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Author: Richelle
Television Series New to the Collection – Winter 2012
Some of these may not be “new”
but they are to our collection!
Doctor Who – (From Wikipedia) – a British science fiction television programme produced by the BBC. The programme depicts the adventures of a Time Lord, a time-travelling, humanoid alien known as the Doctor who explores the universe in a sentient time machine called the TARDIS that flies through time and space, whose exterior appears as a blue police box from 1963 London, when the series first aired. Along with a succession of companions, he faces a variety of foes while working to save civilisations, help people, and right wrongs.
Season 1 (2005)
Season 2 (2006)
Season 3 (2007)
Season 4 (2008)
Season 5 (2010)
Season 6 (2011)
Justified – (From Wikipedia) – an American television drama series created by Graham Yost. It is based on Elmore Leonard’s novels Pronto and Riding the Rap and his short story “Fire in the Hole”. Its main character is Raylan Givens, a deputy U.S. Marshal. The series is set in the city of Lexington, Kentucky and the hill country of eastern Kentucky, specifically in and around Harlan.
Merlin – (From Wikipedia) – a British fantasy-adventure television programme by Julian Jones, Jake Michie, Julian Murphy and Johnny Capps. It began broadcasting on BBC One on 20 September 2008. The show is based on the Arthurian legends of the wizard Merlin and his relationship with Prince Arthur but differs from traditional versions of the legend in many ways.
Star Trek The Next Generation – (From Wikipedia) – an American science fiction television series created by Gene Roddenberry as part of the Star Trek franchise. Roddenberry, Rick Berman, and Michael Piller served as executive producers at different times throughout the production. The show was created 21 years after the original Star Trek show and set in the 24th century from the year 2364 through 2370 (about 100 years after the original series timeframe). The program features a new crew and a new starship Enterprise.
New DVDs – Winter 2012
New Releases (in order of release date, most recent first)
Muppets – March 20, 2012
Movies attempting to retrieve cherished nuggets of pop culture often stumble, either by appealing solely to the die-hard minutia enthusiasts or clunking up the batter with unnecessary additions to the base material. (Enough with the human love triangles, get to the giant robots fighting.) Thankfully, this revival of Jim Henson’s beloved characters gets the formula delightfully right, providing a googly-eyed nostalgia trip for adults while also retaining the original’s sense of bright (and mildly subversive) wonder.
Tinker, Tailor, Soldier, Spy – March 20, 2012
High-ranking intelligence officer George Smiley (Gary Oldman) was forced out of service when a mission in Hungary went very wrong, but rumors of a Soviet mole hidden within the agency bring him back into play. If the theory of the former head, Control (John Hurt), is to be believed, the mole is at the very top, one of four senior officers, played by Toby Jones, Ciarán Hinds, Colin Firth, and David Dencik (of the Swedish Girl with the Dragon Tattoo). With the help of a lower-ranking agent with a few secrets of his own (Benedict Cumberbatch, Sherlock) and a field agent who may be a source of disinformation (Tom Hardy, Inception), Smiley slowly draws out the clues he needs to lay a trap for the mole.
Footloose – March 6, 2012
The struggle between innocence and rigid morality is revisited when city-boy Ren finds himself in an uptight town where dancing has been banned. Filled with contemporary music and iconic classics from the original, this fresh look on youth culture is sure to win fans of young and old.
Game of Thrones – March 6, 2012
Set in a world where summers span decades and winters can last a lifetime. From the scheming south and the savage eastern lands, to the frozen north and ancient Wall that protects the realm from the mysterious darkness beyond, the powerful families of the Seven Kingdoms are locked in a battle for the Iron Throne. This is a story of duplicity and treachery, nobility and honor, conquest, and triumph. In the Game of Thrones, you either win or you die.
Like Crazy – March 6, 2012
Like Crazy beautifully illustrates how your first real love is as thrilling and blissful as it is devastating. When a British college student (Felicity Jones) falls for her American classmate (Anton Yelchin), they embark on a passionate and life-changing journey only to be separated when she violates the terms of her visa. Like Crazy explores how a couple faces the real challenges of being together and of being apart. Winner of the Grand Jury Prize for best Actress for Felicity Jones, Like Crazy depicts both the hopefulness and the heartbreak of love.
Tower Heist – February 21, 2012
Queens native Josh Kovacs has managed one of the most luxurious and well-secured residences in New York City for more than a decade. Under his watchful eye, nothing goes undetected. In the swankiest unit atop Josh’s building, Wall Street titan Arthur Shaw is under house arrest after being caught stealing two billion from his investors. The hardest hit among those he defrauded? The tower staffers whose pensions he was entrusted to manage.
The Way – February 21, 2012
“The Way” is a powerful and inspirational story about family, friends, and the challenges we face while navigating this ever-changing and complicated world. Martin Sheen plays Tom, who comes to St. Jean Pied de Port, France to collect the remains of his adult son , killed in the Pyrenees in a storm while walking the Camino de Santiago,. Rather than return home, Tom decides to embark on the historical pilgrimage to honor his son’s desire to finish the journey. What Tom doesn’t plan on is the profound impact the journey will have on him. From the unexpected and, oftentimes, amusing experiences along “The Way,” Tom begins to learn what it means to be a citizen of the world again. Through his unresolved relationship with his son, he discovers the difference between “the life we live and the life we choose.”
Paranormal Activity 3 – February 14, 2012
Paranormal Activity 3 takes you back to where it all began and the activity is more intense than ever. The cameras are on and recording the chilling moments when evil begins to terrorize young sisters Katie and Kristi for the first time. Brace yourself for the horror phenomenon that delivers “heart-exploding scares”* so frightening that “the last 15 minutes will mess you up for life.”
