Another Langdon Thriller on the Way

Written by Kyle Slagley

The publishing industry was given a huge boost yesterday when it was announced that Dan Brown’s sixth novel, Inferno, would hit shelves May 14. The novel features Harvard professor Robert Langdon, and involves a harrowing story revolving around Dante’s Inferno. Beyond that, your guess is as good as mine.

Brown has had his critics over the years, but his fans are fiercely loyal. Now that Inferno has been announced, those fans are going to be anxiously awaiting that Tuesday release.

Inferno hits shelves on the same date as The King’s Deception – the new Cotton Malone thriller by author Steve Berry, one of my very favourite authors – so historical conspiracy/thriller fans will get a twofer that day. The problem is that May 14 is four months away. What in the world will we do for four months?! Don’t worry; I’ve got a few suggestions to help you pass the time.

The Amber Room by Steve Berry – Berry’s debut novel deals with one of the most tragic losses to the art world during World War II. The Amber Room was stolen by the Nazis on October 14, 1941, from Saint Petersburg and moved to Königsberg in East Prussia. Amid the chaos at the end of the war, it disappeared and has never been seen again. Berry’s novel follows Paul and Rachel Cutler as they follow the dying clues of Rachel’s father. It’s got art, conspiracy, murder, and mystery. Berry’s novels only get better from here.

Raising Atlantis by Thomas Greanias – Another debut thriller, this one follows Dr. Conrad Yeats, a rogue TV personality with a knack for getting in trouble, and Serena Serghetti, a nun entrusted by the Pope with a terrifying secret. Although not what I expected, this is still a highly entertaining read for fans of the Atlantis legend. Greanias also has two more novels in this series: The Atlantis Prophecy and The Atlantis Revelation.

The Last Templar by Raymond Khoury – This thriller should be at the top of the reading list for anyone who even remotely enjoyed any of Brown’s past three novels. The novel begins with a team of men dressed as Templar Knights riding their horses into the Metropolitan Museum during a gala with all Manhattan’s high society in attendance. They ride their horses through the museum, stealing a very valuable relic on display from the Vatican. Did I mention these “Templar knights” were riding horses in the museum? Not as fast as a car, but horses certainly have more of an impact. It’s a fantastic book, and there are two more books to follow this one.

The Templar Legacy by Steve Berry – Did I mention I’m a Steve Berry fan? Berry’s fourth novel kicks off his Cotton Malone series and was really the one that got me hooked. Cotton Malone is a former agent of the Magellan Billet, a secret agency within the United States Justice Department. Despite being retired from the Magellan Billet, Cotton seems to find himself alongside his former boss, Stephanie Nelle, fighting a fight that scholars have been battling for centuries. Cotton is strong, intelligent, and just broken enough to make the character real.

The Last Dickens by Matthew Pearl – It’s 1870, and Charles Dickens has just died, leaving behind his unfinished novel. His publisher, James Osgood, along with Rebecca Sand, must dive into the depths of Boston’s opium cartels, thugs-for-hire, and publishing gangs to find the ending to the now famously unfinished Mystery of Edwin Drood. Although this novel is far from perfect, Dickens and Victorian era fans will enjoy it, and how cool would it be if there really were a Victorian Book Mafia?

Happy Holidays Colouring Contest Winners

As usual, our annual holiday contest went over extremely well. This year we challenged you with a colouring contest that required more than a little attention to detail. The results we got back were nothing short of amazing! Below are the winners. (Click the images for larger versions.)

FIRST PLACE: Pickering Public Library

SECOND PLACE: Tweed Public Library

 

THIRD PLACE: Newton Public Library

70th Annual Golden Globe Awards

Written by Kirk Baird

Even as Lincoln’s 12 Academy Award nominations made the Civil War drama the prohibitive favourite for the Feb. 24 Oscars, Sunday night’s 70th Annual Golden Globe presentation might have shaken things up.

The Iran hostage drama Argo took the Golden Globe for best motion picture as well a trophy for the film’s director, Ben Affleck, who was not nominated for an Oscar. Lincoln and director Steven Spielberg were Golden Globe nominees in both categories.

Lincoln’s Tony Kushner also lost in the best screenplay category to Quentin Tarantino (Django Unchained), Lincoln co-stars Tommy Lee Jones and Sally Field lost the best supporting actor and actress categories, respectively, to Christoph Waltz (Django Unchained) and Anne Hathaway (Les Miserables), and Lincoln composer John Williams lost best original score to Life of Pi’s Mychael Danna.

