In the Kingdom of Ice by Hampton Sides
An incredible adventure story recounting the trials and tribulations of Captain George DeLong and his crew traveling to discover the North Pole during the 1870's. Without giving too much away, one can only marvel at what these men went through in order to survive; from being stranded on ice for a year, to overcoming lead poisoning, and not to mention the Arctic weather conditions. A very gripping story, one that I actually listened to, rather than read. The narrator, Arthur Morey, did an excellent job and one could even detect changes in his voice as the story's mood changed. This is a book for any history buff, adventure enthusiast, or anyone who likes a story about human survival and perseverance. Also a great book to read if you are looking to improve your vocabulary.
Warning: Don’t start reading Lee Child’s Jack Reacher novels unless you want to get hooked. I got started at the urging of a library patron, and now my sister and my son are fans, too.
I really liked the very first Reacher book, Killing Floor which I got through My Media Mall for my Kindle. But I thought it was too bloody, and I don’t like vigilantes.
Soon there I was though, picking up another Lee Child and another and yet another. I think it’s the action that keeps me coming back. These books do not get boring. And because Reacher is a vagabond who can’t seem to settle down, the books are set in various parts of the country, including the nearby states of Indiana and South Dakota. Yes there are flaws. I almost gave up reading Die Trying,
the second in the series, because the villain was just too incredibly evil. But then I realized that all of Child’s villains are horrible.
Yes, Child has flaws. Do all the women have to be so incredibly gorgeous? Would they really fall so hard and so quickly for a man who wears his clothes for three or four days (barring times he has to toss a shirt early because he got too much blood on it). And could any mere mortal really accomplish what Jack Reacher does? Five against one is an easy day for this guy. Or watch him cross 300 yards on foot with no cover up to a house where bad guys with guns are looking out the windows.
Some fans might disagree, but I don’t think you need to read the Reacher saga in order. Excuse me please, I’m on page 98 of Bad Luck and Trouble
It’s that time of year again! The Golden Globe and Academy Award nominations have been announced. If you haven’t seen the movie, be sure to request it from the library so you’ll be in the know when the programs are televised.
Hosted by Tiny Fey and Amy Poehler, the 70th Golden Globe Awards will be presented on Sunday, January 13, at the International Ballroom of the Beverly Hilton, in Beverly Hills, California.
Hosted by Seth MacFarlane, the 85th Annual Academy Awards (also known as the Oscars) will be presented on Sunday, February 24th. The 85th Annual Academy Awards will take place at the Dolby Theatre in Los Angeles.
The Golden Globe Nominations are as follows:
BEST MOTION PICTURE – DRAMA
Warner Bros. Pictures, GK Films, Smokehouse Pictures; Warner Bros. Pictures
DJANGO UNCHAINED
The Weinstein Company, Columbia Pictures; The Weinstein Company/Sony Pictures Releasing
LIFE OF PI
Fox 2000 Pictures; Twentieth Century Fox
DreamWorks Pictures, Twentieth Century Fox; Touchstone Pictures
ZERO DARK THIRTY
Columbia Pictures and Annapurna Pictures; Sony Pictures Releasing
BEST PERFORMANCE BY AN ACTRESS IN A MOTION PICTURE – DRAMA
Jessica Chastain – ZERO DARK THIRTY
Marion Cotillard – RUST AND BONE
Helen Mirren – HITCHCOCK
Naomi Watts – THE IMPOSSIBLE
Rachel Weisz – THE DEEP BLUE SEA
BEST PERFORMANCE BY AN ACTOR IN A MOTION PICTURE – DRAMA|
Daniel Day-Lewis – LINCOLN
Richard Gere – ARBITRAGE
John Hawkes – THE SESSIONS
Joaquin Phoenix – THE MASTER
Denzel Washington – FLIGHT
BEST MOTION PICTURE – COMEDY OR MUSICAL
THE BEST EXOTIC MARIGOLD HOTEL
Blueprint Pictures/Participant Media; Fox Searchlight Pictures
LES MISERABLES
Universal Pictures, A Working Title Films/Cameron Mackintosh Productions; Universal Pictures
MOONRISE KINGDOM
Indian Paintbrush; Focus Features
SALMON FISHING IN THE YEMEN
CBS Films; CBS Films
SILVER LININGS PLAYBOOK