Breaking Dawn Part 1 – February 11, 2012
In the highly anticipated fourth installment of the Twilight Saga, a marriage, a honeymoon, and the birth of a child bring unforeseen and shocking developments for Bella and Edward and those they love, including new complications with young werewolf Jacob Black.
The Double – January 31, 2012
When a United States Senator is brutally murdered, the evidence points to a Soviet assassin code-named Cassius, who was long-thought to be dead. Two men who know Cassius best are thrown together to catch him. Paul Shepherdson is a retired CIA operative who spent his career tracking Cassius around the globe. Ben Geary is a hotshot young FBI Agent and family man who has studied the killer’s every move. Ben thinks he knows Cassius, but Paul knows he is dead wrong.
Abduction – January 17, 2012
Taylor Lautner explodes on-screen as a young man whose secret past is set to collide with a dangerous reality. After uncovering a deadly lie, Nathan (Lautner) is propelled on a lethal, no-holds barred mission to learn the truth. Aided by a devoted family friend, Nathan’s hunt for the facts pits him against ruthless assassins and questionable allies.
Bucky Larson Born to be a Star – January 17, 2012
A small-town grocery bagger discovers that his conservative parents were once adult film stars and heads out to Los Angeles, hoping to follow in their footsteps.
The Ides of March – January 17, 2012
During the frantic last days before a heavily contested Ohio presidential primary, an up-and-coming campaign press secretary finds himself involved in a political scandal that threatens to upend his candidate’s shot at the presidency.
Boardwalk Empire. Season 1 – January 10, 2012
A lavish period drama set in Atlantic City, following the life and times of Nucky Thompson, the undisputed political and criminal mastermind whose grip on power and control of the city’s liquor supply is under constant threat.
Don’t be Afraid of the Dark – January 3, 3012
Sally Hurst is going to Rhode Island to live with her father Alex and his new girlfriend Kim in the nineteenth-century mansion they are restoring. While exploring the estate, Sally finds a hidden basement and accidentally lets loose a race of ancient, dark-dwelling creatures who conspire to drag her down into the mysterious house’s bottomless depths. Before the evil lurking in the dark consumes them all, Sally must convince Alex and Kim that it’s not a fantasy.
I Don’t Know How She Does It – January 3, 2012
The tale of Kate, a finance executive who is the breadwinner for her husband and two kids. When Kate gets handed a major new account that will require frequent trips to New York, her husband also wins the new job he’s been hoping, spreading them both even thinner. Complicating matters is Kate’s charming new business associate, a handsome executive who proves to be an unexpected source of temptation.
Mildred Pierce – January 3, 2012
The tale of an independent woman who finds herself newly divorced during the Depression. As a struggling single mother, she is determined to fulfill the demands of her eldest daughter, surpassing societal expectation and the betrayal of lovers along the way.
It’s Cold Outside…Warm up with These DVDs
To see if the item is available, click on the title.
The Bishop’s Wife – Cary Grant stars as an angel who materializes in answer to the prayers of a harried young bishop, David Niven. Niven’s efforts to raise money for a new cathedral have endangered his marriage to beautiful Loretta Young. Grand hopes to end the problems plaguing the family, but instead the bishop’s neglected wife becomes infatuated with him. (NR, 109min, 1947.)
Blossoms in the Dust– To Edna Gladney, founder of the Texas Children’s home and Aid Society, every abandoned child deserves the miracle of a loving home. Edna’s devotion echoes today as she declares, “There are no illegitimate babies– only illegitimate parents.” (NR, 100min, 1941.)
Classic Christmas favorites: 10 Holiday Favorites– Dr.Seuss’ How the Grinch stole Christmas — Leprechauns’ Christmas gold — Pinocchio’s Christmas — Stingiest man in town — Extra Goodies: Making animation and bringing it to life; Dr. Seuss and the Grinch – From Whoville to Hollywood ; Songs in the key of Grinch ; making-of featurette and pencil test — Year without a Santa Claus deluxe edition — Rudolph’s shiny new year — Nestor, the long-eared Christmas donkey — Extra Goodies: We are Santa’s Elves featurette ; Stop motion 101 featurette — Frosty’s winter wonderland — T’was the night before Christmas — Rudolph and Frosty’s Christmas in July. (NR, 393min, 2008.)
A Charlie Brown Christmas – ‘Tis the season to be jolly, but Charlie Brown, feeling that the Christmas message is lost amid all the seasonal glitter, has the blues. Join the Peanuts gang as they discover for themselves the true meaning of Christmas. (NR, 48min, 1965.)
A Christmas Story – Ralphie, a nine-year-old boy in 1940s Indiana, dreams of receiving a Red Ryder BB gun for Christmas but encounters resistance at every turn when he makes his wish known. (PG, 98min, 1983.)
Deck the Halls – Two neighbors in a small New England town go to war when one of them decides to decorate his house with so many Christmas lights that they are visible from space. The neighborhood is turned upside down as the families try to discover the true meaning of Christmas. (PG, 95min, 2006.)
Elf – A human baby accidentally ends up at the North Pole and grows up among the elf community. Buddy, as he comes to be known, knows that he’s “special”. When he’s 30, Buddy learns from Santa that he’s really a human. He decides to go in search of his father, to find out where he belongs. He walks to Manhattan, and is immediately run over by a cab. His father at first rejects him and Buddy ends up in a department store where other elves are working. But all the while, things are looking bad for Santa Claus. When Santa crashes his sleigh in Central Park, it’s Buddy’s moment to shine. (PG, 97min, 2003.)
Four Christmases – Every Christmas, Brad and Kate escape divorced parents and exasperating relatives by getting on a plane. But this year, heavy fog shuts down the airport, forcing the couple to celebrate Christmas with four sets of relatives. (PG-13, 88min, 2009.)
Fred Claus – Fred Claus has lived in his little brother’s shadow for most of his life. Fred is in jail and Nicholas has to bail him out on the condition he come to the North Pole and repay his debt. (PG, 115min, 2008.)
