My LINKcat AccountWhat is with this arctic cold? We just got into December and here we are having arctic blasts. This isn't' supposed to happen until well into January. So, maybe by January we'll be having the March boys-basketball-tournament- blizzard and spring will arrive in February. Speaking of disjointed time (I sort of was, really. Although, admittedly this wasn't one of my smoother segues.) in fewer than two weeks it will be Christmas Day. In fact in two weeks, Kwanzaa will begin and Christmas, 2013, will be past. Two weeks is plenty of time to finish up the few minor preparations you have yet to do. I know you've finished your shopping, wrapped all your presents, baked all the cookies, and are ready to sit back and soak in the joy of the season. Part of the joy of the season is sitting with your feet up reading a good book. Speaking of good books (see how smooth that segue was?) we have plenty of them. Many of which are listed below. Stay calm and read on! Enjoy.
New Non-Fiction
Unintimidated : a governor's story and a nation's challenge / by Scott Walker and Marc Thiessen. The controversy-marked Governor of Wisconsin describes the vehemently protested reforms he instituted in 2010 to limit union actions that were costing taxpayers billions, answering the charges of his detractors while explaining how his commitments and supporters helped him to keep his office after an election recall attempt.
End of days : the assassination of John F. Kennedy / by James Swanson. The "New York Times" best-selling author of "Manhunt: The 12-Day Chase for Lincoln's Killer" presents a complete account of the day Kennedy was killed, following the event hour-by-hour, from the Kennedys' arrival in Texas through the shooting in Dealey Plaza to the shocking aftermath.
Margaret Thatcher : power and personality / by Jonathan Aitken. Drawing from previously unpublished material from the Thatcher Papers at Churchill College, Cambridge, and numerous interviews, a former Member of Parliament chronicles the remarkable life of the longest-serving British Prime Minister in the 20th century and the only woman to ever hold the office.
The second-chance dog : a love story / by Jon Katz. The best-selling author of "The Story of Rose" shares the long-awaited story of his tame-resistant dog, Frieda, who after the author suffered a breakdown and moved to an upstate New York farm fiercely protected a sensitive artist with whom Katz fell in love.
New Fiction
The Minor Adjustment Beauty Salon / by Alexander McCall Smith. Assisting the proprietor of the Minor Adjustment Beauty Salon, Mma Ramotswe begins to suspect that a saboteur is behind a string of unfortunate mishaps; while Mma Makutsi prepares for the birth of her child in spite of difficult family controversies.
No man's nightingale : an Inspector Wexford novel / by Ruth Rendell. When his cleaning lady, a notorious busybody, discovers the dead body of female vicar Sarah Hussein, who was strangled in her Kingsmarkham vicarage, Inspector Wexford assists in the investigation and stumbles upon a crucial piece of evidence that sheds new light on the deceased's dark past.
Sins of the flesh / by Colleen McCullough. In August 1969, Captain Carmine Delmonico, Sergeant Delia Carstairs and Lieutenant Abe Goldberg must stop two psychopathic killers with completely different modus operandi who are linked to a mental hospital in the sleepy college town of Holloman, Connecticut.
Spirit of steamboat : a Walt Longmire story / by Craig Johnson. A holiday entry in the best-selling series finds Sheriff Walt Longmire making the acquaintance of a scarred young woman who raises questions about his predecessor while imparting the story of a tragic car accident during a blizzard that marked Walt's first year as sheriff.
Takedown twenty / by Janet Evanovich. While chasing after powerful mobster Salvatore "Uncle Sunny" Sunucchi, who is on the lam, New Jersey bounty hunter Stephanie Plum must help security specialist Ranger catch the killer of his top client's mother as a giraffe named Kevin runs wild in the streets of Trenton.
The Supreme Macaroni Company : a novel / by Adrian Trigiani. When a secret about her business partner and lover is revealed during her family's celebration of The Feast of the Seven Fishes, Valentine Roncalli must make life-altering choices as she fights for everything she wants while sustaining her family's business and enjoying life to the fullest.
The serpent and the staff / by Barbara Wood. A tale set during a turbulent mid-15th-century period when Egypt was on the brink of becoming the dominant world power finds the daughter of a winemaker blackmailed by a cruel shipbuilder who would marry her in spite of his family's genetic illness, a situation that is complicated by Leah's forbidden love for a scribe from another culture.
After dead / The author of the best-selling Sookie Stackhouse books answers questions about what happened in the lives of numerous beloved characters after the last book of the series, including how Jason and Michele's marriage did and how Tara and JB's twins grew up.
Cross my heart / by James Patterson. Detective Alex Cross faces a criminal who uses his love of his family as a weapon against him, threatening their lives if Alex tries to protect them in the latest novel in the series from the best-selling author of over 100 books.