Newly acquired this May, for your listening pleasure, the following CDs are either on the shelf, or available for you to reserve:
Silken Prey, by John Stanford
Miss Julia Stirs Up Trouble, by Ann B. Ross
Dead Ever After, by Charlaine Harris
Bunker Hill, by Nathaniel Philbrick
A Delicate Truth, by John Le Carre
Shattered Trident, by Larry Bond
Inferno, by Dan Brown
Best Kept Secret, by Jeffrey Archer
The Hit, by David Baldacci
12th of Never, by James Patterson
Each year the Reference & Users Services Section of the American Library Association highlights outstanding genre fiction in eight categories in “The Reading List.”
Today’s genre is “Historical Fiction.” Find the winner, the runners-up, and some suggested “Read-alikes” below:
HISTORICAL FICTION
Bring Up the Bodies by Hilary Mantel — Ambitious royal advisor Thomas Cromwell is at the pinnacle of his power and uses it to subtly engineer the downfall of his enemies, including the Queen, Anne Boleyn, and her inner circle. This intricately plotted character study presents a fresh perspective on the ever popular Tudor Court.
Read-alikes
Mary, the Queen of Scots, and the Murder of Lord Darnley by Alison Weir
A Man for All Seasons by Robert Bolt
I, Claudius by Robert Graves
Runners-Up
Sarah Thornhill by Kate Grenville
The Song of Achilles by Madeline Miller
Sutton by J. R. Moehringer
The Cove by Ron Rash
Each year the Reference & Users Services Section of the American Library Association highlights outstanding genre fiction in eight categories in “The Reading List.”
The first genre is “Adrenaline” consisting of suspense, thrillers and action adventures. Here is the winner, the runners-up, and some suggested “Read-alikes”:
“Gone Girl” by Gillian Flynn
It’s her fifth wedding anniversary: where’s Amy? Assumptions are dangerous in this chilling psychological thriller. The dark and twisty plot, unbearable levels of tension, and merciless pacing will rivet readers.
Read-alikes
“The Talented Mr. Ripley” by Patricia Highsmith
“Before I Go to Sleep” by SJ Watson
“Defending Jacob” by William Landay
Short List
“The Fear Artist” by Timothy Hallinan
“Into The Darkest Corner” by Elizabeth Haynes
“The Survivor” by Gregg Hurwitz
“The Inquisitor” by Mark Allen Smith
Look for Fantasy; Historical Fiction; Horror; Mystery; Romance; Science Fiction; and Women’s Fiction in upcoming posts!
Each month the library receives a new foreign or indie film through our subscription to Film Movement. These are first-run, award-winning independent films. April’s selection is Clandestine Childhood, an Argentinian film directed by Benjamin Avila.
“Argentina, 1979. after years of exile, 12 year old Juan and his family return to Argentina under fake identities. Juan’s parents are Montoneros guerrillas who are being tracked down relentlessly by the Military Junta that rules the country. However, Juan’s daily life is also full of warmth and humor. His friends at school and the girl he has a big crush on, Maria, know him as Ernesto, a name he must not forget, since his family’s survival is at stake. Juan follows all his parents’ rules until one day he is told that they need to leave immediately with no explanation.”
In Spanish, with English subtitles. 110 minutes. Now available at your library!
I was when I read this poem. It recently helped me come to terms with, and accept, some bad news. You can hear the sacred poetry of Rumi read aloud by guest speaker Jessica Morris, medication practitioner, teach and amateur poet this Wednesday, April 10 at 1 PM at the library. The reading takes place in the library’s Young Adult area, and refreshments will be provided by the library. April is National Poetry Month — celebrate at the library!
The Guest House
This being human is a guest house.
Every morning a new arrival.
A joy, a depression, a meanness,
some momentary awareness comes
as an unexpected visitor.
Welcome and entertain them all!
Even if they are a crowd of sorrows,
who violently sweep your house
empty of its furniture,
still, treat each guest honorably.
He may be clearing you out
for some new delight.
The dark thought, the shame, the malice,
meet them at the door laughing and invite them in.
Be grateful for whatever comes
because each has been sent
as a guide from beyond.
–Jelaluddin Rumi
translation by Coleman Barks
ARGO (2012) directed by, and starring Ben Affleck, and winner of Best Picture of the Year Academy Award. Based on real events, the dramatic thriller “Argo” chronicles the life-or-death covert operation to rescue six Americans, which unfolded behind the scenes of the Iran hostage crisis.
