Plymouth Librarians' Choice

Stella Dallas produced by Samuel Goldwyn

DVD Collection - Main Level - S

Stella Dallas is a one of a kind motion picture. It stars Barbara Stanwyck, John Boles, and Anne Shirley. Barbara received a Best Actress nod for her role as feisty heroine Stella Dallas in the 1937 Academy Awards. Stella is a young woman from a poor family who sets her sights on the wealthy Stephen Dallas (John Boles). They eventually fall in love, but Stella’s love for the finer things in life and immediate gratification cause problems within the Dallas’ marriage. The one bond the two share is an absolute devotion to their lovely and sweet daughter—Laurel. Laurel (Anne Shirley) is a very loving and kind child who brings out the best in both of her parents. In fact, it is Laurel who teaches her mother how to be a better person, and this touching mother/daughter bond gives the movie an absolutely powerful emotional core. Stella Dallas is a beautifully acted movie with deep and powerful messages of love and sacrifice. The DVD is crisp and clear and has such special features as scene selection and subtitles. If you want to witness some old Hollywood glamour with incredible acting and powerful messages of love, you should pick up Stella Dallas—truly a timeless piece of motion picture history!

The Lost Art of Keeping Secrets by Eva Rice
Adult New Fiction- Main Level- Rice

Fans of Dodie Smith’s I Capture the Castle or Nancy Mitford’s The Pursuit of Love will enjoy this playful comedy set on a crumbling British estate after World War II. Penelope Wallace has never before had friends like the charismatic Charlotte and her brash cousin Harry, and is delighted to join them in glamorous new social circles. Posing as Harry’s new girlfriend (to make the old one jealous) does not, however, prevent Penelope from falling in love with a hopelessly unsuitable older man. And try as she might, she can’t think of a way to save Magna, the rotting, leaking and threadbare mansion where she lives with her family. Readers may find themselves wishing they could spend a week or two with the characters of this deliciously amusing story as they plot, scheme and dance late into the night.

Infrastructure: A Field Guide to the Industrial Landscape by Brian Hayes
Adult Non-Fiction, Upper Level: 711.6 H

Ever wonder how water is available from your kitchen faucet, or where it goes after it runs down the drain? Ever consider how it is possible to pull a phone out of your pocket in Plymouth and call your cousin in Tampa, or how those tennis shoes arrived here from China?

Buried under the ground, hanging from poles, hidden behind fences and sitting high on towers are the ubiquitous components of Infrastructure. This large format, photograph-packed book is your introduction to the many aspects of the often hidden and rarely noticed nerve and skeletal system that makes modern society work. Author Brian Hayes turns what could be a very dry and technically off-putting collection of facts into an engaging and entertaining exploration of the incredible technologies that do everything from clean sewage, to transport natural gas across half a continent to your stovetop. From railroads to airports to oil wells to power plants, this book is a wonderful introduction to the unheralded tools that bring technology to our homes.

Devil in the White City by Erik Larson
Adult Nonfiction - 364.1523 L, CD Books - 364.1523 L,
Cassette Books - Larsen

Devil in the White City is a one-of-a-kind book that combines a history of Chicago at a pivotal time in its development and a riveting “true crime” story of a notorious serial killer. The main story revolves around building the “White City” for the World’s Fair in Chicago in 1893. Larsen unearths the telling details that bring history to life. He gives us an insider’s view of the clash of egos, the artistic temperaments, the nervous bankers, and the near disasters related to building a city within a city. Among the challenges faced by the fair’s sponsors was finding an attraction to rival the Eiffel Tower, which had been built for the prior World’s Fair. (The attraction they created was a huge success, but I won’t ruin the surprise by revealing it here.)

In contrast to the noble struggle to build the “White City,” the book describes the “devil” – Herman Mudgett and how he constructed a house of horrors. Mudgett selected perspective victims from the ranks of jobseekers and fairgoers flocking to Chicago. He befriended them and offered them a place to stay. Once he had the victims under his roof, he had plenty of time to arrange alibis to use if and when the victims’ families got suspicious. No one knows for sure how many people Mudgett murdered. He confessed to 27, but Larsen produces convincing evidence for many, many more.