Gremlins (Blu-Ray) – When a young bank teller inadvertently breaks the rules of Mogwai care, his new pet Gizmo multiplies into a bevy of mischievous brothers, who soon morph into malevolent scaly creatures. (PG, 106min, 1984.)
Holiday – Amanda lives in Los Angeles and is a movie trailer editor. Iris lives in Surrey, England and is a journalist. The two live five thousand miles apart and have never met, but are dealing with the same problem: men. They both come upon a website that advocates home exchange and the two swap houses for two weeks at Christmas, both with a goal to forget their troubled love lives. Love ends up finding them anyways. (PG-13, 136min, 2006.)
Home Alone – An eight-year-old boy is left home alone on Christmas, and has to defend his home against two bumbling burglars.(PG, 103min, 1990.)
Home Alone 2: Lost in New York – Kevin McCallister is ready to turn the Big Apple into his own playground. The notorious Wet Bandits, still smarting from their last encounter with Kevin, are plotting a huge holiday heist in New York. Kevin’s ready to welcome them with a battery of booby traps that the bumbling bandits will never forget. (PG, 120min, 1992.)
How the Grinch stole Christmas! (Classic Animated Tale) OR How the Grinch stole Christmas! (Jim Carrey Version) – Presents the tale of the mean-spirited Grinch and his attempts to steal the Christmas celebration of Who-ville.
It’s a Wonderful Life – An angel helps a compassionate but despairingly frustrated businessman by showing what life would had been like if he never existed. A Christmas classic. Features both the black and white and the colorized version. (NR, 130min, 1946.)
Lethal Weapon – The story of two Vietnam-vets-turned-cops who have just one thing in common: both hate to work with partners. But their partnership becomes the key to survival when a murder investigation leads to war with a heroin ring. (R, 117min, 1987.)
Love Actually – It’s all about love and holiday cheer in London. The Prime Minister is smitten with his caterer; a widower’s young son nurses the ultimate schoolboy crush; a writer falls for his Portuguese housekeeper; a devoted wife and mother copes with her potentially unfaithful husband; and a lovelorn American is desperately attracted to a colleague. (R, 135min, 2004.)
Meet Me in St. Louis – Story of a family at the 1903 World’s Fair. (NR, 113min, 1944.)
Miracle on 34th Street – In this Oscar-winning classic, a Macy’s Department Store Santa who insists his name is Kris Kringle teaches everyone a lesson in love, faith and the value of imagination. (NR, 97min, 1947.)
Muppet Christmas Carol – Miser Ebenezer Scrooge learns the true meaning of Christmas and reforms his heartless and money-grubbing ways after being visited on Christmas Eve by four ghosts. Anniversary edition. (G, 89min, 1992.)
National Lampoon’s Christmas Vacation – Christmas is the perfect season for Clark Griswold and his family. Clark’s a disaster waiting to happen. You have to see it to believe it. There are 25,000 lights on the Griswold rooftop. An exploding turkey. And a house full of relatives. (PG-13, 97min, 1989.)
Nothing Like the Holidays – For the first time in years the entire Rodriguez clan comes home to Chicago to celebrate Christmas where traditions will be celebrated. During the course of this eventful week they will celebrate one member’s safe return from Iraq, secrets will be revealed, old resentments forgotten, each family member will learn something about themselves and each other, and the healing power of laughter will work its magic. (PG-13, 98min, 2008.)
Polar Express – When a doubting young boy takes an extraordinary train ride to the North Pole, he embarks on a journey of self-discovery that shows him that the wonder of life never fades for those who believe. (G, 100min, 2004)
The Santa Clause – Scott is distressed to learn that his ex-wife and her husband have informed his son, Charlie, that there is no Santa Claus. While a sullen Charlie visits his dad on Christmas Eve, a noise on the roof brings them outside. It turns out that there is a Santa after all, and Scott has just accidentally killed him. Because of “the Santa clause,” Scott inherits the job of Santa. As the next year passes, Scott rapidly gains weight, grows a white beard and meets the elf Bernard. Charlie’s stepdad becomes concerned about Scott and forces him to undergo a psychiatric evaluation. (PG, 97min, 2002.)
The Santa Clause 2 – Scott Calvin has been Santa Claus for the past eight years, and his elves consider him the best ever. But Santa’s world is turned upside down when his son gets on the naughty list, and if Scott doesn’t marry soon, he’ll stop being Santa forever. (G, 104min, 2003.)
The Santa Clause 3 – With another Christmas season fast approaching, Santa Claus/Scott Calvin is feeling even more pressure. Mrs. Claus is expecting a little Claus. She is also longing for the company of some “tall people.” So Scott agrees to let her parents visit as long as they believe that they’re really in Canada rather than at the North Pole. (G, 92min, 2007.)
This Christmas – For the first time in years, the entire Whitfield clan has come home to spend the Christmas holiday with their mother and her boyfriend. Each has brought plenty of baggage along with them. As the lights are hung and the tree is trimmed, secrets are revealed and ties are tested, but eventually they rediscover and celebrate the wonderful gift of family. (PG-13, 119min, 2007.)
Tim Burton’s Nightmare Before Christmas – Jack Skellington, the Pumpkin King of Halloweentown, decides to give Santa Claus the year off and take over Christmas — and the holiday will never be the same. (PG, 76min, 1993.)
Trading Places – he lives of an upper class commodities broker and a homeless street hustler cross paths when they are unknowingly made part of an elaborate bet by two rich brothers. (R, 116min, 1983.)
It’s Cold Outside…Warm up with these Books!
