Publisher: First Second
Check Library Catalog Pub Date: 10/28/2008
ISBN-13: 9781596430969
ISBN-10: 1596430966

Alan Cope served on a tank in Europe during WWII. Guibert listened to his stories and they made this amazing comic. Cope had strange encounters, close calls and learned to drive a tank.

Publisher: Image Entertainment
Check Library Catalog Pub Date: 03/20/2007
UPC: 00014381393927

A chef travels the world and eats local foods. This show emphasizes eating local cuisine when you travel and how food can bring people together.

Publisher: Tor
Check Library Catalog Pub Date: 05/12/2009
ISBN-13: 9780765318909
ISBN-10: 0765318903

The Empress of Mars is not a person it's a bar- the only place to buy alcohol on Mars. This book is less of a space opera and more of a western-small-town-takes-on-the-evil-railroad-corporation book in space. The characters are all unique (scientists turned bartenders, Italian playboys with a love of spaghetti westerns, ice truckers), and the customs the locals all stranded on Mars have come up with are really... Martian. All this, and an evil corporation you love to hate!

First Chapter  

I’ve been having my very own Russian Film Festival during the past couple months, and am reminded of the phrase, “The Good, the Bad and the Ugly.” But the good here is very good, and it is a few of those that I’ll share with you. All are equipped with English subtitles.

Publisher: Criterion Collection
Check Library Catalog Pub Date: 01/01/2002
UPC: 00037429168028

Cranes starts just before the Second World War as two young people are falling in love, and ends just after the war. Its emphasis is on the home front and the personal lives of people who are waiting for their sons and brothers, husbands and lovers to come home. This was the first Soviet war movie that said, “even victorious wars stink.” The black & white cinematography is stunning, the characters rich, and the historical insights worthy of thought.

Publisher: Vox Video
Check Library Catalog Pub Date: 2006
ISBN-13: 4607090274395

This is a purely fun love story featuring two very likeable young characters. But it is the third character that is most enchanting—St. Petersburg itself. As the paths of two would-be, will-be lovers crisscross without actually meeting, the viewer is treated to views of one of the most remarkable cities in the world. You’ll want to buy tickets after seeing this film.

Publisher: Fox Home Entertainment
Check Library Catalog Pub Date: 01/01/1996
UPC: 00027616887498

You’ve heard and thought about the conflict between the Russians and Chechens. Now experience it emotionally. In this film, the participants and historical situations are shown to be more complex than they might appear in the news. The beliefs of almost every character are understandable to the viewer, and that makes taking sides that much more difficult. (It’s also, strangely enough, a very enjoyable film to watch.)

Publisher: Repnet Llc
Check Library Catalog Pub Date: 02/05/2008
UPC: 00616892905721

Russia is nothing if not deeply spiritual. And the “holy fool” is a long tradition in the culture. This movie about a prayerful/playful monk living in the far north will not only give you insight into this aspect of Russians, but will make you laugh, cry and pray.

Publisher: Image Entertainment
Check Library Catalog Pub Date: 01/01/1975
UPC: 00014381183825

This is a Russian comedy favorite featuring the banya, vodka, folk singing, poetry and many other signal characteristics of Russian culture—with a few mistaken identities thrown in for good measure. Part one of the 3-hour film was first shown on New Year’s Eve, 1975, and part two on the following day. Since then the film has become their holiday equivalent of our It’s a Wonderful Life.

Publisher: Genius Products Llc
Check Library Catalog Pub Date: 01/01/2002
UPC: 00720917538228

This is a fantastical tour of the great Hermitage Museum in St. Petersburg, and more indirectly, a tour of Russian history. Knowing that this movie was shot in one take makes it that much more intriguing. If you’ve seen the museum or intend to go there, check out this film.

Since my library is planning to move to a temporary location, while we wait for our new marvelous library to be built, I haven’t had much time to read due to working late, but here are some books that I have recently read that I think you might enjoy.

Publisher: Penguin Books
Check Library Catalog Pub Date: 07/29/2008
ISBN-13: 9780143113645
ISBN-10: 014311364X

This is one of those books that catch your eye. You know what I mean. You’re just walking along and then you see the book on display and you read the title and the next thing you know, you’re reading the book! The title says it all, too. Learn the stories about how the books came to be. Even if you have never read the mentioned books, you will have heard of them; Gone with the Wind, To Kill a Mockingbird, Pride and Prejudice, Peter Pan, Winnie-the-Pooh, The Hobbit and more. The book contains adult and children’s titles, fiction and non-fiction.

Table of Contents  

Publisher: Feiwel and Friends
Check Library Catalog Pub Date: 09/02/2008
ISBN-13: 9780312373283
ISBN-10: 0312373287

Travis feels his whole life is changing; he is living in a new house, his parents have new jobs and are never home, and now his beloved library is scheduled to close. If you are a fan of Steinbeck and like some local faire, along with a mystery, you should enjoy this tale.

