New to Howard County Library, Tales from the Brothers Grimm features fifteen classic Grimms’ fairy tales. However, the real treasure within is the art. Edens brings together illustrations from many sources across the centuries. The endpapers are works of art by Gustave Doré. The book showcases illustrations by Walter Crane, Wanda Gág, and Maxfield Parrish, among myriads of other illustrators who have all created artwork for Grimm. Pouring over the numerous interpretations of "Cinderella" with my friends, we recall which was "our Cinderella," from the battered fairy tale books of our childhood.

Is this a children’s book?  Yes: children still love to hear the classic stories of "Cinderella," "The Twelve Dancing Princesses," and "The Brave Little Tailor."  Is this a book for adults? Absolutely: both for appreciating the beauty of the art, and the remembrance of things past.

Shirley O’Neill – Administration Office

If you like new twists on standard fairy tales, then Mercedes Lackey’s Five Hundred Kingdoms series is just right for you. It begins with The Fairy Godmother, a slightly different take on the Cinderella story. Our heroine Elena has all the hallmarks of a classic Cinderella…wicked stepmother, nasty stepsisters, and a life of drudgery. Unfortunately, her designated prince is still a child. Instead of a "happily ever after,"Elena finds herself ignored and unemployed at the end of the local service fair. Just when all seems lost, Godmother Bella appears and anoints Elena as her apprentice. Although Elena loves her new position, she never quite gives up on her dream of a prince charming. From here, the story takes off into a lark of an adventure, offering lovely romance and silly myths at every turn.

In the Five Hundred Kingdoms, magic mostly takes the form of The Tradition — being all those fairy tales we think we know so well. The Tradition likes to chivvy people and situations into standard paths, whether the folks involved really want to be characters in those stories or not. So, the godmothers use the Tradition to manufacture happy endings, but also thwart the same Tradition when necessary. After all, not all the old fairy tales represent good defeating evil.

The rest of the series takes different stories apart and reassembles them in new ways. In One Good Knight, Princess Andromeda (Andie to her friends) is sacrificed to a marauding dragon, who really doesn’t want to pillage and plunder. Here, The Tradition is used and abused with sacrificial maidens, ragged bands of rebels, evil counselors, bookworm dragons, and other delightful bits in a setting reminiscent of ancient Athens.

If you are looking for some light, fantastical readings, check out these novels today.

Kristen Blount – Administration Office

I’m back with part two of my chronological review of the Library’s growing collection of heavy metal! We’re going to skip ahead a few years to 1978…

Van Halen – Van Halen
When punk began to influence the heavy metal scene, metal music was infused with a heavy dose of speed…Van Halen’s 1978 self-titled debut album being a prime example. Guitarist Eddie Van Halen put the new "fingertapping" method of guitar solos on the map, which you’ll hear when you listen to the epic song "Eruption."  If the general rule is that a band’s first album is their best, Van Halen is no exception.

Motörhead – Ace of Spaces
Guaranteed to cut your commute in half, Ace of Spades is one of the most relentlessly heavy metal albums of all time. Period. The trio, led by bassist/vocalist Lemmy, delivers an unapologetic onslaught of pure rock. The speed, simplicity, and sheer volume of this album is amazing. Released in 1980, it coincided with Judas Priest’s landmark album British Steel.

Def Leppard – Pyromania
Def Leppard’s third full-length album Pyromania epitomizes 1980s glam-metal in so many ways. This overly produced anthemic masterpiece pumps up everything. The year 1983 gave us huge drums, who-knows-how-many-part vocal harmonies, and crispy-clear guitar solos that dominate from beginning to end. Listen to this one on a hot day with the car windows down.

You can read part one of this series here.  More heavy metal reviews are on the way, so keep your eyes peeled!

Dan Curry – Savage Branch

I am a fan of television cooking shows. While I watch discriminately, my family has often reaped the rewards of a tempting recipe I’ve decided to try.

Tyler Florence, with his boyish good looks and charismatic charm, is a favorite of mine. His recipes are (for the most part) uncomplicated; he gets his hands dirty (fewer utensils to wash); and best of all, he’s a natural teacher. Dinner at My Place is written in the same comfortable manner with which Florence speaks. “My home is my sanctuary and the kitchen is the world. On a daily basis, I express my thoughts, feelings and emotions through my cooking…”

In this, his newest cookbook, he offers a bounty of tantalizing recipes, as well as complete menus for everyday occasions. If a cookbook doesn’t include a lot of color pictures, then more than likely, I’m not going to be interested in looking at the recipes. Chef Florence invites you into his home and kitchen with many accompanying pictures of family, friends, Jake the dog, (another reason why I like the guy), and, of course, all those culinary delights.

This is one of the menus that I put together (with leftovers for lunch during the week):
  Pineapple Mojito (I had a mojito in Punta Cana which I did not like, but this sounded yummy)
  Bibb Lettuce with Tarragon Vinaigrette
  Penne with spicy Italian sausage, cream tomatoes, and peas
  Strawberry Lemon Pudding

Buen Provecho!

