Author: Ann

Doctor Who on DVD

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Being a pretty big fan of anything sci-fi or fantasy, I can’t believe it has taken me this long to watch the long-running BBC series Doctor Who.  Now that I have, I can’t stop watching!  The main character of the show is simply called The Doctor.  He’s an alien (though he looks human), and he is the last of the species called the Time Lords.  Along with various companions, The Doctor travels through time and space in a contraption called the TARDIS (which is disguised as an old-fashioned blue Police Call Box) looking for trouble and solving a myriad of intergalactical crises.  The show has been on since the 1960s and to date there have been 11 different actors who have portrayed The Doctor, whose new look is explained by The Doctor’s ability regenerate if he is near death.

One of my favorite things about this series is the humor.  I especially enjoy the fact that The Doctor is always so chipper when presented with a new challenge or catastrophe.  He and his companions are constantly encountering crazy-looking aliens and monsters and fighting them off using wisdom and wit.  One of my favorite episodes so far had The Doctor and his companion Rose traveling back to 1879 and encountering Queen Victoria, who was being hunted by a werewolf.  It’s honestly just a really fun series to watch.

I know what you’re thinking.  “But hey, this show has been on since the 1960s!  Where am I supposed to start?!”  That’s the beauty of Doctor Who, you can really pick it up anywhere and still enjoy it.  I chose to start with the 2005 relaunch of the series, The Complete First Series, starring Christopher Eccleston as The 9th Doctor.  But one could also argue that the best place to start is The Complete Second Series, which stars David Tennant as the 10th Doctor, because Tennant completely encompasses the fun spirit of the series.  He is so fun to watch thanks to his acting talent and his always expressive face, and I’d say he is easily my favorite Doctor (so far, that is, since I’m still on the second series).  If you’re a fan of humor, sci-fi, or British TV, I’d strongly recommend checking out this series!

My Father said “Marry a Wally”

- Ann 1 Comment

During my childhood, my father worked hard to educate my brother and me on all the classic family sitcoms of the 1960’s: The Andy Griffith Show, F Troop, Mr. Ed, My Three Sons, etc, but all of his references of the Cleaver family fell on ignorant ears until a fateful Father’s Day weekend when TVLand finally introduced reruns of Leave it to Beaver by airing a whole-weekend-long marathon. I was hooked after the first episode and even popped in a VHS tape to record as many episodes as I could (just in case TVLand decided to be cruel and revoke my Cleaver family privileges after the weekend marathon wrapped up. Luckily they did not, and I have had about 15 blissful years of Leave it to Beaver reruns.)

So I finally understood why my Dad always told me that he wanted me to marry “a Wally,” and I quite agreed for a long time (Tony Dow was super cute). Until I met my husband and realized that hanging out with “a Theodore” was a little bit more fun. I think my Dad is just content that I didn’t fall in love with “a Lumpy” or “an Eddie Haskall” (who, by the way, was the inspiration for the name of my brother’s high school punk band).

My father will be out of town this Father’s Day, but I’m going to have to rent some Leave it to Beaver DVDs (from the library, of course!) to celebrate in spirit. I think I will be starting with Season Three so I can watch a specific episode where the Beave loses a copy of Treasure Island and lives in fear of a visit from the LIBRARY COPS!

Golfing With Dad

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I don’t know about your family, but in ours, Father’s Day revolves around golf.  Actually, they’d probably go every Sunday afternoon if weather and time permitted, but at least on this day, a round of golf is practically guaranteed.

On our New Materials shelves, you can find Golfing With Dad by David Barrett.  Before writing this book Barrett worked as a features editor for Golf Magazine, so he’s very familiar with the professional golf scene.  Here, he’s selected fourteen tour pros, including Mickelson, Nicklaus and Palmer, and tells the stories of how their fathers and golf influenced their lives.  He also includes several women golfers, so it’s not just a father-son theme.  Rather, it seems as if encouragement is the key word, even though each scenario is different.

Another book featuring professionals and their fathers is Golf Dads by Curt Sampson.  It’s subtitled Fathers, Sons, and the Greatest Game, yet it does feature a chapter on Michelle Wie. Other well known subjects are Lee Trevino and Ben Hogan.

