Tag Archive for 'fun stuff'

Prof. Chung plays Debussy 10/14

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Barbara
on October 13, 2008
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Prof. Myung-Hee Chung, Music Dept., will perform Debussy piano works on Tues., Oct. 14, at 7:30 pm in the CA’s Light Recital Hall. I’ve attended her performances in the past, and believe me, no one in the audience will be disappointed. OK, you have to buy a ticket, but it’ll be well worth it. And this is just the first concert in the Music Mosaics series, which benefits the Music Dept.’s scholarship fund.

Complete Preludes cover
If you can’t attend the concert, or you fall in love with Debussy and would like to hear more or play it yourself, your University Library can help you out. A simple search of the Library Catalog will find Préludes & Images (1st-floor Media Center’s Compact Disc racks, M22 .D29 P7 1993), Complete preludes, books 1 and 2 (3rd-floor Main Collection, M22 .D29 P7 1989), and others.

“The Beatles” @UWW Sat. 10/4

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Barbara
on October 3, 2008
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The Beatles are coming! Well, sort of. “Revolution: A Tribute to the Beatles” will be at the Young Auditorium on Sat., Oct. 4th, at 7:30 pm.
Can't Buy Me Love cover
Your University Library has books, recordings, and videos if you’d like to steep yourself in all things Beatle. Here are just a few examples: Sgt. Pepper’s Lonely Hearts Club Band (music CD, 1st-floor Media Center, M1741.18.B42 S4 1987), With the Beatles: the historic photographs of Dezo Hoffmann (3rd-floor Main Collection OVERSIZE ML421.B4 H63 1983), A hard day’s night (DVD, 1st-floor Media Center, ML421.B4 H37 2002), and Can’t buy me love: the Beatles, Britain, and America (2nd-floor “McNaughton” Collection, MCN Gou).

Please ask a reference librarian for assistance, especially for doing more in-depth research for a paper.

Visit Revolution’s web site for more information about them, including some concert photos.

Looking for a final summer read? Try Phantom Prey

Published
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Ronna
on August 15, 2008
in summer reading
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Phantom Prey

Phantom Prey
by John Sandford
MCN San
McNaughton Collection, 2nd floor

This just might be my last review for “summer reading,” since classes start very soon (I refuse to think in more specific numbers). I’m back to series reading again, but this time it’s a series by a male author. I’ve been reading John Sandford’s “Prey” series for years, and have been anxiously waiting to read this latest one. When I finally got the chance, I found it to be…not bad.

Lucas Davenport is the star of the series, which is set in Minneapolis. He started out way back in the beginning as dark and dangerous—he followed his own path, solved crimes, had lots of love affairs. Over the years he’s matured and changed and is now a family man. Frankly, I preferred him the way he used to be, but oh, well.

This latest book has Davenport looking for a killer (or killers, we don’t know) who is viciously stabbing people involved in the Minneapolis Goth community. All seem connected in some way to the disappearance of Frances Austin, the crime Davenport is originally recruited to solve.

The main reason I found this book only “not bad” is because the author reveals the killer/killers (to the reader, not the police) about halfway through the book, and for some reason that made the rest of the book anti-climactic.

Like the J. D. Robb “Death” series I blogged about a few weeks ago (see our blog archives), I find the books in the “Prey” series hard to keep straight due to very similar titles (Invisible Prey, Broken Prey, all the way back to the first book, Rules of Prey). Most of them can be read out of order, but there are a few titles with recurring criminals. The complete list of books and their synopses can be found on the author’s web site. The University Library has five of the series titles in our Main Collection and two more—including this one—in the McNaughton Collection. All seven can be found using the library’s online catalog, or by asking a reference librarian.

Give this series a try. Lots of action, great characters, all set in locales you may have visited (or even lived in) yourself. Enjoy the rest of your summer!

It’s No One You Know, but read it anyway

Published
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Ronna
on July 30, 2008
in summer reading
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No One You Know

No One You Know
by Michelle Richmond
MCN Ric
McNaughton Collection, 2nd floor

First, let me say, I liked this book. But, I thought it moved a little slow. And the ending was, well, let’s say it’s not what I expected.

