Invention of Air: A Story of Science, Faith, Revolution, and the Birth of America by Steven Johnson (540.92 JOH)
Fame fades. Two centuries ago, readers in America, Great Britain, and on the European continent knew Joseph Priestley well. Now his name sounds familiar, but many find him hard to … Continue reading
“Lonely Woman” by Ornette Coleman
Track #24 on Thommy Ford’s Playlist There is a persistent notion of the avant-garde jazz musician as a solitary maverick, squealing away in a closed-off world of personal expression. A … Continue reading
Tenth of December by George Saunders (FICTION SAUNDERS)
Earlier this year, listening to episodes of the New York Times Book Review Podcast, I kept hearing that short stories were back in vogue. New collections, such as Astray by … Continue reading
The Way of Kings by Brandon Sanderson
I’ll start with a confession that’s likely to ruin my cred with fantasy readers: I don’t like Robert Jordan’s beloved Wheel of Time series. The first book was great, the second … Continue reading
“Help Me” by Joni Mitchell
Track #23 on Thommy Ford’s Playlist By 1974, Canadian singer/songwriter Joni Mitchell had plenty of loyal fans and had won much praise from music critics for her inventive lyrics and strange … Continue reading
Three Great Novels about Jazz
Young Man with a Horn by Dorothy Baker: Some call this 1938 tale the first jazz novel. There were certainly depictions of jazz music in many earlier books, but none that … Continue reading
“Girl U Want” by Devo
Track #22 on Thommy Ford’s Playlist It’s one of Devo’s most memorable moments. The riff is perfect—a hard edged single note guitar line that’s doubled by a trebley synth to … Continue reading
Popular Books Being Published in June 2013
Be among the first to get this month’s new books. You may now reserve these bound-to-be-popular titles being published in June. Astronaut Wives Club by Lily Koppel Bad Monkey by … Continue reading
38 Nooses: Lincoln, Little Crow, and the Beginning of the Frontier’s End by Scott W. Berg (973.7 BER)
With a growing interest in the history of the state of Minnesota and continuing interest in Abraham Lincoln, I chose naturally to read 38 Nooses: Lincoln, Little Crow, and the … Continue reading
“When the Springtime Comes Again” by John Fahey
Track #21 on Thommy Ford’s Playlist I don’t really know how to sell people on the solo guitar music of John Fahey. “No really, that stuffy looking guy playing old … Continue reading
The Whispering Muse by Sjon
I love it when a story can be many-layered and still work as a simple adventure tale. It’s not a balance you find often. Borges could do it, Nabokov too, … Continue reading
The Year Without Summer: 1816 and the Volcano That Darkened the World and Changed History by William K. Klingman and Nicholas P. Klingman (551.21 KLI)
Snow in July in New Hampshire. Hard frost in Virginia every month of the year. Constant rain and flooding all summer in Switzerland. 1816 was a very strange year and … Continue reading
Thommy Ford’s Playlist—Track #20: “Parsonz Curse”
Welcome to our series highlighting the music we have here at Thomas Ford Memorial Library. Each week of 2013 we will discuss one of our favorite songs from the collection. … Continue reading
Red House Mystery by A.A. Milne (M MILNE)
Matthew has been restocking our genre collections with classics and rare finds. Among the latter is a book by A. A. Milne. Who now would guess that Milne was a … Continue reading
Memorable Mothers
Happy Mother’s Day! In honor of the occasion, here are a few memorable mothers from the Thomas Ford library collection. “Lost and Found” by Carolyn Parkhurst After a traumatic family … Continue reading
Thommy Ford’s Playlist—Track #19: “Don’t Cry for Me Argentina”
Welcome to our series highlighting the music we have here at Thomas Ford Memorial Library. Each week of 2013 we will discuss one of our favorite songs from the collection. … Continue reading
Moms in the Movies
There have been a lot of memorable mothers in film, and with Mother’s Day right around the corner, it’s a great time to stop by the Library to pick up … Continue reading
11/22/63 by Stephen King
