MUSIC REVIEW:

THE RISE AND FALL OF RUBY WOO
by the Puppini Sisters
Released in the United States: February 12, 2008, on the Verve label

I only recently heard of the Puppini Sisters, but already consider myself a loyal fan of their music. While I did like their first effort (Betcha Bottom Dollar), they truly take off with The Rise and Fall of Ruby Woo (apparently the reference is to a particular shade of lipstick favored by the glam gal singers of yesteryear after whom they fashion themselves [read = Andrews Sisters], and which the three current ladies wear in homage to them.)

Marcella Puppini, Stephanie O'Brien, and Kate Mullins (not real sisters, clearly--they took Puppini's name for the band because the original concept was hers) revisit old favorites, like "It Don't Mean A Thing [If It Ain't Got That Swing]", and "Old Cape Cod". They also fiddle with established tunes, on which they place their distinctive mark ("Spooky", "Walk Like An Egyptian" --which is brilliantly rendered--and "Could It Be Magic".) But the trio really makes a splash with their original work on Ruby Woo. The peppy, delightfully dance-worthy "Soho Nights" stands out as a wonderful example of how the neo-swing sound has been captured by these songstresses. "I Can't Believe I'm Not A Millionaire" slides back to the early days of blues (Billie Holiday could easily have done it sixty years ago). "And She Sang" incorporates their mellifluous harmonization to great effect, while "It's Not Over (Death or the Toy Piano)" has a unique sound all its own, with the selfsame toy piano actually employed in the tune.

I am an ardent fan of the neo-swing revival that burst into life in the late 1990s, its advent brought on by the film "Swingers", and such musical greats as the Cherry-Poppin' Daddies, The Brian Setzer Orchestra, and the everlasting glory that was the Squirrel Nut Zippers. Curiously, no girl group emerged at that time in emulation of the Andrews Sisters, the Boswell Sisters, and their ilk: but the Puppini Sisters fills this gap beautifully. I am looking forward to further divine sounds produced by them!

Stop in on Monday to pick up your entry forms and start reading! Once again we will be publishing some of the comments here - always my favorite part of the program.

A Thousand Splendid Suns book discussion

Reading Public Library presents . . .

A Book Discussion





When: Wednesday, February 20, 2008
7:00 – 8:00 p.m.

Where: Reading Public Library
100 South 5th Street, Reading, PA

RSVP: The program is free, but pre-registration is requested.

To sign up, call 610-655-6355, or visit the Reference Desk
at Reading Public Library, 100 South Fifth St., Reading, PA.

Harry Potter and the Deathly Hollows

The Reading Public Library presents...

a Book Discussion


Thursday Oct 18th 2007
6:30 PM

City Espresso
124 S. 5th Street
Reading, PA 19602

To sign up,
call 610-655-6355, or visit the Reference Desk

James Oliver Rigney, Jr. (Robert Jordan) 1948 - 2007

May you shelter in the palm of the Creator’s hand, and may the Mother’s last embrace welcome you home.”

For over 15 years I have been reading, rereading or anticipating the next release date of Robert Jordan's Wheel of Time series. The universe he created was so intricately detailed that it seemed encumbered by the pages (and pages) of words describing it. The series is a great example of the the world building potential inherant in the fantasy genre but it also employs the much overused bildungsroman style that many fantasy authors seem to enjoy. When the protagonist is young and niave from a sleepy, backwater village, it's useful for the author to describe the sights and sounds as experienced by our wide-eyed soon to be actualized hero.

That being said, Robert Jordan has created a universe, full and robust, that will always hold a portal in my imagination.

While waiting for someone to finish A Memory of Light , we do have other fine examples of the fantasy genre to keep us occupied. The Malazan Book of the Fallen series, by Steven Erikson, is a gritty military story arc occupied by grizzled veteran soldiers, many of whom are missing various limbs, ethically dubious "good guys," and gods disguised as fools possessing a refreshingly dry wit. The Bonehunters, Book six of an anticipated 10 books was just released yesterday.

Another hefty series I've come to enjoy is George R. R. Martin's A Song of Fire and Ice. A Dance with Dragons, the fifth of seven books, is currently in the works. Martin's universe is modeled after medieval Europe, with knights in armor bearing coats of arms, small kingdoms with ruling families sharing complex genealogies warring with each other, and a good deal of political intrigue. There's not a lot of magic, but there are dragons. Martin also indiscriminately kills off his protagonists, while the "bad guys" are not always punished for their crimes.

Malazan Empire

George R. R. Martin

Adult Summer Reading Program - And the winner is...

Congratulations to Valerie Bush for winning the grand prize of two tickets to an event at the Sovereign Center!





Thanks to everyone who took part in the program. We had 200 participants this year reading a total of 2181 books!

Thanks also to our generous sponsors:
Sovereign Center
Reading Phillies
Target
Alebrije Restaurant
Sam's Club
City Espresso
Reading Public Library

ASRP Comments

The Wild and Scenic Rivers of America by Tim Palmer
There is hope for the lifelines of our economy and the natural world.

Up Close and Personal by Fern Michaels
Trinity Henderson was conceived for the sole purpose of using her bone marrow to save her sister's life. Her mother, and I use the term loosely, gives Trinity to her forman and his wife to raise and never acknowledges Trinity as her daughter. Trinity suffers at the hands of her spoiled older sister and evil mother (you'll love hating this character). At age 15 someone or something causes Trinity to run away from home. Now 15 years later, friends from her childhood are searching for her. If they can find her before she turns 30, she'll inherit her biological father's fortune. Of course, if she's not found, her "mother" will inherit everything! Boo, Hiss!! Joing the search to find Trinity in Ferms Michaels' new book.

The Protector's War by S. M. Stirling
Good series.

The Years of Rice and Salt by Kim Stanley Robinson
Liked the reincarnation theme.

Murder Shoots the Bull by Anne George
A lighthearted fun mystery - easy to read and to follow.

Vanishing Acts by Jodi Picoult
Full of surprises and intriguing characters.

A Load of Old Bones by Suzette A. Hill
Very British - Funny!

The Well-Tended Perennial Garden by Rosemary Alexander
Fab reference book.

Desperate Duchess by Eloisa James
James sets her story in 1780s England. As with her previous books, you soon realize this will be another "series" of stories about English duchesses or noble women wishing to become duchesses: just how manycharacters included in this book will have their stories told, only Eloisa James knows. If however, as in this book, her fiture characters play chess, I will surely nod off from boredom. Accoeding to James, the Georgian period was an exciting time for chess; many games of strategy and skill were played in private by men and women in their bedrooms. In this story, James spent so much time "playing chess" with her characters that the true hero and heroine (both non-chess players) took secondary positions. Once these two characters became an item, the story moved along rapidly. If you're a chess afficionado you'll enjoy the chess matches depicted; otherwise, skip the games and go straight to the sex scenes!

How to Sell Collectibles on eBay by Jennifer A. Ericsson
Helpful on a lot of question I had.

Fresh Disasters by Stuart Woods
Not enough story.

Sin Querer Queriendo: Memorias by Roberto Gomez Bolanos
Me gusto mucho el libro!

White House Chef by Walter Sheib
Fascinating! Loads of tidbits of Presidents and their families living in the White House. Lots of recipes - although none worth making - ingredients would be hard to find. Sad and scary memories of cooking during 9/11 which was very interesting. Great book!

My Sister's Keeper by Jodi Picoult
I liked this one very much and am glad it was our book club selection.

Hell Hath No Curry: A Pennsylvania Dutch Mystery with Recipes by Tamar Myers Oh, that Magdalena! Tamar Myers has written another funny, intriguing story.