If you’re reading this on the day it is posted or on the anniversary of the day it is posted (a safe bet as, delusions of grandeur aside, there can be little doubt that reading this post will join the pantheon of Valentine’s Day traditions), then tomorrow is Valentine’s Day, and you will agree it is an appropriate time to prattle on about love. I’ll commence the prattling by saying this post is about the sweet, tender love a gentleman feels for one of our greatest writers. Rabid fans (are there any other kind?) of this series of blog posts will remember as clearly as their first kiss that the first author this gentleman recommended was George Saunders.
My massive army of admirers may wonder: why recommend him again? Well, such is my passion for Saunders’ humane, hilarious and one-of-a-kind storytelling that I’ve been making passionate pitches to re-recommend him nearly every month. The editorial board has gently rejected my heartfelt pleas and pathetic attempts at bribery (“no one wants another chapbook of your excruciating poetry,” they say, lying), encouraging me to shine my blinding, career-boosting light on authors I haven’t previously spotlighted. But Saunders has a new book, and so I was able to convince them that it’s time to let this gentleman’s light shine on him again. Continue reading “The Gentleman Recommends: George Saunders (Again)”
I’m sure you’ve already heard a lot about “Hidden Figures” by Margot Lee Shetterly. It’s the true story of the female African-American mathematicians who worked for NASA to help get John Glenn into space, among many other achievements. The movie starring Taraji Henson, Octavia Spencer and Dorothy Vaughan just won the Screen Actors Guild Award for best cast, and it’s been nominated for three Oscars and two Golden Globes. I read the book before I saw the movie, and I loved it. I have to admit that this is one of the few
movies that I love just as much as the book, if not more! I hope it wins every award.
Also coming out soon is “The Zookeeper’s Wife” by Diane Ackerman, with an expected release date of March 31. It’s the true story of how the keepers of the Warsaw Zoo saved hundreds of people from the Nazis by smuggling them in empty cages. The movie will star Jessica Chastain and Daniel Bruhl. It looks like it’s 
going to be incredible, and if we hurry, we just might have enough time to read it before the movie comes out. Continue reading “Books on the Big Screen in 2017”
Here is a new DVD list highlighting various titles recently added to the library’s collection.
“Author: The JT LeRoy Story”
Website / Reviews / Trailer
Presented at the True/False Film Fest in 2016, this film tells the story behind literary persona JT LeRoy, the fictional writer created by American author Laura Albert. This epic and entertaining account plunges us into a glittery world of rock shows, fashion events, and the Cannes red carpet where LeRoy becomes a sensation. As she recounts her odyssey, Albert also reveals the intricate web spun by her irrepressible creative forces. Continue reading “New DVD List: The JT LeRoy Story, Zero Days, & More”
Here is a quick look at the most noteworthy nonfiction titles being released in February. Visit our catalog for a more extensive list.
TOP PICKS
“Homo Deus: A Brief History of Tomorrow” by Yuval Noah Harari
The author of the best-selling “Sapiens” examines humanity’s triumphs over famine, plague and war during the twentieth century and looks to the issues, such as artificial intelligence and overcoming death, that will shape the human agenda in the twenty-first century. Continue reading “Nonfiction Roundup: February 2017”
The history of school desegregation in the United States did not start with the well-known 1954 Supreme Court case, Brown v. Board of Education. A legal precedent had been set years earlier in a case involving Columbia, Missouri. In 1938, the Court issued a landmark ruling stating that the University of Missouri Law School could not deny a student admission based on race. The student in question was Lloyd Gaines, a Lincoln University graduate who met every other qualification for entry. Though he won his suit and paved the way for others, Gaines mysteriously disappeared without enrolling.
In their book, “Lloyd Gaines and the Fight to End Segregation,” MU professors James W. Endersby and William T. Horner delve into the historical context of the case and explain how a Missouri college student of modest means came to be in the center of an action that helped lay a foundation for future civil rights gains in America. Continue reading “Lloyd Gaines and the Fight to End Segregation”
Well, I wish that I could say this blog post was going to be a prescription, and, if followed, you would attain complete and utter uninterrupted emotional happiness, with your heart continuously effusing joy. Alas, the kind of “heart happy” addressed here is not that kind of happy, but the good health kind of happy (sorry if you’re disappointed!).
February is American Heart Month (conveniently teamed in the same month as Valentine’s Day, so you have a chance to wedge in a bit of short-term, romance-happy for your heart on the 14th). It’s a good time to take stock of how your heart is doing since heart disease (also called cardiovascular disease) is the leading cause of death in both men and women in the United States. Did you know that annually, 1 in every 4 deaths is caused by heart disease? That’s 25% … shocking! Continue reading “How to Make Your Heart Happy”
Kiese Laymon is the author of “Long Division,” a novel, and “How to Slowly Kill Yourself and Others in America,” which is either a collection of essays or one of the more ghastly and unnecessary do-it-yourself books ever published. Due to time constraints, I’m unable to determine which. (Editor’s Note: It is a collection of essays.)
His essays have been published all over the internet. I encourage you to query his name in your internet search bar and read some of the results. Continue reading “The Gentleman Recommends: Kiese Laymon”
The newest books releasing next month include a debut, some time travel, a little historical fiction, a local author (Alex George) and more. February’s Library Reads list is sure to have something for everyone. Take a look at some of the recommendations from librarians across the country.
“Norse Mythology” by Neil Gaiman
“After reading Gaiman’s account of Norse mythology, I doubt that I will ever forget how the gods of Asgard acquired their treasures. Thor’s hammer that never misses its mark, Frey’s incredible ship that shrinks to the size of a pocketable silk scarf, Odin’s powerful spear, all came to be because of Loki’s mischief. Above all, I will not forget the ill-gotten and ill-treated children of Loki who bring about Ragnarok, the end of earth and heaven and the death of the gods. Everything feels very real and very now when told by someone who has obviously drunk of the ‘mead of the poets.’”
-Catherine Stanton, Madison Library District, Rexburg, IL Continue reading “February 2017 Library Reads List: The Top 10 Books Librarians Love”
The Star Wars film franchise has been an influential cultural force ever since the first film came out in 1977. Check out these documentaries about various aspects of the franchise and its effect on generations of fans.
“Elstree 1976” (2016)
In 1976, during the hottest summer on record, “Star Wars” was shot in suburban North London. Nobody involved had any idea how big the film would become, and many couldn’t even remember the title. Yet, for actors in smaller roles, this job would go on to color their lives, even four decades later. Continue reading “May The Film Crew Be With You: Docs About Star Wars”
This past year was another very productive one for me reading-wise. More carpool lanes, more waiting through music lessons and the insomnia that comes with menopause meant more time to read. I ended up reading 145 books for the year. Whew! I’m tired just thinking about it.
I mainly read nonfiction, but I did manage to include a bit more fiction this year. “A Man Called Ove” by Fredrik Backman is one that will stay with me. The tender and often hilarious depiction of community in this book had me hooked. Backman has become a new favorite author. I also really loved “Angle of Repose” by Wallace Stegner. It’s an older classic but still enthralling. “Hope was always out ahead of fact, possibility obscured the outlines of reality.” Continue reading “Reading Reflections on 2016”
