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Monday, April 29, 2013

Hot This Week: April 29

It's a big week on the DVD list as blockbusters Django Unchained, The Hobbit, and Les Miserables all appear for the first time. On the CD chart, rock band Fall Out Boy takes the top spot with their first new album in five years. The latest from perennial bestseller Nora Roberts top the week's fiction list; on the non-fiction side, Laura Hillenbrand's Unbroken makes a large leap back onto the top half of the list.

DVD
  1. Django Unchained
  2. Life of Pi
  3. The Hobbit: An Unexpected Journey
  4. Les Miserables
  5. Zero Dark Thirty
  6. Lincoln
  7. Argo
  8. This Is 40
  9. Red Dawn
  10. Skyfall
 CD
  1. Fall Out Boy, Save Rock and Roll
  2. Kid Cudi, Indicud
  3. Justin Timberlake, The 20/20 Experience
  4. Blake Shelton, Based on a True Story...
  5. Yeah Yeah Yeahs, Mosquito
  6. The Band Perry, Pioneer
  7. Brad Paisley, Wheelhouse
  8. Lil Wayne, I Am Not a Human Being II
  9. Macklemore & Ryan Lewis, The Heist 
  10. P!nk, The Truth About Love
Fiction
  1. Whiskey Beach, Nora Roberts
  2. Daddy's Gone A Hunting, Mary Higgins Clark
  3. Life After Life, Kate Atkinson
  4. Gone Girl, Gillian Flynn
  5. Taking Eve, Iris Johansen
  6. The Burgess Boys, Elizabeth Strout
  7. Don't Go, Lisa Scottoline
  8. Unintended Consequences, Stuart Woods
  9. Six Years, Harlan Coben
  10. Starting Now, Debbie Macomber
Non-Fiction
  1. Lean In, Sheryl Sandberg and Nell Scovell
  2. Gulp, Mary Roach
  3. Unbroken, Laura Hillenbrand
  4. The Great Deformation, David Stockman
  5. Killing Kennedy, Bill O'Reilly and Martin Dugard
  6. Mom & Me & Mom, Maya Angelou
  7. My Beloved World, Sonia Sotomayor
  8. Salt Sugar Fat, Michael Moss
  9. Clean, David Sheff 
  10. Carrie and Me, Carol Burnett

Friday, April 26, 2013

In Memoriam: Storm Thorgerson (1944-2013)

Written by Jon Williams

Think of your favorite album. No doubt your mind turns first to all the great songs it contains, and to the hours of enjoyment you’ve gotten from listening to it, to say nothing of the memories associated with it and the joy of sharing it with others. And chances are good that you can also picture it in your mind, the vibrant colors or stark design of the album cover being as much a part of the experience as the music itself.

Recently the music industry lost an icon. You haven’t heard Storm Thorgerson’s work, because he wasn’t a musician himself, but if you’re a rock music fan at all, you’ve almost certainly seen some of it. Thorgerson was a visual artist responsible for some of the most well-known album covers in rock history. He worked primarily with hard rock and prog rock bands, coming up with surreal cover visuals that complemented the songs to be found inside.

Thorgerson’s most famous work graces the cover of Pink Floyd’s 1973 masterpiece Dark Side of the Moon. His work with Pink Floyd began with their second album, A Saucerful of Secrets (1968), and continued throughout the band’s career, up through their 2007 compilation album Oh, by the Way. He also worked on the cover for Floyd guitarist David Gilmour’s 1984 solo album About Face.

It was his friendship with Gilmour and other members of Pink Floyd that gave him his start designing album covers, but they were by no means the only famous band Thorgerson did work for during his long and illustrious career. His art adorns the cover of Black Sabbath’s 1976 album Technical Ecstasy. He did three albums for Led Zeppelin (including In Through the Out Door, their last album of all-new material), as well as three albums for Peter Gabriel as a solo artist and one during his time with the band Genesis. He also worked with more modern rock bands, such as Muse and the Mars Volta. His most recent design was for the Biffy Clyro album Opposites, which released in January.

