BOOKS, MOVIES & MUSIC

Staff Recommends

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Recommendation for the Week of July 26, 2010

Labor Day
by: Maynard, Joyce
FIC MAY

The newspaper headline reads Police Intensify Search for Prisoner on the Lam. Now put yourself in the shoes of lonely, 13-year-old Henry and his troubled mother, Adele. Summer has consisted of day after day of monotony. Television, solitaire and word puzzles have left a lot of time for speculation about girls and sex for Henry. As the end of summer nears, Henry and Adele venture out on a rare shopping trip for new school clothes. At the store, a man wearing a uniform approaches Henry, who observes that 'blood soaked through his pants leg.' On the way home, sitting beside his mother with Frank in the back seat, Henry senses that life is about to change. Author Joyce Maynard spins a story of high anxiety and suspense. You will find yourself holding your breath and wavering: Who is the true victim in this tale, Henry, Adele or Frank?

- recommended by Jeanine Fox, Fountain Square Branch

Recommendation for the Week of July 19, 2010

Slamming Open the Door
by: Bonanno, Kathleen Sheeder
811.6 BON

The title of this slim book of poetry is taken from the first poem, 'Death Barged In.' And his arrival upends everything for the family of Leidy, nicknamed Ladybug, a young nursing school graduate. Bonanno writes with wrenching clarity about the murder of her daughter. From the first shock of realization through the trial of the young man responsible, the author documents with unflinching precision each step on a journey that no parent expects to take.

In 'Confessions,' Bonanno recalls her own shortcomings with brutal honesty: 'Don’t pity me: / I was too lazy to walk / up the stairs / to tuck her in at night.' Bonanno stares both death and her daughter’s killer in the eye and does not blink. With the passage of time she wrests art from the experience. This book is a hard read but I think you will be glad you did not avert your eyes

- recommended by Sue Kennedy, Irvington/East Washington Libraries

Recommendation for the Week of July 12, 2010

Ultimate Field Guide to Photography
by: Bob Martin, et al.
770 ULT 2009

In this digital camera era, it seems there are just as many books about digital photography as there are brands and models of digital cameras. However, not many books can cover everything from terminology to equipment to digital editing to advice from top professionals. When it comes to pros in the field, National Geographic’s photographers certainly come to mind. They have a collective knowledge that spans from film to digital techniques. In this volume compiled and published by the National Geographic Society, they share information that is useful to novice and veteran shutterbugs alike. Profiles and mini portfolios of the photographers are included throughout. Whether you have a point-and-shoot or a DSLR, you can find the answers to your questions in the clearly organized chapters, plus learn something you didn’t know.

- recommended by Andrea Glenn, Southport Branch

Recommendation for the Week of July 5, 2010

Ingathering
by: Henderson, Zenna
SF HEN

A powerful audience has developed for emotionally involving (romantic in the best sense) novels about more-than-human beings. Vampires. Werewolves. Witches. These new genres have predecessors in fantasy / science-fiction prior to Ann Rice. Among the most emotionally gripping are 'the People' stories by Zenna Henderson, republished in Ingathering. Here is romantic (but alas, not erotic), sentiment, love and the larger-than-human exploits of exiles from another planet left scattered and homeless across earth. The theme in the current romances is finding one's place in love either in this-mortal-world or in a superhuman-but-alien mode - we can't be both; someone must change for love's sake. With overwhelming depth of feeling and beautiful prose, Ingathering presents us with scattered, homeless superhumans -- and their human friends -- who are 'different.' Who suffer, in agonizing isolation, that Romantic need: to be loved. Until, found by others of their kind, they find Home after all. A fantasy version of the parable of the Lost Sheep? Sure. And can it still break your heart? Yes.

- recommended by David Vaprin, Eagle Branch

Recommendation for the Week of June 28, 2010

A Complaint Free World: How to Stop Complaining and Start Enjoying the Life You Always Wanted
by: Bowen, Will
158.1 BOW

What would it be like to live in a complaint-free world? Imagine an entire day without complaints. Now multiply that by 21. That is the challenge presented in the book. Will Bowen offered this challenge to his congregation at Christ Church Unity in Kansas City; this led to a website which has involved over 6 million people worldwide in the simple yet profound concept of changing one’s speech habits to those of a more positive nature in order to affect change in one’s thoughts and subsequently in one’s circle of influence. The procedure involves moving a stretchy bracelet from left to right arm each time one verbalizes a complaint; that simple act brings about a consciousness that enables one to change habitual behavior. Eventually, the mind ceases forming critical thoughts altogether. Make it through 21 consecutive days. Change your life.

