License To Wed

License To Wed is a romantic comedy that stars Robin Williams, Mandy Moore, and Jon Krasinski.

In this movie a newly engaged couple wants to get married in Father Frank's (Williams) church, except the only opening is in the next two years is in three weeks. On top of throwing a wedding together in just 21 days, the couple must also successfully complete Father Frank's wacky pre-marriage counseling course. This couple is in for a wild ride throughout this unconventional, unorthodox course that will put them through the ringer as it tests their love and faith in each other with several off-the-wall tasks and exercises. Can this couple's love survive Father Frank's course in tact?

The hi-lights of this movie include Krasinski's role as the fed up groom and Williams' unlikely antics as the clergyman. The groom's pal, Joel, is also amusing... what is not so amusing is Mandy Moore's acting in this movie. It's often grating and annoying and sappy and cliched. I've seen her in other roles and have not been annoyed. She's comes off as unnatural in this romantic comedy. I think the biggest problem for the movie is the script; the dialogue is often unrealistic, strained and cliched, while some subplots and characters remain undeveloped.

This movie is available upon request from Annville Free Library and Richland Community Library.

--Reviewed by Ms. Angie

It's Alice In Wonderland Time!

The library has posted a new video on our YouTube channel at http://youtube.com/matthewslibrary. It's entitled "All in The Golden Afternoon, Full Leisurely We Glide ...." It spotlights some Alice In Wonderland themed illustrations and graphics. We hope you enjoy it!

The Drowning Tree by Carol Goodman

"It's been thirteen years since I last saw Neil--and fourteen years since we both nearly drowned in the river--and I still dream about him every night, and because he told me once that he believed that we could visit each other in our dreams, I always have the feeling that that is what he's doing--coming to me in my dreams each night. And what really frightens me ... is that a part of both of us was left behind at the bottom of the river ..." page 5, The Drowning Tree

The Drowning Tree by Carol Goodman finally arrived for me here at the library. There is only one copy in the county, and you can request it from Palmyra Public Library if you wish to read it; I recommend you do so--that is, read this book or any book by Carol Goodman. She is a fine writer.

The thing I like the most about Goodman's novels is that they always have a strong literary influence that figures heavily into the plot of the novel itself. Her first novel was heavily influenced by the Latin language--the main character taught it at a private girls' school; The Seduction Of Water was heavily influenced by fairy tales, specifically the Irish tale of the Selkie. The Drowning Tree is heavily influenced by classical Greek and Roman mythology, and it is an important element of the plot. Another reason I like Goodman's novels is that art also has a large place in the story--whether it's teaching, writing, or in this case, stained glass and painting--it adds interest to the story. Another recurring theme in Goodman's novels is a mystery from the past that often intertwines and parallels a mystery that takes place in the present time of the story and often the mystery from the past plays a key role in solving the mystery of the present.

In this novel Juno, Christine and Neil have been friends since college; Juno and Neil marry and have a daughter before he suffers a major mental breakdown that lands him in a loony bin. This threesome is mirrored in the threesome of Clare, Eugenie and August Penrose, who lived 100 years ago; the latter two founded Penrose College which is where Juno, Christine and Neil meet. Christine suffers various crises in her life after college before finally getting her life back on track. She delivers a lecture at the college that presents an unexpectedly scandalous interpretation of the famous stained glass window of thier college that may or may not depict Eugenie Penrose. Then Christine is found dead. The mysteries and complexities of the threesome of Clare, Eugenie and August parallel the threesome of Juno, Christine and Neil. In the end Juno discovers the truth behind the relationships of both threesomes but not without consequences.

There is only The Sonnet Lover left--the last and most recent Goodman novel--to read. Hopefully there is another one forthcoming sometime soon ... like this year? In the meantime, there are some exciting new releases coming up in the first half or so of this year. Kathy Reichs, Karin Slaughter, John Connolly, Jodi Picoult, Alice Hoffman, and Tess Gerritsen are releasing new titles that will be out by the end of this summer. I'm excited to read these new titles; what drives me crazy, though, is that Amazon only has titles and release dates listed for most of these and NO blurbs. I can't wait for these books to finally arrive.

