Gramophone Hall of Fame - 2012

As Gramophone approaches its 90th birthday in April 2013, the following  musicians, producers, engineers and executives were chosen  for their talent, vision and genius - making the classical music industry what it is today.

Claudio Abbado - Conductor*

Marta Argerich - Pianist

Claudio Arrau - Pianist
Dame Janet Baker - Mezzo-soprano

Sir John Barbirolli - Conductor

Daniel Barenboim - Pianist and conductor

Cecilia Bartoli - Mezzo-soprano

Beaux Arts Trio - Piano trio

Sir Thomas Beecham - Conductor

Leonard Bernstein - Conductor and pianist*

Jussi Bjorling - Tenor

Pierre Boulez - Conductor and composer

Dennis Brain - Horn player

Alfred Brendel - Pianist

Maria Callas - Soprano*

Enrico Caruso - Tenor

Pablo Casals - Cellist and conductor

John Culshaw - Producer

Joyce Didonato - Mezzo-soprano

Placido Domingo - Tenor and conductor

Jacqueline Du Pre - Cellist

Dietrich Fischer-Dieskau - Baritone and conductor

Wilhelm Furtwangler - Conductor*

Sir John Eliot Gardiner - Conductor

Glenn Gould - Pianist

Nikolaus Harnoncourt - Conductor

Jascha Heifetz - Violinist

Vladimir Horowitz - Pianist

Herbert Von Karajan - Conductor*

Carlos Kleiber - Conductor

Otto Klemperer - Conductor

Lang Lang - Pianist

Walter Legge - Producer
Yehudi Menuhin - Violinist and conductor

Birgit Nilsson - Soprano

David Oistrakh - Violinist

Luciano Pavarotti - Tenor

Murray Perahia - Pianist and conductor

Itzhak Perlman - Violinist

Ted Perry - Record label founder

Maurizio Pollini - Pianist

Sir Simon Rattle - Conductor

Sviatoslav Richter - Pianist

Mstislav Rostropovich - Cellist and conductor

Arthur Rubinstein - Pianist

Elizabeth Schwarzkopf - Soprano

Sir Georg Solti - Conductor

Dame Joan Sutherland - Soprano

Takacs Quartet - String quartet

Arturo Toscanini - Conductor

* Top Quintet

Let the Games Begin!

As far as can be determined, the Olympic Games started in 776 BC, open only to Greek citizens, held in Olympia and were dedicated to the Olympian gods. They were originally just one-day events, but were extended to three days in 684 BC, and later to five days.

The ancient games included running, long jump, shot put, javelin, boxing, pankration (a primitive form of martial art that combined wrestling and boxing) and equestrian events (which included chariot races).

Today, there is the summer Olympic Games and the winter Olympic Games.  Many of the games are still the same, but new sports have been added such as golf, basketball, snowboarding and skiing. Athletes now come from different countries to compete in the games, which are held every four years in a different city of the world.

There are several documentary films available at the Library including The First Olympics, and The Official History of the Modern Olympics. There are also DVDs specific to a particular year: Beijing 2008 Highlights, and Vancouver 2010. For a bit of fun, watch Cool Runnings, a feature film loosely based on the Jamaican Bobsled team.

This year the Olympic Games began in London starting July 27.

If "Gone Girl" is Gone...

Who can explain the enormous popularity of Gillian Flynn’s new crime novel, Gone Girl? The book skyrocketed to number two on the New York Times bestseller list in its first week, and soon claimed the top spot. Maybe it’s the plot: When Amy disappears from her mansion on the Mississippi River, all eyes turn toward her husband, Nick, the town’s golden boy, who becomes increasingly evasive and inappropriate. Even as the evidence mounts against him, Nick stubbornly maintains his innocence. The book’s great appeal could also be due to Flynn’s writing, which has been variously described as "ice-pick sharp," "pitch-black," "comical," and "creepily unforgettable."

