My LINKcat AccountHere we are on the other side of Christmas. I hope you had a very merry holiday and that you spent time with those you love and got gifts you're not rushing out to exchange. Today is Boxing Day in Commonwealth nations (Britain, Canada, Australia, etc.). It is also the Day of Good Will in South Africa and Namibia, Family Day (Vanuatu) and Thanksgiving in the Solomon Islands. In Ireland, December 26th is St. Stephen's Day or the Day of the Wren and in many European countries (Germany, Poland, Scandinavia, and the Netherlands) today is celebrated as the Second Christmas Day. According to Wikipedia (that font (fount) of wisdom and knowledge) it was a custom in Britain for tradesmen to collect "Christmas boxes" of money or presents on the first weekday after Christmas as thanks for good service throughout the year. This is mentioned in Samuel Pepys' diary entry for 19 December 1663. This custom is linked to an older English tradition: Since they would have to wait on their masters on Christmas Day, the servants of the wealthy were allowed the next day to visit their families. The employers would give each servant a box to take home containing gifts and bonuses, and sometimes leftover food. Boxing Day for some of us is the day we figure out how to use whatever gifts we received on Christmas Day. You may have already noticed - if you've already cast your eyes down the page to scan for new titles-that there are only two new books this week. I guess the publishing houses just ran out of steam at this point. There are books ordered with release dates for the last two weeks of the year but they haven't arrived yet. But, if you received an electronic book reader (Kindle or Nook) or tablet or Ipad, or smartphone or Iphone you can avail yourself of the thousands of ebooks available through the Wisconsin Public Library Consortium. If you go to this website: http://dbooks.wplc.info you can sign in using this library's name - just start typing DeForest and it should pop up. Type in your library card number and you'll be able to check out ebooks. If you need help there are tutorials on the website or give us a call and we'll try to walk you through the process. Next week we will have more "actual" books for your consideration. In the meantime, there are a lot of books available digitally. Enjoy!
New Non-Fiction
Newtown : an American tragedy / by Matthew Lysiak. Chronicling the horrific events of December 14, 2012, this first comprehensive account of the Sandy Hook shootings sheds new light on the unstable killer, Adam Lanza, and shows how this American tragedy became a lightning rod for political agendas, much like Columbine 10 years earlier.
New Fiction
Forget me not / by Fern Michaels. Letting go of the past with a popular comic strip, card line, and children's cartoon to her name, Lucy Brighton should be in a happy place. But the ache of a cold, lonely childhood lingers on She receives a call that her parents have been killed and while settling their affairs begins to realize how little she really knew about their lives.