Click here to browse a more complete list of albums sporting Thorgerson’s memorable artwork.

Wednesday, April 24, 2013

RDA Implementation and Your Library



The Library of Congress implementation date of March 31, 2013, for the new Resource Description and Access (RDA) cataloging standards has come and gone.  Also effective on this date was OCLC’s new policy statement regarding RDA (https://www.oclc.org/en-US/rda/new-policy.html).

So what does this mean for you? First, rest assured that no library will be required to do original cataloging in RDA. Each library will have to determine an RDA implementation timeline, along with how to incorporate this new type of record into the current catalog database. Some libraries may want to keep the old AACR2 format for existing records entirely, while others may choose to add select RDA elements, thus creating hybrid records.

RDA records are out there and more are on the way. These records may affect search paths and item display in the OPAC, so waiting too long to decide on a plan of action may have far-reaching effects. Here are a few proactive suggestions:
  • Contact your ILS provider to see if they will offer upgrades regarding RDA records.
  • If your library purchases MARC records from outside agencies (including Midwest Tape), reach out to them to make your plans and needs known.
In order for us to best serve you, we need to know your implementation plans. Some of the things we will need to know are:
  • Your ILS vendor
  • If you plan on implementing RDA gradually, all at once, or not at all
  • What accommodations do you require for RDA implementation?
  • What adjustments have you had to make (if any) for the increase of RDA records for books?
Let us know your general plans in the comments section below. As the implementation date approaches and your plans solidify, keep us informed, provide feedback, and ask questions by posting to our blog.

Monday, April 22, 2013

Hot This Week:April 22

The acclaimed adaptation of Life of Pi comes in atop this week's DVD list. Rock band Paramore and country singer Brad Paisley team up to knock Justin Timberlake from his lofty perch at #1 on the CD chart. This week's fiction list sees debuts from Mary Higgins Clark, Lisa Scottoline, and Stuart Woods. In non-fiction, the only newcomer is Carol Burnett's tale of life with her troubled daughter.

DVD
  1. Life of Pi
  2. Zero Dark Thirty
  3. Lincoln
  4. Argo
  5. Red Dawn
  6. Killing Them Softly
  7. Wreck-It Ralph
  8. Rise of the Guardians
  9. Skyfall
  10. The Collection
 CD
  1. Paramore, Paramore
  2. Brad Paisley, Wheelhouse
  3. Justin Timberlake, The 20/20 Experience
  4. Blake Shelton, Based on a True Story...
  5. Eric Church, Caught in the Act
  6. The Band Perry, Pioneer
  7. Tyga, Hotel California
  8. Lil Wayne, I Am Not a Human Being II
  9. Volbeat, Outlaw Gentlemen & Shady Ladies
  10. Stone Sour, House of Gold & Bones: Part 2
Fiction
  1. Daddy's Gone A Hunting, Mary Higgins Clark
  2. Don't Go, Lisa Scottoline
  3. Life After Life, Kate Atkinson
  4. Unintended Consequences, Stuart Woods
  5. The Burgess Boys, Elizabeth Strout
  6. Manuscript Found in Accra, Paulo Coelho
  7. Gone Girl, Gillian Flynn
  8. Six Years, Harlan Coben
  9. Starting Now, Debbie Macomber
  10. The Storyteller, Jodi Picoult
Non-Fiction
  1. Lean In, Sheryl Sandberg and Nell Scovell
  2. Gulp, Mary Roach
  3. The Great Deformation, David Stockman 
  4. My Beloved World, Sonia Sotomayor
  5. Salt Sugar Fat, Michael Moss
  6. A Higher Call, Adam Makos and Larry Alexander
  7. Killing Kennedy, Bill O'Reilly and Martin Dugard
  8. Sum It Up, Pat Summitt and Sally Jenkins
  9. Mom & Me & Mom, Maya Angelou
  10. Carrie and Me, Carol Burnett

Friday, April 19, 2013

Preparing Grads for the Next Step

Written by Kyle Slagley

When I graduated from high school, I remember being thrilled at the prospect of finally being done, getting to go to a university that I’d had my heart set on for a long time, and of course getting out from under Mom and Dad in the process. I also remember being very nervous about all those things.