Unlike my last three reviews, this title is not from a series. I thought you might like a break from series fiction, since a colleague told me that thanks to me, she now has a very long list of books to read! Michelle Richmond’s No One You Know is a murder mystery, a family drama, and a tale of growing up, all rolled into one. And it is a standalone title.

Ellie Enderlin’s older sister, Lila, a math genius in the doctoral program at Stanford University, was murdered when Ellie was in college. A best-selling true crime book pointed the finger at one man. There was no real proof, but everyone thought he did it. Ellie’s family struggled to get through the tragedy, and the aftershocks of the murder and the bestseller effect the way Ellie ultimately lives her life.

Ellie finally decides to find out what really happened, and along the way she comes to terms with who she is and why she became the person she did. As an interesting twist, because of who Lila was, all throughout the book are stories of mathematical personas, theorems, and unsolvable problems. Not being a math genius myself, I can’t tell you how much of that is fiction and how much is truth. But I like to think I am a little smarter after reading the book.

Take a look at No One You Know. You might learn something (sorry about that, I know it’s summer), but it’s also a good story. Available in the University Library’s McNaughton Collection under the call number RIC.

Summer’s a good time to…dance!

Published
by
Barbara
on July 24, 2008
in around the library
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Dancing couple imageLearn to dance! Sure, why not? There’s more to summer than school!
The University Library has videos that can help.

Latin dancing for beginners (1st-floor Media Center Video Collection, GV1751 .L44 1997) covers all the good stuff (five basic steps for meringue, paso doble, tango, bolero and mambo with tips on leading and following) in 45 minutes!

If you fall in love with one dance more than the others, search for just that dance in the Library Catalog, e.g., search for “tango dance?” and videorecording and you’ll get a list of videos, most of which are all about tango, including one simply called Tango (1st-floor Media Center Video Collection, GV1796.T3 T3 1997).

There are also videos on YouTube, including the one below (lesson no. 1 of 20):

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=TE3oJkrsZwk

You’ll want to read: I Shall Not Want

Published
by
Ronna
on July 9, 2008
in summer reading
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I Shall Not Want

I Shall Not Want
by Julia Spencer-Fleming
MCN Spe
McNaughton Collection, 2nd floor

In case you’re wondering if I ever read anything other than series fiction, the answer is yes. In fact, I intended to review a non-series title in this week’s post. But, then I found the latest from Julia Spencer-Fleming, I Shall Not Want, and I just had to find out the latest goings-on in Millers Kill, New York. Did the Reverend Clare Fergusson, an Episcopal priest, finally get together with Russ Van Alstyne, the town’s chief of police? What kind of crime would they be solving this time? Another murder? How many murders can a small town like Millers Kill have, anyway?

Apparently a lot, because once again someone’s been killed and once again, Russ and Clare are on the case. Illegal immigration, family violence, and a “junkyard dog vicious” gang are all part of I Shall Not Want. It is a thrilling read. And those of you who’ve read the previous book in the series, All Mortal Flesh, know that Russ is now available for romance with Clare. Will their smoldering attraction finally ignite?

I highly recommend starting at the beginning of this series and reading each book in order. But, if you don’t want to do that, at least read All Mortal Flesh first, because the ending of that book plays a huge role in I Shall Not Want. Both books are available in the University Library’s McNaughton Collection under the call number SPE. All other titles in the series are available at the Whitewater Public Library.

Celebrate July 4th

Published
by
Barbara
on July 3, 2008
in around the world and info.gov
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July Fourth is Independence Day. See information related to this national holiday online from the Census Bureau, usa.gov, history.com, and the Library of Congress.

Flag and fireworks image

Why do we celebrate? It’s our national birthday! On July 4, 1776 the 13 colonies took a big step toward becoming a sovereign nation when the Second Continental Congress approved the Declaration of Independence.

How do we celebrate? parades, fireworks, barbecues, concerts, etc. Whitewater’s parade on Friday, July 4th, starts at 10 a.m. See the entire festival schedule (July 3-6) online.

