A list of all staff recommendations past and present is available in the library catalog. For further reading and entertainment suggestions, check out the Beyond Words blog and talk to your local librarian.
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The zookeeper's wife : a war story / |
Jan Zabinski, the director of the Warsaw Zoo, and his wife, Antonia, are credited with saving 300 Jews and Polish resisters during WWII. Diane Ackerman draws on Antonia's diary and other sources to relate this exciting and inspirational story. Antonia, who distracts Nazis from searching her by playing nationalistic German songs on her piano and keeps a variety of exotic creatures in her home, is particularly compelling. However, an equally interesting story is how Jan and Antonia used their zoo and exploited their knowledge of animals to aid in their resistance activities against a few Nazis whose theories of purification extended to the animal kingdom. Ackerman's scientific knowledge runs deep and at times the book is perhaps too academic for the lay reader, but overall this historical account reads like a satisfying novel. |
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The age of wonder : how the romantic generation discovered the beauty and terror of science / |
Age of Wonder by Richard Holmes is an accessible and fascinating account of some of the best minds of the Romantic generation, in particular scientists. There are portraits of botanist Joseph Banks, astronomer William Herschel, and chemist Humphrey Davies, among others. These men all contributed to the Romantic age of science, making advancements that captured the public's imagination, such as the discovery of the planet Uranus, the launching of hot air balloons, and the exploration of Africa's interior. Holmes writes of a time when science and art weren't antithetical but rather complementary pursuits: the Romantic writers, including Wordsworth, Shelley and Coleridge, were often fascinated and inspired by the discoveries of the age. Science and art were both inspired pursuits requiring imagination and creativity, and Holmes states that the "notion of wonder" seems to have united them. This absorbing book, poignantly observed and beautifully written, is an excellent narrative history of an era. |
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Lush life / |
Known for his writing contributions to the hit television series The Wire and his critically acclaimed novel Clockers (Spike Lee directed the 1995 film adaptation), Richard Price has made a name for himself writing gritty stories of urban street life. This story centers around three main characters. There's Eric Cash, a washed-up writer who gets caught up in a criminal investigation while making his way home after a late night out. Then there's Detective Matty Clark, the lead investigator in the case. Tristan Acevedo rounds out the main players as the young man who gets caught up in the whole mess when his pal talks him into committing what he assures him is some petty crime. The story unfolds as we follow Det. Clark, Eric, and Tristan through the ins and outs of the case with ever increasing tension as the case begins to draw to a conclusion. Price once again delivers great characters and quick, smart dialogue as well as a fast moving plot that feels destined for the big screen. |
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Franny and Zooey / |
Though he'll always be known for writing The Catcher in the Rye, J.D. Salinger's greatest achievement may be his Glass family stories. A troubled, yet close-knit family that seems to communicate best at a distance, writing letters or even phoning each other from another room of the same apartment, the Glass family siblings were child prodigies who had an unusually difficult time growing up. In "Franny & Zooey," the two youngest Glass siblings struggle to come to terms with the values of nonconformity and Eastern religion instilled in them by their older brothers. Salinger was troubled by the rampant consumerism of post-war America, and his darkly hilarious stories are every bit as relevant and powerful today. |
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The little stranger / |
The Little Stranger is set in rural England shortly after World War II. Dr. Farday is called to check on an ill young servant at Hundreds Hall, an estate where his mother worked as a domestic several decades ago. When he arrives, he finds the once-impressive estate in ruins, but his interest in the house and its inhabitants, Mrs. Ayers and her two grown children, keeps him coming back. Despite his lower social standing, he becomes a family friend, and before long he comes to realize that a decline of fortune is not the only calamity the Ayers are coping with. As a series of unexplainable events unfold, the sanity of some of the estate's inhabitants is questioned. Wonderfully detailed and capturing the ravages of war and the decline of the landed gentry, The Little Stranger is a sublime ghost story. Waters slowly but effectively builds suspense in this Turn of the Screw-esque tale and keeps the reader guessing about the narrator's reliability and motives. |
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8 1/2 |
Have you seen the terrific trailer for Nine, the forthcoming movie musical from the director of Chicago? That new film adapts the 80s stage musical of the same name, which in turn was inspired by this Italian masterpiece from 1963, directed by Federico Fellini. Longtime collaborator Marcello Mastroianni plays a director (based on Fellini himself) facing a creative block, romantic angst and a midlife crisis as he sets out to make his latest film. When critics describe something as 'Felliniesque,' they're basically talking about this part of his career: the freewheeling, carnival-like atmosphere in which reality merges with dreams and fantasies. It's not necessarily an easy film to watch, but it's also admittedly brilliant and absolutely like nothing else. |