The Weinstein Company; The Weinstein Company
BEST PERFORMANCE BY AN ACTRESS IN A MOTION PICTURE – COMEDY OR MUSICAL
Emily Blunt – SALMON FISHING IN THE YEMEN
Judi Dench – THE BEST EXOTIC MARIGOLD HOTEL
Jennifer Lawrence – SILVER LININGS PLAYBOOK
Maggie Smith – QUARTET
Meryl Streep – HOPE SPRINGS
BEST PERFORMANCE BY AN ACTOR IN A MOTION PICTURE – COMEDY OR MUSICAL
Jack Black – BERNIE
Bradley Cooper – SILVER LININGS PLAYBOOK
Hugh Jackman – LES MISERABLES
Ewan McGregor – SALMON FISHING IN THE YEMEN
Bill Murray – HYDE PARK ON HUDSON
BEST ANIMATED FEATURE FILM
BRAVE
Walt Disney Pictures, Pixar Animation Studios; Walt Disney Pictures
FRANKENWEENIE
Walt Disney Pictures; Walt Disney Pictures
HOTEL TRANSYLVANIA
Columbia Pictures / Sony Pictures Animation; Sony Pictures Releasing
RISE OF THE GUARDIANS
DreamWorks Animation LLC; Paramount Pictures
WRECK-IT RALPH
Walt Disney Pictures, Walt Disney Animation Studios; Walt Disney Pictures
What Bears fan can resist a collection of inside stories from the infamous Steve McMichael.
Amazing Tales from the Chicago Bears Sideline delivers.
For example, Kurt Becker and Glen Kozlowski were roommates who apparently did not like each other. McMichael claims that Kozlowski even wrapped Becker’s feet in blankets and set them afire as he slept. And that was just one of the first volleys.
What is your favorite football book? Come tell us about it at 7 p.m. Thursday, Sept. 20, at the Irish Times.
If a friend says you must read Half the Sky, listen to him or her. Other options are watching the PBS documentary or visiting the website, Half the Sky.
This is the story of too many women and girls around the world held as slaves in brothels or allowed to die in childbirth or treated as outcasts after suffering vicious rapes. Nicholas Kristof and Sheryl WuDunn, a married couple of very brave journalists who jointly won the Pulitzer Prize, travel to Asia and Africa frequently and bring these stories. Before you say (as I often do) that you don’t read depressing books, notice the subtitle: ”Turning Oppression into Opportunity for Women Worldwide.”
Kristof and WuDunn want to move you to action. Some suggested steps are easy – donating to keep girls in school. Others are much more difficult – traveling to Asia or Africa to volunteer. The authors tell of programs they think work, and those where well-meaning efforts backfired.
And here’s the ultimate irony: these horrors stem from stereotypes and traditions that treat women as less than men. But education and empowering women could provide the energy and know how that helps raise these countries from poverty.
But where does the books title come from? A Chinese proverb: “Women hold up half the sky.”
Sharp Objects by Gillian Flynn.
After reading Gone Girl, I was intrigued enough to see if I would enjoy Flynn's other novels. Although mystery and psychological suspense is not my regular genre, I was immediately taken in by Flynn's characters in this chilly thriller.
"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."
I am a big fan of epistolary novels (Ella Minnow Pea, The Guernsey Literary and Potato Peel Pie Society), so when a librarian friend recommended "84, Charing Cross Road" by Helene Hanff, I took the book home that same day. It is a short book, and I think I read it in little more than an hour. It was a feeling of success that I finally finished a book in one sitting! I can't imagine not reading it in one sitting -- I wanted to follow this lovely relationship from start to finish from the moment I opened the book.
The Daily Telegraph says: One of the subtlest, sharpest, most moving relationships ever formed between pen pals... A must for anyone who reads...the correspondence between book lover Helen Hanff and Messers Marks & Cross of Charing Cross Road.
After I finished Flynn's most current book Gone Girl and her first novel Sharp Objects, I decided to read Gillian Flynn's second novel Dark Places. I have to admit I wonder where Flynn gets her ideas for her characters. This is an extremely well-written mystery, but I could not find a likable character. I give credit to Flynn for keeping my attention when I felt no pity for any of the characters.
