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SEPTEMBER 28, 2012
Local Stories: Kristen Iverson's Full Body Burden

Full Body BurdenI just finished Full Body Burden: Growing Up in the Nuclear Shadow of Rocky Flats by Arvada native Kristen Iverson. Judging by the 137-patron holds queue, I wasn’t the only one interested in what the author had to say about the former nuclear weapons production facility.

 

Full disclosure: I was born in 1982, 29 years after Rocky Flats began producing the plutonium triggers used in every weapon in the U.S. nuclear arsenal. I grew up nearby and was aware of Rocky Flats as a looming local symbol of the Cold War. I did not know, however, about the secrecy surrounding the place in its early years, the 1989 FBI raid and subsequent grand jury investigation, or the alarming extent of the plant’s environmental contamination. Iverson combines a skillfully researched narrative of Rocky Flats’ troubled history with a memoir of her own coming-of-age that mentions many familiar places. This is a story that deserves a wide audience.

What did other readers think of this book? How do you remember Rocky Flats?

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posted by Briana, Evergreen Library

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SEPTEMBER 27, 2012
Library Card Sign-up Campaign

JCPL joined libraries across the nation in celebrating National Library Card Sign-up Month (September) and we are extending our campaign until the end of the year. Hopefully you’ll see one of our public service announcements on Channel 9 in the next few weeks.

A library card gives you access to more than 1.3 million items in our catalog, including books, eBooks, audiobooks, magazines, DVDs, music, online databases, free programs, free admission to cultural institutions, free computer classes and free WIFI at all locations. That’s a whole lotta good stuff!

Sign up online or come in to your local library to get your card today! All you need is a photo ID and proof of current address.  If you already have a library card, pass the good news on to your friends and family, and tell us:

Why is your library card the most valuable card in your wallet?

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posted by Joanna, Standley Lake Library

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SEPTEMBER 26, 2012
Do you know Sookie Stackhouse?

Curious to understand the popularity of the Charlaine Harris books and the True Blood TV series, I decided to try a few.

Frustrated by her telepathic abilities, a gift from her fairy grandfather, Sookie discovers that vampires are the only people whose minds she cannot read. This explains all the “Dead” allusions appearing in the titles of this book series.  It seems the U.S. has finally evolved to accept the vampires as a new minority because of the invention of artificial blood readily available in the market. Somewhere along in the series, werewolves, werefoxes, and werepanthers (the “two-natured”) also come out of the closet. Not surprisingly, the U.S. population still harbors some very vicious prejudice towards those not completely and humanly normal. The plots in this series revolve around the usual foibles of prejudice, power, and revenge. They are a fast-paced, suspenseful and very romantic read.
Here is the order of the series:

1. Dead until dark
2. Living dead in Dallas
3. Club dead
4. Dead to the world
5. Dead as a doornail
6. Definitely dead
7. All together dead
8. From dead to worse
9. Dead and gone
10. Dead in the family
11. Dead reckoning
12. Deadlocked

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posted by Kathy, Evergreen Library

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SEPTEMBER 24, 2012
Werner Herzog’s Documentaries

If you like documentaries just a little on the weird side of life, you might enjoy this work by the German filmmaker, Werner Herzog.

Into the Abyss: A Tale of Death, A Tale of Life
Herzog explores a triple homicide case in Conroe, Texas, and in his inimitable way, leaves you with a lot to think about afterwards. 

Cave of Forgotten Dreams
In this film, Herzog explores the Chauvet Cave in France, where paintings discovered on the walls are thought to be the oldest human artwork ever found. He brings the subject to life.

Encounters at the End of the World
The South Pole's unique residents and their strange, harsh environment at the bottom of the world are profiled. This film was nominated for an Academy Award.

Little Dieter Needs to Fly The life of Dieter Dengler is explored. Dieter came to the United States from Germany at 18 and became a Navy pilot in the Vietnam War. He was shot down, taken prisoner, and, down to 85 pounds, escaped and was rescued.

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posted by Kay, Golden Library

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SEPTEMBER 21, 2012
Your Favorite Books on the Big Screen

Many popular titles are set for release in theatres this fall. Here are a few to look for:

Alex Cross
Based on the James Patterson series featuring the character Alex Cross, who makes his debut in the book Along Came a Spider. Set for release on October 19. 

 

 

 

 


On the Road

Kerouac’s classic tale of cross-country adventures will debut October 30.

 

 

 

 


Les Miserables

The popular book-turned-musical, now in its newest film version, has a December 14 release date.

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posted by Katie, Arvada Library

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SEPTEMBER 19, 2012
Weird Colorado

Weird Colorado: Your Travel Guide to Colorado’s Local Legends and Best Kept Secrets by Charmaine Ortega Getz

Summer may be winding down, but that doesn’t mean there isn’t still time for a vacation. Weird Colorado provides ample suggestions on where to explore. Have you heard the story of Mike the Headless Chicken? Head over to Fruita. Want to learn more about the vampire that lives in a cemetery? Make Lafayette is your destination. If you’re an armchair traveler, you’ll appreciate the history and photos contained in this book. For instance, learn about the gangs of outlaws of the 1860s and where they may have stashed their loot. Or simply immerse yourself in tales of unearthly creatures and the towns they inhabited.