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The Class, a gripping look at an ethnically diverse middle school classroom in Paris, won the 2008 Palme d'Or and was nominated for an Oscar in the Best Foreign Language film category. The subject has been tackled before, but you would be hard-pressed to find anything as good as Laurent has done here. Francoise Begaudeau stars as teacher Mr. Marin in a role he has played before, since it is his real life teaching experiences that are fictionalized in the film. The challenging and spirited students in his classroom are played by non-professional actors, and many of the scenes were improvised. Mr. Marin is no hero; he is a motivated but frustrated teacher who makes both inroads and mistakes with his students, who challenge his every move. During a grammar lesson, students raise a question about whether learning an antiquated way of speaking and writing is even useful; it's a good question, and Mr. Marin lacks a convincing answer. The classroom and the actors are authentic, and the documentary-style cinematography adds to that feeling. The Class is rife with conflict and doesn't offer easy answers. It's an exhausting, candid, and brilliant portrait. | |
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Professional hit man Leon (Jean Reno), also known as a "cleaner," likes to fly under the radar. He lives alone, does jobs for the local Mafioso and keeps to himself. But he hasn't gone unnoticed by his 12-year-old neighbor, Mathilda (Natalie Portman). When crazed, pill-popping, DEA agent Stansfield (Gary Oldman) takes out her family, including her little brother, Mathilda seeks refuge with Leon. She's been watching him, and knows that there's more to this quiet man than meets the eye. Leon reluctantly takes young Mathilda under his wing, and soon she is begging to be trained in the art of "cleaning" in order to avenge her brother. As Leon teaches Mathilda how to take care of herself and tries to keep her safe, he begins to learn something about himself and his nature. Luc Besson's The Professional is a step above an ordinary action film. Besson balances terrific action scenes with the unlikely relationship between two people who discover they are not alone. | |
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Walter Vale, a humorless, listless and widowed economics professor, sleepwalks through his days until reluctantly agreeing to present a paper at a New York City conference. When he arrives, he finds his apartment occupied by a young couple, Tarek and Zainab, who rented the apartment from a con-man. Walter allows the couple to stay while they find a new place to reside, and a friendship between the two men blooms when Tarek offers to teach Walter to play the drum. Walter undergoes an understated but profound change; he seems to have relocated his sense of joy. When Tarek is arrested and facing deportation, his distressed mother shows up at Walter's apartment. As they each cope with the situation privately and together, a precarious web of human connectedness is revealed. The acting in the film is noteworthy; Richard Jenkins, restrained and genuine, is particularly outstanding, fully deserving of his Oscar nomination. | |
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Préludes |
Alexandre Tharaud is a young French pianist you should know. His repertoire includes a wide range of composers, and his 2008 recording of Chopin's Preludes is an impressive addition to the many recordings of these pieces. Alex Ross of the New Yorker selected it as one of the ten best classical recordings of 2008, and Allan Kozinn of the New York Times also praised the album, calling Tharaud an "inventive and idiosyncratic" performer. Tharaud plays the short pieces straight through, and although Chopin's ardent and emotive compositions lend themselves to dramatic expression, it is Tharaud's restraint that adds a warmth and delicacy to his unique interpretation. |
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Veckatimest |
Grizzly Bear has been saddled with big expectations for quite a while now, and as everyone knows, massive hype doesn't necessarily do a band any favors. When critics and bloggers start saying a new group is the greatest, most important thing since the invention of the wheel, it's human nature to resist. Grizzly Bear is an experimental art-rock band who, somewhat like Animal Collective, express themselves with big primal brushstrokes of sound, dramatic and brooding and sophisticated. Imagine a rock band writing little symphonies rather than songs, and that may give you an idea of what to expect. Album opener "Southern Point" is a good sample of the band's overall sound, and "Two Weeks" is probably the most popular cut on the album, though album closer "Foreground" is another highlight among highlights. Not for every mood, but there are many very good reasons this band has so many people talking. |
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Brooklynati |
Tanya Morgan is made up of Von Pea, Donwill and Illays, who hail from both Brooklyn and Cincinnati: hence the title for their new concept album, Brooklynati, an invented neighborhood. Recalling De La Soul and Tribe Called Quest, the album exhibits smooth, jazzy beats and smart lyrics. Standout tracks include "On Our Way" and "Hardcore Gentleman". The overall laid back feel and intermittent humorous skits make Brooklynati a pleasant, cohesive album. Tanya Morgan is a refreshing addition to the indie hip hop scene. |
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(The album) |
Chicago-based Wilco lightens up for their seventh album, self-titled and featuring jokey cover art. Opening track "Wilco" (the song) is musically catchy while making the silly promise that "Wilco will love you baby." Good to know, guys, and we're touched by your public displays of affection. Fans of the band's more raucous side should check out "Bull Black Nova," and the chart-topping single "You Never Know" is another standout, but the heart of the album is undoubtedly the gorgeous "You and I," featuring band leader Jeff Tweedy dueting with guest vocalist Feist. (Check online for their excellent performance on Letterman.) The band's clearly happy, and the feeling's contagious. |