10 Books for Twentysomethings

Richelle

A List by Robin Marantz Henig and Samantha Henig, Appeared in Publisher’s Weekly on Dec 14, 2012. (article)

Then We Came to the End by Joshua Ferris1. Then We Came to the End by Joshua Ferris – One thing about the twenties is how much you want to be part of a group, even when the group consists of a random hodgepodge of the people you work with. This smart office tragicomedy is narrated in first person plural throughout, and yet Ferris manages not to make it feel like a gimmick. The result is a richer understanding of the culture of work.

The Best of Everything by Rona Jaffe2. The Best of Everything by Rona Jaffe – If Ferris’s novel is the precursor to “The Office,” then Jaffe’s is the forerunner of “Mad Men” — with a hint of “Sex and the City” thrown in. Three young women (an Ivy Leaguer, a country beauty, and a troubled actress) try to make it in New York in 1958, struggling with the typical twentysomething woes of heartache and career laments as well as the oppressive glass ceiling of the era.

The Bell Jar by Sylvia Plath3. The Bell Jar by Sylvia Plath – And speaking of work, this autobiographical novel about Plath’s summer as a magazine intern is almost a cliché to mention here — except that it perfectly captures the feeling of being young and at a crossroads. So perfectly, in fact, that we actually used an excerpt from The Bell Jar as the epigraph for our book Twentysomething. In that passage, Plath writes about imagining herself sitting in the crotch of a fig tree, surrounded by juicy figs that represent all her options as writer, traveler, wife, mother, athlete, lover, dozens of different paths her life could take. Leave it to Plath to capture the essential quandary: “choosing one meant losing all the rest.”

Free food for millionaires by Min Jin Lee4. Free Food for Millionaires by Min Jin Lee – Choices about work, school, and romance are at the heart of this juicy novel about a group of young people in Manhattan and their families, many of whom are Korean immigrants. Lee (who happens to be a close friend of ours) captures their struggles, uncertainty, and heartache in vivid detail; sometimes the characters feel so real you want to shake them to make them realize how badly they’re screwing up.

The Corrections by Jonathan Franzen5. The Corrections by Jonathan Franzen – This is a sprawling family novel, dealing with crises across the age range, but the turmoil of one character in particular, the younger sister Denise, are worth the price of admission. Franzen details Denise’s evolution from slacker to restaurateur, from straight to bi, in a way that captures all the struggles inherent in the “quarterlife crisis” of someone who worries that she’s made all the wrong choices and is living someone else’s life.

Ladder of Years by Anne Tyler6. Ladder of Years by Anne Tyler – And speaking of living someone else’s life, Delia Grinstead thinks that’s what she’s doing, and one day at the beach she simply walks away from it. Delia is well past her twenties, but in trying to recreate a new identity, she goes through the same turmoil that twentysomethings do. The most poignant moments, to us, are the evenings she spends in her room in a boardinghouse after coming home from a lackluster job and a solitary meal: she gets into bed, reads for a while, and then switches off the lamp to “sit weeping in the dark — the very last step in her daily routine.” Change is hard.

Wild by Cheryl Strayed7. Wild by Cheryl Strayed – OK, we have to admit here that we haven’t read this one, a memoir about Strayed’s decision to hike the Pacific Trail solo at the age of 26. But everyone says we should. They say it’s a guide for life, a “just do it” for young people who are struggling with fears and uncertainty the way Strayed was after her mother died and her marriage dissolved. It’s on our to-do list for 2013.

Alice in Bed by Cathleen Schine8. Alice in Bed by Cathleen Schine – Alice is a college student whose body fails her, landing her in a hospital for a year as doctors, nurses, and a bizarrely distracted mother swirl around her. Her feelings of helplessness and confusion, combined with some weird hallucinations and paranoid fantasies, are like youth writ large; Alice is literally paralyzed, a stand-in for young people who feel metaphorically so. And she gets through it the way so many people do — by improvising.

Middlesex by Jeffrey Eugenides9. Middlesex by Jeffrey Eugenides – The genetically ambiguous character at the heart of this novel is Calliope, who grows up as girl but ends up, sort of, as a man. The situation a perfect analogy for the confusion of young people who see every path as equally alluring and can’t decide which is right for them. Many of the quandaries will feel familiar, as Callie-then-Cal struggles with choices that touch on matters of identity, sexuality, predestination, and free will. In addition, the book is hilarious.

Hateship, friendship, courtship, loveship, marriage : stories by Alice Munro.10. Hateship, Friendship, Courtship, Loveship, Marriage by Alice Munro – Or any collection of Alice Munro stories, really. Her stories are generally about young women choosing between two extremes: independence versus domesticity, acquiescence versus rebellion, staying put versus setting out. Since so many of the stories also bounce back and forth in time, the decisions of youth are often revisited, and their consequences over the life course are revealed.

Click on the titles to visit the catalog and order or call the Reference Desk at 412-741-6920 x3

New DVDs – December 2012

Richelle

10 Years – The night before their high school reunion, a group of friends realize they still haven’t quite grown up in some ways. Channing Tatum, Rosario Dawson and Chris Pratt. (PG-13, 111 min) Release: 12/18/12

Arbitrage – A troubled hedge fund magnate desperate to complete the sale of his trading empire makes an error that forces him to turn to an unlikely person for help. Richard Gere, Susan Sarandon and Brit Marling. (R, 107 min) Release: 12/21/12

The Amazing Spiderman – Peter Parker finds a clue that might help him understand why his parents disappeared when he was young. His path puts him on a collision course with Dr. Curt Connors, his father’s former partner. Andrew Garfield, Emma Stone and Rhys Ifans. (PG-13, 136 min) Release: 11/9/12

Arthur Christmas – On Christmas night at the North Pole, Santa’s youngest son looks to use his father’s high-tech operation for an urgent mission. James McAvoy, Jim Broadbent, and Bill Nighy. (PG, 97 min) Release: 11/6/12

Brave – Determined to make her own path in life, Princess Merida defies a custom that brings chaos to her kingdom. Granted one wish, Merida must rely on her bravery and her archery skills to undo a beastly curse. Kelly Macdonald, Billy Connolly and Emma Thompson. (PG, 93 min) Release: 11/13/12

The Bourne Legacy – Centered on a new hero whose stakes have been triggered by the events of the previous three films. Jeremy Renner, Rachel Weisz and Edward Norton. (PG-13, 135 min) Release: 12/11/12

The Dark Knight Rises – Eight years on, a new terrorist leader, Bane, overwhelms Gotham’s finest, and the Dark Knight resurfaces to protect a city that has branded him an enemy. Christian Bale, Tom Hardy and Anne Hathaway. (PG-13, 165 min) Release: 12/4/12

The Expendables 2 – Mr. Church reunites the Expendables for what should be an easy paycheck, but when one of their men is murdered on the job, their quest for revenge puts them deep in enemy territory and up against an unexpected threat. Sylvester Stallone, Liam Hemsworth and Randy Couture. (R, 102 min) Release: 11/20/12

Hope Springs – After thirty years of marriage, a middle-aged couple attends an intense, week-long counseling session to work on their relationship. Meryl Streep, Tommy Lee Jones and Steve Carell. (PG-13, 100 min) Release: 12/4/12