--Reviewed by Ms. Angie

Zodiac

I was updating the library's official webpages on the county library site earlier this evening, and there were some issues that were really frustrating. I decided to post a review to cheer myself up. Only this review isn't about a comedy, it's about a drama with subject matter that is only a little disturbing.

FYI: if you go to our page on the county site, and there are issues with font size, etc. please bear with me... I will prevail and make that site bend to my will! Insert evil cackle here. Yes, the frustration with the website has finally sent me over the edge.

Zodiac stars the very talented and always cute, Jake Gyllenhaal, Mark Ruffalo, and Robert Downey, Jr. The DVD is available upon request from Annville Free Library. I am always most annoyed when a DVD comes without any special features... and this is one of those DVD's because apparently they are saving them all for the director's cut. And do you know what else? I am also always annoyed when a DVD does not have any previews; I feel ripped off when there aren't any coming attractions. Oh, well.

This movie is based on a true story; in fact, I believe it is the film adaptation of the book of the same title by Gyllenhaal's character, Robert Graysmith. It tells the story of the serial murders committed by a killer who called himself "Zodiac." The action takes place in northern California in the 1970's. When the police investigation stalls and the case goes cold, Graysmith decides to pick up his own investigation which is portrayed in the movie. Eventually his research solves the mystery of the identity of the Zodiac killer but not before his investigation becomes an obsession that takes over his life and destroys his marriage. While this is a very long movie, it is also a very good movie, very fast paced--the movie skips ahead in time by days, weeks, months, sometimes years to advance its narrative. This device can be confusing and hard to keep track of for someone who is not mathmatically minded. While it is a dramatic movie about disturbing events, it also has its lighter moments. For example, one day Graysmith enlists his young children's help in tracking missing persons' dates of disappearance and tells his children not to tell mommy about this because this is "their secret project." Slightly inappropriate, but still amusing nonetheless.

Gyllenhaal's performance is one of the most interesting in the movie as we witness his editorial cartoonist turned investigative reporter/author descend into obsession and go to great lengths and great risks to solve the mystery.

I enjoyed this movie, and if you like mysteries and true crime stories, you will also enjoy this one.

--Reviewed by Ms. Angie

300

The movie 300 stars Gerard Butler, Lena Headey, Rodrigo Santoro, and Dominic West; it is based on the graphic novel of the same title by Frank Miller (also of Sin City fame, I believe).

When I put this DVD in the player, I really didn't think I would like it as much I did. I didn't even expect to get through the entire movie. There have been one or two movies (remember The New World ? I don't think I made it past the opening scenes before I stopped the DVD for that one) that I haven't been able to finish watching (and many more books that I've never been able to finish reading), and I thought this movie might be number three. However, I was pleasantly surprised.

The movie tells the tale of the legendary Battle of Thermopylae. I know. Legendary? I never heard of the battle until this movie, but it is inspired by an actual battle that was fought many--many--years ago. Ancient Greece is threatened by the invading legion army of Persia's King Xerxes who fancies himself a god. The kind of Sparta takes 300 (this is how the movie gets its title) of his elite soldiers to the coast to hold at bay the thousands strong Persian army. Ultimately, it is a suicide mission, and these brave soldiers give up thier lives for Greece--for Freedom! Sound the rallying battle cry! Time to march to war.

This movie brings a great story and great action as well as stunning, sometimes eerie images. There are graphicly violent, harrowing battle scenes. And the narrator who frames the tale within the movie does his job well. Although you may recognize some of the actors' names listed earlier who star in this film don't expect to easily recognize them in their roles here. They are so transformed by their roles that they're unrecognizable.

I hope you will check out this movie the next time you visit the library. It is available in the DVD section of the Matthews Public Library and upon request from Annville Free Library.

--Reviewed by Ms. Angie

The Seduction Of Water by Carol Goodman

This is the third book by Carol Goodman that I've read... and I'm not really sure how many others there are. So far all three books have in some way incorporated the elements of a struggling writer trying to solve the mysteries that haunt her or her family's past. In this case, The Seduction Of Water, tells the tale of a struggling writer/professor who is drawn to her childhood home to unravel the mysteries of her murdered mother's (who also happened to be a writer) past and her death. The journey to find these answers is both suspenseful and thrilling, not to mention twist filled. Along the way, she finds love with an unlikely (and some would say ill-advised) person.

