My LINKcat AccountI was checking out a book on Overdrive at the beginning of this week for 21 days and was informed that the book was due on December 30th. This means, among other things, that New Year's Eve is only 22 days away and that the start of the New Year, indeed, the start of a new decade, is a mere 23 days away. My how time flies when ..... ( you fill in the rest of the phrase or choose from one of these tropes: when you're having fun; when you've got a groove going; when you get to a certain age; when you get towards the end of the year). Or as Virgil said, "Time flies never to be recalled". As the end of the year looms in the not-too-distant future, it's easy to get nostalgic, not only for the days and months of this year, but all the days and years of previous years. The library had it's 55th Anniversary on December 1st. Things certainly have changed in this library and libraries generally. Our community has changed so much in those 55 years as well. Change is the only constant of life which I believe Heraclitus said in about 500 BCE. Speaking of change, you may have noticed that the library catalog and some of its menus have changed since a week ago. These changes are due to the migration of all our data to a new and improved interface. Searching should be easier (once you get used to it) and all the functionality you're used to should still be there and possibly enhanced. As we head towards the New Year, I urge you to embrace these changes as improvements. Reflect on the passage of time and the changes that passage brings. I'll leave you with possibly my favorite quote about time( by Terry Wogan) : "Time flies like an arrow; fruit flies like a banana". Keep smiling! Enjoy the new books listed below.
New Non-Fiction
“Hymns of the Republic: the Story of the Final Year of the American Civil War” by S.C. Gwynne. From the New York Times best-selling and award-winning author of “Empire of the Summer Moon” and “Rebel Yell” comes an epic account of the dramatic conclusion of the American Civil War
“Leadership in War: Essential Lessons From Those Who Made History” by Andrew Roberts. The award-winning author of Churchill presents a comparison of nine world leaders, from Napoleon and Hitler to FDR and Thatcher, whose strengths and weaknesses shaped the course of major wars and human history
“Three Days at the Brink: FDR’s Daring Gamble to Win World War II” by Bret Baier & Catherine Whitney. The Fox political anchor and best-selling author of Three Days in Moscow presents a suspenseful history of the secret, highly influential 1943 Tehran Conference between the 32nd American President, Winston Churchill and Joseph Stalin.
“No Stopping Us Now: A History of Older Women in America” by Gail Collins. A lively social history of women and aging in America by the acclaimed New York Times columnist and author of When Everything Changed explores key transformations in perceptions about a woman's marriageability, fertility and employability
New Fiction
“In the Land of Long Lost Friends, No. 20 (No.1 Ladies Detective Agency)” by Alexander McCall Smith. In the latest book in the widely beloved No. 1 Ladies' Detective Agency series, Precious Ramotswe takes on a case for a childhood acquaintance and finds that family relationships are always a tricky proposition—even for Botswana's premier female detective.
“Meant to Be Yours, No. 5 (Happily Inc.)” by Susan Mallery. The best-selling author of Thrill Me and California Girls presents a latest romance set in the small wedding-tourist community of Happily Inc., California, in a series entry that is complemented by a bonus story.
“What Happens in Paradise, No. 2 (Paradise)” Elin Hilderbrand. A follow-up to the best-selling “Winter in Paradise” finds Irene and her sons returning to St. John to investigate her late husband's secret double life before uncovering surprising truths about their own realities and futures.
“Wyoming Heart, No. 9 (Wyoming Men)” by Diana Palmer. A gruff rancher who works the land with his bare hands in spite of his wealth unexpectedly falls in love with his troublesome neighbor, a city-bred writer who urges him to open his heart to her world.
“The Night Fire, No. 2 (Renee Ballard and Harry Bosch)” by Michael Connelly. Receiving a notebook with details about a 20-year cold case, homicide detective Harry Bosch teams up with LAPD detective Renée Ballard before uncovering disturbing clues about his late mentor. By the best-selling author of “Dark Sacred Night”.
“The Pursuit” by Joyce Carol Oates. A new bride experiences a recurrence of a childhood nightmare before attempting suicide, compelling her husband to uncover her torturous upbringing by an abusive parent. By the National Book Award-winning author of “We Were the Mulvaneys”.
“The Shape of Night” by Terri Gerritsen. Moving to a coastal community in Maine, a woman trying to outrun her past is confronted by a string of murders and the ghost of a sea captain who is haunting her isolated home. By the best-selling author of “Harvest”.
“Stealth, No. 51 (Stone Barrington)” by Stuart Woods. Abruptly dispatched to a remote region of the UK, Stone Barrington teams up with two brilliant colleagues only to land in a trap that reveals a rival power's lethal agenda and the larger conspiracy of a criminal mastermind.
“Takes One to Know One” by Susan Isaacs. A retired FBI agent-turned-Long Island housewife taps into her investigative past when she begins to suspect that her neighbor is harboring criminal secrets. By the award-winning author of “Any Place I Hang My Hat “.