Posts by Jennifer Allen

I would say that I am rather familiar with Tina Fey’s work and I would declare myself quite a fan of her talent. From watching her in Mean Girls on the big screen and laughing at her hilarious Sarah Palin impressions to officially making Date Night one of the top five movies to make me laugh so hard I had tears streaming down my face — she is indeed amazing. So how is her New York Times best-selling book Bossypants? Well, a good book is in the eye of the reader, but here's my take on it.

Below are a few of the newest books to hit NYPL shelves...

If you see something you like, simply click on the title and you will be able to request a copy from the NYPL catalog.

To learn more about a particular author or book, click on the person's name to be redirected to a biographical summary or book review within the NYPL database Biography in Context.

The following summaries were taken from the NYPL catalog.

FICTION

Caleb's Crossing

What initially drew me into reading The Dressmaker of Khair Khana was the beautiful book cover and title. Call me superficial but yes, I am indeed guilty of judging many a book by its cover. But as I went on to read the summary on the inside of the book jacket, I found myself even more interested and so I began reading what is now one of the most memorable books I've ever read. The best part is, this is actually based on a true story.

Below are a few of the newest books to hit NYPL shelves...

When I first requested the book The Rules According to JWoww: Shore-Tested Secrets On Landing A Mint Guy, Staying Fresh To Death, And Kicking The Competition To The Curb (deep breath...), by Jenni Farley, aka JWoww from MTV's Jersey Shore, I must admit that I felt a little bit iffy about it. The mere title and cover image alone of JWoww in a sexy schoolgirl uniform is enough to make one feel as if this book is not really meant to be taken seriously.

Below are a few of the newest books to hit NYPL shelves...

If you see something you like, simply click on the title and you will be able to request a copy from the NYPL catalog.

The Rite, starring Anthony Hopkins (The Silence of the Lambs, The Wolfman) was released in theatres late last month and was #1 at the box office on its opening weekend. It has since received mixed reviews but did you know that this film is actually based on a book written by Matt Baglio in 2009?

The name of the book is The Rite: The Making of a Modern Exorcist and it tells the true story of a California priest and his astonishingly scary experiences in 2005 while studying exorcisms in Rome.

Here is an inside look on all the great movies being featured by this year's Movie Theatre Thursdays at the 67th Street Library! Click Place Hold to request a copy from NYPL. Click on the title to read more information from The Internet Movie Database and view clips. Summaries taken from the NYPL catalog.

Below are a few of the newest books to hit NYPL shelves...

Recently, The New York Public Library hosted JAY-Z in conversation with Cornel West and Paul Holdengräber where the rapper spoke about his newly released book Decoded. Now, this is my feedback as both a librarian and a fan.

Rapper Jay-Z is known by many as being a living legend. The truth is, with some of the best rap lyricists such as Biggie Smalls, Tupac, and Big Pun succumbing to tragedy, Jay-Z is a reminder not only of hope but of a particular generation of evolved rap music makers and their ability to artistically express their visions and perspective on life to their audience using wit, street knowledge, and a deep desire to share the world 

Below are a few of the newest books to hit NYPL shelves...

For Colored Girls, Tyler Perry's latest film, was released in early November and has since received some mixed reviews. Tyler Perry as a director is known for addressing what can be very sensitive topics: for example, drug abuse in Daddy's Little Girls and unhappy marriages in Why Did I Get Married? The casts of his films are usually made up of actors and actresses who are well-known especially amongst the black community. However, it is his ability to capture basic human emotion on camera that has led to his success among of a diverse audience. Did you know that the film For Colored Girls is actually based on a choreopoem book 

Curtis Jackson, a.k.a. rapper 50 Cent, is known for a lot of things. To many, he's known for his controversial blunt honesty that is often especially geared toward fellow rappers. He is also the epitome of a person living the American Dream, coming from nothing in Southside Jamica, Queens and eventually becoming a millionaire mogul with his own clothing line, vitamin water drink, books (fiction and non-fiction) as well as a few acting roles (Righteous Kill also starring Robert De Niro and Al Pacino.) For those who don't listen to his music, he may be identified as the guy who got shot "9 times!" But 

I was sitting at home watching Chelsea Lately on E! one night. Right before commercial, the show cut to a big guy reading her book and saying, "This isn't funny..." as he shook his head. The book was My Horizontal Life written by comedian Chelsea Handler in 2005.

I knew I had seen that book around the library and the title always caught my eye but I never bothered with it. Luckily, something told me to go to work, hunt it down and give it a go.

Below are a few of the newest books to hit NYPL shelves...

The Social Network, starring Jesse Eisenberg (Zombieland), arrived in theaters on October 1st. You knew it was based on the true story of the Facebook founders, but did you know that it was based on a book? The book is called The Accidental Billionaires: The Founding of Facebook, A Tale of Sex, Money, Genius, and Betrayal written by Ben Mezrich (the author of another "Reel Book," Bringing Down the House: The Inside Story of Six M.I.T. Students Who Took Vegas for Millions, made into the film 21 starring Kevin Spacey).

Below are a few of the newest books to hit NYPL shelves...

You may have seen the trailers or heard about a new movie that is out called The American, starring Academy Award winner George Clooney.

However, did you know the film is actually based on a novel, A Very Private Gentleman, written in 2004 by Martin Booth?

We are no doubt facing hard times. Every day we constantly hear about the crazy economy, lay-offs, foreclosures, and after a while it feels like a never-ending story of negativity. But, the beauty of New York City is that even in bad times, there are many wonderful sights to be seen and fun moments to be had and many of them are indeed free.