The countdown to the Summer Reading Program has begun. Registration will begin the last week or so of the May with the actually kickoff on June 6th. Assuming you are reading this on the publication date of Friday, May 10th, then there are exactly 27 days. That’s 27 days, or 648 hours, or 38,880 minutes. I could keep going with smaller measures of time, but I shall desist. This all goes to show that the Summer Reading Program will soon be upon us. It also goes to show that there is plenty of time for getting your reading list assembled, to get your eyes use to reading for long periods of time, and to establish a routine for recording the titles –or number of titles—that you read. There are many ways to keep track of your reading:1) you can use the BeanStack app on your phone or on a computer and type in the title, 2) You can scan the ISBN number into the app on our phone, 3) Using the app you can just say how many titles you have read and not type or scan in the titles, and 4) you can make a list and library staff will put that information into the app for you. There are probably more ways to record the titles you have read, but none leap to mind at this writing. Below you will find some of the new books which recently arrived at the library. You can put them on hold to read this summer or you can read them now and perhaps, finish them just as the Summer Reading Program begins. Enjoy!
Jan's Column 2024
If you want to reserve any of these titles, give us a call at 846-5482 and have your library card handy!
Can't make it in when we're open? Call and ask about our electronic locker system.
New Non-Fiction:
“Power and Glory: Elizabeth II and the Rebirth of Royalty” by Alexander Larman. A master chronicler of the House of Windsor brings his acclaimed trilogy to a dramatic and poignant conclusion.
“Warren and Bill: Gates, Buffett, and the Friendship That Changed the World” by Anthony McCarten. An Academy Award-nominated screenwriter presents this fascinating account of the extraordinary friendship between Warren Buffet and Bill Gates that impacted each man and led to change on a grander scale as they jointly addressed some of the world’s most critical problems by giving their wealth away.
“Alien Earth: The New Science of Planet Hunting in the Cosmos” by Lisa Kaltenegger. An astrophysicist unlocks the mysteries of alien worlds, from lava planets to multi-sun systems, using Earth as a key and humanity's curiosity as fuel, in a thrilling quest to answer whether we are alone in the universe.
“Every Living Thing: The Great and Deadly Race to Know All Life” by Jason Roberts. The best-selling author of A Sense of the World tells the story of two scientific rivals and their mission to survey all life and the clash of ideas that had profound consequences for humanity.
New Fiction:
“Patchwork Quilt Murder, No. 30 (Lucy Stone Mysteries)” by Leslie Meier. When the director of the new community center and her young employee are found dismembered, part-time reporter Lucy Stone, trying to piece the clues together, discovers the truth rests somewhere between wild rumors, a trusted friend’s emotional new sewing project and the authenticity of a mysterious300-year-old patchwork quilt.
“An Unfinished Murder, No. 5 (Medlar Mysteries)” by Jude Deveraux. A novelist, Sara Medlar, and her friends use all their amateur sleuthing skills to solve a crime when a literal skeleton is discovered in a closet, in the fifth novel of the series following “A Relative Murder”.
“Just for the Summer” by Abby Jimenez. With every person they date finding their soulmate the second they break up, Justin and Emma decide to date each other and break up to cancel each other’s curse out, but their quick fling turns something more when their families get involved and they catch real feelings for each other.
“The Summer We Started Over” by Nancy Thayer. Returning to Nantucket to help her younger sister with the grand opening of her gift shop, Eddie Grant must face all she left behind: her father’s increased eccentricities; her sister’s resentment of her leaving; and a past love connection, discovering a long-buried family secret that will change them all forever.
“Tourist Season” by Brenda Novak. Trapped alone in her fiancé’s family “cottage” as a hurricane bears down on Mariners Island, Ismay Chalmers, as she prepares for the storm, discovers some disturbing items hidden in a closet that have her questioning everything she knows about the seemingly perfect Windsor family—especially her fiancé.
“City in Ruins (Danny Ryan Trilogy)” by Don Winslow. A Las Vegas casino mogul with a spotty past must fight for the life he created and everything he holds dear after old enemies surface, in the third novel of the series following “City of Dreams”.