On November 22, 2013 it will be 50 years since John F. Kennedy was shot. What if someone could go back in time and prevent it? This tantalizing question is … Continue reading
Thommy Ford’s Playlist—Track #18: “Zomby Woof”
Welcome to our series highlighting the music we have here at Thomas Ford Memorial Library. Each week of 2013 we will discuss one of our favorite songs from the collection. … Continue reading
Popular Books Being Published in May 2013
Be among the first to get this month’s new books. You may now reserve these bound-to-be-popular titles being published in May. And the Mountains Echoed by Khaled Hosseini Bunker Hill … Continue reading
Mr. Penumbra’s 24-Hour Bookstore by Robin Sloan (Fiction Sloan)
“… the right book exactly, at exactly the right time.” Who is to say I would not have liked Mr. Penumbra’s 24-Hour Bookstore by Robin Sloan as much or more if … Continue reading
Thommy Ford’s Playlist—Track #17: “Angel of Bergen-Belsen”
Welcome to our new series highlighting the music we have here at Thomas Ford Memorial Library. Each week of 2013 we will discuss one of our favorite songs from the … Continue reading
The Poisoned Chocolates Case by Anthony Berkeley
Anthony Berkeley’s The Poisoned Chocolates Case has a reputation for being a particularly tricky puzzle of a mystery novel. It’s why I picked it up. It certainly didn’t disappoint on … Continue reading
Pictures at a Revolution: Five Movies and the Birth of the New Hollywood by Mark Harris (791.43 HAR)
In telling stories about the five 1967 Academy Award Nominees for Best Picture (announced in 1968), Mark Harris, author of Pictures at a Revolution: Five Movies and the Birth of … Continue reading
Thommy Ford’s Playlist—Track #16: “Lush Life”
Welcome to our series highlighting the music we have here at Thomas Ford Memorial Library. Each week of 2013 we will discuss one of our favorite songs from the collection. … Continue reading
Type: A Visual History of Typefaces and Graphic Styles, 1628-1938
Type (686.224 TYP) is a massive two volume set from Taschen that allows readers to peruse 300 years worth of type specimens. True to their name, type specimens were created by … Continue reading
Aerogrammes and Other Stories by Tania James (Media on Demand)
The popularity of short stories is growing, according to commentators on the New York Times Book Review podcasts. They cite recent titles, such as Tenth of December by George Saunders, … Continue reading
Thommy Ford’s Playlist—Track #15: “I Can’t Quit You Baby”
Welcome to our series highlighting the music we have here at Thomas Ford Memorial Library. Each week of 2013 we will discuss one of our favorite songs from the collection. … Continue reading
Maisie Dobbs: A Novel by Jacqueline Winspear (M Winspear)
British women mystery authors have brought much joy to readers over the last century. Following in the tradition of Agatha Christie, Margery Allingham, P. D. James, and others is now … Continue reading
Cotton Comes to Harlem by Chester Himes
I’ve been meaning to read Chester Himes for years now. Somehow, I’ve found him hard to come by. Thomas Ford is the first library I’ve worked at that carries his … Continue reading
Thommy Ford’s Playlist—Track #14: “I Lost My Girl to an Argentinian Cowboy”
Welcome to our series highlighting the music we have here at Thomas Ford Memorial Library. Each week of 2013 we will discuss one of our favorite songs from the collection. … Continue reading
Free eBook Review: Hugh Selwyn Mauberley by Ezra Pound
April is National Poetry Month. We’ve got a display of our favorite poetry books at the front of the library all month, so stop by and check something out. Meanwhile, … Continue reading
Popular Books Being Published in April 2013
Be among the first to get this month’s new books. You may now reserve these bound-to-be-popular titles being published in April. 12th of Never by James Patterson Blood of Dragons … Continue reading
Thommy Ford’s Playlist—Track #13: “Lyrics of Fury”
Welcome to our series highlighting the music we have here at Thomas Ford Memorial Library. Each week of 2013 we will discuss one of our favorite songs from the collection. … Continue reading
