Diana, Princess of Wales

It’s been twenty years since a car accident in Paris brought an end to the life of one of the world’s most beloved figures, Princess Diana. In addition to the glamour she was well-known for, she also served as an important ambassador for the AIDS crisis, ensuring people that there was no need to treat those patients as lepers, as well as many other causes, including children’s charities and banning landmines. And though her death at 36 was a shock, her legacy as the “people’s princess” has lived on. Remember her through one of these books.

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The Diana Chronicles – Tina Brown

• A portrait of the late Princess Diana examines her relationships with the various women in her life, including her sexually charged mother, scheming grandmother, hated stepmother, competitive sisters, and the “other woman,” Camilla Parker Bowles.

Diana: Finally, the Complete Story – Sarah Bradford

• Draws on interviews with individuals closest to the late princess to discuss her life behind the scandals, tracing her courtship with Prince Charles, transformation into a high-profile public figure, and the collapse of her marriage.

Diana, Her True Story: In Her Own Words – Andrew Morton

• An intimate portrait of the Princess of Wales describes her public and private life, reveals details about her marital problems, and discusses her attitudes toward motherhood and public service.

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The People’s Princess: Cherished Memories of Diana, Princess of Wales, From Those Who Knew Her Best – Larry King

• A compilation of recollections warm and intimate, celebrating Diana for her ability to make a human connection with everyone she met, and about her human failings and frailties.

The Day Diana Died – Christopher P. Andersen

• Offers a moment-by-moment account of the final day in the life of Diana, Princess of Wales, tracing the activities, movements, and emotions of everyone involved in the tragedy.

After Diana: William, Harry, Charles, and the Royal House of Windsor – Christopher P. Anderson

• Provides insight into the haunting effect of Princess Diana’s legacy on the British royal family ten years after her tragic death.

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Great Online Resource: Merriam-Webster’s Time Traveler

The dictionary is having a comeback – or at least, the snarky version has been lately. The Twitter account for Merriam-Webster has been throwing some serious shade (if you’re older than 30, you might need to look that word up) at celebrities, politicians, and anyone else whose use of the English language is less than clear. In fact, they’ve been having so much fun tweaking others, they’ve developed quite a following – more than half a million, to be precise.

All this new interest is driving a renewed look at language. If you’re a budding wordsmith, or even just a little word-curious, check out their newest online feature. It’s called Time-Traveler and it will tell you what words came into the English language during a given year. So, check out the year you were born – or any specific year going back to Shakespeare’s time (he added a ton of new words, by the way). Putting the words into a historical context is even cooler than just looking up their meaning!

Take Ten: Eclipse Playlist

If you haven’t heard by now, we’re going to be experiencing a partial solar eclipse here in Twin Falls next Monday. And, if that’s truly news to you, you might need to get out more. Of course, you’re invited to celebrate with us – we’re throwing a SUN BLOCK PARTY on Monday, Aug 21 from 10AM-Noon. There will be activities, crafts, games, glasses (while supplies last), and music.

Speaking of music, we’ve put together a quick playlist for the Eclipse in case you need a soundtrack for the event. All of these songs can be downloaded, or streamed, through our free digital music source, Freegal.

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Total Eclipse of the Heart – Bonnie Tyler (Of course, we had to include this one!)

Don’t Let the Sun Go Down on Me – George Michael and Elton John

How High the Moon – Ella Fitzgerald

Walking on Sunshine – Katrina and the Waves

Moondance – Van Morrison

Brighter Than the Sun – Colbie Caillat

Fly Me to the Moon – Frank Sinatra

Aquarius/Let the Sunshine In – The Fifth Dimension

Ring of Fire – Johnny Cash

Dancing in the Moonlight – King Harvest

 

The Way Back Machine – Best Sellers 1990

Hop into the Way Back Machine and set the dial back to 1990 – before Harry Potter, before grunge rock, and before the Internet – hard to remember, right? Well, here are a few things you might remember:

• Nelson Mandela was released from prison in February, after 28 years. Only four years later, he became the President of South Africa.
• The Hubble Space Telescope was launched in April – and after overcoming a few malfunctions, has been sending us images from deep space for 27 years.
• In October, East Germany and West Germany are reunified after the division of 1945, and Berlin was reinstated as the capital of Germany.

Maybe not quite as momentous, here are the best selling books according to the New York Times, for the week of August 12, 1990.

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FICTION

1. The Burden of Proof by Scott Turow

2. Message from Nam by Danielle Steel

3. Coyote Waits by Tony Hillerman

4. September by Rosamunde Pilcher

5. The Women in His Life by Barbara Taylor Bradford

6. The Stand by Stephen King

7. Oh, The Places You’ll Go! by Dr. Seuss

8. Stardust by Robert B. Parker

9. An Inconvenient Woman by Dominick Dunne

10. Dragon by Clive Cussler

11. Get Shorty by Elmore Leonard

12. The Bourne Ultimatum by Robert Ludlum

13. Sullivan’s Sting by Lawrence Sanders

14. Hammerheads by Dale Brown

15. Killing Mister Watson by Peter Matthiessen

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NONFICTION

1. Men at Work by George F. Will

2. The Politics of Rich and Poor by Kevin Phillips

3. Dave Barry Turns 40 by Dave Barry

4. Barbarians at the Gate by Bryan Burrough and John Helyar

5. Megatrends 2000 by John Naisbitt and Patricia Aburdene

6. It Was on Fire When I Lay Down on It by Robert Fulghum

7. Father, Son & Co. by Thomas J. Watson Jr. and Peter Petre

8. You Just Don’t Understand by Deborah Tannen

9. Captain Sir Richard Francis Burton by Edward Rice

10. Behind the Mask by Dave Pallone with Alan Steinberg

11. A Natural History of the Senses by Diane Ackerman

12. Don’t Shoot, It’s Only Me by Bob Hope with Melville Shavelson

13. Liar’s Poker by Michael Lewis

14. All I Really Need to Know I Learned in Kindergarten by Robert Fulghum

15. Every Spy a Prince by Dan Raviv and Yossi Melman

 

Solar Eclipse, TFPL-style