"For a price Libby Day will reconnect with the players that murdered her mother and two sisters in "The Satan Sacrifice of Kinnakee, Kansas." Having testified that her brother Ben was the murderer on that fateful night twenty-five years ago, now she is not so sure as, piece by piece, the unimaginable truth emerges, and Libby finds herself right back where she started--on the run from a killer."
As I continue my quest to learn more about the personal accounts of Japanese American citizens following the bombing at Pearl Harbor, I turned to my previous recommendation of Silver Like Dust, and found a suggested read, “Farewell to Manzanar” by Jeanne Wakatsuki Houston.
"Farewell to Manzanar" is the true story of one spirited Japanese-American family's attempt to survive the indignities of forced detention . . . and of a native-born American child who discovered what it was like to grow up behind barbed wire in the United States. Library Journal calls "Farewell to Manzanar" 'An extraordinary episode in American history.'
Incendiary by Chris Cleave.
This is Cleave’s first novel (he also wrote Gold and Little Bee). It is an intense and moving portrait of a distraught British woman surviving the aftermath of one of Osama Bin Laden’s (fictional) attacks. The book is written as a letter to Osama Bin Laden after her four-year-old son and her husband are killed in a massive suicide bomb attack at a soccer match in London.
This is not a pretty story, and the main character is far from perfect. This novel is of the same style as Cleave’s second book, Little Bee, a powerfully heartbreaking story about a painful topic we’d prefer not to think about. In spite of the topic, this is a must read.
Mr. Penumbra’s 24-Hour Bookstore by Robin Sloan is a wonderful tale about the intersection of old school (i.e. printing presses, print books, and literature) and new school (Google and the internet, iPads, and all things technology). The Economist says: “Robin Sloan cleverly combines the antiquated world of bibliophilia with the pulsating age of digital technology, finding curiosity and joy in both. He makes bits and bytes appear beautiful…the rebels’ journey to crack the code–grappling with an ancient cult, using secret passwords and hidden doorways–will excite anyone’s inner child. But this is no fantasy yarn. Mr. Sloan tethers his story to a weird reality, striking a comical balance between eccentric and normal…The Pages swell with Mr. Sloan’s nerdy affection and youthful enthusiasm for both tangible books and new media. Clay’s chatty narration maintains the pace and Mr. Sloan injects dry wit and comedic timing suited to his geeky everyman…A clever and whimsical tale with a big heart”.
One Last Thing Before I Go by Jonathan Tropper
This is a novel about fractured families, relationships, lost souls, and trying to make good. Wonderfully written characters, that are extremely likable, especially the tight-knit group of middle aged divorced men who support their fellow downtrodden.
Here is a brief description: ‘Drew Silver is dying in many ways: his marriage has been over for seven years, his ex-wife is getting remarried, his career as a rock drummer is long past, his 18-year-old daughter is pregnant, and he has a life-threatening heart condition…Silver has never been much of a dad or a husband, so when he finds out about his defective heart, he determines he will not have a life-saving operation. After all, what does he have to live for?'
Silver Like Dust: One Family’s Story of America’s Japanese Internment by Kimi Cunningham Grant
After reading Julie Otsuka’s When the Emperor Was Divine and The Buddha in the Attic, I became very interested in reading more about what happened to our Japanese American citizens following the bombing at Pearl Harbor. This memoir is ultimately ‘the poignant story of a Japanese American woman’s journey through one of the most shameful chapters in American history.
The Fault In Our Stars by John Green. This is a Young Adult book that reads beautifully. Here is a book description: ‘Despite the tumor-shrinking medical miracle that has bought her a few years, Hazel has never been anything but terminal, her final chapter inscribed upon diagnosis. But when a gorgeous plot twist named Augustus Waters suddenly appears at Cancer Kid Support Group, Hazel’s story is about to be completely rewritten. Insightful, bold, irreverent, and raw, The Fault in Our Stars is award-winning author John Green’s most ambitious and heartbreaking work yet, brilliantly exploring the funny, thrilling, and tragic business of being alive and in love."
