This is the archive for October 2007
Just Listen by Sarah Dessen
Reading level: Young Adult
Hardcover: 384 pages
Publisher: Viking Juvenile (April 6, 2006)
Language: English
ISBN-10: 0670061050
ISBN-13: 978-0670061051
Last year, Annabel was "the girl who has everything"—at least that’s the part she played in the television commercial for Kopf ’s Department Store.This year, she’s the girl who has nothing: no best friend because mean-but-exciting Sophie dropped her, no peace at home since her older sister became anorexic, and no one to sit with at lunch. Until she meets Owen Armstrong. Tall, dark, and music-obsessed, Owen is a reformed bad boy with a commitment to truth-telling.With Owen’s help,maybe Annabel can face what happened the night she and Sophie stopped being friends.
In this multi-layered, impossible-to-put-down book, Sarah Dessen tells the story of a year in the life of a family coming to terms with the imperfections beneath its perfect facade.
Posted by courier at 10:05 AM. Filed under: Entertainment
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McClatchy-Tribune News Service (MCT)
Here are the best-sellers for the week that ended Saturday, Oct. 20, compiled from data from independent and chain bookstores, book wholesalers and independent distributors nationwide.
(Reprinted from Publishers Weekly, published by Cahners Publishing Co., a division of Reed Elsevier, USA. (c) 2007 by Reed Elsevier, USA)
HARDCOVER NONFICTION
1. Becoming a Better You. Joel Osteen. Free Press, $25
Last Week: -; Weeks on List: 1
2. I Am America (and So Can You!). Stephen Colbert. Grand Central, $26.99
Last Week: 2; Weeks on List: 2
3. Deceptively Delicious. Jessica Seinfeld. Collins, $24.95
Last Week: 1; Weeks on List: 2
4. Clapton. Eric Clapton. Broadway, $26
Last Week: 3; Weeks on List: 2
5. Come On People. Bill Cosby & Alvin F. Poussaint, M.D. Thomas Nelson, $25.99
Last Week: -; Weeks on List: 1
6. The Age of Turbulence. Alan Greenspan. Penguin Press, $35
Last Week: 4; Weeks on List: 5
7. The Secret. Rhonda Byrne. Atria/Beyond Words, $23.95
Last Week: 7; Weeks on List: 42
8. My Grandfather's Son. Clarence Thomas. HarperCollins, $26.95
Last Week: 6; Weeks on List: 3
9. The Intellectual Devotional: American History. David S. Kidder & Noah D. Oppenheim. Modern Times, $24
Last Week: -; Weeks on List: 1
10. The Nine. Jeffrey Toobin Doubleday, $27.95
Last Week: 9; Weeks on List: 5
Posted by courier at 09:18 AM. Filed under: Entertainment
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Rainbow High by Alex SanchezReading level: Young Adult
Hardcover: 272 pages
Publisher: Simon & Schuster Children's Publishing (November 1, 2003)
Language: English
ISBN-10: 0689854773
ISBN-13: 978-0689854774 By Sarena Bains, Courier Staff Writer
Graduation is approaching for Kyle, Jason and Nelson, and this time it is full of difficult decisions. Each has come a long way since meeting each other at a gay youth meeting at the beginning of senior year.
Jason, is a star basketball player, and wants to come out to his team but is too afraid that he will lose his scholarship from Tech. Jason may be going to Tech, so Kyle wants to go to Tech to be with him. Kyle is afraid of losing Jason when they leave for college. Nelson, who has been out and proud for years now, is worried that he may have contracted the HIV virus from his boyfriend. Each decision these boys make has benefits and consequences. These three boys will each be in charge of their own decisions they are making in their life's.
Posted by courier at 09:00 AM. Filed under: Entertainment
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Treasure Island by Robert Louis Stevenson
Country: Scotland
Language: English
Genre(s): Adventure and mystery
Publisher: Cassell & Company Ltd
Publication date: 1883
Media type: Print (Hardback & Paperback),
Courier Book Reviewer
Treasure Island, by Robert Louis Stevenson, is about a normal boy in the 18th century who receives a twist in his life when a pirate named Billy Bones arrives at his parents’ inn; the pirate stays at the inn for months and during this time Jim Hawkins’ life goes through irreversible changes. His father dies and Jim Hawkins is uncomfortable with the pirate’s presence; his feeling of discomfort escalates when another pirate arrives at the inn and the two begin to argue and fight.
Soon after this argument Billy Bones suffers from a stroke and dies; Jim Hawkins and his mother become nervous and concerned. Billy Bones was a mysterious captain; while alive he hinted to Jim that he had a treasure chest. Jim and his mother hastily prepare to leave the inn, fearing the enemies of Billy Bones may raid the inn; they rummage through Bones’ belongings to take what he owes them, and while searching they find a package.
Read Treasure Island by Robert Louis Stevenson, one of
58 of his works available free from Project Gutenberg.
Posted by courier at 06:58 AM. Filed under: Entertainment
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By Billy O'Keefe
McClatchy-Tribune News Service (MCT)
`MERCURY MELTDOWN'
For: Nintendo Wii
Previously available for: Sony PSP, Playstation 2
From: Ignition Entertainment
ESRB Rating: Everyone
It took a year, but "Mercury Meltdown" is finally in its rightful place. What was a great game on the control-challenged PSP and a slightly greater game on the slightly more capable PS2 is now one of the few year-old ports that not only belongs on the Wii, but feels like it was designed for it all along.
Posted by courier at 05:06 AM. Filed under: Entertainment
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Former Disney Star Ryan Gosling
as Young Hercules.
