My LINKcat AccountHere we are in the New Year. I hope you had a jolly celebration and wish you and your kith and kin joy, peace, and prosperity in 2017. I don’t know if you have noticed, but I certainly have, the days are getting longer. Since December 28th, we’ve pretty much been gaining an hour of daylight at sunset and have not lost any more time at sunrise. The sun has been rising at 7:29 since the 28th and will do so until the 9th when we gain a minute of daylight on the sunrise end as well as at sunset. In the darkest throes of winter, i.e. early December, sunset was at 4:22. Today’s sunset is at 4:37 which is a gain of 15 minutes, and for me at least, it is noticeable. Being a creature of habit and working fairly regular hours, I got acclimated to going home when it was dark. The dark is coming later, so I’m leaving later, which means I’m still going home in the dark (you’ll notice wherever I was going with that analogy just totally got sidetracked or derailed by factual details). The point I was trying to make is that the days are getting longer which is a very nice thing and lets us start the year with the hope and optimism that more light generates. One thing you can count on in the books released in January by the publishers is that there will be a lot of diet books and self-improvement books. Today’s offerings include only a couple of that ilk, but be warned, more will be coming to help you with all those resolutions you made at the turn of the year. Enjoy!
New Non-Fiction
Books for living / by Will Schwalbe. The best-selling author of “The End of Your Life Book Club” presents a highly personal celebration of reading, sharing impassioned recommendations for specific books that can offer guidance through daily life.
Zero sugar diet : the 14-day plan to flatten your belly, crush cravings, and help keep you lean for life / by David Zinczenko. A science-based plan for rapid fat burning and long-term weight loss builds on a two-week starter diet designed to eliminate added sugars and replace empty calories with essential ones for initial rapid weight reduction without calorie counting or portion limits.
Against empathy : the case for rational compassion / by Paul Bloom. A controversial call to arms by a Yale psychology professor argues that the natural impulse to share the feelings of others can lead to impaired judgments in public policy and interpersonal relationships, drawing on groundbreaking scientific findings to cite the benefits of choices made through distanced compassion.
Rest : why you get more done when you work less / by Alex Pang. A Silicon Valley strategist challenges beliefs about the value of harder work in today's demanding world, combining scientific research with the examples of minds ranging from Darwin to Stephen King to explain that qualitative, deliberate rest is an essential component of productivity.
Earth in human hands : shaping our planet's future / by David Grinspoon. A NASA astrobiologist and award-winning writer outlines optimistic messages about humanity's future in the face of climate change, explaining how the human role in managing the planet's evolution is determining the course of life.
New Fiction
The midnight bell / by Jack Higgins. When the assistant to the head of a secret White House department is killed by a hit-and-run driver, the event is tied to a warning to the U.S. President by a London branch of al-Qaida that is determined to prove its resilience. By the best-selling author of “The Eagle Has Landed”.
Seventh plague / by James Rollins. When a British archaeologist who had been missing for two years reappears and dies amid findings that his body was being mummified while he was still alive, Sigma Force must stop an ancient plague with ties to some of history's most innovative minds.
Tom Clancy : true faith and allegiance / by Mark Greaney. Investigating a massive data breach that threatens the security of every U.S. intelligence operative in the world, President Jack Ryan confronts an impossible choice when the data is obtained and exploited by the Chinese government.
Rogue One : a Star Wars story / by Alexander Freed. An official novelization of Rogue One: A Star Wars Story coming to theaters December 2016 is set prior to the events of “Star Wars: A New Hope” and follows a band of rebels on a daring mission to steal the Death Star plans. Movie tie-in.
Rebirth : a fable / by Kamal Ravikant. A tale inspired by the author's pilgrimage of walking the legendary 550-mile Camino de Santiago across Spain follows the experiences of a man who in the aftermath of losing an estranged parent seeks reconciliation and forgiveness while meandering across Europe.