Cosmic!: The Ultimate 3D Guide to the Universe

Cosmic! The Ultimate 3-D Guide to the Universe
By Giles Sparrow

Even though this book was written for children, I found it interesting and enjoyed the pop-up illustrations as well as the explanations of the cosmic universe. The author, artists, and paper engineers did an outstanding job explaining and illustrating the solar system, formation of a star, the sun’s layers, planets, solar system, and much more. The book would be an excellent teaching tool for the classroom.

- Rose

Hamlet 2

Hamlet 2

DVD

This is a funny and actually heart-warming and well-acted story of a down-on-his luck actor turned high school drama teacher with issues! When the drama program is cut from the school budget, Mr. Marschz figures "what the heck" and writes a cathartic play from his heart - Hamlet 2. What if everybody didn't die? Steve Coogan is brilliant as Mr. Marschz. The character is so goofy, but instead of wanting to dismiss him, I found myself really liking him.

- Linda

Nine Parts of Desire

Comments from the Tuesday Evening Book Club

Nine Parts of Desire: the hidden world of Islamic Women
by Geraldine Brooks

As a reporter for the Wall Street Journal, Geraldine Brooks covered events in the Middle East during the religious resurgence in the 1980's. Everyone in our book club enjoyed her writing and thought that she framed the narratives well with political & religious background. Throughout the book, Brooks compares the oppressive rules with the text of the Koran and in many cases reveals a different interpretation. Her background as a reporter was helpful in presenting a fair & balanced approach throughout the book.

What we found interesting was the fact that the men had more to say than the women. The truth was the women were horrified by the fact that women were enforcing these rules upon women. From female circumcision to social isolation, the women were creating a world based on fear for themselves & their families. This book is a real eye opener about how ideas based on fear can take hold & alter a belief system.

An Infinity of Little Hours

Comments from Our Thursday Afternoon Book Club

An Infinity of Little Hours
By Nancy Maguire

It was a typical cold snowy January day last Thursday, but our afternoon book club disregarded the gloomy weather and heated things up with an intense discussion about our latest selection. An Infinity of Little Hours by Nancy Maguire is the tale of five young men striving to become members of the most ascetic monastic order in the world. The author's husband was one of the men attempting to dedicate himself to God by joining the Carthusian order. The book recounts his and the other men's experiences. Our book club was fascinated by the subject matter. The author goes in to great detail and it is an obviously painstakingly well researched book. We agreed that while it promoted great discussion it was not a book that most could sit down and read quickly. It is rather a book that one would read slowly and ponder over. It was a stimulating selection to start off 2009! 4.5 out of 5 coffee cups - Extremely interesting subject matter, but a little difficult to wade through.

The Longest Trip Home

The Longest Trip Home: A Memoir

By John Grogan

If you enjoyed reading Marley & Me, this will be an equally enjoyable book for you. John Grogan’s memoir is about growing up, breaking away and coming home again. He describes growing up in a strict Catholic family, attending Catholic school and many mischievous incidents in-between. I laughed, I cried, I felt like I grew up with him.

- Dixie

Braiding Manes and Tails

Braiding Manes and Tails: A Visual Guide to 30 Basic Braids
by Charni Lewis

Now is the time to start perfecting your horse’s braids for the 2009 horse show season. The excellent step-by-step instructions contained in Braiding Manes and Tails will certainly help to master techniques and simplify braiding. This book is good for beginners too and has information on getting started, braiding tools, safety, and other tips for having a well-groomed horse.

- Rose

Olive Kitteridge

Olive Kitteridge
by Elizabeth Strout

Olive Kitteridge is a novel made up of short stories that tell of the lives of people in a small town in Maine. All of the stories are linked through the main character, Olive. Each new tale builds off the previous one so readers have many related short stories that enable them to see the true Olive. When we first meet her, she appears to be nothing more than a crabby old woman, but as the book unfolds, we learn more about this complex and interesting person, and come to identify with her. A wonderful read –

- Kathy S.

