” (break-in stories), “Look, Look, Look Who’s Dancin’ Now”, “The X Factor” (what makes certain performers unique), “That’s the Craft” (behind-the-scenes lore from the folks whose hard work allows the actors to shine), and so much more.

This is a marvelous historical volume. My only complaint is that it ends with the 1980s — Broadway, in many ways, has re-created itself in the past 3 decades, and it would have been nice, especially in the 2004 reprint edition that I read, to share more recent stories. Otherwise, this is marvelous fun and I highly recommend it. Rather than a dry and studious volume on theatrical trends, this is a collection of memories from the folks who actually put on the shows…and the love they have for the business of the theatre shines through!

[ official It Happened on Broadway web site ] | [ page dedicated to The Frommers at Dartmouth ]

 

Recommended by Scott C.
Bennett Martin Public Library

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The Last Battle by C.S. Lewis

The Last Battle
by C.S. Lewis [j Lewis] 

Undeniably the last in the Narnia series as it’s the last published and the last chronologically. After reading it I can’t disagree; unlike some others in the series I strongly recommend you read all the others before this one. It begins in Narnia with a gorilla named Shift and a donkey named Puzzle who comes across a lion skin and Shift decides to dress Puzzle in it and pretend he’s Aslan so people will do what they say. Puzzle doesn’t like it at all but is very weak willed and goes along with it. Things get rather out of hand pretty quickly and word spreads that Aslan is back in Narnia. As he hasn’t been seen in so long others believe the clumsy disguise. The present king of Narnia, Tirian, is alerted to the situation and terrible things begin to happen. Tirian calls out for help and the two English children from the last book (The Silver Chair) arrive in Narnia to aid him in the final battle. There are more surprises and more characters from previous books that appear in the middle and end of the book that I don’t want to reveal. This book was much less subtle about religious overtones and themes than others in the series and has bittersweet ending. I feel like the whole series wraps up nicely and no one we cared for before is forgotten about, which I liked. I really recommend the book and the series if you want to read some classic fantasy stories, maybe looking for familiar tropes that originated here.

[ official The Last Battle page on the official C.S. Lewis web site ]

Recommended by Kristen A.
Gere Branch Library

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Music Book Review: Legends, Icons & Rebels by Robbie Robertson and others

Legends, Icons & Rebels
by Robbie Robertson and others [j781.66 Rob]


This is a marvelous snapshot of Rock n’ Roll music history, and I’m surprised to find it only in the libraries’ “youth” collection! I’d read a glowing review of this book, and therefore wanted to give it a try myself. Legends, Icons & Rebels focuses on 25 different individuals, and 2 groups, that the editors consider to be the most influential in the early years of the evolving popular music culture. Each performer/group gets four pages in this oversized “coffee table” book. The first two pages are a gorgeous “splash page” with the performer/group illustrated by various pop artists, and a “pull quote” from the editors. The remain two pages for each entry are a short “nutshell” overview of why that artist or group should be considered significant, and a recommended playlist of their songs. The back of the book includes two CDs that collect a single “groundbreaking” song from each of the profiled musicans/groups.

This book is absolutely gorgeous, and the artists being profiled as an incredible cross-section of American musical history. To highlight just a sampling of them would be unfair, so here’s a list of the individuals and groups you’ll find in this tome: Chuck Berry, Johnny Cash, Aretha Franklin, The Beatles, Louis Armstrong, Bob Marley, Buddy Holly, Joni Mitchell, Ray Charles, Elvis Presley, Curtis Mayfield, Billie Holiday, Little Richard, Hank Williams, Frank Sinatra, Marvin Gaye, Carole King, Sam Cooke, Louis Jordan, The Beach Boys, Ella Fitzgerald, James Brown, Patsy Cline, Otis Redding, Nat King Cole, Stevie Wonder and Bob Dylan.

[ publisher’s official Legends, Icons & Rebels web page ]

Recommended by Scott C.
Bennett Martin Public Library

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New reviews appear every month on the Staff Recommendations page of the BookGuide 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 reviewers recommendations!

