My LINKcat AccountHere it is the 22nd of May - the Thursday before Memorial Day weekend - and finally more spring-like weather has arrived. We're finally getting spring weather just when the holiday that kicks off the start of summer is rolling around. The 22nd of May is an interesting day in a number of ways. It is National Maritime Day which celebrates the American Merchant Marine. It is Swamp Monster Day which is coincidentally on the day that the Loch Ness monster was first sighted in 1933 (which is confusing because Loch Ness is a deep, dark, freshwater lake - not a swamp at all). May 22nd is also Vanilla Pudding Day. It is also the day that Robert Zimmerman (a.k.a, Bob Dylan) was Bar Mitzvah-ed in 1954 and the day that the first episode of Mr. Roger's Neighborhood aired in 1967 (I like you just the way you are!). This was also the day that Johnny Carson made his final appearance on "The Tonight Show" and the final episode of "Newhart" aired. May 22nd, 2014 is the day when I tell you about all the new books that have arrived recently at the library a little further down this page. Enjoy!
New Non-Fiction
Unbreak my heart : a memoir / by Toni Braxton. The six-time Grammy award-winning artist and the star of "Braxton Family Values" reveals the measures she took to make herself and her family whole again after heart ailments and a lupus diagnosis forced her to let go of her past and take charge of her own healing--physically and spiritually.
John Quincy Adams ; American visionary by Fred Kaplan. A brilliant combination of literary analysis and historical detail, this masterfully written biography of the much misunderstood sixth president of the United States reveals the many sides of this forward-thinking man whose progressive vision helped shape the course of America.
Wish granted : 25 stories of strength and resilience from America's favorite athletes / by Make-a-Wish Foundation. Serving as a tool of hope as well as support for the worthy cause it illustrates, this uplifting book presents the stories of more than 25 athletes who share the secrets of strength and resilience they have learned while granting the wishes of children with life-threatening medical conditions.
Console wars : Sega, Nintendo, and the battle that defined a generation / by Blake Harris. Chronicles how Sega-a small, scrappy gaming company led by an unlikely visionary and a team of rebels-took on the juggernaut Nintendo and revolutionized the video game industry.
The brainy bunch : the Harding family's method to college ready by age twelve / by Kip and Mona Harding. Filled with college tips, daily regimens, a reading list and advice, two parents share the incredible story of how they sent 6 of their 10 children to college by the age of 12, revealing what any family can accomplish through the right mix of dedication, love and hard work.
The dolphin way : a parent's guide to raising healthy, happy, and motivated kids--without turning into a tiger / by Shimi Kang. A Harvard-trained psychiatrist outlines recommendations for inspiring children to love learning and develop inner resources, metaphorically profiling a parenting style that avoids the high pressure and permissiveness of current models to promote balance, adaptability and positive thinking skills.
New Fiction
Cavendon Hall / by Barbara Bradford Taylor. A tale spanning 16 years in Edwardian England finds the centuries-long relationship between the aristocratic Inghams and the Swann family who serves them tested by the outbreak of World War I. By the award-winning author of "A Woman of Substance".
The steady running of the hour / by Justin Go. Learning that he may be the heir to the unclaimed estate of an English World War I officer, American college graduate Tristan Campbell is required to find documentation proving his heritage during breakneck visits to the London archives, Somme battlefields and Icelandic Eastfjords. A first novel.
Debbie doesn't do it anymore : a novel / by Walter Mosely. Resolving to leave the pornography industry after her husband is found electrocuted in a hot tub with another woman, an adult film star endures a reckoning involving her late husband's debts, her estranged family and the child she had to give up. By the award-winning author of the Easy Rawlins series.
Magnificent vibration / by Rick Springfield. A debut novel by the Grammy Award-winning music artist chronicles a man's unlikely spiritual quest in the aftermath of an unexpected cellphone conversation with a God who enjoys setting humorous challenges for him.
To rise again at a decent hour : a novel / by Joshua Ferris. After noticing his identity has been stolen and used to create various social media accounts, a man with a troubled past, Paul O'Rourke, begins to wonder if his virtual alter ego is actually a better version of himself.
Walking on water : the fifth journal of the Walk series / by Richard Paul Evans. In this fifth entry in the "New York Times" best-selling Walk series, Alan Christoffersen must say some painful goodbyes and learn some important lessons as he comes to the end of his cross-country walk to Key West.
Any other name : a Longmire mystery / by Craig Johnson. Sheriff Walt Longmire must investigate the mysterious death of fellow lawman Detective Gerald Holman.
Robert B. Parker's Cheap shot / by Ace Atkins. Investigating the perpetrators of violent off-field incidents who compromised the public image of a star linebacker before kidnapping his young son, Spenser assembles a team of associates to comb through the underworld of Boston while the athlete weighs a controversial decision.