My LINKcat AccountI drove over to the east side of the state on Easter Sunday to have brunch with my kinfolk. There I heard an official proclamation that spring was finally here. (Admittedly, it was 72 degrees on some thermometers and sunny. Young children were gamboling and blowing soapy, rainbow-hued bubbles, dogs were chasing balls, and a corn hole game was on the lawn being played by folks in short-sleeves.) However, as soon as those words escaped the mouth of that relative, most of us knocked wood, some spit (they were outside), and others threw a pinch of salt over their left shoulders. No need to jinx a process that may be underway. Nature is certainly tying its best to advance the season we should be in. The will trees are crowned in yellow and if we squint when looking at a tree line there is a hint of green beginning to show. Flowers that bloom early, like crocus, grape hyacinth, daffodils, and tulips are already blooming or at least pushing up leaves. Many bird species have returned. Robins are singing in the dark, before dawn and well into the dusk. Motorcycles are everywhere you look, In fact, everything seems to be buzzing with life. And this week, I finally have enough new books to fill up a column. Maybe the trickle of spring book titles will get bigger in the upcoming weeks. Below are some of the new books which arrived last week at the library. Enjoy!
New Non-Fiction
“Weekend Refresh: Home Design in 48 Hours or Less: An Interior Design Book” by Tastemade. Whether you have a few hours or an entire weekend to spare, the easy-to-follow DIYs in this book include illustrations, photos, and diagrams to help you achieve transformational results. inspiration for small tweaks that require no tools, such as making a mood board to direct your vision, styling your entryway, or being a good plant parent.
“I’ll Bring the Cake: Recipes for Every Season and Every Occasion” by Mandy Merriman. This book features stunning and mouthwatering cakes for any occasion or holiday, but there’s a twist—each gorgeous creation begins with a humble boxed mix. Starting from a mix takes the guesswork out of baking and ensures perfect results, leaving more time for getting creative with Mandy’s whimsical, jaw-dropping decorating ideas.
“On the Origin of Time: Stephen Hawking’s Final Theory” by Thomas Hertog. Stephen Hawking’s closest collaborator, who worked shoulder to shoulder for 20 years, presents a new vision of the universe’s birth that will profoundly transform the way we think about our place in the order of the cosmos and may ultimately prove to be Hawking’s greatest scientific legacy.
“The Other Family Doctor” by Karen Fine. A heartwarming memoir about one woman's career as a vet and the unique role pets play in our lives • “Filled with compassion and wisdom, Karen Fine is a healer whose own wounds have deepened her gifts for bringing animals and their people comfort and peace.
“You Could Make This Place Beautiful: A Memoir” by Maggie Smith. The best-selling poet and author of “Keep Moving” offers a memoir that explores coming of age in the middle of life.
“National Audubon Society Wildflowers of North America '' by National Audubon Society. This is the most comprehensive and authoritative guide to the wildflowers of North America which has been updated for the first time in decades to reflect the impact of climate change and the advancements in DNA studies that have radically altered the classification process. It is the result of a collaboration among leading scientists, scholars, taxonomic and field experts, photo editors, and designer. It covers 853 species of wildflowers, with nearly 5,200 full-color photographs.
New Fiction
“Dark Angel, No.2 (Letty Davenport)” by John Sandford. Letty Davenport and her reluctant partner from the NSA infiltrate a hacker group called Ordinary People and discover someone within their circle has betrayed them and put them in danger in the second novel of the series following “The
Investigator”.
“House of Cotton” by Monica Brashears. This contemporary black southern gothic novel is about what it means to be a poor woman in the God-fearing south today. Magnolia Brown is nineteen years old, broke, and effectively an orphan. She feels stuck and haunted: by her overdrawn bank account, her predatory landlord, and the ghost of her late grandmother Mama Brown when one night a mysterious, slick stranger named “Cotton” walks in.
“The Words We Lost (A Fog Harbor Romance)” by Nicole Deese. The Christy Award winning author tells the story of Ingrid Erikson a senior editor, who has rejected manuscripts for lack of defined conflict and dramatic irony--two elements her current life possesses in spades. Following the death of her childhood best friend and international bestselling author Cecelia Campbell, Ingrid has not only lost her ability to escape into fiction, but is also desperate to find the closure she's convinced will come with Cecelia's missing final manuscript.
“The Trackers” by Charles Frazier. Commissioned to create a mural representing Dawes, Wyoming, for their new Post Office, Val Welch, a painter in Depression-era America, stays with a wealthy art lover, his wife and a mysterious elder cowboy where he turns up secrets that could spark formidable changes for all.
“Going Zero” by Anthony McCarter. From a four-time Academy Award nominated screenwriter comes a thriller in which a woman must find a way to elude the most powerful forces of government and high tech.
“The Mostly True Story of Tanner and Louise” by Colleen Oakley. The “USA Today” bestselling author of “The Invisible Husband of Frick Island” presents a novel featuring a college dropout and an 84- year-old woman on the run from the law
“The Fourth Enemy, No 6 (Daniel Pitt)” by Anne Perry. While trying to prove Malcolm Vayne, a beloved philanthropist, is guilty of fraud, prosecutor Daniel Pitt must rescue his wife, a forensic scientist who has been kidnapped by one of Vayne’s crazed supporters, putting their lives and the case in danger
“The Vanishing at Castle Moreau” by Jamie Jo Wright. The ward-winning author seamlessly weaves a dual-time tale of two women who must do all they can to seek the light amid the darkness shrouding Castle Moreau.