Hamilton : original Broadway cast recording (CD)

"Hamilton" - which transferred to Broadway following a sold-out run at The Public Theater in NYC - is the acclaimed new musical about the scrappy young immigrant Alexander Hamilton, the $10 Founding Father who forever changed America with his revolutionary ideas and actions. During his life cut too short, he served as George Washington's chief aide, was the first Treasury Secretary of the United States, a loving husband and father, despised by his fellow Founding Fathers, and shot to death by Aaron Burr in a legendary duel.

The "HAMILTON (ORIGINAL BROADWAY CAST RECORDING)" is executive produced by Ahmir "Questlove" Thompson and Tariq "Black Thought" Trotter, founding members of the Grammy Award winning hip-hop band, The Roots. "HAMILTON" has book, music and lyrics by Tony and Grammy Award-winning composer Lin Manuel Miranda, who also plays the title role. The musical is directed by Thomas Kail, with choreography by Andy Blankenbuehler and music direction and orchestrations by Alex Lacamoire. "HAMILTON" is inspired by Ron Chernow's biography "Alexander Hamilton."

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A little life - Hanya Yanagihara

A little life - Yanagihara, Hanya

Summary: Moving to New York to pursue creative ambitions, four former classmates share decades marked by love, loss, addiction and haunting elements from a brutal childhood. By the author of The People in the Trees. - (Baker & Taylor)

Booklist Reviews
This long, claustrophobically written novel by the author of The People in the Trees (2013) follows the lives of four college men (and their many friends, nearly all male) from their early postgraduation days in New York through much of their accomplished adult lives, and backward to their childhoods. It opens with them helping Willem and the fragile Jude St. Francis move into an apartment on Lispenard Street and then delineates the course of their lives. They include Malcolm, a light-skinned African American architect from a wealthy background; JB, an occasional drug-using artist of Haitian ancestry (the author does a great job of describing his art—no easy task); Willem, the handsome actor who, as we first meet him, is, of course, waiting tables downtown; and, at center stage, Jude. Although Jude is a successful litigator, his full background is murky, though what we do learn about it is horrific. Jude is frail, vulnerable, private, and given to cutting himself. In his neediness, he is the focus of the others' existence. This profoundly disturbing book is about pain and compulsion, secrets and betrayals, sexuality and loss—but, finally, about friendship. Copyright 2014 Booklist Reviews.

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The story of Alice : Lewis Carroll and the secret history of Wonderland - Robert Douglas-Fairhurst

Summary: Drawing on numerous unpublished sources, the author examines the peculiar friendship between Oxford mathematician Lewis Carroll and Alice Liddell, the child for whom he invented the Alice stories, and analyzes how this relationship stirred Carroll's imagination and influenced the creation of Wonderland. - (Baker & Taylor)

Booklist Reviews

As its title suggests, this is more than a biography of Lewis Carroll, the famous but enigmatic author of Alice's Adventures in Wonderland and Through the Looking-Glass. It is also the story of the books themselves, their inspiration, their writing, and their impact on the worlds of literature and popular culture. That culture worked both ways, though, for in its meticulous research this is also the story of how the Victorian culture of Carroll's day itself influenced the books, their creator, and their creation. Context, thus, is king in this work of sometimes overwhelming erudition and endless—and sometimes superfluous?—detail. As for Carroll himself, the quotidian details of his life are so well known that there is little new here, and the usual questions—Why did he break off his relationship with the Liddell family? Why his fascination with little girls? Why his photographing of them in the nude?—are acknowledged but not explicated. He remains, as the author puts it, "a frustratingly elusive figure." Though not for the casual reader, Douglas-Fairhurst's "story" will be catnip for serious Carroll enthusiasts and academics. Copyright 2014 Booklist Reviews.

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Works well with others : an outsider's guide to shaking hands, shutting up, handling jerks, and other crucial skills in business that no one ever teaches you Ross McCammon

Summary: "Esquire editor and Entrepreneur etiquette columnist Ross McCammon delivers a funny and authoritative guide that provides the advice you really need to be confident and authentic at work, even when you have no idea what's going on. Ten years ago, before he got a job at Esquire magazine and way before he became the etiquette columnist at Entrepreneur magazine, Ross McCammon, editor at an in-flight magazine, was staring out a second-floor window at a parking lot in suburban Dallas wondering if it was five o'clock yet. Everything changed with one phone call from Esquire. Three weeks later, he was working in New York and wondering what the hell had just happened. This is McCammon's honest, funny, and entertaining journey from impostor to authority, a story that begins with periods of debilitating workplace anxiety but leads to rich insights and practical advice from a guy who "made it" but who still remembers what it's like to feel entirely ill-equipped for professional success. And for life in general, if we're being completely honest. McCammon points out the workplace for what it is: an often absurd landscape of ego and fear guided by social rules that no one ever talks about. He offers a mix of enlightening and often self-deprecating personal stories about his experience and clear, practical advice on getting the small things right--crucial skills that often go unacknowledged--from shaking a hand to conducting a business meeting in a bar to navigating a work party. Here is an inspirational new way of looking at your job, your career, and success itself; an accessible guide for those of us who are smart, talented, and ambitious but who aren't well-"leveraged" and don't quite feel prepared for success. or know what to do once we've made it. "-- Provided by publisher.