If you are waiting for a copy of Gone Girl, or you’ve read it and are looking for something similar, here are a few other character-driven, intricately-plotted, suspenseful books to try:

Gillian Flynn’s other books: 

 Dark Places: A Novel

 Sharp Objects: A Novel

Tana French:  

 The Likeness

 In the Woods

 Faithful Place: a novel

  

Kate Atkinson: 
 Case Histories

 One Good Turn

 When Will There Be Good News

 Started Early, Took My Dog

 
Erin Kelly: 

The Poison Tree

The Dark Rose

   

Patricia Highsmith:  Edith’s Diary

Rosamund Lupton:  Sister

S. J. Watson:  Before I Go To Sleep

Dorothy B. Hughes:  Ride the Pink Horse and Two Other Great Mysteries

If you prefer a DVD, try In a Lonely Place starring Humphrey Bogart (from the book by Dorothy B. Hughes).

Get Ready for Fall with College Planning

Fall programming for teens includes two college prep seminars at the Glenview Public Library.

Thanks to our partnership with College Nannies and Tutors, we are able to bring high school students two great courses in the upcoming quarter.  Start your college planning early by attending the ACT Reading Workshop on Wednesday, September  12th from 7-8PM.  A professional tutor will be on hand from College Nannies and Tutors  to guide students through the reading portion of the ACT test.  Tips will be given on how to do your best on this major section of the test.  Follow up on Saturday, October 6th with the ACT Prep Test from 12:45-4:45PM.  The Library has provided this practice test several times and is happy to be able to do this again for the Fall.  Students have an opportunity to take an actual ACT Test, and then spend time going over the answers with these professional tutors.  A great way to get valueable experience before taking the test. 

Register for these classes any time through the Glenview Public Library web site at http://www.glenviewpl.org/ and click on Calendar and Events, or by calling 847-729-7500 and ask for the Reader Services Desk.  A staff person would be happy to assist you. 

Silent August

Our Glenviewings summer film series "The Year's Best II" wraps up in August with a screening of the black and white silent film that swept the Oscars this year.  As the dog days of summer are upon us, come beat the heat and join us for screenings of The Artist at 2:00 and 6:30 on Friday, August 17th.  While you're at it, why not use your new plan to see this film at the library as inspiration to check out some other movies of the silent era that we have in our collection? Take a look at Charlie Chaplin's classic City Lights or something from the Buster Keaton Collection.  If you need some more recommendations of silent films, please stop by the audiovisual room and ask for help. We'll see you at the movies!

Forthcoming Fiction for August

Here are some titles coming out this August. You can reserve these by going to our Online Catalog, or by calling the Reader Services Desk at 847-729-7500 x7600!

 

Wards of Faerie : The Dark Legacy of Shannara by Terrie Brooks

Sneaky Pie for President by Rita Mae Brown

Not My Blood by Barbara Cleverly

The Crime of Julian Wells by Thomas H. Cook

The Bartender s Tale by Ivan Doig

Cat in a White Tie and Tails by Carole Nelson Douglas

No Footprints: A Darcy Lott Mystery by Susan Dunlap

By Starlight by Dorothy Garlock

Sweet Talk by Julie Garwood

Last to Die by Tess Gerritsen

The Kingmaker s Daughter by Philippa Gregory

The Spymasters : A Men at War Novel by W.E.B. Griffin

Time Untime by Sherrilyn Kenyon

Trickster s Point by William Kent Krueger

Death of a Neighborhood Witch by Laura Levine

And When She Was Good by Laura Lippman

The Inn at Rose Harbor by Debbie Macomber

No Way

to Kill a Lady by Nancy Martin

Fate of Worlds : Return from the Ringworld by Larry Niven

The Beautiful Mystery : A Chief Inspector Gamache Novel by Louise Penny

A Sunless Sea by Anne Perry

Bones Are Forever by Kathy Reichs

The St. Zita Society by Ruth Rendell

The Last Victim by Karen Robards

Off the Grid by P.J. Tracy

Line of Fire by Stephen White

Hostage by Elie Wiesel

Return to Willow Lake by Susan Wiggs

Have Audiobook - Will Travel

Whether it’s a couple preparing for a long car trip to a favorite vacation destination or someone just trying to make a long and frustrating commute more bearable, suddenly it seems that more and more people are asking for audiobook recommendations.