“Darlings Girl” by Sally Hepworth. Two women who escaped an overly strict home with a foster mother on a farm are called back to their childhood home and into the orbit of their former guardian when human bones are discovered beneath the farmhouse.
“Extinction” by Douglas Preston. Colorado Bureau of Investigation Agent Frances Cash investigates after a billionaire's son and his new wife are kidnapped and murdered by a gang of eco-terrorists at a park where extinct animals are brought back through genetic manipulation.
“The Murder Inn” by James Patterson & Candice Fox. The owner of the Inn at Gloucester, a place open to anyone running from trouble or hiding from life, former Boston police detective Bill Robinson must defend his town, his chosen family and his home when a newcomer in town launches a series of attacks.
“Toxic Prey, No.34 (Prey)” by John Sandford. When a renowned expert in infectious diseases disappears without a trace, Letty Davenport, with the world on high alert, calls in her father, Lucas, to locate him, and when their worst fears are confirmed, they must race against time to stop the virus he created from becoming the perfect weapon.
I looked at the calendar today to see the date of publication for this column and saw to my great alarm, that we are looking at the month of May. How did it get to be May already? Now that I think about it, we’ve had all those April showers which, apparently, following the adage, are bringing forth May flowers. The trees, with this last round of rain, decided to suddenly leaf out. The migratory birds keep migrating in. In fact, this past Sunday morning, I heard and then saw White-crowned sparrows. These sparrows migrate through Wisconsin to their breeding grounds in Alaska and arctic Canada. They usually only hang around long enough to fuel up before heading further north. I checked my calendar from last year (Yes. I admit it. I do keep track of information like this and I do categorize things. And yes, this probably explains how I ended up being a librarian.). Last year the white-crowned sparrows didn’t show up until May 9th. They are 12 days earlier this year. The goldfinches are wearing their gold feathers already and the frogs are starting to sing. If it is May, and I believe we all agree it is May, then can the start of the Summer Reading Program be far way? I shall answer that rhetorical question with a resounding “No. It can’t be far away!” It will be upon us sooner than you think. Stay tuned for further details. In the meantime, keep your reading eyes in shape by perusing some of the recently arrived titles at the library. Enjoy!
New Non-Fiction:
“The Swans of Harlem: Five Black Ballerinas…” by Karen Valby. Steeped in the glamour and grit of professional ballet, this captivating account of five extraordinarily accomplished black ballerinas, the Swans of Harlem, celebrates both their historic careers and their 50-year sisterhood, offering a window into the history of black ballet, hidden for too long.
“The Age of Grievance” by Frank Bruni. A best-selling author and longtime New York Times< columnist examines the ways in which grievance has come to define our current culture and politics, on both the right and left.
“House Rules: How to Decorate for Every Home, Style, and Budget” by Myquillyn Smith. The New York Times best-selling author, also known as “The Nester,” presents 100 decorating truths for any house, style and budget that can help beautify any room and create more vibrant and livable spaces.
“Secure Relating: Holding Your Own in an Insecure World” by Sue Marriott & Ann Kelley. Integrating modern attachment theory, relational neuroscience and depth psychology into practical tools, two experienced mental health professionals and hosts of the Therapist Uncensored podcast offer a fresh and innovative approach to understanding and improving relationships in today’s increasingly polarized world.
New Fiction:
“The Cemetery of Untold Stories” by Julia Alvarez. Inheriting a small plot of land in the
Dominican Republic, celebrated writer Alma Cruz creates a graveyard for the characters whose lives she tried and failed to bring to life, but they have other ideas as they rewrite and revise themselves, revealing their true narratives to those who will listen.
“Real Americans” by Rachel Khong. In this intricately woven tapestry of class and striving, race and visibility, and family and inheritance, 15-year-old Nick Chen, who cannot shake the feeling his mother is hiding something, sets out to find his biological father—a journey that raises more questions than provides answers
"Miss Morgan’s Book Brigade” by Janet Charles. The New York Times and internationally best-selling author of The Paris Library returns with a novel based on the true story of Jessie Carson—the American librarian who changed the literary landscape of France.
