This Week's Staff Favorites: Volume 45

Coffee with Jesus by David Wilkie
While this book can be a little controversial because of the issues it addresses, it is a very refreshing read. It originally began as a single panel comic strip on the blog of artist David Wilkie, but soon became popular thanks to social media. He incorporates several main characters into these comics that deal with everyday issues--from the person who chews too loudly at the dinner table, to politics, to (obviously) religious beliefs. The book uses humor and sarcasm to demonstrate what Wilkie defines as a "practical" Jesus in his introduction. However, even if you are somewhat put off by the tone of this work, it allows you to see familiar problems you face on a regular basis in a new light. It's a good, quick read and it's available through SWAN.

-Donna D., Reference



Before, Before and Before
Before, during and after just doesn’t apply to this cinematic triptych as it delves deeply into one relationship over many years.  We imagine the ‘before’, we wait for the ‘after’ but we spend the entire time in the ‘during’.  We race our own expectations to a finish line that never quite arrives.  This is an inside view to a world that many of us will recognize in part but none of us have ever seen in full.  An experiential walk through the lives and loves of two people during the moments that are usually hidden behind closed doors or played out in a tune that only two very specific hearts can hear.

The recently concluded Before trilogy of movies takes us to the heights and then drops us into the depths of the relationship of Jesse (Ethan Hawke) and Celine (Julie Delpy).  Before Sunrise has the two twenty-somethings meeting on a train.  They look.  They talk.  They decide to spend the night wandering the streets of Vienna together and, ostensibly, falling in love.  Ah, youth.  When I first saw this movie as a twenty-something myself, I admit my first reaction was, “They sure talk a lot!”  Now, almost twenty years later, my reaction has evolved into “Aww, it’s so nice they talk to each other so much.”  Ah, youth, indeed. 

Before Sunset drags us back into their lives nine years post-youthful Viennese love waltz and transplants us to the café’d streets of Paris.  Are they still in love?  Have they been together the whole time?  Did youthful lust and infatuation evolve into something deeper?  Does singing a waltz that you wrote in honor of one night of pure love to the person you shared that one night with nearly a decade earlier win you the love of your life?  Did they just leave that poor cab driver out there forever?  You’ll have to watch to find out.

But, of course, there’s the third movie, Before Midnight, so we know something happened.  Well, one thing that happened is that Jesse and Celine got old.  (Wait a minute, if I was twenty-something when they were twenty-something and now they’re old…well, darn!)  To me, this is the most real of the three films.  This film takes place in Greece and is where we see the passion of youth and the connection of an actual relationship turn, perhaps, into the deeper, fully-enmeshed linking of two souls in true love.  We see that, as opposed to the other types of love, true love is truly hard.  The lesson here is that imperfect humans are, alas, imperfect but in that shared imperfection you just might find the other heart that sings your perfect song.  I believe Jesse and Celine found it and I hope that all of you find or have found that other imperfect heart to sing you your perfect song.

 -Danielle, Tech Services

Sunrise

http://swan.mls.lib.il.us/search~S1?/tbefore+sunrise/tbefore+sunrise/1%2C3%2C10%2CB/frameset&FF=tbefore+sunrise&7%2C%2C7

Sunset

http://swan.mls.lib.il.us/search~S1?/tbefore+sunset/tbefore+sunset/1%2C3%2C4%2CB/frameset&FF=tbefore+sunset&2%2C%2C2/indexsort=-

Midnight

http://swan.mls.lib.il.us/search~S1?/tbefore+midnight/tbefore+midnight/1%2C6%2C15%2CB/frameset&FF=tbefore+midnight&5%2C%2C9/indexsort=-

This Week's Staff Favorites: Volume 44

21 by Adele
Although 21 came out in 2011, it’s one of those albums that you could listen to over and over again without complaint. No matter how many times you hear any song on the disc, the lyrics still move you and the melodies replay themselves in your head long after you’ve finished listening. I recently put it back in my CD player after having given it a rest for a couple of months and I’m wondering why I ever took it out in the first place. Not only does this album contain number one hits such as “Rolling in the Deep”, “Set Fire to the Rain”, and “Someone Like You”, but it also includes songs like “Take It All” and “One and Only”--hidden gems that, had they been released as singles, would have also topped the charts. Adele combines soul and rock in a way that puts her into her own unique category. This album is one that can be enjoyed by everyone no matter what type of music genre you prefer. I highly, highly recommend that you give it a listen. It’s definitely worth it. And it’s available at Acorn and through SWAN.