Booklist Reviews

*Starred Review* How to achieve success in the workplace is the gist of this humorously effective handbook, and the specific person to whom it is addressed is the person who often feels inadequate to the job they are doing (all of us?) or inadequate to even successfully getting through an interview to get that job. The author, an editor at Esquire and business etiquette columnist for Entrepreneur, calls this mind-set "impostorism" because an impostor is what people feel like when their insecurities are being allowed a too-strong voice in how they conduct themselves—how we do our job—when, in his estimation, successful people work from their insecurities to perform well. In other words, "harness your fear to work for you." The most resonant and valuable statement McCammon makes may perhaps be "Embrace your mistakes." His guidance that follows this dictum—the meat and heart of the book—is built on understanding using the "small things," the customs and practices that make up the workplace culture. From interviewing ("Never pretend you're something you're not") to how to enter a room ("Eye contact, do not look down") to screwing up early on in the job ("If you don't screw up when you start out, then you are overqualified for the position") to how to smile and when to shut up, McCammon's lessons have the ring of universal applicability and honest truth. Read this delightful book, and relish its never-highfalutin approach. Copyright 2014 Booklist Reviews.

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Rescue road : one man, thirty thousand dogs, and a million miles on the last hope highway - Peter Zheutlin

Summary: "Join journalist Peter Zheutlin as he travels with Greg [Mahle] from Ohio to the Gulf Coast on his Rescue Road Trips to bring hard-luck dogs from the deep South to loving 'forever families' up north, with the help of many selfless volunteers along the way"--Page 4 of cover.

Booklist Reviews

Zheutlin finally gave in and got a dog—Albie, a rescue Lab—and in so doing, he and his wife uncovered a world of people, online and in real life, who dedicate their time and money to matching unwanted dogs with their "Forever Families." To learn more about these potentially unloved and sometimes abused dogs and their tireless rescuers, Zheutlin spent a year on the road—some 7,000 miles—ferrying dogs to new homes with Greg Mahle, who runs the Rescue Road Trips organization. Filled with interviews with vets, volunteers, and Mahle as the men ferry the dogs cross-country, this heartwarming book also details the many organizations that assist in dog rescues (with contact information appended), the difficulties and joys of matching dogs and new owners, and much more. Mostly, though, it's a road trip like no other as Mahle and Zheutlin pilot a 12-wheel rig filled with dogs. Pet lovers and potential dog owners will find much to enjoy in this educational, touching tale. A portion of all proceeds from sales of the book go to Greg Mahle's Rescue Road Trips. Copyright 2014 Booklist Reviews.

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King of the zoo - Erica Perl

Summary: Each of the animals at the zoo thinks of himself as King of the Zoo but Carlos the Chameleon is sure that the crown is his, and he has at least one ally.

Horn Book Guide Reviews

Chameleon Carlos believes he's king of the zoo, until he sees signage at other zoo animals' enclosures claiming each is ruler; ultimately an admiring little girl boosts downtrodden Carlos's ego right back up. The slight story is dominated by Carlos's repetitive ranting ("The King of the Zoo is ME, that's who!"), but Urbanovic humorously pictures the creature's emotion-induced color-changing.

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Eggday - Joyce Dunbar

Summary: Dora the duck involves the other barnyard animals in a contest to find out who can lay the best egg.

Booklist Reviews

Ages 3-5. Dora the duck declares tomorrow is Eggday. She wants her friends Gideon the goat, Pogson the pig, and Humphrey the horse to bring a goat egg, pig egg, and horse egg, respectively. In a laugh-inducing double-page spread, the animals try to lay eggs, obviously to no avail. Hetty the hen sets them straight and gives them eggs to decorate. When the eggs are finished, each looking like its decorator, the animals run over to Dora's, but it's not Eggday any more. It's Duckling Day! The story is on the silly side when you examine it too closely, so the key is not to look closely but just enjoy the wonderful, childlike art. With backgrounds that look as though they have been finger painted, and animals that seem to have been painted by very talented seven-year-olds, the bright pictures exude playfulness and good cheer. This will work especially well for story hour. ((Reviewed April 1, 1999)) Copyright 2000 Booklist Reviews

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El Deafo - Cece Bell

El Deafo - Bell, Cece

Summary: A poignant graphic tale based on the creator's own experiences with hearing loss follows the adventures of young Cece, who develops "superpowers" to manage the challenges of making friends while wearing a bulky hearing aid that sometimes lets her hear things she shouldn't.



Kirkus Reviews
A humorous and touching graphic memoir about finding friendship and growing up deaf. When Cece is 4 years old, she becomes "severely to profoundly" deaf after contracting meningitis. Though she is fitted with a hearing aid and learns to read lips, it's a challenging adjustment for her. After her family moves to a new town, Cece begins first grade at a school that doesn't have separate classes for the deaf. Her nifty new hearing aid, the Phonic Ear, allows her to hear her teacher clearly, even when her teacher is in another part of the school. Cece's new ability makes her feel like a superhero—just call her "El Deafo"—but the Phonic Ear is still hard to hide and uncomfortable to wear. Cece thinks, "Superheroes might be awesome, but they are also different. And being different feels a lot like being alone." Bell (Rabbit & Robot: The Sleepover, 2012) shares her childhood experiences of being hearing impaired with warmth and sensitivity, exploiting the graphic format to amplify such details as misheard speech. Her whimsical color illustrations (all the human characters have rabbit ears and faces), clear explanations and Cece's often funny adventures help make the memoir accessible and entertaining. Readers will empathize with Cece as she tries to find friends who aren't bossy or inconsiderate, and they'll rejoice with her when she finally does. Worthy of a superhero.

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Five little pumpkins

Five little pumpkins

Five little pumpkins sitting on a gate. The first one said, "Oh my, it's getting late." Get ready for some wicked fun as these five pumpkins run and roll! Toddlers will want to chant along with this popular rhyme again and again. Dan Yaccarino's vibrant and bold illustrations bring these pumpkins to life with personality and style. Toddlers are sure to laugh out loud as these pumpkins roll out of sight!