Ice Age: Continental Drift  – Manny, Diego, and Sid embark upon another adventure after their continent is set adrift. Using an iceberg as a ship, they encounter sea creatures and battle pirates as they explore a new world. Ray Romano, Denis Leary and John Leguizamo. (PG,  88 min) Release: 12/11/12

Lawless – Set in Depression-era Franklin County, Virginia, a bootlegging gang is threatened by a new deputy and other authorities who want a cut of their profits. Tom Hardy, Shia LaBeouf, and Guy Pearce. (R, 116 min) Release: 11/27/12

Looper – In 2074, when the mob wants to get rid of someone, the target is sent 30 years into the past, where a hired gun awaits. Someone like Joe, who one day learns the mob wants to ‘close the loop’ by transporting back Joe’s future self. Joseph Gordon-Levitt, Bruce Willis, and Emily Blunt. (R, 119 min) Release: 12/31/12

Men in Black 3 – Agent J travels in time to M.I.B.’s early days in 1969 to stop an alien from assassinating his friend Agent K and changing history. Will Smith, Tommy Lee Jones and Josh Brolin. (PG-13, 106 min) Release: 11/30/12

The Odd Life of Timothy Green – A childless couple bury a box in their backyard, containing all of their wishes for an infant. Soon, a child is born, though Timothy Green is not all that he appears. Jennifer Garner, Joel Edgerton and CJ Adams. (PG, 105 min) Release: 12/4/12

Paranorman – A misunderstood boy takes on ghosts, zombies and grown-ups to save his town from a centuries-old curse. Kodi Smit-McPhee, Anna Kendrick and Christopher Mintz-Plasse. (PG, 92 min) Release: 11/27/12

Savages – Pot growers Ben and Chon face off against the Mexican drug cartel who kidnapped their shared girlfriend. Aaron Taylor-Johnson, Taylor Kitsch and Blake Lively. (R, 131 min) Release: 11/13/12

Sleepwalk with Me – A burgeoning stand-up comedian struggles with the stress of a stalled career, a stale relationship, and the wild spurts of severe sleepwalking he is desperate to ignore. Mike Birbiglia, Lauren Ambrose and James Rebhorn. (PG-13, 90 min) Release: 12/18/12

Sparkle – Set in the 1960s, three sisters form girl group and soon become local sensations with major label interest, but fame becomes a challenge as the close-knit family begins to fall apart.  Jordin Sparks, Carmen Ejogo, and Whitney Houston. (PG-13, 116 min) Release: 11/30/12

Step Up Revolution – Emily arrives in Miami with aspirations to become a professional dancer. She sparks with Sean, the leader of a dance crew whose neighborhood is threatened by Emily’s father’s development plans. Kathryn McCormick, Ryan Guzman and Cleopatra Coleman. (PG-13, 99 min) Release: 11/27/12

Ted – As the result of a childhood wish, John Bennett’s teddy bear, Ted, came to life and has been by John’s side ever since – a friendship that’s tested when Lori, John’s girlfriend of four years, wants more from their relationship. Mark Wahlberg, Mila Kunis and Seth MacFarlane. (R, 106 min) Release: 12/11/12

Total Recall – A factory worker, Douglas Quaid, begins to suspect that he is a spy after visiting Rekall – a company that provides its clients with implanted fake memories of a life they would like to have led – goes wrong and he finds himself on the run. Colin Farrell, Bokeem Woodbine and Bryan Cranston. (PG-13, 118 min) Release: 12/18/12

The Watch – Four men who form a neighborhood watch group as a way to get out of their day-to-day family routines find themselves defending the Earth from an alien invasion. Ben Stiller, Vince Vaughn and Jonah Hill. (R, 102 min) Release: 11/13/12

The Words – A writer at the peak of his literary success discovers the steep price he must pay for stealing another man’s work. Bradley Cooper, Dennis Quaid, and Olivia Wilde. (PG-13, 97 min) Release: 12/24/12

 

 

Click on the titles or contact the Reference Desk at 412-741-6920 ext. 3 to order any of the above.

Fall for the New Music at SPL

Richelle

Sewickley Public Library has just added a handful of popular titles to its adult music collection:

Night Visions – Imagine Dragons: The first full-length album from the indie rock band behind hit single “It’s Time” is full of similarly up-tempo, drum-heavy tracks.

Teenage Dream: The Complete Confection – Katy Perry: The expanded edition of the original hit album adds seven tracks, including recent hit singles “Part of Me” and “Wide Awake.”

North – Matchbox Twenty: The rock band returns with its first album in ten years, featuring their familiar poppy sound and hit single “She’s So Mean.”

Babel (Deluxe Edition) – Mumford & Sons: The folk rock band returns with a second album that builds on the sound introduced on 2009 debut Sigh No More, increasing the exuberance of their intrumentation and vocals and the grandness of their lyrics.

Shrines – Purity Ring: The first full-length album from the indie electronic duo is a haunting set of tracks built largely out of synths, beats, and processed vocals.

In addition to these titles, SPL also has the latest releases from Aimee Mann, Band of Horses, Ben Folds Five, Bob Dylan, Cat Power, deadmau5, Diana Krall, Divine Fits, Green Day, Matt & Kim, The Mountain Goats, Mumford & Sons, Muse, No Doubt, P!nk, and The xx. Find any of these items–or search for any adult music titles–by searching the library catalog.

After Hours at the Library with Pittsburgh Paranormal Research

Richelle

After Hours at the Library with Pittsburgh Paranormal Research – Friday, October 19 @ 7PM – Join us for a spooky evening with Scott Delledonne and Jeff Gettman of Pittsburgh Paranormal Research (P.P.R.) Participants will learn about some of the theories behind paranormal activity, view evidence from past research sessions, learn about the monitoring equipment, and ask questions about their own experiences with the paranormal. This program will take place in the middle of the Reference Area. Light refreshments will be provided. Ages 14 and Up. Library Doors will open at 6:45 and stay open until 7:10PM. Please Register (<Click to Register.)

“PPR is a non-profit organization dedicated to the scientific investigation of ghosts, classic hauntings, poltergeists and other paranormal phenomena.” (www.pittsburghparanormalresearch.com.)

Location: Reference Area

Adult Summer Reading 2012 Has Ended

Richelle

Summer O’ Summer! Where did you go? There may still be a few weeks of this wonderful season left but the Adult Summer Reading Program is officially over. We had some great reviews from our participants. We also had some awesome prizes and winners. In the next few weeks, we’ll be posting booklists of the titles that were rated the highest and infographics about this year’s program. For now, we’ll leave you with this list of winners and links to the websites of the prizes they won:

1st Week Kelly K — China Palace

2nd Week Patricia F — Sidelines Beer House

3rd Week Denise F — Cafe des Amis

4th Week Michele M — Robinson’s Home & Garden

5th Week Nancy P — Penguin Bookshop

6th Week Julie U — Ultimate Pastry Shop

7th Week Sarah B — The Jewel Thief

8th Week Patricia W — Big Bang Comics

Grand Prize – Drawing on 8/10/12 Amy W & Katherine P — Two Amazon Kindle Fires!!!

2000s – Books for All Ages

Richelle

Here you’ll find a list of books that are either set in the 2000s or were written during this time. This list is broken down by age but there are many books that can be enjoyed by some or all of the age groups. This list is just a sample of the thousands of books that we can access through the county-wide system. Some descriptions were taken from the catalog, others from our Literature database; Novelist (click to access from home.)

