My LINKcat AccountHere it is, pretty much mid-February and while we are getting more daylight (about 30 minutes in the morning and 30 minutes in the evening) the temperatures stubbornly refuse to budget in an upward direction. The average monthly high for February is 32 degrees and the average low is 13 degrees (above zero). It just seems like we have been getting a couple of days with temperatures in the low teens and overnight lows in single digits below zero. Then it warms up slightly - pushing 20 degrees-and then snows. Then the bottom falls out of the thermometer again and we start the cycle all over again. This repetitive cycle coupled with the recent predictions by both Punxsutawney Phil and Sun Prairie Jimmy both delivering the delay of spring news in stereo reminded me of the movie "Groundhog Day" which starred Bill Murray as Phil the weather forecaster. This quote seems particularly apropos this year Phil: "I'll give you a winter prediction. It's gonna be cold, it's gonna be gray, and it's gonna last you for the rest of your life." If winter seems interminable to you there's nothing like a good book to take you away from all the cold and snow. Below are a number of exciting new titles that just arrived at the library. Enjoy!
New Non-Fiction
Social physics : how good ideas spread-the lessons from a new science / by Alex Pentland. A landmark tour of the new science of "idea flow" outlines revolutionary insights into the mysteries of collective intelligence and social influence, explaining the virtually unlimited data sets of today's digital technologies and the considerable accuracy of information from social networks.
Glamorous by George : the key to creating movie star style / by George Kotsiopoulos. The breakout star of TV's "Fashion Police" offers easy-to-achieve steps for looking like a movie star, combining practical advice and no-nonsense observations for readers of all ages and income levels in areas ranging from clothing and accessories to body types and decorating.
Lincoln's boys : John Hay, John Nicolay, and the war for Lincoln's image / by Joshua Zeitz. A timely and intimate look into the 16th President's White House through the lives of two of his closest aides and confidants draws on letters and diaries to evaluate their roles in every seminal event from the signing of the Emancipation Proclamation to the delivery of the Gettysburg Address and their fight to establish an assassinated Lincoln's heroic legacy.
The safe investor : how to make your money grow in a volatile global economy / by Timothy McCarthy. Addresses concerns related to poor economic growth and contradictory advice to counsel reluctant investors on how to achieve safe, consistent and long-term returns, demonstrating seven strategies for creating a globally diverse portfolio that navigates risky markets.
Scaling up excellence : getting to more without settling for less / by Robert Sutton. The best-selling author of "Good Boss, Bad Boss" and his Stanford colleague demonstrate how companies can overcome scaling-related business challenges, outlining key principles for establishing productive mindsets, choosing quality over quantity and promoting an organizational culture of excellence.
All joy and no fun : the paradox of modern parenthood / by Jennifer Senior. Drawing on a vast array of sources in history, sociology, economics, psychology, philosophy and anthropology, an award-winning journalist challenges our culture's most basic beliefs about parenthood, while revealing the profound ways children deepen and add purpose to our lives.
New Fiction
Mr. Monk gets on board : a novel / by Hy Conrad. Adrian Monk and the newly-licensed Natalie take a job on a cruise ship where the cruise director is mysteriously found overboard and dead in the latest novel in the detective series.
NYPD puzzle : a Puzzle Lady mystery / by Parnell Hall. Descending upon the Big Apple, Puzzle Lady Cora Felton goes up against a gruff NYPD homicide sergeant who needs some convincing that she is not a murderer as a twisted killer leaves crossword puzzle clues throughout the city that never sleeps.
The pawnbroker / by Aimee & David Thurlo. Returning Stateside from special-ops work in Iraq, Charlie Henry, the new owner of a pawnshop in Albuquerque, New Mexico, and his business partner Gordon investigate the murder of a childhood friend, which draws them into a world of rivalries and false identities where nothing is what it seems.
Saints of the Shadow Bible / by Ian Rankin. Reinstated on the force, demoted, and wearing a chip on his shoulder, Rebus reteams with internal affairs officer, Malcolm Fox, to solve a cold case from 30 years ago in the 19th book in the Rebus series and the third one featuring Fox.
Carthage / by Joyce Carol Oates. When a young girl disappears near a community in the Adirondacks, the people of the town Carthage must face the fact that an Iraqi war veteran is the prime suspect.
Cell / by Robin Cook. Entering a profession on the brink of radical transformation by a new smartphone technology capable of diagnosing and treating patients, radiology resident George Wilson is horrified when his fiancée and several patients die after beta testing the technology.
The dead in their vaulted arches : a Flavia de Luce novel / by Alan Bradley. A latest entry in the best-selling series of cozy mysteries finds young chemist and aspiring detective Flavia de Luce using her knowledge of poisons and indefatigable spirit to solve a dastardly crime on the English countryside while learning new clues about her mother's disappearance.
Orfeo : a novel / by Richard Powers. An experimental composer becomes a fugitive after his home microbiology lab, set up to find music in surprising patterns, results in a Homeland Security raid in this new novel from the award-winning author of "Generosity".