It was called "The All New Mickey Mouse Club," but a better title might have been Tomorrowland.
During its 1989-96 run, the Disney Channel variety series delivered a major peek into Hollywood's future. Few could predict that its stable of kids — including Ryan Gosling, Justin Timberlake, Christina Aguilera, Keri Russell and Britney Spears — would morph into Oscar-caliber actors, Grammy-winning singers and celebrity heavyweights.
What made an innocuous kids show such a magic kingdom for talent? Who better to ask than the casting director who discovered them all?
Posted by courier at 12:31 PM. Filed under: Entertainment
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By Howard Yang, Courier Staff Writer
If you thought surviving one hellacious night with a hoard of bloodthirsty vampires was tough, try lasting a whole month in the below freezing temperatures! In
30 Days of Night, a film by British film director David Slade, inhabitants of the small town of Barrow, Alaska must outlast a vampire invasion of the worst kind. Each winter, this northernmost town of the United States is immersed in complete darkness for a whole month, making it a feast of gargantuan proportions for a band of fierce, cunning, and above all ruthless band of vampires who arrive in town.
Posted by courier at 08:10 AM. Filed under: Entertainment
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By Carmen Shiu, Courier Special Correspondent
Yes, it is that time of the year again for the fans of R&B, hip-hop, dance, and rhythmic pop music. Popular radio station KYLD Wild 94.9 is presenting its annual Halloween concert, the Boost Mobile Boo Bomb 2007. KYLD has definitely stepped up its game by providing an impressive lineup for Tuesday, Oct. 30 at the HP Pavilion in San Jose.
For attendees, they will be able to see live performances by Rihanna, Ne-Yo, Natasha Bedingfield, T-Pain, Fabolous, Baby Bash, Plies, Kat DeLuna, Hurricane Chris, Soulja Boy, The-Dream, and special guest host Jordin Sparks.
Posted by courier at 04:32 PM. Filed under: Entertainment
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Apple Computer Inc. (MCT)
Top 10 songs on iTunes Music Store for Oct. 23:
1. "Kiss Kiss," Chris Brown, featuring T-Pain
2. "Bubbly," Colbie Caillat
3. "Apologize," Timbaland, featuring OneRepublic
4. "Crank That (Soulja Boy)," Soulja Boy Tell 'Em
5. "No One," Alicia Keys
6. "How Far We've Come," Matchbox Twenty
7. "Gimme More," Britney Spears
8. "Stronger," Kanye West
9. "Hate That I Love You," Rihanna
10. "Cyclone," Baby Bash, featuring T-Pain
For more information, please visit the iTunes Web site at www.apple.com/itunes/.
Distributed by McClatchy-Tribune Information Services.
Posted by courier at 04:23 PM. Filed under: Entertainment
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Grayson by Lynne Cox
Hardcover: 160 pages
Publisher: Knopf (August 1, 2006)
Language: English
ISBN-10: 0307264548
ISBN-13: 978-0307264541
From the publisher:
Grayson is Lynne Cox’s first book since
Swimming to Antarctica (“Riveting”—Sports Illustrated; “Pitch-perfect”—Outside). In it she tells the story of a miraculous ocean encounter that happened to her when she was seventeen and in training for a big swim (she had already swum the English Channel, twice, and the Catalina Channel).
Posted by courier at 06:34 PM. Filed under: Entertainment
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McClatchy-Tribune News Service (MCT)
Here are the best sellers for the week ending Saturday, Oct. 13, compiled from data from independent and chain bookstores, book wholesalers and independent distributors nationwide.
(Reprinted from Publishers Weekly, published by Cahners Publishing Co., a division of Reed Elsevier, USA. (c) 2007 by Reed Elsevier, USA)
HARDCOVER FICTION
1. World Without End. Ken Follett. Dutton, $35
Last Week: -; Weeks on List: 1
2. Playing for Pizza. John Grisham. Doubleday, $26.95
Last Week: 1; Weeks on List: 3
3. The Choice. Nicholas Sparks. Grand Central, $24.99
Last Week: 2; Weeks on List: 3
4. Dark of the Moon. John Sandford. Putnam, $26.95
Last Week: 3; Weeks on List: 2
5. A Thousand Splendid Suns. Khaled Hosseini. Riverhead, $25.95
Last Week: 4; Weeks on List: 21
6. You've Been Warned. James Patterson & Howard Roughan. Little, Brown, $27.99
Last Week: 5; Weeks on List: 5
7. Bridge of Sighs. Richard Russo. Knopf, $26.95
Last Week: 6; Weeks on List: 3
8. Shoot Him If He Runs. Stuart Woods. Putnam, $25.95
Last Week: 7; Weeks on List: 3
9. Run. Ann Patchett. HarperCollins, $25.95
Last Week: 9; Weeks on List: 3
10. The Orc King. R.A. Salvatore. Wizards of the Coast, $27.95
Last Week: 8; Weeks on List: 3
Posted by courier at 05:26 PM. Filed under: Entertainment
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By Jasmeen Banwait, Courier Staff Writer
The Stranger by Albert Camus
Country: France
Language: Translated from French
Genre(s): Absurdist, Existentialist
Publisher: Libraire Gallimard
Publication date: 1943, French 1942
Media type: Print (Hardback & Paperback)
Pages: 117 p. (UK Penguin Classics paperback edition)
ISBN:0-14-118250-4 (UK Penguin Classics paperback edition)“Mother died today. Or maybe yesterday. I can’t be sure.”
These are the words of Meursault, the narrator in Albert Camus’s T
he Stranger. This novel takes place in Algiers, a city in Algeria located in Northern Africa.