First Chapter  

Publisher: Iuniverse Inc
Check Library Catalog Pub Date: 04/30/2005
ISBN-13: 9780595345212
ISBN-10: 0595345212

If you have a daughter, niece, sister, or any female living in your household, read these tales about strong and smart women. They can be very empowering for young and even us older women. I especially like Manka and the Judge. I hope to be telling this tale at the Sunnyvale Library’s Storytelling Festival this March.

Publisher: Orchard Books
Check Library Catalog Pub Date: 09/01/2008
ISBN-13: 9780439846691
ISBN-10: 0439846692

If you like adventure and fantasy and magic, then you should get to know Charlie Bone. This is the seventh book in the series. Charlie has the power to travel into paintings and photographs. This time he is pulled into a painting of a desolate landscape and meets a giant who is Charlie’s ancestor from 900 years earlier.

Publisher: Puffin Books
Check Library Catalog Pub Date: 05/08/2008
ISBN-13: 9780142411520
ISBN-10: 0142411523

The author transports the reader to Cape Town, South Africa where a young girl is to meet her grandmother for the first time. A grandmother she never heard of and did not even know she had and a grandmother who doesn’t seem to want her. Martine will do amazing things, see wonderful sights, and feel unconditional love given by a creature who supposedly doesn’t exist.

Publisher: Dial Books for Young Readers
Check Library Catalog Pub Date: 05/01/2008
ISBN-13: 9780803732148
ISBN-10: 0803732147

This book continues the adventures of Martine. Still living in South Africa, she goes with her class on an ocean voyage to see the famous Sardine Run. Martine had horrible dreams before the voyage of being surrounded by sharks and of drowning, so needless to say, she isn’t very excited about going. Then she gets in a fight with her grandmother and tells her, “I hate you!” Will those be her last words to her grandmother?

Publisher: Sony Pictures Home Entertainment
Check Library Catalog Pub Date: 02/24/2009
UPC: 00043396280427

Timid, reserved, and extremely overqualified high school chemistry teacher Walter White lives a mundane existence until he finds out that advanced lung cancer will kill him. His determination to leave behind a generous monetary legacy for his family leads him to cook the most sought after crystal methamphetamine in New Mexico.

Publisher: HBO Home Video
Check Library Catalog Pub Date: 03/24/2009
UPC: 00883929023974

Meet therapist Paul and his patients: oversexed Laura, Navy bomber Alex, suicidal teenage gymnast Sophie, and dysfunctional married couple Amy and Jake. Paul needs to talk to someone as well, so he goes to retired therapist Gina.

Publisher: Twentieth Century Fox Home Entertainment
Check Library Catalog Pub Date: 05/12/2009
UPC: 00024543553526

Bryan Mills’ naive daughter’s trip to Paris is cut short when men traffic her into the sex industry. Lucky for Bryan, he’s an ex-spy with badass skills, and there is no end to what he will do to the unlucky bad guys.

Check out some of Luc Besson’s other noteworthy films: The Fifth Element, The Professional, and Unleashed.

Publisher: Capitol
Check Library Catalog Pub Date: 06/17/2008
UPC: 05099950424924

This CD is a total guilty pleasure. One listen through, and you’ll have to listen to it again... and again. Katy Perry’s voice fully entertains, and so do the lyrics: “You’re so sad / Maybe you should buy a Happy Meal / You’re so skinny / You should really supersize the deal.”

Publisher: Facets Video
Check Library Catalog Pub Date: 10/23/2007
UPC: 00736899110925

Like the thought provoking District 9, currently in theatres, this haunting animated film uses science fiction to comment on contemporary problems. The story concerns the giant Draags who keep the miniature Oms (humans) as pets, until the Oms revolt with surprising effects to both races. The 1973 French/Czech movie won the special jury prize at Cannes and remains a classic of science fiction film making.

Publisher: Harper
Check Library Catalog Pub Date: 03/01/2009
ISBN-13: 9780060594756
ISBN-10: 0060594756

This is an “only in America” kind of life story. Bernarr Macfadden grew up in poverty but through his tremendous drive and obsession for publishing became the publisher of Photoplay, True Detective and a host of other popular magazines. He introduced Charles Atlas, as well as Ed Sullivan and Walter Winchell, to the world. His interest in exercise and physical culture also were hugely influential to American popular culture. Underscoring the remarkable fluidity of the American story, he has passed into almost complete obscurity. This breezily written biography is a fascinating rediscovery of a man whose influence is still present in our current cultural preoccupations.