Crooked House by Agatha Christie (on DVD)

Crooked House
based on the novel by Agatha Christie [DVD Crooked] 

This is a stylish and well-done adaptation of one of Agatha Christie’s most twisted and complex mysteries. Charles Hayward (Max Irons) is a former diplomat/spy, who’s retired and taken up private investigation. He is called in try to determine who could have poisoned the ruthless head of a wealthy and powerful family. Hayward has to negotiate hazardous waters in his investigation, as numerous family members and associates all have deadly motives for wanting the victim dead, and Hayward actually has connections to some of them

This is a marvelous cast, including such noteworthy actors as Glenn Close, Christina Hendricks, Terrance Stamp, Julian Sands and Gillian Anderson. The production design (sets, costume, hair, makeup, etc.) is superb, and director Giles Paquet-Brenner keeps the pacing sharp and the tension high. Casual fans of the mysteries of Agatha Christie may think only of Hercule Poirot and Miss Marple, when they hear Christie’s name. But Dame Agatha also had a large number of stand-alone mystery/thriller volume, and Crooked House is among the better of those. If you haven’t sampled one of Christie’s non-series volume, I highly recommend this film.

[If you enjoy this, you may also wish to try the recent Christie adaptations Murder on the Orient Express, And Then There Were None or Witness For the Prosecution]

[Also available in traditional print format.]

[ Internet Movie Database entry for this film ]

Recommended by Scott C.
Bennett Martin Public Library

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 reviewers recommendations!

Red Sonja Worlds Away, Volume 2 by Amy Chu (via Hoopla Digital)

Red Sonja Worlds Away, Volume 2
by Amy Chu [Hoopla Digital] 

This graphic novel is volume two of Dynamite’s Red Sonja volume four (titled Worlds Away) and includes issues seven to eleven. If you are going to read this you really should read issues 1-6 first as it’ll be confusing if you don’t. In the previous book Sonja befriends a NYC police officer who gets transported somewhere during the last few pages. Sonja and her new modern day friends set off on a road trip to find him. It was a road trip that felt like a road trip because I kept asking myself if they were there yet; it should not take six issues to travel from NYC to California, even side tracking to take down a gang, which they do. I thought it was OK in the last book having Sonja in the modern day, but the story just drags and involves so many modern settings, sub plots, characters and dialog, that I don’t care for at all. It got very irritating after a while as I just wanted her to go back home, change out the yoga pants and use her sword again. You may like it if you haven’t read Red Sonja before, but like Dr. Who and time travel stories, but if you like Red Sonja as a barbarian by Dynamite or especially by Marvel Comics (from the 70s and 80s), then I just can’t recommend this at all.

[If you like this you might like Legendary, by Bill Willingham. It also stars Red Sonja, with other characters, in a world not their own – a steampunk one. I reviewed it a while ago and like this I didn’t care for it, but it reminds me of this one as they are set outside the character’s normal worlds.]

[ official Amy Chu web site ]

Recommended by Kristen A.
Gere Branch Library

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 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 reviewers recommendations!

Red Sonja Worlds Away, Volume 1 by Amy Chu (via Hoopla Digital)

Red Sonja Worlds Away, Volume 1
by Amy Chu [Hoopla Digital] 

This graphic novel is the beginning of Dynamite’s Red Sonja volume four. In the first few issues Red Sonja, barbarian from fantasy times past, is in battle with a sorcerer named Kulan Gath. During the battle she is transported to modern day NYC, meets and befriends a cop, makes some other friends and has a face off again with Kulan Gath, who also had been transported to NYC, although quite a while earlier. At first I really liked it as a fish out of water story. They even had her speaking in Hyrcanian rather than English, so there were language barriers amidst the multiple Sonja versus authority encounters. I thought it was neat that through this language barrier she finds a police officer who can understand and talk to her in Hyrcanian. We later find out that he too was transported (as a very young child) to NYC from Sonja’s world and while he can’t remember this, he does remember his birth parents and their language. They team up and have no problem finding Gath has he’s a multimillionaire whose name everyone knows. While I liked the idea here and the early issues did get me hooked on the story, it started to drag on a little too much. I also didn’t like that there was a switch somewhere that Sonja could all of a sudden speak English perfectly. I understand gradually learning words and phrases, but the language barrier went out the window before this novel was over. It is in my opinion not worth re-reading, as I enjoy the older Red Sonja comics by Marvel too much, however if you have not read Red Sonja before and don’t like barbarians very well, but do like strong female leads in modern day settings, you this might be for you.

[ official Amy Chu web site ]

Recommended by Kristen A.
Gere Branch Library

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 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 reviewers recommendations!