I laughed and cried uncontrollably through this book — often experiencing both emotions on the same page. The characters are honest and believable and they stole my heart. For those who don’t read YA books because there is “too much angst,” please give this novel a chance to change your mind.
I just finished "The Story of Us" by Leah Stewart. This is domestic fiction focusing on grief, adulthood and responsibility. I like domestic fiction because it allows me to lose myself in the issues of some other family (where the problems are far from mine). This was a good read for a cold winter day underneath my fleecy blanket where I was safe from the main character Eloise's problems.
Library Journal says: Eloise Hempel is the de facto mother to three twentysomething siblings, having become their primary caregiver after their parents were killed in a car accident. Always planning to put her life back on track as a Harvard professor, Eloise has found herself rooted in Cincinnati for 20 years as she parented her sister's children to adulthood. Inextricably linked together, the three also have strong ties to their childhood home. Looking toward future domestic arrangements, Eloise slowly hedges toward momentous decisions, while the siblings dabble in their own decision making, sometimes with disastrous results.
The Revised Fundamentals of Caregiving by Jonathan Evison.
This book is rich with pain, struggle, pain, companionship, giving, and ultimately, receiving. "Listen to me, everything you think you know, every relationship you've ever taken for granted, every plan or possibility you've ever hatched, every conceit or endeavor you've ever concocted, can be stripped from you in an instant. Sooner or later, it will happen. So prepare yourself. Be ready not to be ready.Be ready to be brought to your knees and beaten to dust. Because no stable foundation, no act of will, no force of cautious habit will save you from this fact: nothing is indestructible."
The Starboard Sea by Amber Dermont
‘Devastated by the suicide of his prep-school roommate and disdaining the trappings of his affluent Manhattan life, Jason transfers to another school and bonds with a troubled classmate whose subsequent death compels Jason to uncover the truth, in a tale set against a backdrop of the 1987 stock market collapse’.
This novel is, without doubt, one of the best I have read thus far in 2012. Starboard Sea is an examination of a young man’s foray into the risks and pleasures of adulthood. At times tragic, at other times hopeful, Jason’s story is full of poignancy, painful self-discovery, and reminders how complicated this journey to adulthood can be. Although this novel is most definitely not a ‘beach read’, this haunting novel, complete with unforgettable descriptions of sailing, is not to be missed”.
While reading Shutter Island, I recognized Dennis Lehane’s talent for suspense and vivid descriptions. However, summaries of his other books portrayed them as too sad or gruesome for me.
Then I learned he has a series with private detective partners Patrick Kenzie and Angela Dimassi Gennaro. I find these to be “can’t put down reading.” Yes, these books still get gruesome, but they also are spirited and fun. And who can resist Angie? She’s the requisite beautiful beyond words, but she’s also very tough and often saves her partner from serious predicaments.
One caveat on this series: Try to read the books in order because unlike many authors, Lehane reveals so much in subsequent books that you know how the mysteries in previous ones came out.
They are: A Drink Before the War ; Darkness Take My Hand; Sacred; Gone, Baby, Gone; Prayers for Rain and Moonlight Mile. Which brings us to Lehane’s latest novel, Live by Night. This deals with the same family featured in “The Given Day.”
I am not sure what the point is in “Live by Night.” It is hard to care much about the protagonist, a young man who becomes a Boston gangster during Prohibition. On the plus side, Lehane as usual gives us trips inside cultures we would never visit, in this case prison in the 1920s and steaming Florida before air conditioning and while Cuban revolutionaries join forces with U.S. rum runners.
Yes, there were flashes when I was cheering for Joe Coughlin, but I can’t recommend this book to fans of Patrick and Angie.
