Information, Answers & Reviews

3D or not to 3D

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A while back I posted an article on this blog called "In Praise of Black and White." In it I mentioned that the invention of color film brought about a number of films that focused on color shock effects and explosions rather than focusing on the story. I believe that many of the films made today would not seem as good to us if we were forced to watch them in black and white. Today we have a rise in another new gimmick format called 3D.

February's Books Plus: Their Eyes Were Watching God

Their Eyes Were Watching GodAs cold winter winds swirl around us, join us at the library on Feb. 6th where we'll travel to sunny Florida to explore Zora Neale Hurston's evocative world. Alice Walker remarked that "no book was more important to her" than Their Eyes Were Watching God. As always we'll offer hot drinks, Amal's delicious cake, and an outlet for your stimulating conversation. Hope to see you here.

For more information on this and future programs, please see below:

Books Plus meets the first Sunday of each month. All are welcome. Join the discussion or simply come to listen. No registration necessary. Drop in.

From Book to Movie to Award Nomination

Where does Hollywood get many of their ideas? Comic books? Yes. TV shows from the 1970s? *Sigh* - yes. But also from books! Real books! This year's Academy Award nominations were announced this week, including 5 films for Best Adapted Screen Play - 4 of which are based on books. The fifth film, Toy Story 3 is based on a original treatment of the first movie (or something).

If you liked these movies - you might try the original too! I know I am adding several of these to my to-read list.

Between a Rock and a Hard Place by Aron Ralston
This memoir is the basis for Danny Boyle's film 127 Hours and tells the amazing true story of a hiker who had to make a terrible decision after being trapped and injured alone in the desert for over five days. As a sometimes solo hiker, I am intrigued by this story. Both movie and book are on my list.

Let's Take the Long Way Home

What an incredibly moving testament to women's friendship. Two Boston area writers who met at a reading but only came to know each other when they were raising puppies at the same time and their dog trainer suggested that they would hit it off.

Caroline was a rower and essayist; Gail, a swimmer and book critic. Both were determined, competitive, tough, and shy. One of Gail's friends nicknamed her "the gregarious hermit." Caroline's dog was a shepherd mix. Gail finally adopted the pristine white samoyed she had always longed for. Caroline stayed in the Cambridge area where she had grown up, while Gail had left her beloved high-country Texas although she still pined for it.

Mugabe and the White African

Life is hard enough without the added pressures of the truly horrific and ugly things that people can do to one another. Without straying into the politics of race and class in Zimbabwe Africa, this documentary follows a white farmer from Zimbabwe as he continues his court battle to keep is land after Robert Mugabe, the president, changes the Zimbabwe constitution and starts a new land redistribution program. The Blacks from Zimbabwe don't want the Whites to be there and the Whites don't want to leave nor do they have anywhere else they can go since they are "legal" citizens of the country. The White farmers were eventually forced from their land when their property was burned down. The police and the military would not protect them. Some of the farmers are dead, some have disappeared and others have moved to Harare.
Warning: The extreme acts of violence contained in this documentary may be triggering to some.

2011 Michael L. Printz Award

ShipbreakerEvery year the Michael L. Printz award is given to recognize excellence in Young Adult Literature. The American Library Association's publication, Booklist, is the sponsor of the award which was announced two weeks ago. The announcement slipped my notice, but both the winner and several of the honored titles look too good to not pass along.

2011 Printz Winner:
Ship Breaker by Paolo Bacigalupi
In a futuristic world, teenaged Nailer scavenges copper wiring from grounded oil tankers for a living, but when he finds a beached clipper ship with a girl in the wreckage, he has to decide if he should strip the ship for its wealth or rescue the girl.

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