Four books with a nautical theme in the AADL Catalog are calling out for attention.

Although it's unreasonable to judge every book-to-film adaptation against the first iteration of a title, when it comes to Wuthering Heights it's nearly impossible to cast out of mind William Wyler's 1939 version, especially Laurence Olivier's stormy yet affable portrayal of Heathcliff, and the Hollywood-ization of the novel's morose ending. In these two regards does PBS' 2009 rendition of Wuthering Heights most severely contrast Wyler's version.

Tom Hardy's Heathcliff is one of the darkest and most menacing screen incarnations of the character, with outstanding scenes when he's intimidating young Catherine in front of the hapless Hareton and exacting his revenge against Cathy, Edgar, and Hindley in the latter half of the film.

Running nearly 2.5 hours in length, few scenes from the novel are entirely absent, though the plot sequence has been changed, and Lockwood's character has been cut.

Thankfully, the harrowing ending of the novel is kept intact, catharsis and all. Decidedly a PBS Masterpiece presentation in its staginess, the acting is nevertheless sharp, carrying the story and its characters gracefully over the moors once again.

C.E. Morgan's first novel, All the Living, told in luminous prose, is the story of Aloma, a mission school girl, who falls for Orren, a tobacco farmer who is still greiving the loss of his family in a car crash. They live a hard scrabble life with Orren retreating further into himself through work and Aloma regretting her decision to desert her dreams of becoming a pianist. When Aloma gets a job playing piano at a nearby church, she develops a deep friendship with the preacher which confuses her intentions even more. Morgan grapples with some elemental questions: the power of work to instill love and the meaning of the "real world" Aloma longs for in what looks like isolation.

Just for fun, I typed Nora Roberts into our catalog--245 hits. More than Stephen King! Wow, I thought, maybe I will read one of these in our Summer Reading Game. Then, for more fun, I searched J.D. Robb, the name under which Roberts writes police procedurals. Whoa, another 72 hits! Clearly Roberts is beyond prolific, and you can learn (lots) more about this bestselling phenom in Lauren Collins’ wonderful profile in the June 22 New Yorker. As many as 27 Nora Roberts books are sold every minute, the article suggests.

At the Ann Arbor District Library there are many great books, and many terrific authors. With the advent of summer, many of us find that we have more time to read and are looking for current, popular books to captivate us. However, sometimes, during that quest for the novel, we may overlook some gems that are not so new, not in the media spotlight, not on our lists. This is particularly the case if the author has been deceased for a number of years.

What a learning fest, when Storyteller LaRon Williams talked about Juneteenth and racial history at our Traverwood branch last night! I knew his reputation--but had not actually watched him spin history and tales. Lucky me, and lucky all of us, because not only did Williams give a great show, he also shared a reading list on racial hierarchy and transcending prejudice. Prominent is Why are all the Black Kids Sitting Together in the Cafeteria?, the 2004 Ann Arbor-Ypsilanti Reads book. Other titles include “Every Day Anti-Racism,” by Mica Pollock and The Color of Wealth.

The photo of this fabulous, wild hat from the Royal Ascot Racecourse in the U.K. made me wish everyone would wear hats and bet on race horses.

Discover the wonderful world of hats with Victoria: The Romance of Hats and Hats: A Stylish History and Collector’s Guide.

Learn how to play the ponies with The Blood-Horse Authoritative Guide to Betting Thoroughbreds and A Day at the Races.

Author Joel Thurtell and photographer Patricia Beck, veteran Detroit Free Press staff, collaborated to produce this wonderful book about canoeing on the Rouge River—yes, the Rouge River!! The Rouge--not as well-known as the Cuyahoga River and Lake Erie catching fire in 1969, but confident in its reputation as a famously polluted body of water.

Ann Arbor’s own Davy Rothbart, creator of Found Magazine, presents us with a new collection of “found” items in Requiem for a Paper Bag: Celebrities and Civilians Tell Stories of the Best Lost, Tossed, and Found Items from Around the World. This time around we get to hear the stories behind finding the items! Davy reports, “I asked my favorite writers, musicians, artists & entertainers to tell me about the things they’ve found. These are the stories they’ve shared.” The found items range anywhere from love letters, hate notes and birthday cards, to shoppings lists, dirty laundry and homework assignments. Read in their own words how Seth Rogen, Miranda July, David Simon (creator of The Wire), and Chuck Klosterman came across some interesting items.

For more of Rothbart’s unique and hilarious collection of found items, check out Found and Found II, which are bouth laugh out loud funny and quick reading.