December 29, 2004
National Film Registry Selections for 2004
Librarian of Congress, James Billington, has announced the 25 films selected for the National Film Registry. The Registry was established in 1988 by the National Film Preservation Act. Films in the Registry are "protected for all time."
From the Seattle Times via LISNews
 Ben Hur (1959)
Judah Ben-Hur is a Jewish nobleman in Palestine. His heroic odyssey includes enslavement by the Romans, a bold escape from an embattled slave gallery, vengeance against his tormentors during a furious arean chariot race and fateful encounters with Jesus Christ. Directed by William Wyler. Starring Charlton Heston. Based on the book Ben Hur by Lew Wallace.
The Blue Bird (1918)
A Bronx Morning (1931)
Clash of the Wolves (1925)
 The Court Jester (1956)
In 12th century England, the infant king is usurped by the wicked King Roderick. Black Fox and his band attempt to restore the rightful king to the throne by having a member of their group infiltrate the court by posing as the jester. Directed by Melvin Frank & Norman Panama. Starring Danny Kaye.
D.O.A. (1950)
Beautiful San Francisco is the setting for poison, taxes, and death. A tax coundelor is given a dose of poison and only a short time left to live. He proceeds at breakneck speed to find his would be murdrere. Full of suspense and mystery. Directed by Rudolph Mate. Starring Edmond O'Brien & Pamela Britton.
Daughters of the Dust (1991)
Duck and Cover (1951)
Empire (1964)
Enter The Dragon (1973)
Enter the Dragon takes Lee to the island fortress of a criminal warlord, whose martial arts academy covers up opium-smuggling and prostitution activities. To avenge the death of his sister, Lee infiltrates the stronghold and enters Han's brutal martial arts tournament--a breathtaking visual feast of competitions fusing skills in karate, judo, tai kwan do, tai chi chuan and hapkido, staged by Lee himself. Directed by Robert Clouse. Starring Bruce Lee.
Eraserhead (1978)
Garlic Is As Good As Ten Mothers (1980)
 Going My Way (1944)
When young Father O'Malley arrives to join the congregation at an old established church, things get complicated. St. Dominic's crusty old Father Fitzgibbon doesn't think much of O'Malley or his ideas. These two priests simply can't agree. But when O'Malley's fresh methods succeed in reaching out to the neighborhood's toughest kids the community starts to change. The neighborhood becomes dearer to their souls. Directed by Leo McCarey. Starring Bing Crosby & Barry Fitzgerald. Sequel: The Bells of St. Mary's
 Jailhouse Rock (1957)
A young man is sent to prison when he accidentally kills a man in a barroom brawl. While behind bars he takes up singing and is helped in the record business by a beautiful young woman. Directed by Richard Thorpe. Starring Elvis Presley.
Kannapolis, NC (1941)
Lady Helen's Escapade (1909)
The Nutty Professor (1963)
To improve his social life, a nerdish professor drinks a potion that temporarily turns him into the handsome, but obnoxious, Buddy Love. Directed by & starring Jerry Lewis.
OffOn (1968)
Popeye the Sailor Meets Sinbad the Sailor (1936)
Pups is Pups (Our Gang) (1930)
The gang decides to enter their animals in a local pet show. Directed by Robert F. McGowan.
 Schindler's List (1993)
Oskar Schindler uses Jews to start a factory in Poland during the war. He witnesses the horrors endured by the Jews, and starts to save them. Directed by Stephen Spielberg. Starring Liam Neeson & Ben Kingsley. Based on the book Schindler's List by Thomas Keneally.
 Seven Brides for Seven Brothers (1954)
Adam, the eldest of seven brothers, goes to town to get a wife. He convinces Milly to marry him that same day. They return to his backwoods home. Only then does she discover he has six brothers -- all living in his cabin. Directed by Stanley Donen. Starring Howard Keel & Jane Powell. Based on the book Sobbin Women by Stephen Vincent Benet.
 Swing Time (1936)
Gambling man Lucky Garnett blows into the city, eager to make the ($) 25,000 that will allow him to marry his sweetheart back home. One glimpse of a pretty, no-nonsense dance instructor, however, and all bets are off. After all, what's 25 grand compared to a lovely Penny? Directed by George Stevens. Starring Fred Astaire & Ginger Rogers.
There It Is (1928)
 Unforgiven (1992)
An ex-gunslinger is drawn back into his murderous past when a bounty is put out to avenge an attack on a frontier town prostitute. Directed by Clint Eastwood. Starring Clint Eastwood, Gene Hackman, Morgan Freeman, & Richard Harris.
Posted by Grace at 10:32 AM
December 28, 2004
Children's Classics - A Booklist for Parents
Compiled by Mary M. Burns, reviewer for the Horn Book Magazine. The Horn Book Magazine celebrates notable achievements in the writing and illustrating of books for children. Selections include 'For the Very Young', picture books, beginning readers, stories, historical fiction, myths/legends/folklore, and nonfiction.