- (HARPERCOLL)

Booklist Reviews
Ages 1-4. The old song, "Five little pumpkins sitting on a gate" appears in board book form here, accompanied by large, vibrant illustrations featuring midnight blue and glowing orange. Simplified forms of jack-o'-lanterns and ghosts cavort through the lively double-page spreads, offering little ones plenty to look at while the rhyme is read or sung. A good storyhour choice for little ones. ((Reviewed December 15, 1998)) Copyright 2000 Booklist Reviews

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Rivers of London Series - Ben Aaronovitch

Rivers of London Series -Aaronovitch, Ben

Summary: My name is Peter Grant and until January I was just probationary constable in that mighty army for justice known to all right-thinking people as the Metropolitan Police Service (and as the Filth to everybody else). My only concerns in life were how to avoid a transfer to the Case Progression Unit - we do paperwork so real coppers don't have to - and finding a way to climb into the panties of the outrageously perky WPC Leslie May. Then one night, in pursuance of a murder inquiry, I tried to take a witness statement from someone who was dead but disturbingly voluble, and that brought me to the attention of Inspector Nightingale, the last wizard in England. Now I'm a Detective Constable and a trainee wizard, the first apprentice in fifty years, and my world has become somewhat more complicated: nests of vampires in Purley, negotiating a truce between the warring god and goddess of the Thames, and digging up graves in Covent Garden ...and there's something festering at the heart of the city I love, a malicious vengeful spirit that takes ordinary Londoners and twists them into grotesque mannequins to act out its drama of violence and despair. The spirit of riot and rebellion has awakened in the city, and it's falling to me to bring order out of chaos - or die trying.

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The thing (DVD)

The thing (DVD)

Summary: A research team at a remote research station in Antarctica finds an alien being that has fallen from the sky and has remained buried in the snow for over 100,000 years. Unfrozen and unleashed, it creates havoc and terror as it changes forms and becomes one of them.

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What we do in the shadows (DVD)

What we do in the shadows (DVD)

Summary: Vulvus, Viago, and Deacon are vampires who live here, among us. They are real vampires; undead, immortal creatures who stalk the night and search for human blood, preferably virgins. Witness the many horrid, abominable aspects of vampire life, such as hunting and feeding, vampire rivalry and fighting with werewolves, as well as normal night to night aspects that make them not so different from us like keeping the flat clean, jobs, shopping, meeting people and trying to fit in.

Video Librarian Reviews
Created by and co-starring Flight of the Conchords creator-star Jemaine Clement, this New Zealand indie production transcends its unpromising premise—imagine MTV's The Real World, but with vampires—to emerge as not just the funniest vampire mockumentary ever made, but also one of the best horror comedies in memory. A (mostly) unseen New Zealand government documentary film crew—protected by crucifixes, naturally—follows the nocturnal antics of a contentious, all-male household of old-fashioned Eastern European bloodsuckers. These vampires are but four of several hundred creatures of the night (which also include werewolves, zombies, etc.) who are dwelling incognito around Wellington. Their longstanding routine—hunting humans, arguing over who has to clean up the gore in the kitchen—changes when one Nosferatu lookalike vampirizes a modern-day bloke. Although hopeless at vampire etiquette and secrecy, the newcomer ends up dragging his undead flatmates into the realities of the 21st century (or the 20th...or the 19th...). Featuring robust characterizations (full-blooded, one might say) and performances delivered with palpable glee, this seems certain to be an instant cult hit. Highly recommended. (C. Cassady) Copyright Video Librarian Reviews 2015.

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Sharp objects - Gillian Flynn

Sharp objects - Flynn, Gillian

Summary: Returning to her hometown after an eight-year absence to investigate the murders of two girls, reporter Camille Preaker is reunited with her neurotic mother and enigmatic, thirteen-year-old half-sister as she works to uncover the truth about the killings.

Booklist Reviews
This impressive debut novel is fueled by stylish writing and compelling portraits of desperate housewives, southern style. Troubled newspaper reporter Camille Preaker is sent back to her Missouri hometown in a bid to get the inside scoop on the murders of two preteen girls--both were strangled and had their teeth removed. Almost as nasty as the brutal crimes are Camille's twisted family dynamics. She intends to stay with her zombielike mother, whom she has hardly spoken to in 8 years; her cipher of a stepfather; and her twisted, overly precocious 13-year-old half sister. Wading back into the insular social dynamics of the town proves to be a stressful experience for Camille, a reformed cutter whose body is riddled with the scars of words such as wicked and cupcake. In a particularly seductive narrative style, Flynn adopts the cynical, knowing patter of a weary reporter, but it is her portraits of the town's backstabbing, social-climbing, bored, and bitchy females that provoke her sharpest and most entertaining writing. A stylish turn on dark crimes and even darker psyches. ((Reviewed August 2006)) Copyright 2006 Booklist Reviews.

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Nosferatu Phantom der Nacht (DVD)

Nosferatu Phantom der Nacht (DVD)

Summary: It is 1850 in the beautiful, perfectly-kept town of Wismar. Jonathan Harker is about to leave on a long journey over the Carpathian Mountains to finalize real estate arrangements with a wealthy nobleman. His wife, Lucy, begs him hot to go and is troubled by a strong premonition of danger. Despite her warnings, Jonathan arrives four weeks later at a large, gloomy castle. Out of the mist appears a pale, wraith-like figure with a shaven head and deep-sunken eyes who identifies himself as Count Dracula. The events that transpire slowly convince Harker that he is in the midst of a vampyre. What he doesn't know, however, is the magnitude of danger he, his wife and his town are about to experience as victims of the Nosferatu.

