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By Kyle, January 30, 2010

British actor Jeremy Irons was born in Cowes, on the Isle of Wight, a small island just off the south coast of England. His career began with two years of training at the Bristol Old Vic School, after which he joined the repertory company working in everything from Shakespeare to contemporary dramas. He moved to London in 1971 and had a number of odd jobs before landing the role of John the Baptist in the hit musical “Godspell”. Irons made his on-screen debut in Nijinsky. In the early 80s, he gained international attention with his starring role in the adaptation of Evelyn Waugh’s classic novel Brideshead Revisited.   In 1984 he won a Tony for his role opposite Glenn Close in Tom Stoppard’s “The Real Thing.”  Irons won an Oscar in 1990 for his role again opposite Glenn Close in Reversal of Fortune.  His most-watched movie from the 1990’s may only include his voice –he brought to life Scar in The Lion King.  His latest roles include Brom in 2007’s Eragon, and the Earl of Leicester in Elizabeth I.

Check out movies with Jeremy Irons

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By Kyle, January 26, 2010

The 2010 Winter Olympic Games is just a few weeks away.  Go Team USA!  For all things Olympics, visit www.Vancouver2010.com.  Learn more about Olympic history through these documentaries and films, available from your Nashville Public Library:

Check out videos about the Olympic Games.

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By Amanda, January 23, 2010

It’s that time of year again – award show season, and I didn’t want to be left out.  With the popularity of a certain teenage vampire series (which will remain nameless due to the fact that I’m not totally in love with it, unlike the rest of the female universe), the Paranormal Romance and Urban Fantasy genres have exploded with new reads.  It can be a daunting task to figure out where to start, so I thought I’d offer a little advice on books I’ve found to be eminently more readable than The Book That Will Not Be Named (see also this PNR bibliography).  So here now, the absolutely meaningless, but hopefully still enjoyable, PNRUFies (pronounced pa-NER-fies).

Longest Series – local author, Sherrilyn Kenyon’s Dark-Hunters at 30 books/stories. Honorable mention to Laurell K. Hamilton’s Anita Blake books at 22 and Christine Feehan’s Dark series at 20.  For those REALLY long car trips, I’d suggest starting one of these.

Best Sidekick – Bob from Harry Dresden – he’s a talking skull who knows everything about everything.  Seriously, what else do you need and where can I get one?

Most Cliffhangery (This category is so frustrating that I had to invent a word for it) – Fever series from Karen Marie Moning.  You’ll scream. You’ll cry.  You’ll throw your book across the room (unless it’s a library book, then you’ll gently set it on the nearest table, lovingly brushing off any crumbs or lint, before you turn and punch the wall). Be warned – this one’s got at least one more book to go, and it’s not supposed to come out until December ’10.  Oh the humanity!

Wizard with the Biggest Hero Complex – Tie: Jim Butcher’s Harry Dresden and John Pritkin from Cassie Palmer by Karen Chance. Harry’s never met a spell he wouldn’t try in the name of saving the world.  Pritkin would have had something quippy to say, but he’s already saved the world four times since we asked him for a quote.

Best Living Arrangements – The church in which Rachel and Ivy reside in Kim Harrison’s Rachel Morgan series.  A witch and a vampire living in a decommissioned church – you’d think it would be more peaceful.  Honorable Mention to Jean-Claude’s underground lair in Anita Blake and the Black Dagger Brotherhood compound care of the Warden.

Craziest Relatives – Tie: “Grandpa” Eddie from Julie Kenner’s Demon-Hunting Soccer Mom series and Niall, Sookie’s fairy great-grandfather, from Charlaine Harris’s True Blood-inspiring series.  One’s not related, one’s not human, but there’s still so much to love.

The Dr. Evil Award for Excellence in Villainy (I haven’t talked to Dr. Evil about this personally, but I’m sure he’d agree that these bad guys are worthy of being compared to someone who went to evil medical school) – Lilith from LA Banks’s Vampire Huntress series.  I mean, come on, she’s married to the devil – that’s evil. Honorable mention to Lash and the creepy baby-powder scented Lessers from J.R. Ward’s Black Dagger Brotherhood.

And there you have it.  The PNRUFy Class of 2010.  I was really hoping to see some Weather Wardens or Werecats in the lineup, but I guess there’s always next year. Agree or disagree with the winners – but either way, these books are all pretty good reading.  Happy PNRUFy-ing!

