Babylon A.D.
(all movies are on dvd unless otherwise noted)
Books:The lost symbol / Dan Brown
As the story opens, Harvard symbologist Robert Langdon is summoned unexpectedly to deliver an evening lecture in the U.S. Capitol Building. Within minutes of his arrival, however, the night takes a bizarre turn. A disturbing object — artfully encoded with five symbols — is discovered in the Capitol Building. Langdon recognizes the object as an ancient invitation… one meant to usher its recipient into a long-lost world of esoteric wisdom.
When Langdon’s beloved mentor, Peter Solomon — a prominent Mason and philanthropist — is brutally kidnapped, Langdon realizes his only hope of saving Peter is to accept this mystical invitation and follow wherever it leads him. Langdon is instantly plunged into a clandestine world of Masonic secrets, hidden history, and never-before-seen locations — all of which seem to be dragging him toward a single, inconceivable truth. (read an exerpt)
The good soldiers / David Finkel
It was the last-chance moment of the war. In January 2007, President George W. Bush announced a new strategy for Iraq. He called it the surge. “Many listening tonight will ask why this effort will succeed when previous operations to secure Baghdad did not. Well, here are the differences,” he told a skeptical nation. Among those listening were the young, optimistic army infantry soldiers of the 2-16, the battalion nicknamed the Rangers. About to head to a vicious area of Baghdad, they decided the difference would be them.
Fifteen months later, the soldiers returned home forever changed. Pulitzer Prize-winning Washington Post reporter David Finkel was with them in Bagdad, and almost every grueling step of the way.
What was the true story of the surge? And was it really a success? Those are the questions he grapples with in his remarkable report from the front lines.
Highest duty : my search for what really matters / Chesley Sullenberger
Capt. Chesley “Sully” Sullenberger became one of the most recognized men in America when he landed US Airways Flight 1549 on the Hudson River in January of 2009, narrowing averting disaster. Now, in this gripping memoir, the pilot New York City Mayor Michael Bloomberg dubbed “Captain Cool” recounts not just the details of that harrowing five minute and eight second flight, but also the lifetime of flight training leading up to it, and the intriguing aftermath of the incident. (read an exerpt)
Masterpiece / Elise Broach
Can a young boy and a beetle pull off a staged art heist at the Metropolitan Museum of Art? (Age Range: 8 to 12; read an exerpt)
Morningside Heights / Cheryl Mendelson
Anne and Charles Braithwaite have spent their entire married life in a sedate old apartment building in Morningside Heights, a northern Manhattan neighborhood filled with intellectual, artistic souls like themselves, who thrive on the area’s abundant parks, cultural offferings, and reasonably priced real estate. The Braithwaites, musicians with several young children, are at the core of a circle of friends who make their living as writers, psychiatrists, and professors. But as the novel opens, their comfortable life is being threatened as a buoyant economy sends newly rich Wall Street types scurrying northward in search of good investments and more space. At the same time, the Braithwaites weather the difficult love lives of their friends, and all of the characters confront their fears that the institutions and social values that have until now provided them with meaning and stability—science, religion, the arts—are in increasing decline. Though the group clings to the rituals and promises of such institutions, the Braithwaites’ imminent departure sends shock waves through their community. As the family contemplates the impossible—a move to the suburbs—their predicament represents the end of a cultured kind of city life that middle-class families can no longer afford. (read a sample chapter)
Born on a blue day : inside the extraordinary mind of an autistic savant : a memoir / Daniel Tammet
Born on a Blue Day is a triumphant and uplifting story, starting from early childhood, when Daniel was incapable of making friends and prone to tantrums, to young adulthood, when he learned how to control himself and to live independently, fell in love, experienced a religious conversion to Christianity, and most recently, emerged as a celebrity. The world’s leading neuroscientists have been studying Daniel’s ability to solve complicated math problems in one fell swoop by seeing shapes rather than making step-by-step calculations. Here he explains how he does it, and how he is able to learn new languages so quickly, simply by absorbing their patterns. Fascinating and inspiring, Born on a Blue Day explores what it’s like to be special and gives us an insight into what makes us all human — our minds. (read an exerpt)
The murder of Lehman Brothers : an insider’s look at the global meltdown / Joseph Tibman
The Murder of Lehman Brothers sheds light on the perfect, complex storm that led to Lehman’s collapse and the ensuing global consequences. It includes a brief history of Lehman, highlighting certain notable events, including a previous near collapse, the rise of Richard Fuld and the one-firm culture, the repeated mistakes made by providers of credit, inventing new financings—rationalizing that while profitable, these risky endeavors are actually not risky, more specifically subprime mortgages and Lehman’s role, as well as an internal battle over Lehman’s embrace of a massive real estate book, the emergence of Lehman as a top tier firm, the unraveling that began with the subprime meltdown, and gained vigor with the fall of Bear, and the consequences of Lehman’s fall.
