Last year, the New York Times, in a partnership with the American Library Association, and the Carnegie Corporation, presented the I Love My Librarian award for the first time. 10 librarians from across the states won the award, and the Times is doing it again! Check out the link below for more details.
Thursday, August 20, 2009
Tuesday, August 18, 2009
Outside of a Dog, #60
"Outside of a dog, a book is man's best friend. Inside of a dog, it's too dark to read." - Groucho Marx.
Here at the Civic Center Library, we have a few regular patrons who love to read biographies. The most popular and juicy ones, of course, are famous film stars! Here’s a few of our favorite classic film stars’ biographies:
It’s Only a Movie: Alfred Hitchcock, a personal biography – Charlotte Chandler
Most anyone who’s seen the silhouette and heard the creepy tinkling piano music knows who Alfred Hitchcock was, and they know to expect suspense, murder, and mystery along the way. Here, biographer Chandler interviews many colleagues and family members to try to learn what no one seemed to know about the venerable director.
Bio Hitchcock WMB
Psycho [DVD] – Anthony Perkins, Janet Leigh
Possibly Hitchcock’s most famously terrifying movie. When it was released in 1960, Hitchcock refused to allow theatergoers late admission!
DVD Fic Bloch WCV
DVD P14 WAM
Audrey Hepburn: an elegant spirit – Sean Ferrer Hepburn
As characters Eliza Doolittle and Holly Golightly, Hepburn made a mark on the world as a gorgeous, classy film star. In this recent biography, her son writes about his remembrance of the actress.
Bio Hepburn WCV
Biog Hepburn WAM
Roman Holiday [DVD] – Audrey Hepburn, Gregory Peck, Eddie Albert
Of course you recognize the little black dress of Holly Golightly, and the intricately beaded white gown from My Fair Lady; but do you remember seeing Audrey Hepburn as Princess Ann? In her first movie, she plays a princess who sneaks away from her duties for a few days, just to see how the other half lives. Handsome co-star Gregory Peck plays a shrewd gambler working for a news service in Rome; will he keep Ann’s secret?
DVD 791.43 Roman WCV
Marilyn Monroe – Barbara Leaming
In contrast to other biographies of the famous and torrid leading lady, Leaming’s effort paints Monroe as a more sympathetic figure. She includes private love letters from some of Marilyn’s family, husbands, and lovers, as well as interviews the famous and not so famous companions Monroe kept.
Bio Monroe WDB
The Misfits [DVD] – Marilyn Monroe, Clark Gable, Montgomery Clift
One of Monroe’s last films, here she plays a divorcee on a Nevada ranch. She meets up with neighbors who fall in love with her, and things get a little wild.
DVD Misfits WAM
Golden Boy: the untold story of William Holden – Bob Thomas
William Holden acted in a number of famous films like Sunset Boulevard and Stalag 17, even while serving with the Air Force during World War II. This book is a heartfelt tribute to the actor, who eventually died of a fall in his apartment when he was 63.
Bio Holden WCV
Sabrina [DVD] – Humphrey Bogart, Audrey Hepburn, William Holden
While Bogart and Hepburn are the big names here, Holden plays an integral role as playboy David Larrabee, whom the titular Sabrina falls for. (This was remade in 1995 with Harrison Ford, Julia Ormond, and Greg Kinnear.)
DVD 791.43 Sabrina WCV
Tuesday, August 11, 2009
Outside of a Dog, #59
"Outside of a dog, a book is man's best friend. Inside of a dog, it's too dark to read." - Groucho Marx.
Show Your Library Love!
What would you do without your librarian? These books, and many more, feature the fact-finding heroes and heroines as lead characters!
A Bone to Pick – Charlaine Harris
While Harris is now widely known and regarded as one of the best talents in vampire fiction (with the Sookie Stackhouse books giving rise to the explicit HBO show “True Blood”), she once wrote a few other series, too, including these, the Aurora Teagarden mysteries. If you like her writing style, but have gone through the Sookie books (or prefer your mysteries with a little less ‘bite,’ try this on for size.
