Monthly Archives: July 2012

Read like an Olympian

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The London 2012 Summer Olympics Opening Ceremonies officially kick off tomorrow (though soccer is already underway), and we hope you’ll cheer on as some of your fave athletes from your fave countries participate in your fave events (this blogger likes to watch track and field and diving!).

London Olympics flyer with Greek discus throwing statue in front of Big Ben

Photo from The National Archives UK via Flickr Commons

If you want to dive even deeper into the spirit of this spectacular once-every-four-years event that is the Summer Olympics, here’s some books, movies and video games from the UGL’s collection for you to sprint, jump, row, kick, swim, paddle, run, flip, volley, putt, or cycle through!*

book cover: Greek Black figure pottery with athletes wearing running shoes

The Naked Olympics: The True Story  of the Ancient Games

Dig deep into the pagan ritual that was the ancient Olympics. Yes, the modern Olympics have been around for what seems like forever (116 years), but the ancient ones were held for over a millenium: 1200 years in all! There’s lots of history, culture, athleticism, and apparently nudity, to be learned about from this great read.

This Great Symbol: Pierre de Coubertin and the Origins of the Modern Olympic Games (also available online)

Pierre de Coubertin, the father of the modern Olympics, was a French baron with a passion for sport. If you’re a history, anthropology, sports, and/or biography buff, pick this up at your earliest convenience. Part biography of Coubertin, part history of the founding of the games, all thrilling look into the theories and dreams behind the modern games.

Mario & Sonic at the Olympic Games

Not much needs to be said about this Nintendo DS game; it’s all in the title. Race, swim, jump, and play for the bronze, silver or gold as your fave Nintendo hero. Play it during the commercial breaks while watching the coverage of the real Olympics! (p.s. you can check out a DS from the UGL, too!)

Beijing 2008

Another awesome Olympics video game guaranteed to make you feel like you’ve trained as hard as the real-life Olympic athletes (okay, maybe not quite). Instead of doing the long jump as Yoshi, in this Playstation 3 game you play as an athlete participating as part of a national team in one of over 30 events. Sweet.

DVD cover: British athlete being carried on shoulders of fans in front of Union JackChariots of Fire

A classic in the Olympics genre! Chariots of Fire follows two men participating in track and field on the Great Britain team during the 1924 Paris Olympics. Each has his own deep-rooted, complicated reasons for giving it his all. It won four Academy Awards in its day, so besides being a tale of Olympic glory, it’s also great cinema.

* Library books don’t like to get wet, though, so be sure not to take them swimming, diving or water polo-ing with you if you get inspired. They also appreciate not being kicked, volleyed, putted, or jumped on.

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Free* Fun

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FREE THINGS!So, you decided to stay in C-U for the summer, but you’re getting pretty bored with the regular “wake up, go to class/pool/work, go to Campustown, sleep, repeat” routine? We hear ya!

In the last few weeks before floods of your fellow classmates start coming back to town, bust up your regular sched with a few community and campus events. We’ve put together a whole week’s worth of free, cheap or discounted fun for you to choose from. Grab your planner and a few friends and get going!

*Free, cheap, discounted–either way, we’re watching out for your wallet!

MONDAY
Mike N Molly’s: For the 21+ crowd, plan a cheap night out at Mike N Molly’s in downtown Champaign. Monday nights feature the Abe Froman Project, a live improv comedy troupe from 9pm-10pm, and then Rockstar Karaoke from 10pm-midnight. Between the cover charge ($0) and the drink special ($1 PBRs), it’s a cheap way to kick off your week.

TUESDAY
The Movies: Beat the heat and hit up one of the local movie theaters. The Carmike Beverly Cinema 18 in Champaign, the Goodrich 16 in Savoy and the Art Theater in Champaign all offer student discounts on tickets–even in the summer!

WEDNESDAY
Neighborhood Nights: Do you like parks? How about live music? What about free lemonade and popcorn? If you answered yes to at least one of those questions, you should check out Neighborhood Nights. Every Wednesday between now and August 15, local musicians will play at a different Urbana park, refreshments provided. Check the schedule for the list of parks and bands.

THURSDAY
Thirteen Thursdays: If you’re going to pick a day to eat or shop in Campustown, Thursday is it! Every Thursday now through August 15, local establishments offer discounts, deals and other goodies to their patrons. Want free fries with your sandwich at Murphy’s? How about a $5 eyebrow wax at Electric Beach Sun & Spa? All you have to do is show up! Peep this flyer for a full list of participating businesses.

Summer Cinema on the Quad: Want to impress that special someone with a unique date idea? How about heading down to Summer Cinema on the Quad? From 9-11pm for two more Thursdays, the Illini Union Board brings you the best outdoor movie experience in C-U. On July 19, they’ll be showing John Carter and on August 16, it’s 21 Jump Street. (Don’t worry about bad weather–if it’s raining, just head to the Illini Rooms in the Union!)

