Part of the beauty of the library is that you can take tons of books home…and then bring them all back.  As a book lover I have read many books I have enjoyed, but few I actually want to own- partly because you have to find somewhere to store them. 

For fans of the tv series “Mad Men,” Roger Sterling is easily one of the most flippant, facetious, and quotable characters.  He’s a relic of the 60’s- a handsome, chain-smoking, boozing, misogynistic charmer who doesn’t pull any punches.  Sterling decided to publish a memoir of sorts called “Sterling’s Gold” during the 4^th season, and a publisher decided to create a real version for all of us to enjoy. The book is filled with quips about life, the universe, and everything, which essentially constitutes women, work, and booze for Sterling.  The book itself is short, and serves as a window to the past for casual readers, and a bit of wicked fun for hardcore fans. “Sterling’s Gold” is a perfect example of why I use the library.  I enjoyed borrowing this book.

The Event Group is the most secret organization in the United States …” and so begins the story of humanities struggle against forces from worlds beyond.  Part sci-fi thriller, part alternative history, Event keeps you coming back for more (and there is more)! If you like Sci-fi, and you enjoy thrillers, you will love Event and its sequals (“Series” search “Event Group Thrillers”.) 

Ali in Wonderland by Ali Wentworth kept me grinning throughout the whole book. Ali Wentworth shares her memories of good and difficult times, and makes you chuckle during the re-telling. This memoir is just so much fun to read! Ali shares stories from growing up in Washington D.C., attending an all girl boarding school, and getting a job on In Living Color. Her experience with politicians (why did she throw something in Donald Rumsfeld’s front lawn?) and actors are funny but what are really hilarious are her family stories. How her mother reacted when Ali became engaged to George Stephanopoulos is priceless, as are all her stories. Ali in Wonderland is truly wonderful.

Laura is the name of a dead girl.  Played by the luminous Gene Tierney, we learn through flashbacks of how she lived, and how everyone who knew Laura came to love her.  Even the detective hired to find her killer cannot help but to become infatuated with her.The sets are gorgeous, the dialogue snappy, and the dresses are pure 40’s glamour.  What sets the movie apart are two huge twists- I won’t spoil them, but it is the sort of storytelling that modern movies try to recreate even today.  My grandmother had not seen this movie since it first ran in theaters in 1944, but when I mentioned it, she remembered it right away- “That was a good movie!”  Filled with fascinating characters and memorable resolution, Laura is film noir at its finest.

I just finished reading Gone by Michael Grant on my Kindle. This is the first book in the Gone Series; the 5th book will be released for Kindle on 3/3/12. I think if you like Suzanne Collins' The Hunger Games you may want to give Gone a try. In this SciFi series everyone over the age of 14 blinks out; meaning all adults are gone. Did this have something to do with the reactor situated outside of town? Maybe, maybe not, but the use of FAYZ (Fallout Alley Youth Zone) may be a hint. But then again, it may not. This is all complicated by the fact some kids have powers and some do not. Read about good and evil fighting it out as the older kids try to take care of themselves and the little ones as they try to keep everyone alive. This book would make a great movie but would have to be billed for older teens and adults; it would almost have to be really bloody.

Ray Manzarek has been anything but idle these last four decades.  Playing in an variety of groups, producing (Echo & The Bunnymen, X), sitting in (Iggy Pop), adapting Carmina Baruna (with Phillip Glass), backing San Francisco poet Michael McClure and a host of other projects has filled his time quite nicely.  Roy Rogers has earned his share of accolades, not just for his slide playing, but for his work in several bands (most notably The Delta Rhythm Kings), producing albums for John Lee Hooker, and working and releasing several well-received solo discs.  Along the way Rogers won nominations for the prestigious W.C. Handy Award and secured a Grammy nomination for his work on “The Hot Spot” soundtrack with Miles Davis.

As a member of the Doors, Manzarek dabbled plenty in rockin’ up blues classics (most notably Howlin’ Wolf’s “Back Door Man”) and Rogers cut his teeth on the classic blues artists including Robert Johnson.  Together they bring an exciting energy these dozen tracks with Manzarek’s trademark organ sound at times seeming to want to veer off into a Doors’ classic.  Rogers’ slide plays off Manzarek superbly, especially on the instrumentals (don’t miss the last track for some of the best playing on the album).  Overall, a very satisfying effort, one that, hopefully, will bring further collaborations.