The novel begins with the death of Meursault’s mother, which does not seem to affect Meursault in any way. In the first half of the book, Meursault builds his character through his absurd actions and feelings. Readers will realize that Meursault is completely apathetic toward his peers ,as well as life itself. His thoughts and actions portray him as an odd and uncharismatic individual compared to other characters in the novel, Bbut an unexpected event takes place which completely alters Meursault’s fate, as well as his overall attitude. He becomes a victim of his actions, leading him to trouble with the law.
Posted by courier at 11:57 AM. Filed under: Entertainment
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By Abhishek Saluja, Courier Book Reviewer
The Adventures of Tom Sawyer, by Mark Twain
Country: United States
Language: English
Genre(s): Bildungsroman, Picaresque, Satire, Folk, Children's Novel
Publisher: American Publishing Company
Publication date: 1876
Media type: Print (Hardback & Paperback)
Pages: 275pp, by Mark Twain, illustrates the story of a boy who enjoys playing hooky, hunting for treasure, and participating in any type of reckless adventure. Tom Sawyer is an intelligent, witty, and attention seeking character; who manipulates situations in ways which favor him.
One day Tom Sawyer is disciplined by his aunt for getting into a fight, he is told to paint a fence as a punishment. This punishment would have potentially ruined his weekend, so to shirk the job he tricks his friends into painting the fence; he accomplishes this by pretending to enjoy the painting.
Read The Adventures of Tom Sawyer by Mark Twain, free from Project Gutenberg.
Posted by courier at 09:30 AM. Filed under: Entertainment
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By Tawab Fakhri, Courier Technology Writer
In the last few years, gamers around the world have scrambled to possess shiny new models of game consoles. Everyone was shocked by the sight of waiting lines for the systems, such as Nintendo's Wii, that stretched up to 10 blocks, and prices for the PlayStation 3 or Xbox 360 shoot up as high $3,000 on eBay in the first days after their releases.
The gaming industry still continues to get us to pony up the big bucks for their products, as some bids for Halo 3 are reported to go up to $300. The Nintendo Wii still continues to sell out its stock right after the fresh shipments. Even now, it’s hard to tell where the manufacturers stand, whether they're moving toward the head of the pack, or being left in the dust.
Posted by courier at 02:56 PM. Filed under: Entertainment
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By Billy O'Keefe
McClatchy-Tribune News Service (MCT)
`PROJECT GOTHAM RACING 4'
For: Xbox 360
From: Bizarre Creations/Microsoft
ESRB Rating: Everyone (mild lyrics)
Every gym class has that one kid who finishes the mile run three minutes after everyone else. If you'd like to know what that kid feels like, a couple hours with "Project Gotham Racing 4" should do it.
Fundamentally, "PGR4" falls in line with its predecessors. The racing action blends arcade- and simulation-style elements, and the Kudos points system encourages you to take risks — powerslides, drifts, sharp corners — while also winning the race or completing whatever objective is at hand.
Posted by courier at 06:54 AM. Filed under: Entertainment
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By Christina La, Courier Editor-in-Chief
DreamWorks pictures present
The Heartbreak Kid directed by Peter and Bobby Farrelly. The movie stars Ben Stiller, Michelle Monaghan, Malin Akerman, Jerry Stiller, and Rob Corddry in a romantic comedy about forty-year-old Eddie Cantrow (Ben Stiller) who struggles to achieve success in the dating game.
When Eddie attends the wedding of his former fiancée, he begins to feel like the whole world has paired off except him. Being constantly urged by his father Doc (Jerry Stiller) and friend Mac (Rob Corddry), both of whom are married, Eddie is ready for a romance. His only problem was finding the right girl.
Posted by courier at 08:24 AM. Filed under: Entertainment
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By Charles Yi, Courier Staff Writer
Director Peter Berg created a gem in "The Kingdom", starring Jamie Foxx, Chris Cooper, and Jennifer Garner.
In Riyadh, Saudi Arabia, terrorists attack a compound for foreign workers, killing over a hundred people, including Francis Manner, the FBI's lead agent in Saudi Arabia. Diplomacy concerning the bombing is slow, so Agent Ronald Fleury (Jamie Foxx) leads an elite team (Chris Cooper, Jennifer Garner) to a five‑day mission to Saudi Arabia to capture the bomber. Unfortunately, Saudi Arabia's bureacracy, protocol, and tension with the United States make the FBI team's expertise worthless without the cooperation of Saudi officials, who feel that the bombing is a local, not an international, affair. However, Fleury's crew gains the trust of Saudi Colonel Al‑Ghaz, who guides the team through the foreign politics to help them unlock the secrets of the bombing. The team is led to the killer's front door, but the journey there was one of chaos and havoc.
Posted by courier at 06:41 AM. Filed under: Entertainment
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By Linda Steadman, Courier Staff Writer
He’s got the hip- hop world yelling “yoooouuuu”. Soulja Boy is a "new" recording artist by the name of Derrick Crooms, known for shaping the Ying Yang Twins 'success. Signed by Interscope records, the 16-year-old went from annoying teachers at South Panola High School in Batesville, Mississippi, to coming up with a brand new dance called "The Superman" that everyone is now doing.
Posted by courier at 12:10 PM. Filed under: Entertainment
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By Krystal Henderson, Courier Staff Writer
For a while now, it has been difficult to find good hip-hop music- you know, music with original beats, clean lyrics, and un-synthesized vocals. But times are changing; enter Rue Melo.
