New Book List

January 2007

FICTION

Heaven Lake : A Novel - Dalton , John

Dalton 's debut novel is an evocative, beautiful exploration of modern-day China , seen through the eyes of a young Christian volunteer named Vincent, who travels to Toulio , a small town in Taiwan , to teach English and Bible-study classes. He acquires a ministry house and begins teaching and also takes on a high-school class of 42 bright teenage girls. Vincent encounters many colorful characters, including Alec, a roguish Scotsman, and Mr. Gwa , an elegant businessman who wants Vincent to travel to the mainland and marry the woman he loves and bring her back to him. Vincent refuses but soon finds himself in a compromising position with one of the girls in his high-school class, who boldly flirts with him and then seduces him. When her older brother learns of the affair, Vincent is forced to flee Toulio and rashly accepts Gwa's offer to go claim Kai-ling, the woman Gwa loves. But as Vincent travels across China , he learns more about the country and, ultimately, himself than he expected. Powerful and rewarding reading. – Booklist

Miss Julia's School of Beauty - Ross, Ann B.

The sixth entry in the popular Miss Julia series, set in Hendersonville . Helping organize a beauty pageant to raise money for the sheriff's department, recently married Miss Julia instructs contestants in the ways of poise and etiquette while settling squabbles in her new home, tasks that are challenged by a dangerous accident at her former homestead. - from the publisher

Second Foundation - Asimov, Isaac

The third book in Asimov's classic trilogy.

MEDIA

A Doll's House (DVD)

With Claire Bloom, Anthony Hopkins, and Ralph Richardson. Released originally in 1973.

Cyrano de Bergerac (DVD)

Jose Ferrer won an Academy Award for his performance as the romantic Cyrano in this DVD of the 1950 film.

William Shakespeare's The Merchant of Venice (DVD)

Rarely has The Merchant of Venice , one of Shakespeare's most complex plays, looked as ravishingly sumptuous as in this adaptation, directed by Michael Radford ( Il Postino ). In a decadent version of renaissance Venice, a young nobleman named Bassanio (Joseph Fiennes, Shakespeare in Love ) seeks to woo the lovely Portia (newcomer Lynn Collins), but lacks the money to travel to her estate. He seeks support from his friend, the merchant Antonio (Jeremy Irons, Reversal of Fortune ); Antonio's fortune is tied up in sea ventures, so the merchant offers to borrow money from a Jewish moneylender, Shylock (Al Pacino , Dog Day Afternoon ). But Shylock holds a grudge against Antonio, who has routinely treated the Jew with contempt, and demands that if the debt is not repaid in three months, the price will be a pound of Antonio's flesh. – Amazon.com

NONFICTION

Hemingway's The Sun Also Rises : Critical Essays

Jane Austen: Critical Essays

Castles of Great Britain

A boxed collection of souvenir books and pamphlets from castles in Great Britain . Includes Castle Howard, Arundel Castle , Hever Castle , The Gardens at Hever Castle , St. Patrick's Rock-- Cashel , Castle Drogo , Windsor Castle 's Gargoyles and Grotesques.

Cathedrals and Chapels of Great Britain

A boxed collection of souvenir books and pamphlets from cathedrals and chapels in Great Britain . Includes Salisbury Cathedral, York Minster, Chichester Cathedral, St. Edmundsbury Cathedral, Chester Cathedral, St. Mary's at Bury St. Edmunds, St. George's Chapel in Windsor Castle, The Quest for Bath's Cathedral, King's College Chapel.

Medal of Honor: Portraits of Valor Beyond the Call of Duty

Since the Civil War more than 39 million men and women have answered the call to serve. Of those, 3,440 served with such uncommon valor and extraordinary courage that they were presented with the Medal of Honor, the nation's highest military award. Each of their heroic actions is as unique as the person who performed it, and here more than one hundred of America 's living Medal of Honor recipients are honored and their bravery recounted by best-selling author Peter Collier and presented in duotone portraits by award-winning photographer Nick Del Calzo . Foreword by President George H.W. Bush. Essays by Senator John McCain and Tom Brokaw. Published in collaboration with the Congressional Medal of Honor Foundation .- from the publisher

