Indiana Jones returns!

I have to admit that I am a big fan of the Indiana Jones' movies, so it is quite exciting to be just a couple of days away from his latest adventure, Indiana Jones and the Kingdom of the Crystal Skull. I can still remember when Raiders of the Lost Ark was released in June 1981 - I must have gone to the theater 3 or 4 times that summer to see it. Except for Star Wars, I had never been so enthralled with a movie that I wanted to pay to see it again....and again.

Some cool books are being published to help generate excitement over the newest Indy movie, and the library has quite a selection. Indiana Jones: The Ultimate Guide by James Luceno is a really fun book published by Dorling Kindersley. (If you're not familiar with this publisher, it's well worth checking them out. They publish a fantastic series called Eyewitness for children - the library has many, many titles.) The Ultimate Guide is packed with fun and interesting information about all four movies, and it has some great pictures.

Several novelizations of the movies are making appearances such as the omnibus edition, The Adventures of Indiana Jones by Campbell Black, James Kahn, and Rob MacGregor. If you're really more interested in the most recent film, try Indiana Jones and the Kingdom of the Crystal Skull by James Rollins. And I don't know about you, but a new movie from Steven Spielberg makes me think back on his other movies, so a new book available at the library sounds like the perfect choice: Empire of Dreams: The Science Fiction and Fantasy Films of Steven Spielberg by Andrew Gordon.

Now all I have to do is wait patiently for the May 22 premiere. I probably won't stand in line to see it on opening day (hey, I'm older now, and the fact that I'll probably be able to buy it on dvd within a relatively short time frame changes the whole experience), but I'll definitely go to the theater at some point so I can enjoy the action on a big screen. Wonder if Indy will have to face those darn snakes again?

Robert Ludlum: The cure for the common cold

Captain Criticism:
I've been out sick with a bad cold the past couple of days, and nothing makes me feel better than Robert Ludlum. Hmm...sounds strange, perhaps? But it's true. When I'm feeling ill (or "poorly" as we say in Indiana), I just like to curl up with my box of tissues, cup of hot tea, and any of the DVDs from the Jason Bourne series (Bourne Identity, Supremacy, and Ultimatum). Yes, I watched the movies, but they are based on books by Robert Ludlum.

The Spy Thriller is a very popular genre. Tom Clancy has the Jack Ryan series which includes The Hunt for Red October, and Patriot Games. (Okay, yes, those are movies also, what can I say?!) John Le Carre, a former British Secret Service agent, has written several books in this genre such as The Spy who came in from the cold, and The Constant Gardener. (Ah! That's a movie, too! Maybe I should just give up librarianship and become a movie critic!) And, well, I mustn't forget the James Bond novels written by Ian Fleming. Some of his novels include Casino Royale, For your eyes only, and You only live twice. (Yes, all movies. Spy thrillers make good movies! It must be true!).

There are many other wonderful authors writing in the Spy Thriller genre. The next time you are at the library, just ask one of our librarians and they will gladly assist you in finding a great spy novel!

May is the month for Speed Reading!

Captain Criticism:
Today is April 28 and May is so close I can taste it. It's been a long, gray winter in the Northwest and we are all ready for sunnier days, flowers blooming, and the switch to iced rather than hot coffee. I grew up in Central Indiana and for me May always meant the start of practice sessions at the Indianapolis 500.

The first week of May is rookie orientation, followed by a couple weeks of practice runs. Pole Day is the day when the fastest driver is awarded the pole position for the race. Bump Day gets the field down to 33 cars by eliminating the slowest drivers. Many employees in the Indianapolis area ask for the day off on Carb Day, which takes place on the Friday before the race and includes Pit Crew competitions. The race itself is run on the Sunday of Memorial Day weekend with Memorial Day used as a backup in case of rain on Sunday. All across Central Indiana people gather for backyard barbeques (we call them cookouts or pitch-ins in Indiana) and listen to the race on the radio because we are blacked out from televison coverage due to our proximity to the race.

I grew up hearing names like Unser, Andretti, and Foyt (read Indy Racing Legends by Tony Sakkis.) Today's IndyCar stars include Tony Kanaan, Buddy Rice, Helio Castroneves, and Danica Patrick. Castroneves might sound familiar to many people not for his driving, but because he was recently on "Dancing with the Stars, " and Danica Patrick has been in the news for becoming the first woman to win an IndyCar race when she won the Indy Japan 300.

Here at the library we have several books on Auto Racing, including a biography of Patrick called Danica: crossing the line. Two other recent books about racing (although not specifically about IndyCars) are City of speed: Los Angeles and the rise of American racing, and The Driver: my dangerous pursuit of speed and truth in the outlaw racing world.

And then there is always NASCAR! We actually have far more books about NASCAR than IndyCar racing (Hmm...wonder why Cycle Jan?). NASCAR is a whole other ballgame! Think Jeff Gordon, Dale Earnhardt, and Tony Stewart. Checkout these books at the library: The physics of NASCAR : how to make steel + gas + rubber = speed, One helluva ride : how NASCAR swept the nation, and Speed, guts, & glory : 100 unforgettable moments in NASCAR history.