Last summer I decided I was only going to start watching one new show for the upcoming television season and that was going to be Almost Human. My DVR is getting pushed to the limit of its capacity because I hate to delete shows that I really love. Plus, I've had my heart broken way too often by falling in love with a show, just to have the network cancel it.
That all changed when I found out that John Noble, who played Walter Bishop on Fringe, would be making a guest appearance on Sleepy Hollow (FOX). I had read a bit about the show and it did sound interesting, but since I had promised myself only one new show I stayed away! But since it was John Noble from my most favorite show I had to watch. And I'm so glad I did!
John Noble as Henry Parish
The show is very loosely based on the story The Legend of Sleepy Hollow by Washington Irving. And when I say loosely, I really mean loosely. The original tells the story of schoolmaster Ichabod Crane's pursuit of lovely Katrina Van Tassel. After failing to secure Katrina's affection, Crane is chased by the legendary Headless Horseman. Crane is never seen again and Katrina marries Crane's rival, Brom Bones.
Other than the characters of Ichabod Crane, Katrina and the Headless Horseman, there are no other similarities. The creators took the original story and completely turned it on its head. This Crane is a Revolutionary War hero who was killed in battle, but wakes up from a grave 250 years later to discover that his wife (who was a witch) cast a spell upon him to protect him from the forces of evil surrounding Sleepy Hollow and Crane. He meets young Abbie Mills, a lieutenant in the Sleepy Hollow Sherrif's Office who has just found the decapitated body of her friend and mentor, Sherrif Corbin.
Everyone believes that Crane is delusional, but when more and more strange things begin happening in the town they come to believe his story. Now Abbie, Crane and an assortment of other people are trying to stop the coming apocalypse.
I know this may not be everyone's cup of tea, but if you like supernatural stories along with some quirky and appealing characters, then this might be the show for you. Unfortunately, season one has not been released on DVD yet. So until it does you might want to check out some of these other versions of The Legend of Sleepy Hollow.
This series made many of America's legends accessible to all ages. This series also includes episodes of Annie Oakley, John Henry and Davey Crockett among others.
Johnny Depp stars as Ichabod Crane in this adaptation from director Tim Burton. In this version Crane is a constable sent from New York City to investigate the mysterious decapitation of three townspeople. The main suspect? The Headless Horseman, of course!
March 24th was master illusionist Harry Houdini's 140th birthday. In honor of the occasion, allow me to recommend some tales and tricks regarding a few fictional -- and real-life! -- magicians:
Four talented magicians have been hired by a shadowy employer to perform a different kind of slight-of-hand: the grandest cat-burgling heists that the world has ever seen. To say more would give away much of the plot-twisting fun of this quirky, unique film -- which ended up being a surprise blockbuster last summer.
Set in Victorian London, two stage magicians are locked in a bitter rivalry to create the perfect illusion. Enlisting the help of assistants, doubles, and even the engineer Nikola Tesla, the magicians race to unlock each other's secrets -- with horrifying results. Based on the book by Christopher Priest, this film was directed and co-written by the director of the Dark Knight trilogy -- Christopher Nolan.
The golden age of magicians (1890s-1930s) took place in a time when there was a curious mixing of skepticism and superstition, of science and the supernatural. In this book, Steinmeyer doesn't just reveal the tricks behind the illusions from some of history's best magicians -- he also takes a look at the culture of magic itself. The title is a reference to Harry Houdini, unraveling the "magic" behind his famous 1918 illusion of making Jennie the elephant disappear.
Set in the "golden age" of magic, this novel stars Carter the Great, a hapless magician who is under suspicion when President Warren Harding turns up dead just hours after appearing beside Carter on stage. What follows is a historical tale that blends mystery, fantasy, and romance, and proved to be a bestseller for the debut author.
This charming children's book allows four children to become magicians of sorts when they discover a magical charm with the power to grant wishes. There's just one catch: whatever wish you make, it only comes half true. The story is set in the early twentieth century -- but its appeal is timeless.