-Donna D., Reference

A Few of My Favorite Things…
Muppet Christmas Carol.  Gonzo, singing rats, Tiny Tim in polliwog form!

Elf.  ‘Nuff said.

Ref, The.  Denis Leary warming the cockles of cynics’ hearts with love and cursing.

Rudolph.  Just a misfit…Aren’t we all?  Let your nose glow!

Yule really, really love Love Actually.  Okay, I cheated.  Y’s are hard.

Christmas Vacation.  Oh, cousin Eddie…we love you, dickey and all.

How the Grinch Stole Christmas.  May all your hearts grow three sizes this holiday.

Ralphie and A Christmas Story.  Fra-Gee-Lay…it’s Italian, don’t ya know?

It’s a Wonderful Life.  You’ve all touched more lives than you realize.

Scrooge.  Alastair Sim owns this one…but McDuck is in the running!

To…

My new friends who’ve made me feel welcome and at home at…

Acorn Public Library this past year…

Season’s Greetings and Happy New Year!

And, whether your family is far or near,
At this most festive time of the year,
Stop, look around and be filled with cheer,
That none of them, not one of them, can be found here.

- Danielle, Tech Services


Christmas Tales by Charles Dickens
It has long been a tradition of mine to observe each passing Christmas by reading from Dickens’s Christmas Tales.  The obvious must-read in this collection is “A Christmas Carol,” but I would also encourage you to read two of his lesser-known works: “What Christmas Is as We Grow Older” and “A Christmas Tree,” both of which are short, powerful reflections on the Christmas season and what it means to us.  These pieces are somber, beautifully written essays that become more meaningful to me every year I read them.  If you hold Christmas dear in your heart, enjoy Dickens’s writing style, and have 15 to 30 minutes, I highly suggest you read these two selections. Christmas Tales can be found at Acorn or through SWAN. “What Christmas Is as We Grow Older” and “A Christmas Tree” are also freely available online.

-Zach, Reference

This Week's Staff Favorites: Volume 43

Detroit: An American Autopsy by Charlie LeDuff
In preparation for this month’s Barcodes Nonfiction Book Club, I read this account of Detroit’s decline into poverty. It is written from the point of view of Charlie LeDuff, a reporter who was born in Detroit, moved to New York to write for the Times, but “like salmon that swim upstream,” he returned home even though he knew of the terrible condition of his city. He tells many stories related to Detroit’s history, including that of Mayor Kwame Kilpatrick who was sentenced to twenty-eight years in prison just last month for extortion, bribery, and fraud. Not only does LeDuff recount the dilapidated, burnt condition of the homes, churches, and other various buildings, but he also tells of the broken-down Detroiters living there. While this isn’t a happy story by any means, he also demonstrates the resilience of Detroit’s people. He writes in such a way that you really feel connected to these individuals. His style is a no-holds-barred tell-all that leaves me genuinely interested to see what what the future of Detroit will hold.

-Donna D., Reference

The Husband’s Secret by Liane Moriarty
Set in Australia, this novel begins by introducing the lives of three different women who live in the same vicinity of each other. One of the women, Cecilia, finds a letter from her husband to be opened by her in the event of his death. However, even though her husband is very much alive and asks her not to open it, Cecilia finds it difficult to resist the temptation. What she finds changes her life and the lives of the other two women whom she hardly even knows.

At first I found it a bit confusing trying to keep up with who is who, as there are many characters introduced early on in the book. However, once I had a grasp on the three different storylines, I found the connections between all of them quite intriguing. The story as a whole quickly grabbed my attention, and I found myself trying to read faster so that I could find out what happened next. I highly recommend this book as a very enjoyable read and something that will keep you guessing until the end. This book can be found at Acorn or through SWAN.

-Lynn, Reference

Film
Movie lovers.  Cinephiles.  Film buffs.  Whatever we may be called, we all have one thing in common, the love of darkness and sticky floors!  No, wait, that’s not it.  I meant the love of those magical projections of light that have the power not only to entertain but to reach into our deepest depths, take what they find there and tear it asunder or, perhaps, gently ease it into the light or, on occasion, send it soaring to the heavens.  We, quite simply, love movies.

Now, everyone has favorites.  Mine, quite obviously, is Smurfs 2: Revenge of Smurfette.  (I kid.)  I never really could pick just one so, instead, I’m going to talk about another, perhaps even greater love…the making of movies.

