LIST-O-RAMA: If You Like Nickel Creek...

Nickel Creek was a band that started as straight bluegrass (or “newgrass,” as band members were wont to say) and developed into a heartfelt, Grammy-winning folk outfit.

For more albums in which mandolin, fiddle and Americana influences are evident, click here.

Kevin was a School Shooter

Eva and her husband separated after their son, Kevin, murdered nine people at his high school. In letters to her husband, Eva attempts to understand her relationship with Kevin. Did he become a monster because she did not love him enough – or, did she never bond with him because she knew he was a monster from the start? We Need to Talk About Kevin, by Lionel Shriver, is a tense, intimate novel about motherhood. It won the 2005 Orange Prize and has been made into a psychological thriller starring Tilda Swinton and John C. Reilly.

Colleen's Pick: Horns

Joe Hill (Stephen King’s son) presents a horrifying mystery in Horns. Ig wakes up one morning to find horns protruding from his head that allow him to know a person’s darkest secrets. Ig then uses this ability to track down who brutally raped and murdered his girlfriend the year before.

Hard-Boiled with a Soft Spot

When she throws out her two-timing husband, Mildred Pierce is left alone to fend for her family.  She may not want to take any job that requires a uniform, but in 1931 there aren’t a lot of options.  She has great legs, questionable taste in men, and an overindulged daughter who is the both her greatest pride and her biggest adversary.  Recently adapted as an award-winning HBO miniseries, James M. Cain's Mildred Pierce is a riveting story of social commentary as evidenced in the life of one determined woman.  Reader Christine Williams navigates the emotional turmoil with an earthy haughtiness that shadows the noir influence while still bringing Mildred to life in vivid color.

LIST-O-RAMA: Samurai!

Blind swordsmen, historical drama, post-apocalyptic mayhem, vengeful women, baby carts, loyalty, honor and sacrifice - samurai films have it all!

For the best samurai movies MPPL has to offer, click here. 

Almost All the Kids Died

Nearly all the children of a small, British Columbian town have been killed or injured in a school bus accident. The question is:  who is at fault? Did the bus driver cause the accident by speeding or was the bus manufactured improperly, thus giving liability to the bus company? A slick city lawyer pins his bets on the fault of the bus company and all he needs is one of the sole survivors, fourteen year old Nicole, to back him up by testifying for his class action lawsuit. But will she give the testimony he wants to hear? The Sweet Hereafter, based on the book by Russell Banks, is a movie about ethics, love, grief and secrets.

Joyce's Pick: Heaven is for Real

Do you wonder if Heaven is for Real? Just ask Colton; he knows it is, because he’s been there! This four-year-old’s near-death experience astounded his family and may inspire you. Colton's story, written by his father but told in Colton’s words, is an engaging read for believer or skeptic alike.

Life Won't Be the Same

You never know when it might happen.  You can go along in your normal routine, and without warning it’s here – that moment that will change your life.  For Karen, Anna, and Lou, it begins on a morning train to London.  Their heads are full of what the day will bring, and in a flash it hardly seems important anymore.  One Moment, One Morning is not only the story of a quietly dramatic event, but also of what it takes to go on in the days immediately afterward.  Sarah Rayner’s thoughtful novel celebrates the resilience in each of us and the strength that real friendships provide.

LIST-O-RAMA: Christian Movies

Looking for entertainment that shares your faith-based world view?  Christian films have come a long way in recent years.  Established actors, real-life conflicts, and experimental styles provide more options for inspirational stories on film. 

Click here for Christian movies set in the past, ranging from biblical to pioneer to WWII.

Click here for modern-day, futuristic, and fantasy Christian films.

8 Poses for 25 Cents

The first commercially successful photobooth was created by Anatol Josepho. It was placed in New York City on Broadway in 1925. It was an instant hit. In the first six months, 280,000 people stood in line to use the coin-operated, ten-minute photo machine. In American Photobooth by Näkki Goranin the history of the photobooth is recounted with pictures of its creation and use. Can’t get enough? Babbette Hines’ book, Photobooth, displays hundreds of pictures from the 1920s through the 1980s. The stylistic variation of the snapshot is continued in Photobooth:  The Art of the Automatic Portrait, by Raynal Pellicer, which shows not only the common man, but celebrities (like John Lennon, Elvis, Ginsberg and John F. Kennedy) using photobooths.