To see if the item is available, click on the title.
eBook Titles are RED, eAudio Book Titles are Green
1225 Christmas Tree Lane By Debbie Macomber – Beth Morehouse expects this Christmas to be one of her best. Her small Christmas-tree farm is prospering, her daughters and her dogs are happy and well, and her new relationship with local vet Ted Reynolds is showing plenty of romantic promise. But someone left a basket filled with puppies on her doorstep, that’s complication number one. Number two is that her daughters have invited their dad, Beth’s ex-husband, Kent, to Cedar Cove for Christmas.
An Amish Christmas: A Novel By Cynthia Keller – Celebrating life’s simplest but most essential values, packed with laughter and tears, this is a story of forgiveness and the power of love. You will never forget the special moment in time that is An Amish Christmas.
Anne Perry’s Silent Nights: Two Victorian Christmas Mysteries by Anne Perry – Here are two holiday mysteries set in remote, snow-covered regions of Victorian Britain–where the nights are indeed silent but all is not calm, and where some will sleep in eternal peace.
A Cedar Cove Christmas by Debbie Macomber – Mother-to-be Mary Jo Wyse arrives in Cedar Cove on Christmas Eve, searching for her baby’s father. David Rhodes had said he’d be in town. But he isn’t. Which leaves Mary Jo stranded, pregnant and alone. And there’s no room at the local inn…
A Chesapeake Shores Christmas by Sherryl Woods – After years apart, Mick and Megan O’Brien are finally ready to make it official…again. Most of their grown children couldn’t be happier about their rekindled love and impending marriage this holiday season. Only Connor is a holdout. Driven to become a divorce attorney after what he views as his mother’s abandonment of their family, Connor’s not about to give his blessing to this reunion romance.
The Christmas Box By Richard Paul Evans – Richard, a busy and preoccupied father, discovers a Christmas box full of love letters from an old woman to her dead daughter and, with the help of an angel, begins to learn the true meaning of Christmas.
The Christmas Brides by Linda Lael Miller – Lizzie McKettrick is homebound with a Christmas Eve surprise for her family—Whitley Carson. He might seem too interested in the McKettrick money, but she’s certain Whitley cares for her. But fate has a surprise for Lizzie—Morgan Shane. When their train is stranded by an avalanche the handsome doctor takes charge with Lizzie by his side. With faith, hard work and some unexpected help, it might be a joyous McKettrick family Christmas after all.
A Christmas Grace by Anne Perry – With Christmas just around the corner, Thomas Pitt’s sister-in-law, Emily Radley, is suddenly called from London to be with her dying aunt. Leaving her husband and two children behind, she makes the long journey to her aunt’s home in Connemara, an all-but-forgotten town on the coast of Western Ireland. Emily soon discovers that a tragic legacy is haunting the once close-knit community.
Christmas Letters By Debbie Macomber – When Catherine O’Connor, who writes Christmas letters for other people, meets Dr. Wynn Jeffries, a child psychologist, at the French cafe on Blossom Street, their opposing viewpoints on raising children ruins Catherine’s Christmas cheer.
The Christmas List By Richard Paul Evans – A successful but heartless businessman sees his own obituary in the newspaper after a case of mistaken identity, setting in motion a series of events that profoundly changes the lives of several people who have suffered due to his ruthless business practices.
A Christmas Carol: in prose being a ghost story of Christmas by Charles Dickens – Ebenezer Scrooge, a miserly businessman, learns the true meaning of Christmas after he is visited by the ghosts of Christmases past, present, and future.
The Christmas Pearl By Dorothea Benton Frank – The matriarch of a family of belligerent idiots, Theodora finds her efforts at bringing them together for a South Carolina Christmas reunion have gone badly awry, until a very special someone uses Gullah magic and common sense to bring about a miracle.
Christmas, Present By Jacquelyn Mitchard – When Eliot and Laura Banner learn that Laura has a terminal condition, they gather their children and family around themselves during the holiday season to convey her blessings to them for the future and remember their shared history.
The Christmas Quilt: an Elm Creek Quilts Novel By Jennifer Chiaverini – While decorating Elm Creek Manor on Christmas Eve, Sarah McClure discovers an incomplete Christmas quilt and sets out to uncover its history with the help of Sylvia Bergstrom Compson, who reveals why the quilt had never been finished.
The Christmas Sweater By Glenn Beck – A holiday tale relates the story of a thirteen-year-old boy whose final gift from his mother, a sweater, is scorned in favor of more expensive gifts before a tragic car accident ends the mother’s life.
The Christmas Thief By Mary Higgins Clark – Lottery winner-turned-amateur sleuth Alvirah Meehan joins with private detective Regan Reilly to track down the ninety-foot tree, destined for display in Rockefeller Center, that vanished en route to the city.
The Christmas Train by David Baldacci – On a train ride to Los Angeles, cash-strapped journalist Tom Langdon encounters a ridiculous cast of characters, unexpected romance, and an avalanche that changes everyone’s Christmas plans.
The Christmas Wedding By James Patterson – Relates the story of Gaby Summerhill, a widow planning a holiday wedding to a groom whose identity remains a surprise to her four children.
The Corrections by Jonathan Franzen – What appears as a typical Midwestern family is anything but as preparations are made for an ideal family holiday. Alfred, the father is losing his fight to control Parkinson’s disease and dementia. His wife, Enid is no longer in control of her household and feels her choices slipping away. Their three grown children are struggling with their own lives. But for this Christmas, Enid is determined to bring them together for the perfect family holiday.
Dashing Through the Snow By Mary Higgins Clark – In Branscombe, N.H., novelist Nora Regan Reilly and her PI daughter, Regan Reilly, and their close friends Alvirah and Will Meehan, track down a missing employee of Conklin’s Market who is connected with a $160 million lottery and the winnings.
