wednesday may 07
Maybe it’s something about radio. I really loved Penelope Fitzgerald’s Human Voices, a marvelous little novel about the BBC during World War II. Now here’s a Canadian novel about a radio station crew, Elizabeth Hay’s Late Nights on Air, and I’m charmed and impressed by it, too.
It’s 1975 in the little town of Yellowknife in the Northwest Territories. Here we meet Harry Boyd, an old-time radio man who is acting as temporary station manager. Harry was once a promising young broadcaster till he had a shameful failure in TV and got this second chance in this backwater radio station. He and Eleanor Dew, the cool, competent receptionist, hold the station together as they wait for corporate decisions on its fate. Two new staff members join them, rookie Gwen Symon and Dido Paris, a glamorous new announcer.
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friday may 02
A young newspaper reporter who lives in New York City is given an old diary that was found in a dumpster. The young reporter is intrigued and tracks down the diarist, who is now in her nineties. Together they embark on a life-changing journey. Sounds like fiction, but it's a true story, as described in this marvelous new book. The Red Leather Diary is a real treasure.
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saturday april 26
If you like to dance, or like to laugh at people who dance, then you'll want to check out The Best Dance Moves in the World--Ever! 100 new and classic moves and how to bust them by Matt Pagett. Granted, a book may not be the most effective way to learn to dance, but the illustrations in this one are too great to pass up. From standards like the Twist and the Swim, to a breakdown of Michael Jackson's Thriller choregoraphy, to Cincinnati's own Ickey Shuffle, this book has it all.
And if you're looking for a DVD to give you some tips, try Breakdance: Completely Street, Series 1 or try out the library's new digital video collection and download D's Hip Hop Aerobics, Fitness on Demand.
thursday april 24
Celebrating Spring and our earth, Mother Earth and Her Children: A Quilted Fairy Tale (2007) is a German children's poem with gorgeous needlework illustrations by quilter Sieglinde Schoen Smith. This is a modern translation by Jack Zipes of Sibylle von Olfers' 1907 German book, Etwas von den Wurzelkindern ("Something About the Root Children"). Soon we'll see Mother Earth's ABC.
Smith took Olfers' illustrations and created a gorgeous award-winning quilt based on the original illustrations. She started quilting for comfort after her son passed away, and the book is dedicated to him.
Another lovely book celebrating spring is Monarch and Milkweed (2008) by Helen Frost and Leonid Gore. Beautifully illustrated, the book describes the life cycle of the Monarch butterfly, so closely dependent on the Milkweed plant.
Another one for Spring is Ruth Brown's Ten Seeds (2001), the pictorial countdown from 10 seeds to one sunflower in the garden, naturally giving us ten more seeds.
Happy Spring!
tuesday april 22
The Earth gave us a little wake-up call a few days ago: an early-morning tremble from an earthquake centered 400 miles away in southern Illinois. Like a cat who brushes by your feet wanting some attention, I like to think that the Earth was doing the same, saying, "I need some attention, too." Just in time for Earth Day.
With the resurging awareness of environmental issues, there are tons of 'green' books that are slated to be published in 2008. Here are a few that are already in the Library's collection:
For adults:
The Green Book: The Everyday Guide to Saving the Planet One Simple Step at a Time by Elizabeth Rogers
Making Kind Choices: Everyday Ways to Enhance Your Life Through Earth- and Animal- Friendly Living by Ingrid Newkirk
For kids:
You Can Save the Planet: 50 Ways You Can Make A Difference by Jacquie Wines
The Down-to-Earth Guide to Global Warming by Laurie David
And, an old favorite:
A Tree Is Nice by Janice May Udry
Happy Earth Day !
Last month, the science fiction community lost one of its great icons when Arthur C. Clarke died at age 90. His passing caused pause for me because of the role Clarke’s work played in my life as an introduction to the world of science fiction, a role Clarke has filled for readers of many generations.
I still have the tattered copy of Clarke’s 2001: A Space Odyssey I bought in the sixth grade at a flea market stall selling used 50-cent paperbacks. I couldn’t say for sure now what compelled me to buy the book, and I probably couldn’t have told you at the time I bought the book why I was making the purchase. More than likely, I had heard of filmmaker Stanley Kubrick’s eponymous film and figured this was the best way to see what all the fuss was about.
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thursday april 17
Back in the day, it was called Alternative Music. Since then, the name has changed many times--College Rock, Indie Rock or Pop, New Music, etc.--and this library has done a commendable job of keeping up with many of the polymorphous group of artists who make up this genre, or collection of genres. If you want to learn more of the nomenclature and history, Wikipedia has an interesting article on Alternative Rock. It is a chunky topic, as a subject search in the library's catalog for "alternative rock" yields 375 titles. Like all of my blogs and lists, this one will be highly selective, subjective, and lacking a bunch of great music I have overlooked. If you feel personally offended or frothing-at-the-mouth enraged by something I have left out, please feel free to comment. I have listed the most recent library-owned release to date by each band/artist (or the most comprehensive/representative in some cases).
So here's yet another list from me to you:
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