A great film for soccer fans and non-fans alike; two talented brothers grow up together until one day tragedy catapults them into decisions, forgiveness, and supportive behaviors which will transform their futures. Great sports movie and great depiction of what positive male friendships should be like. Poignant contrast is achieved in the acting of the close male bond between the two brothers and the evident abject poverty of their lives.

Patrons say: "This is a great read on music and music History, if you are not familiar with Classical music history or the pieces discussed it is recommended that you check out music to go along with the book in read-along format."

This book hit my radar when the series came to TV. Something about the casting was just right and it didn't remind me of the Suckie Stackhouse books. 

Midnight Texas isn't your normal small town. There's just a main street, a resturant, antique store, a church and a pet cementary.  Everyone has a secret that would scare the hair off a yakk. Second, you don't belong in Midnight unless you have someone or something trying to kill you.  

Then there's the love triangles. People in Midnight are very open minded about affairs of the heart. Oh, yeah - Don't forget about the talking cat. If all this isn't enough to get you in line for a copy of the book, funny-scary-romantic isn't your go-to.

Highly entertaining steam punk mystery set in the 19th century American west.  Karen Memery works in a brothel and is a wonderful character.  Told in the first person, her voice comes through as authentic.  Someone is on the loose brutally murdering low-class prostitutes.  A U. S. Marshall is in town tracking this monster.  Karen joins forces with him to help solve the mystery as well as the mystery of who is behind mind control of townsfolk.

Another Karen Memory adventure set in the alternate reality, wild west town of Rapid City.  In this adventure Karen and her lover, Priya have used the reward money from their last adventure to buy a small property where Karen can have her equine business and Priya and work as an engineer/inventor.  They run into trouble when they encounter Spiritualists at a local restaurant who beguile Karen into helping them against Priya's wishes.  

It was pleasant to revisit Karen and Priya and learn of their new venture.  The action wasn't as brilliant in this book as in the first one, but it was a pleasant read.  

The Druid Order has yet another a mystery on its hands; and Dar Leah is assigned to escort a party of diplomats to investigate, and if needed, confront the threat. 

Meanwhile, the defrocked Drisker Arc, once a High Druid, faces down assassins who make it clear that hiding in the wilds is no longer an safe option.

Tarsha Kaynin, who has sought Drisker's aid in learning to control her gifts, must travel along in the hope of evading her crazy brother who wants her dead for a crime she didn't commit.

And....The Black Elfstone stands at the middle of it all. Power to build or power distroy... in the wrong hands it will burn down the world.

Wesley Snipes a novelist? I loved his acting career. Now, he's on my list of Authors to keep on the nightstand. Talon of God was suprisingly good. Snipes knows action and adventure, and what elements combined will fill a page with creepy intrigue. Ray Norman has rounded out the rough edges of this tail, and filled in the world building necessary to pull the reader into the story at a deep dive.

Think Blade without the vampire elements. Think wet work without the CIA. Think Avenging Angels without the Do-gooder vibe. Think dark Urban fantasy.

I'm waiting for these guys to get the sequel in gear for pre-order!

Jim Butcher 's books hold my attention. Add his name to an anthology of short stories and I just have take a peek.

This volumn contains a new Dresden Files installment that has our favorite Urban Wizard duking it out with Mab, queen of air and Darkness. He's the Winter Knight after all, and they should be all cozy and whatnot, right? If you've been keeping up with Harry, you know the answer that one. Have fun reading about the fireworks that ensue as they work out their issues.

Tany Huff, Seanan McGuire, Kev Anderson and Rob Thurman round out the stellar line up of "Don't Plink" offerings.

Hi Anita Blake fans!  Yeah, I've been out of the loop for a bit. Anita's chronicler was getting too carried away with the bedroom antics, if you know what I mean. Had to but that on pause... but this book is worth taking a minute.

Most readers of Greek myths have read about Medusa. She was a "Me too" victim of Zues, who was turned into a monster by his vendictive and jealous wife, Hera. 

Well, the gene was passed down to a group of humans living in secret in the US. If you've been keeping up with the activities of the "Furry Coalition" run by Micha, you won't be suprised to learn he's rushed to the rescue and dragged Anita, Nathaniel, and Ted Forrester's wedding party (Oh, by the way, Ted is getting married!) into the middle of a ripe serpentine mess.

All that, and I've managed not to add too many spoilers...

If I could give more than five stars I would!  This is a phenomenal book.  I listened to the CD version and the narrator, Joshua Manning, did a wonderful job bringing the characters to life.  When Drest's family is captured by a local knight and is imprisoned and slated for public execution, Drest must find a way to save them.  Along the way she helps others and is in turn helped.  Drest is a strong female character who faces moral dilemmas.  She lives in a complex world where kindness isn't always rewarded.  She struggles to incorporate new knowledge of her family's activities with her love for them.  I absolutely loved this book and am eagerly awaiting the next one in the series.

This is a romantic comedy with wonderful leads and comical backup cast. The plot is a bit serious as our lead actress has a hidden secret which is revealed at the end so that we don't know why she is choosing to live her life in a CarpeDiem manner but also to a deadline. Great movie for anyone depressed, going through a break up, or who has considered suicide. Life is for living; it is the best option and you will believe it after you watch this. The moral of the story is 'Don't let fear steal your joy.'  What I enjoyed most was this film provides a really funny interesting "list" of what behaviors might generate the most meaningful experience in life one could ostensibly try out some of the things in the film or brainstorm your own list. This film is like a Spanish version of Amelie.