An excellent and almost all-encompassing place to start is The Story of Film: An Odyssey.  This fifteen-hour (yes, you read that correctly…this rec is coming from someone who’s watched multiple Ken Burns documentaries as well as the seventeen-hour History of Britain!) chronological tribute to one man’s love of film takes you from the very beginning of film to the digitally recorded and increasingly unreal worlds of modern cinema.  I was absolutely enthralled by this documentary with a slight lull in my enthusiasm as we entered the 1970s and slogged through to the 1990s.  After that, things again brightened as we considered the future of cinema all the way to the 2040s.  So, yes, an odyssey it is but one well worth undertaking.

After you’ve finished your master class in film history, you’re ready for the nitty-gritty of building dreams with light.  Tales from the Script gives you the writer’s often missing perspective on the world of film. Directors: Life Behind the Camera gives voice to a multitude of directors on their individual visions and how they bring them to life.  Visions of Light explores the art of cinematography, where the flesh and light become one.  The Cutting Edge (alas, not the ice skating movie…and, unfortunately, available only through inter-library loan) celebrates the often misunderstood importance of editing as the ultimate device to breathe life into the stories we all love to lose ourselves in.  The last stop on our journey is Side by Side (available at Acorn) where the future of film in a digital age is dissected and discussed and where we are given hope that our beloved medium will not soon perish from the world.

- Danielle, Tech Services

The Rosie Project by Graeme Simsion
If you are a fan of CBS’s hit sitcom, The Big Bang Theory, there is a very good chance you will enjoy Graeme Simsion’s hilarious and heartwarming novel, The Rosie Project. The book’s narrator and protagonist is Don Tillman, a 39-year-old genetics professor whose social awkwardness, lack of empathy, emotional shortcomings, and rigid need for rules and routine (think Big Bang’s Sheldon Cooper) are more likely to be clear indicators of an undiagnosed autism spectrum disorder rather than just cute personality quirks. With his 40th birthday soon approaching and still unmarried, Don embarks on the Wife Project, creating a 16-page, double-sided questionnaire that will connect him to the perfect woman. Unfortunately, the young, beautiful, and free-spirited woman he meets through the project, Rosie Jarman, is totally unsuitable; yet he struggles to understand why he can’t tear himself away from her, even going so far as to assist her with discovering her biological father. While I don’t typically read romantic fiction, I was truly moved as Don slowly realizes that he has strong feelings for Rosie. Think of The Rosie Project as Sheldon Cooper finds love and you will have a good idea of what this book is like. The Rosie Project can be found at Acorn or through SWAN.

-Zach, Reference

The Talented Mr. Ripley by Patricia Highsmith
I've been enjoying  the twists and turns of The Talented Mr. Ripley. Tom Ripley, a man of humble stock, grand ambitions, and one seriously discombobulated moral compass, insinuates himself into the graces of the Greenleafs, a wealthy New York family. They enlist Tom to persuade their son Dickie--lolling dissolutely as an aspiring artist in Italy--to return home in order to live as a proper scion. What happens when Tom's greed, fragile ego, and gaggle of personality disorders meet Dickie's haughty carelessness? Go to Acorn's shelves to find out!

-Megan, Reference

Patron Review: Dear White America by Tim Wise

Do white Americans benefit from white privilege?  Recently I was in group that was asked that question. Amazingly, or maybe not, one participant said that she has never so benefited.  This book is for her and others like her.

As Jim Wallis of Sojourners recently emailed me, America has been built by enslaving one race and ethnically cleansing another.

Tim Wise points out that whites have pretty much been able to go to school where ever each chooses, buy a house in most neighborhoods, get a mortgage at a somewhat reasonable rate, or go to another source to get a better rate, enroll in any college for which one has the funds and the test scores, and some even have the connections to get a good job with great benefits, when one has only mediocre abilities.

Regarding immigration, consider that our government passed NAFTA in 1993, for the benefit of multinational corporations.  “Since then, U.S. companies have flooded Mexico with agricultural goods (to the benefit of the U.S. farmer), which have driven down prices in Mexico, such that Mexican farmers cannot compete.  This causes Mexican farmers to leave rural areas for cities, but finding the labor market there glutted, they move farther North to support their families—as any of us would do, were we in their shoes.  In other words, to whatever extent migrants are crossing the border and thereby (ostensibly) taking other people’s jobs, it is only because the economy of Mexico has been considerably undermined by the policies of our country.” (Page 95).

I encourage all to read this letter and to become informed of the simmering racism that pervades the United States.