Strega Nona’s harvest / Tomie dePaola
In this humorous tale, Strega Nona attempts to teach Big Anthony about gardening and the importance of order. But when Big Anthony does not follow her directions and tries to use her growing spell, his small vegetable patch turns into an unruly jungle! What will they do with all the extra vegetables? (Age Range: For infants or children in preschool)
Skippyjon Jones : Lost in spice / Judy Schachner
Buckle up, amigos— everyone’s favorite kitty boy is about to lift off. You’ll want to be there when the brave Skippito gets lost in spice!
That’s right, spice. Skippy knows— from his big ears to his toes—that the planet Mars is red because it’s covered in spicy red pepper. To prove it, he’s off on a space jaunt replete with craters, crazies, and creatures from Mars. His new adventure is packed with witty wordplay, Spanish phrases, and Judy Schachner’s trademark hilarity. This rollicking romp is simply out of this world. (Age Range: For infants or children in preschool)
Listen to the wind : The story of Dr. Greg & “Three cups of tea” / Greg Mortenson
Greg Mortenson stumbled, lost and delirious, into a remote Himalayan village after a failed climb up K2. The villagers saved his life, and he vowed to return and build them a school. The remarkable story of his promise kept is now perfect for reading aloud. Told in the voice of Korphe’s children, this story illuminates the humanity and culture of a relevant and distant part of the world in gorgeous collage, while sharing a riveting example of how one person can change thousands of lives. (Age Range: For infants or children in preschool)
Miss Smith and the haunted library / Michael Garland
When Miss Smith reads from her magical book, the worlds she describes come alive—literally! Today Miss Smith is taking her class on a field trip to a deliciously spooky library. There the class meets librarian Virginia Creeper and settles down to listen to a few scary tales. Before long everyone’s favorite creepy characters are stalking the library and a haunted party is in full swing. So . . . who’s for taking a ride with the Headless Horseman? (Age Range: 4 to
Me with you / Kristy Dempsey
From tea time to game time, singing or swinging, in the good times and even the grumpy ones, a granddaughter knows her grandpa is always wonderfully himself, and she is wonderfully herself, and together they are unbeatable! A pair beyond compare, a rare and special two! (Age Range: For infants or children in preschool)
All of baby : Nose to toes / Victoria Adler
From eyes to ears, tummy to nose, legs to toes, there’s a lot for baby to discover—and even more for a family to love. Bright, buoyant art and a roly-poly little baby are sure to inspire plenty of giggling and grabbing and feet-in-the-air-ing. For every baby—and every parent who loves that baby to bits—here’s the perfect first book. (Age Range: For infants or children in preschool)
The runaway pumpkin / Kevin Lewis
When Buck, Billy, and their little sister Lil spy the biggest pumpkin they’ve ever seen, they can’t resist. Buck and Billy try to roll the pumpkin down the hill to show everyone, but it’s too big! Before they know it, it’s bumping and thumping and rolling out of control down the hillside. It busts through Momma Baxter’s sty and makes her think of pumpkin pie. It knocks over Grandpa Baxter and makes him think of pumpkin soup. And when Poppa Baxter finally stops it in a pumpkin bed, all he can think of is pumpkin bread. (Age Range: 5 to 7)
[Note: All synopses are provided by the publisher unless otherwise stated and do not constitute reviews by the Seldovia Public Library.]
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