My LINKcat AccountIt seems strange to have passed Memorial Day and still have a couple of days left in May as of today. But here we are. Having passed the holiday of Memorial Day means, among other things, that Summer Reading has begun at the library. Think seriously about joining the Summer Reading Club. Since you're reading this column, odds are you are a reader. More details are available on our website. The Friends of the Library are having a book sale starting today (Thursday, May 29th) and going through Saturday, May 31st. There will be plenty of books and various media formats. There will also be cacti. Many years ago I was given a cactus (now referred to as the "Mother Ship"). She has produced 23 babies or pups, every year for at least the last three years. A couple of her "daughters" are now as big as she is and ramping up their own production. This past weekend I plucked the pups off and put them in little pots (collected from the Pet Grass my cats enjoy chowing down on) in cacti potting soil. For some reason the Mother Ship objected to me taking tongs to her pups and launched herself at me from the window sill. With tongs in my right hand, I, of course, attempted to catch her in my left hand. She drove her prickers deeply into my hand and then nestled her head against the top of my armpit. It was a good thing I was wearing a sweater because my upper arm was spared any serious injury. However, my hand was a different story. There were a couple of big drops of blood welling up on the fleshy part of my palm. With the help of tweezers I managed to remove the prickers, but as the day wore on I realized the real damage wasn't the assault of the thorns, but a sprained thumb. And the swelling and bruising from the sprain. So, what would you pay for a cactus pup guaranteed to grow to a height of over 15 inches in only a few years and produce offspring at a prodigious rate? What would you pay for an attack cactus? You're right! These cacti are priceless! Since these cacti pups are looking for their forever homes why not stop by the book sale and pick up a pup?
New Non-Fiction
The art of Neil Gaiman [text] by Hayley Campbell. With unprecedented access to Neil Gaiman's personal archives, the author gives an insider's glimpse into the artistic inspirations and musings of one of the world's most visionary writers.
Good talk, dad : the birds and the bees...and other conversations we forgot to have / by Bill & Willie Geist. The popular father and son television hosts exchange entertaining and humorous banter about their lives, touching upon topics like music, sports, summer camp and driving lessons and discuss the parenting legacy they will leave their families.
President Me : the America that's in my head / by Adam Carolla. The "New York Times" best-selling author, comedian, actor, television and podcast host shares his vision for a different, better America, focusing on what makes our country really annoying and offering a plan to make all of our lives, but mostly his, much better.
Think like a freak : the authors of Freakonomics offer to retrain your brain / by Steven Levitt. In this follow-up to their international best-seller "Freakonomics", the authors present an essential decision-making handbook that, analyzing the decisions we make, the plans we create and the morals we choose, shows how their insights can be applied to daily life to make smarter, harder and better decisions.
You are not special... and other encouragements / by David McCullough, Jr. Elaborating on his famous commencement speech, the author, a high school English teacher, father of four and son and namesake of the famous historian, takes the pressure off of students to be extraordinary achievers and encourages them to do something useful with their advantages.
The disease delusion : conquering the causes of chronic illness for a healthier, longer, and happier life / by Jeffrey Bland and Mark Hyman. Introducing readers to Functional Medicine, a biochemist and pioneer in naturopathic medicine, discussing the reasons why we suffer from a host of ailments, offers achievable, science-based solutions that can alleviate chronic illness and offers a roadmap for a lifetime of wellness.
New Fiction
The one & only : a novel / by Emily Giffin. Centering her life on the successful Walker family, into which she plans to marry, Shea struggles to end her affair with a less-than-stellar boyfriend only to have her entire existence placed in question by the death of the family's mother. By the best-selling author of "Where We Belong".
All the light we cannot see : a novel / by Anthony Doerr. A blind French girl on the run from the German occupation and a German orphan-turned-Resistance tracker struggle with respective beliefs after meeting on the Brittany coast. By the award-winning author of "About Grace".
Backlands : a novel of the American West / by Michael McGarrity. Catapulted into early adulthood after the death of an older brother he idolized, 8-year-old Matthew, the son of Patrick Kerney, assumes difficult responsibilities to save the family ranch against a backdrop of the Great Depression and a drought-stricken Tularosa Basin. By the best-selling author of the Kevin Kerney series.
The end of always : a novel / by Randi Davenport. Vowing to not enter a marriage filled with violence like her mother and her grandmother did, 17 year-old Marie dreams of independence in 1907 Wisconsin while working for an older man who thinks she belongs to him.
The son : a novel / by Jo Nesbo. Serving time for crimes he did not commit in exchange for heroin payouts, Sonny Lofthus uses his spiritual charisma to navigate corrupt and violent elements in his life before learning disturbing truths about his police officer father's suicide. By the award-winning author of the Harry Hole series.
Field of prey / by John Sandford. Lucas Davenport investigates the discovery of several bodies in an abandoned Minnesota farmyard, discovering the work of a local serial killer who has been murdering one victim every summer for years. By the Pulitzer Prize-winning author of the Virgil Flowers series.