Beats On Order

A heavy carton arrived this week;  Prince, Amy Winehouse, Common, The Doors, Joan Jett, George Harrison, Eminem, Pearl Jam, Will Smith, and a crash of rappers jostled their way out of the box.  The Library's teen advisory board, the Teen Think Tank, helped me choose these books for the Young Adult non-fiction collection.  Funding was provided through the generosity of the Katlyn MacCready Bird Educational Fund.

Abba the Scrapbook, Jean-Marie Potiez, 2012. (on order, expect delivery in February)  Illustrated with unique photographs and rare memorabilia, ABBA The Scrapbook gives a history of one of the best-loved pop groups of all time: including their early days in Sweden; relationships within the band; the Eurovision victory; the1970s fashion and style of ABBA; and the eventual break-up of the group.

Amy Winehouse : The Biography : 1983-2011, by Chas Newkey-Burden, 2011.  A detailed biography of Winehouse's turbulent life and untimely death. Winehouse's blend of jazz, pop, and soul singing and songwriting brought her a host of awards--including two Ivor Novellos and five Grammys.

The Anthology of Rap, edited by Adam Bradley, Andrew DuBois ; foreword by Henry Louis Gates, Jr. ; afterword by Chuck D and Common, 2010.  From the school yards of the South Bronx to the tops of the "Billboard" charts, rap has emerged as one of the most influential cultural forces of our time. This anthology brings together more than 300 lyrics written over 30 years, from the "old school" to the present day.

The Doors: A Lifetime of Listening to Five Mean Years, by Greil Marcus, 2011.  There have been many books on the Doors. This is the first to bypass their myth, their mystique, and the death cult of both Jim Morrison and the era he was made to personify, and focus solely on the music.

The Way I Am, Eminem, 2008.  A rap artist shares his private reflections, drawings, handwritten lyrics, and never-before-seen photographs.

George Harrison : living in the material world, by Olivia Harrison; foreword by Martin Scorsese, 2011. Olivia Harrison reveals George's life through his archive of photographs, letters, diaries, & memorabilia; from his guitar-obsessed boyhood in Liverpool, to the Beatles years, to his days as an independent musician and bohemian squire.

Joan Jett, by Todd Oldham, 2010.  Rock-and-roll goddess, Joan Jett, started her first band, The Runaways, at age fifteen.  The book chronicles all aspects of her career and passions through images--from forming The Runaways to her years of touring with her band, Joan Jett and The Blackhearts.

Ludacris, by PhilipWolny, 2009.
The rise of Christopher Bridges -- Hitting the big time -- Superstardom and beyond -- The actor, the mogul, the legacy.

One Day It'll All Make Sense: A Memoir, by Common with Adam Bradley, 2011.  The Grammy Award-winning recording artist and actor shares the story of his life, from his youth on Chicago's South side and rise in the hip-hop industry to his movie appearances and the lessons he has learned as a son and a father.

Pearl Jam Twenty, by Cameron Crowe, and Pearl Jam, 2011. Published in celebration of Pearl Jam's 20th anniversary and in conjunction with Crowe's documentary film and soundtrack of the same name.  Contains behind-the-scenes anecdotes, rare archival memorabilia, and the band's personal photos, tour notes, and drawings.

Prince: Inside the Music and the Masks, by Ronin Ro, 2011. In his 3 decades-long career, Prince has had nearly 30 albums hit the Billboard Top 100. He is the only artist since the Beatles to have a #1 song, movie, and album at the same time. "Prince" is the first book to give full treatment to this artist.
 
Queen: The Complete Works, Georg Purvis, 2012.  Queen's place in history as the greatest glam band of them all is rock solid.  A session-by-session, song-by-song, album-by-album, tour-by-tour record of the band's progress. 

Rihanna: Rebel Flower, by Chloe Govan, 2012.  An in-depth look at the life of one of pop music's international stars. The story of her transformation from schoolgirl Robyn Fenty to R&B artist. Features exclusive interviews with Rihanna's schoolfriends, producers, songwriters, video directors, journalists and many more.

Slipknot Unmasked....Again, by Joel McIver, 2012. The first edition of this book published in 2001 followed the band from their inception in Des Moines, Iowa in the mid-90s through to the release of their second album.  It's now a decade since the first volume appeared, and in that time Slipknot have evolved into a different band from the one that first emerged in1999.

Under the Ivy: The Life and Music of Kate Bush, by Graeme Thomson, 2012.  The first in-depth study of Bush's life and career. Features interviews with school friends, band mates, studio collaborators, former managers, producers, musicians, video directors, dance instructors and record company executives. Every aspect of her music is discussed from her albums to her solo live tour, her pre-teen poetry, and unreleased songs.