I challenge you.

- recommended by Tamara Baumgartner, Lawrence Branch

Recommendation for the Week of June 21, 2010

Florida Roadkill
by: Dorsey, Tim
FIC DOR

Madness, mayhem, murder & baseball all come together in the first novel by Tim Dorsey. The action revolves around an ensemble of down-on-their-luck characters, five million dollars, and the final game of the 1997 World Series. Some will live, some will die but all will make you laugh. Told from the point of view of Serge, a criminally insane trivia buff who refuses to take his medications, and his partner Colemen who loves cartoons and cocaine, the novel takes the reader through some of the funniest murder scenes ever written including death by Barbie doll, Levi’s jeans and the Space Shuttle. It also takes the reader through many hilarious situations not found in the average mystery. You are in for a wild ride through Florida with Florida Roadkill.

- recommended by Judy Clem, Nora Branch

Recommendation for the Week of June 14, 2010

Strange Maps: An Atlas of Cartographic Curiosities
by: Jacobs, Frank
912 JAC

Have you heard the story about the Amazon women and the Island of California? How about the movement in 2004 to break the United States into sixteen nations? Or the country of Carpatho-Ukraine that lasted 24 hours? These are a few of the various maps and their explanations that are presented in this book. Jacobs states that, 'This is the most improbable, incomplete and incorrect atlas you’re ever likely to hold in your hands' but it is also one of the most interesting. There are maps that are humorous and others that make you think. Some look like pie charts and others that look like people. One of the most interesting is a map that looks like a mass transit grid but in reality is Itineraries into Eternity, on which all of the major religions of the world are diagramed from the beginning of existence through the end of time. All the maps are in color with excellent explanations of why they exist and why they were included in this book. It is the amazing breadth of subjects that are covered which makes the book really satisfying to browse.

- recommended by Lygia Bischoff, Pike Branch

Recommendation for the Week of June 7, 2010

Full Moon Rising
by: Arthur, Keri
FIC ART

Author Keri Arthur has created a wonderfully fast paced world full of humans and nonhumans in her Riley Jenson, Guardian series. In her first installment, Full Moon Rising, we meet Riley Jenson and her twin brother, Rhoan. Riley and Rhoan are unique in that they are part vampire, and part werewolf. Their werewolf/vampire skills prove very useful in their work for Melbourne’s Directorate of Other Races. When Rhoan is kidnapped, Riley must move beyond her job as a personal assistant for the Directorate and realize that, no matter how much she tries to resist, she herself is destined to become a guardian. During her search for Rhoan, Riley teams up with Quinn, a vampire who could be part of her future if he can only move beyond his distrust of werewolves. Readers who enjoy the paranormal romance writings of Laurell K. Hamilton (Anita Blake series) as well as Charlaine Harris (Sookie Stackhouse) will enjoy the Guardian series and the intricate life of Riley Jenson.

- recommended by Aimee Bittle, Shelby Branch

Recommendation for the Week of May 31, 2010

The Anatomist: A True Story of Gray’s Anatomy
by: Hayes, Bill
B Gray, Henry HAY

Gray’s Anatomy, first published in 1858, is a familiar title to many. But how many of us know anything about the Gray who produced this classic? Henry Gray began his medical studies in 1845 in London, achieving early recognition for his skills in dissection and research. During the course of his studies, he recognized the need for a textbook with detailed drawings, and found the perfect illustrator in his good friend Henry Carter whose artistic and beautiful anatomical drawings were instrumental to the book’s success. The relationship between the two Henrys, their interaction with other doctors and students, and the glimpse into the medical world of the mid-19th century make this a wonderful book. The experiences of the author in the dissecting room, which are interspersed throughout the book and are by turns fascinating and funny, are a real bonus for the reader.

- recommended by Lois Laube, Central Library

Recommendation for the Week of May 24, 2010

A House in Fez: Building a Life in the Ancient Heart of Morocco
by: Clarke, Suzanna
690.8 CLA

This is the story of an Australian couple who, after vacationing in Morocco, purchase a 300 year old Riad (traditional courtyard house) in Fez. The old part of Fez, the Medina, is the best preserved medieval walled city in the world, where donkeys, instead of cars, are the main means of transport. Guided by a passionate expert for traditional Riad restoration, the couple decide to restore their Riad to its original splendor using only traditional craftsmen and handmade materials. After endless searches for qualified architects, plumbers and carpenters, plus countless trips for government permits, the couple learn to maneuver through the archaic Moroccan bureaucracy.

