My LINKcat AccountThere are many things that are hard to believe about the spring of 2020. How quickly time moves on and how quickly the season advances are only two of those things. The white-throated sparrows have migrated through (at least in my backyard) on their way to their breeding grounds in Canada. The song of the white-throated sparrow is said by some to sound like "Sam Peabody, Peabody, Peabody" or if you live across the border to sound like "Sweet Canada, Canada, Canada". No matter what song they may be singing, they have certainly moved on which is a sign that spring has not only arrived, but that it is progressing.There are geese with good-sized goslings by the pond down by Portage Road and Hey 19. The corn is popping out of the fields all over the place. Dandelions and Yellow Rocket (Barbarea vulgaris) are littering the fields and ditches with their cheerful yellow flowers ( Did you know that both sources of edible greens in early spring? Neither did I until just now.) Nature is moving us rather quickly towards summer. And we all know what summer means, right? The start of the Summer Reading Program which is already getting underway. Keeping tracks of books read will once again be electronic using the Beanstack app from phone or computer. So far, all our plans for programs are virtual.As public health orders evolve, so will our plans. There are new books listed below which, once read, can be added to your summer reading program list which will earn you Dragon Dollars for prize purchases or for donations to selected charities. Enjoy!
New Non-Fiction
Economic Dignity by Gene Sperling. The Director of the National Economic Council and author of “The Pro-Growth Progressive” presents a compelling big-picture vision of why the promotion of dignity should be the singular end goal by which we chart America's economic future
1939: A People’s History of the Coming of the Second World War by Frederick Taylor. The best-selling author of Dresden draws on contemporary sources in an account of the fateful months between the Munich Agreement and Hitler's invasion of Poland that offers insight into the decisions of key leaders and the experiences of everyday citizens.
Troop 6000: The Girl Scout Troop That Began in a Shelter and Inspired the World by Nikita Stewart. Describes how hardworking mother of five Giselle Burgess rose from poverty and homelessness to establish Girl Scout troops in 15 New York City shelters to bring pride, life-skill training and community to disadvantaged urban girls.
New Fiction
Shakespeare for Squirrels by Christopher Moore. An uproarious hardboiled mystery inspired by Shakespeare's most-performed play finds The Serpent of Venice's Pocket of Dog Snogging assuming the duties of a murdered Puck to identify hidden adversaries who have complicated an arranged marriage.
Catherine House by Elisabeth Thomas. A dangerously curious, rebellious undergraduate uncovers a shocking secret about an exclusive circle of students and the dark truths beneath their school's promises of prestige.
Girls of Summer by Nancy Thayer. Skeptical about their mother's Nantucket romance with a younger man, siblings Juliet and Theo navigate their own tangled relationships involving an idealistic environmentalist and a girl fighting the trauma of a school tragedy.
On Ocean Boulevard (Beach House) by Mary Alice Monroe. Returning to Charleston after a 16-year absence, Cara Rutledge reconnects with family members before her second wedding is abruptly halted by a devastating illness. By the best-selling author of The Summer Guests.
To Wake the Giant: A Novel of Pearl Harbor by Jeff Shaara. The best-selling author of The Frozen Hours draws on extensive research and unprecedented access to the Pearl Harbor memorial and museum archives in a high-suspense, historically accurate thriller inspired by the 1941 attack.
The Murder of Twelve, No 51 (Murder, She Wrote) by Jessica Fletcher & Jon Land. Jessica Fletcher tackles an Agatha Christie-style mystery when a sudden blizzard traps her in a hotel with hostile strangers who are barely tolerating each other during the nuptials of a bride and groom from rival families.
The Shooting at Chateau Rock, No. 13 (Bruno, Chief of Police) by Martin Walker. When a wealthy farmer is found dead amid revelations about his disinherited family, Bruno follows leads to a Russian oligarch and a shadowy multinational conglomerate in a case involving the chief suspect's daughter and an aging rock star.
Wrath of Poseidon, No. 12 (Sam and Remi Fargo Adventures) by Clive Cussler & Robin Burcell. A latest entry in the best-selling series that includes, The Oracle, continues the high-risk exploits of husband-and-wife treasure-hunting team Sam and Remi Fargo. Co-written by the co-author of the Dirk Pitt Adventures.
Rodham by Curtis Sittenfeld. This powerfully imagined tour de force of fiction of what-might-have-been follows Hillary Rodham as she takes a different path, blazing her own trail – one that unfolds in public as well as in private – and one that crosses paths again and again with Bill Clinton