There are few people who do not recognize that adorable face. That is Ron Howard when he was playing Opie on The Andy Griffith Show. Even if you weren't a kid back in the 60s it's a pretty good chance you still have seen at least one episode of this show. It's an American classic. It ran for eight seasons on CBS. But maybe you were a child of the 70s and know Ron Howard from Happy Days where he played all round good guy, Richie Cunningham. Happy Days ran for 10 seasons on ABC and made Howard a household name to a new generation.
Now Ron Howard is most well known as a director of feature films, which began while he was still acting. His first directing job was for Grand Theft Auto (1977) while he was still on Happy Days. He's also become a very successful producer of films and television shows.
In honor of his recent 60th birthday (March 1st), I'm going to share a few of my favorite Howard films.
It's 1970 and only one year since the landing of Apollo 11 on the moon. NASA continues its mission to explore space and has sent up Jim Lovell, Fred Haise and Jack Swigert to fulfill the next phase. Unfortunately, these trips don't seem to interest the American public in quite the same way anymore. That is until Jim Lovell utters the phrase "Houston, we have a problem." Ron Howard takes us along on a roller coaster ride with the astronauts, their families and the men who eventually bring them safely home.
The year is 1977 and it's three years since Richard Nixon was forced to resign as President of the United States. David Frost was a well known, but not necessarily well respected, television personality in England. Both men wanted to change how the world saw them.
The film, based on a successful West End play, brings the interview, along with the preparations on both sides, to magnificent life. Howard manages to show these two fascinating personalities as more than just characters and we see how much was at stake for both of these men. Frost/Nixon was nominated for Best Picture and Best Director at the 2009 Academy Awards but lost on both counts to Slumdog Millionaire.
The 1970s was a magical time for Formula One Racing. There were big personalities along with big drama and unfortunately, big crashes. One of the biggest personalities was Englishman, James Hunt. Another big personality, although quite different from Hunt, was Austrian Niki Lauda. Their drive and determination to win the F1 title, no matter the costs, is wonderfully shown in Howard's most recent directing job. He manages to recreate the excitement and danger of racing at that time. This is more than just a "racing" movie.
The mathematical and Nobel Prize winner, John Nash, is masterfully portrayed by Russell Crowe in this Academy Award winning film. The Winner for Best Picture and Best Director highlights Howard's ability to make difficult, and at times unlikable, people relatable. We get to see Nash struggle with schizophrenia but in the end manage to have a fulfilling life and win the Nobel Prize in Economics in 1994.
Enjoy today's blog post on MPL's Parenting Collection, courtesy of our Children's Librarian!
-- from MPL's Parenting Collection
It's almost spring, but it's never too late for New Year's Resolutions! If you're looking to sharpen your parenting skills in 2014, Monroeville Public Library might be able to help. Our Parenting Collection, located in the hallway leading to the Children's Room, offers a wide variety of advice -- from caring for your infant to dealing with your teenagers, and all ages in between.
Check out some recommended titles below. Just click on the link to request a title from the Catalog! (We've included each item's call number in case you want to come in and browse the titles for yourself.)
This is just a small sample of the books and audiobooks found in our Parenting Collection, located in the hallway leading to the Children’s Room. (The collection includes DVDs as well.) There are also more parenting titles upstairs, so be sure to ask your friendly neighborhood librarian for further recommendations!
Pi -- symbolized π -- is a mathematical concept. Take any perfect circle, measure the circle's diameter (the distance of a straight line through the middle of circle) and the circumference (the distance around the circle). Then divide the circumference by the diameter.
The answer you'll get -- roughly 3.14 -- is the answer you'll always get. Pi is an unchanging constant, true of every (perfect) circle regardless of the circle's size. Pi is also, interestingly enough, an infinite number: while we generally round off at 3.14, the actual number of pi is 3.14159265358979323 ... and so on.
March 14, being 3/14, is National Pi Day. So we've rounded up some resources about pi (the number) and pie (the rather tastier treat). Be sure to celebrate this day as you best see fit.
