Best of 2013

December 23, 2013March 14, 2014 / lblibrarystaff / Leave a comment

Favorite Fiction Book

Title	Author	Format	Staff Member
Me Before You	Jojo Moyes	Book, eBook	Laurence
The Bones of Paris	Laurie R. King	Book, eBook	Amy
The Orphan Master’s Son	Adam Johnson	Book, eBook, eAudiobook	Deena
Triangles	Ellen Hopkins	Book	Kira
Zenzele: A Letter for My Daughter	J. Nozipo Maraire	Book	Carol
The Fault in Our Stars	John Green	Book, eBook	Carlen
The One and Only Ivan	Katherine Applegate	Book, Audiobook, Ebook	Regina
The Poacher’s Son	Paul Doiron	Book, eAudiobook	Eric
Fangirl	Rainbow Rowell		Martha
Aristotle and Dante Discover the Secrets of the Universe	Benjamin Alire Saenz	Book, Audiobook	Rummanah
Z: A Novel of Zelda Fitzgerald	Therese Fowler	Book, Audiobook, eAudiobook	Rummanah

Favorite Nonfiction Book

Title	Author	Format	Staff Member
Masterminds and Wingmen	Rosalind Wiseman	Book	Laurence
Lawrence in Arabia	Scott Anderson	Book, Audiobook, eBook	Amy
Bomb: the Race to Build–and Steal–the World’s Most Dangerous Weapon	Steve Sheinkin	Book, eAudiobook	Martha
Bonk: The Curious Coupling of Science and Sex	Mary Roach	Book	Kira
Nothing to Envy: Ordinary Lives in North Korea	Barbara Demick	Book	Carol
The Power of Style	Bobbie Thomas	Book, eBook	Carlen
Gettysburg: The Last Invasion	Allen Guezlo	Book, eBook	Eric
The Sound of a Wild Snail Eating	Elizabeth Tova Bailey	Book	Marcy
I Am Malala	Malala Yousafzai	Book	Rummanah
The Notorioius Benedict Arnold	Steve Sheinkin	Book, Audiobook, eAudiobook	Regina

Favorite DVD/Bluray

Title	Format	Staff
Silver Linings Playbook	DVD, Bluray	Laurence
Looper	DVD	Will
Miss Fisher’s Murder Mysteries	DVD TV	Amy
The Way, Way Back	DVD, Bluray	Deena
This is the End	DVD	Kira
Searching for Sugar Man	DVD, Bluray	Valerie
The Avengers	DVD, Bluray	Eric
Pitch Perfect	DVD	Martha
Now You See Me	DVD, Bluray	Carlen
The Imposter	DVD	Rummanah

Favorite Music CD

Title	Artist	Staff Member
Random Access Memories	Daft Punk	Laurence
The Worse Things Get, the Harder I fight, the I harder I fight, the more I love you	Neko Case	Amy
+	Edward Sheeran	Kira
Hang on Little Tomato	Pink Martini	Eric
Pitch Perfect (Music Soundtrack)	Various	Martha

Favorite Audiobook

Title	Author	Format	Staff
A Game of Thrones	George R. Martin	Audiobook, eAudiobook	Will
The Ocean at the End of the Lane	Neil Gaiman	Audiobook, eAudiobook	Amy
The Light Between Oceans	M.L. Stedman	Audiobook	Kira
The Silver Star	Jeanette Wells	Audiobook	Gloria
The Mysterious Howling (The Incorrigible Children of Ashton Place #1)	Maryrose Wood	eAudiobook	Rummanah
Storm of Swords	George R. Martin	eAudiobook	Carlen

Favorite Graphic Novel

Title	Author	Staff
Good Dog	Graham Chaffee	Carlen
Enders Game: Battleschool	Orson Scott Card	Eric
Enders Game: Command School	Orson Scott Card	Eric
Amulet: The Stonekeeper	Kazu Kibushi	Martha
Saga Vol 1	Brian K. Vaughan	Rummanah

Favorite Videogame

Title	Format	Staff
The Walking Dead	Xbox 360	Will
Assassin’s Creed IV: Black Flag	PS3, Xbox 360	Amy
The Last of Us	PS3	Carlen
Grand Auto Theft V	PS3, Xbox 360	Carlen
The Sims 3	Wii	Martha
Dokapon Kingdom	Wii	Eric

Favorite Picture Books

Title	Author	Staff
Little Bird	Germano Zullo	Donna
More	L.C. Springman	Donna
Black Dog	Levi Pinfold	Donna
South	Patrick McDonnell	Donna
The Country Bunny and The Little gold shoes: as told to Jenifer	Du Bose Heyward	Carol
Ira Sleeps Over	Bernard Waber	Carol
Rah, Rah Radishes	April Sayre	Eric
The Day the Crayons Quit	Drew Daywalt	Regina
Grandpa Green	Lane Smith	Rummanah