Krannert Uncorked: For the 21+ set only, if you’re into free wine and free music, this is the event for you. Starting at 5pm on Thursdays for the rest of July, stop by the Krannert Center lobby for wine-and-cheese tasting while being serenaded by a musical performance. (Even though the summer sessions only go through July, Uncorked will pick back up again once the fall semester starts.)

FRIDAY
Friday Night Live: Between now and September 21, downtown Champaign’s about to get a whole lot more rockin’ on Friday nights. Between 6pm-8pm, a whole slew of bands and street performers will do their thing street side, at the intersections of Neil & Church, Neil & Park, and Walnut & Chester. Did we mention it’s FREE? Because it is. Add ’em on Facebook to get all the details!

SATURDAY
Urbana’s Market at the Square: Way more than just a place to pick up some tomatoes and cucumbers, Market at the Square offers all kinds of veggies, fruits, baked goods, meat, flowers and a wide variety of crafts, gifts and other knickknacks, all from local-area farmers and crafters. Different community groups show up every week, as well as the occasional street performer or two. Plus, if none of that sounds appealing, you can always hit up the Crave Truck for an authentic street waffle (mmm, waffles). Check it out every Saturday morning from 7am-noon between now and November 3.

SUNDAY
Hessel Park Concert Series: Just one more reason to spend an evening sitting outside–pack a picnic and head to the park for some live swing, jazz, bluegrass or rock. Price of admission: $0. Performances are Sunday nights, 6:30-8:30pm, now through August 5.

Is there another fun, free (or cheap) event we missed? Let us know if the comments–your fellow readers will thank you!

P.S. Looking for a free (and air conditioned) way to get to these events? Don’t forget that CUMTD’s the place to be, even in the summer!

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Quick Summer Reads

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As summer settles into it’s mid-point, it’s time to plan your final summer reads! Maybe you’ve been putting off your beach/poolside/suntanning books because of class, but you only get one summer a year so make the most of it and give your brain a break with a great book.

Hopefully you’ll laugh, you’ll cry, and you’ll argue with your friends over what makes a good summer read (this blogger has an opinion: pretty much anything except Tolstoy and the Brontes – deep, dark writing like that is best left for the depths of winter). Find your fave genre below!

Mysteries and Thrills:

book cover: ominous image of US White HouseThe Inner Circle – Brad Meltzer

In The Inner Circle, Meltzer whips up a tale of conspiracy, politics, history and intrigue. Beecher White, an archivist at the National Archives in Washington, D.C., isn’t used to being in any story, let alone at the center of a mystery much bigger than he ever expected. When the archivist stumbles upon a priceless historical document, hidden away for what seems like no good reason, he finds himself thrown into a powerful and puzzling plot of murder and cover-ups.

 

An American Spy – Olen Steinhauerbook cover: mysterious figure in fog on steps

Spy thrillers more your thing? Check out Steinhauer’s latest, the conclusion to his trilogy (The Tourist, The Nearest Exit), following CIA-agent Milo Weaver as he reluctantly plunges back into the trade to discover what happened to his boss after he disappeared while using one of Weaver’s aliases. The CIA’s “Department of Tourism,” as Weaver’s group is known, has enemies, and it’s up to Weaver to find out who they are before they destroy him and his work. If you like John LeCarre, this is must-read this summer!

 

book cover: crowded street scene in TurkeyThe Dervish House – Ian McDonald

Drawing on dystopian and sci-fi elements, but also firmly rooted in concerns of today’s world ride with terrorism, McDonald’s The Dervish House is a complex, winding tale. It takes you to the ancient city of Istanbul, Turkey, but the year is 2027 and all is not well. Population growth and draining resources, coupled with swelling unrest, bring the six central characters together in unexpected, mystical and powerful ways. It manages to be both fast-paced and literary, so will satisfy diverse tastes!

 

Drama and Quirkiness:

book cover: stylized image of people in Edwardian drawing roomThe Uninvited Guests – Sadie Jones

Travel back to 1912, the height of the Edwardian era in England, in this unusual comedy of manners. It is the eve of Emerald Torrington’s 20th birthday and all is planned, but goes unfortunately awry – okay, downright strange – when an accident near the Torrington manor house causes a group of uninvited guests to seek shelter there. It becomes a classic dark and stormy night and will have you riveted. Fans of Jane Austen, Downton Abbey, and Evelyn Waugh will wish this dinner party would never end.

