Upcoming programs
In celebration of the Alabama Bicentennial, we’re hosting a
Funny Film Fest. All films are PG-13 so they are family friendly and all ages
are welcome! Doors at 6pm, film at 6:30. Light refreshments provided.
Tue Jul 2 – Sweet Home Alabama
Tue Jul 9 – Fried Green Tomatoes
Tue Jul 16 – Crazy in Alabama
Tue Jul 2 – Sweet Home Alabama
Tue Jul 9 – Fried Green Tomatoes
Tue Jul 16 – Crazy in Alabama
Two of the library’s book groups are discussing Michael
Capuzzo’s “Close to Shore: The Terrifying Shark Attacks of 1916.” The daytime
group, The Bookies, will meet on Tue Jul 9 at 10am and Lost & Found will
meet on Thu Jul 25 at 6:30pm. This book
was one of Peter Benchley’s inspirations for writing the book, “Jaws!” In
celebration, we’ll be screening the film “Jaws” on the lawn across from the
library on Thu Jul 11 at 8pm. The film is PG so bring the whole family, plus
some chairs and beach towels!
July’s Art House Film Series movie is “The Scent of Green Papaya” and will be screened on Wed Jul 31st at 6:30pm in the Library’s
Community Meeting Room.
This week, our Genre Reading Group met for one of our
biannual Salon Discussions, where there is no assigned topic and it is totally
up to the readers’ own choices.
(amazon.com)
NEW YORK TIMES BESTSELLER
Journalist Adam Higginbotham’s definitive, years-in-the-making account of the Chernobyl nuclear power plant disaster—and a powerful investigation into how propaganda, secrecy, and myth have obscured the true story of one of the twentieth century’s greatest disasters.
Early in the morning of April 26, 1986, Reactor Number Four of the Chernobyl Atomic Energy Station exploded, triggering history’s worst nuclear disaster. In the thirty years since then, Chernobyl has become lodged in the collective nightmares of the world: shorthand for the spectral horrors of radiation poisoning, for a dangerous technology slipping its leash, for ecological fragility, and for what can happen when a dishonest and careless state endangers its citizens and the entire world. But the real story of the accident, clouded from the beginning by secrecy, propaganda, and misinformation, has long remained in dispute.
Drawing on hundreds of hours of interviews conducted over the course of more than ten years, as well as letters, unpublished memoirs, and documents from recently-declassified archives, Adam Higginbotham has written a harrowing and compelling narrative which brings the disaster to life through the eyes of the men and women who witnessed it firsthand. The result is a masterful nonfiction thriller, and the definitive account of an event that changed history: a story that is more complex, more human, and more terrifying than the Soviet myth.
Midnight in Chernobyl is an indelible portrait of one of the great disasters of the twentieth century, of human resilience and ingenuity, and the lessons learned when mankind seeks to bend the natural world to his will—lessons which, in the face of climate change and other threats, remain not just vital but necessary.
Journalist Adam Higginbotham’s definitive, years-in-the-making account of the Chernobyl nuclear power plant disaster—and a powerful investigation into how propaganda, secrecy, and myth have obscured the true story of one of the twentieth century’s greatest disasters.
Early in the morning of April 26, 1986, Reactor Number Four of the Chernobyl Atomic Energy Station exploded, triggering history’s worst nuclear disaster. In the thirty years since then, Chernobyl has become lodged in the collective nightmares of the world: shorthand for the spectral horrors of radiation poisoning, for a dangerous technology slipping its leash, for ecological fragility, and for what can happen when a dishonest and careless state endangers its citizens and the entire world. But the real story of the accident, clouded from the beginning by secrecy, propaganda, and misinformation, has long remained in dispute.
Drawing on hundreds of hours of interviews conducted over the course of more than ten years, as well as letters, unpublished memoirs, and documents from recently-declassified archives, Adam Higginbotham has written a harrowing and compelling narrative which brings the disaster to life through the eyes of the men and women who witnessed it firsthand. The result is a masterful nonfiction thriller, and the definitive account of an event that changed history: a story that is more complex, more human, and more terrifying than the Soviet myth.