-- Pi-Unleashed by Jörg Arndt and Christoph Haenel.
Fiction:
-- Navigating Early by Clare Vanderpool - This YA read features Early Auden, an unusual kid who is reading through the number pi like it's the best story he's ever heard.
-- Life of Pi by Yann Martel - Tired of his full name, "Piscine Molitor Patel," the book's hero soon comes to style himself "Pi" ... in tribute to the irrational number.
-- Contact by Carl Sagan - This sci-fi novel uses pi as a story-altering plot device.
-- The Pi-Search Page - What to see where your birth date shows up in the infinite numbers of pi? Use this search engine to look through the first 200 million digits!
"Chosen Ones" are a dime a dozen. Be it Frodo Baggins, Luke Skywalker, or Harry Potter, the story of the unsuspecting everyman called to undergo a dangerous but world-altering quest is a familiar fantasy tale. It's a story we all seem to respond to on a human level, and so it's one that is told time and time again.
But despite so many fantasy stories centering on an "everyman" -- that is, a character that theoretically represents all of us -- the role is rarely filled by a woman. So when you're a girl like me, who loves the fantasy genre, finding a rare female "Chosen One" who's every bit as complex, layered, and downright fun as her male counterparts is kind of a big deal.
Hence, Buffy Summers.
She's made of pure Awesome.
The television series Buffy the Vampire Slayer first premiered 17 years ago this week. In the first episode, we're introduced to Buffy Summers, who is the Slayer -- a girl destined to fight vampires, demons, and the other evil creatures that prey on the unsuspecting humans of the world. Armed with super-strength, inhuman reflexes, and a whole lot of wooden stakes, Buffy and her friends spent seven seasons fighting the forces of darkness, while also trying to navigator the even-more-treacherous waters of adolescence. (It's a toss-up which was the tougher job.)
Read any list of kick-butt female characters, and Buffy invariably merits a spot on the list -- as well she should. There are few female heroes as tough, layered, and inspiring as Buffy Summers. Emphasis, in fact, on "inspiring." So in honor of her 17th anniversary, let's take a look at just five of the ways that Buffy shows us gals that we can all be Chosen Ones:
-- She's just an ordinary girl.
She's got ONE quick little errand to run before the Spring Fling dance.
Okay, so she happens to be the one girl in her generation destined by fate to slay vampires. But she's still your typical teenager: trying out for the cheerleading squad, hanging out with her friends at the local club, checking out the latest fashions, pouring over homework assignments.
And, vampires aside, she's got all the usual teen trials and tribulations to deal with, too: school, parents, troublesome boyfriends, snotty cliques, and grown-ups who just don't understand.
Series creator Joss Whedon always intended to make Buffy the Vampire Slayer a metaphor for high school. (Sunnydale High is positioned right atop the gates of Hell -- what high school student can't relate to that?) So it makes sense that the story's hero would have the same interests, problems, and character growth that every teenager must go through. But it's precisely her ordinary problems that make Buffy all the more relatable -- and all the more inspiring.
-- She is, no doubt about it, kick-ass.
Maybe they can let her turn her homework in late, just this one time.
An argument's been made (and it's not without merit) that Buffy Summers is a superhero -- and as such, she's even got the superpowers. She's been supernaturally gifted with super-strength and super-reflexes, making her job as a Slayer just a bit easier. Of course, even with those abilities, she still has to train like any other athlete (or vampire slayer) to keep her abilities sharp and her power focused.
High school: the toughest years of your life with or without vampires.
Buffy starts off the first season of her show at a brand-new high school. Once there, she's quickly given the opportunity to choose a new group of friends: the cliquey popular girls, led by queen bee Cordelia Chase; or the resident "nerds," Xander and Willow.