 Margaret Wise Brown. Goodnight Moon
Goodnight to each of the objects in the great green room: goodnight chairs, goodnight comb, goodnight air.
Posted by Grace at 04:12 PM
New Bestsellers 12/28
The following books are appearing on the best seller lists for the first time this week. For a complete listing see our collection of Best Seller Lists.
This list includes books that were new last week (12/20); they are marked with a *.
NYT = New York Times
PW = Publisher's Weekly
USA = USA Today
WSJ = Wall Street Journal
Fiction
Michael Crichton. State of Fear *
A superb blend of edge-of-your-seat suspense and thought provoking commentary on how information is manipulated in the modern world. From the streets of Paris, to the glaciers of Antarctica to the exotic and dangerous Solomon Islands, State of Fear takes the reader on a rollercoaster thrill ride, all the while keeping the brain in high gear. (NYT #3, PW #3, WSJ #2)
 Dean Koontz. Life Expectancy *
With his bestselling blend of nail-biting intensity, daring artistry, and storytelling magic, Koontz returns with an emotional rollercoaster tale of five days in the life of an ordinary man born to an extraordinary legacy--a story that will challenge the way readers perceive good and evil, life and death, and everything in between. (NYT #8, PW #10, WSJ #10)
Nonfiction
 Jimmy Carter. Sharing Good Times
Following the former president's huge bestselling novel "The Hornet's Nest," his delightful "Christmas in Plains," and his bestselling classic "An Hour Before Daylight," comes this sparkling account of the joys of sharing the ordinary pleasures of life. Some pleasures, he recounts, are magnified when they are shared. (NYT #8, WSJ #9)
 Complete Cartoons of the New Yorker *
More than a book, this is a bona fide publishing event. The largest-ever collection of New Yorker cartoons features the best of every decade in book form, plus two easy-to-browse CDs--Windows and Macintosh compatible--with every cartoon ever published in the magazine--more than 68,000 of them! (WSJ #15)
 SPORTS ILLUSTRATED: THE ANNIVERSARY BOOK. (Sports Illustrated/Time Inc., $29.95.) *
Fifty years of writing and pictures from the magazine. (NYT #13, PW #13)
NYT Children's Chapter
Nancy Farmer. The Sea of Trolls
After Jack becomes apprenticed to a Druid bard, he and his little sister Lucy are captured by Viking Berserkers and taken to the home of King Ivar the Boneless and his half-troll queen, leading Jack to undertake a vital quest to Jotunheim, home of the trolls. (#9)
Posted by Grace at 04:09 PM
December 16, 2004
Where in the White House is Miss Beazley?
 The White House celebrates the holidays with a video of first dog Barney searching for his new sister Miss Beazley.
Posted by Grace at 03:45 PM
December 14, 2004
New Bestsellers 12/13
The following books are appearing on the best seller lists for the first time this week. For a complete listing see our collection of Best Seller Lists.
The Cr?ticas [Spanish language] Bestsellers were updated for November.
NYT = New York Times
PW = Publisher's Weekly
USA = USA Today
WSJ = Wall Street Journal
Fiction
 Jimmy Buffett. A Salty Piece of Land
An adventurer finds himself enlisted by an elderly sea-captain to help find a missing lens belonging to the lighthouse, but soon comes to regret his decision. (NYT #3, PW #3, USA #4, WSJ #3)
 Clive Cussler. Black Wind
Someone knows where two WWII Japanese subs carrying a biological virus were sunk; it's up to Dirk Pitt and his children to stop them. (NYT #4, PW #6, USA #12, WSJ #6)
 Nora Roberts. Reunion
This collection from the "New York Times" bestselling author contains two classic romances set in a world where love the second time around is the greatest treasure of all. Includes "Once More with Feeling" and "Treasures Lost, Treasures Found." (USA #9)
Posted by Grace at 11:31 AM
December 13, 2004
HCPL on KHOU Channel 11
Harris County Public Library was featured on Channel 11 News Defenders on December 9. Elaine Plotkin, the Adult Selection Librarian, talked with Eileen Faxas about the library purchasing copies of the Disciplined Doctor Director. The book is currently on order.
Note: Free registration may be required to view this article and video.
Posted by Grace at 12:47 PM
December 08, 2004
OCLC Top 1000
OCLC, the worldwide library cooperative, has compiled a list of the Top 1000 titles owned by libraries.
Posted by Grace at 09:50 AM
December 06, 2004
New Books/Movies/Audio Lists Updated
The New Books, Audios, and Movies lists have been updated with titles cataloged in November 2004.
Posted by Grace at 04:29 PM
New Bestsellers 12/6
The following books are appearing on the best seller lists for the first time this week. For a complete listing see our collection of Best Seller Lists.