The hot, fresh 23-year old songstress is redefining the overly used term artist. Her debut CD,
Rue Melo, honors her multi-cultural heritage and indulges in her struggles on her path to music industry stardom. Her tunes are MTV worthy, and, though very unlikely for hip-hop lately, PG-13.
Drop by The Courier's office, Room 509, for a free Rue Melo poster, while limited supplies last.
Posted by courier at 07:40 AM. Filed under: Entertainment
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Note: Each week, The Courier spotlights books newly arrived, or expected to arrive, in the James Logan Media Center.
Color of the Sea by John Hamamura
Hardcover: 320 pages
Publisher: Thomas Dunne Books (April 4, 2006)
Language: English
ISBN-10: 0312340737
ISBN-13: 978-0312340735
From the publisher:
Growing up in a time between wars, Sam Hamada finds that the culture of his native Japan is never far from his heart. Sam is rapidly learning the code of the samurai in the late 1930s on the lush Hawaiian Islands, where he is slowly coming into his own as a son and a man.
But after Sam strikes out for California, where he meets Keiko, the beautiful young woman destined to be the love of his life, he faces crushing disappointment---Keiko’s parents take her back to Japan, forcing Keiko to endure their attempts to arrange her marriage. It is a trial complicated by how the Japanese perceive her---as too Americanized to be a proper Japanese wife and mother---and its pain is compounded by the Japanese attack on Pearl Harbor, which ignites the war that instantly taints Sam, Keiko, and their friends and family as enemies of the state.
Posted by courier at 05:29 PM. Filed under: Entertainment
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McClatchy-Tribune News Service (MCT)
Here are the best sellers for the week ending Saturday. Oct. 6 compiled from data from independent and chain bookstores, book wholesalers and independent distributors nationwide.
(Reprinted from Publishers Weekly, published by Cahners Publishing Co., a division of Reed Elsevier, USA. (c) 2007 by Reed Elsevier, USA)
HARDCOVER FICTION
1. Playing for Pizza. John Grisham. Doubleday, $26.95
Last Week: 1; Weeks on List: 2
2. The Choice. Nicholas Sparks. Grand Central, $24.99
Last Week: 2; Weeks on List: 2
3. Dark of the Moon. John Sandford. Putnam, $26.95
Last Week: -; Weeks on List: 1
4. Thousand Splendid Suns. Khaled Hosseini. Riverhead, $25.95
Last Week: 4; Weeks on List: 20
5. You've Been Warned. James Patterson & Howard Roughan. Little, Brown, $27.99
Last Week: 3; Weeks on List: 4
6. Bridge of Sighs. Richard Russo. Knopf, $26.95
Last Week: 7; Weeks on List: 2
7. Shoot Him If He Runs. Stuart Woods. Putnam, $25.95
Last Week: 5; Weeks on List: 2
8. The Orc King. R.A. Salvatore. Wizards of the Coast, $27.95
Last Week: 6; Weeks on List: 2
9. Run. Ann Patchett. HarperCollins, $25.95
Last Week: 9; Weeks on List: 2
10. The Bone Garden. Tess Gerritsen. Ballantine, $25.95
Last Week: 10; Weeks on List: 3
Posted by courier at 05:05 PM. Filed under: Entertainment
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By Bethany Stringer,
Courier Publications Editor
The Time Traveler's Wife, by Audrey Niffenegger
Country:United States
Language:English
Genre(s):Romance, Science fiction,Comedy
Publisher:MacAdam/Cage Publishing
Publication date:September 17, 2003
Media type:Print (Hardcover, Paperback)
Pages:519
ISBN:ISBN 1-931561-64-8 “I wait for Henry. He vanishes unwillingly, without warning. I wait for him. Each movement is as slow and transparent as glass. Through each moment I can see infinite moments lined up, waiting. Why has he gone where I cannot follow?”
Audrey Niffenegger captures the essence of her first novel
The Time Traveler’s Wife in the opening paragraph, stated from the point of view of Claire, the main heroine. While the novel follows a basic plotline (boy meets girl, the fall in love, get married, and try to raise a family), Niffenegger throws in a twist that keeps the story fresh from beginning to end. In a normal, modern-day world, Henry is a genetic mutant with a time-traveling gene written into his DNA. Though it may seem to be a useful trait to have, more often than not, it complicates Henry’s life, for he is unable to control when it will happen and where it will take him.
Posted by courier at 07:45 AM. Filed under: Entertainment
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By Jessica Stewart, Courier Literature Correspondent
Paperback: 256 pages
Publisher: Penguin (Non-Classics) (September 5, 2000)
Language: English
ISBN-10: 0140296476
ISBN-13: 978-0140296471
In today’s society, numbers are often taken for granted by average, everyday people, who only see them as an indication of wealth, the price of gas, or how many influential friends one has. The number zero in particular is treated as merely a placeholder, since it does not usually indicate anything good unless preceded by many other zeros and a higher number. In reality, numbers are much more important because they help to explain the whole universe and everything in it. The book
Zero, The Biography of a Dangerous Idea by Charles Seife reveals how important zero is to these explanations and its history.
Posted by courier at 07:43 AM. Filed under: Entertainment
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Angels and Demons,
by Dan Brown
ISBN: 0671027360
Publisher: Pocket Star
Publication Date: 2001
Binding: Mass Market Paperback,
Courier Book Reviewer
Scarcity of time and a continuous threat from an assassin make
Angels and Demons a tale which is spellbinding and entertaining. The novel is set, almost entirely, in Rome; Brown depicts many famous sites, including some of the world’s most famous cathedrals and museums.
