December 28, 2017 - Last Column of the Year

Here we are at the last library column for the year 2017. Why it seems like only yesterday that I was commenting on the fact that this was the first library column of the year 2017. My how time flies when you’re having fun! If you are a careful reader of this what-passes-for-a-newspaper column, you may have notice that over the past weeks, nay even month of more, many of the book titles included made blatant reference to the approaching holiday season. Many of those books even included “Christmas” in the title If you cast your eye down the page today you will note that nary a one of the books listed below make mention of the Yuletide season at all. The publishing world moved on weeks ago. And now gentle reader, it is time for you too to move on. Time to bid a fond farewell to all the books you read in 2017 and all the books you meant to read. Now it is time to look forward to all the wonderful books the new year has in store for us. And believe me, there are plenty of books coming our way. In fact, as we ease into 2018 the books on dieting will be coming at us in a flurry. Stay tuned for all the new ways of taking off all those cookies you were forced to eat at work and at the homes of friends and family (I had to eat something. It wouldn’t have been polite not to.) over the holiday season. In the meantime, let’s “tak a cup o’kindness yet For auld lang syne!” and appreciate the year we just had and look forward to what is yet to come. Enjoy!

New Non-Fiction

  • “The Last Republicans: Inside the Extraordinary Relationship Between George H.W. Bush and George W. Bush” by Mark Updegrove. Written with the full cooperation of Presidents George H. W. Bush and George W. Bush, a major biographical examination of their relationship as presidents and as father and son draws on exclusive interviews with the pair and close family members.
  • “Dear Evan Hansen: Through the Window” by Steven Levenson. An official compendium offers a behind-the-scenes look at the hit musical, and winner of six Tony Awards, Dear Evan Hansen , in a visual journey that includes interviews with the cast and crew, behind-the-scenes photos, a deeper look into Evan's fictional world and the show's visual world, unreleased lyrics, the libretto and much more.
  • “Victoria and Albert: A Royal Love Affair” by Daisy Goodwin. An official tie-in to hit PBS show Victoria , written by the hit's creator and screenwriter, gives a behind-the-scenes look at the making of the show, featuring never-before-seen interviews, photos, diary entries, profiles on all major characters and sumptuous detail on the costumes and props that bring Victoria and Albert's world to vivid life.
  • “Playing With Fire: The 1968 Election and the Transformation of American Politics” by Lawrence O’Donnell. The celebrated host of MSNBC's The Last Word with Lawrence O'Donnell presents an account of the 1968 presidential election to evaluate its lasting influence on American politics and the Democratic Party, exploring the pivotal roles of RFK and McCarthy, two high-profile assassinations and the Chicago riots
  • “What Unites Us: Reflections on Patriotism” by Dan Rather & Elliot Krischner. The Emmy Award-winning veteran journalist shares passionate essays about what it means to be an American and the relevance of patriotism in today's world, exploring subjects ranging from the institutions that support the nation, major events from that past half century and how the country can better unite to secure a collective future.

New Fiction

  • “Murder in the Lincoln White House, No. 1 (Lincoln’s White House Mysteries)” by C.M. Gleason. When a man is found stabbed to death only yards away from Abraham Lincoln during the inaugural ball, the president dispatches his assistant, and former frontier scout, Adam Quinn, to investigate. By a New York Times best-selling author.
  • “Murder in the Manuscript Room, No.2 (42nd Street Library Mysteries)” by Con Lehane. Unofficially investigating the murder of a young woman staffer at New York City's iconic 42nd Street Library, Raymond Ambler, the library's curator of crime fiction, finds his efforts complicated by his growing feelings for Adele, Adele's interest in a darkly handsome Islamic scholar and the determination of the police to shut him out of the case.
  • “Protected by the Shadows, No.10 (Inspector Irene Huss Investigations)” by Helene Tursten. With gang violence escalating in Göteborg, Sweden, the Organized Crimes Unit pairs with the Violent Crimes Unit to help defuse the situation, but could there be a mole on the force?
  • “Sleep No More: Six Murderous Tales” by P.D. James. An anthology of six previously uncollected stories by the author of Death Comes to Pemberley explores the memories, emotional machinations, rationalizations, dreams and desires of people who get away with the perfect murder or who help keep information about a killing secret.
  • “X Marks the Scot, No. 11 (Lisa MacCrimmon Scottish Mysteries)” by Kaitlyn Dunnett. After she hires an archivist to help her research a treasure map that she found behind a painting canvas at the Chadwick estate in Moosetookalook, Maine, Scottish Emporium owner Lisa MacCrimmon is horrified when she finds the archivist murdered at a local genealogical society, and takes it upon herself to find the killer.
  • “Past Perfect” by Danielle Steel. An abrupt job relocation that takes them from their well-ordered Manhattan life to San Francisco triggers a collision between the past and present for a successful married couple who during a small earthquake experience visions of their new home's original inhabitants from a century earlier. By the best-selling author of “Blue”.
  • “Refuge Cove, No. 2 (New Americans)” by Janet Dailey. A bride on the run from her would-be husband becomes stranded in the Alaska wilderness before accepting help from a rugged bush pilot who would reconnect with his estranged son. By the best-selling author of “Texas True”.
  • “Bonfire” by Krysten Ritter. The star of Marvel's Jessica Jones presents a novel of psychological suspense in which a successful environmental lawyer is forced to confront her small-town past while investigating a high-profile corruption case back home.