Finally, their Riad is restored to its original splendor by local artisans, while friendships and a better understanding of Moroccan customs and culture are built. A House in Fez is a home improvement story, but also a look into another time and culture. Pictures of the house and Fez plus traditional recipes are available on the author's blog, http://riadzany.blogspot.com.

- recommended by Deborah Colter, Glendale Branch

Recommendation for the Week of May 17, 2010

Interior Desecrations: Hideous Homes from the Horrible 70's
by: Lileks, James
747 LIL

Lileks takes you on a nostalgic romp through the worst the 1970’s home decor had to offer. If you remember this decade, you may feel a shudder of recognition at the ghastly exquisite pictures of mustard yellow kitchens, green shag rugs, plaid wallpaper and lots of brown. You will laugh with delight at Lileks's witty commentary as he takes you through colorful examples of cringe-inducing living rooms, bedrooms, kitchens and more. If you’re ever down in the dumps and need cheering up, this book is guaranteed to make you laugh until you cry. Although I would be hard pressed to name my favorite book, I can honestly say that this is the funniest book I have ever read. You may also enjoy The Gallery of Regrettable Food: Highlights from Classic American Recipe Books by the same author.

- recommended by Nicole James, College Avenue Library

Recommendation for the Week of May 10, 2010

Marvel Zombies
by: Kirkman, Robert
741.5 KIR

They’re dead! They’re all dead! In Marvel’s sadistic epic, Marvel Zombies, the good guys no longer wear black; they eat red meat, including you! Marvel Zombies takes place in an alternate reality where Super Heroes are infected by a virus that turns them into the walking dead. Some are able to fight back, but only a few live on to fight for the day when some Super Heroes will survive and some will become Marvel Zombies. This horrific zombie tale will transform the Marvel Universe into something unlike whatever you have ever read before. If you’re ready to take this journey through zombie land, then step up and read this story and once you start you won’t stop until they’re all dead!

- recommended by Rodney E. Freeman, Lawrence Branch

Recommendation for the Week of May 3, 2010

Second Violin
by: Lawton, John
MYS LAW

Although the setting is England during the early years of World War II (1938-40), this story is less about war and more about regular people and how true character comes through in times of crisis. Josef Hummel, a Jewish tailor in Vienna, is attacked by fellow Austrians but befriended by a Nazi soldier. Rod Troy, member of an influential British family, was born in Vienna and thus finds himself shunted off to an internment camp where fellow prisoners include tailors, professors and a famed pianist, all of them guilty of not being official British citizens. Rod’s brother, Frederick Troy, is a detective investigating the deaths of Jewish rabbis, even as German bombers rain destruction and death down on Britain night after night. These rabbis are being killed by a Brit, not Nazis, and it soon becomes clear that many use the war as an excuse to exercise their own hatred of all those of a different race or nationality. Lawton reminds us that people are just people, regardless of their race or nationality. Second Violin is a mystery wrapped in the greater mystery of human nature.

- recommended by Cheryl Holtsclaw, West Indianapolis Branch

Recommendation for the Week of April 26, 2010

Night Navigation
by: Howard, Ginnah
FIC HOW

This powerful book is written from the alternating viewpoints of mother and son, which is why it is a novel and not a memoir. Based on real events in the author’s life, it deals with dark subjects: suicide, manic depression, drug addiction. I found the mother's struggle between involvement in her son's life and attempts to maintain independence for both of them a struggle any parent can identify with--yet how much more crucial under these circumstances. The son's voice is also perfect. The ending, though very realistic, is redemptive--depicting small victories. The title is drawn from a scene towards the end where bats invade the house, which serves as a perfect metaphor for life’s challenges. Those bats (a maternal colony) are so terrifying in the bedroom (too close); in multitudes in the attic (too overwhelming); yet so right and necessary in their nearby bat house. This is a sometimes difficult but very rewarding read.

- recommended by Joanna Wos, Lawrence Branch

Recommendation for the Week of April 19, 2010

Dangerously Funny: The Uncensored Story of the Smothers Brothers
by: Bianculli, David
791.4572 BIA

In an era before cable or PBS, and when the 'information highway' consisted of thumbing through the card catalog at your local public library, a clean-cut folk singing duo called the Smothers Brothers landed a weekly comedy/variety show on network television. The time was 1967, when CBS was looking for another in a long line of sacrificial lambs to go up against NBC’s Sunday evening ratings-hog Bonanza. The surprise outcome was a runaway hit that married a conventional variety show format to hard-hitting contemporary satire. David Bianculli’s exhaustively researched book presents the story of the Smothers Brothers Comedy Hour’s serendipitous beginnings, its armory of young, creative writers, and the now legendary censorship struggles between Tom Smothers and CBS. Bianculli skillfully reveals how, in a collision of progressive idealism versus conservative political power, and despite the comedy hour’s broad generational appeal, these ingredients culminate with the brothers being fired and the show cancelled.