The character of Professor Robert Langdon of Harvard is introduced and is called upon to stop a resurgence of an ancient society which seeks to destroy Vatican City. Langdon is perfect for the job; he specializes in symbolism and reluctantly accepts. Brown used him again in
The Da Vinci Code.
Posted by courier at 06:04 AM. Filed under: Entertainment
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By Tawab Fakhri,
Courier Staff Writer
In the current console wars, things have been more heated than ever. The big three gaming companies are bringing out the big guns for the nex-gen systems and looking for the big Christmas cash-in.
Things have calmed down a bit recently in these months before the holiday rush. Sony, Microsoft, and Nintendo have yet to slip up in a crippling way. For the most part, their products have been running smoothly. So everyone is at a staring contest, waiting for the holiday cash to start rolling in. Nintendo just blinked.
Posted by courier at 07:25 PM. Filed under: Entertainment
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By Billy O'Keefe
McClatchy-Tribune News Service (MCT)
`THE LEGEND OF ZELDA: PHANTOM HOURGLASS'
For: Nintendo DS
From: Nintendo
ESRB: Everyone (fantasy violence)
"The Legend of Zelda" and "Diablo" are proud to announce the birth of their first child, "The Legend of Zelda: Phantom Hourglass."
At least, that's what "Hourglass" feels like. Nintendo has gone hog-wild in delivering a "Zelda" game with all-stylus controls, right down to Link's movement and swordplay. Some annoying but small missteps aside, the gamble pays off.
Posted by courier at 05:34 AM. Filed under: Entertainment
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Note: Two Courier writers saw "The Game Plan." First up is Charles Yi's review. Click "Read More" to read Courier Editor Christina La's take on the film.
By Charles Yi, Courier Staff Writer
"The Game Plan" directed by Andy Fickman, serves as the re-coming-out party for Dwayne JOHNSON, aka The Rock, who took a hiatus from the film industry after his work in "Gridiron Gang".
The story revolves around Joe Kingman (Dwayne Johnson), superstar quarterback, who is striving to guide his team to an NFL championship. However, his quest for eternal sport glory is halted by the appearance of Peyton, his seven year-old daughter from a previous relationship. Joe, with the help of his agent (Kyra Sedgwick), attempts to transform from a serial bachelor to a responsible father. A clash of differing personalities occurs, with Joe epitomizing the man-boy with a room of trophies and who refers to himself in the third person, and with Peyton playing the role of a cute, yet obnoxious little girl. Peyton toys with Joe's inner-jock and manliness as she puts a tutu on his bulldog, switches the channel during the final seconds of an NBA game, and pines for enrollment in a ballet class.
Posted by courier at 07:36 AM. Filed under: Entertainment
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Note: The Courier has some Rocket Summer stickers to give away, as well as posters and other promotional material, so drop by our office in room 511 to pick some up.
By Christine Surna Khayat, Courier Staff Writer
The release of the Rocket Summer’s new CD, “Do You Feel”, was something I wish I could say I highly anticipated, but it being my first time ever hearing any of their albums, I didn’t have much to compare it with. I popped in the CD in my car, feeling a bit strange holding the disc due to the development of our newly found iPod generation, and I was a bit skeptical as to whether this album would be something I could manage driving to.
The album starts out with “Break It Out”, a fun, “pop-y” tune that instantly had my fingers tapping the steering wheel along to the song. I was surprised when I found myself humming to the catchy chorus since the up beat, cheery pace isn’t what I usually listen to. Of all the songs on the album, this was by far one of the top two.
Posted by courier at 02:20 PM. Filed under: Entertainment
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By Howard Cohen
McClatchy Newspapers (MCT)
ANNIE LENNOX "Songs of Mass Destruction" (Arista) 2 { stars
The title is a bit grandiose. For "Songs of Mass Destruction," Annie Lennox's fourth solo album, the Eurythmics singer offers a dark collection of songs influenced by world affairs, the war, AIDS. "Sing," for instance, gathers 23 female vocalists — including Madonna, Fergie, Celine Dion, Shakira and KT Tunstall — in a "We are the World"-styled choral attempt to raise awareness about mother-child HIV transmission in Africa.
Posted by courier at 10:33 AM. Filed under: Entertainment
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By Larry Oakes and Steve Alexander
Star Tribune (Minneapolis) (MCT)
BitTorrent is the current king
of music-sharing technologyDULUTH, Minn. — The music industry may have won a symbolic battle with a Duluth jury's $222,000 judgment against Jammie Thomas of Brainerd, Minn., but it has lost the war against music piracy, according to industry analysts, copyright lawyers and information technology experts.
Online music piracy is rampant, as new file-sharing technology such as BitTorrent has replaced the Napster and Kazaa music-sharing services, forced by legal pressure to shut down and reinvent themselves. Bands such as Radiohead are selling their songs online for whatever people are willing to pay.
Posted by courier at 08:00 AM. Filed under: Entertainment
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Apple Computer Inc. (MCT)
Top 10 songs on iTunes Music Store for Oct. 9:
1. "Gimme More," Britney Spears
2. "Crank That," Soulja Boy Tell 'Em
3. "Apologize," Timbaland, featuring OneRepublic
4. "Bubbly," Colbi Caillat
5. "Stronger," Kanye West
6. "The Way I Am," Ingrid Michaelson
7. "Rockstar," Nickelback
8. "No One (Radio Edit)," Alicia Keys
9. "1234," Feist
10. "Ayo Technology," 50 Cent, featuring Justin Timberlake
For more information, please visit the iTunes Web site at www.apple.com/itunes/.
Distributed by McClatchy-Tribune Information Services.