Vivian Maier: Out of the Shadows by Richard Cahan and Michael Williams (779.092 MAIER)
Every time I read a book, there is someone to thank. The author obviously and whoever helped get the book published. Right now, however, I am thinking about librarians, and … Continue reading
Thommy Ford’s Playlist—Track #12: “The Yellow Rose of Texas”
Welcome to our new series highlighting the music we have here at Thomas Ford Memorial Library. Each week of 2013 we will discuss one of our favorite songs from the … Continue reading
A Bounty of Blandings by P. G. Wodehouse (Fiction Wodehouse)
Blandings Castle is a wonderful place. With fresh air, quiet, and gardens full of beautiful flowers, it is just the place to be alone. If only the ninth Earl of … Continue reading
Thommy Ford’s Playlist—Track #11: “Jesus Christ Pose”
Welcome to our series highlighting the music we have here at Thomas Ford Memorial Library. Each week of 2013 we will discuss one of our favorite songs from the collection. … Continue reading
Organized Crime in Chicago: Beyond the Mafia by Robert M. Lombardo
Reading the history Organized Crime in Chicago: Beyond the Mafia by Robert M. Lombardo, I am particularly struck by how the author explains the role of organized crime in city … Continue reading
Thommy Ford’s Playlist—Track #10: “Chasin’ the Bird”
Welcome to our series highlighting the music we have here at Thomas Ford Memorial Library. Each week of 2013 we will discuss one of our favorite songs from the collection. … Continue reading
The Scar by Marina and Sergey Dyachenko
Fantasy books rarely take the side of the bully. They’re usually all about orphans or outcasts or hobbits overcoming great odds and showing the value of the little folk. Instead, … Continue reading
Astray by Emma Donoghue (Fiction Donoghue)
I do not read much fiction, but I listened to an intriguing interview with Emma Donoghue on an NPR Books podcast recently. She spoke about her latest book, a collection … Continue reading
Thommy Ford’s Playlist—Track #9: “Just One More Day”
Welcome to our series highlighting the music we have here at Thomas Ford Memorial Library. Each week of 2013 we will discuss one of our favorite songs from the collection. … Continue reading
Unusual Uses for Olive Oil by Alexander McCall Smith
He’s back. American readers first learned of Professor Dr Dr Moritz-Maria von Igelfeld, a learned philologist and author of the much-acclaimed and little-read 1200-page Portuguese Irregular Verbs, in 2005 when … Continue reading
Thommy Ford’s Playlist—Track #8: “Blue Eyes Crying in the Rain”
Welcome to our series highlighting the music we have here at Thomas Ford Memorial Library. Each week of 2013 we will discuss one of our favorite songs from the collection. … Continue reading
Near to the Wild Heart by Clarice Lispector
Suddenly she looked at everything with distaste… “Oi, oi,oi…” she murmured wearily and then wondered: what’s going to happen now now now? And always in the sliver of time that … Continue reading
On Assignment with National Geographic: The Inside Story of Legendary Explorers, Photographers, and Adventurers by Mark Collins Jenkins (910 JEN)
2013 is the 125th anniversary of the National Geographic Society. In celebration, the society has publishing several books, including On Assignment with National Geographic: The Inside Story of Legendary Explorers, … Continue reading
Thommy Ford’s Playlist—Track #7: “God Moves on the Water”
Welcome to our series highlighting the music we have here at Thomas Ford Memorial Library. Each week of 2013 we will discuss one of our favorite songs from the collection. … Continue reading
Mrs. Kennedy and Me by Clint Hill with Lisa McCubbin
Mrs. Kennedy and Me is available in audio (BOCD Hill NF), or in a print edition with wonderful photographs (B Hill) If JFK’s time in office was Camelot, Secret Service Agent … Continue reading
Listen to Your Hearts
Conversation hearts: that chalky sweet reminder of Valentine’s Day that lingers (in your molars) long after the chocolate has melted away. Their phrases are by turns charming and mystifying, but … Continue reading