Click on Titles to be taken to the Catalog

ADULT FICTION AND NON-FICTION BOOKS (SOME MAY BE SUITABLE FOR TEENS OR EVEN CHILDREN. PLEASE ASK A LIBRARIAN FOR HELP WITH DETERMINING AGE SUITABILITY) 

2001: a Space Odyssey By: Clarke, Arthur C. – Two astronauts find their journey into space and their very lives jeopardized by the jealousy of an extraordinary computer named Hal.

Absolute Friends By: Le Carre, John – Follows friends and fellow ex-spies, Ted Mundy and Sasha, as they attempt to change their lives and the world in which they live, covering their new escapades in Germany and the ones from their past.

The Bone Garden By: Gerritsen, Tess – The discovery of the skeleton of a woman murdered two centuries earlier sends medical examiner Maura Isles on the trail of a long-dead serial killer who terrorized Boston with crimes in which Norris Marshall, a Harvard Medical School student, had become the prime suspect.

Combat By: Stephen Coonts – A series of short novels explore the art of warfare in the twenty-first century–on the land, in the sea, in the air, and in outer space.

The Da Vinci Code By: Brown, Dan – Harvard symbologist Robert Langdon and French cryptologist Sophie Neveu work to solve the murder of an elderly curator of the Louvre, a case which leads to clues hidden in the works of Da Vinci and a centuries-old secret society.

Extremely Loud and Incredibly Close By: Foer, Jonathan Safran – Oskar Schell, the nine-year-old son of a man killed in the World Trade Center attacks, searches the five boroughs of New York City for a lock that fits a black key his father left behind.

The Handmaid’s Tale By: Atwood, Margaret – In a future world where the birth rate has declined, fertile women are rounded up, indoctrinated as “handmaids,” and forced to bear children to prominent men.

The Jane Austen Book Club By: Fowler, Karen Joy – Six Californians join to discuss Jane Austen’s novels. Over the six months they meet, marriages are tested, affairs begin, unsuitable arrangements become suitable, and love happens.

Killing Time By: Howard, Linda – Twenty years after a time capsule is buried under the front lawn of a small-town courthouse, the capsule is dug up and its contents stolen, an event that coincides with the murders of the contributors to the time capsule.

The Kite Runner By: Hosseini, Khaled – Traces the unlikely friendship of a wealthy Afghan youth and a servant’s son, in a tale that spans the final days of Afghanistan’s monarchy through the atrocities of the present day.

Pattern Recognition By: Gibson, William – Hired to investigate a mysterious video collection that has been appearing on the Internet, market research consultant Cayce Pollard realizes that there is more to the assignment when her computer is hacked.

The Romanov Prophecy By: Berry, Steve – After the Russian people vote to bring back the Tsar, to be chosen from the distant relatives of Nicholas II, attorney Miles Lord heads for Moscow to perform a background check on one of the candidates, but his assignment turns unexpectedly dangerous.

Snow Crash By: Stephenson, Neal – In twenty-first-century America, a computer hacker finds himself fighting a computer virus that battles virtual reality technology and a deadly drug that turns humans into zombies.

State of Fear By: Crichton, Michael – An eco-thriller takes readers to such far-flung locales as Paris, Iceland, Antarctica, and the Solomon Islands.

Tom Clancy’s Splinter Cell By: Michaels, David – Sam Fisher, a splinter cell, or top secret agent for the National Security Agency with the right to steal and kill to preserve the country’s freedom, goes after Middle Eastern terrorists who are building a highly destructive weapon and have kidnapped his daughter.

CHILDREN & TEEN FICTION AND NON-FICTION BOOKS (ADULTS CAN LIKE THESE TOO!)

Ask Me No Questions By: Budhos, Marina Tamar – Fourteen-year-old Nadira, her sister, and their parents leave Bangladesh for New York City, but the expiration of their visas and the events of September 11, 2001, bring frustration, sorrow, and terror for the whole family.

Beneath a Meth Moon By: Woodson, Jacqueline – Laurel Daneau has moved on to a new life, in a new town, but inside she’s still reeling from the loss of her beloved mother and grandmother after Hurricane Katrina washed away their home. Laurel’s new life is going well, with a new best friend, a place on the cheerleading squad and T-Boom, co-captain of the basketball team, for a boyfriend. Yet Laurel is haunted by voices and memories from her past.

Bullyville By: Prose, Francine – After the death of his estranged father in the World Trade Center on 9/11, thirteen-year-old Bart, still struggling with his feelings of guilt, sorrow and loss, wins a scholarship to the local preparatory school and there encounters a vicious bully whose cruelty compounds the aftermath of the tragedy.

Cinnamon Girl : letters found inside a cereal box By: Herrera, Juan Felipe – Yolanda, a Puerto Rican girl, tries to come to terms with her painful past as she waits to see if her uncle recovers from injuries he suffered when the towers collapsed on September 11, 2001.

Dear Zoe By: Beard, Philip – On the morning planes hit the World Trade Center towers, Tess DeNunzio’s three-year-old sister, Zoe, ran into the street and was killed by a car. Fifteen-year-old Tess, who was supposed to be watching Zoe, was consumed by guilt. This novel is written in the form of a letter from Tess to Zoe, chronicling the year after Zoe’s death.

How I Live Now By: Rosoff, Meg – To get away from her pregnant stepmother in New York City, fifteen-year-old Daisy goes to England to stay with her aunt and cousins, with whom she instantly bonds, but soon war breaks out and rips apart the family while devastating the land.

Hurricane Song By: Volponi, Paul – Twelve-year-old Miles Shaw has only been living with his father in New Orleans for two months when Hurricane Katrina hits.

Love is the Higher Law By: Levithan, David – The lives of three teens—Claire, Jasper, and Peter—are altered forever on September 11, 2001. Claire, a high school junior, has to get to her younger brother in his classroom. Jasper, a college sophomore from Brooklyn, wakes to his parents’ frantic calls from Korea, wondering if he’s okay. Peter, a classmate of Claire’s, has to make his way back to school as everything happens around him.

A Plague Year By: Bloor, Edward – It’s 2001 and zombies have taken over Tom’s town. Meth zombies. The drug rips through Blackwater, PA, with a ferocity and a velocity that overwhelms everyone.

Sunrise Over Fallujah By: Myers, Walter Dean – In the spring of 2003, Private Robin “Birdy” Perry of Harlem is sent to Iraq, an experience that will profoundly change him.

Twilight By: Meyer, Stephenie – When seventeen-year-old Bella leaves Phoenix to live with her father in Forks, Washington, she meets an exquisitely handsome boy at school for whom she feels an overwhelming attraction and who she comes to realize is not wholly human.

Under the Persimmon Tree By: Staples, Suzanne Fisher – During the 2001 Afghan War, the lives of Najmal, a young refugee from Kunduz, Afghanistan, and Nusrat, an American-Muslim teacher who is awaiting her husband’s return from Mazar-i-Sharif, intersect at a school in Peshawar, Pakistan.