The University Library is closed on Friday-Saturday, but open on Sunday July 6th (4-8 p.m.). Whitewater’s public library (Irvin L. Young Memorial Library) is closed on Friday but open on Saturday July 5th.

Government Printing Office logo

The University Library is a federal depository with many federal, state, local, and international documents on a variety of current and relevant issues available to you in print, microfiche, CD-ROM, and electronically. Come check out your government at the University Library!

Bad Blood equals an “ok” read

Published
by
Ronna
on June 25, 2008
in summer reading
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Bad Blood

Bad Blood
by Linda Fairstein
MCN Fai
McNaughton Collection, 2nd floor

Last time I introduced you to Eve Dallas, a feisty police lieutenant from New York City, circa 2058. Now meet Alexandra (aka Alex) Cooper, Assistant District Attorney in charge of the Sex Crimes Unit of the Manhattan District Attorney’s Office. She works closely with New York City detectives Mike Chapman and Mercer Wallace to solve any murders that come their way. In Bad Blood, Alex is prosecuting Brendan Quillian for the strangulation death of his wife, Amanda. Unfortunately, Alex’s case is not very strong, but an explosion in an underground water tunnel leads to an old unsolved crime of which Quillian was also accused, which might bolster her case. Family skeletons and a courtroom shocker are thrown in for good measure. And of course, a possible new love interest for Alex.

Linda Fairstein, former chief prosecutor in the Manhattan District Attorney’s Office Sex Crimes Unit, has interesting characters in Alex, Mike, and Mercer, and a neverending source of plotlines in their respective jobs. But, her dialogue is often a bit stilted, and the faint “will they or won’t they” romantic undertone between Alex and Mike doesn’t add much to the series, now nine books long. You might ask why I’ve read all nine, and honestly, I don’t know. Maybe because most of the action where I live shuts down by 6 p.m. and I need something to do.

Come by the University Library and check out Bad Blood. Let me know what you think. In my opinion? A pleasant way to spend an evening, but you won’t have trouble putting it down when it’s time to go to bed.

“Death”-ly fun summer reading

Published
by
Ronna
on June 13, 2008
in summer reading
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Strangers in Death

Strangers in Death
by J.D. Robb
MCN Rob
McNaughton Collection, 2nd floor

For some fun, “light,” non-mind-expanding summer reading, try a book from what I call the “death series” by J.D. Robb, aka Nora Roberts. The series starts with Naked in Death, and many, many books later, the latest is Strangers in Death. (Mind you, I got this information from Nora’s website, as I long ago gave up trying to remember which book follows which.) The plot line seldom varies: set in the late 2050’s, Lieutenant Eve Dallas and her trusty sidekick, Peabody, solve horrible murders with the help of Eve’s fabulously rich and unbelievably handsome hubby, Roarke. A cast of other regulars, such as the eccentric e-detective McNab, and the wild and colorful singer, Mavis, appear in each book. The plots are similar enough that I can’t keep the books straight, but little thought is required to digest the titles, and Eve is a feisty, take-no-prisoners (pardon the pun) dame. And for the romance-minded among you, there are at least two or three steamy love scenes in each book—this is Nora Roberts, after all.

So stop by the University Library and pick up Born in Death, Innocent in Death, Creation in Death, and/or Strangers in Death, all in the McNaughton Leisure Collection under the call number Rob. You’re guaranteed a good murder mystery, a relaxing time, and you probably won’t learn a blessed thing. Perfect for summer reading.

Even More Wikipedias

Published
by
kyle
on June 6, 2008
in around the world
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Back in May 2007, I wrote a post about alternatives to Wikipedia (view original post), one of which was a serious contender to the ever-popular, user-generated/edited encyclopedia and the other being a spoof. Since it’s Friday, Wired Magazine found even more pedias, some useful, some for fun. I thought that Dealipedia was interesting, and I’m sure that Barb would probably find Congresspedia to be utterly fascinating. On the other hand, I’m sure Chickipedia could be a serious time waster for some of you.

Source: 8 Best: Non-Wikipedia Pedias from Wired Magazine