When I graduated college, there wasn’t nearly as much excitement and a lot more anxiety. The idea that I now had to completely put on my big-boy pants and fend for myself was overwhelming, despite the fact that I’d been preparing for it – theoretically, at least – for years.

Graduation can be a very bittersweet time for both the graduates and the parents, but the right words can be incredibly empowering. Every year during graduation season, I post the YouTube video of Conan O’Brien’s Dartmouth commencement address on my Facebook page. I wholeheartedly believe that if someone were to make a ‘graduation speaker all-stars’ video, this one would be at the top. It’s 25 minutes long, but I promise you, it will probably be the most worthwhile 25 minutes you spend on YouTube all year.

A couple years after I graduated, I came across the book Mastering the Seven Decisions That Determine Personal Success. This book is great for anyone, but in particular for graduates. The seven decisions are really very basic ones, but the book explains them in a way that isn’t quite so ‘self-help’ and more like a reminder. It is a sequel to the book The Traveler’s Gift, which reads like a story. These titles also make for great book club selections right around graduation time.

When it comes to storytelling, nobody can wordsmith a life lesson quite like Dr. Seuss. Whether he’s telling you to be ecologically responsible, be tolerant and respectful of other cultures, or that “a person’s a person, no matter how small,” when Seuss speaks, we listen. Oh the Places You’ll Go, one of the most popular graduation books of all time, is even more fantastic when narrated by John Lithgow.

Teachers and speakers are sometimes asked to consider their own deaths and give a lesson based on what they’ve concluded – commonly referred to as ‘last lectures.’ The book The Last Lecture has gained quite a bit of notoriety in recent years. When Professor Randy Pausch was diagnosed with terminal cancer, he went on to give what may be the most famous final lecture ever written down. It has nothing to do with cancer, but it does teach the reader to value every minute. This title will be around for generations, and don’t forget to check out the DVD of the lecture as well.

Finally, for a more humorous take on the entire situation, The Worst-Case Survival Handbook is an absolute gem. You never know when you might encounter quicksand, rabid wolves, or the need to deliver a baby in the back of a cab whilst at college. For the truly prepared, also check out the versions specific to Dating & Sex, Travel, and for college grads – Work.

Wednesday, April 17, 2013

Gatsby Brings Fitzgerald to New Generation

Written by Jon Williams

The Great Gatsby, F. Scott Fitzgerald’s classic 1925 novel, has been adapted for film numerous times, most notably in 1974. In that film, Robert Redford portrayed the mysterious title character who has amassed a vast fortune with the sole purpose of winning the love of Daisy Buchanan. Mia Farrow plays the object of Gatsby’s affection (although “obsession” may be a more accurate word).

Now, a new adaptation is coming to theaters, this time starring Leonardo DiCaprio in the eponymous role and also featuring Carey Mulligan, Joel Edgerton, Isla Fisher, and Tobey Maguire. This version is directed by Baz Luhrmann, who brought another classic literary work to life with 1996’s Romeo + Juliet. Luhrmann updated Shakespeare’s work for modern times, noted for its soundtrack of modern rock and pop music. Luhrmann doesn’t bring Gatsby from the 1920s into the 2010s, but he did opt for a modern sound, bringing in Jay-Z to supervise the film’s score and populate the soundtrack with an eclectic, contemporary sound.

Although Gatsby is far and away Fitzgerald’s most heralded work, it is by no means his only one. He finished three other novels (This Side of Paradise, The Beautiful and Damned, and Tender Is the Night), and left one (The Love of the Last Tycoon) unfinished at his death in 1940. He also published a great deal of short fiction. The 2008 film The Curious Case of Benjamin Button was based on one of his short stories. Fitzgerald, who coined the term “Jazz Age” to refer to the 1920s, is considered one of the most influential writers of that time.