Betcha Bottom Dollar, by The Puppini Sisters
Main Level CD Bins - Easy Listening - P

The Puppini “Sisters” are Marcella Puppini, Stephanie O’Brien, and Kate Mullins. Their vocal harmonies are reminiscent of The Andrews Sisters. On this disc they cover older standards made popular by The Chordettes, The Ink Spots and The Andrews Sisters, as well as retrofit into the genre more recent standards made popular by Gloria Gaynor and Blondie. To my mind the most unusual song on the disc is Wuthering Heights, the chorus beginning: “Heathcliff, don’t you know that it’s me, it’s Cathy…”, a United Kingdom hit in 1978 by Kate Bush. The best track on the CD, however, is Glenn Miller's In The Mood… engaging vocal harmonies supported by finger snaps, hand claps and foot stomps.

Castle Waiting by Linda Medley
Teen Graphic Novels – Main Level – C

This graphic novel (recently available in a one-volume hardcover) starts by retelling the story of Sleeping Beauty. The young princess veers from the classic story, though, by leaving the castle with her prince as soon as she wakes up. The castle, with all its staff, is left without a ruler, waiting for her promised return. Over time, it becomes a refuge for those cast out from the rest of society, if they believe the legends and can find it. One such is a Lady Jain, pregnant and alone, who comes to Castle Waiting to bear her child. The castle is populated by a variety of interesting characters, including three now ancient ladies-in-waiting, a crane named Rackham, John Henry, and a horse-headed man called Sir Chess. The rambling story shifts its focus in the second half from Jain to a Solicitine nun, who shares her story and the history of her most unusual order. It’s funny and serious at the same time, and full of sly references to the characters of folk and fairy tales. The introduction by author Jane Yolen, hinting at the difference between truth and Truth, was a delightful addition.

The Wednesday Wars by Gary Schmidt
Teen Zone New Fiction- Main Level- Schmidt

Holling Hoodhood has many things on his mind. The U.S. is at war with Vietnam. His older sister has painted a flower on her face. His father is trying to run the town’s other architect out of business. And Holling’s teacher, Mrs. Baker, hates his guts. You see, every Wednesday after lunch, half of the kids in Holling’s 7th grade class go to the Temple Beth-El for Hebrew School. The other half goes to St. Adelbert’s for Catechism. Holling, the lone Presbyterian, is the only student keeping Mrs. Baker from an afternoon to herself. To avenge her privacy, Mrs. Baker decides to bore Holling to death by reading Shakespeare with him, but the joke’s on her- Holling actually likes Shakespeare! It may help him secure the heart of Meryl Lee Kowalski, get Doug Swieteck’s older brother off his back, and run faster with the cross country team. Or, it may help him right into a pair of yellow tights with feathers on the behind. But maybe, just maybe, it will help him tell his father how he feels.

This laugh-out-loud novel from Gary Schmidt (author of Newbery Honor book Lizzie Bright and the Buckminster Boy) will reel in readers with Holling’s wry yet innocent narration. Schmidt, a professor of English, grew up in Long Island just like Holling. He now resides near Grand Rapids, Michigan, where he taught me how to write, among other things, book reviews.