“Only the Brave” by Danielle Steel. During World War II, Sophia Alexander, after her mother dies and her father is sent to a concentration camp, becomes increasingly involved in the resistance and while working with the convent nuns, the Sisters of Mercy where she risks everything to help those in need—no matter what the cost.
“Circle in the Water, No. 36 (Charon McCone Mysteries)” by Marcia Muller. Sharon McCone is hired by a coalition of concerned San Francisco homeowners whose homes have been targeted in a series of "pranks," in the latest installment of the long-running series following “A Midnight Puzzle”.
“Feline Fatale, No. 32 (Mrs. Murphy Mysteries)” by Rita Mae Brown. Mary Minor "Harry" Harristeen investigates a murder in Albermarle County, Virginia with assistance from her beloved pets, including cats Mrs. Murphy and Pewter and dogs Pirate and Tucker in the latest novel in the long-running series following “Hiss and Tell”.
“The Museum of Lost Quilts (Elm Creek Quilters)” by Jennifer Chiaverini. While staying at Elm Creek Manor to finish her thesis, Summer, the youngest founding member of Elm Creek Quilts, instead researches the antique quilts on display for a fundraiser to renovate the headquarters of the Waterford Historical Society, discovering its troubled history of racism, economic injustice and political corruption, past and present.
“Lost Birds (Leaphorn, Chee & Manuelito)” by Anne Hillerman. Retired from the Navajo Tribal Police, P.I. Joe Leaphorn is hired to find the birth parents of a woman raised by a bilagaana family, which unexpectedly turns into a complicated case, while Officer Bernadette Manuelito investigates an explosion linked his investigation.
“Pay Dirt (V.I. Warshawski)” by Sara Paretsky. While visiting Angela, one her protégées in Kansas, V.I. Warshawski, when Angela’s roommate goes missing and V.I. finds her near death in a drug house, is pitched headlong into the country’s opioid crisis and a local land use battle with roots going back to the Civil War.
As of the publication date -- one assumes Friday, April 26th-- of this column, there are only a handful of days left in April which means that May is right around the corner. If May is just around the corner, with all those May flowers the April showers helped bring forth (and that the April freeze at the beginning of this week attempted to thwart). And if May is just around the corner, that means that the start of the Summer Reading Program is also around the corner.
If one assumes a publication date of April 26th, then today is also the Eve of the library’s first ever Bluey Party. It starts tomorrow -- that would be Saturday, April 27th-- at 9:30.There will be crafts, a treat, and, I have it on good authority, Bluey and Bingo will be making an appearance. While many think Bluey is only for younger children, I am one adult who has binge-watched the entire oeuvre (more than once, she admits, blushing) and am a huge fan. It is sweet and funny and has subtle life lessons. It also has dancing -- individually and as a family-- and imaginative play. Our party will try to capture some of that spirit! It’s from 9:30 to noon. Hope to see you there!
Below are some of the new spring titles which recently arrived at the library. We are still getting books from the publishers’ spring lists. Any minute now the Beach Reads will begin to arrive. In the meantime, check these out or put them on hold, Enjoy!
New Non-Fiction:
“The Rulebreaker : The Life and Times of Barbara Walters” by Susan Page. The definitive biography of one of the most successful female broadcasters of all time—Barbara Walters—a woman whose personal demons fueled an ambition that broke all the rules and finally gave women a permanent place on the air.
“Shakespeare : The Man Who Pays the Rent” by Judi Dench & Brendan O’hea. For the very first time, a noted actor opens up about every Shakespearean role she has played throughout her seven-decade career, from Lady Macbeth and Titania to Ophelia and Cleopatra.
Dog
“Dogland: Passion, Glory, and Lots of Slobber at the Westminster Dog Show” by Tommy Tomilinson. From a Pulitzer Prize finalist and the author of The Elephant in the Room comes the first inside account of the Westminster Dog Show—America’s oldest and most beloved dog
show—following one dog on his quest to become a champion.