- recommended by Bruce Polson, Collection Management Service Section

Recommendation for the Week of April 12, 2010

The GI Generation
by: Mathias, Frank Furlong
B Mathias F. F. MAT

In the tradition of Angela's Ashes, this wonderfully evocative book is a joyful journey back into an ordinary man's past which reveals that no one's past is really ordinary. Mathias's description of his boyhood in a small Kentucky town is a vivid microcosm of pre-World War II America. The author's affectionate parents are still wedded to their Victorian upbringing, while Frank and his young friends are treading a rocky path between the idealism of the nineteenth century and the exciting unknowns of a new era. His portraits of local characters such as incorruptible high school principal Everett Earl 'Fanny' Pfanstiel, and his own father, 'Lucky' Mathias (addicted to championship prizefights on the new Crosley radio) are both touching and hilarious. A deeply satisfying glimpse into our collective past by a gifted history professor... Highly recommended.

- recommended by Emily Talbott, Nora Branch

Recommendation for the Week of April 5, 2010

Extremely Loud and Incredibly Close
by: Foer, Jonathan Safran
FIC FOE

Opening with the honest wondering, What about a teakettle?, Jonathan Safran Foer’s second novel is told through the wonderfully imaginative stream of consciousness of Oskar Schell, an extraordinarily aware nine-year-old inventor who searches New York for the meaning of a mysterious key that belonged to his father whom he lost in the September 11 attacks. What begins as an impossible feat becomes a compellingly layered story that reaches back to Oskar’s grandparents, deeply affected by the WWII bombings of Dresden. In addition to Foer’s quirky yet sensitive prose, there are occasional pages filled with photographs, images of handwritten inscriptions, illegibly overtyped text and passages proofmarked with red ink, all leading up to Foer’s beautiful finale. Innovative and refreshing, Extremely Loud and Incredibly Close should not be overlooked. The combination of a brilliant child protagonist and the poignant, real-life truths he realizes makes Foer’s engaging novel unforgettable.

- recommended by Leigh Sullan, Infozone at the Children's Museum

Recommendation for the Week of March 29, 2010

What Color Is Your Brain?: A Fun and Fascinating Approach to Understanding Yourself and Others
by: Glazov, Sheila
155.264 GLA

Did you know that George Washington and Colin Powell are yellow brainers, but Bill Clinton and Lee Iacocca are orange brainers? Curious about the color of your own brain? Wonder why you cringe when you see a certain person, but can’t wait to see another? This book can help you! Just take a simple quiz to determine your personality type or 'brain color,' which could be blue, green, yellow, or orange. It is a Myers-Briggs type indicator, but uses only four colors (instead of sixteen categories!) so it is easy to understand. The book includes chapters on how your brain color is viewed by others and how to get along with other brain colors at home and at work. Once you have read this book you’ll be able to easily identify the brain color of all the people in your life. What Color Is Your Brain is not only informative, it’s a fun read as well.

- recommended by Jill Wetnight, Franklin Road Branch

Recommendation for the Week of March 22, 2010

Undress Me in the Temple of Heaven
by: Gilman, Susan Jane
915.104 GIL

Thought you had been on some exotic travel adventures? Not like these two Brown University graduates. At three in the morning, Claire and Suzy devise a plan to travel the world from the placemats at an International House of Pancakes. It seems like a great idea when graduate school or work are their other options.

Travel novices who have never been out of the States, they decide to forgo the typical Europe 101 trip and fly directly to Shanghai. The year is 1986 and they make a pledge to travel like locals and not as tourists, even though China has been open only a short time to independent travelers.

Along the way they meet many helpful people but still find themselves way out of their comfort zone. Hints are given that Claire’s mental health is deteriorating from more than just travel overload. Her condition worsens and the narrative quickens as the need to return to the States becomes imperative.