First Chapter  Table of Contents  

Publisher: Sumthing Dist.
Check Library Catalog Pub Date: 04/10/2007
UPC: 00669311202925

The long running Resident Evil series popularized the genre of survival horror in video games. It also created a host of wonderful symphonic soundtracks. This collection gathers together some of the best themes from the video game series. Most of the tracks are eerie, some are frantic and a few are beautiful. A great listen as autumn and Halloween approaches.

Publisher: E1 Entertainment
Check Library Catalog Pub Date: 03/13/2007
UPC: 00021471909821

During the 1950s, Alfred Hitchcock was as famous for his droll introductions to his television show as he was for directing his films. This CD features similar introductions to lushly and eerily orchestrated tunes such as “I’ll Never Smile Again” or “After You’ve Gone”. The result is a darkly comic take on the subject of murder. The CD also includes the soundtrack of the British horror film Circus of Horrors.

Publisher: Penguin Books
Check Library Catalog Pub Date: 01/01/2003
ISBN-13: 9780141439518
ISBN-10: 0141439513

For my inaugural post, I’ve chosen some of my all-time favorites. I first read Pride and Prejudice in high school and fell so in love with it that I’ve read it at least 10 times since. Though the sometimes paragraph-long sentences can be a bit dense, once you get used to the style the story is just awesome. Besides being one of the greatest love stories EVER, it is a hilarious satire of Regency-era English society. Austen’s keen observations on the foibles of human character still resonate today, for who hasn’t met a Mrs. Bennett, Mr. Collins, or Lady Catherine de Burgh? Arguably the best novel ever to come out of England.

First Chapter  

Publisher: A&E Home Video
Check Library Catalog Pub Date: 09/25/2001
UPC: 00733961702545

If you love the book (or are too busy/lazy to read it), I highly recommend this 1996 miniseries with Colin Firth and Jennifer Ehle as Mr. Darcy and Elizabeth Bennett. This five-hour adaptation is much more faithful to the book than the more recent Keira Knightley version. The sexual tension only hinted at in the book is played up to marvelous effect, especially the hot Mr. Darcy fresh-from-the-water scene!

Publisher: Dial Press
Check Library Catalog Pub Date: 01/01/1999
ISBN-13: 9780385333870
ISBN-10: 0385333870

Somewhat paradoxically, my favorite author besides Jane Austen is Kurt Vonnegut, Jr. Their writing style could not be more different, but their caustically witty views of human nature make them kindred spirits of a sort. Galapagos is narrated by a ghost, from a point 900 years in the future, who explains the events leading to the end of humanity as we know it. A small group of tourists takes a fateful cruise to the Galapagos Islands and unintentionally becomes the progenitors of the next phase in human evolution.

First Chapter  

Publisher: Buena Vista Home Video
Check Library Catalog Pub Date: 01/01/2001
UPC: 00786936165425

Wes Anderson is my favorite director, and this is his best work. I love the story, the characters, the aesthetic, the soundtrack, pretty much everything about it. The children of Royal and Etheline Tenenbaum (portrayed by Gene Hackman and Anjelica Huston) were once prodigies – Chas (Ben Stiller) has “an almost preternatural understanding of international finance,” Margot (Gwyneth Paltrow), the adopted daughter, is a playwright, and Richie (Luke Wilson) is a top-seeded tennis player. In the 20 years since the separation of their parents, the “geniuses” have failed to live up to expectations. Royal, who hasn’t spoken to anyone in his family for three years, finds himself broke and kicked out of his hotel. A need for a place to stay, and the desire to prevent his not-quite-ex-wife from marrying her accountant, inspires him to tell his family that he is dying. Richie invites him home, and the estranged family is under the same roof for the first time in two decades. This Salinger-esque tale, heavily influenced by French cinema of the 1960s, features amazing performances by the main cast as well as the supporting cast, which includes Bill Murray, Danny Glover, Owen Wilson, Seymour Cassel, and Kumar Pallana. The soundtrack, with songs from Nico, the Rolling Stones, Nick Drake, and the Ramones, among others, illustrates Anderson’s gift for choosing the perfect song to complement a scene. Altogether a nearly perfect film.

Publisher: Matador
Check Library Catalog Pub Date: 09/08/1998
UPC: 00744861031123

Most people think that B&S’s 2nd album, If You’re Feeling Sinister, is their best, but my vote has to go to their 3rd. It is more musically mature than their earlier efforts, but not as uneven and over-produced as their later albums tend to be. It also marks the first time Isobel Campbell takes on lead vocals, channeling Margo Guryan with the fantastic “Is It Wicked Not to Care?” Other highlights are “Sleep the Clock Around,” “Dirty Dream #2,” and the impossible-not-to-dance-to title track, which is my favorite of all their songs.