With the new version of Gatsby coming to theaters on May 10, interest in Fitzgerald is sure to be at an all-time high. Be sure to have his other titles on your shelves for your patrons to explore and enjoy. (And also point them to Z by Therese Anne Fowler, a new, fictionalized account of Fitzgerald’s relationship with his wife, Zelda.)

Monday, April 15, 2013

Hot This Week: April 15

Argo and Zero Dark Thirty stay strong at the top of this week's DVD list, with Lincoln showing up at #3 and three other newcomers making an appearance. Justin Timberlake holds onto music's top spot once again, with the Band Perry coming in just behind and New Kids on the Block making an appearance ahead of their anticipated summer tour. The top three titles on this week's fiction list are new; it's also a good week for new non-fiction titles, with five debuts on the list.

DVD
  1. Argo
  2. Zero Dark Thirty
  3. Lincoln
  4. Skyfall
  5. Red Dawn
  6. Killing Them Softly 
  7. Rise of the Guardians
  8. Wreck-It Ralph
  9. Taken 2
  10. The Collection
 CD
  1. Justin Timberlake, The 20/20 Experience
  2. The Band Perry, Pioneer
  3. Tyler, the Creator, Wolf
  4. Blake Shelton, Based on a True Story...
  5. Lil Wayne, I Am Not a Human Being II
  6. New Kids on the Block, 10
  7. Killswitch Engage, Disarm the Descent
  8. Imagine Dragons, Night Visions
  9. P!nk, The Truth About Love
  10. Bruno Mars, Unorthodox Jukebox
Fiction
  1. Starting Now, Debbie Macomber
  2. Manuscript Found in Accra, Paulo Coelho
  3. Life After Life, Kate Atkinson
  4. The Burgess Boys, Elizabeth Strout
  5. Six Years, Harlan Coben
  6. Gone Girl, Gillian Flynn
  7. The Storyteller, Jodi Picoult
  8. A Week in Winter, Maeve Binchy
  9. Z, Therese Anne Fowler
  10. Alex Cross, Run, James Patterson
Non-Fiction
  1. Lean In, Sheryl Sandberg and Nell Scovell
  2. Gulp, Mary Roach
  3. Carry On, Warrior, Glennon Doyle Melton
  4. The Great Deformation, David Stockman
  5. Salt Sugar Fat, Michael Moss
  6. Mom & Me & Mom, Maya Angelou
  7. Sum It Up, Pat Summitt and Sally Jenkins
  8. Clean, David Sheff
  9. Killing Kennedy, Bill O'Reilly and Martin Dugard
  10. A Higher Call, Adam Makos and Larry Alexander

Friday, April 12, 2013

Arrested Development Returns

Written by Jon Williams

Bluth fans rejoice—Netflix has announced a May 26 release date for the fourth season of Arrested Development. The comedy series, which stars Jason Bateman, Jeffrey Tambor, Portia de Rossi, Will Arnett, and Michael Cera as the dysfunctional Bluth family, ran for three seasons on the Fox network. It was cancelled in 2006 despite critical acclaim and a legion of die-hard fans. That dedicated audience played into Netflix’s decision to revive the series.

Likewise, there’s good news for fans of Veronica Mars. Like Arrested Development, Veronica Mars ran for three years as a series, on UPN and the CW. Kristen Bell starred as a high school college student who spent her free time working as a private investigator. The show ended in 2007. Although it has not been picked up as a new series, it has been announced that a feature-length movie is in the works. The effort to make the movie was helped by the crowdfunding website Kickstarter, which many believe may become a force in the creation of many future films.

Here are a few other shows ripe for a revival.

Friday Night Lights: In the words of Tim Riggins, “Texas forever.” Leaving behind the world surrounding high school football in Dillon, Texas, wasn’t easy for anyone. Talk of a movie has been around since the series’ five-season run ended in 2011, but those plans are still up in the air.

24: The show went off the air in 2010, but the world still needs Jack Bauer. Movie talks have also swirled around this popular show since its end. Take heart, though: the latest word from Kiefer Sutherland indicates that plans are moving forward, possibly to begin filming this summer. Stay tuned.