Handknit Holidays: Knitting Year-round for Christmas, Hannukah, and Winter Solstice By Melanie Falick with Betty Christiansen – For many people, the best part of the winter holidays is the anticipation: planning the perfect gifts, decorating the house, looking forward to seeing family and friends. Holidays can be particularly special for knitters, whose preparations often start months in advance and involve their own creations.
Hercule Poirot’s Christmas By Agatha Christie – The cerebral Belgian detective uses impeccable logic to locate the murderer of a millionaire in the dreary English Midlands.
Holidays on Ice By David Sedaris – An anthology of humorous Christmas tales and essays features excerpts from the author’s “Barrel Fever” and “Naked,” as well as “The Santaland Diaries,” “Season’s Greetings to Our Friends and Family,” and a new tale of holiday mayhem.
Joan Nathan’s Jewish Holiday Cookbook by Joan Nathan – Jewish holidays are defined by food. Yet Jewish cooking is always changing, encompassing the flavors of the world, embracing local culinary traditions of every place in which Jews have lived and adapting them to Jewish observance. This collection, the culmination of Joan Nathan’s decades of gathering Jewish recipes from around the world, is a tour through the Jewish holidays as told in food.
Kwanzaa: a Celebration of Family, Community, and Culture By Maulana Karenga – Written by the creator of the holiday, this book presents the continental African and African-American origins of the celebration, a chapter on each of the Seven Principles, explanations of the meaning of related symbols, suggested activities, and a wrap-up section in which Karenga answers frequently asked questions.
Lakeshore Christmas By Susan Wiggs – Prim librarian Maureen Davenport lives for Christmas–and there’s nothing more magical than Christmas on Willow Lake. Finally getting her chance to direct Avalon’s annual holiday pageant, she’s determined to make it truly spectacular.
Lost December By Richard Paul Evans – Presents a story inspired by the biblical tale of the prodigal son in which Luke, a recent MBA graduate, refuses to take over the family business and instead cashes out his trust funds to pursue a life of wanton pleasure.
The Mitford Snowmen: A Christmas Story By Jan Karon – The inhabitants of the small town of Mitford join together at Christmastime for a fun-filled snowman-building contest, complete with hot chocolate, doughnuts, and the joy of the holiday season.
O, Ghostly Night by Tennant Redbank – This 32-page early reader re-tells part of the Walt Disney Studio feature film, A Christmas Carol, the timeless tale of an old miser who must face Ghosts of Christmas Past, Present, and Yet-to-Come.
The Perfect Christmas By Debbie Macomber – Thirty-three-year-old Cassie wants a husband and kids, and she turns to Simon Dodson, a professional matchmaker for help. Dodson assigns her three tasks to complete, and despite a number of comical mishaps, Cassie completes them all. Her Christmas match turns out to be a wonderful surprise.
The Polar Express by Chris Van Allsburg – A magical train ride on Christmas Eve takes a boy to the North Pole to receive a special gift from Santa Claus.
Promise Me By Richard Paul Evans – Beth Cardall’s life was falling apart: her six-year-old daughter, Charlotte, was suffering from an unidentifiable illness; her marriage transformed from a seemingly happy and loving relationship to one full of betrayal and pain; her job was increasingly at risk; and she had lost her ability to trust, to hope, or to believe in herself. Then, on Christmas day, Beth encountered Matthew.
A Redbird Christmas By Fannie Flagg – In a tiny and remote Alabama town, an unexpected, unusual, and life-transforming event that occurs on one Christmas morning changes a family and a town forever, in a heartwarming holiday novel by the author of Fried Green Tomatoes at the Whistle Stop Cafe.
Santa Cruise: a Holiday Mystery at Sea By Mary Higgins Clark – Embarking on a mystery seminar cruise during the holiday season, amateur sleuth Alvirah, private detective Regan, and their family members find their voyage overshadowed by a ghost spotting, the disappearance of a fan, and an unexpected storm.
Shakespeare’s Christmas By Charlaine Harris – While attending her sister’s wedding the cleaning lady and karate expert, Lily Bard of Arkansas, investigates an unsolved kidnapping which occurred eight years earlier. It seems both the child and the kidnapper are in town.
Skipping Christmas By John Grisham – Luther and Nora Krank have decided to set sail on a Caribbean cruise on December 25th and skip Christmas. They are about to discover that their decision brings enormous consequences–and isn’t half as easy as they imagined.
The Stupidest Angel: a Heartwarming Tale of Christmas Terror By Christopher Moore – A humorous tale of what happens when a none-too-clever angel overhears a little boy, who, having witnessed Santa taking a shovel to the head, prays for Santa to return from the dead.
The Thanksgiving Visitor; One Christmas; & A Christmas Memory By Truman Capote – Three stories describe a boy’s relationship with his elderly cousin and alcoholic father and the indelible holiday memories they provided him.
White Christmas Pie By Wanda E. Brunstetter – In this bittersweet holiday romance set in Amish country, Will Henderson, a young man tortured by his past, meets Karen Yoder, a young woman looking for answers as they both become involved with a desperate father searching for his son.
Wishin’ and Hopin: A Christmas Story By Wally Lamb – It’s 1964 and ten-year-old Felix is sure of a few things: the birds and the bees are puzzling, television is magical, and this is one Christmas he’ll never forget.
A Delightful Sample of Programs for Adults this December
Below you will find a sampling of the many programs that SPL is offering for Adults this December. Feel free to share these with your friends! For programs that require registration, the title will link you to the registration page.
Handmade Christmas Cards – Thursday, December 1, 7:00 PM (Click to Register)
More personal than any electronic mail, make and snailmail these eight beautiful Christmas card creations. Stampin’ Up instructor Brenda Cerankowski will demonstrate and guide you in making 4 different designs. You will create two cards of each design. Bring a friend! This program is for Tweens through Adults. Materials fee $20.
Borrow eAudio from SPL – Monday, December 5, 3:00 PM
Learn how you can borrow eAudio from Overdrive, our e-content provider. Listen on your Mac, PC, iPod and more.