Midnight in Chernobyl is an indelible portrait of one of the great disasters of the twentieth century, of human resilience and ingenuity, and the lessons learned when mankind seeks to bend the natural world to his will—lessons which, in the face of climate change and other threats, remain not just vital but necessary.
(thebabushkasofchernobyl.com) In the radioactive Dead Zone surrounding Chernobyl’s Reactor No. 4, a defiant community of women scratches out an existence on some of the most toxic land on Earth. They share this hauntingly beautiful but lethal landscape with an assortment of interlopers—scientists, soldiers, and even ‘stalkers’—young thrill-seekers who sneak in to pursue post-apocalyptic video game-inspired fantasies. Why the film’s central characters, Hanna Zavorotyna, Maria Shovkuta, and Valentyna Ivanivna, chose to return after the disaster, defying the authorities and endangering their health, is a remarkable tale about the pull of home, the healing power of shaping one’s destiny and the subjective nature of risk.
(www.pbs.org) In 1986, in
the heart of Ukraine, the Chernobyl nuclear reactor exploded, releasing 400
times more radiation than the Hiroshima Bomb. It was the world’s worst nuclear
disaster. Thirty workers died, 50,000 people fled the nearest city, and
radioactive fallout made an area larger than Long Island a no-go zone. Hastily,
a so-called “sarcophagus” was built to contain the radioactive materials that
lingered at the site after the explosion. But 30 years later, the sarcophagus
is crumbling, and another disaster at Chernobyl looms. Now, an international
team of engineers is racing the clock to assemble one of the most ambitious
superstructures ever built—an extraordinary 40,000 ton, $1.5 billion dome to
encase the crumbling remains of the Chernobyl nuclear reactor. Battling arctic
winter weather—and lethal radiation—this is the inside story of the epic race
to build Chernobyl’s MegaTomb.
(amazon.com) Thirty years after the nuclear reactor
explosion, Chernobyl is showing signs of life. As the fears of older
generations are replaced by the fascination of the new, Chernobyl is emerging
as a popular tourist destination, and local industry is on the rise. However,
with radiation levels still dangerously high, serious questions remain over
whether the region can ever truly recover from its past.
(amazon.com) Combining rich historical detail and a
harrowing, pulse-pounding narrative, Close to Shore brilliantly
re-creates the summer of 1916, when a rogue Great White shark attacked swimmers
along the New Jersey shore, triggering mass hysteria and launching the most
extensive shark hunt in history.
In July 1916 a lone Great White left its usual deep-ocean habitat and headed in the direction of the New Jersey shoreline. There, near the towns of Beach Haven and Spring Lake--and, incredibly, a farming community eleven miles inland--the most ferocious and unpredictable of predators began a deadly rampage: the first shark attacks on swimmers in U.S. history.
Capuzzo interweaves a vivid portrait of the era and meticulously drawn characters with chilling accounts of the shark's five attacks and the frenzied hunt that ensued. From the unnerving inevitability of the first attack on the esteemed son of a prosperous Philadelphia physician to the spine-tingling moment when a farm boy swimming in Matawan Creek feels the sandpaper-like skin of the passing shark, Close to Shore is an undeniably gripping saga.
Heightening the drama are stories of the resulting panic in the citizenry, press and politicians, and of colorful personalities such as Herman Oelrichs, a flamboyant millionaire who made a bet that a shark was no match for a man (and set out to prove it); Museum of Natural History ichthyologist John Treadwell Nichols, faced with the challenge of stopping a mythic sea creature about which little was known; and, most memorable, the rogue Great White itself moving through a world that couldn't conceive of either its destructive power or its moral right to destroy.
Scrupulously researched and superbly written, Close to Shore brings to life a breathtaking, pivotal moment in American history. Masterfully written and suffused with fascinating period detail and insights into the science and behavior of sharks, Close to Shore recounts a breathtaking, pivotal moment in American history with startling immediacy.
