What We're Watching: Abby

The Tudors: The Complete First, Second and Third Seasons

divorced beheaded died

divorced beheaded survived

That's how I remember what happened to the six wives of Henry VIII. This Showtime series goes way beyond the simplicity of that poem to delve into the world, the Court and the women

in the life of Henry VIII (1491-1547). The sets are spectacular. The costumes are opulent and extravagant and the acting is amazing. Even though Jonathon Rhys Davis doesn't physically look like Henry VIII, his acting is powerful enough to make it believable. This show is not G rated - in fact it is quite the opposite. Besides the many women in the King's life there are also many beheadings as well as other grotesque means of killing used at that time, all graphically depicted. But this story isn't just about the wives, there is the question of divorce that ultimately leads to a break with the Catholic Church establishing the Church of England. There are wars in the background and relations with France and Rome are always strained. The line of succession is always discussed and the wish for a son is tantamount in the King's frustration with his wives.

His third wife, Jane Seymour did produce a male heir, Edward but the two daughters from his two previous wives will play much more prominently in history, Mary I of England and especially Queen Elizabeth I.

The fourth and final season is airing now on Showtime. The first three seasons are available here in the library. (They have not decided on a date for the release of the final season on DVD as yet). It has definitely sparked an interested in the subject and a desire to read more about it on my part.

What We're Reading: Edward

Last Surgeon

by Michael Palmer

Dr. Nick Garrity works on the Helping Hands RV, a mobile clinic that gives medical aid to the homeless on the streets of Baltimore. Nick is looking for Umberto, the soldier who saved his life in Afghanistan. Both are suffering from Post Traumatic Stress Disorder. Umberto disappeared three years ago. He said that he was being recalled to go on a secret mission. Jillian Coates, a nurse from Virginia, is looking for Nick. She believes that he has some connection to the death of her sister, who was also a nurse. Looking for that connection leads them to a specialty hospital that does plastic surgery. Soon they are both being stalked by a murderer. He specializes in making his murders look like accidents. Will Nick and Jillian be able to find that connection before the murderer finds them?

What We're Reading: Mary

The Female Brain

by Louann Brizendine, M.D.

Dr. Brizendine follows the development of the female brain through the whole life span, starting with fetal development, all the way through the chapter she calls the "Mature Female Brain."

According to Dr. Brizendine, "Until eight weeks old, every fetal brain looks female." It is after a huge surge of testosterone, beginning in the 8th week, that the male brain begins to develop different general strengths and weaknesses from the female. Differences resulting from testosterone, include a smaller communication center, and larger sex and aggression centers. Needless to say, these differences have many lifelong repercussions. Her particular emphasis in the book is the influence of hormones on the brain, which affects both its development, and day to day functioning. She describes which hormones are major players at which developmental milestones. She goes into depth about hormones involved in pregnancy and childbirth, such as oxytocin, which are responsible for the feelings of caring and bonding that most mothers have towards their children. Also included are many references to animal studies, and related male hormonal influences.

Her writing is factual, yet includes many interesting people stories to exemplify the hormonal effects she is talking about. Overall, it's a very engaging read. It will be interesting to see more from the other side of the story in her latest book: The Male Brain.

The differences she sees between the two can be partially summarized by comparing the two book covers:
The female brain image is produced by coils of telephone cord; whereas the male brain is depicted by an artwork of duct tape.

What We're Reading: Edward

Wolf at the Door

by Jack Higgins

A synchronized series of attacks on members of the British Prime Minister's "Private Army", fails to kill any of the secret operatives. Sean Dillon, in this seventeenth thriller, begins to investigate. Who could have planned the wide ranging series of attacks? All the clues point to Vladimir Putin. The army has thwarted many of his plans. So begins a deadly game of cat and mouse. Will Sean and his fellows be able to foil the next attack? Will they be able to cut off another arm of Putin's army?

What We're Reading: Tracy

Last week I acquired a box full of old Big Little Books, most of which are from the 1930s. They're in rough shape, clearly having been well-read and loved, but they're still a fantastic find. The little books serve as a time capsule of children's interests from the '30s and '40s: space travel, cowboys, adventure, planes, cops & robbers, secret agents, superheroes.

As I browsed through the titles, I was surprised to see how much they still appeal, some 70 years after their publication dates. Escapism never grows old, I guess, and the opening paragraphs of each book were carefully crafted to catch and hold the reader's attention.

The excerpts below feature samples of some of the most evocative passages. Read on, and find yourself rocketing towards Mongo with Flash Gordon, riding along a creek bed with the Lone Ranger, piloting a plane through a fog bank above the Pacific Coast mountains, confronting an evil spy ringmaster in a dark castle, and taking down criminals with Detective Higgins of the Racket Squad. (Click on the pictures to see an enlarged view.)

Excerpt from Flash Gordon in the Water World of Mongo, Chapter One: The Sea of Mystery:
"High in the gaseous envelope which encloses the planet Mongo, a giant rocket ship sped through a murky fog. Within the craft were three strangers to Mongo -- three wayfarers from the distant planet known as Earth."

There were lots of westerns in the box. Here are two of the best ones.

Excerpt from The Lone Ranger and the Black Shirt Highwayman:
"It was practically impossible for the two horsemen to see more than a couple of feet ahead in the intense darkness of an impending storm. They rode silently along the bank of Powder River; the only sound above the steady clump of horses' hoofs was the occasional rumble of thunder. The jagged flashes of lightning gave brief glimpses of the trail they followed."