Firefly: This short-lived (just one season?!) TV show dealt with the exploits of a band of pirates in space. It actually did spawn a movie follow-up, Serenity, in 2005, but that still isn’t enough for those who love the show. Something tells me if Joss Whedon launched this show today, it might get a little bit more of a chance.

Smallville: OK, so this show, about Clark Kent’s coming of age as Superman, enjoyed a full ten-season run. Still, fans were hoping that star Tom Welling would get the chance to feature in a big-screen blockbuster. They’ll have to content themselves with Henry Cavill as the Man of Steel, in theaters June 14.

What are some shows you’d like to see resurrected, either as films or back in production as series? Let us know in the comments section below.

Wednesday, April 10, 2013

2013 Tony Award Talk

Written by Kyle Slagley

For your patrons who, like me, have affection for theatre, this is an exciting time of year. The Tony Award nominees are going to be announced on April 30 by Jesse Tyler Ferguson and Sutton Foster.

Ferguson currently stars on the ABC comedy Modern Family, but has his roots in theatre, having starred in On The Town, The 25th Annual Putnam County Spelling Bee, and a variety of Shakespeare productions.

Foster is currently starring in the ABC Family series Bunheads. She has a long list of Broadway credits, but most notable among them are her Tony Award-winning roles in Thoroughly Modern Millie and Anything Goes. She was also nominated for Tony Awards for her roles in Little Women, The Drowsy Chaperone, and Shrek: The Musical.

I am by no means a Broadway authority, but here are some musicals to watch this year. Most of them also happen either to be based on a movie or have a movie adaptation.

Kinky Boots – based on the 2006 film that you didn’t even know existed, this musical tells the story of Charlie Price, a young man who inherits his father’s shoe factory that is nearly bankrupt. With the help of Lola, they revitalize the business by developing a fantastic line of shoes for a very niche market – drag queens. Despite the name, the show isn’t all that risqué and will likely be up for Best New Musical.

Jekyll and Hyde – You know the story, but did you know the original production starred Mr. Baywatch himself, David Hasselhoff? The original show ran for three and a half years with over 1,500 performances. The soundtrack and a DVD from the original cast are still available, and a rerecording with the revival cast wouldn’t surprise me since this show will be in the running for Best Revival of a Musical.

Breakfast at Tiffany’s – Who could forget the classic film with Audrey Hepburn? It’s arguably the first film people think of when someone says her name. Starring Emilia Clarke (Game of Thrones) as Miss Holly Golightly, this production will almost certainly be in the running for Best New Play.

Cat on a Hot Tin Roof – Although the play itself has gotten mediocre reviews, it’s likely that Scarlett Johansson will receive a nom for Best Actress; whether she’ll win is another story. The show itself is eligible for Best Revival of a Play, but with competitors like Alan Cumming’s creepy-awesome interpretation of MacBeth, Al Pacino’s Glengarry Glen Ross, and Jim Parsons’s Harvey, it may or may not make the initial cut.

Monday, April 8, 2013

Hot This Week: April 8

A couple of true-life thrillers take over the top two spots on this week's DVD list. Justin Timberlake holds onto the top spot on the music chart for a second week, but there are six debut titles below him, each one a new title from a familiar name. Likewise, Harlan Coben keeps the top fiction spot, while a debut title of interest is Z, based on the lives of F. Scott Fitzgerald and his wife Zelda (a new adaptation of The Great Gatsby hits theaters next month). The only new title on this week's non-fiction list comes in at #10 and deals with the lead-up to America's involvement in World War II.

