My LINKcat AccountToday is the last day of the month. It is the day of our annual Harry Potter Birthday Party, the 212th day of the year with 153 remaining, the feast day of St. Ignatius of Loyola, the end of Trinity term of the English High Court (not to be confused with English universities' (such as Oxford) use of the term which runs from April 20th to July 6th), and the penultimate day of summer reading club activities. The Summer Reading Club and all its sundry activities draws to a close tomorrow. Saturday morning the final wrap up and awarding of prizes and eating of refreshments will happen and thus will the summer-reading-season end at the library. As summer begins its slow wind down towards fall, there are many things to look forward to. For example, the Fall Book Catalogs have been arriving steadily and orders have been placed. Those titles will begin to arrive in the not-too-distant future. Speaking of arrivals, the first tomato on one of my cherry tomatoes turned red and so arrived on my dinner salad last Wednesday. Tomatoes (and other summer crops) will be arriving with greater and greater frequency. And, possibly, best of all, Packer's training camp opened July 25th, and the countdown to first preseason game on August 9th has started at my house. While we're waiting for the fall book titles to begin arriving, there are still some summer reads to enjoy. So, please do!
New Non-Fiction
The alliance : managing talent in the networked age / by Reid Hoffman. Arguing that today's dynamic business environments have irrevocably transformed the employer-employee relationship, a guide for managers outlines win-win strategies that promote trust between workers and management through flexible, alliance-based working agreements.
Enchanted objects : design, human desire, and the Internet of things / by David Rose. Essential reading for designers, business leaders, technologists and entrepreneurs, an MIT Media Lab scientist and founder of Ambient Devices presents a blueprint for a better future where efficient solutions come hand in hand with technology that delights our senses.
Travels with Casey / by Benoit Lewis-Denizet. A moody Labrador and his insecure human share a whimsical, cross-country RV trip into the heart of America's relationship with dogs, relating the stories of Appalachian wolf-dogs, a dedicated stray rescuer, a K9 cop and more.
New Fiction
The sea garden / by Deborah Lawrenson. Traveling to Devon to accept an award, artist Jess Penhaligon is hosted by friendly Kate, whose loving extended family shares their stories and secrets, reminding Jess of how her own family fell apart years earlier. By the author of "The Summer House".
The sweet spot : a novel / by Stephanie Evanovich. Focusing on everyone's favorite couple from her "New York Times" best-seller "Big Girl Panties", this hot new story follows Amanda, a curvaceous beauty and successful entrepreneur, who becomes pro baseball player Chase Walker's number one fan when she is introduced to his very secret pre-game rituals.
Act of war : a thriller / by Brad Thor. A follow-up to "Hidden Order" pits private intelligence operative Scot Harvath and his associates against a formidable new adversary who changes the course of Harvath's life. By the best-selling author of "The Apostle" and "The Last Patriot".
Sight unseen / by Iris & Roy Johansen. A latest collaboration by the mother-son duo of "Close Your Eyes" follows a deadly accident on San Diego's historic Cabrillo bridge that intelligence sniper Kendra Michaels realizes is tied to a dangerous plot that threatens everyone she loves.
Wayfaring Stranger : a novel / by James Lee Burke. A decade after taking a shot at Bonnie and Clyde during one of their notorious armed robberies, a Depression teen-turned-soldier escapes death during the Battle of the Bulge and marries a beautiful young woman with whom he seeks his fortune along the Texas-Louisiana oil coast. By the Edgar Award-winning author of "Light of the World".
The heist / by Daniel Silva. In the "New York Times" best-selling author's latest thriller, art restorer and occasional spy for Israel, Gabriel Allon, must play a dangerous game of high stakes international intrigue as he searches for a stolen masterpiece by Caravaggio.
Now and in the hour of our death / by Patrick Taylor. After landing in jail for making bombs for the IRA, Davy MacCutcheon escapes and seeks out his ex-fiancée, who has tried to move on with her life in Vancouver, Canada, in the sequel to "Pray for Us Sinners".