My LINKcat AccountHere we are at the end of March,which certainly came in like a blustery lion. And here I am on vacation. I am sitting in a hotel room about to drive up to the South Rim of the Grand Canyon. While I am waiting for my buddy to get ready, and since I am conscientious and dutiful by nature, I thought I would take this time to write a column. My road trip started on the day the blizzard struck most of the middle section of the country. We drove through a hail storm outside of Dodgeville. The road was covered with hail deep enough to look like snow. There were cars in the ditch. The trip was supposed to take us to Kearney, Nebraska to see cranes and then on to the South West. That didn’t happen. We headed south at Des Moines and had to stop in Topeka, KS because the interstate was closed, due to the blizzard in Saliana, KS. Since then the weather has been sunny, windy, and warm. Driving to Taos, New Mexico there were mule deer strolling through the town we stopped at for gas. Their appearance was followed shortly by the bookmobile. There were signs for public libraries in most of the little towns we traveled through. I have an innate sense of where libraries are located in any community and I can’t seem to escape public libraries even on vacation. Kansas roads were great. Oklahoma roads not. New Mexico road were good but the scenery got extremely boring until we got to Georgia O’Keefe area where the rock formations are as stunning as her paintings. Went to Abiquiu (where one of the elementary schools has a dragon that looks a bit like ours as a mascot), Plaza Blanca, and Ghost Ranch. Then on to Albuquerque and straight through Arizona to Williams, AZ from whence I am writing. I am enjoying the sun and warm weather. Below you will find some books to perhaps warm your hearts and minds. Enjoy!
New Non-Fiction
“When the Going Was Good: An Editor’s Adventure During the Golden Age of Magazines" by Graydon Carter with James Fox. The journalist and editor recounts his journey from launching Spy magazine to transforming Vanity Fair during his 25-year tenure, detailing his editorial innovations, his collaborations with legendary contributors, and his role in shaping the magazine's cultural prominence amidst the challenges of the digital media era.
“Ordinary Magic: The Science of How We Can Achieve Big Change With Small Acts” by Gregory Walton. An esteemed Stanford psychologist and codirector of the DweckWalton lab presents the simple psychological shifts that can intercept cycles of doubt, unlocking new levels of performance and more fulfilling relationships.
“Unmasking for Life: The Autistic Person’s Guide to Connecting, Loving, and Living Authentically” by Devon Price. Provides practical tools for Autistic individuals to embrace neurodiversity, develop key skills for authentic relationships, and create new ways of living, loving, and advocating for their needs, moving beyond the unmasking process to navigate life with confidence and assertiveness.
“The Fifteen: Murder, Retribution, and the Forgotten Story of Nazi POWs in America” by William Geroux. Uncovers the forgotten story of German POW camps in the U.S. during World War II, revealing Naziled killings within the camps, secret military tribunals, and a dramatic diplomatic standoff involving condemned prisoners.
“Four Red Sweaters: Powerful True Stories of Women and the Holocaust” by Lucy Adlington. The “New York Times” bestselling author of “The Dressmakers of Auschwitz” tells the stories of four Jewish girls during the Holocaust, strangers whose lives were unknowingly linked by everyday garments.
New Fiction
“The Fisherman’s Gift” by Julia Kelly. In a snowbound Scottish fishing village in 1900, teacher Dorothy cares for a mysterious boy who resembles her lost son, unearthing buried secrets, confronting past love, and testing the fragile bonds of a tight-knit community.
“The Paris Express” by Emma Donoghue. Set on a fateful 1895 train journey to Paris, a diverse group of passengers—including politicians, a medical student, an inventor, and an anarchist—navigate personal ambitions and hidden motives, culminating in a disaster that forever changes their lives.
The Story She Left Behind” by Patti Callahan Henry. In 1952, illustrator Clara Harrington travels to London with her daughter Wynnie to investigate a discovery linked to her vanished mother, a famed author, uncovering long-buried truths amid the chaos of the Great Smog and a remote Lake
District retreat.
“Bridal Shower Muder, No. 31 (Lucy Stone Mysteries)” by Leslie Meier. When a guest is murdered at her daughter's bridal shower, Lucy Stone must uncover deadly secrets before the entire wedding is ruined in the latest addition to the long-running series following “Patchwork Quilt Murder”.
“Blood Moon” by Sandra Brown. Haunted by an unsolved case, a detective teams up with a determined true crime producer to solve the mysterious disappearances of local teenage girls, all who went missing during the night of a blood moon.
“Dissolution” by Nicholas Binge. Grieving the loss of her husband to Alzheimer's, Maggie embarks on a dangerous quest to uncover the truth behind his illness, leading her on a mind-bending adventure through time and memory to save him and change the course of history.
“Fight or Flight” by Fern Michaels. Haunted by a tragedy in her past, reclusive author Katherine Winston must leave her isolated mountain retreat to help a young fan whose life is threatened, leading her on a journey of self-discovery and courage
“Jane and Dan at the End of the World” by Colleen Oakley. While celebrating their anniversary at La Fin du While celebrating their anniversary unhappy couple Jane and Dan find themselves taken hostage by bumbling climate activists whose actions are eerily similar to those in Jane’s failed novel so only they know what will happen.