No Mercy: A Journey to the Heart of the Congo - O'Hanlon, Redmond

"No mercy" indeed! Distinguished travel writer O'Hanlon ventured into the politically and environmentally inhospitable Republic of the Congo to attempt to ascertain the existence of a fabled lost dinosaur. His trek to the far northern region of the Congo in pursuit of his version of El Dorado entailed some of the most appalling hurdles imaginable to the traveler, inveterate or not. Bizarre creatures and institutionalized corruption are only two of the aspects that made his latter- day, Heart of Darkness like struggle upriver and up-jungle an amazing voyage. Health-and even life-threatening situations followed one after another--which, of course, makes any travel literature even better reading. (Doesn't one really desire most to read about places one would never go to in a million years?) Equal to O'Hanlon's moxie is his writing ability; this is a magnificently rendered book. Descriptive detail is endless and endlessly mesmerizing; he captures the quirks of the people he met and traveled with and commands a powerful narrative drive, all to rival the best fiction writers. – Booklist

Art Deco - Miller, Judith

Art deco is one of the more recent design styles but also one of the most influential. Art deco is given a renewed positioning and a massive one-source reference in this collector's guide, authored by a British antiques expert, with the aid of a coauthor. As to be expected, the visuals are superb, providing a magnificent perspective on art deco inspirations for furniture, textiles, glass, ceramics, jewelry, silver- and metal-ware, sculpture, and posters and graphics. Far more than a list, a photographic gallery, and a narrative, every page yields valuable information, whether it's about an unknown designer, unusual facts to know, and even auction-price estimates. A colorful appreciation of and guidelines to the marriage of art and industry in the 1920s and 1930s. Glossary, directory of dealers and auction houses and their source codes, and directory of museums appended. - Booklist

Contents: How to Use This Book – Foreword – Introduction – Furniture -- Jacques-Emile Ruhlmann -- Paul Follot -- Sue et Mare -- Jules Leleu -- Leon and Maurice Jallot -- De Coene Freres -- Maurice Dufrene

Catching the Light: The Entwined History of Light and Mind - Zajonc , Arthur

Zajonc is an academic physicist who specializes in quantum physics, but his approach to the subject of light is somewhat unconventional from the perspective of many of his colleagues. He provides a capsule history of humans' changing understanding of the nature of light; scientific developments are interspersed with the comments of numerous philosophers, literary figures, and miscellaneous other non-scientists. In summary, he appears to argue that modern science has failed to supply us with a complete understanding of light and that we would be better off with an amalgam that incorporates spiritual and philosophical aspects as well as scientific models. His views are in part unorthodox but deserve a hearing. – Library Journal

Come Back to Afghanistan: A California Teenager's Story : Trying to Rebuild a Country with My Father, My Brother, My One-Eyed Uncle, Bearded Tribesmen, and President Karzai - Akbar, Said Hyder

After the fall of the Taliban government in 2001, Afghans living in exile began to return home in hopes of participating in rebuilding their war-torn country. Akbar's father sold his hip-hop clothing store in Oakland to join his friend Hamid Karzai , now the elected president, serving first as his spokesman and later as the governor of the remote province of Kunar . The author joined him right after he finished high school and spent three summers, first in Kabul and then in Asadabad , the provincial capital. The young man traveled through the countryside and across the mountainous border into Pakistan . Equipped with a microphone and recorder, he chronicled his experiences and his reactions for public radio's This American Life. These immediate observations form the basis of this engaging and informative account of Afghan life and politics interwoven with a teen's reactions to his first visit to his family's native land. Because of his background and connections, his interest and knowledge of Afghan history and politics, and his language skills, Akbar was involved in his father's work in ways that most teens can only dream of. Readers are rewarded with an inside look at Afghan reconstruction that is both informative and appealing. The teen admires his father and his father's friends immensely; he dreams of being personally involved in nation-building. Readers will come away from this memoir with a strong desire to see into the young man's future and that of the country that has so entranced him. – School Library Journal

My Freshman Year: What a Professor Learned by Becoming a Student - Nathan, Rebekah

After nearly two decades as a university professor, the author (writing under a pseudonym) realized she was out of touch with her students. She didn't understand them. They no longer stopped by her office for consultations, no longer did assigned readings or participated in class discussions; they openly took naps in class, brought in food and drink, and behaved as though their education was of no importance to them. Looking for a way to close the gap between her and her students, Nathan enrolled in her own university as a freshman. Over the year, she gained an understanding and appreciation of contemporary college life. She found that many students who seemed uninterested in the whole idea of school were actually intensely curious and passionate about their education. They weren't the problem; the institution of learning was. This book offers insightful exploration of contemporary higher education and fascinating commentary on the ways in which the system has not kept up with the ever-changing needs of its students. – Booklist

Contents: Welcome to " AnyU " -- Life in the dorms -- Community and diversity -- As others see us -- Academically speaking... -- The art of college management -- Lessons from my year as a freshman -- Ethics and ethnography.