The 85th Academy Awards Nominations are as follows:
BEST PICTURE:
Zero Dark Thirty
"Les Miserables"
Amour
Django Unchained
BEST SUPPORTING ACTOR:
Christoph Waltz, "Django Unchained"
Philip Seymour Hoffman, "The Master"
Robert De Niro, "Silver Linings Playbook"
Alan Arkin, "Argo"
Tommy Lee Jones, "Lincoln"
BEST SUPPORTING ACTRESS:
Sally Field, "Lincoln"
Anne Hathaway, "Les Miserables"
Jacki Weaver, "Silver Linings Playbook"
Helen Hunt, "The Sessions"
Amy Adams, "The Master"
BEST DIRECTOR:
David O. Russell, "Silver Linings Playbook"
Ang Lee, "Life of Pi"
Steven Spielberg, "Lincoln"
Michael Haneke, "Amour"
Benh Zeitlin, "Beasts of the Southern Wild"
BEST ACTOR:
Daniel Day Lewis, "Lincoln"
Denzel Washington, "Flight"
Hugh Jackman, "Les Miserables"
Bradley Cooper, "Silver Linings Playbook"
Joaquin Phoenix, "The Master"
BEST ACTRESS:
Naomi Watts, "The Impossible"
Jessica Chastain, "Zero Dark Thirty"
Jennifer Lawrence, "Silver Linings Playbook"
Emmanuelle Riva, "Amour"
Quvenzhané Wallis, "Beasts of the Southern Wild"
Recognized worldwide as “Country Music’s Biggest Night™,” the CMA Awards represent the pinnacle of achievement in the Country Music industry. Each year, trophies are doled out in 12 categories, while music lovers coast-to-coast gather to celebrate America’s music.
The CMA Awards nominees and winners are determined by the more than 11,000 industry professional members of CMA, which in 1958 became the first trade organization formed to promote an individual genre of music. The first CMA Awards Banquet and Show was held in 1967. The following year, the CMA Awards was broadcast on NBC television for the first time – making it the longest running, annual music awards program on network television.
In 1975, President Gerald Ford congratulated the CMA on its 17th anniversary by telegram saying: "Country Music's roots are deep in the land and in the daily experiences of our people. In its simplicity, there is eloquence and appeal, in its words and melodies, there is a wealth of sensitivity and feeling."
Click on any of the winners below to request the CD.
Here is the complete winner's list from the 2012 American Country Awards:
Artist of the Year: Luke Bryan
Artist of the Year: Male: Luke Bryan
Artist of the Year: Female: Carrie Underwood
Artist of the Year: Group: Lady Antebellum
Artist of the Year: Breakthrough Artist: Jake Owen
Artist of the Year: New Artist: Lauren Alaina
Album of the Year: Luke Bryan, Tailgates and Tanlines
Single of the Year: Luke Bryan, "I Don't Want This Night to End"
Single of the Year: Male: Luke Bryan, "I Don't Want This Night to End"
Single of the Year: Female: Miranda Lambert, "Over You"
Single of the Year: Group: Lady Antebellum, "We Owned the Night"
Single of the Year: New Artist: Hunter Hayes, "Wanted"
Single of the Year: Breakthrough Artist: Brantley Gilbert, "You Don't Know Her Like I Do"
Single of the Year: Vocal Collaboration: Brad Paisley and Carrie Underwood, "Remind Me" This is Country Music
Music Video of the Year: Luke Bryan, "I Don't Want This Night to End"
Music Video of the Year: Male: Luke Bryan, "I Don't Want This Night To End"
Music Video of the Year: Female: Miranda Lambert, "Over You"
Music Video of the Year: Group or Collaboration: Little Big Town, "Pontoon"
Music Video of the Year: New Artist: Hunter Hayes, "Wanted"
Touring Artist of the Year: Jason Aldean
Song of the Year: Eric Church, "Springsteen"
Most Played Radio Track: Luke Bryan, "I Don't Want This Night to End"
Most Played Radio Track: Male: Luke Bryan, "I Don't Want This Night to End"
Most Played Radio Track: Female: Miranda Lambert, "Over You"
Most Played Radio Track: Group: Zac Brown Band, "Keep Me in Mind"
Most Played Radio Track: New Artist: Kip Moore, "Somethin' 'Bout a Truck"
Before you know it, I'll be posting the Oscar nominations...get ready to put hold requests on all your favorite movies from the past year!
On Wednesday, December 5th, 2012, the nominations for the 2013 Grammy Awards were announced. The 55th Grammy Awards are set to take place on Feb. 10, 2013. The awards ceremony, which will air exclusively on CBS, will be held at the Staples Center in Los Angeles. A number of annual awards given by the American National Academy of Recording Arts and Sciences for achievement in the recording industry are presented to an individual or group in the form of the Grammy statuette... Check out any of the nominated CDs from our collection!