Holiday Cookie Exchange – Tuesday, December 6, 5:30 PM (Click to Register)
Join us for a jolly exchange of good cheer, yummy cookies and treasured recipes. Have a family recipe that is too good not to share? Bake it and bring a copy of the recipe to share with everyone else. And if you’re so inclined, stay for a showing of Sarah’s Key, based off the bestselling novel of the same name. Please Register.
Book-to-Movie Blockbusters – Bring a lawn chair, bean bag, or picnic blanket if you’d like.Tuesday, December 6, 6:30PM – Sarah’s Key – In modern-day Paris, a journalist finds her life becoming entwined with a young girl whose family was torn apart during the notorious Vel d’Hiv round up, which took place in Paris, in 1942. She stumbles upon a family secret which will link her forever to the destiny of a young Jewish girl, Sarah. (2011, 111min, PG-13)
Thursday, December 15, 6:00PM – The Help– Mississippi during the 1960s: Skeeter, a southern society girl, returns from college determined to become a writer, but turns her friends’ lives, and a small Mississippi town, upside down when she decides to interview the black women who have spent their lives taking care of prominent southern families. (2011, 146min, PG-13)
Borrow eBooks from SPL – Tuesday, December 13, 6:00 PM
Learn how to borrow ebooks from our website to your eReader, including the Kindle!
Mystery Book Group – Tuesday, December 13, 7:00 PM
Stop at the Reference Desk to request a copy of A Royal Pain by Rhys Bowen.
Brown Bag Book Group – Thursday, December 15, 11:30AM
Bring your lunch and join the discussion led by Rosa Lamour Dorman and Librarian Mary Jean Voigt. Request a copy of this month’s selections at the Reference Desk. They are The School for Scandal by Richard B. Sheridan and The Curious Case of Benjamin Button by F. Scott Fitzgerald
Tuskegee Airmen Memorial Lecture and Q&A – Wednesday, December 28, 10:30 AM OR 2:30 PM
Three of the key members of the memorial project will host two free ‘THANK YOU SEWICKLEY’ lectures at 10:30 AM and 2:30 PM on Wednesday, December 28. Presentations will be made by Regis D. Bobonis, Chairman; John Dioguardi, the designer of the memorial; and his illustrator, Ray Simon. The monument will be the largest and only outdoor colorized monument created to honor the Airmen of the Tuskegee legend.
French Films – Foreign Language DVDs at your Fingertips
L’age d’or – Using a melange of strange and unrelated images, this surrealistic film about two lovers who mock convention is a statement by Buñuel on the nature of the bourgeoisie, the Church and the police. Banned in France within two weeks of its release. NR
Almost Peaceful – Set immediately following World War II, the story follows a group of Jewish Parisians as they restart their lives. NR
Amélie from Montmartre – A whimsical, comedy-drama about a young French woman (Audrey Tautou) who makes it her mission to raise the spirits of several strangers in her neighborhood. R
And Now … Ladies and Gentlemen – A romantic drama about the love that grows between a British jewel thief (Jeremy Irons) and an ill, but glamorous French jazz singer in Morocco. PG13
Après Vous – A romantic comedy about a Parisian waiter’s random act of kindness in preventing a stranger from committing suicide, the insecure romantic he tries to rehabilitate, and the beautiful woman who comes between them. R
Avenue Montaigne – A young provincial woman who recently moved to Paris and makes a living as a waitress observes the lives of a classical pianist, an art collector, an actress and other famous clientele. NR
Babette’s Feast – A leisurely paced drama about French maid’s elaborate meal preparations for elderly employers in 1870s-era Denmark. G
Balzac: a Life of Passion – The passionate life of the great French novelist, Honore de Balzac (Gerard Depardieu). NR
The Barbarian Invasions – It’s not easy for a narrow-minded professor to reconcile with his equally stubborn son. R
The Beat That My Heart Skipped – 28-year-old Tom seems destined to follow in his father’s footsteps as a Parisian property shark. But after a chance encounter with his late mother’s music agent, Tom believes that he can become a concert pianist like she was. NR
Beauty and the Beast – Tells the fable of the kindly beast and the self-sacrificing beauty whose love releases the prince in him. NR
Betty Blue – Betty and Zorg are not your average French lovers. Together, they make life a magical fantasy in which absolutely anything can happen–until their dreams collide with reality. NR
Caché – A talk show host and his wife are living an ideal life until videotapes of them show up on their front porch. As the tapes get more and more personal, they start investigating who is behind it. R
The Chorus – When a kindly music teacher begins a new job at a boarding school that adheres to a code of utter strictness and discipline, he attempts to soften the approach, through both understanding and music. PG13
The Closet – A comedy about a nervous French accountant who spreads a rumor around that he’s gay in an effort to stave off being fired. R
Cyrano de Bergerac – The French romantic tragedy about the hapless, long-nosed romantic featuring Gerard Depardieu. PG
Diva – Cynthia Hawkins is the operatic superstar whose refusal to make a recording frustrates her adoring public. A young fan named Jules makes a secret tape and is stalked by thugs who plan to blackmail the diva. Jules also accidentally acquires a tape which tells of a top mobster’s role in an international sex and drug ring. He must escape the police chief, the cop’s henchmen and the bootleggers to keep both tapes safe, and to stay alive. R
Eight Women – A wealthy industrialist is found murdered in his home while his family gathers for the holiday season. Eight women are his potential murderers. R
Far Side of the Moon – After the death of his mother, a man tries to discover a meaning to his life, to the universe and to rebuild a relationship with the only family he has left: his brother. NR
The Girl from Paris – Sandrine (Mathilde Seigner) is a successful Parisienne who tires of her job and decides to buy an isolated farm. NR
God is Great and I’m Not – A whimsical romance about a French supermodel whose strict adherence to multiple religions frustrates her metaphysically lackadaisical boyfriend. NR