-Janice Gintzler, Acorn patron

This Week's Staff Favorites: Volume 42

Gobble Gobble Gobble
Twas the night of Thanksgiving and all through the house,
Relatives were screaming cuz Grandma saw a mouse,
That’s not a mouse, you crazy ol’ bat…
That’s Hannah and Her Sisters’ scrawny ol’ cat!
I can’t believe we’ve got to stay here for another two days,
Screw you and your “Ooh, let’s go Home for the Holidays!”
Now, honey, please calm down, let’s see What’s Cooking,
Oh, good lord, why is there fuzz on Aunt Polly’s plum pudding?
Cuz they’re trying to kill us! They’re nuts! I told you last year,
But, nooooo, you said, “That’s just crazy talk, dear.”
Now, go check the computer, there have to be some travel deals,
Please, I’ll take anything…Planes?  Trains?  Automobiles?
Honey, here, sit down, let me get you a drink,
They’re really not so bad, well, not as bad as you think,
You just need to give them a chance, you’ve got to be willing…
Willing?  Me?  Willing?  Come here, sweetie, it’s time…

…for a little Thankskilling!

- Danielle, Tech Services

The Bones of What You Believe by Chvrches
Hailing from Glasgow, Scotland, Chvrches (i.e., Churches with a “v” instead of a “u”) have crafted a synthpop masterpiece in their debut album, The Bones of What You Believe. I enjoyed this album so much that I quite honestly could not remove this album from my CD player. The songs are catchy to the point of infectious, and the energetic dance-inspired beats and the ethereal vocals are perfectly offset by the reflective, oftentimes melancholy, lyrics. Think Passion Pit, M83, Depeche Mode, and 80s-influenced electropop to get a general impression of what this band sounds like, but I suggest you check it out on your own if you have even the slightest interest in this music scene. The songs “The Mother We Share,” “We Sink,” and “Lies” come highly recommended as possible entry points. Put a hold on a copy today through SWAN.

- Zach, Reference

Golden by Lady Antebellum
The fourth album released by country group Lady Antebellum, Golden is an excellent mix of fun, upbeat songs as well as some slower ballads, all of which are great to sing along to. Even though the album has been out since May of this year, there are quite a few hits on the CD that have yet to be played on the radio. “It Ain’t Pretty” is my new personal favorite, but others such as “Better Off Now (That You’re Gone)” and “Can’t Stand the Rain” are quite catchy. I highly recommend checking out this CD, even for those who aren’t big country music fans. It’s available at Acorn and through SWAN.

-Lynn, Reference

Thank You For Your Service by David Finkel
Thank You For Your Service is a compilation of the true stories of several American soldiers after they have returned home from the war in Iraq. It is a sequel of sorts to The Good Soldiers, a work that tells the stories of these same soldiers while they were on the front lines. This book grabs your attention from the second you open it until you read the very last word. It is full of heartbreaking moments as well as a few happy ones. Not only does Finkel show us how the men were affected, but how their wives, doctors, friends, and children were affected as well. Finkel writes in such a powerful way that your heart will inevitably be touched by these stories. It is an absolute must-read.

-Donna D., Reference

Fitzgerald Family Christmas
The cover may seem schmaltzy, and the the title might scream Hallmark Channel, but you must believe me when I tell you that Fitzgerald Family Christmas is an incisive, witty little film about the ways in which parents and siblings inform our lives. Edward Burns (who also wrote and directed) stars as Gerry, the eldest son who became the grounded, acerbic patriarch when his father deserted the family two decades ago. His six siblings are in various states of disarray. For starters, Manhattan slickster Quinn (Michael McGlone) is plotting an ill-conceived proposal to his 22-year-old girlfriend, pampered Erin (Heather Burns) suffers from chronic unpleasantness, and baby-faced ruffian Cyril (Tom Guiry) has just completed a stint in rehab. The odds that this unbiddable clan will enjoy serene Yuletide blessings are further diminished when their father announces his intention of joining them for the festivities.

The spirited ensemble cast is superb, and somehow each character has emerged with a discrete, compelling personality. Burns has a gently trenchant way with dialogue and plotting that yields unforced epiphanies and satisfying transformations. I also highly recommend  Newlyweds, another Burns effort from 2012.

-Megan, Reference

This Week's Staff Favorites: Volume 41

Haiku!
Gesundheit.  Bless You.  À tes souhaits.  Salud.  Na zdrowie.