2CELLOS by Luka Šulić & Stjepan Hauser © 2011

June 5, 2012August 12, 2013 / prairiepiece / 1 Comment

Rating: 5/5

Summary: 2CELLOS are the dynamic, classically trained, celli duo of Luka Šulić and Stjepan Hausner. Given that Elvis is considered the King of Rock-n-Roll, these two might be considered the modern day wizards of instrumental music, creating an eclectic tracklist filled with popular rock and pop songs. The magic happens as these musicians use a variety of playing techniques, including rapid bowing, pizzicato, and percussive slaps to capture the melodic intricacies of popular music such as “Smooth Criminal,” “Smells Like Teen Spirit,” and “Welcome to the Jungle” with the same emotion and interpretation they would afford a piece of classical music.

Genre: Instrumental

Label: Sony Masterworks

Review: Simply put, these two guys make playing the cello cool! Every time I listen to this CD, I smile. While some classical music purist may disagree, I have come to realize that current pop and rock music can be filled with the same rhythmic complexities and melodic depth found in most classical performances. Luka Šulić and Stjepan Hausner impress me with their pure musicianship, sheer energy, and masterful interpretation of a wide range of artists from Michael Jackson to Nirvana.

There is nothing new about the cello, it has been around for centuries, and is still considered more of a rhythmic element in classical music pieces. Until more recently, the cello did not get a lot of recognition as a solo instrument. This duo’s approach, however, is to use the celli for both the rhythm and the melody of these songs in a bold and sometimes competitive, musical call and response form. In addition to the call and response commentary, Šulić and Hausner also place an emphasis on capturing and expressing the texture and percussive qualities of the rock and pop music they perform, which truly makes each piece come alive. Luka Šulić and Stjepan Hausner have artfully knocked down the walls dividing two music genres, classical and rock/pop. While Beethoven may roll over upon hearing this work, Bach is definitely screaming, “rock on.”

Sound-a-likes: While nobody has the same energy or sounds exactly like the 2CELLOS, instrumental renditions of current pop and rock music by other, classically trained, artists such as the Vitamin String Quartet, The Section Quartet, The String Quartet, Break of Reality, or Apocalytica are already popular among listeners who enjoy instrumental music.

Availability: This music is available from the Lake Bluff Public Library as a CD or as downloadable music from the Library’s freegal music site. Check the Lake Bluff Library catalog for current availability!

Staff 2011 Favorites

January 8, 2012August 3, 2013 / lblibrarystaff / Leave a comment

2010 was a great year for the Lake Bluff Library—we had a wonderful renovation, got a new director, said goodbye to our previous director Matt, and had some wonderful programming and events. The Lake Bluff Library staff would like to share some of our favorite books and other materials that we read, watched, and listened to in 2011.

Carlen’s Favorite Books

Before I Go to Sleep by S.J. Watson
Eve by Iris Johansen
Hellhound on His Trail by Hampton Sides
In War Times by Kathleen Ann Goonan
The Last Werewolf by Glen Duncan
Room by Emma Donoghue
Stories I Only Tell My Friends by Rob Lowe
The Year of Living Biblically by A.J. Jacobs
The Monstrumologist by Rick Yancey

Justin’s Favorite Books

Steve Jobs by Walter Issacson
The F***ing Epic Twitter Quest of @MayorEmanuel by Dan Sinker
Life, on the Line by Greg Achatz

Eliza’s Favorite Books

Blood Red Road by Moira Young
Starcrossed by Elizabeth C. Bunce
Revolution by Jennifer Donnelly
Lola and the Boy Next Door by Stephanie Perkins
Where She Went by Gayle Forman

Martha’s Favorite Books

Wonderstruck by Brian Selznick
Liar’s Moon by Elizabeth C. Bunce
Level Up by Gene Luen Yang
Hark! A Vagrant by Kate Beaton
Ganymede by Cherie Priest
Plain Kate by Erin Bow
Anya’s Ghost by Vera Brosgol
Fables: Rose Red by Bill Willingham
Cinderella Ate My Daughter by Peggy Orenstein
Go the F*** to Sleep by Adam Mansbach

Deena’s Favorite Book

Bed by David Whitehouse

Rummanah’s Favorite Books

Daughter of Smoke and Bone by Laini Taylor
Where She Went by Gayle Forman
Flipped by Wendelin Van Draanen
Black Like Me by John Howard Griffins
Wonderstruck by Brian Selznick
Silver Borne by Patricia Briggs
The Lost Hero by Rick Riordan
Miki Falls by Mark Crilley
Paige by Paige by Laura Lee Gulledge
Wolfsbane by Andrea Cremer