In July 1916 a lone Great White left its usual deep-ocean habitat and headed in the direction of the New Jersey shoreline. There, near the towns of Beach Haven and Spring Lake--and, incredibly, a farming community eleven miles inland--the most ferocious and unpredictable of predators began a deadly rampage: the first shark attacks on swimmers in U.S. history.
Capuzzo interweaves a vivid portrait of the era and meticulously drawn characters with chilling accounts of the shark's five attacks and the frenzied hunt that ensued. From the unnerving inevitability of the first attack on the esteemed son of a prosperous Philadelphia physician to the spine-tingling moment when a farm boy swimming in Matawan Creek feels the sandpaper-like skin of the passing shark, Close to Shore is an undeniably gripping saga.
Heightening the drama are stories of the resulting panic in the citizenry, press and politicians, and of colorful personalities such as Herman Oelrichs, a flamboyant millionaire who made a bet that a shark was no match for a man (and set out to prove it); Museum of Natural History ichthyologist John Treadwell Nichols, faced with the challenge of stopping a mythic sea creature about which little was known; and, most memorable, the rogue Great White itself moving through a world that couldn't conceive of either its destructive power or its moral right to destroy.
Scrupulously researched and superbly written, Close to Shore brings to life a breathtaking, pivotal moment in American history. Masterfully written and suffused with fascinating period detail and insights into the science and behavior of sharks, Close to Shore recounts a breathtaking, pivotal moment in American history with startling immediacy.
(amazon.com) The shocking death of a young woman leads
detective Dave Robicheaux into the dark corners of Hollywood, the mafia, and
the backwoods of Louisiana in this gripping mystery from "modern
master" (Publishers Weekly) James Lee Burke.
Detective Dave Robicheaux's world isn't filled with too many
happy stories, but Desmond Cormier's rags-to-riches tale is certainly one of
them. Robicheaux first met Cormier on the streets of New Orleans, when the
young, undersized boy had foolish dreams of becoming a Hollywood director.
Twenty-five years later, when Robicheaux knocks on Cormier's
door, it isn't to congratulate him on his Golden Globe and Academy Award
nominations. Robicheaux has discovered the body of a young woman who's been
crucified, wearing only a small chain on her ankle. She disappeared near
Cormier's Cyrpemort Point estate, and Robicheaux, along with young Deputy Sean
McClain, are looking for answers. Neither Cormier nor his enigmatic actor
friend Antoine Butterworth are saying much, but Robicheaux knows better.
As always, Clete Purcel and Davie's daughter, Alafair, have
Robicheaux's back. Clete witnesses the escape of Texas inmate Hugo Tillinger,
who may hold the key to Robicheaux's case. As they wade further into the
investigation, they end up in the cross hairs of the mob, the deranged Chester
Wimple, and the dark ghosts Robicheaux has been running from for years.
Ultimately, it's up to Robicheaux to stop them all, but he'll have to summon a
light he's never seen or felt to save himself and those he loves.
(amazon.com) Savage Season is the basis for
the first season of the Sundance TV series Hap and Leonard
A rip-roaring, high-octane, Texas-sized thriller, featuring two friends, one vixen, a crew of washed-up radicals, loads of money, and bloody mayhem.
Hap Collins and Leonard Pine are best friends, yet they
couldn't be more different. Hap is an east Texas white-boy with a weakness for
Texas women. Leonard is a gay, black Vietnam vet. Together, they steer up more
commotion than a fire storm. But that's just the way they like it. So when an
ex-flame of Hap's returns promising a huge score. Hap lets Leonard in on the
scam, and that's when things get interesting. Chockfull of action and laughs, Savage
Season is the masterpiece of dark suspense that introduced Hap and Leonard
to the thriller scene. It hasn't been the same since.
(hbo.com) Summers span decades. Winters can last a lifetime.
And the struggle for the Iron Throne begins. Based on the bestselling book
series by George R.R. Martin and created by David Benioff and D.B. Weiss. (Wikipedia.org)
Game of Thrones is roughly based on the storylines of A Song of Ice
and Fire, set in the fictional Seven Kingdoms of Westeros and the continent of
Essos. The series chronicles the violent dynastic struggles among the realm's
noble families for the Iron Throne, while other families fight for independence
from it. Eight total seasons.