NYT = New York Times
PW = Publisher's Weekly
USA = USA Today
WSJ = Wall Street Journal
Fiction
 Nelson DeMille. Night Fall
Five years after the crash of Flight 800 two members of the Elite Anti-terrorist Task Force suspect it was no accident and they set out to recover the one piece of evidence to prove it: a videotape that shows a couple making love on the beach as the airliner crashes. (NYT #1, PW #1, USA #3, WSJ #3)
 Ken Follett. Whiteout
Like no other suspense author in his genre, Follett reinvents the thriller with each new story line. But nothing matches the intricate, knife-edge drama of this novel which centers around a missing canister of a deadly virus and those out to profit from the drug that offers a cure. (NYT #9, PW #12, WSJ #11)
 Tony Hillerman. Skeleton Man
Tony Hillerman is back with another blockbuster novel featuring the legendary Lieutenant Joe Leaphorn and Sergeant Jim Chee. (NYT #7, PW #7, WSJ #7)
 Jonathan Kellerman. Twisted
Homicide detective Petra Connor and brilliant police intern Issac Gomez team up to find a serial killer before he strikes again. (NYT #6, PW #11, WSJ #14)
Nonfiction
 Stewart O'Nan & Stephen King. Faithful: Two Diehard Boston Red Sox Fans Chronicle the Historic 2004 Season
Two fiercely avid Red Sox fans document one of the most eagerly anticipated baseball seasons of all time. From devoted fans O'Nan and King comes this unique chronicle of one baseball team's journey from spring training to post-season play. (NYT #9, PW #10, WSJ #9)
NYT Business
 Harold Evans. They Made America
From the steam engine to the search engine, Harold Evans presents an illustrated history of two centuries of American innovators. Vast and beautifully designed, scores of men and women populate this rollicking survey which reveals the surprising truths behind many modern creations, as well as valuable lessons to be gleaned by studying these brilliant entrepreneurs. (#6)
PW Audio Fiction
 David Baldacci. The Christmas Train
Tom Langdon, a weary, cash-strapped journalist, must get to Los Angeles to spend Christmas with his girlfriend. Flying is not an option, so he opts for a transcontinental train ride--thus beginning a hilarious and heartwarming journey. Langdon's train adventure will reacquaint listeners with the magic that makes Christmas truly special. (Unabridged CD & Cassette) (#11)
 Janet Evanovich. Metro Girl
Evanovich's spectacular new novel about a woman in search of her missing brother comes complete with high stakes, hot nights, murder, and graft--not to mention car chases, car races, car explosions, and much more. (Unabridged CD) (#4)
 Patrick Larkin, Robert Ludlum, & Scott Brick. Robert Ludlum's The Lazarus Vendetta.
The Lazarus Movement, the dominant force in the eco-conscious, "anti-technology" protest movement, has sent rumblings down the halls of the world's intelligence agencies. When an attack on a nano-technology research facility leaves thousands dead--- protestors and scientists alike---from what appears to be a cloud of inadvertently released but gruesomely deadly nanobots, pandemonium reigns. Lt. Col. Jon Smith is activated by Covert-One to find and uncover the truth about Lazarus where all others have failed. (Unabridged CD) (#15)
 James Patterson. London Bridges
Alex Cross joins forces with Scotland Yard and Interpol in pursuit of the Wolf and the Weasel. (Unabridged CD) (#1)
 J. K. Rowling. Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix
Harry Potter is faced with the unreliability of the government of the magical world and the impotence of the authorities at Hogwarts. (Unabridged CD & Cassette) (#10)
PW Audio Nonfiction
 George Carlin. When Will Jesus Bring the Pork Chops
On the heels of George Carlin's #1 "New York Times" bestseller "Napalm & Silly Putty" comes "When Will Jesus Bring the Pork Chops?"--infused with Carlin's trademark irreverent humor and biting cultural observations. Carlin offers his opinion on everything from evasive euphemistic language to politicians to the media to dead people. Nothing and no one is safe. (Unabridged CD) (#5)
 Joseph J. Ellis. His Excellency: George Washington
Ellis has crafted a landmark biography that brings to life in all his complexity the most important and perhaps least understood figure in American history, George Washington. (Unabridged CD) (#4)
Posted by Grace at 02:54 PM
December 03, 2004
Holiday Movies
Get in the holiday spirit with these holiday movies that are about, or take place at, Christmas. Ho, Ho, Ho.
 Rudolph, the Red-Nosed Reindeer (1964)
Christmas has been cancelled. Or, at least, it will be if Santa can't find a way to guide his sleigh through a fierce blizzard. Fortuantely for him, there's Rudolph the red -nosed reindeer . Shunned by the other reindeer because of his glowing nose, Rudolph becomes a hero when he guides Santa through the storm and enables his to deliver Christmas presents to children all over the world. Directed by Kizo Nagashima & Larry Roemer. Produced by Rankin/Bass Productions. Animated. NR
Posted by Grace at 01:14 PM
|