Posted by courier at 07:53 AM. Filed under: Entertainment
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McClatchy-Tribune News Service (MCT)
Here are the best-sellers for the week that ended Saturday, Sept. 29, compiled from data from independent and chain bookstores, book wholesalers and independent distributors nationwide.
(Reprinted from Publishers Weekly, published by Cahners Publishing Co., a division of Reed Elsevier, USA. (c) 2007 by Reed Elsevier, USA)
HARDCOVER FICTION
1. Playing for Pizza. John Grisham. Doubleday, $26.95
Last Week: -; Weeks on List: 1
2. The Choice. Nicholas Sparks. Grand Central, $24.99
Last Week: -; Weeks on List: 1
3. You've Been Warned. James Patterson & Howard Roughan. Little, Brown, $27.99
Last Week: 1; Weeks on List: 3
4. A Thousand Splendid Suns. Khaled Hosseini. Riverhead, $25.95
Last Week: 2; Weeks on List: 19
5. Shoot Him If He Runs. Stuart Woods. Putnam, $25.95
Last Week: -; Weeks on List: 1
6. The Orc King. R.A. Salvatore. Wizards of the Coast, $27.95
Last Week: -; Weeks on List: 1
7. Bridge of Sighs. Richard Russo. Knopf, $26.95
Last Week: -; Weeks on List: 1
8. Dead Heat. Dick Francis & Felix Francis. Putnam, $25.95
Last Week: 3; Weeks on List: 2
9. Run. Ann Patchett. HarperCollins, $25.95
Last Week: -; Weeks on List: 1
10. The Bone Garden. Tess Gerritsen. Ballantine, $25.95
Last Week: 5; Weeks on List: 2
Posted by courier at 09:05 PM. Filed under: Entertainment
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Note: Each week, The Courier spotlights books newly arrived, or expected to arrive, in the James Logan Media Center.
The Book Thief by Markus Zusak
Reading level: Young Adult
Hardcover: 560 pages
Publisher: Knopf Books for Young Readers (March 14, 2006)
Language: English
ISBN-10: 0375831002
ISBN-13: 978-0375831003
From the publisher:
It’s just a small story really, about among other things: a girl, some words, an accordionist, some fanatical Germans, a Jewish fist-fighter, and quite a lot of thievery. . . .
Posted by courier at 07:38 PM. Filed under: Entertainment
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By Najia Qadir, Courier Staff Writer
The Review
Awkward, straining, confusing.
Those are not stereotypically the
first words used to describe first
love. But in Daria Snadowsky's
first novel, Anatomy of a
Boyfriend, the main character,
Dominique Baylor, is overwhelmed
by her sudden crush on the star
track runner, Wesley Greshwin.
The story begins just after the end
of first semester of senior year,
and Dom is finally relieved of the
whole cycle of college entrances,
SAT scores and filling out long
applications (aptly titled
"craplications") Now that the work
is done Dom finally allows herself
to pursue a relationship, which she
has never done before.
Click Read More to continue The main character of
Anatomy of a Boyfriend, Dominique Baylor, relates almost seamlessly with your target audience. Did you draw inspiration for her character through past experiences or is she based on someone you know?
Snadowsky: Although Anatomy of a Boyfriend
is fictional, my past certainly informed Dominique’s emotional odyssey through first love. Romantic love is one of those completely irrational, nonsensical states of mind that’s very hard to sympathize with if you haven’t personally succumbed to it, so I don’t think I could have written a word of Anatomy of a Boyfriend
without having been there myself.
The Courier: You dedicated this book to Judy Blume, another author of the same genre. Is your book meant to be the next generations upgrade to her novel
Are you there God? It’s me, Margaret?
Snadowsky: Are You There God?
is one of my favorite books ever, and I appreciate how that book demystifies adolescence. In Anatomy of a Boyfriend
, I certainly try to demystify first love and first sex in a similarly candid, accessible way, though my central inspiration was actually Judy Blume’s Forever.
Both Forever
and Anatomy of a Boyfriend
concern couples who fall in love over senior year of high school and plan on dating in college, which is a scenario that affects thousands upon thousands of teens each year. But whereas Forever
ends during the summer after high school, Anatomy of a Boyfriend
follows the characters through their first year of college in order to illustrate the unavoidable conflict between, on the one hand, being open to all the new and exciting experiences college has to offer, and on the other, attempting desperately to hold on to the past.
Posted by courier at 07:02 AM. Filed under: Entertainment
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By Abhishek Saluja, Courier Book Reviewer
The Three Musketeers, by Alexandre Dumas
Publisher: London: G. Vickers, 1846
Publication Date: 1846
Binding: Hardcover
Edition: 1st Edition
The Three Musketeers, by Alexandre Dumas, is an inspiring and adventurous tale in which pride, honor, and friendship are valued above all else; the main character d’Artagnan comes to Paris in hopes of becoming a Musketeer.
D’Artagnan, on his way to Paris gets into an argument with a gentleman and suffers injuries from the resulting fight. This delay leads to him losing money, time, and the letter of introduction which would have helped him secure a job as a musketeer.
Read The Three Musketeers by Alexandre Dumas, free from Project Gutenberg.
Posted by courier at 06:24 AM. Filed under: Entertainment
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By Andres Amerikaner
McClatchy Newspapers (MCT)
MIAMI — The rules are simple: Keep a low profile. Don't shoplift. Steer clear of immigration officers.
And you might avoid ending up in a deportation facility.