The Usual Rules By: Maynard, Joyce – It’s a Tuesday morning in Brooklyn–a perfect September day. Wendy is heading to school, eager to make plans with her best friend, worried about how she looks, mad at her mother for not letting her visit her father in California, impatient with her little brother and with the almost too-loving concern of her jazz musician stepfather. She’s out the door to catch the bus. An hour later comes the news: A plane has crashed into the World Trade Center.

Victory By: Cooper, Susan – Alternating chapters follow the mysterious connection between a homesick English girl living in present-day America and an eleven-year-old boy serving in the British Royal Navy in 1803, aboard the H.M.S. Victory, commanded by Admiral Horatio Nelson.

The Year my Life Went Down the Loo By: Maxwell, Katie – Told in a series of hilarious e-mails, a delightful novel follows sixteen-year-old Emily, who moves from Seattle to England with her family right before her junior year, as she deals with a new culture, new friends, gorgeous British boys, and a ghost who lurks in her underwear drawer.

2000s – History and SPL Programs

Richelle

Check out our 2000s Board on Pinterest to be taken back in time!

 

A New Millennium

At midnight on January 1, 2000, the clock ticked over into not only a new decade but also a new millennium, and the world wondered what lay in store for this new age. During the 1990s, new trends in business and entertainment had emerged to feed America’s unprecedented prosperity. The first decade of the 2000s would see continual development of these trends to the point that they exerted a major—and in some cases, negative—influence on people’s lives. Though the end of the Cold War (1945–91) had left the United States as the world’s only superpower, the decade would also see a new threat—foreign terrorism—emerge in place of communism.

On September 11, 2001, the real bogeymen of the decade emerged, and they were all too human. A group of nineteen religious extremists, acting on plans masterminded by al-Qaeda terrorist leader Osama bin Laden (1957–2011), hijacked four domestic passenger planes and flew them into the World Trade Center, the Pentagon, and a Pennsylvania field. The events of 9/11, as that dark day came to be called, scarred America and its allies deeply. Within days of the attacks, President George W. Bush (1946–) had announced a new War on Terror, an international effort to wipe out terrorism.

Domestically, the trend towards globalizing business operations that had begun in the 1990s continued at a rapid pace. The Internet came into its own during the first decade of the 2000s, speeding the process of globalization as it no longer became necessary for employees to gather together in the same location in order to conduct business. China and India in particular benefited from the outsourcing of American business overseas, and it soon became commonplace to hear an Indian accent on the phone when calling a corporation’s technical support or customer service phone number—there was even a TV show, Outsourced (2010–11), based on the premise.

The rise of the Internet also heralded massive changes in the ways Americans sought their entertainment and even communicated with one another. E-retailers like Amazon.com and the Apple iTunes Store offered consumers the ability to shop from the comfort of their home. In the case of digital music, book, and movie downloads, consumers could even enjoy instant access to their purchases. Digital music, in particular, had a major impact on the music industry and how people listened to music. With the ability to download selected songs individually, the age of the album came to a close. MP3 players allowed people to carry around libraries of thousands of songs in their pockets. Up-and-coming artists case of digital music, book, and movie downloads, consumers could even enjoy instant access to their purchases. Digital music, in particular, had a major impact on the music industry and how people listened to music. With the ability to download selected songs individually, the age of the album came to a close. MP3 players allowed people to carry around libraries of thousands of songs in their pockets. Up-and-coming artists also no longer needed to resort to seeking out the support of major labels in order to get their music heard.

Similarly, the advent of blogging sites and micro-blogs like Twitter gave people the ability to quickly and easily post their thoughts to the Internet with little to no knowledge of computer code required. As with the music and book industries, the world of journalism was rocked by this new technology. Suddenly amateur bloggers were scooping veteran reporters and helping to drive the news cycle.

These new technological changes may have made life easier for the consumer, but they heralded difficult times for the businesses that found their models suddenly outdated. Newspapers, book and music stores, and even major publishers and record labels could see that they needed to adapt rapidly to the new ways or perish. By giving everyone a voice, it ironically became harder to get noticed among the other competing writers, artists, musicians, and bloggers. The rise of social networking sites like Facebook, which was founded in 2004, provided central meeting places online for people to interact and share bits of their personal lives. Social networking, blogging, and web shopping, though convenient, led some critics to wonder if Americans were becoming too disconnected and decadent.

Matters did not improve when the world slipped into its worst economic crisis since the Great Depression at the end of the decade. Costly wars in Iraq and Afghanistan, unregulated speculation in the housing market, and a variety of other factors combined to plunge the United States into economic crisis in 2008. Although Europe had been making strides towards a stronger economy, notably with the introduction of a continental currency called the Euro, the crisis hit certain countries like Greece and Iceland particularly hard. As if all the economic worries were not enough, the last years of the first decade of the 2000s also played host to intensified debate over the cause of and solution to the problem of climate change, popularly known as global warming. As the decade came to a close, many Americans began to question the impact their way of life was having on the world and started looking for ways to cut spending and living beyond their means.

Source Citation: “2000s.” Bowling, Beatniks, and Bell-Bottoms: Pop Culture of 20th- and 21st-Century America. Ed. Cynthia Johnson and Lawrence W. Baker. 2nd ed. Vol. 6: 2000-2009. Detroit: U*X*L, 2012. 1461-1467. Gale U.S. History In Context. Web. 7 Aug. 2012.

 Join us for our Last Decades Programs of the Summer!

Decades Documentaries – Hurricane Katrina: The Storm that Drowned a City (2000s) – Tuesday, August 7 @ 2PM – On August 29th, 2005, Hurricane Katrina devastated the Gulf Coast, killing at least 1,300, destroying over 600,000 houses, and turning downtown New Orleans into an uninhabitable swamp. In a compelling hour-by-hour reconstruction of the ferocious storm, NOVA exposes crucial failures in preparation and engineering that led to the worst disaster in U.S. history.

Decades Movies: Juno (2000s) – Friday, August 10 @ 2PM – Ellen Page, Michael Cera, J.K. Simmons, Allison Janney. An unplanned pregnancy propels a confident, charming teen into one of life’s many detours, where she sets her sights on her ideal adoptive parents: an affluent couple longing to adopt their first child. (2007, 96min, PG-13)

The 1990s – DVDs

Richelle

Here you’ll find a list of “Nineties” Films. Most of them were filmed during this decade but some are either set then or about that time period. We’ve tried to include something for everyone.

CLICK ON THE TITLES TO BE TAKEN TO THE LIBRARY’S ONLINE CATALOG. THERE, YOU CAN REQUEST THE ITEM AND SEE MORE INFORMATION INCLUDING RATING INFORMATION.

10 Things I Hate About You – Cameron falls for the most beautiful girl in school. However, she is forbidden to date until the most hated girl in school, her ill-tempered older sister, goes out too.

Ace Ventura, Pet Detective – Ace Ventura, pet detective is on the case to find the Miami Dolphins’ missing mascot and quarterback Dan Marino, and whether he’s undercover, under fire or underwater, he always gets his man … or beast!

American Beauty – An emotionally & spiritually comatose suburban man decides “to hell with it all” and reverts to living as he did when he was happiest–as a carefree teenager. His desperately uptight wife and sullen daughter can only look on as he quits his corporate job to become a burger flipper, starts getting high with a strange new neighbor (whose parents are even stranger) and lusts after a pouty blonde teenager–his daughter’s best friend.

