After BLACK PANTHER, Try...

The latest Marvel movie has dominated the box office for two weekends straight now and is getting rave reviews. After you've seen Black Panther at the movies, here are some items you might check out from our collection.

CREED: The previous film from Black Panther director Ryan Coogler also stars Black Panther's villain, actor Michael B. Jordan, in the leading role. A companion to the famous Rocky series.

CAPTAIN AMERICA: CIVIL WAR: Refresh yourself on Black Panther's first appearance on the big screen in this popular Marvel entry. Black Panther was one of the most talked about features of this film upon its release, despite it being a relatively small role.

A NATION UNDER OUR FEET: If you're itching for more of the superhero himself, where better to start than his own comics? This particular series is penned by Ta-Nehisi Coates, National Book Award winner for Between the World and Me. 

SUN RA: The music of Sun Ra is a great companion to the science fiction paradise of Wakanda presented in Black Panther.

PARABLE OF THE SOWER: California, 2025. The world is crumbling and Lauren, a young African American woman born with a hereditary trait that causes her to feel others' pain as well as her own, starts a new community and philosophy to survive the disintegration of society. The first of two in Octavia Butler's renowned Parable series.

M. L. Longworth

For those that adore all things French along with just a touch of mystery, comes a series by M.L. Longworth. Set in Provence in the city of Aix, these mysteries feature Judge Antoine Verlaque and his girlfriend, law professor, Marine Bonnet. Together they enjoy delicious French cuisine, fine wines, and solve crimes. The author has lived in Aix-en-Provence for many years and provides authentic and enticing descriptions of the region and it's cuisine. Charming, but never cute, this is a fun way to experience a little of the south of France without leaving home.

Start with Death at the Chateau Bremont.

Are Implanted Medical Devices Creating A 'Danger Within Us' ?

Intensive reporting on the downsides of the high-risk medical device industry.

More than a decade ago, longtime BMJ contributor Lenzer abandoned her career as an emergency room physician associate to become an investigative medical journalist. Her debut book, an inspired inquiry into the politics of the industry, is startling and provocative. Once she established herself as a journalist, the author was contacted by patients and physicians who were eager to blow the whistle on their harrowing experiences with drugs and medical devices that were falsely touted as safe. She effectively focuses on Dennis Fegan, a middle-aged former firefighter with epilepsy who battled increasing episodes of seizures. Through his story and those of others, the author shows how even cutting-edge clinical technology can fail patients.

Danger Within Us is a powerful cautionary tale that reveals the problem as one of profiteering, regulatory negligence, and the marriage of medicine and technology that can spur both miraculous modern breakthroughs and nightmarish consequences for patients. The author closes with a series of reform action points.
An impassioned exposé that uncovers a significant danger within the contemporary health care industry.

Audiobooks for Romance Listeners

If the month of February and the approach of Valentine's Day puts you in the mood for a good romance, below are some audiobook recommendations for romance fans. And if you think you may not be a listener of romance novels, you might be surprised to find an intriguing title included here.

These audiobook suggestions come from AudioFile, a magazine devoted completely to audiobook reviews. The sampling of suggestions below are all taken from AudioFile's list of the best romance audiobooks from 2017. For the complete list of AudioFile's best romance audiobooks from 2017, click here.

Beauty Like the Night by Joanne Bourne, read by Kirsten Potter

Historical Romance. When Raoul de Verney, a mysterious half-Spaniard, half-Frenchman, hires her to look into the murder of his long-estranged wife and to find his wife's missing 14-year old daughter, Severine de  Cabrillac, who devotes her time top solving crimes in London, becomes trapped in a web of treason, desire, corruption and murder.  (Book 6 of the Spymaster series)[downloadable or streaming versions available from the library through the hoopla app]

The Chosen by J.R. Ward, read by Jim Frangione

Paranormal Romance. Falling in love with brotherhood rival, Xcor, a tortured man in custody who is awaiting interrogation, Layla seeks to gain his freedom and secure their relationship by appealing to the Black Dagger Brotherhood for a chance to let him prove himself.  (Book 15 of the Black Dagger Brotherhood)  [downloadable or streaming versions available from the library from MyMediaMall through the Libby or OverDrive app]

Come Sundown by Nora Roberts, read by Elisabeth Rodgers

Romantic Suspense. Running the western Montana ranch that has been home to four generations of her family, Bodine Longbow and the man she is starting to love, encounter her badly injured aunt and even more unexpected violence in the mountains that surround their home. [available from the library on CD and Playaway]

Enigma by Catherine Coulter, read by Renée Raudman, MacLeod Andrews

Romantic Thriller. Agents Savich and Sherlock network with agent Cam Wittier and New York Special Forces agent Jack Cabot in a race against time to catch and international criminal and solve the enigma of the man called John Doe. (Book 21 of the FBI suspense thriller series)  [available from the library on CD and Playaway]

If Not for You by Debbie Macomber, read by Khristine Hvam

Contemporary Romance. Moving away from her oppressive parents in the hopes of taking charge of her own life, Beth takes a job as a school music teacher and initially resists her attractions to a tattooed mechanic who is the epitome of everything her conservative parents fear. [available from the library on CD and Playaway; downloadable or streaming versions from MyMediaMall through the Libby or OverDrive app]

Jane of Austin by Hillary Manton Lodge, read by Kate Handford

Contemporary Romance. This hip contemporary romance combines Jane Austen-inspiration and foodie fiction in a witty and engaging tale of two sisters who are forced to uproot to unfamiliar Austin, Texas after high rent and broken relationships force them away from their San Francisco life. [downloadable or streaming versions available from the library through hoopla].