Le Grand Voyage – A few weeks before his college entrance exams, Réda, a young man who lives in the south of France, finds himself obligated to drive his father to Mecca. NR
Happenstance – This winsome romantic comedy follows numerous Paris residents whose lives become intertwined through an increasingly complex set of circumstances. R
A Heart in Winter – Camille, a concert violinist, becomes intrigued by her lover’s business partner, Stephane. The love triangle that develops reveals the complexity and imperfection of the three characters. NR
The Horseman on the Roof – In 1832, an Italian revolutionary living in Provence is pursued by assassins. He takes refuge in a small town ravaged by a cholera epidemic, where he meets a mysterious and beautiful noblewoman. R
Intimate Strangers – Seeking psychiatric help, an enigmatic woman mistakes a financial planner for her new shrink. Touched by the heartfelt confessions of her problems, he does not have the heart to tell her that he is not a psychiatrist, which results in more sessions. R
It’s Easier for a Camel – When Federica was a young girl she fantasized about countless adventures that took her to the far side of the world. Now Federica’s daydreams can only provide a meager distraction from the realities of her life. NR
Jean de Florette – The story of Jean Cadoret, a man who inherits a farm from his mother and foolishly hopes to become a gentleman farmer. But even before he arrives, his powerful neighbor is plotting to steal his land. PG
Jet Lag – A romantic comedy about an encounter at the Charles de Gaulle airport in Paris between a worn-out businessman on his way to a funeral and a troubled beautician on the run from her boyfriend. R
Joyeux Noël – Based on a true events, Joyeux Noel recreates one Christmas night during WWI when enemies were able to lay aside their differences in order to celebrate the holiday together. A.k.a. “Merry Christmas.” NR
Look at Me – Lolita, the daughter of a famous writer/publisher, tries in vain to get her self-centered father’s attention. When this fails, she begins to push away a young man who truly loves her. PG13
Love Me If You Dare – A couple of lifetime friends’ long-standing game of outrageous stunts interferes with their blossoming love for one another. R
Monsieur Ibrahim – Set in a working class neighborhood in 1960’s Paris, the film tells the unlikely friendship between an elderly Turkish grocer and a young Jewish boy. R
My Father’s Glory – The enchanting story of Marcel Pagnol’s childhood in the south of France, and a very special summer in the countryside of Provence when he was 11 years old. G
My Mother’s Castle – A young boy learns about life through outings to the Provence countryside with his family. PG
Persepolis – Follows the Islamic Revolution through the eyes of a precocious 9-year-old Iranian girl. PG13
Private Fears in Public Places – Six people all look for love despite typically having their romantic aspirations dashed at every turn. NR
Seaside – The stories of the residents of a small coastal town in Northern France whose livelihoods depend on the visiting summer tourists. NR
Seducing Dr. Lewis – A ragtag fishing community on a tiny, impoverished island must persuade a young Montreal-based doctor to live in their town in order to get a much-needed new factory. NR
The Son – A powerful minimalist drama tells the story of a carpenter who passes on his skills to troubled youths. Things intensify when it’s revealed that one of his students is connected to a painful event from the past. NR
Strayed – After the German occupation of Paris during World War II, a young widow flees the war-torn city with her two children and must rely on a mysterious young stranger in order to survive. NR
Swept from the Sea – A pair of beautiful outcasts falls in love, defying village prejudice, in this period romance. PG13
Three Colors = Trois Couleurs – Filmmaker Krzysztof Kielowski’s trilogy created for France’s bicentenial, the titles and the themes of the films come from the the colors of the French flag representing liberty, equality, and fraternity. R
To Be and to Have – At the center of this intimate and touching story is Georges Lopez – a remarkably devoted teacher responsible for nurturing a dozen children ages 3-11 in all their school subjects and life’s lessons. NR
The Triplets of Belleville – A French animation comedy about an old lady and her beloved pooch Bruno who team up with three eccentric female music-hall stars from the 1930s to rescue her grandson from the French mafia. PG13
The Valet – To avoid a messy divorce, a billionaire industrialist invents an outrageous lie and asks a valet parking attendant for help. PG13
La Vie en Rose – The tragic life story of French singer Edith Piaf. PG13
The Widow of Saint-Pierre – Waiting to be executed by guillotine, a convicted murderer is befriended by the wife of a respected local officer. R
New DVDs – Fall 2011
Midnight in Paris – December 20, 2011
Owen Wilson (Actor), Kurt Fuller (Actor) Rated: PG-13
“A romantic comedy about a family traveling to the French capital for business. The party includes a young engaged couple forced to confront the illusion that a life different from their own is better”–IMDB.com
The Debt – December 6, 2011
Sam Worthington (Actor), Helen Mirren (Actor) Rated: R
The story begins in 1997, as shocking news reaches retired Mossad secret agents Rachel and Stephan about their former colleague David. All three have been venerated for decades by Israel because of the secret mission that they embarked on for their country back in 1965-1966, when the trio tracked down Nazi war criminal Dieter Vogel, the feared Surgeon of Birkenau, in East Berlin. At great risk, and at considerable personal cost, the team’s mission was accomplished – or was it?
The Help – December 6, 2011
Emma Stone (Actor), Bryce Dallas Howard (Actor) Rated: PG-13
Mississippi during the 1960s: Skeeter, a southern society girl, returns from college determined to become a writer, but turns her friends’ lives, and a small Mississippi town, upside down when she decides to interview the black women who have spent their lives taking care of prominent southern families. Aibileen, Skeeter’s best friend’s housekeeper, is the first to open up, to the dismay of her friends in the tight-knit black community.