American History X – Derek Vinyard, the charismatic leader of a group of young white supremacists, lands in prison for a brutal, hate-driven murder. Upon his release, ashamed of his past and pledging to reform, Derek realizes he must save his younger brother, Danny, from a similar fate. A groundbreaking controversial drama about the tragic consequences of racism in a family.

American Pie – Follows the hapless adventures of four high school friends as they gear up for the prom.

Analyze This – When mob boss Paul Vitti starts having panic attacks, he seeks out the unwilling help of suburban family therapist Ben Sombel who just wants to get married to his fiancée and get back to his practice.

Any Given Sunday – Tony D’Amato, the embattled Sharks coach, faces a full-on blitz of team strife plus a new, marketing-savvy Sharks owner who’s sure Tony is way behind times.

Armageddon – The U.S. government calls upon an oil-well driller and his colorful crew to save the world by flying to an asteroid that’s on a collision course for earth and setting off a nuclear bomb to divert it.

As Good As it Gets – Chance encounters with the mother of a sick child and a homosexual artist inspire a cynical, obsessive-compulsive author to try to become a better person.

Austin Powers The Spy Who Shagged Me – Intent on world domination, diabolical genius Dr. Evil travels back to 1969 and steals Austin’s “mojo”. Now Austin must return to the swingin’ sixties, recover his mojo and stop his nemesis from liquidating the world.

Basic Instinct – A tough but vulnerable detective investigates a murder identical to one described in the latest novel of a cold, calculating and beautiful novelist with an insatiable sexual appetite.

Batman Returns – Gotham City faces two monstrous criminal menaces: the bizarre, sinister Penguin and the slinky, mysterious Catwoman. Can Batman battle two formidable foes at once?

Being John Malkovich – A struggling street puppeteer takes a job to make some money. One day he accidentally discovers a door, a portal into the brain of John Malkovich (played by John Malkovich!) For 15 minutes he experiences the ultimate head trip – HE is being John Malkovich.

The Big Lebowski – Jeff ‘The Dude’ Lebowski doesn’t want any drama in his life; he can’t even be bothered with a job. But, in a case of mistaken identity, a couple of thugs break into his place and steal his rug (you gotta understand, that rug really tied the room together). Now, the Dude must embark on a quest with his crazy friends to make things right and get that rug back! Includes an exclusive interview, behind-the-scenes photos, film timeline, and more.

Boondock Saints – FBI agent Paul Smecker is on the trail of two vigilante brothers whose spiritual sense of right and wrong has turned Boston’s streets red with blood. The victims are the villains and mob bosses that the justice system has been powerless to stop. Now, Smecker finds himself torn between whether he should catch the killers…or join them.

Boyz ‘N The Hood – Three friends struggle to survive in South Central Los Angeles where friendship, pain, danger and love form a true picture of life in the ‘hood in this critically acclaimed, action-filled story.

Buffy the Vampire Slayer – A popular California high school girl is selected by a mysterious old man to kill the vampires that are terrorizing Los Angeles. Although it could put a serious crimp in her shopping, Buffy takes on the ghouls with the help of a handsome drifter, and incurs the wrath of the chief vampire!

Can’t Hardly Wait – Multicharacter teenage comedy about high school graduates with different agenda of life on graduation night.

Chasing Amy – New Jersey comic-book artist Holden falls in love with fellow artist Alyssa, only to be thwarted by her sexuality, the disdain of his best friend Banky, and his own misgivings about himself.

Circle of Friends – When girlhood friends leave their rural home to attend college in Dublin, they face challenges in themselves and their relationships.

Clerks – It’s one wild day in the life of a pair of overworked counter jockeys who brave a nonstop parade of unpredictable shoppers, while managing to play hockey on the roof, visit a funeral home and straighten out their offbeat love lives.

The Craft – When a group of high school outsiders discover witchcraft, they intend on using it for their own gain.

Cruel Intentions – After ruining the reputation of an unsuspecting classmate, sparks fly when Kathryn poses the ultimate challenge to her insatiable stepbrother Sebastian–deflower the headmaster’s virgin daughter. If Kathryn wins, she gets Sebastian’s vintage Jaguar; if he wins, he gets Kathryn.

Dead Man Walking – Tells the story of convicted killer Matthew Poncelet and Sister Helen Prejean, his spiritual advisor, and the journey they undertake in search of the truth.

Devil’s Advocate – Hotshot attorney Kevin Lomax’s 64-0 case record has brought him a tempting offer from an elite New York firm. But the job Lomax accepts isn’t what it seems. The Devil is in the details.

Dogma – Two banished angels find a loophole that would get them back into heaven. The only snag? They’ll be destroying existence in the process. In an effort to stop them, the overworked voice of God taps cynical mortal Bethany to save the world by preventing the angels from reaching their unholy destination. Along the way he meets two unlikely prophets named Jay and Silent Bob, and the quick-witted thirteenth apostle.

Don’t Tell Mom the Babysitter’s Dead – When their mother takes a trip to Australia, five children are left with an elderly tyrant who keels over dead the first night, opening up the possibility of a carefree summer–as long as they can keep Mom from finding out the babysitter is dead.

Drop Dead Gorgeous – The Sarah Rose Princess America Pageant is a beauty contest to die for. And that’s exactly what the contestants in Mount Rose, Minnesota are doing. Ever since the vivacious but vicious former beauty queen, Gladys, has been pushing her charm-challenged daughter, Rebecca, to win at all costs, the competition has been dropping like flies.

Dumb and Dumber – Comedy about a pair of dim-witted friends on a cross-country trip to return a case full of money.

Empire Records – Centers on a music store in danger of being sold to a chain, its employees and the kids who patronize it.

Erin Brockovich – Based on a true story, Erin Brockovich is a feisty young mother who convinces attorney Ed Masry to hire her and promptly stumbles upon a momumental law case against a giant corporation. Erin’s determined to take on this powerful adversary even though no law firm has dared to do it before. The two begin an incredible and sometimes hilarious fight that will bring a small town to its feet and a huge company to its knees.

Face/Off – FBI agent Sean Archer must go undercover to investigate the location of a lethal biological weapon planted by his arch rival, terrorist-for-hire Castor Troy. After undergoing a radical surgical procedure, Archer literally “borrows” Troy’s face and identity to carry out his mission. But things go awry when Troy, emerging from a coma, is transformed into Archer and wreaks havoc upon his life, both at work and at home.

Fargo – A midwestern policewoman investigates a series of brutal and interconnected crimes. Steadily, she tightens the net on the killers and their accomplices in a kidnapping scheme gone wildly wrong.

A Few Good Men – Story of a brash Navy lawyer who’s teamed with a gung-ho litigator in a politically-explosive murder case. Charged with defending two Marines accused of killing a fellow soldier, they are confronted with complex issues of loyalty and honor – including its most sacred code and its most formidable warrior.

Fight Club – When a ticking-time-bomb insomniac and a soap salesman channel their aggresion into therapeutic “fight clubs”, an eccentric woman gets in the way and ignites an out-of-control spiral toward oblivion.

Fools Rush In – On a whim, Alex proposes to Isabel, who became pregnant as a result of a casual night of passion they shared.

