Help the Mason Library NAME THAT TUNE!

In a tribute to the classic game show, the Mason Library Teen Activity Club is having a special NAME THAT TUNE event, on Thursday, May 28 from 4-5 PM! Area teens are invited to come and test their music knowledge skills — how fast can YOU identify popular songs? We’ll have prizes and refreshments.

But first, we need your help! If you have any suggestions for songs we should use in the contest, post them below! Who knows … if we use your suggestion, you just might have an advantage!

Boldly go…

Star Trek has always had something of a “geek” image, despite the pop culture appeal of characters like Mr. Spock, and catchphrases like “Beam me up, Scotty.” There’s certainly no denying that Trek seemed on its last legs just a few years ago. The final movies and TV series became less and less successful, leading many to declare that Star Trek was dead.

But that was before J.J. Abrams (creater of Alias, Lost and Fringe) and his partners Roberto Orci & Alex Kurtzman (Transformers) came along. Their new Star Trek movie, which tells the story of how Kirk, Spock, McCoy, Uhura, Scotty, etc. first got together, is getting amazing reviews (it’s 95% fresh at RottenTomatoes) and breaking records at the box office (it’s already the most financially successful Trek film of all time).

You can celebrate the phenomenon by checking out the many great tie-in products available at CADL! First, there’s the comic prequel, Star Trek: Countdown. Then read the novelization by renowned Sci-Fi author Alan Dean Foster (he ghost-wrote the novelization of the original Star Wars, among many, many others) — also available as an audiobook. Finally, there’s the CD soundtrack, featuring the exciting and emotional music of Michael Giacchino.

And of course, all six Star Trek TV series (The Original Series, The Animated Adventures, The Next Generation, Deep Space Nine, Voyager and Enterprise) and all ten previous movies (I, II, III, IV, V, VI, VII, VIII, IX & X) are still available … not to mention all the other CDs and novels that have been published over the years! A good starting point might be the new Star Trek Motion Picture Trilogy on DVD and Blu-Ray, featuring newly remastered versions of films II-IV (that’s the one with Khan through the one with the whales).

So happy Trekking! And if you have a reaction to/review of the new film for us, please post it below!

Pride and Prejudice and Zombies

Do you have trouble getting into classics? When your teacher announces the latest required read, do you groan a little? Then this is the book for you. Pride and Prejudice and Zombies by Jane Austen and Seth Grahame-Smith is exactly what you might expect. It takes Austen’s classic, Pride and Prejudice, and adds a dash of zombies, ninjas, Shaolin monks, and the Seven Cuts of Shame.

The comedy of manners has never been more fun to read. Follow Elizabeth Bennet as she protects the Vicarage from the embarrassment of her sisters’ flirtations, as well as from the countless hordes of “unmentionables” shuffling through the English countryside.

Read on as the romance unfolds between Elizabeth and Mr. Darcy, and the mighty pairing they make while dispatching the zombies to the flames of Hell. You’ll get the feel for the classic novel and satisfy your craving for chaos and horror!

If zombies aren’t your cup of English Breakfast tea, try the movie Lost in Austen. This unrated movie is about a young woman named Amanda who trades places with Elizabeth Bennet. Amanda ends up in regency England and Elizabeth comes to the modern day world. The question becomes, will Amanda change the course of Jane Austen’s classic story? And what about Elizabeth, will she be forever changed by living in today?

Both titles are able to be put on hold. Reserve your copy today!

Literature & Lyrics Contest

Help one of 25 lucky Lansing area singers, rappers, musicians or groups win the opportunity to perform at the 10th Annual Common Ground Music Festival, July 6th – 12th. Cast your vote for your favorite performer at www.myspace.com/mycadl. Of the top ten performers with the most votes, one will be chosen by a panel of judges to perform at Common Ground. The winner will be announced Monday, May 25.

To learn more about the Common Ground Music Festival visit: http://www.commongroundfest.com/.