Sarah’s Key – November 22, 2011
Kristin Scott Thomas (Actor), Niels Arestrup (Actor), Gilles Paquet-Brenner (Director) Rated: PG-13
In modern-day Paris, a journalist finds her life becoming entwined with a young girl whose family was torn apart during the notorious Vel d’Hiv round up, which took place in Paris, in 1942. She stumbles upon a family secret which will link her forever to the destiny of a young Jewish girl, Sarah.
Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows, Part 2 – November 11, 2011
Daniel Radcliffe (Actor), Rupert Grint (Actor), David Yates (Director) Rated: PG-13
In the epic finale, the battle between the good and evil forces of the wizarding world escalates into an all-out war. The stakes have never been higher and no one is safe. But it is Harry who may be called upon to make the ultimate sacrifice as he draws closer to the climactic showdown with Lord Voldemort. It all ends here.
Californication: The Fourth Season – November 1, 2011
Evan Handler (Actor), David Duchovny (Actor) Rated: Unrated
Novelist Hank Moody’s home life is in ruins, but the scandal surrounding his latest book has turned him into a hot commodity, in more ways than one. Find out if Hank can navigate the mess he’s made of his life and still come out on top.
Crazy, Stupid, Love – November 1, 2011
Steve Carell (Actor), Julianne Moore (Actor) Rated: PG-13
A father’s life unravels while he deals with a marital crisis and tries to manage his relationship with his children.
The Last Mountain – November 1, 2011
Robert Kennedy Jr. (Actor), Bill Haney (Director) | Rated: PG
The fight for the last great mountain in America’s Appalachian heartland pits the mining giant that wants to explode it to extract the coal within against the community fighting to preserve the mountain and build a wind farm on its ridges instead. Robert Kennedy Jr. joins the fight to preserve the mountain.
Pearl Jam Twenty – October 24, 2011
Cameron Crowe (Director) Rated: NR
In honor of Pearl Jam’s twentieth anniversary, Academy Award-winning director and music journalist Cameron Crowe created a definitive portrait of the seminal band: part concert film, part intimate insider-hang, part testimonial to the power of music and uncompromising artists.
Page One: Inside The New York Times – October 18, 2011
David Carr (Actor), Bruce Headlam (Actor), Andrew Rossi (Director) Rated: R
During the most tumultuous time for media in generations, filmmaker Andrew Rossi gains unprecedented access to the newsroom at The New York times, chronicling a year in the life of the journalists who work at the newpaper’s Media Desk, a department created to cover the transformation of the media industry. Reporters Brian Stelter, Tim Arango, David Carr, and others track print journalism’s metamorphosis even as their own paper struggles to stay vital and solvent.
Horrible Bosses – October 11, 2011
Jason Bateman (Actor), Jennifer Aniston (Actor), Seth Gordon (Director) Rated: R
For Nick, Kurt and Dale, the only thing that would make the daily grind more tolerable would be to grind their intolerable bosses into dust. Quitting is not an option, so, with the benefit of a few-too-many drinks and some dubious advice from a hustling ex-con, the three friends devise a convoluted and seemingly foolproof plan to rid themselves of their respective employers, permanently. There’s only one problem: even the best laid plans are only as foolproof as the brains behind them.
Music CDs – New Releases Summer 2011
Neighborhoods by Blink 182 9/27/11
The Whole Love by Wilco 9/27/11
Duets II by Tony Bennett 9/20/11
Night of Hunters by Tori Amos 9/20/11
Storm by Celtic Thunder 9/20/11
A Dramatic Turn of Events by Dream Theater 9/13/11
Own The Night by Lady Antebellum 9/13/11
Here for a Good Time by George Strait 9/6/11
Let them Talk by Hugh Laurie 9/6/11
Seeds We Sow by Lindsey Buckingham 9/6/11
Ghost On The Canvas by Glen Campbell 8/29/11
What Matters Most: Barbra Streisand Sings The Lyrics of Alan And Marilyn Bergman by Barbra Streisand 8/23/11
Watch the Throne by Jay-Z and Kanye West 8/12/11
Blood, Sweat & Tears by Ace Hood 8/9/11
Dedicated by Steve Cropper8/9/11
Tailgates & Tanlines by Luke Bryan 8/9/11
How I Go by Kenny Wayne Shepherd 8/2/11
The Reflection by Keb Mo 8/2/11
Young Love by Mat Kearney 8/2/11
Here I Am by Kelly Rowland 7/26/11
Rabbits on the Run by Vanessa Carlton 7/26/11
Mayhem by Imelda May 7/19/11
Hell: The Sequel by Bad Meets Evil 6/14/11
New DVDs – Summer 2011
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Bad Teacher – October 18, 2011
Fast Five – October 4, 2011
Scream 4 – October 4, 2011
Bridesmaids – September 20, 2011
Thor – September 13, 2011
Everything Must Go – September 6, 2011
Hanna – September 6, 2011
Tyler Perry’s Madea’s Big Happy Family – August 30, 2011
The Beaver – August 29, 2011
Gossip Girl, Season 4 – August 23, 2011
Win Win – August 23, 2011
The Conspirator – August 16, 2011
Dexter, Season 5 – August 16, 2011
Jane Eyre – August 16, 2011
Priest – August 16, 2011
Something Borrowed – August 16, 2011
Mars Needs Moms – August 9, 2011
Paul – August 9, 2011
Super – August 9, 2011
Your Highness – August 9, 2011
Stake Land – August 2, 2011
Zen: Vendetta Cabal Ratking – August 2, 2011
Limitless – July 19, 2011
Entourage Season 7 – July 12, 2011
The Lincoln Lawyer – July 12, 2011
13 Assassins – July 5, 2011
The Other Woman – May 17, 2011
Blue Valentine – May 10, 2011
From Prada to Nada – May 3, 2011
The Green Hornet – May 3, 2011