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As a young child I remember when the first Jurassic Park movie came out, and how I was wowed by its fantastic visual effects.

It wasn't until junior high when I read Michael Crichton's novel that I discovered just how vastly different the movie was from the book, a discovery I would later learn was true of most adaptations.

As time went on, I learned to appreciate some of these movies for what they were. My hope is the new Netflix version of Death Note will be no exception.​

Continue Reading "Hollywood’s Remakapalooza" →

Forget New Years resolutions.  My true "new" year starts in September. (Or I guess August. Because these days school starts in the MIDDLE OF THE SUMMER! But I digress.) 

Whether you are ten or (just two months short of) fifty, Fall equals the chance to begin again! 

Get back on track!

Quit being such a slacker!

Tackle all those challenges looming out there in the not so far off future.

Good thing the library offers everything I need to succeed.

Here's my Fall 2017 "This Time I'm Really Gonna Do It" reading list.  

 Some of these books are brand new and still on order. Place a hold so you can get it as soon as it arrives on the DPPL shelves.  Learn how to place a hold here.

Beauty and the Beast (2017)

It tries hard to capture the magic of the original animated film, and is remarkably well done for what it tries to be, so I'd definitely recommend giving it a watch if you haven't already.

The Jungle Book (2016)

A really solid adaptation of the original animated film, I really enjoyed watching this one and can't recommend it enough.

Death Note (2006-2007 Anime)

A solid animated series about a mysterious book called a Death Note that can kill anyone who's name is written in it, and the teenager who comes to possess it. In ways, it's almost like a reverse mystery in a similar vein as Columbo, in that you know the main character is the killer. But you get to watch both how he covers his tracks, as well as how L and other police and detectives attempt to to uncover his identity. Overall it's a remarkable story, and one of my favorite series'. A word of caution: this one is intended for slightly more mature audiences.

Death Note (2006 Japanese movie)

A Japanese live action adaptation of the series, this one mostly follows an abbreviated version of the original story, but improves upon it in a few ways that make the story flow a bit better in places, as well as changing and fixing the ending, which some (including myself) considered to be the biggest weak point of the original story. It's in Japanese, but it does have English subtitles. There are additional movies that were made after this one as well so if you enjoy this one, be sure to ask the Readers Services folks for help finding the other movies. As with its anime counterpart, this is also intended for more mature audiences.​​

Red Dawn (2012)

A little more action-focused than its '80s predecessor, the story falls a little short in some places. As far as the story and plot goes there's a few plot holes big enough to ride an elephant through, and a lot of convenient coincidences. Otherwise, it's not too terrible. Overall the action scenes are choreographed well enough to make it an allright action movie if nothing else. My only real complaint is the way the movie ends felt a little abrupt, especially compared to its '80s counterpart. It sort of just ends, without any real lead up to the actual ending, where as the original at least felt like it reached a more proper conclusion.

Ghost in the Shell (2017)

It sort of hits some of the same beats as the original film, but quickly goes off and spins into its own separate story of self discovery for the main character, known mostly just as Major. If you're not familiar with the series, don't worry, this is written in a way where it can stand on its own merits (while not necessarily living up to the anime and manga it's based off of).

Four Tendencies: The Surprising Truth About the Hidden Personality Types That Drive Everything We Do

By Gretchen Rubin

Pretty sure I'm a Rebel. With a (very) heavy dose of Obliger. Hoping this book will help me find the will power to tackle the rest of this list.  

The Pioneer Woman Cooks: Come and Get It!: Simple, Scrumptious Recipes for Crazy Busy Lives

by Ree Drummond

This year I'm REALLY going to cook nutritous homemade meals. That are not Stoffers. Seriously. Maybe.

The Miracle Morning: The Not-So-Obvious Secret Guaranteed to Transform Your Life Before 8AM

by Hal Elrod

Not sure what this is all about, but SIGN ME UP! Except for the 8 am part. 
 

American Girls: Social Media and the Secret Lives of Teenagers

by Nancy Jo Sales

My 13 year old is a sweetie. And social media obsessed.  I'm going to need to read up.
 

The Ultimate Guide to Raising Teens and Tweens: Strategies for Unlocking Your Child's Full Potential

by Douglas Haddad

My 10 year old is (also) a sweetie. And also social media obessed. And obsessed with any thing her 13 year old sister does. I'm going to need to read up.

 

 

Make Your Bed: Little Things That Can Change Your Life...and Maybe the World

by Admiral William H. McRaven

Girls, listen up.  (Heather, listen up!) Just make your bed already!

 

 

Side Hustle

by Chris Guillebeau

Because College. Is. Just. Four. Years. OFF!

The Ultimate Scholarship Book

Because College. Is. Just. Four. Years. OFF!  And it's never to soon to understand your options.

Journal Sparks: Fire Up Your Creativity With Spontaneous Art, Wild Writing, and Inventive Thinking

by Emily K. Neuburger

Because who doesn't want to be more spontaneous, wild and inventive (wink). Sign me up!

But what happens if your little one finds storytime over stimulating or has trouble sitting still because of sensory sensitivities or other special needs?

While children of all abilities are invited to participate in their age-appropriate storytime, we know that it can be a bit overwhelming for some families.

Continue Reading "Sensory Sensitive? Sensory Storytime!" →

On the latest episode of the Pint and Click Podcast, Dave, Tony, Joel and special guest Joanne discuss the new season of Game Of Thrones and Spider-Man: Homecoming, the latest film reboot of the Marvel Comics franchise, directed by Jon Watts. Take a listen below:

To hear previous episodes of the Pint & Click Podcast, subscribe with iTunes or visit the Podomatic page to listen and share. Also, if you enjoy the podcast and have a free moment, take a moment to rate and review us on iTunes - it helps others find the podcast more easily!

It can be tough to be new.

You just moved to Des Plaines. You don't know anybody.

How do you find your way? Where do you go?

To the Des Plaines Public Library, of course.

The library? You bet.

Continue Reading "New Kid in Town. Tips for Des Plaines Newcomers." →