Mys Pbk Har WCV WMB
The Collectors – David Baldacci
Set among Baldacci’s other Camel Club mystery-thrillers, The Collectors delves into the dangerous world of rare-book collectors. Here, the Library of Congress’ rare books and special collections director drops dead after reading a manuscript, it’s to ex-CIA agent Caleb Shaw to find out why – and who – done it.
Fic Baldacci WCV WMB WDB WAM
BKD Fic Baldacci WMB WAM/ CD Fic Baldacci WDB
The Camel Bookmobile – Masha Hamilton
Fiona, the novel’s protagonist, wants to do something good and meaningful with her life. She sets off for the bush of northeastern Kenya, intent on getting classic books like Shakespeare and Dr. Seuss into the hands (and minds) of those less fortunate. However, Fi finds herself in the middle of traditionalist ways and modern wants.
Fic Hamilton WCV
Rex Libris: I, Librarian – James Turner
Librarians in comic books? Bet you’d never guess that hero Rex, black and white all over, solves library conundrums and does interplanetary travel at the behest of his boss, the ancient god Thoth. While Rex totes a gun and combat skills, he also knows where to find the book that tells how to defeat a samurai warlord – as that warlord is threatening to decapitate him! Funny, even for those of us who aren’t in the profession.
Y 741.5973 T SCS
The Ice Queen – Alice Hoffman
Hoffman, author of Practical Magic, The Blue Diary, Incantation, and other works starring smart women, shows us here the life of lonely librarian, struck by lightning and fenced off from the rest of the world. The narrator is never formally named, but her story is complex and twisting, both in words and heart.
Fic Hoffman WCV WDB
LT Fic Hoffman WMB
Tuesday, August 04, 2009
Outside of a Dog, #58
"Outside of a dog, a book is man's best friend. Inside of a dog, it's too dark to read." - Groucho Marx.
Since we celebrated sisters last week, this week, we’re looking at brotherly love.
Mibs Beaumont has two brothers – one can cause hurricanes, and one can spark electricity. Her mother is perfect – literally. When she turns 13, she should be able to figure out what her ‘savvy’ – her special power – is, just like the rest of her family. She wants it to be something amazing, like her brothers, but maybe it will be what her father – in a coma from a car accident – needs.
JFic Law WCV WMB WAM
BKD JFic Law WCV
Rules – Cynthia Lord
Catherine’s brother, David, is autistic, and sometimes, her parents put her in charge of him, even though she doesn’t want them to. She takes to art for an outlet, and fills sketchbooks with “rules” for her brother on how the world works – just so he knows, if she’s ever not around to take care of him.
JFic Lord WCV
BKD JFic Lord WCV
Sleeping Freshmen Never Lie – David Lubar
Scott, a high school freshman, is trying to navigate the world of 9th grade with too little sleep, less friends than he used to have, and crushes on girls who are now completely unattainable. Of course, now’s the time his mother announces she’s pregnant. He decides that life for his coming little brother will be easier if he has a survival guide – so Scott starts writing one.
YA Fic Lubar WCV WDB WAM
A Heartbreaking Work of Staggering Genius – Dave Eggers
With both of his parents dead from cancer when he’s only 22, Eggers tells here about having to raise his little brother Toph, who is only 8. While you might expect a story like this to be sad-but-true and woe-is-me, Eggers manages to keep the reader interested and not feeling sorry for him throughout.
Fic Eggers WCV
Bio Eggers WDB WMB WAM
The Millionaires – Brad Meltzer
Recently famous for his bestseller “The Book of Lies,” Meltzer here tells the story of two brother working for a high-rollers-only investment firm. Charlie and Oliver Caruso find there’s $3 million just sitting in an unused, untraceable bank account at the firm, and decide they can get away with stealing it. Overnight, it’s grown from 3 million to 300 million, and the Secret Service is after them!
Fic Pbk Mel WCV
Fic Meltzer WMB WDB WAM
If you’d like to dig into series books about brothers, try the Spiderwick Chronicles by Holly Black and Tony DiTerlizzi, or the Fullmetal Alchemist manga series.
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)