Daniel Day-Lewis, as expected, won the Golden Globe for best actor in a drama for his powerful and moving performance as Lincoln.

Overall, Lincoln was nominated for 7 Golden Globes but won only one.

While Spielberg’s film stumbled at the awards show, the lavish musical Les Miserables triumphed. In addition to Hathaway’s expected win, the adaptation of the stage musical based on Victor Hugo’s 1862 French historical novel won for best musical or comedy and best actor in a comedy or musical (Hugh Jackman).

Jessica Chastain won the best actress in a drama for Zero Dark Thirty. And Jennifer Lawrence won the best actress in a comedy or musical for Silver Linings Playbook.

Rounding out the film winners as voted by the Hollywood Foreign Press Association, Brave won for best animated feature, Amour won best foreign language film, and Adele’s “Skyfall” won for best original song in a film.  

For television, Showtime’s espionage drama Homeland was the big winner, winning best television series drama, best performance by an actress in a TV series drama (Claire Danes), and best performance by an actor in a TV series drama (Damian Lewis). HBO’s new series Girls took trophies for best television series comedy or musical, and best performance by an actress in a TV series comedy or musical (Lena Dunham), while Don Cheadle from Showtime’s House of Lies won best performance by an actor in a TV series comedy or musical.

Best miniseries or motion picture made for television went to HBO’s comedy-drama Game Change, about the 2008 GOP presidential campaign, and to the film’s star Julianne Moore as Sarah Palin for best performance by an actress in a miniseries or motion picture made for television, and to co-star Ed Harris as John McCain for best performance by an actor in a supporting role in a series, miniseries or motion picture made for television.

Kevin Costner won the best performance by an actor in a miniseries or motion picture made for television Golden Globe for Hatfields & McCoys. And Maggie Smith won for best performance by an actress in a supporting role in a series, miniseries or motion picture made for television for Downton Abbey: Season 2.

A Look at What's to Come in 2013

Written by Jon Williams

With 2012 behind us, it’s time to take a look at what 2013 will have to offer. In both music and audiobooks, it looks to be a big year, with big name musicians and authors releasing titles that your patrons will be excited to get their hands on.

Audiobooks

Of course, you can expect a slew of books from names typical to the bestseller lists. Plenty of these have already been announced for later this winter. James Patterson (Alex Cross, Run), Jonathan Kellerman (Guilt), and Jodi Picoult (The Storyteller) are among the names to look for in February, with Harlan Coben (Six Years) and Joyce Carol Oates (The Accursed) releasing in March. Khaled Hosseini’s third novel, And the Mountains Echoed, comes out in May.

Also in May, Charlaine Harris waves goodbye to Sookie Stackhouse and friends in Bon Temps with Dead Ever After, the final novel in the Southern Vampires series that spawned the popular HBO show True Blood. Horror master Stephen King has two novels coming out in 2013. The first, in June, is Joyland, about an amusement park serial killer. Then, in September, comes Doctor Sleep, the long-awaited sequel to The Shining. King’s son Joe Hill, a bestselling author in his own right, releases his third novel, NOS4A2, in April. And if you enjoy the macabre, look for Neil Gaiman’s latest, The Ocean at the End of the Lane, in June.

June will also bring a new novel from Colum McCann, who follows up his National Book Award-winning Let the Great World Spin with Transatlantic. Literary heavyweight Thomas Pynchon will also deliver a new novel in 2013, Bleeding Edge, although a publication date has not yet been set.

And of course, what would a year be without a handful of posthumous releases? In February, look for one from Maurice Sendak, My Brother’s Book. In March comes The Tragedy of Mr. Morn, a play written by Vladimir Nabokov in 1923. With a movie based on his work staying strong at the box office right now, a new release from J.R.R. Tolkien comes in May. Leaving behind the world of Middle-earth, The Fall of Arthur deals with Arthurian legends and was edited for publication by the author’s son, Christopher.

Music

There are plenty of new releases to look forward to in the music world as well. In the world of pop, Miley Cyrus, Katy Perry, and Justin Bieber all have new albums coming out sometime in 2013, as does Beyonce, who will also be performing for the Super Bowl halftime show. The current queen of pop music, Lady Gaga, will release ARTPOP this year as well. Paws up, little monsters!

Beyonce’s husband, Jay-Z, will have some new tunes coming this year as well, as he works on Watch the Throne 2 with Kanye West. Staying in the rap game, Eminem will release an album to follow up 2010’s Recovery. His protégé, 50 Cent, drops his latest, Street King Immortal, on February 26.

