Archive for the ‘Carlen’s Reviews’ Category
All Hallows Read 2011
Posted on: October 20, 2011
All Hallows Read 2011
Created in 2010 by spooky author Neil Gaiman, All Hallows Read is celebrated during the week leading up to Halloween. How do you celebrate All Hallows Read? It’s easy: you give someone a book that scares you. The Lake Bluff Library staff invites you to celebrate this little known holiday with some of our favorite scary books.
Carlen’s All Hallows Read Picks
American Vampire by Scott Snyder and Stephen King (Graphic Fiction, c. 2010)
Carlen says: All American vampires doing what vampires do best. With terrifying graphics, intriguing characters, and plenty of blood, this graphic novel will satisfy any true vampire fan!
I Am Legend by Richard Matheson (Adult Fiction, c. 1954)
Carlen says: Robert Neville is literally the last man on Earth, as the rest of the world has turned into vampires via a global pandemic. He attempts to find a cure, with unique results. Written in 1954, this is a classic horror novel.
The Road by Cormac McCarthy (Adult Fiction, c. 2006)
Carlen says: In a post-apocalyptic world, a father and son embark on the most dangerous journey of all: living. In a world where there is no food and supplies, this is the ultimate survival tale.
Stitches by David Small (Teen Fiction and Graphic Fiction, c. 2009)
Carlen says: Though not a traditional “scary story,” Small takes the reader into the horrors of his childhood, his health, and his mind. A very engaging graphic autobiographical novel!
Donna’s All Hallows Read Picks
Something Wicked This Way Comes by Ray Bradbury (Adult Fiction and Juvenile Paperback, c. 1962)
Donna says: Love this scary book, shows the thrill of the carnival and the dark creepy side we always sense is lurking there. “By the pricking of my thumbs, something wicked this way comes!”
Martha’s All Hallows Read Picks
The Omnivore’s Dilemma by Michael Pollan (Adult Non-Fiction, c. 2006)
Martha says: There are some terrifying things in your refrigerator…excluding the ancient leftovers. While not scary in the traditional sense, Michael Pollan’s book will definitely send shivers up your spine. Who knew that corn could be so nefarious?
In the Lake of the Woods by Tim O’Brien (Adult Fiction, c. 1994)
Martha says: Do not, under any circumstances, read this book in the dark and especially not in a cabin in the woods in the dark. This book is packed with suspense and will be sure to leave you jumping at shadows.
Fragile Things by Neil Gaiman (Adult Fiction, c. 1997)
Martha says: Neil Gaiman is very good at freaking you out without relying on the kind of spectacle that is usually associated with the horror genre. This collection of short stories is an example of what Gaiman does best—beautifully crafted stories that will make you sleep with the light on.
Matt’s All Hallows Read Picks
1984 by George Orwell (Adult Fiction and Juvenile Paperback, c. 1949)
Matt says: No dystopian novel terrifies me like this one. The state of constant surveillance is frightening enough, but the punishments are, quite literally, the worst you can imagine.
Rummanah’s All Hallows Read Picks
In Cold Blood by Truman Capote (Adult Non-Fiction, c. 1966)
Rummanah says: A chilling and true account of a family being murdered for a few cents.
A Clockwork Orange by Anthony Burgess (Adult Fiction, c. 1962)
Rummanah says: I had to read this for my Brit Lit class junior year of high school. It’s mainly about a sociopath who relishes violence. He is taken in by the government and is “conditioned” not to harm anyone, which is equally disturbing. The last chapter made my jaw drop. I only saw a few clips of the movie in class, but I can never hear ‘Singing in the Rain’ without freaking out. I couldn’t sleep for weeks after reading this book.
Coraline by Neil Gaiman (Juvenile Fiction, c. 2002)
Rummanah says: Going to a parallel universe where your parents want to capture you and stuff you…yeah. Creepy as heck. Not to mention buttons for eyes.
Unwind by Neal Shusterman (Teen Fiction, c. 2009)
Rummanah says: One of my favorite YA books. I had goosebumps while reading this book. Just the thought of being torn apart and your body parts used for something else. *shivers*
The Strange Case of Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde by Robert Louis Stevenson (Adult Fiction, c. 1886)
Rummanah says: Split personality and murder, how much worse can it get?
Compiled by Martha
Halloween and Horror!
Posted on: October 19, 2011
Looking for your next Halloween Horror movie? Check this list for our catalog’s collection of horror movies! Simply click “request” to hold the item for you! We’ll let you know when it is available for you to pick it up! If you haven’t changed your password, the default is “123,” which is our address!
