Staff Reviews: Books, Films, Music, and More

...and So You Want to Talk About Race Children's Librarian Lee Dabney recommends The Big Umbrella and So You Want to Talk About Race. For those of you who don’t know me, I am the story-time lady. Every Monday at 10:30 a.m. a group of tiny people and their caregivers join me for stories and an activity.  The past few months, I have been going through the alphabet letter-by-letter as inspiration for our weekly themes. On February 14, the letters were U and V. … [Read more...] about Book Review: The Big Umbrella…

Library Assistant Andrea Nelson recommends The Paris Library: A Novel by Janet Skeslien Charles. It was Miss Reeder who said about books that 'no other thing possesses that mystical faculty to make people see with other people's eyes. The Library is a bridge between cultures.'The Paris Library As Hitler's troops advance across Europe, Odile Souchet avoids old men and their constant talk of war. Germany stands no chance against France's superior army and its Maginot Line, bien sûr! Like … [Read more...] about Book Review: The Paris Library

Gold Mine Managing Director, Craig Barry, recommends Tripping to Dickeyland by Michael Hanson. Tripping to Dickeyland is a wonderful mixture of a writer’s friendships, aspirations, admirations, and fears—the stuff that fuels much of our lives, and the brushes with which all artists use to leave their marks. Hanson's memoir explores the major influences in his life — such as James Dickey, his work and character; his deep friendship with his childhood friend, Chris Fuhrman, who would … [Read more...] about Book Review: Tripping to Dickeyland

Community Library Assistant and English Language Instructor Karen Little recommends Owls of the Eastern Ice: A Quest to Find and Save the World’s Largest Owl, by Jonathan C. Slaght. An owl that feeds mostly on fish? Particularly salmon? How odd. Not strange at all for the Blakiston’s fish owl, world’s largest and one of the rarest owls. Jonathan Slaght, author, scientist, and conservationist, describes this fish-eating owl, “Bigger than any owl he knew, it looked … [Read more...] about Book Review: Owls of the Eastern Ice

Director of Philanthropy Carter Hedberg recommends the film Strangers on a Train, directed by Alfred Hitchcock, based on the book by Patricia Highsmith. Can you imagine being a writer and having your first published novel made into a major motion picture, much less a film directed by Alfred Hitchcock! That’s the case with one of my favorite authors, Patricia Highsmith. Her first novel, Strangers on a Train, was adapted for the big screen and released in 1951. I recently … [Read more...] about Book Review: Strangers on a Train

Community Library Assistant and English Language Instructor Janet Ross-Heiner recommends Powder Days, by Heather Hansman, and other related reads. Covid and the good life have attributed to the floodgates of rapid growth in our mountain villages. We are all facing new realities. I remember Ketchum during the 1960s before the condo-centric wave came and the population was 750. Today we stand at 4,000 plus, depending on the season. During the growth of the 60s my father often … [Read more...] about Book Review: “Powder Days” by Heather Hansman, and More