My LINKcat AccountToday is the last day of January and if forecasts hold true we shall at last be climbing out of the deep freeze. The one upside to this bitterly cold weather is that it makes staying inside and reading much more appealing. Below you will find some of the new titles that have arrived during the past week. Some of them are from authors that have publishing runs of way over 100,000 copies. Other authors, not so much. But each author has something to offer – a different perspective, a unique turn of phrase. Some of these books probably take place in locales that aren’t experiencing sub-zero wind chills which will help you, at least while you’re reading, imagine you are in warmer climes. As I’m sure many of you are aware, the Super Bowl, is this upcoming Sunday. If you’re not a fan, then reading might be the perfect anodyne to all the hoopla. All the opportunities the cold weather provides for reading means you can earn more Dragon Dollars during the Winter Reading Program. Stay Warm! Enjoy!
New Non-Fiction
“Black is the Body: Stories From My Grandmother’s Time, My Mother’s Time, and Mine” by Emily Bernard. A collection of deeply personal essays explores the complexities and paradoxes of growing up black in the South with a white surname as well as the author's experiences with interracial marriage, international adoption and teaching at a Northern white college.
“Prisoner: My 544 Days in an Iranian Prison …” by Jason Rezaian. The former Tehran bureau chief describes how he was kept hostage for 18 months on trumped-up charges of espionage and rendered a pawn in high-stakes diplomatic talks that became a part of the Iran nuclear deal.
“The Truths We Hold: An American Journey” by Kamala Harris. The civil rights leader, senator and former attorney general of California draws on the lessons of her activist immigrant family to make recommendations for the universal issues of today, including economic inequality, health care and national security.
“Merchants of Truths: The Business of Facts and the Future of News” by Jill Abramson. A definitive report on the disruption of the news media over the last decade draws on expert insights to trace two legacy and two upstart companies as they transitioned through a revolution of technology and economics.
“Everyday Millionaires: How Ordinary People Built Extraordinary Wealth – and How You Can Too” by Chris Hogan. Drawing on a survey of 10,000 U.S. millionaires, the author destroys millionaire myths that are keeping everyday people from achieving financial independence. By a #1 national best-selling author.
“Act Natural: A Cultural History of Misadventures in Parenting” by Jennifer Traig. From ancient Rome to Puritan New England to the Dr. Spock craze of mid-century America, the author, in this entertaining history of Western parenting, explores parenting techniques ranging from the misguided, to the nonsensical, to the truly horrifying.
“Aristotle’s Way: How Ancient Wisdom Can Change Your Life” by Edith Hall. The renowned classicist and author of Introducing the Ancient Greeks explores Aristotle's inquiries into subjective happiness and the lasting, achievable state of contentment that he believed should be the ultimate goal of human life.
New Fiction
“Here and Now and Then” by Mike Chen. Stranded for 18 years since the 1990s, time-traveling agent Kin Stewart, suffering from memory loss, has started a new life, but when rescuers from the year 2142 finally arrive, he must choose between his current family and the one he left behind in the future.
“A Dog Called Jack” by Ivy Pembroke. Abandoned dog Jack finds a collective family in the residents of Christmas Street—a group of people who just might need Jack as much as he needs them.
“Hark” by Sam Lipsyte. In a troubled America, Hark Morner, is an unwitting guru whose technique of “Mental Archery”—a combination of mindfulness, mythology, fake history, yoga and, well, archery—is set to captivate the masses and raise him to near-messiah status.
“Late in the Day” by Tessa Hadley. When their close friend, Lydia, who is inconsolable after the death of her husband, Zach, moves in with them, Christine and Alex find love and sorrow giving way to anger and bitterness, warping their relationships as old entanglements and grievances rise from the past.
“An Orchestra of Minorities” by Chigozie Obioma. In a contemporary twist of Homer's “The Odyssey”, a guardian spirit recounts the tragic story of a Nigerian poultry farmer who sacrifices everything for the wealthy woman he loves. By the award-winning author of “The Fishermen”.
“Death by Chocolate Malted Milkshake, No. 2 (Death by Chocolate Mysteries)” by Sarah Graves. Preparing a wedding order for Eastport, Maine's favorite couple, Jake and Ellie investigate when the betrotheds wind up behind bars after the poisoning of an ex and a baffling confession. By the best-selling author of “Death by Chocolate Cherry Cheesecake \”.
“Turning Point” by Danielle Steel. Chosen for their elite records to work with Parisian counterparts in a mass-casualty training program, four trauma doctors from a busy San Francisco hospital confront unexpected and exciting new challenges that force them to make life-shaping choices.
“Untouchable, No.3 (Cutler, Sutter & Salinas)” by Jayne Ann Krentz. Engaging in deep meditation therapy to navigate the darkness of his work as a cold-case arson investigator, FBI consultant Jack Lancaster is targeted by a returned Quinton Zane, who has resolved to eliminate Anson Salinas's foster sons.