Stump the Librarian!
Posted on: October 19, 2011
Did you know today is “Stump the Librarian” day for the library? Every week, the library encourages fans to post questions on our Facebook page! Click here to access the page! Don’t forget to “like” us while you’re there! Any questions can be posted and we’ll do our best not to be stumped! Good luck!
RED (Summit Entertainment) 2011
Posted on: October 15, 2011
Get It!
The movie opens with Frank Moses (Bruce Willis) meandering around his relatively mundane life. The highlight of his day appears to be tearing up government checks and calling his case worker, whom he is clearly interested in, to fix the repeated “errors.”
Flash forward to one night when Frank’s house is attacked by half a dozen armed men. Just when you think the aging man is doomed, he single-handedly incapacitates each one and leaves unscathed, while his bullet-ridden home crumbles in the background. Thus begins the mysterious journey into Frank’s past and his attempt to find his attackers.
Joining him on his quest are fellow retired agents of various calibers, each quirkier than the last. Famous names to look for include John Malkovich, Karl Urban, Morgan Freeman, Ernest Borgnine, Helen Mirren, and Richard Dreyfuss. And let’s be honest, has Morgan Freeman ever been in a bad movie?
Full of riveting, thrilling chases and a delightfully hilarious all-star cast, Red provides both humor, suspense, and an intriguing plot that shows things do get better with age. The library owns this in both Blu-ray and DVD.
If you enjoyed RED, try:
Salt (Blu-ray and DVD)
The A-Team (Blu-ray and DVD)
For something different, try:
The Switch (DVD)
RSS Feeds Now Available!
Posted on: October 15, 2011
Did you know you can now subscribe to our calendar via RSS? You can select based on the age range of the program and, in the future, the nature of the program! Visit our website for further information, or just click on this link to our RSS feed for all programs! Simply copy and paste into your RSS reader to start receiving program information today!
Get It!
Author: Preston, Douglas & Child, Lincoln
Title: Gideon’s Sword
Genre: Suspense
Publication Date: 2011
Number of Discs: 9 CDs, 10 Hours.
Geographical Setting: United States and various European countries
Time Period: 1980s to Present
Series: Gideon Crew, Book 1
Plot Summary: Gideon Crew, computer technology genius and all-around thief, spends his entire development undertaking the challenge of vindicating his deceased father from the shame of a crime he did not commit. Having succeeded eventually, after many years of study with the sole purpose of acquitting his father, Gideon looks forward to a normal life at long last. Unfortunately for him, a man named Manuel Garza literally steals him away and introduces him to someone who can pay him $100,000 to perform one task. The problem, as with many undercover activities, is that obstacles immediately jump in Gideon’s path, launching the listener into a fast-paced race against the clock, to prevent the shift of power among world nations.
The reader, Broadway actor and television star John Glover, highlights the sense of urgency in the book. His even-toned voice often leaves the listener hanging on by a thread, and in constant suspense.
Subject Headings: Children of murder victims, Fiction; Revenge, Fiction; Suspense fiction; Secrets; Murder witnesses; Fathers – death; Wrongful death.
Appeal: Engrossing, engaging, intriguing, multiple points of view, well-drawn, action-oriented, character-centered, investigative, linear, details of computer science and physics, political, dangerous, smart, unusual, witty.
3 Terms that Best Describe this Book: Plot-centered, vivid, contemporary.
Similar Fiction Authors and Works:
Lee Child’s The Hard Way: Suspenseful, plot-centered, and fast-paced; a series read-a-like as well with a similar focus on revenge.
Brad Meltzer’s The Book of Fate: Suspenseful, plot-driven, and richly detailed; a legal thriller with government conspiracy.
Robin Cook’s Foreign Body: Suspenseful, plot-driven, and dramatic; a medical thriller dealing with unexplained deaths, also a series.
Relevant Non-Fiction Work:
Ben Macintyre’s Agent Zigzag: Intriguing, meticulously researched, and exhilarating; a biography of German WWII spy Eddie Chapman.
Annotation by Carlen
Get It!
In his second work, Capuzzo examines several members and a variety of cold cases of the illustrious Vidocq Society. Throughout the non-fiction work, Capuzzo focuses on the three prominent members of the society: Frank Bender, William Fleisher, and Richard Walter.
Bender, a forensic artist with a voracious sexual appetite, uses his slightly psychic intuition to create facial sculptures of crime victims. He also specializes in age progression.
