http://www.fresnolibrary.org/stffpcks/index.html Staff Recommendations en-us tzimoksi@fresnolibrary.org (Tom Zimoski) ssmith@sjvls.org (Sarah Smith) http://www.fresnolibrary.org/stffpcks/mark.html#2 Charlie Wilson's War: The Extraordinary Story of the Largest Covert Operation in History, by George Crile. Recommended by Mark.
A tale of the CIA's biggest and most successful covert operation in U.S. history. Dan Rather's description that "Tom Clancy's fiction pales in comparison" is an accurate appraisal of this true life account of Congressman Charlie Wilson and his passionate one man campaign to provide US support to the Afghan jihad against the Russian invaders. The book will give you a good idea of how power really works in Washington as well as insight to the inner workings of the CIA. It also will give the reader a better understanding of Islamic fundamentalism and the rise of militant Islam.

]]> Fri, 24 Mar 2006 14:33:25 -0800 http://www.fresnolibrary.org/stffpcks/joy.html#28 Punk: attitude [DVD]. Recommended by Joy on 3/24/06.
An interesting take on what the punk scene was and what sort of impact it had on society. The Henry Rollins interview on the second disc provides a nice summary of events.

]]> Fri, 24 Mar 2006 14:42:25 -0800 http://www.fresnolibrary.org/stffpcks/joy.html#27 Brothers [DVD]. Recommended by Joy on 3/24/06.
A contemporary war movie that touches on the psychological consequences for soldiers and their families offered from a Danish perspective.

]]> Fri, 24 Mar 2006 14:43:25 -0800 http://www.fresnolibrary.org/stffpcks/joy.html#26 Land of the dead [cd-music]. Recommended by Joy on 3/24/06.
Spooky, spooky, spook-y. This would be a great Halloween party background album. I do not recommend listening to it alone and in the dark.

]]> Fri, 24 Mar 2006 14:43:27 -0800 http://www.fresnolibrary.org/stffpcks/joy.html#25 The sinister urge [cd-music], by Zombie, Rob. Recommended by Joy on 3/24/06.
This album is great from start to finish! The coup de grâce literally is the last track, “House of 1000 Corpses”. It’s creepy, sinister, has plenty of drama and phenomenal vocal and instrumental passages.

]]> Fri, 24 Mar 2006 14:44:25 -0800 http://www.fresnolibrary.org/stffpcks/joy.html#24 Murderball [DVD]. Recommended by Joy on 3/24/06.
This film provides an interesting view of a group of quadriplegic rugby players, and also received the Special Jury Prize and Audience Award for Documentary from the 2005 Sundance Film Festival.

]]> Fri, 24 Mar 2006 14:22:29 -0800 http://www.fresnolibrary.org/stffpcks/joy.html#23 Haunted cities [cd-music], by the Transplants. Recommended by Joy on 3/24/06.
Primal and surging with energy Haunted Cities is banal, but fun. This is an excellent get-all-your-chores-done cd.

]]> Fri, 24 Mar 2006 14:44:44 -0800 http://www.fresnolibrary.org/stffpcks/joy.html#22 Everything is illuminated : a novel, by Jonathan Safran Foer. Recommended by Joy on 3/24/06.
Everything is Illuminated is irreverently funny, and even though the multiple character-as-author paradigm can be confusing, it is well worth the effort.

]]> Fri, 24 Mar 2006 14:45:25 -0800 http://www.fresnolibrary.org/stffpcks/joy.html#21 Aitara [cd-music], by Värttinä. Recommended by Joy on 3/24/06.
If Värttinä is indicative of Finnish folk music, I am bound to look for more. The vocal harmonies were melodious and “sweet”. The tone was somber for one track, but the rest were happy and energetic. There is an interesting mini-orchestra of instruments behind these beautiful voices including: bouzouki, reeds, whistles, standing bass, Hammond organ, 5-row accordion, violin, kantele (a traditional Finnish zither with up to 30 strings), cimbalom, guitars, cümbüs tanbur and drums. Simply put, Aitara was a treat to listen to.

]]> Fri, 24 Mar 2006 14:45:29 -0800 http://www.fresnolibrary.org/stffpcks/joy.html#20 Women sailors and sailors' women : an untold maritime history, by David Cordingly. Recommended by Joy on 3/24/06.
Cordingly presents a full spectrum of women’s roles as associated with sailing during the 18th and 19th centuries. He describes the histories of women who served as sailors enduring years of having to “pass” as being male in very close quarters, women pirates, wives of navy men who journeyed with their husbands, wives who were left to wait for their sailors to return, comfort women who traveled on ships with a status equivalent to chattel, and all manner of port side prostitutes—all of these women’s lives were deeply impacted by sailing in some fashion. I found this book to be enlightening, and engaging.

]]> Fri, 24 Mar 2006 14:46:25 -0800 http://www.fresnolibrary.org/stffpcks/joy.html#19 I, Claudius [DVD] Recommended by Joy on 3/24/06.
Forget that this was produced in the latter 70’s. Sian Phillips plays a hands down impressive job at playing Livia, the archetypical evil step-mother—trouble is this is based on Robert Graves's books on Claudius which were derived from Claudius’s autobiography. At any rate, by the second episode you will be sucked into watching the entire thirteen episodes. Brian Blessed and John Hurt play Augustus and Caligula respectively. Their performances are a bit over the top, but it fits. Once finished, you’ll feel better informed about ancient Roman aristocracy, and be very pleased you never saw it first hand.

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