The Story of Britain : From the Romans to the Present : A Narrative History - Fraser, Rebecca

In this popular, comprehensive history of the British Isles, the author's central theme is that the British people have consistently shown a dedication to individual freedom in the face of tyranny, and that love of liberty and the institutions developed to maintain it have been Britain 's gift to the world. Unlike many modern historians, Fraser does not disdain the "great man" approach. Although she gives short shrift to broad economic and cultural transformations, her narrative advances with the emphasis on the roles of a litany of historical icons, from Queen Boudica to Margaret Thatcher. For those readers who are primarily interested in the "who, what, when, where, why" of British history, this is a valuable general study. – Booklist

The War That Made America : A Short History of the French and Indian War - Anderson, Fred

By the 1763 British victory in the Seven Years War (referred to as the French and Indian War in North America), Britain reigned supreme over the eastern half of North America. Yet, a mere 13 years later, a group of lawyers, merchants, and planters would demand, and eventually win, independence for a huge slice of that American empire. Anderson presents a concise, engrossing narrative of this seminal conflict, convincingly illustrating how it led directly to tensions and eventually warfare between the British government and her subjects along the Atlantic coast. Anderson 's explanations of the origins of the struggle are particularly insightful; he also provides a great service by restoring the role of various Native American groups to an essential place in the war. This is an outstanding account of a frequently misunderstood war that will be especially appealing to general readers with an interest in American history. It is a companion book to the four-part PBS documentary aired in January 2006. – Booklist

Contents: Preface -- Illustrations and Maps -- Prologue: New York, July 1776 -- PART ONE: THE END OF A LONG, PEACE -- A Delicate Balance -- The Half King's Dilemma -- Confrontation on the Ohio -- ``Thou Art Not Yet Dead, My Father'' -- PART TWO: LA GUERRE SAUVAGE – Intervention -- Braddock's March -- A Lake Defended, a Province Purged -- La Guerre Sauvage -- The European War Begins -- The Making of a ``Massacre'' -- PART THREE: TURNING POINT -- The Ascent of William Pitt -- The Red Cross of Carillon – Louisbourg -- Colonel Bradstreet's Coup -- Makers of War, Makers of Peace -- General Forbes's Last Campaign – Reckonings -- PART FOUR: CONQUESTS AND CONSEQUENCES -- A Shift in the Balance -- Incident at La Belle Famille -- General Amherst Hesitates -- The Plains of Abraham -- ``A Mighty Empire'' -- The Spanish Gambit – Peace – Insurrection -- Crisis and Resolution -- A Patriot's Progress -- Epilogue: Legacies -- Bibliographic Note – Acknowledgments – Index.

Play the Scene: The Ultimate Collection of Contemporary and Classic Scenes and Monologues - Mekler , Eva