Two current American Idol judges have releases coming in 2013. Nicki Minaj says Pink Friday: The Pinkprint will have its basis in rap more than pop. Mariah Carey will also have a new CD out this year, which will feature her most recent single, “Triumphant.” No word on a new release from Keith Urban, although he will appear (as will Taylor Swift) on fellow country music superstar Tim McGraw’s album Two Lanes of Freedom, which comes out February 5.

Look also for new releases from a few music legends. In late March, Cher will release her first new album since 2001’s Living Proof. On his 66^th birthday earlier this week, David Bowie released a new track (complete with video), “Where Are We Now?” His first album since 2003, The Next Day, comes out in March as well. In April, look for a new release from Black Sabbath, complete, believe it or not, with Ozzy Osbourne back on vocals for the first time since 1978. Another stunner, an album of new material from Jimi Hendrix, drops on March 5.

Also, Justin Timberlake announced today that he is in the studio recording some new tunes of his own. The first track, featuring an appearance from the aforementioned Jay-Z and produced by Timbaland, could be available as soon as next week. That being the case, the likelihood of the album being available sometime this year is pretty decent. This would be JT's first new album since 2006, as he's spent the past few years focusing on the acting side of his career.

This is just a very small sampling of all the great audiobook and music titles we’ll see in 2013. What are you looking forward to in the year to come?

In Memoriam: Director David Ellis

Written by Kirk Baird

David Ellis, a longtime stuntman turned director best known for his work behind the camera on Snakes on a Plane and The Final Destination, died Monday in South Africa, where he was in pre-production for a new film. The cause of death is unknown, his agent David Boxerbaum told the Los Angeles Times. Ellis was 60.

According to his bio page on IMDB.com, Ellis began work in Hollywood as a child actor, appearing in the Kurt Russell Disney films of the 1970s, including 1975’s The Strongest Man in the World. He then moved to stunt work and has 75 credits to his name, including 1977’s Smokey and the Bandit, 1978’s Invasion of the Body Snatchers, 1983’s Vacation and Scarface, 1987’s Lethal Weapon, 1990’s Days of Thunder, and 1992’s Patriot Games.

Ellis’s first directorial effort was 1996’s family film Homeward Bound 2: Lost in San Francisco, followed mostly by horror films: Final Destination 2 in 2003, Snakes on a Plane in 2006, Asylum in 2008, The Final Destination in 2009, and Shark Night 3D in 2011. He also directed the 2004 Jason Statham action-thriller Cellular. Ellis worked as second unit director or assistant director on 42 film and TV projects, including 2001’s Harry Potter and the Sorcerer’s Stone and 2003’s The Matrix Reloaded and Master and Commander: The Far Side of the World, as well as the upcoming graphic novel-turned film R.I.P.D. and the samurai revenge action movie 47 Ronin.

Science Non-Fiction: Today’s Technology From Yesterday’s Imagination

Written by Kyle Slagley

On the way to work yesterday I heard a news story about Lenovo’s IdeaCentre Horizon Table PC. If you just re-read that sentence while simultaneously thinking or saying “Huh?” trust me, you’re not alone. Though not much was heard about this gadget when it was being developed, it’s basically a tablet computer that can be laid down on a tabletop and used by up to five people at the same time.

At 27 inches and a larger version on the way, the tablet is about the same size as a small flatscreen television. Since it’s able to handle multiple users at once, some bloggers are speculating that it may bring back the golden days when a family actually gathers around a table to interact together like real people, instead of texting “Plz pass the potatoes kthx :)”

As I listened to this news story, I realized it was yet another classic example of fictional-futuristic technology made real. I was reminded of a scene in the James Bond movie Quantum of Solace, when M, James, and M’s assistant Tanner use a large touchscreen table to discuss… well, spy stuff. While Quantum of Solace isn’t an old movie, it got me thinking about all the technology introduced in “old” sci-fi that has since become real, normal, everyday technology. Let’s explore some of these no-longer-futurist technologies, shall we?

The Internet – Let’s face it, you are addicted to the Internet. I, too, am addicted to the Internet. I Internet when I wake up, at work, at home, and in the middle of the night when I can’t sleep. You’re Internetting right now! Believe it or not, this simultaneously sinister yet magical connective web of computing devices was once an idea that originated in science fiction. The novel that really detailed the Internet the way we know it today was Neuromancer by William Gibson. Gibson’s novel put the ‘cyberpunk’ sci-fi subgenre on the map in 1984 and was the first book to win the sci-fi “Triple Crown”: the Hugo Award, the Nebula Award, and the Philip K. Dick Award. Remember what computers were like in 1984? The Internet was a freaky-futurist idea back then.