White Hot by Ilona Andrews, read by Renée Raudman
Romantic Suspense/Urban Fantasy. Private investigator Nevada Baylor takes on a new case that brings her back into contact with billionaire Connor "Mad" Ronan as they take on the shadowy forces intents on destroying the city of Houston. (Book 2 of the Hidden Legacy novels)  [downloadable or streaming versions available from the library from MyMediaMall through the Libby or OverDrive app or the hoopla app].

Beautiful - The Musical

Sadly, I missed the run of Beautiful, The Carole King Musical. I didn't pay attention to the performance dates and I thought I had more time. It wasn't the first time and I'm sure it won't be the last time that I miss a show. So many of her songs conjure up all kinds of memories and emotions. Everyone probably has a story of where or when they first heard one of the famous songs. Since I missed the show, I am going to check out the CD. I can't imagine how it could be disappointing with songs like Locomotion and You Make Me Feel Like a Natural Woman. Check it out and enjoy!

Beautiful: The Carole King musical: original Broadway cast recording

Oscar Nominations 2018

Here are the list of Oscar nominated films for this year. Place a hold on the ones you missed in theaters!

The award ceremony will air on March 4th at 7 PM. What are your predictions?

Best Picture

• Call Me By Your Name
• Darkest Hour
• Dunkirk
• Get Out
• Lady Bird
• Phantom Thread
• The Post
• The Shape of Water
• Three Billboards Outside Ebbing, Missouri

Lead Actor

• Timothée Chalamet, Call Me By Your Name
• Daniel Day-Lewis, Phantom Thread
• Daniel Kaluuya, Get Out
• Gary Oldman, Darkest Hour
• Denzel Washington, Roman J. Israel, Esq. 

Lead Actress

• Sally Hawkins, The Shape of Water
• Frances McDormand, Three Billboards Outside Ebbing, Missouri
• Margot Robbie, I, Tonya
• Saoirse Ronan, Lady Bird
• Meryl Streep, The Post

Supporting Actor

• Willem Dafoe, The Florida Project
• Wody Harrelson, Three Billboards Outside Ebbing, Missouri
• Richard Jenkins, The Shape of Water
• Christopher Plummer, All the Money in the World 
• Sam Rockwell, Three Billboards Outside Ebbing, Missouri

Supporting Actress

• Mary J. Blige, Mudbound [Netflix Exclusive - check out our Roku!] 
• Allison Janney, I, Tonya
• Lesley Manville, Phantom Thread
• Laurie Metcalf, Lady Bird
• Octavia Spencer, The Shape of Water 

Director

• Christopher Nolan, Dunkirk
• Jordan Peele, Get Out
• Greta Gerwig, Lady Bird
• Paul Thomas Anderson, Phantom Thread
• Guillermo del Toro, The Shape of Water

Animated Feature

• The Boss Baby
• The Breadwinner
• Coco
• Ferdinand
• Loving Vincent

Animated Short

• Dear Basketball
• Garden Party
• Lou
• Negative Space
• Revolting Rhymes

Adapted Screenplay

• Call Me By Your Name - Try the book, too! 
• The Disaster Artist - Also try the book or the original movie. 
• Logan - Loosely adapted from the comics. 
• Molly's Game - From a true story. 
• Mudbound - A popular book club selection. 

Original Screenplay

• The Big Sick
• Get Out
• Lady Bird
• The Shape of Water
• Three Billboards Outside Ebbing, Missouri

Cinematography

• Blade Runner 2049
• Darkest Hour
• Dunkirk
• Mudbound
• The Shape of Water

Documentary Feature

• Abacus: Small Enough to Jail
• Faces Places
• Icarus
• Last Men in Aleppo
• Strong Island

Documentary Short

• Edith+Eddie
• Heaven is a Traffic Jam on the 405
• Heroin(e)
• Knife Skills
• Traffic Stop

Live Short

• DeKalb Elementary
• The Eleven O'Clock
• My Nephew Emmett
• The Silent Child
• Watu Wote / All of Us

Foreign Language

• A Fantastic Woman
• The Insult
• Loveless
• On Body and Soul
• The Square

Film Editing

• Baby Driver
• Dunkirk
• I, Tonya
• The Shape of Water
• Three Billboards Outside Ebbing Missouri

Sound Editing

• Baby Driver
• Blade Runner 2049
• Dunkirk
• The Shape of Water
• Star Wars: The Last Jedi

Sound Mixing

• Baby Driver 
• Blade Runner 2049
• Dunkirk
• The Shape of Water
• Star Wars: The Last Jedi

Production Design

• Beauty and the Beast
• Blade Runner 2049
• Darkest Hour
• Dunkirk
• The Shape of Water

Original Score

• Dunkirk
• Phantom Thread
• The Shape of Water
• Star Wars: The Last Jedi
• Three Billboards Outside Ebbing, Missouri

Original Song

• Mighty River from Mudbound, Mary J. Blige 
• Mystery of Love from Call Me by Your Name, Sufjan Stevens
• Remember Me from Coco, Kristen Anderson-Lopez and Robert Lopez
• Stand Up for Something from Marshall, Diane Warren and Common
• This Is Me from The Greatest Showman, Benj Pasek and Justin Paul

Makeup and Hair

• Darkest Hour
• Victoria and Abdul
• Wonder

Costume Design

• Beauty and the Beast
• Darkest Hour
• Phantom Thread
• The Shape of Water
• Victoria and Abdul

Visual Effects

• Blade Runner 2049 
• Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 2 
• Kong: Skull Island 
• Star Wars: The Last Jedi
• War for the Planet of the Apes