Contents: Introduction: "On audition readings" / by Michael Schulman -- [1] Scenes for one man and one woman -- Picasso at the Lapin Agile / Steve Martin -- The Graduate / adapted for the stage by Terry Johnson -- Vincent in Brixton / by Nicholas Wright -- The shape of things / by Neil LaBute -- How I learned to drive / by Paula Vogel -- Dinner with friends / by Donald Margulies -- The tale of the allergist's wife / by Charles Busch -- This is our youth / by Kenneth Lonergan -- Heartbreadk House / by Bernard Shaw -- Flyovers / by Jeffrey Sweet -- In the moonlight Eddie / by Jack LoGiudice -- Impossible Marriage / by Beth Henley -- Life during wartime / by Keith Reddin -- Blithe spirit / by Noel Coward -- The Nina variations / by Steven Dietz -- The last night of Ballyhoo / by Alfred Uhry -- Fresh horses / by Larry Ketron -- Sorrows of Stephen / by Peter Parnell -- Camille: the lady of the Camellias / by Alexandre Dumas -- [2] Scenes for two women -- Collected stories / by Donald Margulies -- Wit / by Margaret Edson - - Spike Heels / by Theresa Rebeck -- The tale of the Alergists ' wife / by Charles Busch -- Women in motion / by Donald Margulies -- Fast girls / by Diana Amsterdam -- Impossible marriage / by Beth Henley -- Defying gravity / by Jane Anderson -- Desdemona: a play about a handkerchief / by Paula Vogel -- Independence / by Lee Blessing -- Nightswim / by Julia Jordan -- [3] Scenes for two men -- Lobby Hero / by kenneth Lonergan -- Our lady of 121st street by Stephen Adly Guirgis -- The value of names / by Jeffrey Sweet -- Mojo / Jez Butterworth -- Bluff / by Jeffrey Sweet -- As is / by William M. Hoffman -- The chosen / adapted by Aaron Posner and Chaim Potok from the novel by Chiam Potok -- Buying time / by Michael Weller -- Night Maneuver / by Howard Korder -- [4] Monologues for women -- Kissing Christiane / by John Patrick Shanley -- Picasso at the Lapin Agile / by Steve Martin -- How I learned to drive / by Paula Vogel -- Wit / by Margaret Edson -- Blown sideways through life / by Claudia Shear -- Collected stories / by Donald Margulies -- Lobbo hero / by Kenneth Lonergan -- Lucky spot / by Beth Henley -- The altruists / by Nicky Silver -- The Nina variations / by Steven Dietz -- Lola / by Donald Margulies -- Defying gravity / by Jane Anderson -- The young man from Atlanta / by Horton Foote -- Appearances / by Tina Howe -- Lives of the great waitresses / by Nina Shengold -- Laughing wild / by Christopher Durang -- [5] Monologues for men -- Cobb / by Lee Blessing -- This is our youth / by Kenneth Lonergan -- Spike heals / by Theresa Rebeck -- The Lisbon Traviata / by Terrence McNally -- Bluff / by Jeffrey Sweet -- As is / by William M. Hoffman -- Dylan / by Sidney Michaels -- Life during wartime / by Keith Reddin -- Cyrano de Bergerac / by Edmond Rostand, translated by Brian Hooker - - Dinner with Freinds / by Donald Margulies -- Flyovers / by Jeffrey Sweet -- Stray cats / by Warren Leight -- Fresh horses / by Larry Ketron .

Chasing the Molecule: Discovering the Building Blocks of Life - Buckingham, John

This is an absolute gem. It traces the development of organic chemistry up to the time of establishing the correct number of atoms in a molecule, which atoms are connected to which and their geometrical arrangement in space; i.e. what we might now call the ball and stick model of molecules. The book is written for the lay-person, with simple expla­nations of the modern basic ideas of chemical structure in­troduced in appropriate places. This means the reader can appreciate the thoughts and problems facing chemists of the 1700's and mainly 1800's as they struggled to make sense of theirs and others experimental observations and results. As well as following the developments of the ideas, the author gives us wonderful insights to personalities, prob­lems, circumstances and rivalries of the main players in the saga, and attempts to proportion the proper recognition of the contribution various individuals deserve. The obstacles and difficulties that held up more rapid de­velopment are discussed in an entertaining way; the confu­sion of the atomic weights of the elements, the rise and fall of the vitalism , the conservatism of senior players and their reluctance to accept new theories, nationalistic pride, the vendetta of Kolbe against Kekule . In the last chapter the author describes the organic chem­istry of today, with its emphasis on natural products and synthesis, and its relationship with the pharmaceutical in­dustry. – Review from Chemistry in New Zealand

Monologues from Literature: A Sourcebook - Smith, Marisa

Actors looking for new and exciting ways to audition will discover that some of the greatest acting scenes ever written appear not only in plays, but in novels, stories, even poetry, Monologues from Literature taps this virtually limitless wellspring, providing monologue adaptations for dramatic and comic audition pieces, conveniently organized in chronological order -- from Homer's The Odyssey to Tom Wolfe's The Bonfire of the Vanities. – from the publisher

Woman: Monologues for Actresses: Ten One-Act Scenes - Pomerance , Susan

Fifty More Professional Scenes and Monologues for Student Actors: A Collection of Short One- and Two-person Scenes - Kluger , Garry Michael

