Mike Suggests: Sugar

I had first heard about this movie about a half-year ago from the Boston Globe's report on new DVD releases, and had it at the back of my mind to watch when I had the chance; and am I ever glad I found some time last night to watch it. Sugar is the story of a young Dominican pitcher with dreams of making it big and going to America to play baseball. He finds his chance after learning and perfecting a withering pitch, but the story is about baseball as much is it is about emigrating to America. And if you'd like to know more about the link between Dominicans and baseball, you might check out Mark Kurlasnky's (author of Cod and Salt) newest book The Eastern Stars: How Baseball Changed the Dominican Town of San Pedro de Marcoris.

Piano Legends is a treat!

Whether you are a pianist or simply enjoy listening to classic jazz piano, Piano Legends, hosted by Chick Corea is a rare gem. Performances by great keyboard artists from the 20's and 30's include Earl Hines, Mary Lou Williams, Fats Waller Art Tatum, Oscar Peterson, Teddy Wilson McCoy Tyner, Bill Evans and others. The camera zooms in to offer the viewer a close up
view of technique, body language, and overall mood. Enjoy!

Rob gives a thumbs up to Carl Hiaasen

I was driving to Vermont a couple of weeks ago and I waited until the last minute to try to find a book to listen to with my two sons on the way up. I ended up choosing a book I really enjoyed, not really remembering if it was appropriate for 10 and 14-year-olds. The book was Nature Girl by Carl Hiaasen. For those who haven't had the pleasure, Hiaasen specializes in nutty characters and bizarre plot twists wrapped around an environment-friendly message. He's very funny. Nature Girl features a wacky/wise single mom intent on teaching a civility lesson to a telemarketer who has insulted her during dinner. So back to the car ride. I knew the kids would like the humor and the environmental message (they'd already read Hiaasen's young adult books), but I wasn't quite sure about the sexual content. Not to worry though. There were sexual allusions, as there usually are in Hiaasen's novels, but they were brief, mild and humorous. All of Carl Hiaasen's novels are available in a sound format and all are guaranteed to make your drive shorter.

Megan suggests: Betrayal of the Blood Lily

Betrayal of the Blood Lily


I've mentioned these books by Lauren Willig on the Reference Staff blog before. The sixth book in the series has just come out and they continue to be a hoot. After working on a PhD in history at Harvard and graduating from Harvard Law School, this overachieving romance genre fan set about to write an historically accurate romance novel. With the success of her series, Lauren Willig has given up her career in law and is now a full-time writer. If you're looking for light, entertaining reading with a good dose of humor and a little history lesson, these books are for you. All you have to do is get past the goofy covers :-).

Sue Recommends Midnight House by Alex Berenson

John Wells, a CIA operative, is the main character in Midnight House by Alex Berenson. After living undercover for years with the Taliban and saving the U.S. from another terrorist attack in earlier books, he cuts through political intrigue to find who is killing members of a secret unit who interrogated high valued terrorist detainees by any means in Poland. As a result, he uncovers a situation that was covered up by high level agency chiefs in a bid for power and control. This book is another offshoot of the aftermath of 9/11. It offers less action, more political jockeying, than previous John Wells books.
Start with the first and best book in the series--The Faithful Spy. SH

Authors Speak at Free Trinity Lecture Series

Barbara Brown Taylor author of the spiritual memoir An Altar in the World: A Geography of Faith and Diana Butler Bass author of the new A People's History of Christianity: The Other Side of the Story will speak at the upcoming Price Lectures at Trinity Church in Boston. Both titles are part of the Wellesley Free Library collection. PM

Did you Know?

Michael Yapko, Ph.d takes on depression in Depression is Contagious: How the Most Common Mood Disorder is Spreading Around the World and How to Stop It. Yapko asserts that our current biochemical approach to depression does not do enough to help heal those suffering from this very common condition. As depression is both formed and healed in the world of people more emphasis must be placed on learning positive social skills. A detailed action plan is provided to build stronger, healthier social connections. This book will give the reader a whole new take on depression and its effects on relationships, work environments, and communities. You will think differently about what the World Health Organization predicts will be the second greatest cause of human suffering and disability by 2020. PM