(Wikipedia.org) Taking place over a period of more than ten
years, the series depicts a fictionalized insider's view of the personal
computer revolution of the 1980s and later the growth of the World
Wide Web in the early 1990s. The show's title refers to computer machine
code instruction HCF, the execution of which would cause
the computer's CPU to stop working ("catch fire" was a
humorous exaggeration).
(amazon.com) An international sensation and winner of the
Premio Strega and the Prix Médicis Étranger awards
The year is 1327. Benedictines in a wealthy Italian abbey are suspected of heresy, and Brother William of Baskerville arrives to investigate. When his delicate mission is suddenly overshadowed by seven bizarre deaths, Brother William turns detective. His tools are the logic of Aristotle, the theology of Aquinas, the empirical insights of Roger Bacon—all sharpened to a glistening edge by wry humor and a ferocious curiosity. He collects evidence, deciphers secret symbols and coded manuscripts, and digs into the eerie labyrinth of the abbey, where “the most interesting things happen at night.”
“Like the labyrinthine library at its heart, this brilliant novel has many cunning passages and secret chambers . . . Fascinating . . . ingenious . . . dazzling.” – Newsweek
The year is 1327. Benedictines in a wealthy Italian abbey are suspected of heresy, and Brother William of Baskerville arrives to investigate. When his delicate mission is suddenly overshadowed by seven bizarre deaths, Brother William turns detective. His tools are the logic of Aristotle, the theology of Aquinas, the empirical insights of Roger Bacon—all sharpened to a glistening edge by wry humor and a ferocious curiosity. He collects evidence, deciphers secret symbols and coded manuscripts, and digs into the eerie labyrinth of the abbey, where “the most interesting things happen at night.”
“Like the labyrinthine library at its heart, this brilliant novel has many cunning passages and secret chambers . . . Fascinating . . . ingenious . . . dazzling.” – Newsweek
(amazon.com) "The Name of the Rose" is a gothic
medieval mystery thriller set in a 14th-century Italian monastery. Franciscan
monk William of Baskerville (Sean Connery) and a young novice (Christian
Slater) arrive for a conference to find that several monks have been murdered
in mysterious circumstances. To solve the crimes, William must rise up against
the Church authority and fight the shadowy conspiracy of monastery monks using
only his wit and intelligence.
(sundancetv.com) The Franciscan monk William of Baskerville (John Turturro) and his novice Adso try to solve a murder case in a secluded abbey. They discover dark secrets and a deadly mystery. But time is running short: The inquisitor Bernard Gui (Rupert Everett) is about to arrive at the abbey.
(amazon.com)
#1 New York Times Bestseller
Oprah's Book Club Selection
The “extraordinary . . . monumental masterpiece” (Booklist) that changed the course of Ken Follett’s already phenomenal career. Look out for Ken's newest book, A Column of Fire, available now.
“Follett risks all and comes out a clear winner,” extolled Publishers Weekly on the release of The Pillars of the Earth. A departure for the bestselling thriller writer, the historical epic stunned readers and critics alike with its ambitious scope and gripping humanity. Today, it stands as a testament to Follett’s unassailable command of the written word and to his universal appeal.
The Pillars of the Earth tells the story of Philip, prior of Kingsbridge, a devout and resourceful monk driven to build the greatest Gothic cathedral the world has known . . . of Tom, the mason who becomes his architect—a man divided in his soul . . . of the beautiful, elusive Lady Aliena, haunted by a secret shame . . . and of a struggle between good and evil that will turn church against state and brother against brother.
A spellbinding epic tale of ambition, anarchy, and absolute power set against the sprawling medieval canvas of twelfth-century England, this is Ken Follett’s historical masterpiece.
(starz.com) Emerging from the war-torn shadows of England’s Dark Ages, an idealistic mason sets out on a quest of erecting a glorious Cathedral.