The Life and Times of the Thunderbolt Kid: A Memoir - Bryson, Bill

The Thunderbolt Kid was born in the 1950s when six-year-old Bryson (author of bestsellers A Walk in the Woods and A Short History of Nearly Everything ) found a mysterious, scratchy green sweater with a satiny thunderbolt across the chest. The jersey bestowed magic powers on the wearer–X-ray vision and the power to zap teachers and babysitters and deflect unwanted kisses from old people. These are the memoirs of that Kid, whose earthly parents were not really half bad–a loving mother who didn't cook and was pathologically forgetful, but shared her love of movies with her youngest child, and a dad who was the greatest baseball writer that ever lived and took his son to dugouts and into clubhouses where he met such famous players as Stan Musial and Willie Mays. Simpler times are conveyed with exaggerated humor; the author recalls the middle of the last century in the middle of the country ( Des Moines , IA ), when cigarettes were good for you, waxy candies were considered delicious, and kids were taught to read with Dick and Jane. Students of the decade's popular culture will marvel at the insular innocence described, even as the world moved toward nuclear weapons and civil unrest. Bryson describes country fairs and fantastic ploys to maneuver into the tent to see the lady stripper, playing hookey , paper routes, church suppers, and more. His reminiscences will entertain a wide audience. – School Library Journal

Roadside Revenants: And Other North Carolina Ghosts and Legends - Renegar , Michael

From crumbling haunted houses to vanishing hitchhikers, mysterious churches to a ghost-ridden college campus, Michael Renegar's book is a delight for anyone who likes spooky ghost stories. The author and his plucky band of ghost chasers have done the footwork and researched many of these haunted locations in Western North Carolina and the Piedmont . "Ghost Lights on Brown Mountain ," for example, provides viewing locations for observing this phenomenon, which was once featured on The X-Files . – from the publisher

Contents: Foreword -- Introduction -- The Priest Didn't Do It -- Phantom Headlights -- The Hound -- "Do That!" -- Max -- John Jackson Mays: The Hanged Man -- The Legends of East Hall -- The Ghost(s) in the Dungeon -- The Towel -- The Legend of Greer Hall -- The Phantom of Howard Knob -- Flat Top Manor: Moses Cone's Getaway -- The Richmond Hill Law School -- A Sad History -- Ghost Lights on Brown Mountain -- The Devil's Cave -- H-h-horse! -- The Doughboy -- The Cox Place -- Bringing Mary Home -- Willie Meets the Spook -- Tom Dooley and his Women -- Benton Hall -- "We Just Lost Our Heads . . ." -- Dr. Benbow Whips a Ghost -- John Goolsby -- The Red Room -- The Mitchell River Monster -- The Story of the Lawsons -- The King's Men -- Lydia of the Underpass: Fact or Fiction? -- Miscellaneous Spooks -- Tips for the Would-be Ghost Hunter -- Acknowledgments.

REFERENCE

Time Almanac (2007) - Brunner, Borgna

World Almanac and Book of Facts (2007) - World Almanac Books

What They Didn't Say: A Book of Misquotations

An entertaining and thought-provoking book for language buffs and anyone interested in quotations, What They Didn't Say sifts through more than one hundred and fifty misquotations, incorrect attributions, and apocryphal remarks to reveal the origins of the quotes. Charles Boyer never said “ Come with me to the Casbah ” (in fact he said the rumour had hampered his career); Humphrey Bogart never said “Play it again, Sam”; and Sherlock Holmes never said “ Elementary, my dear Watson” . Organized in an accessible A-Z format, quotes range from "Actors are cattle" (Alfred Hitchcock) to "You dirty rat!" (James Cagney) and span from the classical world right up to the present day. Bringing together a fascinating range of wrongly remembered sayings, What They Didn't Say aims to set the record straight by revealing the real names and actual words behind the famous missayings . Includes an index by name. – from the publisher

A Time for Freedom: What Happened When in America - Cheney, Lynne

Cheney, who has created successful titles for younger children about the struggle for liberty and freedom in America , focuses on older students and adults in this chronology that begins with the settling of the country more than 13,000 years ago and ends with the terrorist attack on the World Trade Center . Quotes from primary sources and black-and-white illustrations highlight the major events, persons, controversies, and discoveries that have shaped the United States . She includes many familiar quotations that readers will be able to place in the context of their historical significance, giving them greater meaning. Cheney also demonstrates how some important figures of the day influenced future changes, and she includes interesting facts on many human rights issues like the treatment of Native Americans, African Americans, women, and immigrants throughout American history. Cheney loads this history with interesting and little-known facts that are sure to engage readers. A reassuring element to reading the book is that no matter how troubling present-day conflicts might appear, they pale in comparison to some of the difficulties overcome by Americans in the past. A comprehensive index and bibliography, as well as a listing of Web sites to consult for primary source material will make this book a good starting point for student researchers. An engaging history that allows readers to make connections that help in understanding how history influences the future, this book is both comprehensive and rich in detail. - VOYA