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May 30, 2006
Catch Them If You Cannes
British director Ken Loach’s The Wind That Shakes the Barley, a saga set amid Ireland’s struggle for independence in the early 1920s, won the Palme d’Or award at the Cannes Film Festival this weekend. The Palme d’Or is the top prize given at the festival, and one of the most prestigious awards in cinema. Although The Wind That Shakes the Barley likely won’t be released in the United States until the fall, several past Palme d’Or winners are available for checkout at the library. Here are a few to consider, along with the year they triumphed at Cannes:
1956: Friendly Persuasion
1963: The Leopard
1976: Taxi Driver
1979: The Tin Drum
1993: Farewell My Concubine
1997: Taste of Cherry
2003: Elephant
Posted by hplreadingcorner at 4:36 PM | Comments (518)
May 18, 2006
Da Vinci Code Readalikes
Will you be looking for something to do this weekend after going to see the film adaptation of The Da Vinci Code? A sequel to the mega-selling book won’t be coming until 2007. In the meantime, you might want to try one of the “readalike” novels below, many of which feature elements of mystery, history, religion, art and/or conspiracy:
The Last Cato by Matilde Asensi
Templar Legacy by Steve Berry
The Last Templar by Raymond Khoury
Labyrinth by Kate Mosse
The Secret Supper by Javier Sierra
The Third Secret by Steve Berry
Posted by hplreadingcorner at 4:36 PM | Comments (159)
May 11, 2006
Book Review: The Preservationist by David Maine
What exactly happened to Noah inside that ark? That’s the premise behind first-time novelist Maine’s The Preservationist, a frequently witty, occasionally bawdy and ultimately moving retelling of the Great Flood. God instructs pious Noe, as he is called in the book, to build an enormous ship and fill it with animals. His long-suffering wife, sons and daughters-in-law question Noe’s sanity, but dutifully obey his wishes. These all-too-human characters, each telling a different part of the story, provide wry observations and earthy details, bringing alive the (bizarre) sights, (shrill) sounds and (pungent) smells of life aboard the ark. But don’t let Maine’s irreverent storytelling fool you: The Preservationist offers a tender, thought-provoking exploration of faith, family and survival.
Posted by hplreadingcorner at 10:42 AM | Comments (81)
May 5, 2006
¡Feliz Cinco de Mayo!
Celebrate Mexico’s national holiday with some vibrant música from our CD collection. For traditional songs, check out Mariachi Popular de Mixoacan by Mariachi Mexico de Pepe Villa and Linda Ronstadt’s Canciones de Mi Padre. Interested in Tejano sounds? Try Borderlands: From Conjunto to Chicken Scratch and Conjunto! Texas-Mexican Border Music, Vol. 1. Meanwhile, tus niños might enjoy the childrens’ album Papa’s Dream by Los Lobos. ¡Orale!
Posted by hplreadingcorner at 11:01 AM | Comments (142)
May 4, 2006
May Staff Picks
Looking for a thumping good read? You may want to try one of our staff picks. This month, the diverse recommendations come from the voracious readers in the library's circulation department.
Posted by hplreadingcorner at 11:47 AM | Comments (54)
May 2, 2006
Steal This Book!
Just a few months after the James Frey debacle, another scandal has hit the book world. This one involves 19-year-old Kaavya Viswanathan, whose acclaimed debut novel How Opal Mehta Got Kissed, Got Wild, and Got a Life has been withdrawn by its publisher after allegations that the Harvard sophomore plagiarized numerous other works. Initially, reports surfaced that Viswanathan’s book resembled Megan McCafferty’s young adult novel Sloppy Firsts. Now, The New York Times has pointed out similarities between Opal Mehta and Sophie Kinsella’s Can You Keep a Secret?, while the Harvard Crimson alleges that the book contains similar passages to Meg Cabot’s Princess Diaries and Salman Rushdie’s Haroun and the Sea of Stories. The good news? The controversy has spiked interest in all of the books in question.
Posted by hplreadingcorner at 7:06 PM | Comments (298)