Video Librarian Reviews
Von Sternberg and Dietrich. Hitchcock and Stewart. Ford and Wayne. Scorsese and De Niro. To this list of legendary director-actor collaborations must be added Werner Herzog and Klaus Kinski. This magnificent six-disc DVD boxed set contains the five (mostly) brilliant films they made together, as well as an illuminating documentary that charts their tempestuous (to say the least) professional and personal relationship. As the accompanying booklet points out, "these two warriors of German cinema would challenge, inspire, and torture each other into creating some of the most enduring and unique experiences of modern film." Included are such masterpieces as the visually stunning conquistador epic Aguirre, The Wrath of God (1973), the production-problem-plagued Fitzcarraldo (1982) and the atmospheric remake of F.W. Murnau's silent classic Nosferatu (1979), as well as Herzog's moving adaptation of Georg Büchner's play Woyzeck (1979), and their final film together, the lesser-known Cobra Verde (1987), based on the life of a 19th century Brazilian bandit. The award-winning documentary, My Best Fiend (2000) is part tribute and part exorcism. Herzog praises Kinski as a "monumental, epochal actor," but adds that he was also "impulsive, unpredictable, half mad." One revealing anecdote corrects a rumor that Herzog directed Kinski while armed with a loaded rifle. Not true, Herzog insists. What happened, he claims, was that Kinski once threatened to leave the set, and Herzog threatened to shoot him with a rifle loaded with nine bullets; eight for Kinski and the ninth for himself. An instant library of world cinema masterworks, this is highly recommended. Editor's Choice. (K. Lee Benson) Copyright 2003 Video Librarian Reviews

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Drowned city: Hurricane Katrina & New Orleans - Don Brown

Drowned city: Hurricane Katrina & New Orleans - Brown, Don

Summary: Presents a graphic account of the events of Hurricane Katrina and its effects on the city of New Orleans and its people, detailing the selflessness, heroism, and courage, while also noting the incompetence, racism, and criminality.

Booklist Reviews
*Starred Review* It has been 10 years since Hurricane Katrina devastated New Orleans and, in the highly capable hands of Brown, the story remains as immediately captivating and tragic as it was in 2005. Told chronologically from the hurricane's seemingly benign origin in West Africa, the story follows the storm almost hourly, revealing every misstep along the way that resulted in so much unnecessary loss. By the time Katrina passed over New Orleans, more than 1,400 people were dead and hundreds of thousands had fled the city. Brown's narrative is clear and precise, relying exclusively on data and statistics interspersed with quotes from residents, rescue crews, journalists, and news reports. Alone, the text might lack impact, but combined with the haunting imagery, it hits readers like a punch in the gut. The illustrations capture the intensity of the disaster with saturated monochromatic panels featuring figures who appear to be literally melting with oppressive heat and fear. Small poignant scenes punctuate the narrative throughout, constantly reminding viewers of the very human costs of the disaster. Spare but emotionally resonant, this outstanding title will appeal to graphic novel and nonfiction readers alike. Highly recommended for all library collections. Copyright 2014 Booklist Reviews.

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Girl waits with a gun - Amy Stewart

Girl waits with a gun -Stewart, Amy

Summary: Living in virtual isolation years after the revelation of a painful family secret, Constance Kopp is terrorized by a belligerent silk factory owner and fights back in ways outside the norm for early twentieth-century women.

Booklist Reviews
*Starred Review* In 1914, on a New Jersey farm, the three Kopp sisters—the pugnacious-yet-attractive, six-foot-tall Constance; the flibbertigibbet youngest, Fleurette; and the droll pigeon-keeper, Norma—defy convention by living alone after their mother dies. Self-sufficient and reclusive, Constance and Norma shelter themselves and their little sister from the world until a terrible incident forces them into the limelight. When silk baron Henry Kaufman rams and overturns their buggy with his motorcar, events conspire against the Kopp girls' continued independence. In fact, Kaufman's frightening threats and abuse of his workers put Constance on high alert: she keeps her sisters corralled indoors, fires shots at nighttime intruders, and works with the sheriff to personally bring down the merchant and his thugs. A sheer delight to read and based on actual events, this debut historical mystery packs the unexpected, the unconventional, and a serendipitous humor into every chapter. Details from the historical record are accurately portrayed by villains and good guys alike, and readers will cross their fingers for the further adventures of Constance and Sheriff Heath. For fans of the Phryne Fisher series by Kerry Greenwood, and the Mary Russell and Sherlock Holmes mysteries by Laurie R. King. Copyright 2014 Booklist Reviews.

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The war (DVD)

The war (DVD)

Summary: Tells the story of ordinary people in four quintessentially American towns - Waterbury, Connecticut; Mobile, Alabama; Sacramento, California; and Luverne, Minnesota - and examines the ways in which the Second World War touched the lives of every family on every street in every town in America.

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The Paris architect - Charles Belfoure

The Paris architect - Belfoure, Charles

Summary: "In 1942 Paris, gifted architect Lucien Bernard accepts a commission that will bring him a great deal of money -- and maybe get him killed. But if he's clever enough, he'll avoid any trouble. All he has to do is design a secret hiding place for a wealthy Jewish man, a space so invisible that even the most determined German officer won't find it. He sorely needs the money, and outwitting the Nazis who have occupied his beloved city is a challenge he can't resist. But when one of his hiding spaces fails horribly, and the problem of where to hide a Jew becomes terribly personal, Lucien can no longer ignore what's at stake."--From Amazon.

Publishers Weekly Reviews
How far would you go to help a stranger? What would you risk? Would you trade your life for another's in the name of what is right? Belfoure explores these questions and others in this debut novel set in Paris during the Nazi occupation. Lucien Bernard—who, like the book's author, is an architect—is offered a large sum of money to outsmart the Gestapo by devising unique hiding places for Jews, though he knows that anyone caught helping them will be tortured and killed by the Germans. Danger is everywhere: Lucien's mistress, Adele, a successful fashion designer, has an affair with a Gestapo colonel. Lucien's new assistant will betray him in a heartbeat. Offered a juicy German factory commission that involves working with a Nazi officer who admires architecture and art, Lucien's web weaves more complexly. And when he falls in love with Adele's assistant, rescues a child, and contacts some of the individuals he's saved, the stakes grow higher and Lucien's thoughts turn from money to vengeance. Seamlessly integrated architectural details add to the excitement. Belfoure's characters are well-rounded and intricate. Heart, reluctant heroism, and art blend together in this spine-chilling page-turner. Agent: Susan Ginsburg, Writers House. (Oct.)