Android robots – “Droids” have been a staple in sci-fi since before sci-fi was even a genre. Lost in Space, Star Wars, Star Trek, Fahrenheit 451, The Jetsons – droids in every single one of them. The book commonly credited with coining the word ‘android’ was published in 1886! Fast-forward to today, and the Defense Department is creating robots that can catch their balance and decide on their own whether to step on or around something. First, the decision whether to step over or around Mr. Whiskers; tomorrow, the world…

Indestructable metal (aka Adamantium) – X-Men is futurist in a lot of ways - mainly that whole mutated-genes-that-equal-superpowers thing. If you thought Wolverine’s indestructible claws were impossible, though, better think again. Modumetal, made by a company of the same name, is lighter and stronger than steel and as close to indestructible as we’ve got. I’ve read the explanation on the company website. It’s got a lot of big science-y words that I don’t understand, but let’s just say these guys are closer to Adamantium than ever. The weird thing about Modumetal? Parts aren’t manufactured, they’re “grown.”

Auto-drive cars – We saw this back in 2002 with Minority Report, and we saw it again in I, Robot: cars that drive themselves at high speeds on the freeway and take you exactly where you want to go. While we’re not exactly there yet, we do have cars that can parallel park themselves, cars that beep at you when you’re about to back into something, and cars that yell at you to wake up if you’re falling asleep at the wheel. Cars that actually do drive themselves are currently in testing. Cars that develop road rage are presumably the next step.

How Canadian Films Fared in Canada's Largest Film Market

Written by Wyndham Wise

(reposted from northernstars.ca)

Despite rumours to the contrary, 2012 was not a particularly good year for Canadian film. Consider this: the top four films in terms of audience appeal and weeks played in the Greater Toronto Area, the largest market for English-Canadian films in the world, were all 2011 releases: Jean-Marc Vallée’s masterful Café de Flore (at 19 weeks); Philippe Falardeau’s Oscar-nominated Monsieur Lazhar (17 weeks); David Cronenberg’s psychological drama A Dangerous Method (14 weeks); and Sarah Polley’s romantic comedy Take This Waltz (13 weeks).

The longest-running new release was Paul W.S. Anderson’s Canada/German co-production Resident Evil: Retribution 3D at 9 weeks. It’s the fifth in the franchise from Toronto producer Don Carmody and a sure bet for the 2012 Golden Reel Award. At eight weeks was Cosmopolis, a second film by Cronenberg that received his worst reviews since eXistinZ; Michael Dowse’s hockey bruiser, Goon, making it the most well-received English-Canadian hockey film, and a relief after the box office failures of Breakaway and Score: A Hockey Musical; and Deepa Mehta’s sumptuous epic, Midnight’s Children.

The Oscar-nominated Canada/Poland co-production, In Darkness came in at seven weeks, the personal documentary Stories We Tell, another Polley film, at six weeks, and Jennifer Baichwal’s documentary based on text by Margaret Atwood, Payback, clocked in at five weeks. Ruba Nadda’s unsatisfactory political thriller Inescapable and Guy Maddin’s eccentric Keyhole both did four weeks each.

At three weeks were Brandon Cronenberg’s debut feature, Antiviral, Nathan Morlando’s biopix on Toronto’s most notorious bank robber, Edwin Boyd: Citizen Gangster, Xavier Dolan’s gay romance Laurence Anyways and Michael Bassett ‘s Silent Hill: Revelation 3D, another Carmody co-production. Four documentaries round out the features that played more that two weeks at any one theatre in the GTA: Jesse Mann’s Material Success (4 weeks), Steve Suderman’s To Make a Farm (4 weeks), Peter Mettler’s End of Time (3 weeks) and Léa Pool’s Pink Ribbons, Inc. (3 weeks).

In total, 50 Canadian features were released in the GTA in 2012, and as usual the majority (60 per cent) don’t play beyond two weeks. This is typical of any year, and the ones that didn’t make the two-week cut include films from Québec, documentaries, indie features and films that have been funded by Telefilm, which require a theatrical release before heading straight to cable, DVD or VOD.

This year, Kim Nyguen’s Rebelle (which played two weeks at the Bell Lightbox) is on the short list for the final five nominated for the Foreign-Language Oscar, making it the third year in a row that a Québécois film has landed on the short list. Both Denis Villeneuve’s Incendies and Philippe Falardeau’s Monsieur Lazhar made it to the final five, but neither won. The last time a Canadian film won in that category was Denys Arcand’s The Barbarian Invasions in 2004.