My LINKcat AccountBy the time you read this, Bookie, the library's prognosticating badger, shall have made a prediction about how much longer winter will be staying around in these parts. As you may or may not recall, Bookie has been making highly accurate predictions that, well, let's just say it, outshine and put to shame rival prognosticators such as our neighbor to the east in Sun Prairie, a.k.a, Jimmy the Groundhog and that other groundhog even further to the east, Punxsutawney Phil. Since I am writing this on the last Monday in January, I have no idea what Bookie my have foreseen. I do, however, know a couple of things about the weather in late January and early February. The weather lore says that as the days lengthen, the cold strengthens. This is certainly proven out by the beginning of this week. The days have noticeably gotten longer. The earliest sunset in our area occurs around the 2nd week of December when the sunsets at 4:22. The latest sunrise, 7:29. shows up on December 29th and persisted through the first week of January. Now we have started gaining time at both ends of the day and have 17 extra minutes in the morning and a whopping 49 minutes at the end of the day. The days have lengthen and we have definitely gotten a blast of arctic air. The good news is that the Old Farmer's Almanac kinda, sorta, predicted this for the Midwest and Ohio Valley. A fairly mild start to January, followed by a cold blast right about this time. The great news is that almanac foresees mild weather in February. So while you are waiting for the mild weather to arrive as well as the Superbowl, there are some books listed below for you to peruse. Enjoy!
New Non-Fiction
“Master Slave Husband Wife: An Epic Journey From Slavery to Freedom” by Ilyon Woo. The remarkable true story of Ellen and William Craft, who escaped slavery through daring, determination, and disguise, with Ellen passing as a wealthy, disabled White man and William posing as “his” slave.
“On Savage Shores: How Indigenous Americans Discovered Europe” by Caroline Pennock. Drawing on surviving their literature and poetry, one of the world’s foremost authorities on Mesoamerica presents a sweeping account of the Indigenous American presence in, and impact on, early modern Europe, shattering our previous Eurocentric understanding of the Age of Discovery.
“Never Give an Inch: Fighting for the America I Love” by Mike Pompeo. A former CIA director under President Trump finally shares his memoir.
“Heart to Heart: A Conversation on Love and Hope for Our Precious Planet” by Dalai Lama & The spiritual leader of Tibetan Buddhists and the cartoonist and award-winning author of MUTTS join forces to call for a Compassionate Revolution that encourages everyone to work together to heal our relationships with each other and with the planetPatrick McDonnell.
“Outsmart Your Brain:Why Learning is Hard and You Can Make It Easy” by Daniel T. Will. In this revolutionary, comprehensive, and accessible guide on how the brain learns, discover how to study more efficiently and effectively, shrug away exam stress, and most of all, enjoy learning.
New Fiction
“After Sappho” by Selby Schwartz. An exhilarating debut from a radiant new voice, After Sappho reimagines the intertwined lives of feminists at the turn of the twentieth century.
“The End of Drum-Time” by Hanna Pylvainen. An epic love story about a young reindeer herder and a minister’s daughter in the 19th century Arctic Circle.
“The Bullet Garden( Earl Swagger)” by Stephen Hunter. In 1944 Normandy, when German snipers start picking off hundreds of Allied soldiers every day, Pacific hero Earl Swagger, assigned this crucial and bloody mission, must infiltrate the shadowy corners of London and France to expose the traitor who is tipping off these snipers with the locations of American GIs.
“The Twyford Code” by Janice Hallett A new novel explores the mysterious connection between a teacher’s disappearance and an unsolved code in a children’s book.
“Encore in Death: An Eve DAllas Novel” by J.D. Robb.The homicide cop with a passion for justice returns in the captivating crime thriller series by the #1 New York Times bestselling author.
“Dead Lil’ Hustler: A Loon Lake Mystery” by Victoria Houston. It's mid-July in Loon Lake, and Police Chief Lewellyn Ferris has her hands full with the discovery of the skeletal remains of a missing bank executive and the murder of graduate student. To complicate matters, both victims were discovered on a hidden river deep in the national forest.
“The 12th Commandment” by Daniel Torday.This is a gripping, profound, and utterly absorbing novel in which an investigation into a murder becomes an investigation into mysticism, community, drugs, and what we find when we push our minds to the very limit.
“The Cradle of Ice: Moon Fall, Book 2” by James Rollins. This book continue journey with Nyx and her companion. The middle story in a huge epic that blends the science fiction of a tidally locked planet with elements of fantasy and magic,