Pet Friendly by Sue Pethick

Pet Friendly
by Sue Pethick [not currently in Lincoln City Libraries’ collection — try InterLibrary Loan] 

If you like the Hallmark Channel’s romance and light mystery movies, or the tone and devices of “Murder, She Wrote”, this short novel should appeal to you and would be a handy vacation/beach read. A combination of modern G/PG-rated romance, a non-homicidal mystery, and a lovable little dog, this story gives the male protagonist as much or more consideration as the female ‘heroine’. The basic setup involves a 30-ish game-app millionaire in ‘retirement’ who inherits a very intelligent dog and then literally stumbles upon a vacation inn from his youth, along with the woman owner who became his first love there. Throw in his self-absorbed fianceé, the tricky pooch, and a paranormal convention and let the complications ensue. This is a quick and entertaining read, although I had an issue with some of the characters’ names and the sparse treatment of some of the characters’ backgrounds. Also, the conclusion seemed rushed and was incomplete at tying up all of the dangling plot threads. Nicely, however, a bonus section at the back of the book describes the website gopetfriendly.com and gives a lot of suggestions for traveling with pets.

This title is not currently in Lincoln City Libraries’ collection but can be acquired through Interlibrary Loan in print or as an audiobook.

[If you enjoy this, you may also wish to try Unleashing Mr. Darcy, by Teri Wilson, the Chet and Bernie mystery series, by Spenser Quinn, the Pet Rescue mystery series, by Linda O. Johnston, the Animal Magnetism romance series, by Jill Shalvis or the Rescue Me romance series, by Debbie Burns.]

[ official Pet Friendly page on the official Sue Pethick web site ]

Recommended by Becky W.C.
Walt Branch Library

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 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 reviewers recommendations!

The Outsider by Stephen King

The Outsider
by Stephen King [Downloadable Audio]

I don’t consider many of Stephen King’s books to be actual “mysteries” in the technical sense, where you’re wondering throughout the story “whodunit.” But this is, indeed, a mystery. And I loved it! It had all those elements that, I believe, a good mystery should have–all the forensic details, the eliminations of suspects, and the tracking down of elements of proof, etc. Sometimes, the way those things are put together make a fabulous story, and sometimes they’re just, what I call, “meh.” I found this story to be, undoubtedly, FABULOUS!!!

Okay, I’ll admit, I’m a sucker for any Stephen King novel. I can’t help it. It’s like he’s speaking directly to me–like he sat me down and said, “Tracy, I’m going to tell you a story.” And, just like that, I’m on the edge of my seat from beginning to end! This book was no different, despite the fact that I’m not typically a lover of mysteries. (It’s not that I don’t like them–it’s just that I don’t seek them out to read, and I’m a little picky about the authors.)

This book DOES have an added bonus, which I won’t spoil. I’ll only point out that IF you’ve read the Mr. Mercedes series, you’ll be in for a surprise. (On the other hand, if you haven’t read that series, the book stands alone quite well.)

I’d give this book three or four thumbs up if I could; but since I only have two, I’ll give it two thumbs up!

[If you enjoy this, you may also wish to try Joyland, also by Stephen King.]

 

[ official The Outsider page on the official Stephen King web site ]

Recommended by Tracy T.
Bennett Martin Public Library

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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 reviewers recommendations!

Uncommon Type: Some Stories by Tom Hank (on CD)

Uncommon Type
by Tom Hanks [Compact Disc Hanks] 

I think I may hate Tom Hanks now. He truly is a renaissance man, with the golden touch — it seems that everything he tries, he’s successful at. I still remember him starring with Peter Scolari in the sitcom Bosom Buddies in 1980-1982, as an outrageous and desperate young advertising man who had to cross-dress in order to secure a room in a woman’s boarding house. Since then, he’s gone on to win multiple Oscars (Forrest Gump, Philadelphia) and Emmys (for producing mini-series and others), as well as dozens of other awards for his acting, voice work, producing and screenwriting. Now…he’s put out his first volume of fiction — a short story collection, including 17 stories, all featuring typewriters in one way or another (Hanks is enamored of these old-fashioned writing implements, and has an extensive collection of these classic machines). The typewriters may be integral to the plot of the story, such as in “These Are the Meditations of My Heart”, in which a young woman recovering from a break-up decides to buy a typewriter to put her thoughts down on paper but the shop owner has to match her up with the perfect machine just for her. But the typewriter element may also be very tangential to the plot of some stories. There are four stories told as folksy newspaper columns from a small town columnist who’s resisting the march of progress — these are perhaps the least successful entries in the collection. And there are three interlinked stories featuring the same group of young friends and their quirky adventures — these are perhaps the most fanciful of the stories included. The tone ranges from light and fluffy to dark and introspective, and the writing style runs the gamut from “newspaper column” to traditional prose fiction to press release to screenplay format.

Hanks does a good job of creating quirky characters, but none of them are particularly deep. In many cases, I felt like I was just scratching the surface of the character(s) in several of the stories, and they could easily have been expanded into novellas or novels. And other stories are just perfect at the length they are presented. Overall, this is a very enjoyable collection, and I particularly recommend it in the audiobook format, where Hanks reads his own stories. For the audiobook, Hanks convinced a bunch of his actor friends to help him read one of the longer pieces in the collection — the one written in screenplay format — which is an added treat.

