Library Staff Reads - Summer 2020

A romp through John Waters cinematic world as told through interviews with Waters from 1965-2010. From Pink Flamingos to A Dirty Shame, read Waters views on his works. –Amy ☠

"Music writer Akkerman (The Last Balladeer: The Johnny Hartman Story) delivers an excellent look at Led Zeppelin's music, focusing on each of the band's nine studio albums between 1968 and 1979, with a song-by-song analysis-with some examples from live concerts-that proves how well the music 'has weathered the passing of the decades.' It helps that Akkerman is a self-professed 'fan but not a Led Zeppelin fanatic.' This allows him to effectively articulate which songs stand out." –Publishers Weekly

It shows that a person can learn and change once s/he has a chance to really be in others’ shoes. I admire RBK so much I wish he had a chance to become the president. –Chart

The most radical form of jazz came about when artists and some of those in society started to question the status quo and whether we should even conform to it. It makes sense that during the '60s, jazz musicians would scrutinize traditional concepts of rhythm, melody, harmony, and even interacting with one another. If free jazz just sounds like noise to you, then maybe read this book and begin to understand the noise. –Justin

Apparently, elephants and humans waged a 3,000-year war against each other in China. In the end, the elephants retreated. The forests lost, too. This is a very interesting tale and I have learned much from reading it. For example, the story of the Miju River, whose bed--unlike the beds of most rivers--actually rose higher over the years from sediment buildup instead of getting deeper. Rivers are supposed to go down, not up, so imagine my surprise. You, too, could share in the excitement. Give it a read. –Richard