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Do no harm - Henry Marsh

Do no harm: stories of life, death, and brain surgery - Marsh, Henry

Summary: "Neurosurgeon Henry Marsh reveals the fierce joy of operating, the profoundly moving triumphs, the harrowing disasters, the haunting regrets, and the moments of black humor that characterize a brain surgeon's life. If you believe that brain surgery is a precise and exquisite craft, practiced by calm and detached surgeons, this ... brutally honest account will make you think again"--Amazon.com.

Booklist Reviews
*Starred Review* Brain surgery is risky business, even with modern technology—paralysis, stroke, and bleeding are devastating complications. Little wonder that the first chapter in this amazing account of an English neurosurgeon's three-decade career begins, "I often have to cut into the brain and it is something I hate doing." He works on cerebral aneurysms, head trauma, brain hemorrhage, ruptured discs of the spine, and loads of brain tumors. His instruments are crude (bone drill, wire saw, small scalpel) and sophisticated (operating microscope, Computer Navigation GPS for the brain). Marsh reflects on professional detachment, uncertainty, intense anxiety, shame, and fallibility. Breaking bad news to patients and witnessing so much misery is draining. Sometimes the most important decision he makes is to do nothing: not to operate. He recounts successful cases (an operation on a young pregnant woman who was going blind due to a meningioma) and failures (surgeries gone very badly). He writes about the necessity of kindness and honesty from doctors and the difficult balance between hope and reality. Marsh remains fascinated by the brain: how "mere brute matter can give rise to consciousness" and "the electrochemical chatter of one hundred billion nerve cells." One of the best books ever about a life in medicine, Do No Harm boldly and gracefully exposes the vulnerability and painful privilege of being a physician. Copyright 2014 Booklist Reviews.

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The wild trees - Richard Preston

The wild trees: a story of passion and daring - Preston, Richard

Summary:Takes a close-up look at the world's tallest trees, the coast redwoods that grow only in the coastal regions of California, and at the previously unknown ecosystem that the trees form high in the air in the forest canopy. - (Baker & Taylor)

Booklist Reviews
Preston's previous galvanizing best-sellers, including The Hot Zone (1994) and The Demon in the Freezer (2002), deal with catastrophic viruses and biological weapons. Here he turns to a more uplifting subject, the world's tallest trees. Writing with his signature clarity and drama, Preston profiles a trio of champions of the coast redwood, "the blue whales of the plant kingdom." Botanist Steve Sillett developed acrobatic techniques for reaching the crowns of redwoods more than 300 feet tall. There he discovered an unknown world, the teeming temperate forest canopy, which Preston describes as "coral reefs in the air." Maverick Michael Taylor has discovered redwood giants in nearly impenetrable wilderness areas. So important are his finds, the locations of these redwood groves, some 3,000 years old, are kept secret. Marie Antoine also answered the call of redwoods and married fellow scientist Sillett in an arboreal ceremony. As for Preston, not content to merely watch from the ground, he underwent tree-climbing training and has assisted Sillett and Antoine in their invaluable, gravity-defying work. Preston's hands-on perspective, suspenseful chronicling of the adventures of these vividly portrayed redwood experts, and glorious descriptions of the tall trees' splendor and ecological significance make for a transfixing read. ((Reviewed February 15, 2007)) Copyright 2007 Booklist Reviews.

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Armada - Ernest Cline

Armada - Cline, Ernest

Summary: It's just another day of high school for Zack Lightman. He's daydreaming through another boring math class, with just one more month to go until graduation and freedom--if he can make it that long without getting suspended again. Then he glances out his classroom window and spots the flying saucer. At first, Zack thinks he's going crazy. A minute later, he's sure of it. Because the UFO he's staring at is straight out of the videogame he plays every night, a hugely popular online flight simulator called Armada--in which gamers just happen to be protecting the earth from alien invaders. But what Zack's seeing is all too real. And his skills--as well as those of millions of gamers across the world--are going to be needed to save the earth from what's about to befall it. Yet even as he and his new comrades scramble to prepare for the alien onslaught, Zack can't help thinking of all the science-fiction books, TV shows, and movies he grew up reading and watching, and wonder: Doesn't something about this scenario seem a little too... familiar?

Booklist Reviews
*Starred Review* Cline's first novel, the irresistible gamer quest, Ready Player One (2011), became a big best-seller now slated for a movie adaptation directed by Steven Spielberg. In his second geek-coming-of-age tale, Cline presents Zack Lightman, a teen with anger issues obsessed with his late father, who left behind some rocking mixed tapes and notebooks delineating a wild conspiracy theory about the truth embedded in popular science fiction novels, movies, and videogames. When Zack looks out a school window and sees an alien spacecraft just like those he shoots down so decisively while playing the online alien-invaders videogame, Armada (he's ranked sixth best player in the world), he fears he's losing his mind. Readers, however, will feel confident that they're in for another hard-charging adventure that blasts open the barrier between the actual and the virtual. And indeed, Cline once again brings crackling humor and fanboy knowledge to a zesty, crowd-pleasing, countdown-clock, save-the-planet tale featuring an unlikely hero, adrenaline-pumping action, gawky romance, and touching family moments. If the interactions among characters tend to be as predictable as fast food, Cline's sly, mind-twisting premise and energetically depicted and electrifying high-tech battles make for smart, frenetic, and satisfying entertainment. Copyright 2014 Booklist Reviews.