A Confederacy of Dunces by John Kennedy Toole
Adult Fiction Shelves- Main Level- Toole

Looking for a story about a quixotic malcontent living in New Orleans in the early 60’s? Well, no you probably aren’t, but that shouldn’t stop you from picking up John Kennedy Tooles hilarious satire Confederacy of Dunces. Ignatius J. Reilly a 30-year-old intellectual introvert who still lives with his mother is forced to seek a job. From here he is thrown into a variety of misadventures meeting an eccentric array of characters. The novel works on many levels delivering comedy, social satire, and a very colorful description of the French Quarter. While many of the events that occur in the book may seem like disconnected tales, they eventually culminate in a hilarious and satisfying climax. Even more interesting are the events that surround the author himself who was posthumously awarded the Pulitzer Prize. For more information on the author's life check out the dictionary of literary biography database at http://plymouthlibrary.org/remote.htm

Eulogy
DVD Collection- Main Level- E

Kate’s grandfather has passed away, his children and grandchildren are gathering for the funeral, and her grandmother has asked her to prepare a few words in his memory. Kate (Zooey Deschanel) turns to her father (Hank Azaria), a struggling actor, but he is too busy mourning his career to help. Between the antics of creepy Uncle Skip (Ray Romano) and defensive Aunt Lucy, plus Aunt Alice forcing directions and casserole on one and all, the family can’t seem to dredge up any fond memories of their father for Kate to share at his grave. Instead, surprising and hilarious family secrets come pouring out and a few old flames show up to offer condolences. What will Kate say to honor a man that no one can focus on? What could possibly hold this bizarrely dysfunctional group of people together? Don’t miss this unconventional comedy about the strange yet inescapable bonds that create a family.

Love and War in California by Oakley Hall
Adult New Book Display - Hall

The story begins during Payton Daltry’s college years in San Diego at the start of WWII and follows his life through to late middle age. Payton’s formative years abound with contradictions. He works at a socialist newspaper in spite of the personal costs, which include social ostracism and physical intimidation. At the same time, he longs to return to the upper-lass life his family lived before the depression. Payton desperately wants the approval of his father but he antagonizes him at every opportunity. He believes an unfounded rumor about his older brother whom he has always looked up to and admired. Of course, when he falls in love, Payton can’t decide how to proceed. All these relationships are left unresolved when he ships out to fight in France.

Oakley Hall’s prose evokes a visceral sense of place and time. He also populates the story with unforgettable minor characters. The fictional story is complemented by references to real people and actual events. Errol Flynn and Jack Warner are two “real life” characters who make appearances in the book. The details of the liberation of concentration camps and the waning days of fighting in Europe also provide a realistic backdrop to the story.

Cupcakes! From the Cake Mix Doctor by Anne Byrn – Adult Non-Fiction – Upper Level
Are you in the mood for something sweet? Well if you are and you like the idea of a little cake all to yourself, you should pick up a copy of Cupcakes! From the Cake Mix Doctor by Anne Byrn. This cute compact book packs much information about all things cupcakes including stories about cupcakes and recipes for basic cupcakes, holiday cupcakes, “cupcake-like” treats, muffins, and delicious and creamy frostings. There is even a recipe for a cupcake wedding cake. The recipes are neatly written and simple to understand. Most ingredients are items that anyone can find in their grocery aisle. When the recipe calls for something more extravagant, the author will lead you to the right place to find these items.

Anne Byrn has delivered 135 unique and fascinating recipes in Cupcakes! From the Cake Mix Doctor that will aid anyone who needs to make a tasty dessert. Whether celebrating a birthday, a dinner party, or any old day of the week, you will find the perfect recipe for your taste buds in this little cookbook. Some examples of the recipes within the book include: red velvet cupcakes, s’mores cupcakes, fortune cookie cupcakes, Halloween spider cupcakes, peach cobbler cupcakes, creamy lemonade frosting, coconut pecan frosting, and classic buttercream frosting. The recipes are divided into neat sections based on different categories such as “cupcakes for kids,” “cupcakes with class,” “celebration cupcakes,” and “muffins: breakfast cupcakes.” If that isn’t enough, there are also beautiful colored illustrations of these tasty morsels located at the beginning of the book. Looking at these delicious treats is certain to get your mouth watering for something small and sweet! In fact, it will be hard not to try and enjoy one of these recipes once you look at this amazing little dessert cookbook—Cupcakes! From the Cake Mix Doctor by Anne Byrn.