My LINKcat AccountNow that we’ve passed the summer solstice, can the 4th of July be far away? A rhetorical question that requires no answer, but I’ll answer it anyway. Obviously, the 4th of July is right around the corner. The 4th of July, while not quite the mid-point of summer (From Memorial Day, May 28th to Labor Day, September 3rd there are 98 days. 49 days from Memorial Day is July 16th. This would be the actual midpoint between the summer holidays.)in terms of holidays is the point between Memorial Day and Labor Day. And since it isn’t quite the midpoint that means there are ever so many days more to get your summer reading done. The number of new summer titles keep pouring in. The recent weather hasn’t really been conducive to reading on any local beaches or even any local backyards. There has been such relentless rain recently that you might want to investigate the books in the Non-Fiction section at 623.8 (Nautical engineering and seamanship). While waiting for the skies to clear, there are a number of new books listed below for your reading pleasure. Enjoy!
New Non-Fiction
“Tyrant” by Stephen Greenblatt. A world-renowned Shakespeare scholar from Harvard explores the bard's insight into history's controversial, often mentally unstable, rulers, illuminating how Shakespeare's plays reflected his investigations into the social causes, psychological roots and twisted consequences of tyranny. By the National Book Award-winning author of “The Swerve”.
“RFK: His Words for Our Times” by Robert F. Kennedy, Jr. Published to commemorate the 50th anniversary of his assassination and featuring commentary by notable historians and public figures, an inspiring collection of Bobby Kennedy's most famous speeches shares intimate perspectives into his views on such subjects as civil rights, social justice, foreign policy, poverty and the Vietnam War.
“From Cold War to Hot Peace: An American Ambassador in Putin’s Russia” by Michael McFaul. A former ambassador to Russia during the Obama administration describes how the progress made between the two countries was destroyed when Vladimir Putin returned to power and recounts how the Kremlin actively sought to discredit and undermine him.
“Political Risk: How Business and Organizations Can Anticipate Global Insecurity” by Condoleezza Rice and Amy Zegart. Examines the topic of political risk, the authors look at the essential lessons, corrective measures and counterintuitive insights for executives, entrepreneurs and investors to navigate an uncertain, volatile world.
“Chasing New Horizons: Inside the Epic First Mission to Pluto” by Alan Stern & David
Grinspoon. A New Horizons Principal Investigator and an award-winning NASA advisor share a behind-the-scenes account of the science, politics, egos and public expectations that shaped the New Horizons' mission to Pluto and beyond, citing the endeavor's boundary-breaking achievements and how they reflect the collective power of shared human goals.
“Happier Now: How to Stop Chasing Perfection and Embrace Everyday Moments (Even the Difficult Ones)” by Nataly Kogan. A nationally recognized expert and frequent guest speaker counsels readers on how to stop treating happiness as an elusive goal that is dependent on external factors, drawing on science, Eastern traditions and her own experiences as a refugee to outline simple practices for improving emotional resilience and living more happily in the present.
New Fiction
“Better off Read, No.1 (Bookmobile Mysteries)” by Nora Page. When her one last hope to save her storm-damaged library is found bludgeoned to death, bookmobile-driving librarian Cleo Watkins has no choice but to search for justice.
“Blood Standard, No. 1( Isaiah Coleridge)” by Laird Barron. An award-winning author makes his crime-fiction debut with a hardboiled novel set in the underbelly of upstate New York.
“Charmed Bones, No. 18 (Sarah Booth Delaney)” by Carolyn Haines. Called to an urgent school board meeting involving a dispute between local conservatives and a trio of Wiccan practitioners who want to open a school, Sarah and her partner, Tinkie, investigate when the Wiccan sisters are implicated in the untimely death of their landlord, a reclusive local artist. By the award-winning author of “Rock-a-Bye Bones”.
“Murder on Union Square, No. 21 (Gaslight Mystery)” by Victoria Thompson. When a father seeking a financial settlement in return for relinquishing parental rights turns up murdered, potential adoptive parents Frank and Sarah Malloy must work to clear their names in the latest novel of the series following “Murder in the Bowery”.
“Probable Claws, No. 27 (Mrs. Murphy)” by Rita Mae Brown. Postmistress "Harry" Haristeen and her human and animal companions investigate a mystery dating back to Virginia's post-Revolutionary past, an effort shaped by the creative influence of an artistic new friend and the struggles of their predecessors from the 18th century.
“Beach House Reunion, No. 5 (Beach House)” by Mary Alice Monroe. The award-winning author of The Summer Girls presents a latest entry in the series.
“The High Tide Club” by Mary Kay Andrews. Unexpectedly hired by an eccentric millionaire from a vast barrier island home, a young attorney learns the story of the new client's now-deceased circle of friends, her determination to protect the land from developers, disturbing clues about a long-unsolved murder and her ambitious plans for heirs and descendants. By the best-selling author of “The Weekenders”.