Alex & Me

Alex & Me: How a Scientist and a Parrot Discovered a Hidden World of Animal Intelligence--And Formed a Deep Bond in the Process
by Irene M. Pepperberg

Scientist Irene Pepperberg worked with Alex, the African Grey Parrot, for 30 years. Her research showed that Alex was able to go beyond simple mimicry and actually understood what he was saying. He knew over 100 words and could distinguish color, shape and knew numbers up to six. This is the story of their relationship that resulted in a deep bond and extraordinary scientific achievements.

- Dixie

Sashenka

Sashenka
by Simon Montefiore

A 16 year old school girl is arrested as she leaves the gates of her exclusive school for noble young ladies in St. Petersburg. The year is 1916. I was drawn into the very roots of the Russian Revolution as Sashenka marries a member of the Red Guard, and eventually becomes a victim of the very world that she has helped to create. I could not put this book down.

- Sally

The Stupidest Angel: A Heartwarming Tale of Christmas Terror

The Stupidest Angel: A Heartwarming Tale of Christmas Terror

by Christopher Moore.

If you are NOT in the mood for a sappy Christmas tale, try the The Stupidest Angel. It isn't brand new (published 2004) but it is definitely worth a look if you enjoy black comedy. It's the story of Christmas in tiny Pine Cove, California. Though Pine Cove is a typical small town, where everyone knows everyone else's business, this particular Christmas is anything but typical. An angel's blunder makes this year's Christmas celebration go terribly, terribly wrong. I liked this laugh-out-loud tale very much - just be aware that, if books were rated like movies, this would be rated R!

- Linda

Man On Wire

Man On Wire
DVD

Man On Wire is more than a documentary about a quirky high-wire artist and his dream of walking on a wire rigged between the New York World Trade Center's twin towers. It is a suspenseful tale of how in 1974 Phillippe Petit and his friends planned and carried out this stunt.

This is a wonderful story of those brave and crazy enough to follow their dreams. Sometimes life is stranger than fiction, and the story of Phillippe Petit proves it.

Watch this captivating movie; you won't be disappointed.

- Kathy S.

Izzy & Lenore

Izzy & Lenore: Two Dogs, an Unexpected Journey, and Me
by Jon Katz

Join Jon Katz, former city dweller, now owner of Bedlam Farm, in up-state New York, his rescued Border Collie, Izzy, and new Labrador Retriever, Lenore, on an uplifting tale of love, compassion, and the rich and complex relationships between dogs and their humans. As trained hospice volunteers visiting homes and nursing homes, Katz & Izzy bring comfort and canine companionship to people who most need it. Along the way, the author confronts his past, embraces his current life, and rediscovers the meaning of friendship, faith, and family. Jon Katz has written many other books, of which I will now be reading! I'm hooked!

- Ann

A Virgin River Christmas

A Virgin River Christmas
by Robyn Carr

I don’t usually read mass market paperback, but I really liked the book covers and I found out that Robyn Carr is an extremely good writer. I have read every book in the Virgin River series and am very excited that three more books are to be published in 2009. What I like so much are the characters in this series, and the author carries them from book to book throughout the series. If you enjoy small-town America, good people and a good story, you need to read this series. The other books in this series are, so far, Virgin River, Shelter Mountain and Whispering Rock.

- Patti

Christmas on Jane Street

Christmas on Jane Street
by Billy Romp with Wanda Urbanska

This is an uplifting, real-life tale of the Romp family from Salisbury, Vermont and their annual trek to Manhattan, New York to sell Christmas trees on Jane Street. They arrive the day after Thanksgiving and leave just in time to make it home for Christmas morning. For a few weeks, this family transforms a corner of the Big Apple into a Frank Capra-esque small town alive with heartwarming holiday spirit. An ideal Christmas story, it is about the lasting and profound difference one person can make to a family and one family can make to a community.

- Ann

The Wordy Shipmates

The Wordy Shipmates
by Sarah Vowell

I listened to the audio version of Sarah Vowell's latest book about the Puritans who founded the Massachusetts Bay Colony 10 years after the Pilgrims landed at Plymouth. Using research from primary sources as well as anecdotes from her own life, Sarah Vowell brings these people to life. If, like me, your sense of these early settlers comes mainly from elementary school social studies, this is the book for you. The audio version is read wonderfully by the author with many guest stars taking the parts of the principal Puritans.

- Linda