Stealing the Show is a wonderful historical anthology of TV shows where women figured prominently and how they influenced women’s' portrayal in the system and is a welcome and must needed addition to the realm of Women’s' Studies. We have come to take for granted that women can and should be seen doing not just what men would like to see us as doing but breaking old fashioned gender stereotyped roles . Even if you are not a TV enthusiast, you might feel inspired to let yourself watch some of the shows mentioned whether you missed the Mary Tyler Moore show, or don't remember what was so maverick about Roseanne (Barr), or you were too busy to connect to Gilmore Girls here is your chance to freshen up your fandom. No research necessary; Joy Press has done all the work for you!

Here is an awesome dissertation on the human gut system including very interesting discussion of mouth / stomach / saliva systems not just the lower gut. Giulia Enders and Jill Enders scientific writings and quirky illustrations will help you appreciate not just the magnitude of the task that processing all that you put into your body amounts to but answer all sorts of questions you are too shy to ask. If there was a way to make gut health interesting, and appropriate for all ages and education levels, Mrs. Enders has surely done it. Her science is solid as she breaks down human biology as well.

This is an Adult book but It is certainly a good read for a TEEN as well!

While the political figures mentioned, combined with the periodic use of his nickname "Bibi" should keep the reader on their toes this book is everything the jacket professes it to be: 'He zeroes in on Netanyahu's love-hate relationship with the Obama administration and America's Jews...' I also enjoyed the pages devoted to his childhood spent split between the two countries and his relationship with his brother, including interesting details about his military operations; also his illustrious but very quiet father and stern jewish parenting. Interesting exploration at what American Israeli identity looks like. This book is educational for anyone unfamiliar with the Knesset this book will explain it. Why not explore this essential book during challenging times of conflict. Check it off your bucket list.

This book is science-based and concisely covers all the known risk factors, includes a nice chart on autism by state, and then moves into a discussion on cognitive styles of Right versus Left-brained individuals. Chapters 5 and 6 are aimed at discovering the uniqueness of your brain's tendencies. If you are too busy to read the whole book skip straight to Chapter 5/6 and use the book as a sort of self-help guidebook. I recommend reading the whole book in order to realize how many factors there are that can influence autism including sun exposure, or correlate not cause it (TV time). This book is written for the parental audience, so if you are a parent or thinking of becoming one and in your 40s this book is definitely for you!

This book is literally a story written by a schizophrenic encased in the vernacular prose of MFA writing program graduate Sandra Allen. Committing to read such a story might be something you don't do for yourself but in solidarity for someone you love. Anyone with Schizophrenia may identify with some of the life, struggle, and hobbies in it. For the un-affected person it is a rough read, as you're constantly asking yourself "Who are these people? Why are they important?" as the narrative doesn't build in a nice gentle soothing flowing way. Sandra's thought-pieces are interspersed throughout the story written by her uncle so one could actually skip one or the other sections and get through the book. It reminds me of children’s' stories where you can choose different endings. I look forward to reading Mrs. Allen’s' next novel as I am sure the topic and formatting will be more user friendly and perhaps contain a broader appeal. However the point of writing is not to create a blockbuster success but to diversify literature. Herman Hess would be proud of this novel and I think 21st Century society should be able to embrace it as well.

Dr. Judy Holland has done an excellent job focusing on the Nature of (female) mood swings, chemical and hormone interactions when we engage in a variety of (sexual) behaviors. The story discusses many of her cases from daily practice in Manhattan with career elitists, it also dispels myths on how humans are painted in a romanticized way as examples of monogamous species which in fact we are not. On page eighty-five she digresses into explaining: "We are part of the same family, the great apes containing gorillas, orangutans, chimpanzees, bonobos, and humans." If considering how human sex is more similar to bonobos sex compared and not similar to chimpanzees sex makes you un-comfortable, then this is not the book for you. Other uncomfortable but important scientific truths are stated regarding birth-control usage and females and SSRI side effects. Dr. Holland affirms what women have long known: we are a generation of guinea pigs being over-medicated compared to the male species but it's not too late to be 100% educated on best practices for self-care. A must read for any women who has taken hormones, SSRIs, future doctors, psychiatrists, moms, basically ...everyone.

Wonderfully dry British wit on depression. This book might bring you down if you are having a particularly good day, however its short chapters, floral swirly pattern descriptions of the many manifestations of depression and anxiety will stand you in good stead for the next time you are feeling particularly low you will be better educated on how to cope. This is a necessary read in a culture where men are more likely to suicide when depressed than women and our dependence on technology and obsession with cultivating our digital image can be contrary to just existing happily. I particularly enjoyed the section where he described a funny argument which happened between him and his wife while they were in Ibiza. I feel Mr. Haig's writing style and comedic flare could best be shared with the world via a weekly column in a major newsprint publication. This book will encourage many a discouraged person mid-career, mid-relationship, mid-anything to not give up the good fight and achieve that elusive plateau of contentedness which awaits us all.

This is the very touching, behind the scenes rare footage of the making of Sesame Street characters Big Bird and Oscar the Grouch both played by Carol Spinney. Wonderful showing of the puppeteer culture in New York in the 1970s, and playful attitudes which enable kids of a young age to identify with two versatile characters: Oscar the Grouch and Big Bird. Great film for any artist determined to make a difference in any field despite personal, emotional and other set-backs. This film is best understood if you have watched the only other full length movie devoted to his character Follow That Bird. 

Great contemporary Jazz Artist Kamasi Washington (born February 18, 1981) is an American jazz saxophonist, composer, producer, and bandleader. Washington is known mainly for playing tenor saxophone.(Wikipedia) This album has an expansive "big band" or "Jazz orchestra" feel. Perhaps Mr. Washington should be composing musical scores for films. Disc one and Disc two have a just different enough feel. They go well together back to back great start to the morning. Futuristic Jazz is here!