New Arrivals

Here are some of the new materials received this week at the Chandler libraries:

Adult Fiction
Mind Scrambler: A John Ceepak Mystery, by Chris Grabenstein
The Recipe Club, by Andrea Israel & Nancy Garfinkel


Adult Nonfiction
Defining Conservatism, by Jonathan Krohn
Pulitzer: A Life in Politics, Print, and Power, by James McGrath Morris


Young Adult Fiction
Boys, Girls & Other Hazardous Materials, by Rosalind Wiseman
The Dark Days of Hamburger Halpin, by Josh Berk


Juvenile Fiction
The Last Wilderness (Seekers #4), by Erin Hunter
Where the Mountain Meets the Moon, by Grace Lin


Find more new books, CDs, and DVDs. Go to chandlerlibrary.org and click "Search the Catalog" in the upper left corner. Next, look for "New Items" in the upper right corner, and click the links for New Adult Fiction, New Adult Nonfiction, New CDs, and New DVDs.

Book Review: Don't Go to the Cosmetics Counter Without Me (8th ed)

Don't Go to the Cosmetics Counter Without Me is an eye-opening look at the products we use to make us beautiful, by "Cosmetics Cop" and consumer advocate Paula Begoun. More of a reference book, it has general information about good chemicals and bad chemicals you'll find in skin-care and makeup products, as well as comprehensive, brand-by-brand ratings. Find out what's worth your time and money and what is just a waste of it. The last chapter is a "Best Products Summary" for every category. A hefty paperback, it's worth perusing and then taking with you to the drugstore or the department store to look up any potential skin care or makeup purchases. You might have seen Paula on a variety of shows, including The View, Dateline NBC, and Oprah. Paula has her own line of skin care and cosmetics now, as well as a subscription website; not surprisingly, they are featured prominently in the book. - Deidre (Downtown)

Winter Olympics

The 2010 Winter Olympics will be held in Vancouver, February 12-28. Since 1924, Alpine skiing, cross-country skiing, figure skating, bobsledding and ice hockey have been featured at the Winter Games, with new sports added as the games have progressed. For detailed information about the Vancouver games, visit the official website at http://www.vancouver2010.com/.

Get ready for the Winter Games! Check out these books from your library to get into the Olympic spirit.

Juvenile nonfiction

The encyclopedia of the Winter Olympics

Freeze frame : A photographic history of the Winter Olympics

Adult nonfiction

The complete book of the Winter Olympics

The boys of winter : The untold story of a coach, a dream, and the 1980 U.S. Olympic hockey team

Edge of glory : The inside story of the quest for figure skating's Olympic gold medals

DVD

The Olympic series

Do you believe in miracles? The story of the 1980 U.S. hockey team

Book Review: The Time Traveler's Guide to Medieval England

Pretend for a moment you are a first-time traveler to London in, say, 1345. As you approach the city, you wonder many things: where should I stay, what should I eat, what will I see -- and what is that smell? If you knew what a travel guide was, you'd wish you had one.

The Time Traveler's Guide to Medieval England is a vivid and immensely readable description of life in 14th-century England. Writing as if he were authoring a travel guide, Ian Mortimer takes you by the hand and puts you inside everyday life in medieval England. As with any good guide, he tells you what you will see in the cities and towns, what you will eat, drink and wear, and what to do for entertainment. Travelers to the 1300's need to know about health and hygiene, laws and the people themselves -- what do they look like, what are their manners and how do they speak? Mortimer's use of the present tense focuses on what is happening now, not what has already happened. His writing, liberally sprinkled with wry humor, does not offer comparisons to modern life or make condescending assumptions. The main point of his work is that medieval people are not ignorant in the sense of having no knowledge; their knowledge is simply different from our own.