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Let me tell you - Shirley Jackson

Let me tell you: new stories, essays, and other writings - Jackson, Shirley

Summary: A new volume of unpublished and uncollected stories, essays, lectures, letters, and other writings by the renowned author of "The Lottery" and "The Haunting of Hill House" includes pieces reflecting on the literary process and family life. - (Baker & Taylor)

Library Journal Reviews
Remember the chilling excitement of reading Jackson's "The Lottery" for the first time? You'll have that same experience over and over again with this new collection, which offers more than 50 unpublished and uncollected works drawn from Jackson's papers at the Library of Congress and coedited by two of her children. Not only have these pieces never appeared before in book form, but many have never appeared at all, including 21 of the 29 stories and 14 of the 15 essays and lectures. With 2015 marking the 50th anniversary of Jackson's death and 2016 the centenary of her birth, expect a blizzard of works about Jackson, including a big biography from book critic Ruth Franklin.

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Sunny side up - Jennifer Holm

Sunny side up - Holm, Jennifer

Summary: "From the groundbreaking and award-winning sister-brother team behind Babymouse comes a middle-grade, graphic-novel memoir. Following the lives of kids whose older brother's delinquent behavior has thrown their family into chaos, 'Sunny Side Up' is at once a compelling 'problem' story and a love letter to the comic books that help the protagonist make sense of her world" -- provided by publisher.

School Library Journal Reviews
Gr 4–6—The Holm siblings, of "Babymouse" and "Squish" (both Random) fame, and colorist Pien, of American Born Chinese fame (First Second, 2008), have created a must-have graphic novel based on true events from the Holms' childhood. The year is 1976, and Sunny Lewin will be spending the summer with her grandfather in Florida. Artistic details in the panels, such as the style of the clothes and the cars, give readers a good sense of the time period. Sunny arrives in Florida feeling hopeful that it will be an exciting summer, but her enthusiasm quickly fades when she realizes that she has to sleep on a squeaky sofa bed and her grandfather is too busy dragging her on boring errands to take her to Disney World. Sunny's days start to look up when she befriends a boy from the neighborhood; together, they read superhero comic books and find lost golf balls and missing cats for reward money. Overshadowing Sunny's summertime adventures are events from the past year that have led to her last-minute Florida trip. She loves her older brother, but when he takes drugs, he makes poor choices and unintentionally hurts her. Sunny feels confused and responsible for her brother's erratic behavior. This title sensitively portrays how drug abuse affects loved ones through visual imagery and realistic dialogue. VERDICT A humorous yet emotional story with a memorable protagonist and detailed full-color art that make this a perfect choice for fans of Raina Telgemeier.—Marissa Lieberman, East Orange Public Library, NJ

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A homemade life: stories and recipes from my kitchen table - Molly Wizenberg

A homemade life: stories and recipes from my kitchen table - Wizenberg, Molly

Summary: Author of the internationally famous blog, Orangette, Molly Wizenberg recounts a life with the kitchen at its center. From her mother's pound cake, a staple of summer picnics during her childhood in Oklahoma, to the eggs she cooked for her father during the weeks before his death, food and memories are intimately entwined.

Booklist Reviews
With flair and great enthusiasm, Wizenberg tells the story of her life in terms of the foods she s relished over the years. As her father, affectionately called "Burg," put it, no one ever ate better than the Wizenberg clan. Raised in Oklahoma, Wizenberg came to appreciate all manner of edibles. She moves easily from one incident in her life to another, whether writing of a beloved gay uncle, a childhood excursion to Paris, or of her adult life in Seattle. Especially vivid and gently affecting is her detailed recollection of her father s death from cancer. Each chapter includes a recipe that reflects some aspect of Wizenberg s narrative. These recipes run the gamut from a favorite childhood dessert called "Hoosier Pie" through soups and meatballs to some unique tiny pastries based on canned tuna. Fans of the author s popular blog will be particularly attracted to this autobiography. Copyright 2009 Booklist Reviews.

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The people in the trees - Hanya Yanagihara

The people in the trees - Yanagihara, Hanya

Summary: Joining an anthropologist's 1950 expedition to discover a lost tribe on a remote Micronesian island, a young doctor investigates and proves a theory that the tribe's considerable longevity is linked to a rare turtle, a finding that brings worldwide fame and unexpected consequence.

Publishers Weekly Reviews
Driven by Yanagihara's gorgeously complete imaginary ethnography on the one hand and, on the other, by her brilliantly detestable narrator, this debut novel is compelling on every level—morally, aesthetically, and narratively. Yanagihara balances pulpy adventure tale excitement with serious consideration in unraveling her fantastical premise: a scientist, Norton Perina, discovers an island whose inhabitants may somehow have achieved immortality. Perina sets out on an anthropological mission that became more significant than he could have imagined. His tale raises interesting, if somewhat obvious, ethical questions; what can be justified in the name of science? How far does cultural relativism go? Is immortality really desirable? The book doesn't end with his astounding discovery, though. It continues with seeming banality to recount the predictable progression of academic honors that followed it and the swift and destructive attempt to commercialize Perina's findings. The story of Perina as a man emerges with less show but just as much gruesome fascination as that of his discovery and its results. Evidence of his character worms its way through the book in petulant asides and elided virulence, at first seeming incidental to the plot and then reflecting its moral themes on a small scale. Without making him a simple villain, Yanagihara shows how Perina's extraordinary circumstances allow his smothered weaknesses to blossom horribly. In the end, he reveals the full extent of his loathsomeness explicitly, unashamedly, convinced of his immutable moral right. (Aug. 13)

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The case of the man who died laughing - Tarquin Hall

The case of the man who died laughing - Hall, Tarquin

Summary: A prominent Indian scientist dies in a fit of giggles when a Hindu goddess appears from a mist and plunges a sword into his chest. The main suspect is a powerful guru named Maharaj Swami, who seems to have done away with his most vocal critic. Vish Puri, India's Most Private Investigator, master of disguise and lover of all things fried and spicy, doesn't believe the murder is a supernatural occurrence, and proving who really killed Dr. Suresh Jha will require all the detective's earthly faculties. To get at the truth, he and his team of undercover operatives travel from the slum where India's hereditary magicians must be persuaded to reveal their secrets to the holy city of Haridwar on the Ganges.