Finally, there’s His Father’s Son: Earl and Tiger Woods.  No matter how you feel about Tiger these days, Tiger has always credited his father as being a big factor behind his success on the golf course.  And no matter how you feel about golf, I think you — and you dad — will enjoy these titles.

Father’s Day Flicks

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Looking for a different way to honor Dad this coming Father’s Day?  How about checking out a movie featuring a fabulous father?  There’s a lot to choose from — it all depends upon your interests, or perhaps, more importantly, upon the ages of your kids.

For the younger crowd, The Incredibles is a fun choice, and all the people in that family are pretty amazing!

One of my favorites is Mrs. Doubtfire with Robin Williams.  This is a good choice for slightly older kids;  it’s hilarious, but also quite touching.

If your kids are older — maybe even adults — you may want to check out Father of the Bride. You can chose the popular newer version with Steve Martin, but it might be refreshing to go way back and view the original movie starring Spencer Tracy.  See how things have changed, or possibly, how much has stayed the same!

For those of you who’d rather have a real book connection, why not look into To Kill a Mockingbird. Atticus Finch has to be one of the most understanding fathers in the world.

And if you prefer TV shows, you might like watching some true oldies, like My Three Sons or Father Knows Best. Have a Happy Father’s Day!

By the Numbers

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What’s with all the numbers lately?  Recent releases by several popular authors all feature numbers in their titles, as evidenced here:  

          

Connelly’s newest is actually the fourth in this series, which began with The Lincoln Lawyer.  Movie-goes may have seen the recently released film (same title)  with Matthew McConaghey playing the lead role of lawyer Mickey Haller.  Haller’s reputation comes from managing his L.A. criminal defense practice out of his Lincoln Town Car. 

Baldacci’s newest book stars characters Sean King and Michelle Maxwell, both former Secret Service agents who are now security consultants for hire.  As in the other books in this series — the first being Split Second — there’s lots of dialogue and fast-paced action.  The investigators seem to be constantly on the move, seldom sleeping or eating, yet still able to ward off professionally hired assailants with maximum efficiency. 

Patterson’s 10th Anniversary is his tenth novel in the Women’s Murder Club series, which began with 1st to Die.  If you haven’t read any of them,  perhaps you caught some of the made-for-TV-movies featuring Angie Harmon in the lead role of Lindsay Boxer, a tough San Francisco detective who works alongside other professional women (an attorney, a coroner and a journalist) to solve high-profile murder cases.  The books are quick, easy reads with short chapters.  

All of the above make great choices for summer reading, so come check out some  — by the numbers!

Books made into movies: Summer 2011

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This summer there are some major movies coming to theaters that were originally books!  Here are a few of them:

Something Borrowed by Emily Giffin – This one is already in theaters!  It is about a girl who falls in love with her best friend’s husband-to-be after a one night stand, and the movie stars Kate Hudson, Ginnifer Goodwin, and John Krasinski. Guest blogger Bethany wrote about it just yesterday.

Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows by J. K. Rowling – The final part of this saga is finally coming to an end with the epic battle between good and evil.  Before the midnight showing of the movie, I might have to flip through a copy of the book again.  After all, I have to get my costume just right!

Sarah’s Key by Tatiana de Rosnay – This book club favorite tells the story of a journalist writing about a girl caught up in one of the raids of World War II.  The movie will star Kristin Scott Thomas. Ann blogged about this book here.

The Help by Kathryn Stockett – Set in Jackson, Mississippi during the civil rights movement, this bestseller is about a girl fresh out of college who has taken on a writing project about the experiences of African-American maids.  The film version boasts an all-star cast, including Emma Stone, Viola Davis, Sissy Spacek, and Allison Janney. Read Ann’s blog about this book here.

If you want to read the book before heading to the theater, stop by the library to see if there’s a copy available!