Forrest Gump – Through three turbulent decades, Forrest rides a tide of events that whisks him from physical disability to football stardom, from Vietnam hero to shrimp tycoon, from White House honors to the arms of his one true love.

Four Weddings and a Funeral – Charlie is always the best man but never the groom. He meets the girl of his dreams at a wedding, but she marries someone else. He thinks that true love may always pass him by, until they meet again at a funeral.

Friday – Craig and Smokey have until the end of the day to pay back Big Worm. They’ve got to dodge Deebo, South Central’s meanest thug, and get the cash any way they can. As time ticks away, the chance this pair will ever see Saturday is fading fast!

The Fugitive – A Chicago surgeon falsely convicted of killing his wife is determined to prove his innocence by leading his pursuers to the one-armed man who actually committed the crime.

The Full Monty – Six unemployed men, inspired by a touring group of male strippers, decide they can make a small fortune by putting on a striptease show of their own with one small difference. They intend to go the “full monty” and strip completely naked. A hilarious, heartfelt comedy in which six friends discover the inner strength to overcome the problems in their personal lives.

General’s Daughter – When the daughter of a well-known and well-respected base commander is raped and murdered, an undercover detective is summoned to look into the matter and finds a slew of cover-ups at West Point.

Get Shorty – Loanshark Chili Palmer has done his time as a gangster, so when “business” takes him to Los Angeles to collect a debt from down and out filmmaker Harry Zimm, he talks tough and then pitches Harry a script idea. Everything would be smooth for this cool new producer, if it weren’t for the drug smugglers and gangsters who won’t leave him alone.

Ghost – A man killed during a robbery gone wrong remains on Earth as a ghost because of his love for his girlfriend. He teams up with a psychic to uncover the truth behind his murder, and to rescue his sweetheart from a similar fate.

Goldeneye – When a powerful satellite system falls into the hands of a former ally turned enemy, only 007 can save the world from an awesome space weapon.

Good Will Hunting – A young working-class genius is hauled back from the brink of self-destruction by a gifted counselor.

Groundhog Day – Teamed with a relentlessly cheerful producer and a smart-aleck cameraman, TV weatherman Phil Connors is sent to Punxsutawney, Pennsylvania to cover the annual Groundhog Day festivities. On his way out of town, Phil is caught in a giant blizzard, which he failed to predict, and finds himself stuck in the small town. Just when things couldn’t get any worse, they do. Phil wakes the next morning to find it’s Groundhog Day all over again– and again– and again.

Happy Gilmore – Although Happy dreams of becoming a professional hockey player, he discovers that his hockey slap shot translates to an astonishing 400-yard tee shot. So when his grandmother loses her home to the IRS, Happy decides to earn the house back by joining the pro golf tour, bringing his ferocious temper and outlandish antics to the well-tended fairways. Before long, Happy is a media sensation, attracting crowds and news cameras wherever he goes. But Happy’s bitter rival has his own plans for the golf superstar.

The Haunting – A professor lures three subjects to a mysterious mansion for an experiment which turns into a nightmare as the secrets of Hill House are revealed in this supernatural thriller.

Hocus Pocus – When three outlandishly wild witches are accidentally conjured up by pranksters, they return from 17th century Salem and set out to cast a spell on the town, but first they must outwit three kids and a talking cat.

Home Alone – An eight-year-old boy is left home alone on Christmas, and has to defend his home against two bumbling burglars.

Homeward Bound, The Incredible Journey – A fun-loving bulldog, a wise old golden retriever, and a hilarious Siamese cat travel through the rugged Sierras in a search of their missing human family.

Hot Shots – A team of crack jet jockeys led by an incompetent commander spend their nights carousing and their days training for secret operation Sleepy Weasel–a lightning strike against a desert kingdom.

Independence Day – Massive spaceships appear in Earth’s skies and wonder turns to terror as the ships blast destructive beams of fire down on cities all over the planet. The world’s only hope lies with a determined band of survivors.

The Indian in the Cupboard – On his 9th birthday, Omri receives a cupboard that magically brings his toy Indian Little Bear to life. They bond, embarking on an amazing adventure, until Omri’s friend Patrick brings a 6-shooting cowboy to life and the secret of the cupboard is in danger of being revealed.

Jerry Maguire – A sports agent suddenly discovers his scruples and promptly loses his job. But with the help of one loyal colleague and one outrageous client, he learns that loving well is the best revenge.

Jurassic Park – Scientists develop a means of bringing dinosaurs to life using DNA taken from dino’ blood, which has been preserved inside insects encased in amber.

Kids – 24 hours in the life of a group of contemporary teenagers who believe they are invincible.

The Mask – Stanley Ipkiss, a nerdy bank clerk, discovers an ancient mask with supernatural powers. He then woos the woman he loves away from her hoodlum boyfriend.

Mighty Ducks – Slapped with a community service assignment, a tough trial lawyer must coach a ragtag team of pee wee hockey players who can’t skate, can’t score and can’t win.

Mission: Impossible – A secret agent framed for the deaths of his espionage team, tries to discover the truth.

Multiplicity – A comedy about a man who clones himself to save his marriage and then almost loses his wife to himself.

Never Been Kissed – Josie, a twenty-five-year-old Chicago copy editor, gets her first assignment as a reporter, going undercover at her old high school to learn about today’s teens. While working, she finds that memories of her own high-school years come back to haunt her.

Office Space – When white-collar peon Peter Gibbons decides he’s had enough and neglects his job, he is quickly promoted to upper management.

Philadelphia – Two lawyers join together to sue a prestigious Philadelphia law firm when the firm fires one of them because he has AIDS.

Practical Magic – The wry, comic romantic tale follows the Owens sisters as they struggle to use their hereditary gift for practical magic to overcome the obstacles in discovering true love.

Pretty Woman – A corporate raider pays a gorgeous hooker to be his escort for a business week in Beverly Hills … and then falls for her. Fifteenth anniversary special edition packed with all-new, never-before-seen bonus features.

Pulp Fiction – Clever, dark film that tells 4 separate stories that are gradually brought together. Involved are two low-rent hit men, their boss and his sexy wife, a prizefighter and a pair of desperate robbers.

Reality Bites – The irreverent portrayal of the harsh realities of life after college captures the misadventures of Lelaina, an ambitious TV production assistant, and her relationships with her sarcastic roommate, Vickie, friends Sammy and Troy, and an ambitious video executive, Michael.

Reservoir Dogs – They were strangers, together to pull off the perfect jewel heist. Their simple robbery turns into a bloody ambush when they realize one of them is a police informant.

Scary Movie – A parody of all the scary movies you’ve ever seen. The victims pile up and the laughs pile on as a group of teenagers find themselves being stalked by a recognizable masked killer!

Scent of a Woman – Hoping to earn extra money, an innocent and reserved scholarship student at an exclusive prep school agrees to look after a blind, retired Lieutenant Colonel, who takes him off for a wild weekend in New York City.

Scream – A series of mysterious murders committed by a masked killer transforms a seemingly peaceful community into a place where no one is safe and everyone is suspect.

Se7en – A psychological thriller about two detectives on the trail of a serial killer who chooses his victims according to the seven deadly sins.

She’s All That – An irresistible cast of Hollywood’s hottest young faces star in this fun, sexy comedy hit about the power of attraction and the pressures of popularity.

