My LINKcat AccountMy how time flies! It seems like only a couple of weeks ago when winter storms were unleashing their fury upon us (and, indeed, it was only 3 weeks and a day ago that it was). Suddenly it is spring in earnest. The trees are leafing, the grass is being mowed, birds are already rearing their young or sitting on eggs, the temperatures are approaching 80 degrees and it does seem as if summer is right around the corner. We here at the library have already started the countdown to the summer reading program. It is a short countdown this year since we will be starting on May 19th. This year we will be offering an extended summer reading program as part of our celebration of 15 years (That’s right! Fifteen years.) of holding a birthday bash for Harry Potter on his birthday (which we all know is July 31st). There will be many programs to delight Potterheads (you know who you are!) and those of you who have somehow managed to not read a Harry Potter book (just try them, you’ll like them) or see a movie. More details will be coming forthwith. In the meantime, if you’ve not been inspired to start reading (or re-reading) the Harry Potter series, below you will find a listing of some of the new books at the library. Enjoy!
New Non-Fiction
“An American Quilt: Unfolding a Story of Family and Slavery” by Rachel May. After the discovery of an unfinished 1830s quilt in a box of family correspondence, the author investigates the history of the women who made it and uncovers the overlooked history of Northern slavery and the women's role in the growth of mercantile America.
“The Fox Hunt” by Mohammed Al Samawi. The son of middle-class Shiite doctors in Yemen shares his moving story of love, war and hope that describes his harrowing escape from regional fanaticism and civil unrest through a daring plan engineered on social media by a small group of Western interfaith activists.
“The Geraldo Show” by Geraldo Rivera. The Emmy- and Peabody Award-winning journalist and broadcaster presents a memoir of his life and career that discusses such subjects as his mixed-heritage upbringing in New York, his struggles as an employee of a conservative Fox News and his relationships with Roger Ailes and Donald Trump.
“The Neuroscientist Who Lost Her Mind: My Tale of Madness and Recovery” by Barbara Lipska. Describes how the author, a leading expert on the neuroscience of mental illness, endured months of terrifying symptoms related to a brain melanoma before immunotherapy enabled a cure, recounting in vivid detail her recollection of the experience and what it revealed about the role of mental illness, brain injury and age on behavior, personality and memory.
“President Carter: The White House Years” by Stuart Eizenstat. The former U.S. Ambassador and author of Imperfect Justice presents an insider's history of the Carter Administration that shares insights into the 39th President's admirable character and the achievements that positively reshaped the country and the world long after Carter's single term.
“The Efficiency Paradox: What Big Data Can’t Do” by Edward Tenner. The author of Why Things Bite Back presents a scholarly challenge to today's focus on efficiency, citing the inherent waste of current practices while explaining how artificial intelligence can be combined with intuition to enable random, unexpected outcomes for overall better results.
New Fiction
“Noir” by Christopher Moore. A mad-cap noir set on the streets of post-World War II San Francisco follows a smitten barkeep and unofficial fixer-for-hire as he investigates his paramour's disappearance amid a series of weird events involving an unidentified flying object and a mysterious plane crash. By the author of “Secondhand Souls”.
“Flying at Night” by Rebecca Brown. Learning that her abrasive hero pilot father has sustained a debilitating brain injury at the same time her young son is confirmed on the autism spectrum, Piper embarks on a journey of devotion and self-discovery while watching her son and his grandfather start to connect in near-miraculous ways. A first novel.
“The Girl Who Never Read Noam Chomsky” by Jana Casale. A college student's procrastination over reading a Noam Chomsky novel becomes a metaphor throughout subsequent decades of milestones that reflect the disparity between the carefully planned life she wants and the person she is really meant to be.
“Circe” by Madeline Miller. A highly anticipated follow-up to the award-winning The Song of Achilles follows the banished witch daughter of Titans as she hones her powers and interacts with famous mythological beings before a conflict with one of the most vengeful Olympians forces her to choose between the worlds of the gods and mortals.
“The Good Pilot Peter Woodhouse” by Alexander McCall Smith. A heartwarming tale of hope and friendship is set during World War II and traces the intersection of a British farm girl, an American pilot and a German soldier who are brought together by an adorable border collie. By the best-selling author of the “No. 1 Ladies' Detective Agency” series.
“Cave of Bones, No.3 (Leaphorn, Chee & Manuelito)” by Anne Hillerman. Preparing to speak at an outdoor character-building program for at-risk teens, Tribal Police Officer Bernadette Manuelito discovers the camp in a panic over a missing instructor and a traumatized girl's discovery of a human skeleton in the wilds of the mythology-steeped lava wilderness bordering the Ramah Navajo Reservation.
“Lost Books and Old Bones, No. 3 (Scottish Bookshop) by Paige Shelton. When a medical student who was one of several new patrons selling her antique medical tomes is found murdered in her store's alley, Edinburgh bookseller Delaney Nichols follows leads to the story of a long-dead doctor before discovering that she has been targeted by the killer herself.