A NEW YORK TIMES BESTSELLER
A moving and insightful collection of quotes, memories, and
images celebrating the life of Anthony Bourdain
When Anthony Bourdain committed suicide in June 2018, the outpouring of love from his fans around the world was momentous. The tributes spoke to his legacy: That the world is much smaller than we imagine and people are more alike than they are different. As Bourdain once said, “If I’m an advocate of anything, it’s to move…Walk in someone else’s shoes or at least eat their food.”
When Anthony Bourdain committed suicide in June 2018, the outpouring of love from his fans around the world was momentous. The tributes spoke to his legacy: That the world is much smaller than we imagine and people are more alike than they are different. As Bourdain once said, “If I’m an advocate of anything, it’s to move…Walk in someone else’s shoes or at least eat their food.”
Anthony Bourdain Remembered brings together memories
and anecdotes from fans reminiscing about Bourdain’s unique achievements and
his enduring effect on their lives as well as comments from chefs, journalists,
filmmakers, musicians, and writers inspired by Bourdain including Barack
Obama, Eric Ripert, Jill Filipovic, Ken Burns, Questlove, and José Andrés,
among many others.
These remembrances give us a glimpse of Bourdain's
widespread impact through his political and social commitments; his dedication
to travel and eating well (and widely); and his love of the written word, along
with his deep compassion, open-mindedness, and interest in lives different from
his own.
Anthony Bourdain Remembered captures Bourdain's
inimitable spirit and passion in the words of his devoted fans as well as some
of his closest friends and colleagues.
(amazon.com) Kitchen Confidential reveals what Bourdain
calls "twenty-five years of sex, drugs, bad behavior and haute
cuisine."
When The New Yorker published Chef Bourdain's
shocking, "Don't Eat Before Reading This." Bourdain spared no one's
appetite when he told all about what happens behind the kitchen door. Bourdain
used the same "take-no-prisoners" attitude in his deliciously funny
and shockingly delectable book, sure to delight gourmands and philistines
alike. From Bourdain's first oyster in the Gironde, to his lowly position as
dishwasher in a honky tonk fish restaurant in Provincetown (where he witnessed
for the first time the real delights of being a chef); from the kitchen of the
Rainbow Room atop Rockefeller Center, to drug dealers in the east village, from
Tokyo to Paris and back to New York again, Bourdain's tales of the kitchen are
as passionate as they are unpredictable.
(amazon.com) Now a STARZ® Original Series produced by
FremantleMedia North America starring Ricky Whittle, Ian McShane, Emily
Browning, and Pablo Schreiber.
Locked behind bars for three years, Shadow did his time,
quietly waiting for the day when he could return to Eagle Point, Indiana. A man
no longer scared of what tomorrow might bring, all he wanted was to be with
Laura, the wife he deeply loved, and start a new life.
But just days before his release, Laura and Shadow’s best
friend are killed in an accident. With his life in pieces and nothing to keep
him tethered, Shadow accepts a job from a beguiling stranger he meets on the
way home, an enigmatic man who calls himself Mr. Wednesday. A trickster and a
rogue, Wednesday seems to know more about Shadow than Shadow does himself.
Life as Wednesday’s bodyguard, driver, and errand boy is far
more interesting and dangerous than Shadow ever imagined. Soon Shadow learns that
the past never dies . . . and that beneath the placid surface of everyday life
a storm is brewing—an epic war for the very soul of America—and that he is
standing squarely in its path.
“Mystery, satire, sex, horror, poetic prose—American Gods uses
all these to keep the reader turning the pages.”—Washington Post
(amazon.com) "A powerful novel of the old Bahamas"
A must read for anyone who cruises or dreams of cruising in the Bahamas. This
is a big, bold, best-selling novel that traces the remarkable saga of one
family through war and peace, love and disaster. Here is the fabulous story of
the Camerons, the aristocratic Tory clan who fled the South in the wake of the
American Revolution to rebuild their baronial plantations and recapture their
lost fortune in the turbulent, windswept Bahamas Islands.
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