Wednesday, June 24, 2009

Innocent or Guilty?


"There is no crueler tyranny than that which is perpetrated under the shield of law and in the name of justice."
~
Charles-Louis de Secondat, Baron de Montesquieu in 1742

This is the perfect opening quote for the suspenseful book Primal Fear. William Diehl's narrative is fast paced and engrossing- a courtroom drama, psychological thriller, and frankly a bit of a horror novel as well. Young Aaron Stampler is found holding a bloodied knife, very near the church where a beloved archbishop was brutally murdered. Enter hotshot Chicago defense attorney Martin Vail, pushed into representing Stampler pro bono. But what looks like an open and shut case takes a surprising turn when a sordid video tape involving the archbishop is found; and an investigation of Aaron's childhood in Kentucky reveals a history of abuse. I love that just when everything seems to be explained at the end, Diehl manages a final eerie twist!

Several reviews written when the book was originally published in 1993 talk about how Primal Fear would make an excellent movie. Well, they were right! The film came out in 1996 and features Richard Gere, Laura Linney, Frances McDormand, and a then unknown Edward Norton as Aaron- a stunning film debut.

Wednesday, June 17, 2009

A New Side of an Old Witch

Kermit the Frog first sang "It's Not Easy Bein' Green" in 1970. While noting how common the color seems, he ultimately decides he kind of likes being green. Good for a frog, not so good for a person.

Gregory Maguire's Wicked: The Life and Times of the Wicked Witch of the West is a parallel retelling of Frank L. Baum's The Wonderful Wizard of Oz. Maguire portrays the witch, whose name as Elphaba, as an unfortunate victim of circumstance. Born with green skin, she is shunned and feared by those around her. Elphaba is not portrayed as evil, but as a defender for the rights of the humanistic animals and a skeptic of the motives of the great and powerful Wizard of Oz. She and Glinda are not born enemies, but forced into those roles by passionate differences in their beliefs. Wicked is a fascinating look at a childhood land, written with the politics, values and choices faced in our adult lives.

Also a hit Broadway musical, check out the Wicked CD!

Wednesday, June 10, 2009

A Night to Remember

I was watching James Cameron's movie Titanic the other day. Although my 25" TV screen doesn't do it justice, I remember sitting in awe at the movie theatre when it first came out in 1997- the sheer size of the boat is conveyed so amazingly with sweeping camera shots, and seeing the size of the passengers as compared to the massive sinking stern.

Viewing the film put me in mind of the book A Night to Remember by Walter Lord. A wonderfully detailed account of what happened on that fateful night, Lord based his chronicle on interviews with over 60 Titanic survivors. Recounting the event from the moment the mighty ship hits the iceberg, until the final survivors are saved by the Carpathia, the book communicates the wildly varying actions and reactions of the passengers. The best and worst of humanity was brought out that night.

A Night to Remember was also dramatized into a 1953 film written by Walter Lord and Eric Ambler.

Wednesday, June 3, 2009

New Book Format at the Library!


I get lots of book recommendations from people in the library (which is one of the great things about working here!). And I try to stay up to date with "hot" titles- the ones everybody seems to ask for. The hard thing about those popular books is finding a copy that's not checked out, as I'm sure you know.

One such book is My Sister's Keeper by Jodi Picoult, which is being released as a movie on June 26th. The book tells a gripping and compelling story about Anna, a girl who was genetically planned, conceived to act as a donor, for her sister who suffers from a rare form of leukemia. At the age of 13, she hires a lawyer to obtain medical emancipation and control over what happens to her own body.

We carry the book in regular and large print, and on audio CD. Now, KCPL is introducing a new format of audiobooks called Playaways. Each Playaway is about the size of stack of a dozen credit cards, and contains one, pre-loaded audiobook. All you need is a AAA battery and some headphones and you're ready to listen! Currently on Playaway, we have authors such as Dean Koontz, Nora Roberts, Charlaine Harris, Kathy Reichs, James Patterson and many more! When you're looking for a book, ask if it's available on Playaway.