Walter, a forensic psychologist, is world-renown as a criminal profiler. Fleisher is an FBI and US Customs agent, who sparked the idea for the club. Together, the three experts provide the background from which the stories branch.
All in all, this compilation of true crime anecdotes is both fascinating and harrowing. Though myself an avid purveyor of crime novels and forensic television shows, I was taken aback many times at the graphic content of the book, but nevertheless found myself fascinated and reading more.
APPEAL: Detailed, Bleak, Unique
If you liked The Murder Room, try:
Midnight in the Garden of Good and Evil by John Berendt – Engaging, Richly Detailed, Scenic
In Cold Blood by Truman Capote – Journalistic, Chilling, Bleak
Under the Banner of Heaven by Jon Krakauer – Engrossing, Disturbing, Thought-Provoking
Review by Carlen
Ebooks are now Kindle compatible!!
We’re happy to announce that our eBook collection is now compatible with the Amazon® Kindle. Lake Bluff patrons can now download popular and classic eBooks to a Kindle device or any mobile device running the free Kindle app, such as iPhone®, iPad®, Android™, and more. Visit MyMediaMall to begin downloading your ebooks.
Remembering 9-11
Posted on: September 9, 2011
As we all know, the ten-year anniversary of September 11 is this Sunday. In remembrence of that day, here’s a list of a variety of items about that day.
Sunday is also the first Sunday of the fall we are open.
Get It!
Inside 9-11: What Really Happened by Der Spiegel
A sectioned book by the authors of Der Spiegel magazine. The book includes a chronology of the events, as well as appendicies with lots of reference material and excerpts.
Appeal: well-researched, compelling, engaging.
Get It!
The 9/11 Report : A Graphic Adaptation by Sid Jacobson and Ernie Colón
For those graphic fans out there, try this adaptation of the original book. Though only 15% as thick as the non-graphic version, the book’s visuals compensate completely.
Appeal: Heart-wrenching, graphic, powerful
Get It!
A History of the World Since 9/11 by Dominic Streatfeild
British journalist Streatfeild examines eight different cases resulting from the 9/11 war on terror. The narrative format and involvement with each case creates an engaging read.
Appeal: Bleak, Gripping, Unique
Get It!
Netherland by Joesph O’Neill
In this fiction, post-9/11 New York novel, Dutch banker Hans joins an underground league called the West Indian New Yorkers. An “outsider’s” account of New York’s culture depicts rebirth and the American Dream
Appeal: Charming, Bittersweet, Evocative
Winner of the 2009 Pen Faulkner Award for Fiction
Get It!
The Devil’s Light by Richard North Patterson
A twist on the 9/11 attacks, this fiction work follows an order from Osama Bin Laden to attack Israel. On top of that, the attack is supposed to happen on 9/11 itself. Brooke Chandler, CIA operative, must convince his superiors of this before it’s too late.
Appeal: Thrilling, Fast-Paced, Suspenseful
Get It!
Looking for your next check-out? Try the 16th installment of the Rogue Warrior series by Richard Marcinko.
All about Navy SEALS, this ex-SEAL uses his personal experience to vividly portray a mission he and his team undertake in India.
Fast-paced and containing some light humor, this book offers a true-life based and, at times, brutally honest glimpse into the lives of the SEALS. Though born from Marcinko’s experiences, the book is mainly fiction, and therefore commands a sense of urgency and adventure.
Appeal: Fast-Paced, Violent, Thrilling, Graphic, Intriguing, Engrossing, Militaristic, First-Person Perspective
Booklist Review:
Marcinko maintains his grasp of high-adventure military fiction in his latest effort starring Rogue Warrior Jim “Demo Dick” DeFelice. The Indian government comes calling this time, requesting that the Rogue Warrior and his team help with security for the upcoming Commonwealth Games, an Olympics-like extravaganza in which various countries from around the world will be participating. Will Dick be able to keep the peace? Not exactly. As the team begins training, a plot involving the theft of nuclear weapons, seemingly using guards who are working for the enemy, ups the ante. Marcinko and DeFelice’s usual sarcastic edge is razor sharp here, and the story line is tight and exciting. Military fiction fans who haven’t read any Rogue Warrior novels will find this one a great place to start. It’s over the top, as always, but that’s part of the fun in this high-testosterone series. One of the best Rogue Warrior novels in years. — Ayers, Jeff (Reviewed 06-01-2011) (Booklist, vol 107, number 19, p44)