DVD
  1. Argo
  2. Zero Dark Thirty
  3. Skyfall
  4. Rise of the Guardians
  5. Wreck-It Ralph
  6. The Twilight Saga: Breaking Dawn, Part 2
  7. Taken 2
  8. Playing for Keeps
  9. End of Watch
  10. Flight
 CD
  1. Justin Timberlake, The 20/20 Experience
  2. Lil Wayne, I Am Not a Human Being II
  3. Blake Shelton, Based on a True Story...
  4. OneRepublic, Native
  5. Alan Jackson, Precious Memories II
  6. Depeche Mode, Delta Machine
  7. P!nk, The Truth About Love
  8. Imagine Dragons, Night Visions
  9. Bruno Mars, Unorthodox Jukebox
  10. The Strokes, Comedown Machine 
Fiction
  1. Six Years, Harlan Coben
  2. The Burgess Boys, Elizabeth Strout
  3. Gone Girl, Gillian Flynn
  4. The Storyteller, Jodi Picoult
  5. The Golden Egg, Donna Leon
  6. Alex Cross, Run, James Patterson
  7. A Week in Winter, Maeve Binchy
  8. Z, Therese Anne Fowler
  9. A Dance with Dragons, George R.R. Martin
  10. The Striker, Clive Cussler and Justin Scott
Non-Fiction
  1. Lean In, Sheryl Sandberg and Nell Scovell
  2. Salt Sugar Fat, Michael Moss
  3. Sum It Up, Pat Summitt and Sally Jenkins
  4. Killing Kennedy, Bill O'Reilly and Martin Dugard
  5. My Beloved World, Sonia Sotomayor
  6. No Easy Day, Mark Owen and Kevin Maurer
  7. The Soundtrack of My Life, Clive Davis and Anthony DeCurtis
  8. Unbroken, Laura Hillenbrand
  9. A Higher Call, Adam Makos and Larry Alexander
  10. Those Angry Days, Lynne Olson

Friday, April 5, 2013

In Memoriam: Roger Ebert

Written by Jon Williams

The film industry lost an icon with yesterday’s passing of movie critic Roger Ebert. He was 70.

Ebert’s career writing movie reviews for the Chicago Sun-Times started in 1967. His work helped bring film criticism to the forefront. In 1975, he became the first film critic to win a Pulitzer Prize. That same year, he ventured onto television for the first time, hosting a monthly program with fellow Chicago critic Gene Siskel. That show eventually evolved into the well-known At the Movies that brought the trademarked “two thumbs up!” into the vernacular.

Ebert’s illness stole his voice from him in 2006, forcing him from his regular television show, but he continued to write. In addition to his prolific criticism, he wrote entertainment columns and articles on political issues that interested him. He was a constant presence on his blog and social media, offering his opinions on a wide range of topics.

Today, the Internet is awash in loving tributes to Ebert from friends, colleagues, actors, directors, and a whole host of others who were influenced and moved by his criticism, his writing, his passion, his humanity. For the complete story from those who knew him best, read his obituary in the Sun-Times, the newspaper where he worked for 46 years.

Truly, Ebert led an amazing and fascinating life. One vein that always ran true was his love for film, and his influence on the industry was undeniable. Click here for a collection of his best-reviewed movies throughout the years. His voice—his passion—will be sadly missed.

“Kindness” covers all of my political beliefs. No need to spell them out. I believe that if, at the end, according to our abilities, we have done something to make others a little happier, and something to make ourselves a little happier, that is about the best we can do.
--from Roger Ebert’s 2011 memoir, Life Itself

Wednesday, April 3, 2013

Climbing Past the Expectations

Written by Kyle Slagley

Earlier this week I read a news story that, while brief, was amazingly inspirational. Eli Reimer, a 15-year-old young man from Oregon, has become the first teenager with Downs Syndrome to reach Mount Everest Base Camp. The South Base Camp in Nepal is at an elevation of 17,598 feet above sea level and the climb is no small feat for even the fittest of adults.

The story got me thinking about all the stories that have come from Everest over the years. According to the website wisegeek.com, as of 2011, over 3100 people have been recorded as summiting Mt. Everest, while over 220 have died in the attempt. It is worth noting that the elevation difference between the South Base Camp and the Summit is still over 11,000 feet.

There have been some great memoirs written about Everest and her climbers over the years. Perhaps the most famous climber in Everest’s history, George Mallory, may not have made it to the summit at all. In 1924, Mallory died on the mountain, and since the last time he was seen was 800 feet below the summit, it has never been determined whether he died going up, or was one of the dozens that died in the descent. In Climbing Everest, Mallory takes the reader with him on each of his three attempts to summit the mountain. For the further story, The Wildest Dream is a documentary that was released in 2010 and gives mountaineer Conrad Anker’s firsthand account of discovering George Mallory’s body on the North Face of Mt. Everest over 2000 feet below the summit.

