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New and Featured Books for 03/29/2012:

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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

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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.

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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 03/12/12:

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Some reading material from around the internet:

Apparently tweets can now be cited as evidence in academic papers.

The massive launch of Mass Effect 3.

RIP Jean Giraud, AKA Moebius.

Wal-Mart debuts their “Great For You” seal.

The “QWERTY Effect” is changing what words mean to us.

How do you ship a horse to the London Olympics?

The picture above is by Jan van der Veken, from here.

NASA would like you to know that the world will not end in 2012.

The youngest female self-made billionaire.

Car breaks down before Consumer Reports can even test it.

A 340 ton boulder turned work of art.

Inside some of the world’s tallest buildings.

Here’s a fascinating radio documentary: “Nuclear Power After Fukushima.”

Penguins fly first class on airplanes.

They’re going to make a movie out of the theft of Nic Cage’s prized Action Comics No.1!

by Yale Stewart, from here.

The 10,000 year plan for Amazon.

Get ready to share even more on Facebook.

Apple has announced the new iPad.

Speaking of which, are Apple’s insanely high profit margins built to last?

The Navy will be testing a new firefighting robot in 2013.

RFID your stuff, then find it with your mobile phone.

Facebook co-founder Chris Hughes buys The New Republic.

Why are companies ditching Google maps?

10 of the most powerful female characters in literature.

The review of 1984 that Aldous Huxley sent to George Orwell.

The paranoia of Philip K. Dick.

Audiobooks and the celebrities who were born to read them.

There’s still quite a gender bias in book journalism.

10 essential history books written by women.

The only Game Of Thrones/Song Of Ice And Fire map you’ll ever need.

A few things that Jonathan Franzen actually likes.

The trailer for the return of Community.

Also, check out this mash up Community/The Dark Knight Rises trailer.

And speaking of The Dark Knight Rises: Action figures!

Jennifer Lawrence almost said no to The Hunger Games.

A complete guide to 2012’s TV pilots.

Apparently there’s an R-rated version of Galaxy Quest out there somewhere.

A picture of Peter Dinklage as Wolverine.

A chart that helps explain just how much of “a long time ago in a galaxy far, far away” does Star Wars take place.

Speaking of Star Wars: Topher Grace has edited all the prequels into one concise 85 minute long film that is supposedly fairly good.

Your first look at Johnny Depp as Tonto in Gore Verbinksi’s The Lone Ranger adaptation.

by Scott Ferguson, from here.

The many dimensions of Catherine the Great.

Kids found living in abandoned bus.

Fiona Apple reveals her new album title, and it’s 23 words long (as opposed to 90 words).

Disturbing school lunch menus.

What visions of the future do high speed rail lines provide us?

Is this the nicest Taco Bell on the planet?

A 7 year old makes an awesome Rube Goldberg machine.

This will be an interesting week, since it contains both Pi Day and the Ides of March. Beware!

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Previous online reading material:

03/05/12.

02/27/12.

02/20/12.

02/13/12.

02/06/12.