My LINKcat AccountThe Summer Reading Program ended last Friday, so it is too early to have any totals yet. It’s still two and approximately a half weeks until Labor Day. The number of programs at the library has backed down a bit as we are taking a slight break from all the summer programs and before ramping up for the back-to-school push. The number of (what I find) interesting National Days (or National Weeks or, indeed, International Days) is meager. But meager though that number is I shall mention a few before letting you continue down the page to the “New Arrivals” section of this column. Today is National Tell a Joke Day – so I will and shall attempt to keep it literary: What do you get when you cross a porcupine with Harper Lee? To Quill a Mockingbird! It is also National Roller Coaster Day and National Rum Day. You might want to celebrate the later first, to help you find the nerve to do the former. Drinks made with the libation celebrated on the later so often are so smooth and sweet and enjoyable (the little umbrellas, the fruit, the little swords impaling the fruit) that one must be careful about how many one consumes, especially if one is contemplating riding on the former. BTW, if you share a domicile with a chat noir (black cat) as I do, tomorrow is National Black Cat Appreciation Day (August 18th). Let that cat kitty know how much you appreciate them. If you appreciate good books, you will find some of the newest books that have arrived at the library. Enjoy!
New Non-Fiction
Meg, Jo, Beth, Amy: The Story of “Little Women” and Why It Still Matters” by Anne Boyd Rioux. A 150th anniversary tribute describes the cultural significance of Louisa May Alcott's classic, exploring how its relatable themes and depictions of family resilience, community and female resourcefulness have inspired generations of writers.
“The Black and the Blue: A Cop Reveals the Crimes, Racism, and Injustice In America’s Law Enforcement” by Mathew Horace and Ron Harris. A CNN contributor, and former law-enforcement himself, offers a personal account of the racism, crimes and color lines that challenge America's law enforcement, sharing insights into high-profile cases, the Black Lives Matter movement and what is needed for change.
“Chesapeake Requiem: A Year With the Watermen of Vanishing Tangier Island” by Earl Swift. The Pulitzer Prize-nominated author of The Big Roads presents a 200-year history of Chesapeake Bay's Tangier Island crabbing community while explaining how rapidly rising sea levels will render the island uninhabitable within 20 years.
“Founding Martyr: The Life and Death of Dr. Joseph Warren, the American Revolution’s Lost Hero.” By Christian Di Spigna. A richly detailed portrait of lesser-known Founding Father, Dr. Joseph Warren, examines his work as a forefront architect of the colonial rebellion, before his hero's death at Bunker Hill obscured his essential role in America's independence.
“The Terracotta Warriors: Exploring the Most Intriguing Puzzle in Chinese History” by Edward Burman. Traces the discovery of the famed terracotta warriors against a backdrop of what is currently known about the Qin Dynasty, offering scholarly insights into the surprising theories about the creation of the Qin Emperor's remarkable third-century B.C. mausoleum.
New Fiction
“Requiem, No. 1 “ by Geir Tangen. Receiving emails from a vigilante who promptly carries out violent threats, journalist Vilijar Gudmundsson teams up with Investigator Lotte Skeisvoll, who notices strangely a familiar pattern to the killings, in a series debut by the creator of Norway's Bokbloggeir.com.
“This Body’s Not Big Enough for Both of Us” by Edgar Cantero. Someone is murdering the sons of ruthless drug cartel boss "the Lyon" in San Carnal, California, and it is up to A.Z. Kimrean—male-female twins who occupy the same androgynous body—to investigate. By the New York Times best-selling author of “Meddling Kids”.
“Spymaster, No.18 (Scot Harvath)” by Brad Thor. When a secret organization begins attacking diplomats throughout Europe at the same time a foreign ally demands the identity of a highly placed covert asset, counterterrorism operative Scot Harvath works without his mentor to prevent an all-out war.
“Stay Hidden, No.9 (Mike Bowditch)” by Paul Doiron. When a woman is killed in an apparent hunting accident on an island off the coast of Maine, newly promoted Warden Investigator Mike Bowditch discovers that the victim, a controversial author writing about a local recluse, died of other causes.
“Connect” Julian Gough. Struggling to balance her research with the needs of her technologically gifted but socially disabled son, a biologist has a major breakthrough in her lab that her son secretly releases on the internet, garnering attention from high-profile and dangerous individuals.
“The Point” by John Dixon. Recruited into a secret West Point unit for cadets with extraordinary abilities, a daredevil misfit is trained in telekinetic combat and dreamscape recon, only to discover that her energy powers are spiraling out of control.
“Bellewether” by Susanna Kearsley. As war is raging, young French Canadian lieutenant Jean-Philippe de Sabran is captured and billeted with a Long Island family, becoming an unwilling and unwelcome guest that soon has feelings for the daughter of the house, Lydia Wilde.
“A Tale of Two Murders, No.1 (Dickens of a Crime)” by Heather Redmond. With the help of his boss' attractive, vivacious daughter, young journalist Charles Dickens investigates the death of a young woman that bears unsettling similarities to a murder that occurred a year ago to the day.