According to Variety, Jarhead, Hollywood's take on the United States' initial offensive against the Iraqi dictator Saddam Hussein doesn't come close to David O. Russell's Three Kings. The book, however, written by Anthony Swofford in 2003, is "a witty, profane, down-in-the-sand account of the war" and "a worthy addition to the battlefield memoir genre." (Publisher's Weekly).

Graphic Novel fans, mark your calendars for November 6th, to hear Kurt Hassler talk about GRAPHIC NOVELS. Who is Kurt Hassler? He the major selector of graphic novels for Borders bookstores across the country. Kurt will share his new top pics and also classic authors, artists, and titles that shouldn't be missed. Come ready to talk about your faves! Sunday, November 6th, 2:00-3:30 pm @MC, Grades 6-12.

Class Is Now In Session

Turn drive time into class time with an audio lecture. The Teaching Company produces quality audio lecture series by professors from leading colleges and universities on a wide variety of subjects.

Two of our most popular titles this year are The Story of Human Language and Enlightenment Invention of the Modern Self. Robert Greenberg’s Symphony series is a feast for the ear as well as the mind.

Don’t forget to turn your clocks back one hour on Sunday October 29, 2005. It is time to fall back and take shelter with a good book.

At #1 is Knife of Dreams by Robert Jordan: the many fans of the Wheel of Time series were just waiting to snap up Book 11 in the series.

At #4 is Consent to Kill by Vince Flynn: another entry in the field of spies, terrorists and international conspiracies.

At #5 is A Wedding in December by Anita Shreve: her fans will rejoice in this bittersweet tale of seven former schoolmates.

The Penderwicks by Jeanne Birdsall is a great trip back to the past of children’s literature, and a perfect family read-aloud. It is the story of four sisters and their dog Hound, who have funny, innocent adventures on their summer vacation. The book is also a nominee for the National Book Award in Young People’s and it definitely has my vote!

Other wonderful kid adventures would include the Swallows and Amazons series by Arthur Ransome, and Carol Brink’s Caddie Woodlawn and Baby Island.

Today (10-28-05) Caryl Phillips appeared as a guest today 10-28-05 on the Diane Rehm show to discuss her new book "Dancing in the Dark"
Bert Williams became one of America's first black superstars during the vaudville era. Ms Phillips fictionalized account of the life of Bert Williams explores the contradictions between the man he was and the character he played on stage. W. C. Fields, star of the silent screen, called Bert Williams "the funniest man I ever saw and the saddest."

It’s coming up fast! How time flies! Yes, Thursday, November 3 is National Men Make Dinner Day. If you’ve missed it in the past, here’s an opportunity for “non-cooking men only” to give their wives or partners a break, a chance to “whip up a culinary delight with no help from family members.” Be sure to follow the 'official' rules.

If the recipes on the web site don’t excite you, the library’s the place for cookbooks for every taste and level of sophistication. Real novices can try books listed in our catalog under Quick and Easy Cookery. And remember, if you’re really ambitious, most of the great chefs (e.g.,Jacques Pepin, Emeril, James Beard, Paul Prudhomme, Pierre Franey, Craig Claiborne, etc.) are men. Try it, you might like it, and have 365 days to bask in the afterglow.

Once again, it's that time of the year when people actually want to be frightened out their minds. As far as scary movies are concerned, none are better than the suspenseful thrillers by filmmaker Alfred Hitchcock. Known as the "Master of suspense," Hitchcock understood better than anyone how to creation tension within a story and keep the viewer completely enthralled for the duration of a film. The library has a very good collection of Hitchcock films on DVD, including personal favorites Vertigo, Rebecca, Notorious, and Strangers on a Train.

As part of his "See What You've Been Missing" campaign, Martin Scorsese has compiled a list of what he considers the Top 10 Movies Best Viewed in Widescreen Format (the preffered format of AADL DVDs): 2001: A Space Odyssey, Ben-Hur (1958), Blade Runner, East of Eden, High and Low, Lawrence of Arabia, Lola Montes (on order), Once Upon a Time in the West, Some Came Running (not yet available on DVD), and Zulu. For more on widescreen vs. fullscreen click Read More, below.

A Maasai father tells his son how much he loves him in a style similar to the classic tale The Runaway Bunny. Babara Joosse, author of the bestselling book Mama Do You Love Me?, sets this tender tale in Africa.