June 2008 Staff PicksLike this list

16 items

• Christine Falls

  a Novel

  Black, Benjamin, 1945-

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  Benjamin Black, who is actually John Banville, introduces Garret Quirke, a Dublin pathologist with a fondness for whiskey in this first novel of what looks to be a satisfying crime series. Set in 1950’s Dublin and Boston, the novel begins with…Read moreRead more of this annotation

• The Curious Incident of the Dog in the Night-time

  Haddon, Mark, 1962-

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  An autistic teenager decides to emulate his hero Sherlock Holmes when he discovers a dead poodle in the neighborhood, but his investigation leads him to disturbing discoveries at home. This delightful surprise bestseller will please fans of both…Read moreRead more of this annotation

• Fun Home

  a Family Tragicomic

  Bechdel, Alison, 1960-

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  Alison Bechdel had a unique upbringing. Her family lived in a restored Victorian home, and her father was the funeral director of the titular “fun home.” While Alison’s childhood seemed fairly happy, there were signs of things not being quite right…Read moreRead more of this annotation

• Remainder

  McCarthy, Tom, 1969 May 22-

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  In Tom McCarthy's Remainder, an unnamed man living in London suffers some undisclosed head trauma. He has a long road to recovery and must relearn the most basic motor functions. On the upside, he receives an incredible sum of money from his…Read moreRead more of this annotation

• The Senator's Wife

  Miller, Sue, 1943-

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  Sue Miller's latest domestic drama centers on the lives of two women, Meri and Delia, at opposite ends the spectrum of married life. Meri is just starting out with her husband, their first home and a new baby. Her next-door neighbor Delia leads a…Read moreRead more of this annotation

• Soon I Will Be Invincible

  Grossman, Austin, 1969-

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  Soon I Will be Invincible delivers a deadpan take on superhero comics, starring one of the most memorable characters of recent years: Dr. Impossible, a supervillian bent upon world domination. Impossible has all the megalomaniac traits of a typical…Read moreRead more of this annotation

• Spook Country

  Gibson, William, 1948-

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  While many science fiction novels show us what could come to pass, William Gibson's recent novels show us a present that is so complex and technology saturated that it rivals any fictional future. His new book has a large cast, but much of our time…Read moreRead more of this annotation

• Alright, Still

  Allen, Lily, 1985-

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  Witty, bubbly, infectious and fun are all words that could be used to describe the album Alright, Still by British singer Lily Allen. Many songs have a strong reggae and ska influence, such as the catchy "LDN" and the surprise hit "Smile", a sly…Read moreRead more of this annotation

• Calle Salud

  Segundo, Compay

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  Compay Segundo was familiar to most people through his role in the hit music documentary Buena Vista Social Club. A legendary Cuban guitarist, Segundo had a long and fruitful life in music, and his mastery of a range of Latin styles is effortlessly…Read moreRead more of this annotation

• Ga Ga Ga Ga Ga

  Spoon (Musical group)

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  Spoon has done it again. Their sixth album is fresh and energetic and arguably their best effort to date. While the opener, "Don't Make Me a Target" is reminiscent of 2005's Gimme Fiction, as soon as the next track, "The Ghost of You Lingers,"…Read moreRead more of this annotation

• Sky Blue Sky

  Wilco (Musical group)

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  Chicago's own Wilco take everything they've learned about making albums, from their Americana origins up through their more recent experimental efforts, and refine their sound to produce a masterpiece. The songs on Sky Blue Sky are sometimes mellow…Read moreRead more of this annotation

• St. Elsewhere

  Gnarls Barkley (Musical group)

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  4 staccato notes clear the mind of whatever song you were just listening to and, next thing you know, you’re hearing a man’s confession: "I remember when I lost my mind." Musically, the song “Crazy” recalls the soul-style melody and passionate…Read moreRead more of this annotation

• Frank Capra's Arsenic and Old Lace

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  Frank Capra’s black comedy gem stars Cary Grant as Mortimer Brewster. Just married, Mortimer returns to Brooklyn to his elderly aunts’ home only to accidentally discover a dead body in the window seat. He initially assumes his crazy brother, Teddy,…Read moreRead more of this annotation

• Chong qing sen lin

  Chung king express

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  Director Wong made a strong international impression with his loosely linked tales of two cops looking for love in Hong Kong. The first cop, played by Takeshi Kaneshiro, pines for the woman who recently dumped him, setting a deadline for himself to…Read moreRead more of this annotation

• Grosse Pointe Blank

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  High School reunions are always a cause for stress, but rarely are they as stressful as the reunion that Martin Blank attends in his old home town of Grosse Pointe. Martin (John Cusack) is smart, charming, and “morally flexible" which has made him…Read moreRead more of this annotation

• Un long dimanche de fiançailles

  a very long engagement

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  Mathilde and Manech have been inseparable since they were children. They become engaged, and soon after Manech must go off to war. Mathilde waits. The war ends and Manech does not return. Mathilde is told that he was killed along with four other men…Read moreRead more of this annotation