My LINKcat AccountWell. December already. My how time flies, how quickly the end of the year approaches, and now the countdowns begin in earnest. Saturday, December 2nd is Winterfest. There will be ornament making at the library from 10 a.m. until noon in the Community Room and the Friends of the Library’s pop-up Holiday Books (and More) Sale will also be starting on the 2nd and continue until the end of the year.. On Saturday, December 9th, Santa will be visiting the library beginning at 10 a.m. to noon, Two weeks from the Santa visit puts you at the 23rd of December (Little Christmas Eve to us Scandinavians (and others I am sure)) and once you’re there, well, just snap your fingers and you’re in the new year. Oh, and did I mention that the Winter Reading Program should be getting underway any minute now and last well into next year. Below you will find lots books which recently arrived at the library. Enjoy!
Birding update: On Monday, November 27th, hundreds (possibly thousands) of sandhill cranes were flying high over the library (and other parts of DeForest) as they head south for the winter. The cranes, in their wisdom, have determined that what with the snow and the cold the gleanings in the fields just aren’t readily available anymore so they are moving the party to warmer climes. (Possibly the Jasper-Pulaski Wildlife Area in northern Indiana. 1000s of cranes stop over to fuel up in the cornfields surrounding the wildlife area. At last count (11/21) there were over 13,000 cranes hanging out there.) I know. TMI. Cheers!
New Non-Fiction
“A City on Mars: Can We Settle Space, Should We Settle Space, and Have We Really Thought This Through?” by Kelly & Zach Weinersmith. The authors of the best-selling popular science book “Soonish” discuss the future of space settlements, explore what would be needed to have space kids, build space farms and create nations, ultimately questioning whether or not it's actually a good idea.
“Clanlands in New Zealand: Kilts, Kiwis, and an Adventure Down Under” by Sam Heughan & Graham McTavish. The stars of the popular show “Outlander” leave the rugged beauty of Scotland to explore the stunning landscapes and rich history of New Zealand as they travel in a camper and maintain their friendship and sanity.
“Dinner: How Faith Makes a Family and Family Makes a Life” by Mike Pence. Former Vice President Mike Pence champions one of his most deeply held beliefs: faith makes a family, and family makes a life.
“The History of Sketch Comedy: A Journey Through the Art and Craft of Humor” by Keegan Michael & Elle Key. Building on the popularity of their 2022 Webby Award-winning podcast, the authors, in this entertaining part memoir, part masterclass, take us on a rollicking ride through the history of comedy with the help of essays from such comedy greats as Jordan Peele, Mike Myers, Ken Jeong, Christopher Guest and Jim Carrey
New Fiction
“Catfish Charlie, No.1 (Catfish Charlie)” by William & J.A. Johnstone. A once famous Texas Ranger who left for a peaceful retirement is lured back in the saddle in the first novel of a new series by the number one best-selling Western writer in America.
“Absolution” by Alice McDermott. Sixty years after they lived as wives of American servicemen in early 1960s Vietnam, two women reconnect and relieve their shared experiences in Saigon in the new novel by the author of “The Ninth Hour”.
“The Ball at Versailles” by Danielle Steel. In 1959 Paris, when they receive invitations to attend an exclusive dusk to dawn ball at the Palace of Versailles where they’ll be presented to international society and royalty, four young woman find their lives forever changed during this one transcendent night.
“Iwo, 26 Charlie (P.T. Deutermann WWII Novel)” by Peter Deutermann. Young gunnery officer Lee Bishop, during the battle at Iwo Jima, is pulled from his station aboard the USS Nevada to serve on-shore as where he witnesses a literal hell as 26,000 Americans are killed and an entire platoon of Marines are held captive in the blistering, sulfurous tunnels of Surabachi itself.
“The Little Liar” by Mitch Albom. A trustworthy boy who has never told a lie, 11-year-old Nico Krispis, duped by a German officer into leading his family and fellow Jewish residents to their doom, becomes a pathological liar, in this deeply moving story that explores honesty, devotion and revenge—and the power of love to ultimately redeem us.
“Act Like a Lady, Think Like a Lord, No.1 (Lady Petra Inquires)” by Celeste Connally. A Regency-era mystery with a feminist twist.
“Betrayal, No.1 (Robin Lockwood)” by Phillip Margolin. A former MMA fighter-turned-lawyer must defend the opponent who ended her career a decade ago when she is accused of a quadruple murder, in the seventh novel of the series following “Murder at Black Oaks”.
“A Christmas Vanishing” by Anne Perry. Mariah Ellison investigates after accepting an invitation to spend Christmas with a friend and her husband but arrives and discovers her friend has disappeared without a trace and her invitation has been rudely rescinded.
“Paws to Remember, No. 15 (Magical Cats)” by Sofie Kelly. Librarian Kathleen Paulson and her enchanted cats look into the 30-year disappearance of a young woman whose body was just discovered—a cold case that puts some people in Mayville Heights in hot water.
“Alex Cross Must Die, No. 29 (Alex Cross)” by James Patterson. Detective Cross and his partner John Sampson are hot on the trail of the Dead Hours Killer, who is targeting commercial pilots in the latest addition to the long-running series following “Deadly Cross”.