Here's one of the oddest titles in the box: Invisible Scarlet O'Neil, all about "the girl who possesses the power to transform herself into an invisible being by merely pressing a strange nerve in her left wrist." (Wouldn't that be a great power to have?)

The box held lots of adventure books, including several about pilots. These featured some of the most gripping opening chapters, including this excerpt, from Brad Turner in Transatlantic Flight:
" ' Ceiling zero. Visibility zero. Barometer twenty-eight point four two. Wind...' Ten thousand feet above the peaks of the Pacific Coast Range, a silver shape roared through the endlessly swirling wall of fog. Twin motors hammered their song of might, a faraway drone to the two men inside the great airplane's control cabin."

Some of the most intriguing covers were on these, a couple of spy/secret agent titles, illustrated front and back. Check out the heroic chin on Dan Dunn, Secret Operative 48!

Excerpt from International Spy: Doctor Doom Faces Death at Dawn:
" ' Doctor Doom! So, he matches wits with us again, eh?' In the gloomy and forbidding chamber, Count Arnheim, the war minister of Merovia, sat hunched over his massive desk and pointed his stubby finger at the tall, cloaked figure before him. His beady eyes smouldered with rage."

There were lots of crime related titles in the box, with illustrated backs as well.


Excerpt from Detective Higgins of the Racket Squad:
"Detective Higgins swung his two hundred pounds of muscle and bone into action. His arms, working like trip-hammers, pounded down the once sneering face of Tuffy Haynes...he sagged down like a pricked balloon before the merciless fists of Detective Sergeant Higgins, of the Racket Squad."

That's all for now; Flash just rescued the queen of Mongo's underwater city, and I have to see what happens next:

What We're Reading: Brenda

First Dog by J. Patrick Lewis and Beth Zappitello with Illustrations by Tim Bowers, Now Hiring: White House Dog by Gina Bazer and Renanah Lehner with Illustrations by Andrew Day, and Which Puppy? by Kate Feiffer with Illustrations by Jules Feiffer

These three books each tell the story of the First Family's search for a dog from a slightly different angle. Try them all and decide which one is your favorite!

First Dog tells the story of a dog who wanders around the world searching for the perfect home. He visits ten different countries in all and in each place meets a different breed of dog native to that country. For example in France he meets a Poodle, in China he meets a Shar-Pei and in Mexico he meets a Chihuahua. Each of the dogs have different habitats and qualities but none of them meet his needs. He returns home to the states to discover that the First Family is looking for a dog and finds his perfect match there! The dog in this book is absolutely adorable and the different locations are wonderfully depicted. The illustrator has included famous landmarks from some of the countries visited and that along with the dog breed information given for the ten dogs on the end pages of the book make this an educational as well as fun story to read! The authors also include a note on the last page highlighting the importance of pet adoption and the book even manages to incorporate the "Yes We Can" slogan. This is definitely my favorite out of the three!


Now Hiring: White House Dog is the story of two little girls who live in the White House and have been promised a dog by their parents. Tired of waiting they decide to take matters into their own hands and post a sign on the front lawn advertising for a pet. Soon all sorts of dogs start to show up to apply for the position and the girls have to scurry to hide the dogs until after their parent’s big dinner party. The choice is obvious once one of the girls starts sneezing but the book has a happy ending in that jobs are found for all of the applicants! The illustrations in the book are delightful and the pace moves along quickly. What I liked best about this book is that each of the dogs describes their own personalities and traits in clever little rhymes that are fun to read out loud! This book also helps to introduce children to the process of selecting a pet and how to take initiative to get what you want!


In Which Puppy? when the word spreads that the First Family is looking for a dog animals all over the world are interested in the position. Nobody knows what kind of puppy the family is looking for so it is decided that a contest will be held. There are races, barking matches and hoop jumps and a winner is decided but after displaying unsportsmanlike conduct that dog is disqualified. Next a lottery is held but it turns out that it has been rigged! Finally, it is revealed that "ancient custom dictates that a true presidential puppy" must have three certain physical characteristics. Since no one dog has all three features two dogs and one guinea pig are chosen to go to Washington! What happens when they get there is a bit of a let down but the book does end on a happy note. This is a cute story to read out loud but it would also be good for children who are starting to read on their own. The illustrations remind me of an editorial cartoon and are a refreshing change from your typical children's book. A fun book to read!


All three of these titles are a great way to introduce the concept of the President to young children and get them involved in current events!

What We're Reading: Alice

Innocent by Scott Turow

Although Presumed Innocent was a blockbuster bestseller in the 1980's, and translated to film in 1990 starring Harrison Ford, it has taken Scott Turow 23 years to publish a follow-up. The author reasoned that he wanted enough time to pass so that many people familiar with the original work might now be curious about Rusty Sabich.

Some of the events in Innocent eerily echo Rusty's experiences in Presumed Innocent. Rusty Sabich, now 60, chief judge of an appellate court and candidate for the state supreme court, is accused of killing his wife, Barbara. He is also engaged in a second affair.

Turow says that his motivation for these familiar circumstances was to show how people are sometimes compelled for reasons they don't understand to keep repeating the same mistakes.

If you enjoy riveting courtroom dramas, read this sequel and you'll agree that Turow is better than ever. And if this one also makes it to the screen, Harrison Ford may be available.