THE MASTER (2012) starring Jaoquin Phoenix, Phillip Seymour Hoffman and Amy Adams. Haunted by his past, WW-II veteran and drifter Freddie Quell crosses paths with a mysterious movement led by The Master and his wife.
ANNA KARENINA (2012) starring Kiera Knightly and Jude Law. A new version of Leo Tolstoy’s epic love story. The passionate affair of Anna, the wife of one of imperial Russian’s most esteemed men, shocks the nation and changes the lives of everyone around her.
I’ve always loved ginger ale — the pretty pale color, the bubbles — until one day recently when I was sitting at the table enjoying a glass and happened to read the ingredients label. The second ingredient, after club sode, was the dreaded high fructose corn syrup. I make an effort to avoid this (ubiquitous) ingredient, so I knew I would no longer enjoy the bottled varieties available at the supermarket.
I found a great recipe for homemade ginger ale in the October 2012 issue of Bon Appetit magazine. I share it with you here:
Combine 1/2 cup honey, 1/2 cup sliced peeled ginger, and 1/2 cup water in a small saucepan. Bring to a simmer over medium heat and cook, stirring occasionally, until flavors meld, about 15 minutes. Remove from heat and let cool. Then strain the syrup into a large pitcher. Add 4 cups club soda, fresh mint, and ice. Stir gently. Makes four 8 oz. servings.
And isn’t homemade always better than store bought?
Bon Appetit is just one of the many magazine available for your enjoyment at the library. Current issues are available to read in house. Older issues can be borrowed to enjoy at home.
From time to time I’ll list here good film that weren’t exactly blockbusters, but that are worth your time if you like films that are slightly quirky, as I do!
Carnage, directed by Roman Polanski (2011, rated R) features two pairs of parents who hold a “cordial” meeting after their sons are involved in a fight. As their time together progresses, increasingly childish behavior throws the evening into chaos. Starring Jodie Foster, Kate Winslet, Christopher Waltz and John C. Reilly.
Beginners, directed by Mike Mills (2012, rated R), stars Ewan McGregor, Christopher Plummer and Melanie Laurent. A young man is rocked by two announcements from his elderly father: that he has terminal cancer, and that he has a young male lover.
Jane Austen’s character, Mr. Darcy, is 200 years old today, and still going strong. Women everywhere still swoon at the mere mention of his name. Who would not be captivated by the man who declares “In vain I have struggled. It will not do. My feelings will not be repressed…You must allow me to tell you how ardently I admire and love you” or “you have bewitched me, body and soul, and I love… I love… I love you. And I never wish to be parted from you from this day on,” as Mr. Darcy says to Elizabeth near the end of Pride and Prejudice?
Whether you have conjured up your image of Mr. Darcy after reading the book, or hold the actor Lawrence Olivier, Peter Cushing, Colin Firth or Matthew McFadyen in mind (among others) — Fitzwilliam Darcy remains an intriguing, beguiling gorgeous, charming, wealthy, titled hero for the ages, and Austen’s classic comedy of manners among the 19th Century English gentry is still read, dissected, discussed and adored by many.
As for me, my Mr. Darcy will always be Colin Firth!
Booklist is the review journal of the American Library Association. The Adult Book editors have selected the following titles as “representative of the year’s outstanding books for public library collections.” Their scope has been “intentionally broad…combining literary, intellectual and aesthetic excellence with popular appeal.”
FICTION selections:
Angelmaker by Nick Harkaway
Arcadia by Lauren Groff
Astray by Emma Donoghue
The Bartender’s Tale by Ivan Doig
Beautiful Ruins by Jess Walter
The Beginner’s Goodbye by Anne Tyler
Billy Lynn’s Long Halftime Walk by Ben Fountain
Bring Up the Bodies by Hilary Mantel
By Blood by Ellen Ullman
The Cove by Ron Rash
Dear Life by Alice Munro
The Dream of the Celt by Mario Vargas Llosa
Flight Behavior by Barbara Kingsolver
Gods without Men by Hari Kunzru
Home by Toni Morrison
In One Person by John Irving
The Lower River by Paul Theroux
The Round House by Louise Erdrich
Skagboys by Irvine Welsh
Sutton by J. R. Moehringer
Sweet Tooth by Ian McEwan
Telegraph Avenue by Michael Chabon
The Testament of Mary by Colm Toibin
That’s Not a Feeling by Dan Josefson
This is How You Lose Her by Junot Diaz
True Believers by Kurt Andersen
The Unlikely Pilgrimage of Harold Fry by Rachel Joyce
(Next blog post will contain NONFICTION selections.)