Recommending an audiobook can be tricky business. A well-reviewed print title may not always yield a satisfying listening experience. Not only does an audiobook need a compelling story, whether fiction or nonfiction, but narration is critical. A great narrator’s performance can make a book come alive, while a poor narration can make a great book fall flat. Quality production techniques are also critical to enhancing a high quality listening experience.

Below is just a sampling of recently published audiobooks that have been acknowledged for their excellence. Any one of them might be a great companion on your next car trip. All titles are available at the library in CD format. Most titles listed can also be downloaded. For additional audiobook recommendations, please stop by the Audiovisual Department desk. We'll be glad to offer further suggestions. Happy travels!

Biography/Memoir
Bossypants by Tina Fey, read by Tina Fey 
Fey's very funny memoir has received accolades from almost every organization that recognizes excellence in audiobooks.
Here Comes Trouble by Michael Moore, read by Michael Moore
Life Itself: a memoir by Roger Ebert, read by Edward Herrmann

History
Destiny of the Republic: A Tale of Madness, Medicine and the Murder of a President by Candace Millard, read by Paul Michael                          

Area 51: An Uncensored History of America's Top Secret Military Base by Annie Jacobsen, read by Annie Jacobsen   

In the Garden of Beasts: Love, Terror, and an American Family in Hitler's Berlin by Erik Larson, read by Stephen Hoye

Unbroken: A World War II Story of Survival, Resilience, and Redemption by Laura Hillenbrand, read by Edward Herrmann

Literary Fiction 
The Marriage Plot by Jeffrey Eugenides, read by David Pittu

State of Wonder by Ann Patchett, read by Hope Davis  
The Tiger’s Wife by Tea Obreht, read by Susan Duerden and Robin Sachs

Mystery/Suspense
Feast Day of Fools by James Lee Burke, read by Will Patton

From the Hackberry Holland series
Portrait of a Spy by Daniel Silva, read by Simon Vance
From the Gabriel Allon series
A Red Herring without Mustard by Alan Bradley, read by Jayne Entwistle
The third book in the Flavia de Luce series. Look for the entire series, skillfully narrated by Entwistle.
The Snowman by Jo Nesbo, read by Robin Sachs

Robin Sachs also narrates the The Leopard in the popular Detective Harry Hole series.

Romance 

New York to Dallas by J.D. Robb, read by Susan Ericksen
From the In Death series.

Summer Rental by Mary Kay Andrews, read by Isabel Keating

 

Science Fiction/Fantasy

The Magician King by Lev Grossman, read by Mark Bramhall
This title is the sequel to The Magicians, also available in audio and read by Bramhall.

Ready Player One by Ernest Cline, read by Wil Wheaton 

Americans in Paris

Bastille Day is the name given in English-speaking countries to the French National Day which is celebrated on the 14th of July each year. Americans have had a love affair with France ever since they supported us in the American Revolution.


And Americans have been traveling to France (especially Paris) long before one could travel by airplane. They have come for the culture, the food, the fashion and the chance to reinvent themselves.

If you are looking to do a little armchair traveling, try these non-fiction books about the City of Lights. And raise a wine glass and say Vive la France!


The Greater Journey: Americans in Paris by David G. McCullough

David McCullough's latest title mixes the famous and obscure names and delivers capsule biographies of everyone to produce a colorful parade of educated, Victorian-era American travelers and their life-changing experiences in Paris.


Remembrance of Things Paris: Sixty Years of Writing from Gourmet edited by Ruth Reichl

Gourmet magazine has been delivering tasty reports on France's restaurants and cuisine to Americans ever since the end of World War II. This anthology collects the magazine's best essays, which document Paris's transformation over the years, and includes descriptions of such momentous events as the demise of the market at Les Halles and the development of nouvelle cuisine.

Paris in Love: A Memoir by Eloisa James

James is an academic and romance author who took her immediate family to Paris after she had some serious events take place in her life the year before. While her kids know Italian (thanks to her Italian husband) they do not know French and the family takes awhile to settle into their Paris neighborhood. James humorously shows the reader the minutia of daily life in Paris in short essays and vignettes. Her family grows closer together as the year progresses and the reader will wish that they could have taken the journey with them. A wonderful read.