MORE SEQUELS TO SQUEAL ABOUT

The new sequels below are hot titles that are not sleeping on the shelf here.  However, if you request them now, you might just get a copy in time to see you through the Thanksgiving break.  If you haven't read the first title in the series, (lucky you) then you'll have even better luck in borrowing a copy.  All of these titles are fantasy, supernatural, or science fiction stories with varying (from tiny blip of a heartbeat to might as well call it a romance heart throb) proportions of romance running through them, except for Lola and the Boy Next Door, which is a romance set in present day San Francisco. Red ♥(s) after the author's name indicate how much romance is in the story on a scale of 1 ♥(barely there) to 5 ♥♥♥♥♥(throbs galore).

Crossed, by Ally Condie. science fiction, dystopia, ♥♥♥

Sequel to Matched.
Cassia sacrifices everything and heads to the Outer Provinces in search of Ky, where she is confronted with shocking revelations about Society and the promise of rebellion.

Death Cure, by James Dashner. science fiction, dystopia, ♥
Final Book in the Maze Runner trilogy.
As the third Trial draws to a close, Thomas and some of his cohorts manage to escape from WICKED, their memories having been restored, only to face new dangers as WICKED claims to be trying to protect the human race from the deadly FLARE virus.

Tiger's Voyage, by Colleen Houck. fantasy, ♥♥♥♥♥

Third book in the Tiger's Curse series.

After battling the villainous Lokesh, Kelsey and the Indian princes Ren and Kishan return to India, where Kelsey learns that Ren has amnesia, and five cunning dragons try to keep the trio from breaking the curse that binds them.

Silence, by Becca Fitzpatrick.
urban fantasy, supernatural, ♥♥♥♥
Third book in the Hush, Hush saga.
Patch and Nora enter a desperate fight to stop a villain who holds the power to shatter everything they've worked for -- and their love -- forever.

The Fox Inheritance, by Mary Peason.
science fiction, dystopia, ♥

Second book in the Jenna Fox Chronicles.
260 years after an accident destroyed their bodies, 16 year old Locke, and 17 year old Kara, have been brought back to life in newly bioengineered bodies, with many questions about the world they find themselves in and more than two centuries of horrible memories of being trapped in a digital netherworld wondering what would become of them.

Lola and the Boy Next Door, by Stephanie Perkins.
realistic fiction, romance, ♥♥♥♥♥
Characters from Anna and the French Kiss appear in Lola and the Boy Next Door.
Budding costume designer Lola lives an extraordinary life in San Francisco with her two dads and beloved dog, dating a punk rocker, but when the Bell twins return to the house next door Lola recalls both the friendship-ending fight with Calliope, a figure skater, and the childhood crush she had on Cricket.

The Dark and Hollow Places, by Carrie Ryan.
fantasy, horror, dystopia, ♥♥♥

Book 3 in The Forest of Hands and Teeth series.
Alone and listening to the moaning of the Dark City dying around her, Annah wants to find her way back home, to her sister & family & their village in the Forest of Hands & Teeth.

Supernaturally, by Kierstan White.
urban fantasy, supernatural, ♥♥♥
Sequel to Paranormalcy.
Sixteen-year-old Evie thinks she has left the International Paranormal Containment Agency, and her own paranormal activities, behind her when she is recruited to help at the Agency, where she discovers more about the dark faerie prophecy that threatens her future.

PAOLINI'S FOURTH BOOK is HERE

The last book of Christopher Paolini's, The Inheritance Cycle, was published this week.  Our copies arrived yesterday, and are already in circulation.  Currently, there is a very small wait list of Hamilton-Wenham patrons, and a very long list of patrons from other libraries in the Merrimack Valley Library Consortium.  Go to the online catalog to place your hold.

FEBRUARY PROGRAMS

On Wednesday, February 1, 6:30pm to 8:00pm there will be a presentation for students and parents:

Demystifying the College Application Process

presented by Laine Averbeck, of College Concierge.

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In concert with the above program, I am also in the process of scheduling, either for February or March, another college related workshop offered by: Jim Femia, a Certified College Planning Specialist and a member of the National Institute of Certified College Planners, which will cover the following topics:

• How families of ALL income levels are receiving financial aid.
• Why some families incorrectly assume they could never qualify for aid.
• Which colleges give you the best financial aid packages…More gift aid and few loans.
• Learn how to avoid costly mistakes on the FAFSA and CSS Profile
• How some parents are sending their student to a private university for less than a state school.
• How students can position themselves to be the best candidate and receive more FREE money and less loans. 