Well, thank you very much but I promise this isn’t about sneezes.  No, this is about the short, sensual, simple and striking poetic form that is haiku.  Yes, that seventeen syllable painter of pictures and sculptor of scenes that all of you were assailed with in school.  You were probably even forced, through threats and assorted forms of teacherly torture, to write one yourself at some point.  Ah, memories…

Five-Seven-Five.  Five syllables, then seven, then five again.  That’s all there is to it but, like so many other things in life, there’s profundity hidden within those seemingly shallow depths.  Originally a Japanese art form used to contrast everyday images and lifescapes against nature’s grandiosity and/or utter simplicity, it’s been adopted by writers across the world.  And, although I prefer the strictures of the original syllabic format, haiku has evolved to embrace other forms of short poetry and image crafting that move far beyond the original definition of haiku.

A good place to start your haiku adventure is the shelves of Acorn’s children’s department where there are several books available.  Outside Acorn, you can visit the first 100 years of English Haiku or narrow your focus a little and try out some haiku about love or cats or gay guys or rednecks or zombies or single girls. You can even, if so inclined, use haiku to cultivate awareness and open your heart.  There is, literally, something for everyone in the world of haiku.  And, if I haven’t convinced you yet, the next time you’re in the employee restroom, take a look above the paper holder, contemplate the deeper meaning of those words and realize that haiku, in its many forms, surrounds you daily…and that someone at Acorn beat me to the haiku love!

-Danielle, Tech Services

What Maisie Knew
What Maisie Knew stars newcomer Onata Aprile,  who plays the title role told through the eyes of a six-year-old as she tries to find equilibrium as her parents go through a bitter custody battle. The film focuses on her face and eyes that create several layers of emotion and struggle. This is one of those films where you want to shake the parents’ foundation to make them aware of the damage being done.  Segments of childhood are slipped in where they can, Maisie adjusting to situations as they come with grace and maturity. Dysfunctional is the key word throughout, however. Leave it to Maisie to show us the intense awareness, but we are left wondering what she really knows and understands. The film also stars Julianne Moore, Steve Coogan, Joanna Vanderham, and Alexander Skarsgard  this film is available from SWAN.

-Darlene, Circulation

Welcome Home Mama and Boris: How a Sister’s Love Saved a Fallen Soldier’s Beloved Dogs by Carey Neesley
When Carey Neesley’s younger brother, Peter, enlists in the Army, she is devastated yet proud of him. Her brother is her best friend and a father figure to her little boy, Patrick. However, in December of 2007, Carey’s world is turned upside down when she receives news of her brother’s passing while he is stationed in Iraq. Carey works hard to keep her brother’s memory alive and to help bring home the two stray dogs he befriended while overseas. The story is heartbreaking, but at the same time it showcases how different people and organizations came together to honor Peter by getting the dogs he loved to the United States. This is a quick read that I found difficult to put down. The book is available through SWAN.

-Lynn, Reference


Hyperbole and a Half: Unfortunate Situations, Flawed Coping Mechanisms, Mayhem, and Other Things That Happened by Allie Brosh
This hilarious book has ruined me on reading other humorous titles for a while!  I was only tangentially familiar with Brosh's blog by the same name, but I was immediately familiar with the author's cover art as it has found its way into many Internet memes, probably the most familiar being CLEAN ALL THE THINGS.  Most of the stories are comical, and feature intentionally simplistically crude artwork to fully illustrate the emotion and tone of the story.  While most illustrations provide a tremendous amount of comic effect, it is the chapters on depression that the artwork captures the perfect tone to accurately convey the mental state of Brosh while she suffered through the worst of this debilitating and seemingly endless condition.  I cannot choose any one story as a favorite, and after finishing the book, I read Brosh's entire blog the following weekend.  Brosh is currently on a promotional tour for the book, and was interviewed by NPR's Terry Gross for Fresh Air earlier this week- it's a must listen!  I am looking forward to seeing what Brosh's next project might be.

-Jennifer, Youth Services

Enough Said 
Starring actors such as Julia Louis-Dreyfus (Seinfeld), Catherine Keener (Where the Wild Things Are), and the late James Gandolfini (The Sopranos), this romantic comedy tells the story of single mom and masseuse Eva (Louis-Dreyfus) as she attempts to cope with her only child’s departure to college. Along the way, she encounters Albert (Gandolfini), also a single parent with a daughter on her way to college. Eva and Albert hit it off, but Eva soon realizes that her new client is Albert’s ex-wife, Marianne (Keener). Not wanting Albert to know Marianne is her client and trying to keep Marianne from realizing she is dating Albert, Eva soon begins going to questionable lengths in hopes of maintaining her new-found friendship with Marianne, only to begin damaging her romantic relationship with Albert. Can she find a way to achieve balance? The chemistry between Gandolfini and Louis-Dreyfus is effortless and real. An absolute must-see.