The Silence of the Lambs – When FBI agent Clarice Starling is assigned a case involving a monstrous serial killer, she seeks counsel from an imprisoned cannibalistic psychiatrist Dr. Hannibal Lecter, whose fascination with the young woman is as great as his hunger for murder. As their relationship develops, Starling must confront her own demons, and an evil so powerful that she may not have the courage or strength to stop it.

Sister Act – A lounge singer, forced to hide out from the mob, moves into a quiet religious convent.

The Sixth Sense – A noted child psychologist attempts to help a frightened 8-year-old boy who is experiencing terrifying visions of the dead.

Sleepless in Seattle – After hearing a man confess his love for his dearly-departed wife on a call-in radio show, a woman falls inexplicably in love with him. Deciding that he is her destiny, she treks across the country on a romantic impulse to meet him.

So I Married an Axe Murderer – A wedlock-shy coffee house poet finally meets the perfect woman. There’s one little problem–he’s convinced she’s an axe murderer.

Speed – An L.A.P.D. SWAT team specialist is sent to diffuse a bomb that a revenge-driven extortionist has planted on a bus. Until he does, he and a female passenger must keep the bus speeding through the streets of Los Angeles at more than 50 miles per hour or the bomb will explode.

Stir of Echoes – After Tom is hypnotized at a neighborhood party, he changes. He sees things he can’t explain and hears voices he can’t ignore. As the visions intensify, he realizes they are echoes of a crime calling out to be solved.

Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles – After wading in a puddle of radioactive waste, these radical reptiles are transformed into New York City’s greatest crime-fighting quartet.

Terminator 2: Judgement Day – A lethal cyborg, the T-1000, has been sent back from 2029 A.D. to present day Los Angeles on a mission to kill the boy destined to lead the freedom fighters of the future. The original Terminator cyborg is reprogrammed and sent to save the boy, assisted by the boy’s mother, a woman warrior whose warnings of a world headed toward nuclear disaster go unheeded.

Thelma and Louise – Thelma is an abused and neglected wife, while her friend Louise is a bitter, hard-edged waitress. The two decide to take a brief vacation to escape the drudgery of their everyday lives. Immediately, they run into trouble, as Louise shoots and kills a man who tries to rape Thelma in the parking lot of a country bar.

Three Kings – Absurdly comic tale set after the end of the Gulf War, when three American soldiers looking to plunder stolen gold become involved in an uprising.

Tommy Boy – After seven years, party animal Tommy Callahan has finally earned his diploma — and a cushy job at Callahan Auto Parts. But when the family business starts tanking, Tommy hits the road with his dad’s right-hand man, a smug numbers cruncher.

Toy Story – An astonishing world where toys play while their owners are away. Woody is a pull-string cowboy doll and is the leader of the toys until the latest, greatest action figure, Buzz Lightyear, enters the picture. When the toy rivals are separated from their owner, they learn to put aside their differences and work as a team to get back home to the boy they love.

Tremors – Two country handymen and a seismology student discover a desolate town infested with gigantic man-eating creatures that live underground.

True Lies – Harry Tasker is a top spy for the ultra-secret Omega Sector, but his wife thinks he’s just a boring computer salesman. When his two lives collide, he and his wife find themselves kidnapped by international terrorists.

Twister – Scientist Jo Harding and her crack team of tornado chasers are pursuing the most destructive weatherfront to sweep through mid-America’s Tornado Alley in 50 years. TV weatherman Bill Harding is trying to get his tornado-hunter wife, Jo, to sign divorce papers so he can marry his girlfriend Melissa. But Mother Nature, in the form of a series of intense storms, has other plans.

The Usual Suspects – Police investigating an exploded boat on a San Pedro pier discover 27 bodies and $91 million worth of drug money. The only survivors are a severely burned Hungarian terrorist and Roger Kint, a crippled con-man. Reluctantly, Kint is pressured into explaining what happened on the boat. His story begins six weeks earlier with five criminals being dragged in by New York police desperate for suspects in a truck highjacking, and ends with the possible identification of a criminal mastermind.

Varsity Blues – A backup quarterback for the high school football team must confront the pressures and temptations of being a sports star, including conflicts with his coach and his girlfriend, when the starting quarterback is injured.

Wag the Dog – When the President is caught in a sex scandal less than two weeks before the election, his White House spinmaster decides they need a war to distract the public’s attention and he calls on Hollywood’s top producer to create it.

Wayne’s World – Wayne and Garth have their own public access TV show. A local station decides to hire them to do their show professionally. Wayne meets and falls in love with Cassandra, a bass guitarist, who he helps by getting her career started by using his connections.

The Wedding Singer – Robbie Hart is a master of ceremonies, left at the altar at his own wedding. He becomes someone who can only destroy other people’s weddings until he meets a waitress named Julia. Julia, however, is about to have a wedding of her own and may be lost forever.

What’s Eating Gilbert Grape – Gilbert Grape is devoted to taking care of his family, which includes an obese mother and a mentally impaired brother. He feels the hopelessness of his life in a rural community when a young woman breezes into town and changes everything.

Wonder Boys – During a single weekend, college professor Grady Tripp scrambles to gather together a life that has suddenly reeled out of control. An unfinished novel, a stolen car, a murdered pet and a failing marriage are just a few of the crises piling up.

You’ve Got Mail – A romance in which superstore book chain magnate Hanks and cozy children’s bookshop owner Ryan are anonymous e-mail cyberpals who fall head-over-laptops in love, unaware that they are combative business rivals.

1990s – Books for All Ages

Richelle

Here you’ll find a list of books that are either set in the 1990s or were written during this time. This list is broken down by age but there are many books that can be enjoyed by some or all of the age groups. This list is just a sample of the thousands of books that we can access through the county-wide system. Some descriptions were taken from the catalog, others from our Literature database; Novelist (click to access from home.)

Click on Titles to be taken to the Catalog

ADULT FICTION AND NON-FICTION BOOKS (SOME MAY BE SUITABLE FOR TEENS OR EVEN CHILDREN. PLEASE ASK A LIBRARIAN FOR HELP WITH DETERMINING AGE SUITABILITY) 

The Devil’s Teardrop: a Novel of the Last Night of the Century By: Deaver, Jeffery – An emotionless assassin programmed to wreak havok on Washington, D.C. at four-hour intervals until midnight on New Year’s Eve, 1999, is pursued by retired FBI agent and top forensic document examiner in the country, Parker Kincaid.

Gods in Alabama By: Jackson, Joshilyn – Ten years after leaving, Arlene Fleet finds she still has not escaped Possett, Alabama, when an old classmate turns up asking questions about a crime Arlene committed in her youth, forcing her into a confrontation with her past.

The Human Stain By: Roth, Philip – A college professor with a sexual indiscretion in his past is hounded from his job by academic enemies who label him a racist.

The Man of My Dreams By: Sittenfeld, Curtis – Hannah Gavener’s fantasies about family, romance, and love collide headlong with the challenges, complexities, and realities of adult life and relationships.

Prague By: Phillips, Arthur – Five American expatriates living in Budapest in the early 1990s seek to establish themselves and make their fortunes in a city still haunted by the tragedies of its Communist past.

Sex and the City By: Bushnell, Candace – Presents a collection of essays selected from the author’s column in the New York Observer, concerning the interpersonal relationships of the “young and beautiful” residents of New York City.