The date and time for this program will be posted here on the teen page, and on the Library's online calendar of events. 

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During the February school break

the following two programs 

are scheduled on February 23rd. 

To attend either or both,  

please sign up at the Reference desk 

or call 978-468-5577 x14.

MAGIC THE GATHERING CARD GAME

A new club is forming at the Library to play Magic the Gathering.  Players in 3rd grade through 6th grade are invited to learn to play or improve their game.  
Ari Massos, a member of the Library's teen advisory board, the Teen Think Tank, will be leading the game.

Improve your game, Learn and Play

Magic The Gathering Cards 
This is an extremely fun game involving lots of 

thought and strategy, but it’s more fun than hard.

Hamilton-Wenham Library 
Phoenix room

Every Friday in November & December

Beginning Friday, November 4^th

3:45pm to 4:45pm

Hope to see you there.

Please bring your decks, 
if you have any.

REALISTIC FICTION that SHINES

Well, I began writing this post on Monday before I heard about the controversy that happened around the multiple blunders of the National Book Awards nomination committee.  All I have to say, is; the mischievous telephone spirits got it right, because Shine ought to have been on the list of nominations.  The two books below contain brilliant stories that not only entertain, they thoughtfully dig into heinous situations.

Everybody Sees the Ants, by A. S. King, 2012.
Fifteen-year-old Lucky Linderman has been continuously bullied by one boy since grade school.  The adults in his life are ineffectual, and worse - counter-productive.  After one more particularly vicious attack which literally drops him on the ground he starts to see anthropomorphic ants.  The ants become his humorous cheering section, as his mother finally takes some action and takes Lucky on a trip to Arizona to visit relatives.  Throughout the story Lucky dreams about his grandfather, who went missing during the Vietnam War.  The dreams seem to manifest things in his waking life giving the story a glow of magic realism.  In Arizona Lucky meets Ginny, who makes him tag along to play rehearsals for The Vagina Monologues.  Ginny helps him to see himself in a new way, which ultimately results in positive action in his life.  Everybody Sees the Ants is by turns funny and sharply insightful.

Shine, by Lauren Myracle, 2011.   Shine begins with a newspaper article: "Stunned residents of Black Creek, North Carolina, pray for seventeen-year-old Patrick Truman, beaten and left for dead outside the convenience store where he works....The slur written on Truman's chest, coupled with the placement of the gasoline nozzle in the victim's mouth, suggests that Truman's attack was motivated by anti-gay sentiments."  The local law enforcement have no leads, and are ready to explain away the violent assault as the crime of a chance stranger.  While Patrick is in a coma in the hospital, sixteen-year-old Cat, a childhood best friend of Patrick's, has her suspicions about what happened.  Over the course of a week, Cat who has troubles of her own that she hasn't dealt with, finds the courage to move out of her passivity and fear, to uphold the life of her friend, and eventually herself.

NEW FANTASY CLUTCH-ABLES

The following two titles are clutch-ables, because I did not want to let them out of my clutches. Both of them rate a delicious 4 and a half cones of almost perfect yummy creamy crunchy smoothness.
 

Among Others by Jo Walton, 2010.
Among Others is probably not going to draw mass readership, but if you are an enthusiastic reader of both fantasy and science fiction you won't want to miss this unique book. Keep paper and pencil handy while reading Among Others, because this girl, who loves to read, has read intelligently and deeply in the science fiction and fantasy genres, and you will find yourself wanting to jot down the titles and authors, that will constantly entice you throughout the story, to start a reading list of your own. (There should be a reading list in the back of this book, but there is not.)  On the surface, this book is about a girl, Morwenna (Mori), who has grown up in Wales, and has left there under difficult and mysterious circumstances. Mori has lost her twin sister in a car accident, and run away from her mother to find her long absent father who lives in England. She is immediately packed off to a boarding school, where she is the odd girl with a limp and a cane, who doesn't do sports. Mori joins a book club at the local public library, goes for acupuncture for her leg injury, and fights the circumstances of her sister's death.  Below the surface of the story the chilly supernatural world of spirits and faeries blows lightly through, more like magic realism than a full-on tale of faerie.

Daughter of Smoke and Bone, by Laini Taylor, 2011.

An urban fantasy set in Prague harbors a talented art student who is the foster daughter and handmaid of a creature named Brimstone.  Enter warrior angels, zombie-like chimera; a parallel universe at war; star-crossed love, heartbreak and betrayal, and the story glides you across a dancing turquoise sea of the unexpected.  You will not want it to end, and will be thrilled to know that it is the first of a planned trilogy.  There is already a wait list for this one, so place your hold soon.