My LINKcat AccountCan you believe it is March 1st already? The Brewers are already planning exhibition games and, believe it or not, it is only 150 days (give or take) until the Packers open their training camp. The birds around my house are starting to change their songs in preparation of spring and attracting that special someone to share a nest with. I have been out and back to Nebraska on my annual trip to see the start of the Sandhill crane migration. This annual ritual for me is an assurance that spring is indeed coming and not too far away. On the drive out to Kearney, NE the snow cover disappeared and ditches and hill sides with southern facings were getting a distinctly greenish cast. The willow trees were turning bright yellow and loose flocks of migrating songbirds were flitting from branch to branch. Officially, as of February 29th, there were about 9,000 cranes in the area. I know I saw at least that many on the drive in. The number of snowy geese is phenomenal. They litter the cornfields in puddles of white that look like ice floes that haven't melted yet. When a flock snowies takes off and comes at you, you'd swear a cloud is headed your way. The surest signs of spring are the meadowlarks that hop off the roads and sing their gurgling songs. I did spy a robin or two bobbing a long, but alas no red-winged black birds this year. And with spring dawdling off to the west and south of us, the spring book titles have begun to appear. Those book titles appear often in large numbers -- nothing to compare with the snowy geese mind you-- so what you see listed below is merely a taste, a hint, a soupcon, of the new books waiting for you at your library. Enjoy!
New Non-Fiction
“Treating People Well: The Extraordinary Power of Civility at Work and in Life” by Lea Berman & Jeremy Bernard. A guide to personal and professional empowerment through civility and social skills, written by two White House Social Secretaries, is built on a premise that everyone is important and deserves to be treated well regardless of differences, covering subjects ranging from how to make friends with strangers to overcoming the challenges of difficult colleagues
“The Patriot: The Stunning True Story of Aaron Hernandez…” by James Patterson & Adam Abramovich. Presents a detailed account of the Aaron Hernandez case, drawing on in-depth investigative reports, first-person accounts and previously untold stories to share insights into the youth, fame, imprisonment and suicide of the NFL star-turned-convicted murderer. Co-written by a #1 best-selling author.
“With the End in Mind; Dying, Death, and Wisdom in the Age of Denial” by Kathryn Mannix. A British cognitive-behavioral therapist specializing in palliative care draws on stories from her own practice to counsel readers on how to enable a gentle and peaceful death and how modern medicine, augmented by traditional palliative approaches, can restore dignity, humanity and meaning to the end of a life.
“Full Battle Rattle: My Story as the Longest-Serving Special Forces A-Team Soldier in American History” by Changiz Lahidji & Ralph Pezzullo. The legendary Special Forces veteran and first Muslim Green Beret shares the stories of his contributions to history-shaping operations, including the Iran hostage rescue of 1980, the 1993 conflict that inspired Black Hawk Down and the locating of Osama Bin Laden.
“Wallis in Love: The Untold Life of the Duchess of Windsor, the Woman Who Changed the Monarchy” by Andrew Morton. A portrait of the woman for whom Edward VIII infamously abdicated the British throne draws on journal entries, letters and other previously unseen records to analyze her complex personality against the backdrop of Jazz Age London. By the #1 New York Times best-selling author of Diana: In Her Own Words and 17 Carnations .
“Mommy Burnout: How to Reclaim Your Life and Raise Healthier Children in the Process” by Sheryl Ziegler. A practical handbook for modern moms outlines positive, liberating recommendations for avoiding debilitating social messages that impose impossible standards of perfection, sharing relatable anecdotes and real-world suggestions for breaking burnout cycles and protecting children from the damage of overwhelmed-parenting dynamics. 75,000 first printing.
New Fiction
“Unbound, No. 44( Stone Barrington)” by Stuart Wood. New York City cop-turned-Manhattan law firm rainmaker Stone Barrington encounters an adversary more threatening than any of his career, in a work of suspense by the Edgar Award-winning author of Chiefs .
“The Wife Between Us” by Greer Hendricks & Sarah Pekkanen. A psychologically charged tale of suspense follows the unexpected twists that shape a divorce and second marriage that are anything but what they seem. Co-written by the author of The Opposite of Me .
“The Philosopher’s Flight” by Tom Miller. A historical fantasy epic set in a matriarchal World War I-era America of science and magic follows the efforts of an aspiring male pilot in a female-driven branch of philosophical science who gains entry into Radcliffe College before embarking on a relationship with a radical activist who would end the activities of a fanatical group. Illustrations.
“The Driest Season” by Meghan Kenny. A full-length novel based on the author's award-winning short story from the collection, Love Is No Small Thing , follows the experiences of a World War II-era farming family in Wisconsin whose perspectives and livelihoods are upended by a father's shattering suicide.
“Rosie Colored Glasses” by Brianna Wolfson. Enraged by her parents' joint-custody arrangement after she expressed a preference to live exclusively with her mother, 11-year-old Willow struggles to make sense of her changing world and loneliness when her mother's demons begin to surface and overtake her. A first novel. 150,000 first printing.
“Where the Wild Cherries Grow: A Novel of the South of France” by Laura Madeleine. A lone surviving member of a family decimated by World War I runs away to a seaside village in the south of France, where she begins to heal in the wake of vibrant natural cuisines and a passionate love affair that is threatened by secrets from the past. By the author of The Confectioner's Tale .
“Fifty Fifty, No. 2 (Detective Harriet Blue)” by James Patterson & Candice Fox. Violating protocol in her efforts to defend her brother against murder charges, Detective Harriet Blue is forced to relocate to a virtual ghost town in the outback, where a diary found on the roadside reveals shocking plans to massacre the community's few remaining residents. By the #1 best-selling authors of Never Never .