Album of the year
Record of the year
Stronger (What Doesn't Kill You) – Kelly Clarkson
We Are Young – fun. featuring Janelle Monáe
Somebody That I Used To Know – Gotye featuring Kimbra
Thinkin Bout You – Frank Ocean
We Are Never Ever Getting Back Together – Taylor Swift
Best new artist
Stay tuned for more nominees tomorrow!
Yesterday, I covered the first three awards and today I will continue with the nominations for the other major major award groups.poas
If you are interested in requesting any of the CDs listed in the Grammy Awards post I or II just click on the album title and it will take you directly to the SWAN system.
Song of the year (songwriter's award)
Adorn – Miguel Pimentel Kaleidoscope
Call Me Maybe – Tavish Crowe, Carly Rae Jepsen and Josh Ramsay
Stronger (What Doesn't Kill You) – Jérgen Elofsson, David Gamson, Greg Kurstin and Ali Tamposi
We Are Young – Jack Antonoff, Jeff Bhasker, Andrew Dost and Nate Ruess
Best pop vocal album
Ceremonials – Florence and the Machine
Best rock album
Wrecking Ball – Bruce Springsteen
Best alternative music album
Hurry Up, We're Dreaming – M83
Best R&B album
Black Radio – Robert Glasper Experiment
Back to Love – Anthony Hamilton
Best rap album
Food & Liquor II: The Great American Rap Album, Part 1 – Lupe Fiasco
God Forgives, I Don't – Rick Ross
Based on a T.R.U. Story – 2 Chainz
Best country album
Living for a Song: A Tribute To Hank Cochran – Jamey Johnson
Four The Record – Miranda Lambert
The Time Jumpers – The Time Jumpers
Stay tuned for the complete winner's list from the 2012 American Country Awards!
Yes, Linda Fairstein's Alexandra Cooper solves a few murders in Night Watch, but it seems like she spends more time than usual anguishing over her love life. And the big question, of course, is whether he is worth it. After all, Luc Rouget, despite his Michelin stars, might actually be involved some how in the murderous plot. As Alexandra's friend (and as all readers know, her true love) NYC Detective Mike Chapman says in colorful, unquotable language, managing her personal life is not her strong suit. But we do get one of Fairstein’s signature tours of backstage Manhattan, this time the 21 Club, especially its wine cellar with great tricks left over from Prohibition. And we visit the picturesque Mougins in the south of France and learn a bit about the stratospheric restaurant business. Perhaps most intriguing are the peeks inside the world of high-rolling New York politics. For example, why is Alexandra’s career as an assistant district attorney in jeopardy because a photographer caught her outside her own apartment building? This was neither her fault nor scandalous. As usual, Alexandra is surrounded by great food, even when she’s too lovelorn to eat.
What is it with Erik Larson that he wants to write about just about the most evil people you can find? Anyone who read "The Devil in the White City" will never forget Dr. H. H. Holmes and the women and children he preyed on after building his "Murder Castle" right by Chicago's great Columbian Exposition of 1893. In the Garden of Beasts tells the story of William E. Dodd, a professor at the University of Chicago who accepts President Roosevelt's request to be ambassador to Germany in 1933 after several more likely men have refused it. Lucky for Larson, Dodd took his family along, including his 24-year-old daughter, Martha, a flamboyant party girl. And like many people involved, the two of them left a great paper trail. Perhaps the most amazing fact -- while Hitler and his cronies were building up to the holocaust and obviously getting ready for war -- the powers that be in the United States were most worried about whether the country would honor its financial debts. Of course, Hitler had no intention of doing that. The book offers a fascinating inside view of pre-war Berlin as we following the diplomat and his family to a myriad of social events with leaders of the Nazi Party, including Joseph Goebbels and Hermann Goring. Dodd himself would be considered anti-Semitic today, but with the benefit of our hindsight, Washington's response to the ambassador's protests about treatment of German Jews and American citizens of all stripes is unbelievable. Like many of these historical accounts, the book starts slowly, but before long the reader is caught up in the tale that we all know has no chance of ending well.