I recommend The Time Traveler's Guide to Medieval England to anyone with an interest in the people and spirit of the 14th century. Historical fiction readers may appreciate this book as an informative companion to understanding everyday life in the 1300's. While not an academic or scholarly reference, there is an extensive "Notes" section with works cited for further inquiry. As for that smell I mentioned, you'll just have to read the book; medieval England is not for the faint of heart. - Linda (Downtown)

Movie Review: Up in the Air

Two different CPL staff members reviewed Up in the Air. What do you think about the film?

Up in the Air, the recent Golden Globe winner for best screenplay, is a movie about relationships: with our jobs, with ourselves and of course with our significant others. The film takes us through the empty life of Ryan Bingham, played masterfully by George Clooney, a corporate-hired “hatchet man” who fires people for a living. Ryan’s new, type-A colleague wakes him up to his unfulfilled lifestyle, and his love interest comes with an unexepcted twist, far from the fluff of your typical movie romance. Both characters show the audience a side of them we haven’t seen before, in a dramatic ending worth the wait. Go see Up in the Air for the extraordinary acting, solid life lessons, and two-hour escape the movie will give you. - Kathy (Sunset)

Many critics call Up in the Air one of the best pictures of 2009. The Chicago Tribune even notes that it is nearly impossible to dislike this film. It seems obvious to this movie watcher that those who lavish such positive comments have not read the novel Up in the Air, a brilliant contemporary social commentary by Walter Kirn. Supposedly the movie is closely based on the book but I challenge you to read this fictional masterpiece and tell me you think so. Walter Kirn has presented a novel with little romance and much about how our business community's principles have caused social and economic damage. However, director Jason Reitman saw fit to turn this thought-provoking commentary into a warm romance. The true brilliance of Walter Kirn’s social commentary has been replaced by romantic fluff! - Henry (Downtown)

Robert B. Parker, 1932-2010

Bestselling mystery writer Robert B. Parker died this week at the age of 77. From the New York Times obituary:

Robert B. Parker, the best-selling mystery writer who created Spenser, a tough, glib Boston private detective who was the hero of nearly 40 novels, died Monday [January 18] at his home in Cambridge, Mass. He was 77.

Mr. Parker wrote more than 60 books all told, including westerns and young-adult novels, but he churned out entertaining detective stories with a remarkable alacrity that made him one of the country’s most popular writers.

It was Spenser, though, who was Mr. Parker’s signature creation. He appeared for the first time in 1973 in “The Godwulf Manuscript,” in which he is hired by a university to retrieve a stolen medieval document, an investigation that triggers a murder. The first pages of the book revealed much of what readers came to love about Spenser - his impatience with pomposity, his smart-alecky wit, his self-awareness and supreme self-confidence.

“Look, Dr. Forbes,” Spenser says to the long-winded college president who is hiring him. “I went to college once. I don’t wear my hat indoors. And if a clue comes along and bites me on the ankle, I grab it. I am not, however, an Oxford don. I am a private detective. Is there something you’d like me to detect, or are you just polishing up your elocution for next year’s commencement?”

Find books by Robert B. Parker in the library catalog (also audiobooks and film adaptations).

Book Review: Prairie Tale by Melissa Gilbert

Prairie Tale by Melissa Gilbert is a very honest look back at the child star’s life and career in television, and a revealing snapshot of the actress’ vices and loves. Gilbert pulls no punches when uncovering the facts of her relationships with first “real boyfriend,” fellow actor Rob Lowe, or her connection with TV dad, Michael Landon from Little House on the Prairie, the show that started it all for her. From enduring drugs, alcohol, and divorce to finding a nurturing marriage and family life with hunky actor Bruce Boxleitner, Melissa has lived it all. The actress doesn’t regret the mistakes she made more than once along the way, and the reader will enjoy learning about the young “Rat Pack” actors of the 80’s and the inside stories of sharing movie sets with such legends as George C. Scott and Patricia Neal. A quick read with a generally light tone, the book does contain a few heavier, more emotional moments, such as Landon’s death from cancer in 1991. Overall, knowing that even “America’s Sweetheart” had her hang-ups and lived to tell about them in a funny and entertaining way enlightens the reader. - Kathy (Sunset)