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Mitchell's Book Corner 54 Main Street, 228-1080

"The Book of General Ignorance:

Everything You Think

You Know is Wrong" by John Lloyd and John Mitchinson John Lloyd and John Mitchinson want to you know if you know: "What's the biggest thing a blue whale can swallow?" They'll even give you a few hints: "a. Avery large mushroom, b. A small family car, c. A grapefruit, d. A sailor." Give up? The answer is a grapefruit! Quite interestingly, a blue whale's throat is almost exactly the same diameter as its belly button (which is about the size of a salad plate), but a little smaller than its eardrum (which is more the size of a dinner plate). "The Book of General Ignorance" challenges what most of us assume to be veritable truths in areas like history, literature, science, nature and more and leaves one dumbfounded about all the misinformation one has managed to collect during one's lifetime. It is both humorous and mindboggling. As the writer and actor Stephen Fry comments at the end of his forward: "Read it wisely, Little One, for the power of ignorance is great."

- Christie Cure,

Mitchell's Book Corner

Nantucket Bookworks 25 Broad Street, 228-4000

"Redemption Falls"

by Joseph O'Connor The town of Redemption Falls exists in the post-Civil War years in an inhospitable expanse that seems sometimes to dwarf the characters in Joseph O'Connor's novel. There exists widespread vigilante justice here which challenges the energies of James O'Keefe, the governor of the region. O'Keefe, disillusioned by his task - and, one feels, by the wasteland around him - is given to outbursts that dismay his beautiful wife, Lucia, who turns to a passionate admirer, Capt. Allen Winterton, sent to map the region and to sniff out a conspiracy. O'Connor writes beautifully and intimately of the individuals trying to understand their place in the harsh land undergoing rapid changes. Many competing voices crowd into the telling - several strands of narrative, journals, songs, letters, public documents and poems among them - serving to raise the question of what the truth of this, or any story, is. This is a love story shining in a bleak frontier epic.

- Dick Burns, Nantucket Bookworks

Nantucket Atheneum 1 India Street, 228-1110

"Cock-a-doodle-hoooooo!"

by Mick Manning, Illustrated

by Brita Granström In a wonderful pairing of talents, Manning and Granström tell the story of a lonely owl who happens upon a hen house on a cold and rainy night. Although he'd like to stay with his new-found family, he struggles to find acceptance among the demanding hens. Owl's own skills finally save the day and gain him a place in the clan. Granström's watercolor drawings depict her character's emotions perfectly, while Manning's text clearly and simply depicts owl's effort to belong. This theme will resonate strongly with young readers and listeners. Recommended for ages 3-7.

- Maggie Head,

Nantucket Atheneum

Orange Street Video 117 Orange Street, 228-5806

"You Kill Me" (Rated R for language and

some violence) In this witty dark comedy noir, Ben Kingsley plays a hit man who has lost his ability to kill. When the mob realizes that Frank's drinking has made him an ineffectual killer, they send him off to California to go to AA. While on the wagon, Frank takes on a normal life. He rents an apartment and gets a job at a mortuary. It's through his now legal occupation that Frank meets Laurel (Tea Leoni). After her stepfather's death, Laurel starts up a relationship with Frank, not knowing who he truly is but she is bound to find out. What makes this film truly fabulous is not just the quirky storyline but the witty and satirical dialogue which is delivered perfectly by the different characters. Both Ben Kingsley and Tea Leoni shine in this movie and make us want to see Frank sober up and kill again.

- Kate O'Brien,

Orange Street Video

Camera Shop & Nantucket Video 32 Main Street, 228-0101

"The Namesake" (Rated PG-13 for sexuality/nudity, a

scene of drug use, some disturbing

images and brief language ) Mira Nair directs this adaptation of Jhumpa Lahir's novel "The Namesake," the story of a young newlywed Indian couple who have emigrated from Calcutta in the 1970s to start a new life in Manhatten. Life is not easy but there is joy after the birth of their first child. As a young man their son Gogol struggles with the life he thinks he wants while rejecting his cultural roots and traditions. This is a very touching film about family and the ties that bind them together.

- Laurie Donovan, Camera Shop & Nantucket Video