New in DVD

Brooklyn’s Finest – After having endured extremely different career paths, the lives of three disheartened Brooklyn police officers will collide with destiny when they all wind up at the same fatal crime scene.

The Girl With the Dragon Tattoo – Forty years ago, Harriet Vanger disappeared from a family gathering on the island owned and inhabited by the powerful Vanger clan.  Her body was never found and her beloved uncle is convinced she was murdered and that the killer is a member of his own tightly knit but dysfunctional family.  He employs disgraced investigative journalist Mickael Blomkvist and the tattooed and troubled yet resourceful computer hacker Lisbeth Salander to investigate.

Hot Tub Time Machine – The outrageous laughs bubble up when four friends share a crazy night of drinking in a ski resort hot tub, only to wake up with serious hangovers in 1986.   Now, nice-guy Adam, party animal Lou, married man Nick, and mega-nerd Jacob must relive a wild night of sex, drugs and rock-n-roll and try to change their future, forever!

A Single Man – After the death of his longtime partner, a British college professor struggles to find meaning in his life. As he dwells in the past, he begins to contemplate suicide.  A series of events and encounters will lead him to question if there really is a meaning to his life after all.

– posted by Sonia, Readers’ Services

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5 for Road Trips

Although you cringe when the first question from the backseat comes as you turn out of the driveway: “are we there yet?,” road trips are a great experience.  As summer approaches, it is time to start planning:

For a leisurely read about places Off the Beaten Track read the book with that title presented by Readers Digest. This is a wonderful resource arranged state-by-state with maps, listings of seasonal events and brief descriptions of “undervisited” sites. If you want a local jaunt or a more extensive trip, this is a great place to start.

Road Trip USA by Jaimie Jensen, subtitled “cross-country adventures on America’s two-lane highways” offers color-coded and cross-indexed maps and itineraries.  Illustrated with vintage postcards and filled with useful information resource for anyone serious about exploring off-the-interstate America.

Interested in road trips with wonderful scenery? American Back Roads and Byways by Ron Fisher spotlights six areas of the U.S. with spectacular views. The book is filled with tempting National Geographic pictures depicting the areas around Grand Staircase-Escalante (pictured), Cajun country, the Snowbelt, Heart of the Cumberland, Sand Hills and Prairies, and the Olympic Peninsula.

Eating at local restaurants beats out fast food and chains any day. Use Guy Fieri as your guide with his More Diners, Drive-ins and Dives. This updates his earlier book, Diners, Drive-ins and Dives. Both list interesting local eateries and include signature recipes.

If the price of gas deters you from an actual trip, or if you want to have a visual tease for what you might see, try the video series, America’s Most Scenic Drives.

Okay. So this is number six. But I can never miss an opportunity to plug a history book, especially one that is readable.  Before the interstate highway system  and even before there were decent back roads, a caravan of military motor vehicles traveled across the US —300 men traveled in 81 vehicles journeying over road, mud and rock for more than 3200 miles. This was known as the First Transcontinental Motor Train; it was sponsored by the government to call attention to the need for good roads.  Peter Davies tells this adventure story in American Road.  This group of travelers did not have access to the now maligned service areas on the interstates and  there were no souvenir stands!

AND if you have the urge to pick up some souvenirs, check out Roadside Attractions: Cool Cafes, Souvenir Stands, Route 66 Relics, and Other Roadside Fun by Brian and Sarah  Butko.

Have fun and please drive safely!!

– posted by Brenda, Reference Services

New in DVD

Extraordinary Measures – On the fast track and ready to taste the success of corporate America, John Crowley walks away from it all in hopes of finding a cure for two of his fatally ill children. With his wife Aileen by his side, he teams up with brilliant, but unconventional scientist, Dr. Robert Stonehill, and together they form a company to develop a life-saving drug. But just when it appears that a solution may be found, the relationship between the men is tested and the fate of John’s children is at stake.

Invictus – Newly elected President Mandela knows his nation remains racially and economically divided in the wake of apartheid. Believing he can bring his people together through the universal language of sport, Mandela rallies South Africa’s underdog rugby team as they make an unlikely run to the 1995 World Cup Championship match.  Also available on Blu- Ray DVD.

The Messenger – Partnered with hard-line officer Tony Stone, Sgt. Will Montgomery is a battle-scarred war hero home from Iraq and newly assigned to the Army’s Casualty Notification service. He faces this formidable mission while seeking comfort and healing back on the home front when he falls for the wife of a fallen soldier.

The Spy Next Door – Bob Ho is an undercover CIA superspy who decides to give up his career in espionage to settle down with his next-door neighbor and girlfriend, Gillian. But Bob has one more mission to complete before Gillian agrees to marry him; he has to win over her three opinionated kids. When Gillian suddenly has to leave town, Bob volunteers to babysit the children so he can earn their approval.

Valentine’s Day – Follows the intertwining storylines of a diverse group of Los Angelenos as they navigate their way through romance and heartbreak over the course of one Valentine’s Day. Couples and singles experience the pinnacles and pitfalls of finding, keeping or ending relationships in a day in the life of love.

– posted by S0nia, Readers’ Services

New in DVD

Adventureland – A comedy set in the summer of 1987 and centered around a recent college grad  who takes a nowhere job at his local amusement park, only to find it’s the perfect course to get him prepared for the real world.

Fighting – In New York City, a young counterfeiter is introduced to the world of underground street fighting by a seasoned scam artist, who becomes his manager on the bare-knuckling brawling circuit.

Rudo y Cursi – Two siblings rival each other inside the world of professional soccer.

Goodbye Solo – Two men form an unlikely friendship that will change both of their lives forever.

Trouble the Water – An aspiring rap artist and her streetwise husband, armed with a video camera, show what survival is all about when they are trapped in New Orleans by deadly floodwaters, and seize a chance for a new beginning.

– posted by Sonia, Readers’ Services

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