-Donna D., Reference

Days Are Gone by HAIM
HAIM, a trio of L.A.-based sisters, recently released this assured, alarmingly catchy debut album. They've mined all the '70s and '80s radio staples you hadn't realized you missed, then added inventively tiered synthesizers to create something refreshing, resonant, and just plain fun. If you're wondering what the futuristic lovechild of "Wanna Be Startin' Somethin'" and "Rhiannon" sounds like, this one's for you. Days Are Gone can be requested from SWAN.

-Megan, Reference

This Week's Staff Favorites: Volume 40

Now You See Me
The film Now You See Me boasts a well-known cast of characters such as Jesse Eisenberg (The Social Network, Zombieland), Woody Harrelson (Seven Pounds, Zombieland), Mark Ruffalo (The Avengers, Shutter Island), and Morgan Freeman (who needs no introduction). In this movie, a group of magicians known as the Four Horsemen combine their individual talents to pull off a magic trick never before seen--a series of bank heists. They then reward their audiences with the money that they have successfully stolen. Mark Ruffalo, a doubtful FBI agent, attempts to solve the mystery of these bank heists with the help of an enigmatic Interpol detective. While the ending is slightly lackluster, the rest of the film makes up for it with its witty cast and clever plot.

-Donna D., Reference

Waiting to Be Heard: A Memoir by Amanda Knox
In 2007, Amanda Knox was accused of murdering her British roommate, Meredith Kercher, while studying abroad in Perugia, Italy. She was convicted, serving four years in prison until her conviction was overturned in 2011. While several books have been written about the trial and conviction of Amanda Knox, this is the first to be told in Amanda’s own words. In this memoir, she recounts the day she found her friend brutally murdered in their apartment, her unsettling experience with the Italian police during the investigation, and the details of her trial and time spent as a prisoner in a foreign country.

Although at times the details of the investigation and trial can be a bit redundant, this is still a very intriguing read, as it shines new light on things that may have been previously overlooked. With the retrial of the case going on now, this book will give quite a bit of insight to those interested in the outcome. The book can be found at Acorn and can also be requested through SWAN.

-Lynn, Reference  

The Heat
 Hahahahahahahahahaha…*breathe*…hahahahahahahaha…*wipe away tears of laughter*…hahahahahahahaha…*snort*

That was me for almost the entirety of this Sandra Bullock/Melissa McCarthy buddy cop comedy extraordinaire.  I’m a big fan of Bullock and almost everything she does (I refuse to believe that was her in Speed 2!).  On the other hand, I wasn’t a big fan of Bridesmaids, which introduced many of us to McCarthy.  I enjoyed Identity Thief where McCarthy played opposite the delightfully puddish Jason Bateman with hit-or-miss results, many of which involved literal hitting.  In The Heat (soon to be available at Acorn), however, there is a great balance struck between the rather priggish and starchy Sarah Ashburn (Bullock) and the, shall we say, rough and tumble Shannon Mullins (McCarthy).  Add in the rest of the Mullins clan and their assorted consorts along with a cast of characters that would make any season of COPS proud and you get a movie that has me remembering scenes and laughing again days after viewing.

The movie is filled to the brim with wonderfully timed crudeness that never veers to the scatological, sexploitative or grimace-inducing extremes of many of the other ‘edgy’ comedies offered up over the last few years (Hangover 1-3, I’m looking at you…but only askance so as to not have to actually see too much of you).  The crudeness here is wonderfully balanced by an underlying sweetness epitomized in a couple of scenes toward the end of the movie, one involving a ‘found’ cat and one a yearbook inscription, the latter of which, in all honesty, put a little lump in my throat.  The relationship and chemistry between the two leads is the focus around which everything else in the movie orbits and it is fantastic.  Whatever the female equivalent of bromance is (and, no, to the English language’s shame, there isn’t a good word for it), these two have it and I eagerly await joining them on their next comedic misadventure.

- Danielle, Tech Services        

My Brief History by Stephen Hawking
I’ve been enjoying this delightful tour through Hawking's mischievous youth, quandaries in physics, and ALS diagnosis--which gave him an appreciation for his relatively quick stay on earth and effectively kicked his rear into gear. Hawking is simply the coolest; and I recommend this memoir to anybody seeking irreverent, humble, and wise company.

-Megan, Reference