RSS Feed

Tag Archives: Alexander Payne

New and Featured Books for 03/29/2012:

Posted on

Come and check out these and some of the other new books and materials (or at least new to us) added to our library collection…

FICTION:

State Of Wonder by Ann Patchett

The Descendants by Kaui Hart Hemmings

This is the novel that was adapted into the Oscar nominated film (the screenplay adaption won an Oscar) directed by Alexander Payne and starring George Clooney. The movie is very good, and we’d definitely recommend the book to anyone who likes funny and poignant character-driven stories, and who likes to read the book before the movie. Check out a review of the book in The New York Times, and the author’s website.

Paradise by Toni Morrison

Red Inferno: 1945 by Robert Conroy

The Fallen Angels by Bernard Cornwell and Susannah Kells

The Valcourt Heiress by Catherine Coulter

100 Bullets: The Deluxe Edition, Book 1 by Brian Azzarello and illustrated by Eduardo Risso

Like the cover blurb says, Azzarello and Risso’s long running comic book series from DC/Vertigo comics was “one of the greatest works of crime fiction in any medium,” telling some very hard-boiled pulp/noir stories in a very modern way. And this is where it began with it’s very simple initial premise: A mysterious man named Graves would visit people who had been the victim of a serious wrong and present them with evidence of who it was that was responsible for their plight. In the vein of revenge he’d then offer them a handgun and the eponymous 100 bullets, all untraceable by the police. And a lot of very interesting and very dark and very complex stories would spin out of that. Here are reviews of the series at Wired, The Comics Journal, and Pop Matters, and an interview with writer Brian Azzarello at The Onion AV Club.

The Glass Rainbow by James Lee Burke

NON-FICTION:

Women Pilots Of World War II by Jean Hascall Cole

Playing With Trains: A Passion Beyond Scale by Sam Posey

Forged: Writing In The Name Of God – Why The Bible’s Authors Are Not Who We Think They Are by Bart D. Ehrman

Harriet Tubman: Myth, Memory, And History by Milton C. Sernett

Marie Antoinette by Antonia Fraser

Unfamiliar Fishes by Sarah Vowell

This is a very fun and informative look at history by journalism, essayist, social commentator, and This American Life contributor Vowell, who looks at America’s imperialist desires and manifest destiny ideals at the end of the 19th century, and which lead to America annexing Hawaii, Puerto Rico, Guam, and invading Cuba and the Philippines. Vowell also talks about the culture clash as Christian missionaries swiftly moved in and tried to convert the far more laid back native Hawaiians to the American way of life. Here’s an interview with the author, and you can find interesting reviews of the book at The Los Angeles Times and in The New York Times.

And here’s an odd fun fact for you: Sarah Vowell, seen above, voiced the character Violet in Disney/Pixar’s The Incredibles.

This Is Your Brain On Music: The Science Of A Human Obsession by Daniel J. Levitin

Raw Basics: Incorporating Raw Living Foods Into Your Diet Using Easy And Delicious Recipes by Jenny Ross

The Intimate Lives Of The Founding Fathers by Thomas Fleming

The Reading Promise: My Father And The Books We Shared by Alice Ozma

* * *

Please note that books could be checked out between the time they end up on the blog and when you come to check them out. If you don’t see the items you’re looking for then please come up to the front desk and we’ll put your name on the reserve list for when the item returns.

* * *

Previous New/Featured books for Adults:

03/01/12.

02/02/11.

01/27/12.

12/27/11.

And for Young Adults:

03/20/12.

03/06/12.

02/21/12.

02/09/12.

And for Kids/Juvenile Readers:

03/27/12.

03/13/12.

02/28/12.

02/23/12.

Reading material for 02/27/12:

Posted on

from here.

Some reading material from around the internet:

The Artist takes the majority of the big awards at the Oscars.

The weirdest unsolved mysteries of World War II.

RIP Jan Berenstain, co-creator of The Berenstain Bears.

John Peel’s record collection to be digitized and displayed online.

The myth of 8 hours of sleep.

Academy Awards cupcakes.

Here’s a funny website: Photoshop Disasters.

Unlike humans, chimpanzees don’t enjoy collaborating.

Relive the 1990s in 48 pictures.

from here.

Physicist Brian Cox explains how everything in the universe is connected to everything else.

Stratospheric superbugs offer new source of power.

A pill to help you erase unwanted memories?

Studies show that Mayan civilization’s collapse related to modest rainfall reductions.

High energy workplaces can save America.

Watch TED Talks on Hulu.

This can be your next tweet.

How to remove your Google search history before Google’s new privacy policy takes effect.

A really cool t-shirt with Isaac Asimov on it.

from here.

“Everything I know about love I learned from romance novels.”

J.K. Rowling announces her first novel for adults.

Edward Albee talks about Carson McCullers.

Blink vs. Think: When a movie bewitches a writer.

Check out this NYC phone booth that was turned into a bookshelf/mini library.

Top 10 words that need to be retired from usage immediately.

Is there such a thing as buying too many books?

from here.

A 15 minute long video featuring Worf’s ideas getting shot down by everybody on Star Trek: The Next Generation.

10 science fiction/fantasy endings that we’d like to see more often.

Breaking down the Oscar nominees for Best Adapted Screenplay.

Teddy Roosevelt on The Simpsons.

A video essay on how to pull the perfect movie heist.

Oscar cynicism has become its own special form of Oscar Hype.”

The Best of the Worst Netflix reviews of Best Picture nominees.

Hans Zimmer talks about composing music for The Dark Knight Rises.

from here.

How waiters read your table.

The man with the longest name in the world.

Anatomical diagrams of Japanese monsters.

Foods for healthier teeth.

Dr. Seuss’ birthday is on Friday. Here’s 9 facts you didn’t know about the author.

Explore secret cities.

Photos of people with everything they own.

Speaking of which, apparently easily pronounced names make people more likable.

Make everything OK.

* * *

Previous online reading material:

02/20/12.

02/13/12.

02/06/12.

01/30/12.

12/27/11.

12/19/11.