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By Crystal, August 14, 2012

Walk the Moon
by Walk the Moon

If you’re a fan of Passion Pit, The Killers, or Foster the People, I strongly encourage you to use your five freegal downloads for the next two weeks and grab the ten tracks that complete Walk the Moon’s  self-titled major label debut album.    Walk the Moon is based out of Cincinatti, Ohio, but they are gathering obsessive fans all over after extensive touring across the US and in Europe, as well as a recent appearance on MTV Unplugged.   Perfect for summer listening, Walk the Moon’s songs create high-energy dance pop with catchy melodies and unforgettable hooks.  The clip below is from  one of my favorites off the album – it’s called Anna Sun.

Other essential album tracks include a galloping tune about traveling with your sweetie called Next in Line.  Then there’s  a musical declaration of the seductive power of a particular girl called Shiver, Shiver.  An album should always end gracefully and Walk the Moon doesn’t disappoint here with the beautiful “this heartbreak too shall pass” anthem I Can Lift A Car.    Start downloading now.

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By Crystal, July 24, 2012

The BBC series Luther starring Idris Elba may be the best crime show you haven’t seen.

Detective Chief Inspector John Luther is a brilliant and obsessive investigator  who’s easy to become emotionally unhinged. This leads to great trouble in both his personal and professional life.  In season one we find out his wife has left him, and he’s back from a suspension following the near death of a suspect.  Luther is not exactly what you’d call a dirty cop, but he does investigate and apprehend his suspects by bending the rules.  Luther’s unorthodox friendship with former suspect Alice Morgan is one of the most riveting match-ups in recent television history.  Idris Elba, whom you may know from the critically acclaimed series The Wire, won a Golden Globe for his portrayal of Luther.  Although Elba is the main reason to watch this show, the supporting cast of comrades and enemies are all top notch actors.  Even when plot lines seem implausible, keep watching because you’ll want to see  how Luther will solve the case.  The library also owns season two of this series.

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By Crystal, July 10, 2012

Gone Girl
by Gillian Flynn

After a certain grey novel, Gillian Flynn‘s psychological suspense shocker Gone Girl may prove to be the most talked about book of summer 2012.  As a rabid fan of  stories with a high goose bump factor, I can tell you Gone Girl is one of the best, so place your request now!  But what do you read in the meantime?  Allow me to recommend a few of my favorite authors and titles.  And please share your recommendations in the comments section below.

British author S J Bolton writes  fabulously creepy, gothic-tinged suspense stories.  I have librarian and NPR commentator Nancy Pearl  to thank for turning me onto Ms. Bolton; now I am sharing her with you.   Bolton has written standalone titles (Sacrifice, Awakening, and Blood Harvest), but her latest works feature recurring characters and are best read in order.  Start with Now You See Me.

American author and screenwriter Scott Smith has written only two novels (bummer, man!), but they are both outstanding psychological suspense tales.     Smith explores how greed darkens the most pure of hearts in A Simple Plan, and The Ruins will leave you with one particularly important nugget of wisdom: know key phrases of the native tongue before you travel to exotic locales!

In just a few eloquent words, Dennis Lehane puts the reader smack in the middle of Boston’s toughest neighborhoods.  He paints such vivid portraits of his characters they feel like old acquaintances.  I highly recommend any of Lehane’s works, especially the crime thriller series featuring Bostonian PIs Patrick Kenzie and Angie Gennaro.   But since we’re focusing on psychological suspense here, it doesn’t get any more intense and mind-twisting than Shutter Island.  Mr. Lehane will be coming to NPL as part of the Salon @ 615 series this fall to talk about his new novel Live by Night (to be released on October 2, 2012.)

-crystal

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By Crystal, June 12, 2012

Free-Range Chicken Gardens: How to Create a Beautiful, Chicken-Friendly Yard

by Jessi Bloom; Photos by Kate Baldwin

Nashville is fast becoming a city of urban farmers.  For many the urban farm includes a hen or two (no more than six, remember…)  Landscape designer and farmer Jessi Bloom’s book Free-Range Chicken Gardens tells you what to plant in your chicken-friendly garden, as well as tips to keep your chickens from harming your plants as they roam around.   Through beautiful photos and easy to understand planning and management techniques, Bloom offers advice on successfully encouraging your chickens and garden to coexist.  She also features urban farmers from around the country who share their own chicken testimonials.  Although you’ll find some beginner’s information about coops, breeds, and general poultry care, this book may be more helpful to the urban farmer who already has chickens.  Investigate the basics of raising poultry with  Keeping Chickens with Ashley English, or The Complete Guide to Raising Chickens.                  -crystal

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By Crystal, June 5, 2012

Trowel & Error: Over 700 Shortcuts, Tips, & Remedies for the Gardener
by Sharon Lovejoy

Gardening season is in full swing and that means so are the forces that find no greater joy than in destroying your precious plants!  Although it might seem easier to go to your local garden center and buy weed killers and bug sprays,  with just a little effort you can care for your garden without breaking your bank.

