Ages 18+.
Blog Post
While You're Waiting For...
by amy
... Grizzly Man, the new, heart-wrenching documentary by legendary filmmaker Werner Herzog about grizzly bear activists Timothy Treadwell and Amie Huguenard, you might consider checking out what may well be its perfect antidote: Project Grizzly. This whimsical film documents Canadian Troy Hurtubise's seven-year quest to design a protective suit that will stand up to a Grizzly attack.
More Herzog films, including Signs of Life and Land of Silence and Darkness, are also on the way.
Blog Post
Maybe a Miracle, by Brian Strause
by sernabad
You heard it here first. Beat the early buzz on Brian Strause’s charming, poignant Maybe a Miracle, due for release in October. Strause writes with the sure hand and smooth self-assurance of a seasoned novelist in this, his first fiction title.
Monroe Anderson just wants to get high before he heads to the prom but his visit to the family’s pool house to smoke some dope is aborted when he spots his beloved 11 year old sister, Annika, face down in the pool.
He revives her but she remains in a coma and despite her brother’s desire to protect her privacy, she becomes a media phenomenon with her healing powers and inexplicable stigmata.
“Monroe is a captivating narrator who will both delight and outrage readers while also making them think; nothing escapes his dead-on riffs about today’s tumultuous political and religious landscape. Sure to hit the book club circuit with a vengeance…” Library Journal
Run, don’t walk, to the hold queue.
Blog Post
New Fiction Titles on the New York Times Bestseller List (August 14, 2005)
by Mazie
Are you in the mood for the chills of a good mystery? Check out these new releases on this week’s list.
At #6 is Double Tap by Steve Martini: another legal thriller featuring Paul Madriani who stumbles across government secrets while defending a soldier on trial for murder.
At #10 is Long Time Gone by J.A. Jance: another familiar name has a new murder mystery set in the state of Washington.
At #12 is by Kay Hooper: an FBI agent investigates a cold case in Tennessee in Hooper’s latest novel of romantic suspense.
Blog Post
Legendary Korean filmmaker: Im Kwon-Taek
by Rich
The library has recently added many new titles to its DVD Collection, including several recent standouts from South Korean film. Chi-hwa-seon, also known as Painted Fire, uses vibrant imagery and powerful acting to tell the story of a famous 19th century Korean painter. Legendary Korean filmmaker Im Kwon-Taek won the award for best director at the 2002 Cannes Film Festival for this film.
I'm also directed Chunhyang, based on a famous Korean folk-tale. This film interestingly blends traditional film storytelling and a form of Korean singing known as Pansori.
Both films are worth checking out.
Blog Post
The History of the World in 6 Glasses
by Van
“Standage offers a distilled account of civilization founded on the drinking habits of mankind from the days of hunter-gatherers to yesterday’s designer thirst-quencher. History, along with a bit of technology, etymology, chemistry and bibulous entertainment. Bottoms up!” (from Kirkus Reviews)
Match the epoch with the beverage:
1. Beer.........A. Enlightenment
2. Wine........B. Globalization
3. Spirits......C. Hunter Gatherer to Farmer
4. Coffee......D. British Empire, Industrialization and Colonization
5. Tea...........F. Exploration
6. Cola.........G. Classical Times
To see the answer to "Match the epoch with the beverage", click on "Read More"(below).
Standage also wrote The Turk : the life and times of the famous eighteenth-century chess-playing machine
1 - C; 2 - G; 3 - F; 4 - A; 5 -D; 6 - B
Blog Post
Where is Brazil?
by breuter
According to legendary filmmaker Terry Gilliam, Brazil is less a place than a state-of-mind. This 3-disc Criterion Collection DVD offers both cuts of the film. Also featured is the astonishing tale of the movie's well-documented and difficult journey from post-production to theatrical release.
Blog Post
The Play Ground
by Albert
The Play Ground is rather bare these days so we are temporarily becoming The Festival and Fair Ground. The Ypsilanti Heritage Festival runs August 19-21 from noon to 9 p.m. Jeremy Kittel, who is featured on William Bolcom's album Songs of Innocence and Experience, will be playing from 2-3 p.m. on Sunday. There are also historic building tours, arts and crafts, concessions, children’s events, games, contests and live entertainment. Located at Riverside and Frog Island parks, Depot Town and downtown Ypsilanti.
Blog Post
Feel like a slacker?
by S.T. Augustine
Ever feel like you have too much on your plate between work, family life and any attempt to be your own person in the time you have left? Feel alone? Well, if nothing else, Confessions of a Slacker Wife will show you that you have company. With a healthy dose of humor, Muffy Mead-Ferro talks about the "slacking" that created a sense of balance in her life. If you like this, you might try another of her books, Confessions of a Slacker Mom. You won't be sorry.
Blog Post
2005 Booker Prize -- The Longlist of Finalists
by sernabad
The 37th Man Book Prize committee has announced the long list of fiction titles for the prestigious 2005 Booker. The Booker Prize is one of the most sought-after literary awards. It honors the best novel from the Commonwealth or the Republic of Ireland. The recipient of the £50,000 purse receives instant worldwide recognition, boosting sales tremendously.
Past winners include Alan Hollinghurst for The Line of Beauty (2004), Yann Martel for Life of Pi (2002), and Margaret Atwood, Blind Assassin (2000).
The long list of 2005 finalists, which includes four previous winners, is:
Tash Aw, The Harmony Silk Factory
John Banville, The Sea – scheduled for U.S. publication in 2006
Julian Barnes, Arthur and George – scheduled for U.S. publication in 2006
Sebastian Barry, A Long Long Way
J.M. Coetzee, Slow Man – on order
Rachel Cusk, In the Fold – on order
Kazuo Ishiguro, Never Let Me Go
Dan Jacobson, All for Love – not yet scheduled for U.S. publication
Marina Lewycka, A Short History of Tractors in Ukrainian
Hilary Mantel, Beyond Black
Ian McEwan, Saturday
James Meek, The People’s Act of Love – not yet scheduled for U.S. publication
Salman Rushdie, Shalimar the Clown
Ali Smith, The Accidental – scheduled for U.S. publication in 2006
Zadie Smith, On Beauty
Harry Thompson, This Thing of Darkness -- not yet scheduled for U.S. publication
William Wall, This Is the Country -- not yet scheduled for U.S. publication
The shortlist will be announced on September 8th and the winner will be announced on October 10.
Blog Post
Getting Old is Getting Tougher
by Debbie G.
Just ask Matt Scudder, star of Lawrence Block's best mystery series. Scudder thinks he's sailing into retirement, hanging out at AA meetings and annoying his wife when a best friend dies and more murders than you can count start to pile up around him. Reviewers give All the Flowers Are Dying raves, so give it a listen.