 

book cover: brightly colored, collaged images of flowersThe Vanishers – Heidi Julavits

Ladies, we know the mother-daughter relationship can be tough. But Heidi Julavits explores just how deep that bond can go when Julia Severn, an up-and-coming psychic, is tormented relentlessly by her one-time mentor (Madame Ackermann), leading Severn to re-live her mother’s suicide. Just be prepared: the cattiness Ackermann radiates toward Severn makes Mean Girls look like a snuggle-fest…

 

Love and Loss:

book cover: young people holding inner tubes jumping off a dockThe Lost Saints of Tennessee – Amy Franklin-Willis

What happens when everything you’ve known changes? This is the question Zeke Cooper faces when his twin brother drowns and his wife leaves him and their two young daughters. Spanning more than 40 years and set in Tennessee and Virgina horse country, Amy Franklin-Willis documents the fissures that can turn to canyons between family members–and the bridges that can be built to bring them back together.

 

book cover: image of young child's pigtails from behindBeing Lara – Lola Jaye

When Lara is 8, she learns that she was adopted–no surprise to her considering she’s often wondered about her dark complexion compared to her fair-skinned parents. Then, on her 30th birthday, another woman shows up, claiming to be her birth mother. Lara, who thought she pretty much had life and her identity figured out, must now learn to grapple with two backgrounds, hoping to find a middle ground that truly reflects her.

 

These are just a few highly recommended selections new to the UGL! You can also look at what’s new by checking out the constantly updated New Books and Media feed on the UGL homepage, or browsing the New Books shelves on the upper level of the UGL.

 

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DVDs for the Dog Days

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The heat wave currently plaguing central Illinois is getting a little out of hand: it’s officially too hot to be outside, aka the “dog days.” So, until the weather breaks, chill out inside with the A/C (sorry, we don’t have A/C units available for check out from the loanable tech desk!), a fan or a baby pool full of ice, and indulge in one of of these movies available in the UGL media collection that brings the heat in their titles–no sunscreen required.

DVD cover blurb: "The robbery should have taken 10 minutes. 4 hours later, the bank was like a circus sideshow. 8 hours later, it was the hottest thing on live TV. 12 hours later it was all history. And it's all true."

Dog Day Afternoon

Based on the true story of a Brooklyn, New York, bank robbery in August ’72, who doesn’t want to watch Al Pacino in a hostage situation on a hot, dragging summer day?

 

 

 

 

DVD cover blurb: a Los Angeles crime saga Heat

What is it with Pacino and bank robbing movies? It’s too hot out for deep thinking, but if Dog Day Afternoon isn’t your style, pick up Heat, and explore the inner-workings of the minds of bank robbers and the cops who hunt them down.

 

 

Hot Fuzz DVD cover with unprofessional police running away from fire ballHot Fuzz

Written by Edgar Wright and Simon Pegg (aka the dudes who are responsible for Shaun of the Dead), two cops stumble upon a true crime ring in a small British town. Hilarity, gratuitous violence, and awesome accents ensue.

 

 

 

DVD cover with scared peopleI Know What You Did Last Summer

Things get messy in a seaside town after four attractive teens botch a hit-and-run after a night of summer partying. If you’re looking for some cheesy horror to heat up your night, we recommend Jennifer Love Hewitt & Co.

 

 

 

DVD cover: Sidney Poitier looks serious with a stick.In the Heat of the Night

This 1967 crime thriller features Sidney Poitier as a detective investigating a murder in a Southern town. The tension heats up faster than the weather down South in this classic drama.

 

 

 

DVD cover: Marilyn Monroe and two male comedians in dragSome Like It Hot

Emphasis on the “some” in Some Like It Hot, if the oppressive humidity has gotten under your skin, stay in and have a few laughs with Marilyn Monroe, Tony Curtis and Jack Lemmon. This highly lauded film finds Curtis and Lemmon cross-dressing their way into an all-girl band to avoid a mob hit. It’s definitely the most fun one could have in the witness protection program.

 

 

DVD cover: young women looks troubled on a bed while concerned people look onSuddenly, Last Summer

After witnessing her cousin’s mysterious death, Catherine (Elizabeth Taylor) loses her mind and her vengeful aunt (Katherine Hepburn) conspires to have her lobotomized of all things. Suddenly, this summer’s heat index doesn’t sound too bad, after all.

 

 

 

DVD cover: actors posing cheesily in fake cabin

Wet Hot American Summer

What would the season be without summer camp? Director David Wain (Role Models, Wanderlust) and his merry band of misfits (think 2001 versions of Paul Rudd, Amy Poehler, Janeane Garofalo, Michael Ian Black, Elizabeth Banks and Bradley Cooper) have one last hurrah at Camp Firewood before the summer ends.

 

 

What are your favorite white-hot DVDs? Let us know in the comments!

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