Allow me to introduce Sharon Lovejoy – artist, author, and gardening expert.  Her book Trowel & Error compiles tons of gardening tips and remedies that are easy to use, safe for you and your loved ones, and they work!  For example, did you know that cinnamon repels ants?  Neither did I until I took Lovejoy’s advice and sprinkled some along the ant trail in my cabinet.  How about using old cologne to gently mist visible flies, aphids, or mealy bugs wreaking havoc in your container plants?   Knocks them right out!  And my favorite tip, leave out a saucer of beer to attract slugs and they’ll die a happy death.   Trowel & Error is so much fun to open at random and take in Lovejoy’s illustrations and folksy advice.    This is a must read for all gardeners from the casual to the passionate.                     -crystal

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By Crystal, May 22, 2012

May 29th marks the fifteenth anniversary of singer-songwriter Jeff Buckley‘s untimely death.  He remains one of the all-time best rock vocalists; Jeff could channel Nina Simone or Edith Piaf in one verse,  then wail like Led Zeppelin-era Robert Plant in the next.
Although he may have struggled with the legacy of his late father folk singer and songwriter Tim Buckley, Jeff was widely respected for his own musical talents.    Who knows what direction his music may have taken had he not drowned in the Mississippi fifteen years ago.  Thankfully we will always have Grace, and you should start with that album if you’ve never listened to Jeff’s music.  An NME critic recently posted an essay declaring that U2′s album The Joshua Tree features the best opening ever.  While Where the Streets Have No Name remains a powerful and awe-inspiring anthem, the fierce intensity of  Mojo Pin  makes the album Grace a worthy rival for the title.

When you’re ready for deeper cuts, go with Sketches for My Sweetheart the Drunk.  These are the songs Jeff was working on for his next album.  And you must watch the concert DVD Live in Chicago to  experience what a bewitching performer he could be.  In addition to the physical copies we have in the collection, visit freegal to download songs from Grace Around the World, So Real, Live at Sin-e, and other compilations.  Learn  more about the life and music of Jeff Buckley through our nonfiction collection.              -crystal

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By Crystal, April 24, 2012

It’s almost May, and that means it’s Mount Everest summit season.  Why the month of May you ask?  Just before the summer monsoon, the jet stream is pushed northward, reducing wind speeds high on the mountain up in the death zone, making May just about the most opportune time to attempt reaching the summit.  National Geographic has sent a team of mountaineers that seek to repeat the historic climb of the 1963 National Geographic-sponsored American Mount Everest Expedition, almost 50 years after the first American ascended the highest point on Earth.  You can follow the progress of all 2012 Everest summit expeditions here.  To enhance your own armchair mountaineering experience, put on your crampons and check out the following materials.                                                                                     -crystal

Into Thin Air: a Personal Account of the Mount Everest Disaster

Although he came under fire from others that were on  the mountain, Jon Krakauer‘s account of the May 1996 tragedy that left twelve climbers dead is one of the most compelling books I have I have ever read, and is an essential read if you’re interested in Mount Everest.

Into the Silence: the Great War, Mallory, and the Conquest of Everest

Go back to the beginning with anthropologist, explorer, and writer Wade Davis‘s book about the first climber’s attempts to ascend Everest after the horrors experienced during World War One.

Storm Over Everest

World renowned mountain climber and filmmaker David Brashears was also on Everest in May 1996, filming an IMAX documentary.  He  aided the rescue efforts and tells his story in this haunting Frontline special.

To the Summit: Fifty Mountains that Lure, Inspire, and Challenge

If any subject deserves the coffee table book treatment, it has to be the moutain peaks of the world!  This hefty text is worth the checkout.  It includes  facts such as the elevation and first ascent of each mountain, as well as beautiful photographs.