For Buffy, it's a no-brainer: she'll take the kind and good-hearted nerds over the "mean girls" any day. It kicks off a theme that continues throughout the show's run, as Buffy continues to recruit further allies: Angel, Oz, Tara, Anya, Dawn, and even Cordelia herself (the "queen bee" eventually comes around). As the seasons progress, Buffy continues to beat the odds as one of the longest-living Slayers of all time, and the reason is simple: she doesn't fight her battles alone. She has her friends. It makes for the perfect reminder that good friends can make you stronger.
-- She knows the importance of knowledge.
Buffy and her right-hand Librarian, Giles.
The librarian at Sunnydale High, Mr. Giles, has a most unusual part-time job: he's a Watcher. That is, he's the official mentor to the Slayer, on hand to help Buffy train, fight, and, most of all, learn everything she needs to know to do her job.
So it's fitting that Buffy and her pals spend so much time in the Sunnydale High library. Understanding the importance of the old saying "know thy enemy," the gang can often be found researching the best methods to put a stop to whatever monster the Hellmouth may be throwing their way that week.
While Buffy's super-strength and fighting abilities are clearly an invaluable tool in her vampire throw-downs, there's no getting around the fact that another of her best weapons is knowledge itself. Without the research, demon slaying would be a whole lot harder. (But, of course, we all already know about the importance of libraries!)
-- She's not just an ordinary girl.
Like all great heroes, though, it's not her superpowers or her destiny that make Buffy special. It's because of the choices she makes: to stand by her friends, to fight for something important, to help the people who need it. She's a hero not because of her talents, but because of what she chooses to use them for -- and that's the kind of hero that any gal (or guy!) can aspire to be.
Last fall, a new list of reading recommendations started called "Library Reads." It includes the top ten favorite books being published each month, as chosen by librarians from around the country. You may see familiar names on the list -- but there could just as well be a debut author because the list isn't about what is the "best," it's about what books got librarians excited.
So take a look at a few of the titles from the list and see what might be your next read!
(As always, click on the titles to request your copy today.)
“The Dane family has been keeping secrets in the Ozark town of Henbane for years. An outsider steals the heart of one of the Dane brothers, and the secrets threaten to unravel. When sixteen-year-old Lucy’s friend is found murdered after being missing for a year, Lucy begins to ask questions–the answers to which may destroy her family. Atmospheric and visceral, McHugh’s story is vividly and effectively told.”
Jennifer Winberry, Hunterdon County Library, Flemington, NJ
“Kudos to Pavone for coming through with another captivating international suspense novel. How ironic that I couldn’t put down a book about Isabel, a literary agent who stays up all night to finish an unsolicited manuscript that’s so explosive, some will kill to keep it from being published. During the 24 hours that Isabel is on the run, readers will be on the edge of their seats. Be prepared to lose some sleep!”
Paulette Brooks, Elm Grove Public Library, Elm Grove, WI
“When Sophie, a loveable 29-year-old lawyer, gets roped into working on a divorce case, her life takes an unexpected turn. Though this gives her a new perspective on life, it also forces her to confront some unresolved childhood issues. Except for a few tearful, poignant moments, I had a smile on my face for the entire book. Engaging and humorous, this debut epistolary novel has become a favorite read.”
Jennifer Asimakopoulos, Indian Prairie Public Library, Darien, IL
“After the bones of the notorious Mother Hook are possibly uncovered in Norfolk, forensic archaeologist Ruth Galloway finds herself on TV. Was Mother Hook truly guilty of child murder? This is just one strand in a mystery that revolves around children and the people who care for them. One of the most addictive mystery series being written today.”
Janet Lockhart, Wake County Public Libraries, Cary, NC
“After an unidentified hit-and-run victim is received in ICU, Dr. Charlotte Reese struggles to keep her alive, questioning how far medical technology should go to do so. Meanwhile, in an alternate story, teens Bo and Raney explore their budding friendship and attraction. Book groups will devour this compulsively readable novel with thought-provoking themes. Perfect for readers of Jodi Picoult and Chris Bohjalian.”
Robin Beerbower, Salem Public Library, Salem, OR
Go to LibraryReads.org for the full list and check back here next month for some new titles.