Kirkus Reviews
Vish Puri (The Case of the Missing Servant, 2009, etc.) takes a break from vetting prospective bridegrooms to investigate a murder that defies all reason.Once the Hindu masters taught the virtues of poverty. But in modern India, prosperity and devotion go hand in hand, at least at the Abode of Eternal Love, where well-heeled worshippers gather to revere the Maharaj Swami, who summons the Vedic sage Bharadwaja before their amazed eyes. No wonder famed Guru Buster Dr. Suresh Jha has targeted the swami in his campaign against the holy men Jha claims delude the people with superstition. Then, to the shock of his fellow rationalists, Jha is dispatched by the goddess Kali, 20-feet tall and hovering above the ground, as his fellow members of the Rajpath Laughing Club watch in horror. Inspector Jagar Prakash Singh of the Delhi police wastes no time in engaging the help of India's Most Private Investigator. Although respectful of his ancestors' religion, Vish Puri suspects that the swami had a hand in Jha's impossible death. To find out how, the safari-suited sleuth must travel to the hidden quarter of Shadipur, home to Delhi's famed magicians. While his loyal wife Rumpi stays home awaiting the arrival of their daughter Jaiya's twins and his beloved Mummy-ji chases the thief who stole the proceeds of her first kitty party, Puri consults Akbar the Great and Manish the Magnificent to see through the illusion straight to the crime.As tasty as Puri's favorite aloo parantha. Copyright Kirkus 2010 Kirkus/BPI Communications.All rights reserved.

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Darkness at noon - Sidney Koestler

Darkness at noon - Koestler, Sidney

Summary: Tells the tale of Rubashov, an Old Bolshevik and October Revolutionary who is cast out, imprisoned, and tried for treason against the very Soviet Union he once helped to create. The novel is set in 1938 during the Stalinist purges and Moscow show trials.

Kirkus
The Moscow trials form the pivot around which this interpretation of the spirit and logic of the Russian Revolution is built. As an interpretation it is brilliantly handled; as a novel it is almost motionless; it appeals more as an exercise in revolutionary ratiocination. Koestler, who knew several of the actual figures in the trials, has chosen a fictional Rubashov to embody the characteristics and activities of those involved. Through the period of his prison stay, we see the mentality of the revolutionist in his intellectual self-debates as he approaches a period of doubt, questioning whether the end justifies the means, whether the idea of mankind is more valid than the idea of man. For this breach of faith he is executed. Many serious studies have been made of the trials; this novel comes as near the sense of truth as any of them. The market, however, is limited. (Kirkus Reviews, May 1, 1941)

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Everything eyes - Bobbi Brown

Everything eyes - Brown, Bobbi

Summary: Starting with the essential tools and basic techniques, Bobbi simplifies eye makeup and helps women identify what works best for their eye shape and color. She offers step-by-step tutorials for ten go-to eye makeup looks, from sparkly to smokey to retro glam and more. Famous for her own signature specs, Bobbi also explains how to choose the perfect pair of frames based on face shape, personal style, and skin tone, and shares her favorite makeup tricks for those who wear glasses. --back cover.

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Dietland - Sarai Walker

Dietland - Walker, Sarai

Summary: "A fresh and provocative debut novel about a reclusive young woman saving up for weight loss surgery when she gets drawn into a shadowy feminist guerilla group called "Jennifer"--equal parts Bridget Jones's Diary and Fight Club"-- Provided by publisher.

Booklist Reviews
Although she is the advice columnist for a worldwide glamour media conglomerate, Plum Kettle is an unlikely source of wisdom. Morbidly obese and routinely humiliated by the stares and taunts of an insensitive populace, Plum plies her trade from her lonely apartment or, at best, at the corner café, where she knows the calorie count of each scone and latte on the menu. Having failed at every diet plan imaginable, Plum is seriously contemplating weight-loss surgery when she is handed a manifesto that ultimately leads her to a secret society of women fighting the constant assault upon women's sexuality, self-esteem, and independence. When a series of gruesome kidnappings and killings targets an international cast of the worst sexist offenders, Plum finds herself at the center of a global witch hunt. Through her protagonist, debut novelist Walker gives a plaintive yet powerful voice to anyone who has struggled with body image, feelings of marginalization, and sexual manipulation. Her robust satire also vibrantly redefines what it means to be a woman in contemporary society. Copyright 2014 Booklist Reviews.

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The invaders - Karolina Waclawiak

The invaders - Waclawiak, Karolina

Summary: Over the course of a summer in a wealthy Connecticut community, a forty-something woman and her college-age stepson's lives fall apart in a series of violent shocks. Cheryl has never been the right kind of country-club wife. She's always felt like an outsider, and now, in her mid-forties--facing the harsh realities of aging while her marriage disintegrates and her troubled stepson, Teddy, is kicked out of college--she feels cast adrift by the sparkling seaside community of Little Neck Cove, Connecticut. So when Teddy shows up at home just as a storm brewing off the coast threatens to destroy the precarious safe haven of the cove, she joins him in an epic downward spiral.

