My LINKcat AccountAh Spring! I believe it is finally here at last. For the past few weeks we have been doing the two-steps-forward-and-one-step backward flirtation. But this past weekend, even with a little frost on the rooftops Saturday morning, some pretty strong indicators of spring’s arrival were blatantly out there for the whole world to see. The dandelions are in bloom, and aren’t they a brilliant yellow this time of year on the lush green of new grass. And then there is the grass. Many yards were being mowed. Motorcycles were being ridden and the drop-top cars were also driving around. The willow trees are all yellow and chartreuse and the other trees are catching quickly with the early-bird willows and throwing pollen into the air as quickly as they can as they unfurl their leaves. The ornamental trees are all covered in pink or white flowers and the lilacs are this close (imagine a space between my finger and thumb of about half an inch) to blooming. The tulips and daffodils and crocus have been up for a while now and more perennials are popping up almost daily to join in the spring bouquet. As you may or may not recall, back on February 2nd , Booky, the library’s prognosticating badger, predicted an early spring (unlike the groundhogs Jimmy (Sun Prairie) and Phil (Punxsutawney, PA who both saw their shadows and predicted a longer winter) and I think Booky was right again this year. You can also tell that spring has arrived by the paucity of cars in parking lots around town over the weekend. Everyone is out enjoying the weather! Even the nicest weeks of spring weather often include a rainy day and what better thing is there to do on such a day than to curl of with a good book. Some new book titles are listed below for your consideration. Enjoy!
New Non-Fiction
The cake and the rain / by Jimmy Webb. The Grammy Award-winning songwriter, author of Tunesmith and youngest inductee into the National Songwriters' Hall of Fame traces his religious upbringing in Oklahoma, struggles with addiction and meteoric successes with artists ranging from The Supremes and The Fifth Dimension to Johnny Cash and Art Garfunkel.
Golden : the miraculous rise of Steph Curry / by Marcus Thompson. A longtime Warriors insider traces the inspirational story of the NBA star shooter to offer insight into his personal life and achievements as both an athletic leader and role model for kids. A first book.
Manderley forever : a biography of Daphne Du Maurier / by Tatiana de Rosnay. A nonfiction debut by the best-selling author of Sarah's Key traces the life and achievements of classic novelist Daphne du Maurier, sharing creative insights into the master writer's life at different ages and her enduring influence in literature. Illustrations.
Nevertheless : a memoir / by Alec Baldwin. In a candid memoir, a noted, outspoken actor chronicles the highs and lows of his life and career.
Notes on a banana : a memoir of food, love, and manic depression / by David Leite. The founder of the James Beard Award-winning website Leite’s Culinaria presents a candid, humorous story of family, food, mental illness and sexual identity.
Extreme you : step up. Stand out. Kick ass. Repeat. / by Sarah O’Hagan. The former president of Gatorade and Equinox shares professional lessons from highly accomplished overachievers in a range of disciplines to explain how to transform a mediocre career and overcome missteps in order to make the most of one's distinctive talents.
New Fiction
American war : a novel / by Omar El Akkad. A first novel by an award-winning journalist depicts a second American Civil War and devastating plague in the late 21st century that forces a family into a camp for displaced people, where a young woman is befriended by a mysterious functionary who would transform her into a living weapon. Map(s).
Tell me how this ends well : a novel / by David Levinson. When a flood of Israeli refugees into a near-future America trigger anti-Semitic hostilities throughout the country, a Passover celebration for the Jacobson family is disrupted by years of resentment and claims of abuse from a hateful father. By the award-winning author of “Antonia Lively Breaks the Silence”.
Two from the heart / by James Patterson. Two heartwarming tales follow Anne McWilliams, who, after losing everything, travels across county asking long-lost friends and strangers a simple question, and Tyler Bron, who has it all, but has no life, which leads him to write a love story beyond his wildest imagination. Co-written by a #1 best-selling author.
What to do about the Solomons / by Bethany Bell. A humorous multigenerational family saga set in Israel, New York, and Los Angeles explores the secrets and gossip-filled lives of a kibbutz community near Jerusalem. A first novel. Tour.
The stars are fire : a novel / by Anita Shreve. In a book based on the true story of the largest fire in Maine’s history, a young woman is tested by a catastrophic event and its devastating aftermath. By the author of “The Pilot's Wife”.
The women in the castle / by Jessica Shattuck. In a novel set at the end of World War II, in a crumbling Bavarian castle that once played host to all of German high society, three widows' lives and fates become intertwined. By the author of “The Hazards of Good Breeding”...