Something Borrowed by Emily Giffin

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submitted by guest blogger Bethany

There have been books I’ve loved and books I’ve hated; but never has there been a book where I disliked every character and continued to read….until now. Emily Giffin’s Something Borrowed did just that to me. Though the story is about a 30-year-old-lawyer, Rachel, having an affair with her best friend’s fiance, it actually delves into the complexity of female relationships. With flashbacks of Rachel and her best friend’s relationship, starting from their childhood, Giffin explores the world of female competition, rivalry and approval. There was not one person I was cheering for in the book. Their morals were astonishing and their mental justifications were far off based; however, I kept turning the pages and ended up finishing Something Borrowed in three days. I needed to know what would happen, and how Giffin would do it. Giffin ended the book in a way that pleased me; without giving anything away I’ll just say this: the ending was fairly realistic and believable.

New resources for your book club!

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The library is in the process of adding 15 new kits to our Bookclub in a Box collection!  If you haven’t used them before, the kits are filled with multiple copies of a book (and even the audio version for some), a list of discussion questions, and other resources to build up your book discussion group.  We now have the kits at all three locations (Main Street, Fairmount Street, and Eastern Avenue), so stop by any of our locations to pick one up today!

Here are the newest titles that have been added to the Bookclub in a Box collection:

The Time Traveler’s Wife by Audrey Niffenegger

Escape by Carolyn Jessop

The Uncommon Reader by Alan Bennett

No! I Don’t Want To Join A Book Club! by Virginia Ironside

Hotel on the Corner of Bitter and Sweet by Jamie Ford

Still Alice by Lisa Genova

Save Your Own by Elisabeth Brink

We Need to Talk About Kevin by Lionel Shriver

The Book Thief by Markus Zusak

Last Night at the Lobster by Stewart O’Nan

And additional kits coming soon include:

American Wife by Curtis Sittenfeld

A Mercy by Toni Morrison

Lethal Legacy by Linda Fairstein

A Version of the Truth by Jennifer Kaufman

Deer Hunting with Jesus by Joe Bageant

DVDs for June

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June 7

True Grit – Jeff Bridges, Hailee Steinfeld

Mattie Ross is determined to avenge her father’s blood by capturing Tom Chaney, the man who shot and killed him for two pieces of gold. Just fourteen, she enlists the help of Rooster Cogburn, a one-eyed, trigger-happy U.S. Marshal with an affinity for drinking, and hardened Texas Ranger LaBoeuf to track the fleeing Chaney. Despite their differences, their ruthless determination leads them on a perilous adventure that can only have one outcome: retribution.

Just Go With It – Adam Sadler, Jennifer Aniston

A plastic surgeon who is romancing a much younger schoolteacher enlists his loyal assistant to pretend to be his soon-to-be ex-wife in order to cover up a careless lie. When more lies backfire, the assistant’s kids become involved, and everyone heads off for a weekend in Hawaii that will change all their lives.

June 14

Battle Los Angeles – Aaron Eckhart, Bridget Moynahan

For years, there have been documented cases of UFO sightings around the world. But in 2011, what were once just sightings will become a terrifying reality when Earth is attacked by unknown forces. As people everywhere watch the world’s great cities fall, Los Angeles becomes the last stand for mankind in a battle no one expected. It’s up to a Marine staff sergeant and his new platoon to draw a line in the sand as they take on an enemy unlike any they’ve ever encountered before.

Hall Pass – Owen Wilson,  Jason Sudeikis

Rick and Fred are best friends who have a lot in common, including the fact that they have each been married for many years. But when the two men begin to show signs of restlessness at home, their wives take a bold approach to revitalizing their individual marriages: granting them a ‘hallpass,’ one week of freedom to do whatever they want, no questions asked

June 21

Cedar Rapids – Ed Helms, John C. Reilly

A small-town, naive, Midwestern insurance agent must represent his company at a regional insurance convention in Cedar Rapids, Iowa, where his mind is blown by the big-city experience.

 

Diary of a Wimpy Kid – Rodrick Rules ! Zachary Gordon, Steve Bostick

Back in middle school after summer vacation, Greg Heffley and his older brother Rodrick must deal with their parents’ misguided attempts to have them bond.