- recommended by Deborah Colter, Glendale Branch

Recommendation for the Week of March 15, 2010

Plenty Enough Suck to Go Around
by: Wagner, Cheryl
976.335 WAG

Cheryl Wagner is a freelance writer who contributes regularly to NPR’s This American Life. Her epic struggle to rebuild her life and her home in the flooded Mid-City neighborhood of post-Katrina New Orleans is the topic of her first book, Plenty Enough Suck to Go Around. And what a book it is, even for those who may have read all they ever want to read about Katrina and its aftermath. Wagner has that rare ability to tell her story in a way that makes you laugh and cry all at the same time. She has a real genius for describing the surreal quality of life in post-Katrina New Orleans outside the neighborhoods familiar to tourists. Her stories of cleaning up the muck, rebuilding her home, her relationships with her elderly basset hounds and indie-band boyfriend, and the bureaucratic red tape she encounters as the city struggles back to life make for a compelling and bittersweet tale.

- recommended by Joan Harvey, Central Library

Recommendation for the Week of March 8, 2010

Gentlemen of the Road
by: Chabon, Michael
FIC CHA

The gentlemen in question are Zelikman and Amram, two wandering thieves/soldiers/conmen/friends making their way across 10th century Central Asia in search of money and whatever adventure presents itself. And what adventures they find! Becoming the caretakers of a young boy intent on avenging his family’s murders, Zelikman and Amram are thrust into a civil war complete with Vikings, swordfights, daring rescues, and murderous elephants. Mixed into this swashbuckling tale are small stories of love and grieffor family, for heritage, even for hats. Author Chabon recreates a world of long-dead empires and mysterious traditions that few today have heard of, and employs a turn of phrase that would make Scheherazade proud. Even the chapter titles, such as 'On Anxieties Arising from the Impermissibility, However Unreasonable, of an Elephant’s Rounding Out a Prayer Quorum,' are fun to read and bring to mind the writing of a fine old Victorian adventure tale.

- recommended by Ellen Flexman, East 38th Street Branch

Recommendation for the Week of March 1, 2010

Murder in Mayberry: Greed, Death and Mayhem in a Small Town
by: Branson, Mary Kinney & Jack
364.1523 BRA

Having grown up in the small town of Madisonville, Ky. where this book takes place, and having my parents still living there to have given me the blow by blow details as this true life story unfolded, it was interesting to now go back and read an insider's view of this sordid tale. Ann Branson, millionaire businesswoman, was bludgeoned and knifed to death in her home one January evening. Four years later, her murderer was finally brought to trial. In the pages of this book, you’ll read not only the details of the detective work involved in tracking down her killer and the efforts of the TV show 'America’s Most Wanted' to record and bring to justice the escaped suspect, but also the anguish and grief of the family members who mourn the loss of a favorite aunt while others deny and actually commit crimes themselves to help hide and support her murderer. An interesting read straight out of the headlines.

- recommended by Suzy Heilman, Franklin Road Branch

Recommendation for the Week of February 22, 2010

Skeleton Hill
by: Lovesey, Peter
MYS LOV

This is an intricately plotted police procedural with touches of black humor. At an English civil war reenactment (Roundheads vs Caviliers) two reenactors discover a bone under a felled oak tree. Thinking it’s a bone from the civil war, they rebury it. Later the bone is turned over to the police by the owner of a dog who has dug it back up. Forensics proves the bone is not from the Civil War era. Once the rest of the headless skeleton is dug up, it is discovered to be the body is of a young woman who has been probably been dead for 20 years. Detective Peter Diamond must also solve the murder of the fresh corpse of the college professor who orginally found the bone. To solve the crime Diamond has to be politically adroit and must defend his right to work both cases.

- recommended by Debbie Overshiner, Eagle Branch

Recommendation for the Week of February 15, 2010

The Lost City of Z: A Tale of Deadly Obsession in the Amazon
by: Grann, David
918.11 GRA

What could compel someone to repeatedly enter a place so inhospitable it was called 'Green Hell' by early explorers? Could the legend of El Dorado still hold a fatal allure to this day? The author attempts to answer these questions as he traces the life and disappearance of Colonel Percy Fawcett.

Among the first modern explorers to venture into the unmapped vastness of the Amazon, Fawcett repeatedly faced incredible dangers and privations. Hunger, disease, insects and animals made life miserable. Attacks by Indians were a constant threat. But Fawcett somehow convinced himself that an incredible lost city lay hidden in the jungle, just waiting for someone determined enough to discover it.

Fawcett defied the odds by making repeated expeditions until he too succumbed to the jungle and simply vanished. It is estimated that over one hundred people have died or disappeared trying to find Fawcett and his city. This is a gripping account of how an experienced and educated man could develop such a strong obsession that he was willing to die attempting to fulfill it.

- recommended by Mark Kincaid, Decatur Branch