“Age of Revolution: Progress and Backlash from 1600 to the Present” by Fareed Zakaria. The CNN host and best-selling author explores the revolutions—past and present—that define the polarized and unstable age in which we live.
New Fiction:
“Crow Talk” by Eileen Garvin. The best-selling author of “The Music of Bees” returns with the story of the unlikely friendship between a lonely ornithologist and an Irish musician working to save an injured crow in the wild beauty of the Pacific Northwest.
“The Paris Novel” by Ruth Reichl. Resigning herself to honor her mother’s last wishes, Stella travels to Paris where she meets an octogenarian art collector who introduces her to the who’s who of the 1980’s Paris literary, art and culinary worlds, helping her understand what it might mean to live a larger life.
“Ash Dark as Night, No.2 (Harry Ingram Mysteries)” by Gary Phillips. After being beaten unconscious for taking a photo during the 1965 Watts riots in Los Angeles, Harry Ingram agrees to help a friend track down a missing business associate, in the second novel of the series following OneShot Harry.
“Close to Death (Hawthorne and Horowitz Mysteries)” by Anthony Horowitz. When Charles Kentworthy is found dead on his doorstep after moving his loud, boisterous family into an idyllic gated community, Detective Hawthorne investigates, in the fifth novel of the series following “The Twist of a Knife”.
“Death by Chocolate Raspberry Scone, No. 7 (Death by Chocolate Mysteries)” by Sarah Graves. Passamaquoddy Bay bakers Jake and Ellie search for the remains of a skilled fisherman who vanished with a valuable gold doubloon inherited from his grandfather in the seventh novel of the series following Death by Chocolate Marshmallow Pie.
“Lucky” by Jane Smiley. Coming of age in recording studios, backstage and on tour, rising folk musician Jodie Rattler, trying to hold her own in the wake of Janis Joplin, Joan Baez, Judy Collins and Joni Mitchell, feels like something is missing and sets out on a journey in search of herself.
“The Poison Pen, No. 9 (Scottish Bookshop Mysteries)” by Paige Shelton. The ninth installment in the cozy mystery series featuring amateur sleuth Delaney Nichols is set in a specialty bookshop in Edinburgh called The Cracked Spine.
“Funny Story” by Emily Henry. After being dumped for her boyfriend's lifelong best friend, Petra, Daphne agrees to room with Petra's freshly heartbroken ex until she can figure things out, in the new
novel from the New York Times best-selling author of Happy Place.
“A Calamity of Souls” by David Baldacci. In a Virginia courtroom in 1968, a reluctant white lawyer and a dedicated black attorney must bridge their differences to fight for a black man's life against racial prejudice and powerful forces seeking to undo civil rights
April is quite the literary month. Two of the biggest names in English Literature are associated with the month.
Geoffrey Chaucer’s magnum opus, “The Canterbury Tales” begins with these famous lines (quoted in Middle English) which I’m sure many of you had to memorize at some point in your educational career:
“Whan that Aprille with his shoures soote, /The droghte of March hath perced to the roote, And bathed every veyne in swich licóur /Of which vertú engendred is the flour;”
This prologue insists that April is the perfect month for going on a pilgrimage. In modern parlance, a rough translation would be, “April is the perfect time for a road trip (possibly with the Harley. The other big name in English Lit, is William Shakespeare whose birthday is celebrated as April 23rd (it is also his purported death day). He wrote an whole lot about spring and birds singing and flowers blooming. Here is a tiny sample from “As You Like It”,
“It was a lover and his lass, /With a hey, and a ho, and a hey non-i-no,/That o’er the green cornfield did pass,/In the Spring time, the only pretty ring time,/ When birds do sing, hey ding a ding, ding./Sweet lovers love the Spring.”
Not a lot of deep messages in this sample, but you catch the drift. Spring is a frolicsome time. The birds are singing up the dawn every day. The butterflies are returning. The dandelions are sprouting. Motorcycles are emerging from their winter hibernation. Lawn mowers are being tuned-up, gassed up, a ready to go. But, before you get too wrapped up with all the yardwork and gardening to be done. Remember that April showers accompany the blue-sky days and those days are the best for curling up with a good book. Below you will find some splendid books that are just perfect for reading any time, in any weather, but which are particularly good for rainy spring days. Enjoy!