Eve Olsen – Central Library

In this energetic and fast-paced graphic novel by Kevin Cannon, we join Army Shanks, "crusty old sea dog and legendary brawler of the high arctic seas" on the search for Far Arden, a mythical tropical island in the high Canadian Arctic. All the pieces of a great adventure are here. There’s an innocent orphan child; a secret society; a femme fatale; a man-beast; two intrepid student journalists; the Royal Canadian Arctic Navy; and a magical creature, leading the way to an island paradise that may or may not contravene all the laws of nature.

Shanks’ mentor Simon Arctavius was last seen searching for Far Arden on his ship the Aereopagitica. Now the ship is back, but Arctavius is nowhere to be found. Enter Shanks — somewhat belligerent and a little the worse for drink — to pick up the search, unravel the conspiracy, and reveal some truths along the way. No one here, except perhaps Army, is who they claim to be, and there are more than enough double crosses and hidden motives to go around, with the island as the prize.

The book borrows some plot structure from classical adventure, but takes a vibrant and funny approach, making it impossible to put down. Cannon brings together the pieces of his puzzle expertly, and is not above arching an eyebrow or breaking the fourth wall as he drops in clues and characters…or resets the stage. Although the illustrations are black and white, these simple graphic elements lend a great deal to the story. Fight scenes include descriptive sound effects — just one example of why this is a story best told in the graphic novel format.

Army Shanks is a great take on the honorable and opinionated loner-hero, and the Canadian High Arctic is a new and different location for his quest. Think John Wayne in gumboots and a really heavy cable-knit sweater, and go find Far Arden if you dare!

John Jewitt – Savage Branch

As my daughter wryly commented the other day, love is something that doesn’t always make sense. No one could attest to this more than Florentino Ariza. He vowed to love Fermina Daza — " a beautiful adolescent with almond shaped eyes" — when he was a young man, but had to wait 51 years, 9 months and 4 days before declaring his undying love once again.

Gabriel Garcia Marquez has said that Love in the Time of Cholera is the story of his parents courtship "word for word." So just like his own mother, Fermina fell in love with an impoverished telegraph operator, but was soon taken by her father on a " journey of forgetting." In Love in the Time of Cholera, Fermina, upon her return, marries Juvenal Urbino, a distinguished medical doctor. Garcia Marquez‘ mother Luisa Santiaga, however, defied her family, marrying poor Gabriel Eligio Garcia. Their eldest child "Gabo" (as he is affectionately called) won the Nobel Prize for Literature in 1982 for his novel One Hundred Years of Solitude.

This is the kind of book that somehow locates you. I still remember reading it on one of those rainy, humid tropical afternoons in Singapore. I felt completely transported into 1920’s Columbia with its myriad of smells — bitter almonds, camphor, and the heady scent of camellias. The author’s prose flowed seamlessly and effortlessly through the pages. He appealed to and assaulted my senses, while writing with no judgment.

Love in the Time of Cholera is not simply a discourse on love and all its permutations, but also on marriage, fidelity, loyalty, and finally, old age and death. Florentino aptly says: "Love becomes greater and nobler in calamity."

It is true that life has no limits, not death. Gabriel Garcia Marquez makes us believe that such a love is possible.

Cristina Lozare – Central Library

When Gwen married Peter she was sure she had found Mr. Right. The two had a comfortable relationship and from the outside, close friends were envious of the couple’s togetherness. But then Gwen ran into Elliot.

Elliot of the dark curly hair; Elliot the brooder; Elliot, the man she briefly, yet intensely loved in college; Elliot who had pushed her to explore her mother’s drowning. Still unable to face an event that happened when she was five, Gwen instead banished Elliot from her life.

Seeing him again now was disorienting. Although Peter had his foibles, Gwen was committed to her husband and their future together. But, as ambiguous as it sounds, there was something about Elliot that just made sense to Gwen. When Elliot invites himself to a party that the couple plans to attend later that evening, Gwen won’t admit to herself that she is both nervous, yet electric with anticipation about reconnecting with her long-lost beau.

As the party winds down, the remaining friends have all had a few drinks too many. The conversation turns philosophical and Elliot reveals that his mother, a formidable figure, is dying. To ease her numbered days, he told her that he has not only found his soul mate, but they’ve married. His dilemma — he must either produce a wife or confess that he lied.

When Gwen chokes on a piece of meat and can’t breathe, it is Elliot who saves her life. With goading from the group and in gratitude to Elliot, Peter offers Gwen as Elliot’s "pretend wife." Little does he know that Gwen has been "submerged" all these years following her mother’s drowning. Reconnecting with Elliot and his welcoming quirky family finally helps her jettison to the surface.

Fritzi Newton – Miller Branch

With football season soon upon us, I would like to recommend two movies based on true events. Even those who are not football fans will be inspired by the odds that teams must overcome to be winners, both on and off the field.