- Amanda

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By Kyle, January 21, 2010

Robert Pattinson, the young British actor who portrays Edward Cullen in the Twilight series movies, is next in a long line of actors who have played dark, brooding characters.

Listed here are others, including the best, Marlon Brando, who have taken a turn at playing the brooding male lead. Unfortunately, the 1939 version of Wuthering Heights with Laurence Olivier as Heathcliff (the ultimate brooding character!) is out of print at this time.

Check out more movies with Dark, Brooding Characters.

- Crystal

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By Phil, January 19, 2010

There Will Be Blood

Wow! This 2007 movie lives up to its accolades as an American epic, with Daniel Day-Lewis earning an Academy Award for best actor for his mesmerizing portrayal of oil prospector/land speculator/entrepreneur Daniel Plainview. Set in the dust bowl areas of California between 1898 and 1927, Day-Lewis is riveting as a swindling, greedy boss out for land in his quest for his ever-expanding oil drilling operations.

I was sometimes reminded of a few other favorite films, including Paper Moon, No Country for Old Men (in the ironic, elliptical discussions between Plainview and devoutly religious Eli Sunday (Paul Dano), whose main concern is always The Church (he is also a healer and has some hilarious early scenes) and Dead Man (especially in the belching, clacking soundtrack, composed by Johhny Greenwood of Radiohead).

This movie is full of great acting, surrealistic scenes and dark humor. Plainview negotiating with the Standard Oil executives is one such scene. Some of his memorable lines include “I really don’t like people” and “I like all religions…” (the latter as he tries to assuage the townspeople early on that he is sincere in his plans).

The cinematography is often stunning (Academy Award winning, in fact. Comparisons to Citizen Kane are not out of place.)  as in the scenes involving building the oil drilling apparatus against the western skies. This is quite a long film and the tension and turmoil builds throughout as Daniel becomes embroiled in conflicts as the ultimate capitalist, obsessed beyond his wits against the determined preacher. Like in HBO’s late great Carnivale series, this central battle at times reaches crazy, epic, disturbing proportions.

A film based on Upton Sinclair’s 1927 novel “Oil”, this one is not to be missed!

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By Amanda, January 16, 2010

Superfreakonomics
By Steven D. Levitt & Stephen J. Dubner

Who would have ever thought that a book about microeconomics would be so interesting?  Especially the second time around?  After really enjoying Freakonomics, the first book from this talented writing team of dueling Steves, I wanted to see what new and seemingly incomparable comparisons they made.  Here are some intriguing facts I learned:

1) The spread of television through rural India vastly improved the lives of women by decreasing the amount of domestic abuse they were forced to endure.  Whether this was because the women saw strong, positive role models and tried to emulate them, or their husbands were just too busy watching soccer to torture their wives, was indeterminable.

2) If a computer screen does not load in 1 sec., most people will lose their train of thought.  If it takes up to 10 secs., most people will have already started thinking about something else entirely.  Think about that the next time you are at a hospital as a patient waiting for a diagnosis and the network slows down…

3)  There is a group of scientists just outside of Seattle who have potentially figured out how to stop global warming.  If you want to know how, you have to read the book, but I’ve long held the opinion that if we put chemicals in the air that made it warmer, why couldn’t we put chemicals in the air that negated the original chemicals we had already dispersed? That’s basically their idea in a nut shell, and it’s actually a very interesting concept.

This book is full of thought-inducing ideas, and I think Round 2 was just as good, if not better than Round 1.  Thanks Steves!

- Amanda

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By Amanda,

Divine Misdemeanors
By Laurell K. Hamilton

Ok, I need a hand count.  How many of you love Laurell K. Hamilton?  Alrighty, now how many of you hate her? Yep, that’s what I thought.  You’re either one or the other.  I happen to fall on the love her side of things.  LKH doesn’t write Great American Novels, but that’s partially why I like both her Anita Blake and Merry Gentry series so much.  They are pure entertainment.

Divine Misdemeanors is the latest Merry release.  **Spoiler Alert** With all the pseudo-climatic events of the previous book, Swallowing Darkness, I was surprised (pleasantly so) to find out that this one was even coming out. I was afraid that the series was ending.  DM’s dedication indicated that LKH had a hard time with the book, and it kind of showed. I’m sure it was difficult to find a new story path after tying up some of the previous threads so neatly.