[ publisher’s official Uncommon Type web page ] | [ official Tom Hanks Twitter account ]

Recommended by Scott C.
Bennett Martin Public Library

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 reviewers recommendations!

The Late Show by Michael Connelly (on CD)

The Late Show
by Michael Connelly [Compact Disc Connelly] 

In 2017, author Michael Connelly launched a new series, featuring L.A.P.D. detective Renee Ballard, ostracized from many of her co-workers after a failed sexual-harassment suit, and assigned to the Hollywood bureau’s late shift (a.k.a. The Late show). Connelly is best known for his 20+ novels featuring L.A. detective Harry Bosch (also adapted into a streaming TV series from Amazon Prime), and Bosch’s half-brother, the “Lincoln Lawyer”, Mickey Haller. Connelly loves telling stories focusing on police work, but Bosch had aged enough that he was no longer with the police department, so Connelly needed to create a new police character he could tell stories with. And in Renee Ballard, he’s created a winner — a strong-willed, highly competent and extremely motivated officer. In The Late Show, several seemingly unrelated incidents from one night on the late shift all stick in Ballard’s mind, and she can’t let go of any of them, working various angles to see if she can create viable cases. In the process, she comes up against: an ex-partner who let her down, institutionalized bias, bureaucratic red tape, societal homephobia, and a psychopath with a penchant for physical violence.

I absolutely loved The Late Show, which the libraries’ Just Desserts mystery fiction discussion group read for our January 2018 discussion. Ballard is a dynamic and compelling character, who holds her own in a male-dominated field. One thing that many readers were wondering about was how soon it would be before Connelly would cross Ballard over with either of his other continuing characters. The answer: Not long, as a Renee Ballard & Harry Bosch crossover novel – Dark Sacred Night – is scheduled for release this October!

[If you enjoy this, you may also wish to try pretty much anything else written by Michael Connelly!]

[ official The Late Show page on the official Michael Connelly web site ]

Recommended by Scott C.
Bennett Martin Public Library

Don't miss tonight's monthly Just Desserts book discussion group meeting -- we may not be discussing Michael Connelly, but you'll still pick up some great reading ideas, if you're a mystery fan. The book actually being discussed tonight will be Robicheaux by James Lee Burke, followed by a "round robin" in which all attendees can mentioned what other mysteries they've been reading lately that they'd like to recommend!

 

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 reviewers recommendations!

Beartown by Fredrik Backman (on CD) + One Book discussion tonight!

Beartown
by Fredrik Backman [Compact Disc Backman]

Beartown is the first of this year’s One Book – One Lincoln finalists that I had the chance to read, or in this case, listen to, as I enjoyed the Book-on-CD version of Fredrik Backman’s novel. Though set in the author’s native Sweden, this felt like it could’ve been any small northern U.S. or Canadian town. Beartown is a community that is hockey obsessed. The entire community relies, in one way or another, on the industry of hockey, and the young men who play on either the “junior” team or the “A” team hold exalted positions within Beartown society. The events and perspective of the novel Beartown rotate among a wide variety of characters throughout Beartown’s community, from the young players, the groupies, the local businessmen sponsoring the team, and the coaches and managers, to the families of the players, the also-rans that never quite succeeded, and the folks who just don’t “get” why hockey is so important.

The characters are all well drawn and defined. I particularly enjoyed following players Benji, Bobo and Amat, as well as the various coaches, sponsors and colorful residents of Beartown. The main plot of the novel hinges on an incident in which the star player of the junior team rapes one of the girls in his class, who just happens to be the daughter of the hockey club’s general manager. This sets up a battle of morals, ethics, partisanship and community survival that is actually painful to observe.
The audiobook adaptation, narrated by Marin Ireland, was extremely well-done, and I strongly recommend this version of the story, if you’re a fan of audiobooks. Of the three things I’ve read or sampled by Backman, each has had a completely different style/tone. This is the darkest I’ve seen from him so far. For those who like this, I’m pleased to see that Us Against You, a sequel to Beartown, came out the first week of June!

[ publisher’s official Beartown web page ] | [ official English-language Fredrik Backman web site ]

Recommended by Scott C.
Bennett Martin Public Library

Don't miss tonight's One Book - One Lincoln Discussion of Beartown at the Francie & Finch bookstore in downtown Lincoln, 6:00-7:00 p.m.! Join fellow fans to discuss this specific One Book finalist!

 

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 reviewers recommendations!