The first of these inspiring football films is We Are Marshall. On November 14, 1970, the Marshall University football team was flying back to Huntington, West Virginia, when the plane crashed, killing everyone on board. We Are Marshall depicts how the university and the town of Huntington try to rebuild and move on after the tragedy. From the college of Wooster, new coach Jake Lengyl is willing to take on the program no one else wanted. With the help of one of the original assistant coaches, Lengyel battles to save the football team and bring a town hope when all seems lost.

The second DVD is Remember The Titans. In 1971 African-American coach Herman Boone takes over the Alexandria, Virginia high school football team after the school system is integrated. Bill Yoast, the coach of the previously all-white school, was favored to be the head coach, so there are hard feelings accompanying an already tense situation. Under Boone, the football team learns to work together, despite racial differences. Remember the Titans is told from the point of view of Yoast’s daughter, who reminisces about the team while standing by a grave. On the surface the film is about football, but the underlying story involves a young girl who idolizes her father while living through the turbulent times of the early seventies.

Both movies are ostensibly about football, but really concern more than the sport. We are Marshall shows us how to move on in the face of tragedy. In Remember the Titans, we realize that we can win if we all learn to play together. In both movies the viewer realizes there is something special about a game called football and the folks who play it.

Robert Bates – Glenwood Branch

“Jamie,” I said. My voice was hoarse with sleep and swallowed tears. “Jamie. I want you to mark me." “What?” he said, startled. The tiny sgian dhu he carried in his stocking was lying within reach, its handle of carved staghorn dark against the piled clothing. I reached for it and handed it to him. “Cut me,” I said urgently. “Deep enough to leave a scar. I want to take away your touch with me . ." (From Dragonfly In Amber – Book 2 in The Outlander Series)

It’s 1945. The Scottish Highlands. And on a hill dotted with ancient stones and lush healing herbs near the time of Beltane (that ancient Celtic fire festival of witches and druids, flowers and fertility), British ex-field nurse Claire Randall is suddenly witness to the unexplainable: straight from the cleft of one stone comes a painful cacophony of terrifying screams. Claire, raised by an unorthodox archaeologist uncle, is greatly alarmed, but an indomitable will and curiosity draw her in. Besides, phenomena can always be explained, precise methodology applied to any situation –- even the inability to conceive a child. Certainly Claire’s scholarly, mild-mannered husband Frank would attest to that.

Only Claire is no longer sure as some supreme metaphysical force hurtles her backward through the chasm of time — to 1743 Scotland. There she is partisan first, and pawn second, to a bloody Jacobite uprising, clan intrigue, and Highlander fealty. As well, she is an Outlander –- a stranger or Sassanach, and she will come to endure suspicion and brutal punishment for espionage, witchcraft, and more. Yet when the chance to return to her present day life miraculously arrives, will she leave? Can she leave? For here, against all scientific rationale, Claire has also found warrior outlaw, James Fraser — a man destined to share her soul through all eternity.

Intense, immediate, panoramic, and passionate. That the reader has spent more than eight hundred pages in the 18th century — inside Gabaldon’s wonderfully complex and character-driven universe, will never occur…until it’s time to come up for air!

Outlander. Still nothing, and I mean absolutely nothing, compares.

Aimee Zuccarini – East Columbia Branch

Editors Note: Diana Gabaldon will present her 7th book in the Outlander series, An Echo in the Bone, on September 29 at 12 noon at East Columbia Branch’s 50+ Center. Click here to register.

I like current indie, pop, and R&B music for so many reasons, but there are definitely times when I need to revisit the old days. One of my happiest memories is hearing Diana Ross on the radio in ‘81 when "Upside Down" was a big hit. I was 11 and begged my parents to buy me the 45 so I could dance to it whenever I wanted. But many years later as I listen to Number 1’s, it isn’t "Upside Down" that jumps out at me or even the other songs ("Love Hangover" and "I’m Coming Out") that have held up well and are still played in dance clubs. Instead it is the very infectious "Come See About Me," a song that is instantly recognizable and heart-stoppingly happy-fun within the first few beats. THAT song brings back slivers of memories from when I was even younger than 11 and listened to Motown on AM radio (before talk was big and FM came around).

This collection is probably not for the serious fan. After all, if you are a Diana Ross/Supremes aficionado, you probably already have everything they ever recorded. No, this is for the casual fan, for the person who wants to be able to access all the huge hits with ease, whether it is the wonderfully exhilarating "The Happening" (how can your face not light up when you hear that?) or the very groovy love sounds of "Reflections," which is surprisingly somber at times.

I consider this one of my "happy albums" — the one I put on the stereo when I want to dance around, feel silly and be a free spirited kid again. Even better is the way you feel in your car on a sunny day…the windows rolled down, the heat on your face, and you singing out loud (at the top of your lungs) to "Ain’t No Mountain High Enough."

Angie Engles – Central Library