Merry and the guys exiled themselves back to LA.  The Princess, Rhys, and Galen have gone to work for Merry’s old detective agency.  Doyle, Frost, Kitto, and several others, including former guards of Prince Cel,  set up house in Maeve Reed’s estate while she is in Europe.  In working with the police, Merry learns that someone is killing demi-fey, and she has to figure out how to stop it.

If you are fans of Darkness and Frost, this is not going to be your favorite installment.  The guys are there, but they are all work and no play.  Rhys and Sholto stepped up, though, and **Seriously, if you want to be surprised, stop reading!** it was nice to see Rhys get his own sithen (although, it’s an old apartment building? Gee, thanks Faery. You shouldn’t have…no really…). That should give LKH some material to work with to build some new story lines. Overall, though, DM kind of felt like a filler book. I hope LKH can find her way forward from here, because I really want to see what happens when the babies are born. Keeping my fingers crossed…

- Amanda

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By Kyle, January 14, 2010

Winter is in full swing here in Nashville!  Looking for something to stave off that cabin fever?  Try an epic movie.  An epic is a genre of film that emphasizes human drama on a grand scale.

Got Cabin Fever? Check out an Epic Movie.

- Crystal

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By Phil, January 13, 2010

Whole Lotta Zeppelin: The Illustrated History of the Heaviest Band of All Time By Jon Bream

This book is truly great.  For anyone interested in a band that really made its own rules while creating some timeless and never equaled rock music, this large book will satisfy you on many levels.

This is a comprehensive, lavishly illustrated history with all the bases covered; tour diaries and dates, memorabilia shots, complete reviews of their recordings by various writers, interviews, timelines, recollections and fascinating stories. The band members certainly have their say through various excerpted interviews as well.

The picture of Jimmy Page ordering at a Howard Johnson’s restaurant circa ‘68 is priceless alone, but this book also filled in many gaps in my Zep knowledge, including manager Peter Grant’s involvement in many incidents, the source of their early bluesy material, and how their music continued to evolve up through 1980.  It also includes a close look at their film The Song Remains the Same and covers their 2007 London reunion performance with Jason Bonham on drums as well as an extensive discography.

I can remember when an older brother put headphones on me around 1973 and boggled my mind with the solo from “Heartbreaker” when I was about 10 years old.  While we can’t go back in time this book will take you through the years with many excellent guest writers and critics, sound engineers and fellow musicians who share personal recollections. Like the band and their career, an enthralling tour de force!

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By Kyle,

There’s still time to create your list of top ten movies released in 2009.  Did you catch all the best of 2008?

Check out the films that at the top of last year’s “best of” lists.

- Crystal

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By Amanda, January 9, 2010

Nashville: The Occupied City, 1862-1863
By Walter T. Durham

I am not originally from Nashville, so I didn’t grow up learning about the history of this place I’ve chosen to call home.  What I am, however, is a Civil War buff.  (I’m also a Yankee, but you won’t hold that against me, right?)

I came across Durham’s book one day in the stacks and thought it would be interesting.  Most of the Civil War knowledge I’ve acquired has been about the Deep South, or places like Savannah or Richmond.  I don’t know much about the Western Theater.  Or should I say, I didn’t know much until I read Durham’s book. For instance, I did not realize that Nashville was considered the second most important Confederate city (after New Orleans) in terms of shipping and supplies, and yet the Confederates did nothing to protect it.  No breastworks, no new fortifications, no ditches, nothing.  It was also the closest capital city to the North, which made the lack of protection a little more puzzling.

I also found it interesting that the term “Old Glory” originated here. A retired sea captain gave the Union officers the old American flag that he’d flown from his ship so they’d have one to raise above the capital building. 

Make sure you read the author’s introduction, because there is a nice shout out to our very own Nashville Room and the great staff that works there.

Now I’m caught up to 1863, but even I knew that most of the fun happened after that.  It looks like I’ll have to read Durham’s sequel, Reluctant Partners, so I can see how things turn out…

- Amanda

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By Amanda,

Revolution
By: Miranda Lambert

 In 2003, Miranda Lambert came in a disappointing third place on the first season of the now defunct Nashville Star.  Seven years later, Lambert has released her third CD, Revolution, and her career is hotter than ever.  She is the most successful musician of any that were on Nashville Star.

On Revolution, Lambert shows her softer side with songs like my favorite, “Dead Flowers,” and “The House that Built Me.”  Miranda performed a one night show at The Ryman in September ‘09 to celebrate the release of this album, and when she played “The House that Built Me” with her parents in the audience, there wasn’t a dry eye in the place (including mine, and I’m not a crier.)