Americans in Paris: A Literary Anthology edited by Adam Gopnik

Covering over three centuries of the American experience in Paris, this engaging and powerful anthology of letters, stories, and essays collects emotions of the heart and personal insights experienced by travelers trying to find happiness in the City of Light. Each selection engages the reader in a historical journey to a city that over the centuries has lured Americans, whether statesmen, soldiers, or tourists. The diverse pieces range from Benjamin Franklin's letter to Mary Stevenson in 1767, describing his first observations of the city, to fashion editor Diana Vreeland's memorable journeys to Paris as a representative of Harper's Bazaar after her reopening of the French collections following World War II. A regular who's who on who has been to Paris!

Supreme Fiction

With the Supreme Court in the news lately, I thought it might be fitting to come up with a few fiction titles involving our highest court, so here goes.  Enjoy!

 Rule of Nine by Steve Martini

After a career terrorist threatens to destroy the Supreme Court in a single horrible act, defense attorney Paul Madriani must put his life on the line in order to stop the sinister deed before it comes to fruition.

Supreme Justice by Phillip Margolin

Attorney Brad Miller, FBI agent Keith Evans, and private investigator Dana Cutler untangle a five-year-old murder case involving a ghost ship and the President's nominee to the U.S. Supreme Court.

The Nomination by William G. Tapply
Follows the Supreme Court nomination of Massachusetts judge and Vietnam War hero Thomas Larrigan, whose fierce ambition compels him to hire a Marine buddy-turned-hit man to make sure unscrupulous events from his past are never brought to light.
 
The Four Ms. Bradwells by Meg Clayton
Reuniting when one of their number prepares for an important judicial appointment, four former law school friends look back on the personal and professional struggles they have shared and are forced to confront a dark secret that is uncovered by the hearing..

Supreme Courtship by Christopher Buckley
When a television judge ends up on the Supreme Court, romance and the fate of a presidential election take center stage in this comic political satire.

The Tenth Justice by Brad Meltzer
When Ben Addison, a new clerk for a Supreme Court justice, makes an error in judgement that leaves him open to blackmail, he turns for help to Lisa, a fellow clerk, and his housemates, who work in the State Department, a senator's office, and a Washington newspaper.

Narrative Nonfiction

Nonfiction that reads like fiction goes under many names, including creative nonfiction, literary nonfiction, literary journalism, narrative nonfiction and fact-based storytelling. In short, it’s fact-based storytelling that reads like fiction and tends to be very compelling. Narrative nonfiction can be found in various forms including; personal essays, memoir, travel writing, food writing, biography or prose writing. If you enjoy historical fiction, crime novels or fictionalized accounts of real people you may enjoy narrative nonfiction. To get started, check out one of the following authors:

Erik Larson

• In the Garden of Beasts: love, terror, and an American family in Hitler’s Berlin (2011)

• The Devil in the White City: murder, magic and madness at the fair that changed America (2003)

• Isaac’s Storm: a man, a time, and the deadliest hurricane in history (1999)

Truman Capote

• In Cold Blood: a true account of a multiple murder and its consequences (1965)

Simon Winchester

• Atlantic: great sea battles, heroic discoveries, titanic storms, and a vast ocean of a million stories (2010)

• The Man who Loved China: the fantastic story of an eccentric scientist who unlocked the mysteries of the Middle Kingdom (2008)

• Krakatoa: the day the world exploded, August 27, 1883 (2003)

Jon Krakauer

• Where Men Win Glory: the odyssey of Pat Tillman (2009)

• Under the Banner of Heaven: a story of a violent faith (2003)

• Into Thin Air: a personal account of Mt. Everest disaster (1997)

Sebastian Junger

• War (2010)

• A Death in Belmont (2006)

• The Perfect Storm: a true story of men against the sea (1997)

Laura Hillenbrand

• Unbroken: a World War II story of survival, resilience, and redemption (2010)

• Seabiscuit: an American legend (2001)

Rebecca Skloot

• The Immortal Life of Henrietta Lacks (2010)