The themes of this book include writing, teaching, a daughter's search for the mother she never really knew, and the idea that stories and knowledge are passed down through the generations from a mother to her daughter and how these stories are often interlaced with elements of our own stories as well. This book was especially meaningful to me because the fairy tale genre, specifically the Irish tale of the Selkie, both is heavily interwoven and heavily influences the story.

Now I must write on the romance element that is often found in Goodman's books. I'm never one for romance--I hate "Harlequin romances" with a passion, mostly because they are sappy, cliched, predictable, and poorly written--unless (and only unless) it is done well in a novel's story. When I say "done well," I mean subtley. Although Goodman's books always include the main character finding love, the main point of the story is always the main character's inner struggle to make peace and find resolution with the conflicts that litter her past. The main point is never for the main character to find love.

Goodman's novels are always well-written and a satisfying read. I am looking forward to reading the next one I have on reserve, called The Drowning Tree. Well, I'll read it if it ever comes in on reserve. So keep your fingers crossed.

You can request The Seduction Of Water from Lebanon Community Library or Palmyra Public Library to read. I hope you do because you won't regret it.

--Reviewed by Ms. Angie

New Arrivals In Easy Fiction & Non-Fiction and Juvenile Non-fiction!

The library has added the following titles to Easy Fiction and Non-fiction and Juvenile Non-fiction. Check them out the next time you're in the library!

Easy Reader Fiction
Treasure by Suzanne Bloom; E/Blo
Diary Of A Worm by Doreen Cronin;E/Cro
I Saw An Ant In A Parking Lot by Joshua Prince; E/Pri
Mom And Dad Don't Live Together Anymore by Kathy Stinson; E/Sti
Zinnia's Flower Garden by Monica Wellington; E/Wel

Easy Reader Non-fiction
Scholastic First Discovery: Endangered Animals [no author lister]; E/591.04
Scholastic First Discovery: The Universe [no author listed]; E/520

Juvenile Non-fiction
Trout Are Made Of Trees by April Pulley Sayre; J/577.16
Rabbit's Gift by George Shannon; J/398.2

New Arrivals In CD's, Juvenile and YA Fiction!

The library is adding several titles to its CD, Juvenile and Young Adult fiction sections. All of these sections are located downstairs. Titles will be listed alphabetically by section. Check them out the next time you're at the library!

CD
You're Gonna Get It! by Tom Petty and the Heartbreakers; CD/133

YA Fiction
The Way by Joseph Bruchac; YA/Fic/Bru
At Home In Mossy Creek by various authors; YA/Fic/Smi

Juvenile Fiction
Ivy & Bean #1: Ivy and Bean by Annie Barrows and Sophie Blackall; J/Fic/Bar
Ivy & Bean #2: Ivy and Bean and the Ghost That Had To Go by Annie Barrows and Sophie Blackall;J/Fic/Bar
Trolls United by Alan MacDonald;J/Fic/Mac
The Mozart Question by Michael Morpurgo; J/Fic/Mor
Jack Russell: Dog Detective #5: The Awful Pawful by Darrel & Sally Odgers; J/Fic/Odg
Junie B. First Grader #26: Aloha-ha-ha by Barbara Parker;J/Fic/Par
Nate The Great Talks Turkey by Marjorie Weinman Sharmat and Mitchell Sharmat; J/Fic/Sha
Adam Canfield Watch Your Back! by Michael Winerip; J/Fic/Win

New Arrivals In DVD's!

The library has added several new titles to its DVD section located downstairs. Here are the titles, listed alphabetically. They are located at the call numbers DVD/358 through DVD/364. We hope you'll check them out on your next visit!

Elvis #1 Hit Performances
Hairspray
High School Musical 2
Pirates Of The Caribbean 3: At World's End
Snowy River: The McGregor Saga--"The Race"
Tulsa
When The West WAs Fun: A Western Reunion