Booklist Reviews
Those tony beach communities that dot the flaunted real estate along the Connecticut and Long Island coasts have long been the source of wonder and desire. Inside their gates, however, things are hardly the stuff of such lust-filled dreams. Petty rivalries escalate between neighbors, paranoia over outsiders' access to "their" beachfront vistas fuel violent turf wars, and those old stand-bys drugs, alcohol, and sex destroy marriages and livelihoods. Told from the alternating points-of-view of Cheryl, a down-market trophy wife, and Teddy, her dissolute stepson, Waclawiak's novel exposes the underpinnings of Little Neck Cove for what they are: paltry, superficial facades that poorly mask any semblance of charity, tolerance, or humanity. As Cheryl's marriage dissolves and Teddy's addiction causes a life-changing accident, an impending hurricane destined to hit the community pales in comparison to the inner storms already brewing. With its spot-on characterizations, droll dialogue, and staccato pacing, Waclawiak's dark satire is a trenchant indictment of the country club set tempered by compassionately rendered portraits of two of its not entirely unwitting victims. Copyright 2014 Booklist Reviews.

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Baby-Sitters Club graphic novels - Ann Martin

Baby-Sitters Club graphic novels - Martin, Ann

Summary: Based on Ann M. Martin's bestselling series, America's favorite baby-sitters are back -- this time, in a heart-warming and hilarious graphic novel.

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The judge (DVD)

The judge (DVD)

Summary: Big city lawyer Hank Palmer returns to his childhood home where his estranged father, the town's judge, is suspected of murder. He sets out to discover the truth and along the way reconnects with the family he walked away from years before.

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Boyhood (DVD)

Boyhood (DVD)

Summary: A groundbreaking story of growing up as seen through the eyes of a boy named Mason, who ages from six to eighteen years old on screen.

Video Librarian Reviews
Director Richard Linklater filmed this extraordinary coming-of-age saga over 12 consecutive years, following his star—6-year-old Ellar Coltrane—to the age of 18. Mason (Coltrane) is first seen in East Texas, playing with neighborhood kids and squabbling with his older sister, Samantha (Linklater's daughter Lorelei). At the end of this segment, the family moves to Houston, which means a new home, new school, and new friends. Mason's dad (Ethan Hawke) and mom (Patricia Arquette) are divorced, but Mason hopes they will reunite. However, that's not going to happen, and their lovers come and go. Problem is: whenever mom finds a new man, she marries him—and one (Marco Perella) turns out to be an abusive alcoholic. By age 15, Coltrane the actor has become less stiff on-camera, delivering a wryly humorous and far more self-assured performance, as we watch him literally mature before our eyes. Linklater continues to epitomize the independent American filmmaker (regardless of his more mainstream entries such as School of Rock): from Dazed and Confused to his amazing Ethan Hawke/Julie Delpy trilogy (Before Sunrise, Before Sunset, Before Midnight), he has consistently marched to his own drumbeat. Presented in a linear fashion, Boyhood is an episodic, naturalistic film, somewhat reminiscent of the groundbreaking Up documentary series from director Michael Apted, who has made eight films recording the lives of a group of Brits from the age of 7 to 56. Already picking up festival and film critics association awards for Best Picture, Boyhood has also been nominated for five Golden Globes and will very likely be a major Oscar contender. Highly recommended. Editor's Choice. (S. Granger) Copyright Video Librarian Reviews 2015.

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Drawn & Quarterly

Drawn & Quarterly

Summary: North America's pioneering comics publisher celebrates its quarter-century with new and rare archival comics; essays from Jonathan Lethem, Margaret Atwood, and more.

Booklist Reviews
*Starred Review* Drawn & Quarterly has stood at the vanguard of art comics for a quarter-century now, and this massive tome celebrates the Canadian publisher and its beloved chief, Chris Oliveros, who conceived of "a comic company with literary and artistic aspirations." Oliveros, staff, and cartoonists are featured in essays, interviews, and photographs as well as appreciations by such literary luminaries as Margaret Atwood and Jonathan Lethem. For readers with no interest in any of that, though, it also brims with new and collected comics. The cartoonist list reads like a who's who of artists who have made independent comics what they are now and are defining where they're going: Beaton, Barry, Brown, Clowes, DeForge, Gauld, Hernandez, Spiegelman, Tomine, Ware . . . though that list barely scratches the surface. This is a magnificent monument to the diversity of aesthetic philosophies and personal styles, and if there's a prevalent theme, it's everyday indignities and how real people face them, even if these real people are occasionally zombies or superheroes. Even skipping the prose, this is a tall mountain to scale in one climb, but sampling and returning to it again and again affords an incomparable journey through comics' state of the art. Copyright 2014 Booklist Reviews.

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You are not special - David McCullough Jr.

You are not special - McCullough, David Jr.

Summary: Elaborating on his famous commencement speech, the author takes the pressure off of students to be extraordinary achievers and encourages them to do something useful with their advantages. - (Baker & Taylor)




BookPage Reviews
WISDOM FOR THE AGES
Listen up, class! Remember the high school graduation oration that David McCullough Jr. delivered in 2012? The talk that went viral on YouTube? That’s right—the “You Are Not Special” speech that the English teacher gave to Wellesley High School grads. Well, you can get your very own copy of that mind-‚ ãexpanding address, along with some of the best real-world advice contained between two covers, if you pick up McCullough’s new book, You Are (Not) Special. In it, he explains all the stuff that teens stress over—how to deal with parents, pick the right college, handle peer pressure, choose a career. It’s great, because McCullough really gets where kids are coming from—he understands them on a level that’s, like, micro.

Seriously, though. When it comes to closing the gap that exists between teens and adults, McCullough proves an expert bridge builder. In his book, he uses his now-famous speech as a jumping-off point, encouraging young people to cultivate intellectual curiosity, compassion and self-reliance. He also demystifies parental behavior—an undertaking for which he’s overqualified as a father of four. Smart but not condescending, knowing but never a know-it-all, McCullough—a longtime high school teacher—issues small admonishments to teens (text less, read more) in a tone that’s exceedingly collegial. “The sweetest joys in life . . . come only with the recognition that you’re not special,” he told the 2012 grads. Those who can, teach.

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