Costco Connection

book previews

Heroes—real and fictional—brought to life

NONFICTION Boots on the Ground by Dusk: My Tribute to Pat Tillman, by Mary Tillman and Narda Zacchino. In this deeply personal book, Tillman shares the story of her son Pat’s life. He was known as an American hero—a star college football player turned pro, who walked away from a multimil-lion-dollar NFL contract and enlisted in the U.S. Army. Tillman wants to Leif Enger set the record straight about her son’s death while examining the meaning of patriotism and the family’s efforts to uncover the truth about her son’s death in Afghanistan at the hands of fellow soldiers.

ROBIN ENGER

Rand McNally 2009 Road Atlas and Travel Guide, by Rand McNally. Just in time for summer road trips, this hardy annual is back with the best maps, driving tips and up-to-date information on automobile travel in the U.S., Canada and Mexico.

The South Beach Diet Supercharged, by Dr. Arthur Agat-

ston. With the publication of The South Beach Diet, Agatston set out to change the way America eats. Now he shows how to rev up one’s metabolism and lose weight faster while following the proven eating principles of the original diet: Choose good carbs, good fats, lean protein and low-fat dairy.

credit, and former outlaw Glendon Hale, who abandoned his wife 20 years before and now wants to find her. Hale convinces Becket to join him in his quest, which means that he must leave his own family. Both men soon discover that chasing the past can be tricky.

Shadow Command, by Dale Brown. When the newly elected U.S. president cuts off funding for General McLanahan’s space-based task force, Russia jumps at the chance to invade Turkmenistan and Iran and fill the Persian Gulf with warships. After ordering a strike against the Russian forces, McLanahan is slapped with disciplinary action. He must work quickly to clear his name and expose the president’s corruption.

The Chris Farley Show: A Biography in Three Acts, by Tom Farley Jr. and Tanner Colby. Fans knew Chris from Saturday Night Live and as Tommy Callahan, the underdog hero of Tommy Boy. His family knew him as sensitive, deeply religious and devoted to bringing laughter into others’ lives. Farley constantly fought his insecurities and fears, and despite three hard-fought years of sobriety, addiction ultimately took his life at the age of 33.

FICTION

So Brave, Young, and Handsome, by Leif Enger. Here is the successor to Peace Like a River. Not just another story about the American West in the early 20th century, this is a rich and multilayered tale of failed novelist Monte Becket, who has only one book to his

Swine Not, by Jimmy Buffett. When Ellie McBride moves her twins from Vertigo, Tennessee, to New York City, they wouldn’t dream of leaving behind the family pig, Rumpy. But the hotel where Ellie works and lives has a “no pets” policy and they are serious about it. The game’s afoot as the McBrides try to keep Rumpy hidden from the hotel staff—especially the chef!—Valerie Ryan

dvd previews

A coach with conviction

FROM STORIES ROOTED in little-known history to tales of fictional hidden secrets of the past, the DVDs available at your local Costco warehouse and at costco.com this May are sure to thrill, inspire and entertain you.

The Great Debaters. Inspired by a true story, this film, set in the 1930s, portrays the journey of professor and coach Melvin Tolson (Denzel Washington), who helps shape a group of underdog students from a small African-American college in the Deep South into an elite debate team. Things really heat up when Tolson’s team receives an unprecedented invitation to debate Harvard University’s championship team.

National Treasure: Book of Secrets. Historian Ben Gates (Nicolas Cage) is back with his tech-savvy friend Riley Poole (Justin Bartha) and Abigail Chase (Diane Krugen) for another adventure. This time the trio drags Ben’s parents (Jon Voight and Helen Mirren) into their quest to clear the Gates family name. They break into impossibly well-guarded government buildings on two continents, steal secret documents and artifacts, and trek into beautiful, wide-open country while trying to stay one step ahead of the CIA and Mitch

Wilkinson (Ed Harris), a wealthy, possibly murderous man who is hot on their heels.

P.S. I Love You. When

Gerry (Gerard Butler), Holly’s husband of 10 years, dies of a brain tumor just before her 30th birthday, Holly (Hilary Swank) is completely lost.

After she spends weeks holed up in her Manhattan apartment watching old movies, a birthday cake and a tape-recorded mes- In The Great Debaters, Denzel Washington shows his sage from Gerry mysteri- students how the power of words can bring about change. ously show up, marking the beginning of a series of letters instructing her to perform unusual requests. With the help of her girlfriends (Lisa Kudrow, Gina Gershon), Holly begins a year of wild adventures and a life journey that Gerry has planned for her, helping her rediscover who she is.

27 Dresses. Jane Nichols (Katherine Heigl) embodies the phrase “Always a bridesmaid, never a bride.” Idealistic, romantic and com-

pletely selfless, Jane has been a bridesmaid 27 times, but her own happy ending is nowhere in sight. When her younger sister, Tess (Malin Akerman), captures the heart of Jane’s boss— with whom Jane is secretly in love—Jane takes a hard look at her own life.