My LINKcat AccountAs of this publication date, Friday, the 7th, there are 3 weeks and 1 day until the Winter Reading Program ends on March 1st.As of this writing, the 172 active Winter Reading Program participants have read 7,227 books and logged 1,433 activities. The category which has read the most, is of course the Chipmunks (Picture Book Readers). 58 of which have read an almost unbelievable 5,035 books. The 41 Raccoons (Chapter Book Readers) have read an incredible 1,141. Our 14 Teen readers, also known as Porcupines, have read an impressive 271 books, while the 43 Adults, a.k.a, Moose, read a respectable 436 books while 16 library staff members have read 341 books. There is still plenty of time to read books and to record the titles if you haven’t already done so. I, for one, have a list of books I have yet to record, and “Yikes”, I have been told by reliable sources that I have not even registered yet.
If you still need to register so you can record the many, many books you have read since the end of last year go here: https://deforestlibrary.beanstack.org/ . Remember you can read to earn Dragon Dollars which can be redeemed in our store or donated to one of these charities: Blessings in a Backpack, Dane County Humane Society, the DeForest Area Public Library Endowment, Mission Nutrition, and/or Norski Nibbles. I will take those Dragon Dollars, total them up, and will personally make a donation to the each of those organizations in the amount of Dragon Dollars donated. While there’s still plenty of time to read, below you might find some of the new titles which recently arrived at the library tempting you to read more. Enjoy!
New Non-Fiction
“Black in Blues: How a Color Tells the Story of My People” by Imani Perry. A National Book Award winner examines the connection of the color blue to Black history, weaving together themes of hope, melancholy and personal experience to examine race in ways that transcend politics and ideology.
“Embers of the Hands: Hidden Histories of the Viking Age” by Eleanor Barraclough. A history of the Viking Age, from mighty leaders to rebellious teenagers, told through their runes and ruins, games and combs, trash and treasure.
“A History of Ancient Rome in Twelve Coins” by Gareth Harney. This accessible historical account traces ancient Rome’s rise to power through the stories of twelve remarkable coins, revealing how Romans used currency to immortalize their gods, emperors and conquests, connecting modern readers with the empire’s epic past.
“Righteous Strife: How Warring Religious Nationalists Forged Lincoln’s Union” by Richard Carwardine. The volume is first major account of the American Civil War to give full weight to the central role played by religion, reframing the conflict through Abraham Lincoln’s contentious appeals to faith-based nationalism.
New Fiction
“Isola” by Allegra Goodman. Inspired by a real 16th-century heroine, an orphaned and betrayed young woman, Marguerite, is marooned on a desolate island with her lover, where she must confront nature’s harshness and her own strength in a desperate fight for survival.
“A Death in Diamonds” by S.J. Bennett. In 1957 England, Queen Elizabeth II enlists ex-code breaker Joan McGraw to uncover a conspiracy threatening her reign, as two mysterious deaths and court intrigue put the monarchy’s reputation and their lives in jeopardy. “Haunting and Homicide” by Ava Burke.
“The Incident of the Book in the Nighttime (Sherlock Holmes Bookshop Mysteries)” by Vicki Delaney. Gemma Doyle, visiting London for her sister’s wedding, finds her ex-husband Paul Erikson dead in his bookstore, leading her and her friend Jayne Wilson on a dangerous investigation through London and Yorkshire to uncover the truth behind Paul's mysterious rare book and his killer.
“The Naming of Birds” by Paraic O’Donnell. As a series of gruesome and meticulously executed murders rocks the city, Sergeant Gideon Bliss grows increasingly puzzled by Inspector Henry Cutter’s withdrawn behavior and strange investigative methods, leading him, alongside sharp journalist Octavia Hillingdon, to unearth dark secrets from the past that may hold the key to the killer’s motive.
“Schooled in Murder” by Victoria Gilbert. At Clarion University in Virginia, Jen Dalton’s student Mia has a confrontation with a professor who turns up dead, so Jen investigates with cafeteria manager Christine Kubiak, campus psychologist Zachary Flynn, and librarian Brianna Rowley to clear Mia and discover the real murderer.
“Lie for a Million, No.2 (Rivalries)” by Janet Dailey. Following her husband's murder, Lila Culhane battles his pregnant mistress for leverage while preparing for a high-stakes reining competition, questioning her ranch manager and lover's loyalty, and dealing with a growing list of suspects in Frank’s death.
“Never Say Never” by Danielle Steel. After her husband of twenty-five years leaves her for a younger male lover, Oona Kelly Webster takes her anniversary trip to France alone, where after renting a house called La Belle Florence, she risks love with her friendly Trinidadian neighbor, a well-known actor.
“Onyx Storm” by Rebecca Yarros. After nearly 18 months at Basgiath War College, Violet Sorrengail must seek allies from unfamiliar lands to stand with Navarre, and she will do anything to save what she loves—her dragons, her family, her home, and “him”.