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posted by Joanna, Standley Lake Library

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SEPTEMBER 17, 2012
A Book We Love: Yiddish Policemen’s Union

The Yiddish Policemen’s Union by Michael Chabon

An intriguing mash up of genres, Michael Chabon’s novel is both a hard-boiled detective story a la Raymond Chandler and an alternate universe. Consider a world where no state of Israel exists. The Jews of Europe, survivors of the Holocaust, have resettled in the Federal District of Sitka, Alaska. In the sixty years that have elapsed, a little city in the wilderness has been created. The official language is Yiddish, as is the culture. Sitka is the best place to go for blintzes or corned beef. The land was only leased, however, and now it is set to go back to the Alaskan natives. As the million plus inhabitants of Sitka contemplate becoming stateless refugees, homicide detective Meyer Landsman searches for a murderer.

That’s the storyline. Read Yiddish Policemen as a page turner or as a novel whose every line of language is to be savored. Recognize and enjoy all the stock noir mystery conventions delivered with a twist. Chew on the irony, the dry humor, the well-drawn (and quirky) characters. Ponder a mind that can come up with such a fresh, creative yarn.

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posted by Joanna, Standley Lake Library

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SEPTEMBER 15, 2012
A Book We Love: Out Stealing Horses

Out Stealing Horses by Per Petterson

Trond Sander, a widower closing in on 70, moves to a primitive cabin in the Norway woods. He seeks a life of quiet in this new place, but the memories from a summer back in 1948 come rushing in after he meets his new neighbor. That was the last summer he spent with his father, in a different quiet cabin. The events of one day in particular come to mind, when an innocent adventure goes awry. The author Petterson’s beautiful prose threads its way forward and back in time, with the adult Trond Sander seeking a new perspective on that day and all the days that followed.

 

 

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posted by Ros, Evergreen Library

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SEPTEMBER 12, 2012
Nostalgia

Are you ready for nostalgia in fresh formats? These two 2011 titles have it!

In Forgotten Bookmarks, bookseller and blogger Michael Popek delights us visually and intellectually with this collection of strange things left in old books to mark a page. Photos, letters, list, postcards and more have us imagining “the rest of the story.” Everything from a sinister “Black List” of names found in a 1900 copy of Jane Eyre to a recipe for beer and biscuits tucked into a 1979 James Bond Moonraker book is included. Open to any page and enjoy!

The Scrapbook of Frankie Pratt: A Novel in Pictures by Caroline Preston transports us to the 1920’s and Frankie’s life through the author’s use of vintage ephemera. Each page is a wonderful collage complete with Frankie’s story with its romance, heartbreak and glimpses of Vassar, New York and Paris in the ‘20’s. If you’re a scrap booker, collage maker, or a lover of a clever, romantic read, pick this book up and savor each page. Then you’ll want to do it again. This is a “graphic novel” of a completely different sort!

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posted by Rene, Evergreen Library

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SEPTEMBER 11, 2012
Follett Fans, Get Ready

One of the modern masters of epic historical fiction returns this month with a new book:

Winter of the World, the sequel to Follett’s bestselling Fall of Giants, continues the sweeping saga combining the stories of American, British, German, Russian, and Welsh characters during the 20th century. Riveting and intense, but also surprisingly educational, The Century Trilogy is well worth spending some hours reading this fall.  It will be released on September 18!

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posted by Emily, Columbine Library

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SEPTEMBER 10, 2012
Outlaw Platypus

Albert of Adelaide by Howard L. Anderson

 

Albert of Adelaide is not a children’s book and is not as satirical as Orwell’s Animal Farm. However, Anderson’s characters are all Australian animals, except one emigrated raccoon from California. The animals take on vices of humans, like Orwell’s pigs in Animal Farm. The main character, Albert is a platypus who escaped from the zoo in Adelaide. He is searching for freedom and a better life. Rumor has it that there is a land of liberty, promise and peace. Stuck in the Australian outback; Albert finds friends, which he never had before, and learns that he can survive on his own. Anderson has written a clever novel, full of outlaws like one may have found in the Old West.

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posted by Marie, Columbine Library

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SEPTEMBER 5, 2012
A Book We Love: Reefer Madness

Reefer Madness: Sex, Drugs, and Cheap Labor in the American Black Market by Eric Schlosser

What do migrant workers, marijuana, and pornography have in common? They are all part of America’s underground market place. Eric Schlosser takes the same hardnosed investigative approach to black markets in Reefer Madness as he did to the fast food industry in Fast Food Nation. Schlosser gives a surprising and detailed account of how illegal markets work in the United States and who profits from them. Interesting Tidbit: Reefer Madness was listed as one of the New York Times Most Notable Books of the Year for 2003.

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posted by Sunshine, Columbine Library

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SEPTEMBER 2, 2012
While you’re waiting for Gone Girl by Gillian Flynn

 

Are you one of the nearly 600 people on the hold list for Gone Girl by Gillian Flynn? If you are one of those people patiently waiting, try one of these readalikes in the meantime.

Breaker by Minette Walters
In both of these character-driven and intricately plotted psychological suspense stories, seemingly devoted husbands become prime suspects in their wives' disappearances.

 

 


Before I go to Sleep
by S. J. Watson  
Both of these relentlessly suspenseful novels feature fractured narratives and complicated plots. Feelings of unease occur as the reader is unsure as to what appears to be happening and what is actually happening.

 

Die for You by Lisa Unger
Dark and disturbing secrets contradict the seemingly perfect marriages in these two fast paced and compelling psychological suspense novels.

 

 
 

When will there be good news? by Kate Atkinson 
If you are looking forward to the character-driven, disturbing and suspenseful aspects of Gone Girl then you may enjoy this selection which also features compelling multiple perspectives as three lives come together in unexpected ways.

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posted by Christina, Lakewood Library

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