That Girl by Jennifer Nettles
Jennifer Nettles, a member of the country duo Sugarland, takes a lot of heat from critics for her production of this solo album. She attempts to create a soulful, bluesy feel to several of the tracks on this disc, including “Me Without You”, “Thank You”, and “This One's for You”. These ballads throw Nettles fans for a loop as they are used to more up-tempo beats from her, such as “Stuck Like Glue” and “Somethin’ More”. However, it can’t be disputed that “That Girl”, the song for which the album is named, is perhaps one of the best songs on the CD. Those of you who are familiar with Dolly Parton might remember her song “Jolene”, in which she begs Jolene not to take her man, even though she can. Nettles’ track “That Girl” responds to Parton's song by playing the role of Jolene and assuring listeners that she is not a homewrecker and doesn’t want Parton’s man. Personally, I think some other great tracks include "Good Time to Cry" and "Like a Rock", but if you're looking for a song with a more humorous feel and a faster pace, I would recommend "Jealousy". In this case, I don't agree with the assessment from critics that because Nettles strays from her customary upbeat tunes, this album isn’t good. I think that while it does push her range, she does a great job with all of the songs on the disc. You can decide for yourself by picking it up at Acorn or requesting it through SWAN.
-Donna D., Reference
Return to Me by Lynn Austin
Local author Lynn Austin has written another fantastic historical fiction book called Return to Me (available at Acorn). This book is the first in the Restoration Chronicles which follows the journey of the exiled Israelites in Babylon and their return to Jerusalem. Austin does a marvelous job of drawing readers into the characters' lives, getting readers to imagine they are really in that setting and wrestling with the same questions the characters do. I am looking forward to book two in this series, which will probably be out in fall 2014.
-Janice, Youth Services
Eleanor & Park by Rainbow Rowell
This story begins with the arrival of Eleanor, a misunderstood 16-year-old girl with a rough upbringing. On her first day on the school bus, she meets Park, a boy who feels different from everyone else around him. The two end up sharing a seat on the bus, and although they don’t talk to each other at first, Park catches Eleanor sneaking peeks at his comics while he reads them. Soon a relationship is formed, as the two find that they have much more in common than they had originally thought. Unfortunately, life at home takes a turn for the worse for Eleanor, and the young couple is forced to make a decision that could tear them apart forever.
Although this is marketed as a young adult book, it is an excellent read for adults of all ages. Rainbow Rowell does an amazing job of drawing the reader in and making the characters seem very real. I felt like I really knew Eleanor and Park, and their story was one of the best that I have read so far this year. I highly recommend this book to anyone and everyone. It is available at Acorn as well as through SWAN.
-Lynn, Reference
Oscars @ Acorn
Yes, the actual Oscars have passed but a plethora of Oscar-nominated and Oscar-winning films are now hitting the shelves of Acorn.
American Hustle: If you can get beyond the really bad hair, the only slightly less offensive fashion and the seventeen unnecessary plot twists, you might enjoy this con within a con within a con trip back to the 70s. What I came away with was a deep thankfulness that I was too young to remember the 70s. Oh, and Jennifer Lawrence looks exactly like Ellen Barkin looked three decades ago. Amy Adams is enjoyable and does stretch her acting chops a bit but, other than that, I'd rather rewatch the remake of The Italian Job than sit through this one again. Ultimately unmemorable.
12 Years a Slave: This movie did not live up to expectations. The harrowing tale of human spirit triumphing over what can only be described as the ultimate in betrayal and existential horror was, sadly, lost throughout much of this film. It was lost to horrible editing, a weird soundtrack that succeeded in taking me completely out of the flow of the movie multiple times and an overall amateurish feel to a movie that should have been so much more. The acting, overall, was superb and, in the hands of a different director and editor, this movie would have been worthy of the Oscar praise it received.
Saving Mr. Banks: Charming, if slightly heavy-handed. The curmudgeonly P.L. Travers (Emma Thompson) and the hyper-fantastical Walt Disney (Tom Hanks) square off in this tale about the journey of Mary Poppins from book to screen and, ultimately, from sad past to brightened, toe-tapping future.
Captain Phillips: Nary an eyepatch or a parrot in sight in this harrowing true story of the taking of a cargo ship by Somali pirates. "I'm the captain now." The movie was excellent and kept me engaged throughout. The final scene is the one that stuck with me. Strength finally shattering like crystal on concrete puts an emotional exclamation point at the end of this already claustrophobically fear-laden movie.
Gravity: As a space aficionado, I found this movie disappointing. I was really looking forward to it but expectations can be an unwinnable game. It was visually exciting and, I'm sure, a little vomit-inducing for the more dramamine-dependent viewers. The repetitive nature of the danger had the effect of dulling the actual drama inherent to the situation. Ultimately, the rebirth theme was so heavy-handed by the end that it became eye-roll inducing. And, she totally would have burned up on re-entry!
Frozen: A masterpiece. Of all of these lauded movies, this is the one I'd watch again. The story of the Ice Queen and her sister. Simple and beautiful. As usual for the fairy-tale dramas, love and sacrifice save the day and the world. Not as usual for the fairy-tale dramas, it's not the prince riding to the rescue...although the ice cutter does give it a valiant try. Icy coldness shattered by an act of true love. You can't get more fable-tastic than that! And, if you know how to get the song "Let It Go" out of your brain, please let me know.
- Danielle, Tech Services