ICED, a video game set to be released for free in November, pits five immigrant teens trying to stay in the country against a slew of immigration officers. The title is a play on Immigration and Customs Enforcement, also known as ICE — the government agency that, among other duties, targets illegal immigrants with outstanding deportation orders.
Posted by courier at 05:43 AM. Filed under: Entertainment
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By Billy O'Keefe
McClatchy-Tribune News Service (MCT)
`FISHING MASTER'
For: Nintendo Wii
From: Hudson/Konami
ESRB Rating: Everyone
Gamers who recall the fun ushered forth years ago by the Sega Dreamcast's Fishing Controller can't help but look at the Nintendo Wii and imagine the possibilities.
Finally, with "Fishing Master," those possibilities are trickling in. "Master" doesn't quite match the depth and immersion of Sega's fishing games, but it proves beyond all doubt that the Wii can do fishing every bit as well as that cool little controller once did.
Posted by courier at 02:35 AM. Filed under: Entertainment
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By Aaron Barnhart
McClatchy Newspapers (MCT)
—"
Aliens in America"
8:30 p.m. EDT, the CW
I will confess to something that no self-respecting TV critic should admit: I never cared for "Freaks and Geeks."
Oh, yes, it's easy now to say I saw the future brilliance of Judd Apatow in the Peabody Award-winning sitcom he produced about the kids who get picked on at high school in the year 1980.
Not only did I not see a great future in Hollywood for Apatow, who would go on to write "The 40-Year-Old Virgin" and "Knocked Up," I found "Freaks and Geeks" actually painful to watch. In hindsight, I guess that was a good sign that Apatow had hit his mark, but reliving scenes from my own years in prime time was definitely not my idea of entertainment.
Posted by courier at 08:38 AM. Filed under: Entertainment
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By Ashley Carter, Courier Staff Writer
Flavor Flav's show
airs on VH1The last thing we heard about Flavor Flav as the second season of his showed drew to a close was that he lived happily ever after with what he found to be his “true love”, Ms. Deelishis, after getting his heart broken by Hoopz in the first season.
So, throughout all the surprises and drama that went on last season, he finally found his companion. Right? So why is he coming back with a third season of
Flavor of Love?
Logan fans of the show think they know the answer: more money and sex for Flav.
Posted by courier at 11:38 AM. Filed under: Entertainment
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By Sandhaya Mansfield, Courier Staff Writer
Patrick Dempsey returns as
Dr. Derek Shepherd
ABC photoFollowing the season premiere of
Ugly Betty, ABC's hit prime time show
Grey's Anatomy finally returned in a long-awaited season premiere. But not all of Seattle Grace's doctors are present this season.
The season finale left Dr. Addison Montgomery (Kate Walsh) deciding that her time as Seattle Grace was long over due. Walsh is now starring in her own Grey's spin off, (
Private Practice) that carries her
Grey's Anatomy character to Santa Monica, California where she is still a neonatal surgeon, but focusing more on her personal life.
Posted by courier at 10:27 AM. Filed under: Entertainment
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By Carmen Shiu, Courier Special Correspondent
Newcomer R&B artist J. Holiday, 23, is heating up the charts right now with his second single, "Bed." His debut album, Back Of My Lac, was released on Tuesday.
"Be With Me," produced by Darkchild, is actually the first single from Holiday, whose real name is Nahum Grymes. However, the song never received enough airplays, especially compared to "Bed." This is adverse, as it is one of the better songs on the entire album.
Posted by courier at 06:06 PM. Filed under: Entertainment
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Note: Free tickets to the show were provided free to The Courier by the Rocket Summer's management.
By Christine Surna Khayat,
Courier Staff Writer
San Francisco’s Warfield theatre housed the Bay Area stop on the Sleeping with Giants tour, headlined by the Academy Is….
The turnout for the Sept. 19 show was surprisingly low for such notable bands, perhaps due to the scheduling of the concert in the middle of the week—a school night.
The show opened up with
Sherwood, a melodic, up-beat band, with semi-indie undertones, and the lead singer's fairly deep voice. They seemed to have trouble enthusing the crowd. However, their attempts were not entirely ignored, and a few die-hard, sweaty, abnormally tall fans made their way to the front of the crowd to be noticed by the band, preventing all the average-heighted people behind them, like myself, from being able to see.
Posted by courier at 08:00 AM. Filed under: Entertainment
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By Howard Cohen
McClatchy Newspapers (MCT)
BRUCE SPRINGSTEEN "Magic" (Columbia) 4 stars
When Bruce Springsteen tears into the line, "I want a thousand guitars/I want pounding drums" in the lead track on the first E Street Band album in five years, it almost sounds like a directive to the producer.
"Magic" is a rock record, a big, proud and loud full-band album that should bear the printed legend on its cover, "Play this at full volume," like some old rock records.
Posted by courier at 07:53 AM. Filed under: Entertainment
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Apple Computer Inc.
(MCT)
Top 10 albums on iTunes Music Store for Oct. 2:
1. "Still Feels Good," Rascal Flatts
2. "Echoes, Silence, Patience & Grace," Foo Fighters
3. "Graduation," Kanye West
4. "The Reminder," Feist
5. "Across the Universe (Music from the Motion Picture)," various artists
6. "Coco," Colbie Caillat
7. "Just Like You," Keyshia Cole
8. "The Shepherd's Dog," Iron & Wine
9. "The Real Thing — Words and Sounds, Vol. 3," Jill Scott
10. "Remedy," David Crowder Band
For more information, please visit the iTunes Web site at www.apple.com/itunes/.
Distributed by McClatchy-Tribune Information Services.