A Small Death in Lisbon By: Wilson, Robert – When Inspector Ze Coelho investigates the murder of a young girl living in Portugal, he discovers that the crime is somehow linked to Nazi misdeeds six decades earlier.

Time and Again By: Roberts, Nora – After time traveler Caleb Hornblower crash-lands in the twentieth century, he relies on Liberty Stone to help him survive; and Jacob Hornblower heads back into the past to rescue his stranded brother, only to find himself falling for Sunbeam Stone.

Timequake By: Vonnegut, Kurt – After the universe decides to back up ten years and all humans must live through the 1990s again, author Kurt Vonnegut finds himself trying to write a book called Timequake, which he knows he will never finish since he already did not finish it.

What Looks Like Crazy on an Ordinary Day By: Cleage, Pearl – HIV-positive Ava Johnson returns to the Michigan town where she grew up, and finds that what she thought might be the end is, in fact, a beginning.

CHILDREN & TEEN FICTION AND NON-FICTION BOOKS (ADULTS CAN LIKE THESE TOO!)

After Tupac and D Foster By: Jacqueline Woodson – D Foster showed up a few months before Tupac got shot that first time and left us the summer before he died. The day D Foster enters Neeka and her best friend’s lives, the world opens up for them. D comes from a world vastly different from their safe Queens neighborhood, and through her, the girls see another side of life that includes loss, foster families and an amount of freedom that makes the girls envious. Although all of them are crazy about Tupac Shakur’s rap music, D is the one who truly understands the place where he’s coming from, and through knowing D, Tupac’s lyrics become more personal for all of them.

The Day Gogo Went to Vote: South Africa, 1994 By: Sisulu, Elinor – Thembi and her beloved great-grandmother, who has not left the house for many years, go together to vote on the momentous day when black South Africans are allowed to vote for the first time.


Girl of Kosovo By: Meade, Alice – Although Zana, an eleven-year-old Albanian girl, experiences the turmoil and violence of the 1999 conflict in her native Kosovo, she remembers her father’s admonition to not let her heart become filled with hate.

Miseducation of Cameron Post By: Danforth, Emily M. – In the early 1990s, when gay teenager Cameron Post rebels against her conservative Montana ranch town and her family decides she needs to change her ways, she is sent to a gay conversion therapy center.

Peace, Locomotion By: Woodson, Jacqueline – Through letters to his little sister, who is in a different foster home, Lonnie, also known as “Locomotion,” keeps a record of their lives while they are apart, describing his own foster family, including his foster brother who returns home after losing a leg in the Iraq War.

Perks of Being a Wallflower By: Chbosky, Stephen – This is the story of what it’s like to grow up in high school. More intimate than a diary, Charlie’s letters are singular and unique, hilarious and devastating. We may not know where he lives. We may not know to whom he is writing. All we know is the world he shares. Caught between trying to live his life and trying to run from it puts him on a strange course through uncharted territory. The world of first dates and mixed tapes, family dramas and new friends.

The Rifle By: Paulsen, Gary – A priceless, handcrafted rifle, fired throughout the American Revolution, is passed down through the years until it fires on a fateful Christmas Eve of 1994.

Smoky Night By: Bunting, Eve and Diaz, David – During a night of rioting in Los Angeles, fires and looting force neighbors–who have always avoided one another–to come together. David Diaz was awarded the Caldecott Medal for his bold acrylic paint and photo-collage illustrations.

Solider Mom By: Mead, Alice – Eleven-year-old Jasmyn gets a different perspective on life when her mother is sent to Saudi Arabia at the beginning of the Persian Gulf War, leaving her and her baby half-brother behind in Maine in the care of her Mother’s boyfriend.

1990s – History and Programs

Richelle

BRAVE NEW WORLD

Time justified its choice of Albert Einstein as “Person of the Century” with a quotation from Einstein himself, “Politics is for the moment. An equation is for eternity.” However, the technological innovations that bore fruit in the 1990s, such as the Internet, the proliferation of personal computers, and genetic engineering, were all the products of long, painstaking work on the part of thousands of scientists and engineers who measured progress in the smallest of increments and who built on ground broken decades earlier. The changes were, nonetheless, momentous. At the beginning of the Gulf War, reporters for the Cable News Network (CNN) reported live from Baghdad. That reporters could cover the action live already seemed to be taken for granted, but never before had virtually instant coverage of developing events become so crucial and even so expected. Also, though the Internet had existed for decades as a way for computers to communicate with each other, the development of the World Wide Web and easy to use operating systems and programs as well as substantially cheaper, faster, and more powerful computers, gave millions of Americans a way to send e-mail, download music, and buy books “on-line.” The purpose and function of computers had changed: no longer were they used just to compute, but to communicate, advertise, and sell things. People could stay in touch more readily—e-mail seemed less intrusive than a phone call, and neither as formal nor as much trouble as writing a letter—-but in so doing, they became increasingly isolated from their real neighbors. Computers became more powerful, not just in what they enabled people to do, but in the ways their use shaped human behavior and made people dependent on them. The Y2K Bug demonstrated the power and the vulnerability of a digital society. The programming glitch that threatened to crash computers world-wide as their internal clocks turned from “99” to “00” caused doomsday scenarios to seem realistic and even sober people bought electric generators and stored away a few weeks of groceries just in case the electrical and commercial infrastructures failed at the stroke of midnight.

–Read More Here.

Source: McConnell, Tandy. “Introduction.” American Decades. Ed. Judith S. Baughman, et al. Vol. 10: 1990-1999. Detroit: Gale, 2001. Gale U.S. History In Context. Web. 30 July 2012.

Join us this week for these “Between the Decades” Programs.

Decades Documentaries Modern Marvels: 90’s Tech, Tuesday, July 31 @ 2PM – It was the dot com decade that opened up the information superhighway. For the first time you could shop search and surf online with the click of a mouse. “Modern Marvels: 90s Tech” will take you way back to the end of the 20th century and the beginning of today’s trendy technologies. From DVDs to TIVO to GPS we’ll see how the gadgets we can’t live without all started in the 90s. At an Amazon distribution center we’ll follow millions of goods as they are packaged and shipped out. And at Google we’ll learn about the science of creating a search engine. We’ll explore how virtual pet toys were born and how the Furby even created a national security scare. In an interview with two-time World Heavyweight Boxing Champion George Foreman we’ll show you how to “knock the fat out” with one of the best-selling appliances of the decade. And we’ll take you back to the original first-person shooter gaming experience of Wolfenstein 3D.- So chill as Modern Marvels explores the technologies of the 90s.

Decades Movies: Clueless (1990s) – Friday, August 3 @ 2PM – Alicia Silverstone won everyone over with her portrayal of a Beverly Hills teen, Cher, whose penchant for helping others with their relationships and self-esteem is a cover for her own loneliness. Director Amy Heckerling (“Fast Times at Ridgemont High”) made a smart, funny variation on Jane Austen’s novel “Emma”, sweetly romantic and gently satirical of “90210” social manners. The cast is unbeatable: Dan Hedaya as Cher’s rock-solid dad, Wallace Shawn as a geeky teacher, Paul Rudd as the boy who has always been Cher’s surrogate brother–and the true holder of her most secret wishes. (1995, 97min, PG-13