Ran doesn’t shy away from her rowdy side, though, rocking the house with songs like “Somewhere Trouble Don’t Go” or the big single “White Liar.”  You can hear a short clip of “Dead Flowers” by listening to our Popmatic Podcast. Revolution was definately one of my favorite albums of 2009.

- Amanda

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By Pam, January 8, 2010

The Most They Ever Had
by Rick Bragg

No one in the world can break your heart as beautifully as Ricky Bragg. This slim volume by the author of All Over But the Shoutin’ and Ava’s Man tells the story of the men and women who worked in and lived their lives around the textile mill in Jacksonville, Alabama until its permanent closure in 2001. It is the story of hardscrabble lives. It is the story of the meanest of mill owners, of cotton lint and brownlung, of shocking industrial accidents. But it’s also the story of the proud, hardworking generations of folk who never shirked, and did what had to be done to feed their children.

Bragg is the master of powerful, understated description. The first page of chapter one is so perfectly written that I had to read it aloud to a friend. He is also the master of speaking in a southern voice so natural that it catches you by surprise when you realize you’re hearing it: he was bad to drink then, or: he got red in his face. Never gratuitous, perfectly timed.

The mill in Jacksonville ultimately went the way of much American manufacturing: the jobs moved out of the country to workers willing to do them for 33 cents an hour. And make no mistake about it: despite hardship and tragedy, the mill was a life and a history for generations of workers and their families, its loss devastating to them.

Rick Bragg asked a friend of his if he thought anyone would read the book, filled as it is with sadness. His friend replied, “Well, it ain’t a damn barn dance, is it? It’s an American tragedy.” — Pam

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By Bryan, January 4, 2010

Home
By Marilynne Robinson

Home was only the third novel by Marilyn Robinson in thirty years. It was definitely worth the wait. Home chronicles the return of prodigal son Jack Boughton to the family farm in Gilead, Iowa. His aged father Robert, and Glory, Jack’s baby sister, now middle aged, anxiously await Jack’s return after twenty years of non-communication. Glory, a former school teacher, who by chance or unconscious design has slowly crashed back to Gilead to care for her fading father. That father, the Reverend Robert Boughton, spiritual lighthouse to the town of Gilead for much of his life, is now a wisp of his former self. He clings to life in the small hope he will once again meet  his estranged son. The Lord giveth; Jack returns.

Polite but unrepentant of his past transgressions, Jack torments his father by simply being himself, the black sheep of the family, also a drunk, and maybe a coward. Glory accepts Jack wholeheartedly, hardened liver and all, while the Reverend Boughton becomes tortured by his life’s one failure: his anti-social communist sympathizing son.

In case you are thinking you’ve heard this one before, you’ve never heard it by a writer as talented as Marilynne Robinson. In her hands the sleepy Boughton household becomes a boiler engine of psycho-spiritual pressure. The tension between father and son permeates the house like sunlight. Fate, sin, free will, and the capital “eff” Fall, are all weapons in the psychic warfare. Robinson illuminates both the positive and the negative nature of piety with clear effortless prose. If you are afraid this is just a book about a bunch of churchies in need of a little grease, all the characters have secrets and there is a surprise ending. The reader, and author, always know that rural Iowa in the late 50s is a serious bubble, outside of which are horrors that don’t permit the luxury of theological angst.

Literati may recognize the Boughtons and the town the Gilead as it gave the title to Robinson’s previous novel which earned her a Pulitzer Prize. Gilead and Home are companion pieces that take place in the same town at the same time but inside different households. I can’t recommend both novels strongly enough. On a personal note, Home is the last book I will get to read with the 2nd Wednesday Book Club, a reading group I’ve led here at the library for the past two years. To all my book club members, I thank you, and apologize for all the pretentious literary crap I’ve convinced  you to read. Though it is sad to have to move on, I am happy the last book we read together was one as powerful and meaningful to me as Home.

- Bryan

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By Kyle, January 1, 2010

Sugar

This heartfelt film by the writers of Half Nelson realistically follows the life of a minor league baseball player from the Dominican Republic. With a stunning lead performance and an unexpected resolution, this is not your average sports movie.

Bright Star

The butterfly scene alone makes this lovely film about the doomed love of poet John Keats and Fanny Brawne worth your time.

Moon

A Science Fiction movie for people who don’t like Science Fiction movies, this is more art house than action film.

- Beth