Posted by courier at 07:51 AM. Filed under: Entertainment
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Note: Each week, The Courier spotlights books newly arrived, or expected to arrive, in the James Logan Media Center.
Black Swan Green: A Novel by David Mitchell
Hardcover: 304 pages
Publisher: Random House (April 11, 2006)
Language: English
ISBN-10: 1400063795
ISBN-13: 978-1400063796
From RandomHouse.com:
From award-winning writer David Mitchell comes a sinewy, meditative novel of boyhood on the cusp of adulthood and the old on the cusp of the new.
Black Swan tracks a single year in what is, for thirteen-year-old Jason Taylor, the sleepiest village in muddiest Worcestershire in a dying Cold War England, 1982. But the thirteen chapters, each a short story in its own right, create an exquisitely observed world that is anything but sleepy. A world of Kissingeresque realpolitik enacted in boys’ games on a frozen lake; of “nightcreeping” through the summer backyards of strangers; of the tabloid-fueled thrills of the Falklands War and its human toll; of the cruel, luscious Dawn Madden and her power-hungry boyfriend, Ross Wilcox; of a certain Madame Eva van Outryve de Crommelynck, an elderly bohemian emigré who is both more and less than she appears; of Jason’s search to replace his dead grandfather’s irreplaceable smashed watch before the crime is discovered; of first cigarettes, first kisses, first Duran Duran Lps, and first deaths; of Margaret Thatcher’s recession; of Gypsies camping in the woods and the hysteria they inspire; and, even closer to home, of a slow-motion divorce in four seasons.
Posted by courier at 05:09 PM. Filed under: Entertainment
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McClatchy-Tribune News Service (MCT)
Here are the best-sellers for the week that ended Saturday, Sept. 22, compiled from data from independent and chain bookstores, book wholesalers and independent distributors nationwide.
(Reprinted from Publishers Weekly, published by Cahners Publishing Co., a division of Reed Elsevier, USA. (c) 2007 by Reed Elsevier, USA)
HARDCOVER NONFICTION
1. The Age of Turbulence. Alan Greenspan. Penguin Press, $35
Last Week: -; Weeks on List: 1
2. If I Did It. The Goldman Family. Beaufort Books, $24.95
Last Week: 8; Weeks on List: 2
3. The Secret. Rhonda Byrne. Atria/Beyond Words, $23.95
Last Week: 2; Weeks on List: 38
4. Louder Than Words. Jenny McCarthy. Dutton, $23.95
Last Week: -; Weeks on List: 1
5. Power to the People. Laura Ingraham. Regnery, $27.95
Last Week: 3; Weeks on List: 2
6. Giving. Bill Clinton. Knopf, $24.95
Last Week: 1; Weeks on List: 3
7. The Weight Loss Cure "They" Don't Want You to Know About. Kevin Trudeau. Alliance Publishing, $24.95
Last Week: 4; Weeks on List: 16
8. The Nine. Jeffrey Toobin. Doubleday, $27.95
Last Week: -; Weeks on List: 1
9. The Heroin Diaries. Nikki Sixx. Pocket, $32.50
Last Week: -; Weeks on List: 1
10. The War. Geoffrey C. Ward and Ken Burns. Knopf, $50
Last Week: 7; Weeks on List: 2
Posted by courier at 08:10 AM. Filed under: Entertainment
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By Wendy Solomon
The Morning Call (Allentown, Pa.) (MCT)
A gritty urban landscape peopled with gangstas, prostitutes and ex-cons has been fodder for much of rapper 50 Cent's music career, from his record-breaking debut album "Get Rich or Die Tryin," and "The Massacre" to last week's release, "Curtis."
But now the rapper is mining the same fertile underworld as he tries his hand at fiction and book publishing in a controversial genre called street lit.
The rapper's imprint, G Unit Books, in cooperation with MTV/Pocket Books, has recently published novels bearing titles such as "Harlem Heat," "Derelict" and "Blow." His next book, "Heaven's Fury," co-written by Meta Smith, is due out in November.
Posted by courier at 07:22 AM. Filed under: Entertainment
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By Tawab Fakhri, Courier Staff Writer
An xBox 360 controllerIt hasn’t been that long since the launch of the new generation of systems. Nintendo, in particular, has focused more and more on casual and family-friendly games along with user-friendly gaming controls. The Wii remote is ingeniusly made, yet incredibly simple to use, and with short instructions for every game, and yet, some gamers still don’t get it.
The Sony PlayStation 3 and Microsoft’s Xbox 360 controllers are a different story. Far from being simple to use, these playthings require lots of practice. For the seasoned gamer, the new controls help create an intense gaming experience when used with the right game.
Posted by courier at 07:38 PM. Filed under: Entertainment
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By Billy O'Keefe
McClatchy-Tribune News Service (MCT)
`HALO 3'
For: Xbox 360
From: Bungie/Microsoft
ESRB Rating: Mature (blood and gore, mild language, violence)
The best thing Bungie could do for "Halo 3" was apply the lessons it learned from the two chapters that preceded it. For the most part, that's what it did.
Consequentially, "3's" single-player campaign is the series' best. Stale treks through indoor corridors are rare, backtracking is minimal, and with exception to one soon-to-be notorious level, you rarely fight alone. That's a direct product of both the storyline and the fantastic new addition of four-player online co-op. But it's also Bungie giving players what they want: large-scale skirmishes on enormous battlegrounds with more weapons, enemies, vehicles and ways to win than ever before.
Posted by courier at 05:18 AM. Filed under: Entertainment
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Tubed: `Aliens in America' freshens the awkward-teen story; TMZ debases Hollywood