The fatality rate for climbers has dropped dramatically in the past couple decades thanks to advances in the equipment. Unfortunately, however, gear is only part of the equation. Like many extreme sports, the weather is an uncontrollable and often unpredictable variable, and in May of 1996, eight people would die after a massive storm bore down on three expeditions of climbers. Into Thin Air was written by Jon Krakauer, who was on assignment from Outside magazine. His party lost four climbers—one guide and three clients. Published a year later, The Climb was written by guide Anatoli Boukreev, whose party lost one guide that same day.

For a more inspirational look at the attempts on Everest, look no further than Touch the Top of the World by Erik Weihenmayer. In May 2001, Weihenmayer became the first blind person to summit the world’s tallest peak, and this documentary chronicles his life.

Finally, if you happen to have it on the shelves already, pull out The Boy Who Conquered Everest: The Jordan Romero Story, by Katharine Blanc and Jordan Romero. Not only did Romero become the youngest person to summit Everest at 13 years, 10 months, 10 days of age, he also became the youngest person to climb the Seven Summits at age 15 years, 5 months, 12 days. The Seven Summits consist of the highest points of elevation on all seven continents in the world, and it is likely that his record will remain unbroken for the foreseeable future, now that Nepal and China no longer issue licenses to climb Everest to climbers under age 16.

Monday, April 1, 2013

Hot This Week: April 1

No April Fool's joke here: Skyfall leaps to the top of the DVD chart, with the animated hit Rise of the Guardians also debuting at #3. JT's long-awaited return to pop music comes in at #1 on the CD chart. Harlan Coben's latest thriller tops the fiction list, with George R.R. Martin's A Dance with Dragons making a return to go along with the season premiere of A Game of Thrones last night on HBO. In non-fiction, the only newcomer to the list comes from the family featured in the highly popular A&E show Duck Dynasty.

DVD
  1. Skyfall
  2. The Twilight Saga: Breaking Dawn, Part 2
  3. Rise of the Guardians
  4. Wreck-It Ralph
  5. Playing for Keeps
  6. Taken 2
  7. Flight
  8. End of Watch
  9. Here Comes the Boom
  10. Hotel Transylvania
 CD
  1. Justin Timberlake, The 20/20 Experience
  2. Kacey Musgraves, Same Trailer Different Park
  3. Bruno Mars, Unorthodox Jukebox
  4. Luke Bryan, Spring Break...Here to Party
  5. P!nk, The Truth About Love
  6. Imagine Dragons, Night Visions
  7. Bon Jovi, What About Now
  8. Les Miserables Soundtrack
  9. Mumford & Sons, Babel
  10. Rihanna, Unapologetic 
Fiction
  1. Six Years, Harlan Coben
  2. The Storyteller, Jodi Picoult
  3. Gone Girl, Gillian Flynn
  4. Alex Cross, Run, James Patterson
  5. A Week in Winter, Maeve Binchy
  6. The Striker, Clive Cussler and Justin Scott
  7. Halo: Silentium, Greg Bear
  8. The Dinner, Herman Koch
  9. A Dance with Dragons, George R.R. Martin
  10. Damascus Countdown, Joel C. Rosenberg
Non-Fiction
  1. Lean In, Sheryl Sandberg and Nell Scovell
  2. Salt Sugar Fat, Michael Moss
  3. Killing Kennedy, Bill O'Reilly and Martin Dugard
  4. Sum It Up, Pat Summitt and Sally Jenkins
  5. Unbroken, Laura Hillenbrand
  6. No Easy Day, Mark Owen and Kevin Maurer
  7. My Beloved World, Sonia Sotomayor
  8. The Soundtrack of My Life, Clive Davis and Anthony DeCurtis
  9. The Duck Commander Family, Willie & Korie Robertson and Mark Schlabach
  10. American Sniper, Chris Kyle