New Non-Fiction:
“Knife: Meditations After an Attempted Murder” by Salman Rushdie. The internationally renowned writer and Booker Prize winner speaks out for the first time about the traumatic events of August 12, 2022, when an attempt was made on his life, in this deeply personal meditation on violence, art, loss, love and finding the strength to stand up again.
“The Secret Lives of Booksellers and Librarians: Their Stories are Better Than the Bestsellers” by James Patterson & Matt Eversmann. Showcasing the smart and talented people who live between the pages, this inspiring collection of true stories, as told to one of the greatest novelists of our time, invites us into a world where we can feed our curiosities, discover new voices and find whatever we want or require.
“Good Housekeeping Organize Your Life” by the Editors of Goodhousekeeping. Decluttering your home has never been easier with this step-by-step action plan, plus hundreds of genius tricks help you create a calm and tidy life.
“Somehow: Thoughts on Love” by Anne Lamott. Full of her trademark compassion and humanity, the New York Times bestselling explores the transformative power of love in our lives: how it surprises us, forces us to confront uncomfortable truths, reminds us of our humanity and guides us forward.
“Think This Not That: 12 Mineshafts to Breakthrough Limiting Beliefs and Become Who You Were Born to Be” by Josh Axe. Teaches 12 powerful mindshifts to break through limiting beliefs, spark personal transformation and build a more meaningful life.
New Fiction:
“Dragon Rider (Soulbound Saga)” by Taran Matharu. A royal hostage, gifted with a stolen dragon hatchling, flees to forge his own destiny and seek revenge and reclaim his rightful land, in the new series from the best-selling author of the “Summoner” series.
“Midnight Harbor, No. 8 (Miramar Bay)” by Davis Bunn. When his Aunt Amelia, his closest friend and greatest supporter, passes away, leaving him her home in Miramar, classical guitarist Ian Hart uses this opportunity to reflect and move forward after a scandal destroyed his career but instead finds himself drawn to another newcomer, artist Kari Langham, who changes everything.
“Sweetness in the Skin” by Ishi Robinson. A young teenage girl in Jamaica is determined to bake her way out of her dysfunctional family and into the opportunity of a lifetime.
“Village Weavers” by Myriam Chancy. Confronts the silences around class, race and nationality, charts the moments when lives are irrevocably forced apart, and envisions two girls—connected their entire lives—who try to break inherited cycles of mistrust and find ways back into each other’s hearts.
“The Limits” by Nell Freudenberger. Sent to New York to stay with her father, an overworked surgeon, and his new wife, 15-year-old Pia, rebelling against her stepmother when COVID sends them into near total isolation, finds her life colliding with 16-year-old Athyna, who’s caring for a toddler full time, as they spiral toward parallel but inescapably different tragedies.
“Sharpe’s Command: Richard Sharpe and the Bridge at Almaraz, May 1812(Sharpe)” by Bernard Cornwell. Sent on an undercover mission to a small village in the Spanish countryside in the early 19th century, far behind enemy lines, the formidable Captain Sharpe and his group of men—with their cunning and courage to rely on—must stop two French armies from meeting on the Almaraz bridge.
“The Titanic Survivors Book Club” by Timothy Schaffert. Paris bookshop owner Yorick, joining a secret society of other Titanic ticket holders who didn’t board the ship, forms a book club where they can grapple with their good fortune and anxieties through heated discussions of literature, but when one of them unexpectedly dies, he wonders what fate has in store.
“It Had to Be You (Under Suspicion)” by Mary Higgins Clard & Alafair Burke. Years after their parents’ murder, identical twin brothers, determined to clear one name at the expense of the other, ask Laura Moran and her Under Suspicion crew to solve this brutal crime and as they get close to the truth, they find the danger from the past finding its way into the present.