My LINKcat AccountWe've already passed a number of May holidays - May Day on the 1st, May the Fourth Be With You (on the 4th - I know, it's a terrible, groaner of a pun on the Star Wars theme), and Cinco de Mayo on the 5th. Mother's Day (May 11th) will be upon us in a matter of days The Norwegians are counting down to Syttende Mai. And we're all counting down to Memorial Day (which couldn't be much earlier if it tried) on the 26th because that is the unofficial start of summer. Since we haven't had much of a spring, let's try a new season and see if that works out better than the preceding two. I'm sure I've mentioned this before, but in the publishing world there also seem to be four seasons but they tend to be shorter. Right now the spring book lists are ending and we're gearing up for the summer titles - those entertaining, fast reads you take to the beach or on vacation. Those summer titles are not too deep in content and easy to pick up when you've got a few minutes. The summer lists are pretty much done by July and the fall lists start arriving in September. They tend to be a little deeper, a little darker, and take longer to read because, after all, you do have more time to read now that the days are shorter and the nights longer. Prior to Christmas there's a big push of best-sellers and coffee-table books precisely perfect for gift giving. And then we're back to the very beginning of the spring titles. All that being said, there are a number of books listed below for you to peruse. Enjoy!
New Non-Fiction
Let's just say it wasn't pretty / by Diane Keaton. The Academy Award-winning film star and best-selling author of "Then Again" describes the ups and downs of living in a beauty-obsessed world, recounting stories about a makeup artist's embarrassing advice, her trip to Victoria's Secret with her teen daughter and more.
Face the music : a life exposed / by Paul Stanley. The lead singer of rock band Kiss discusses their decades-long career, legions of fans and much more in an intimate memoir.
Finding me : a decade of darkness, a life reclaimed: a memoir of the Cleveland kidnappings by Michelle Knight. Describes the heartbreaking details of the devastating abduction and decade-long captivity of one of the three survivors of notorious Cleveland kidnapper Ariel Castro and how she found the courage to endure unimaginable circumstances and never lose hope for the future.
James Madison : a life reconsidered by Lynn Cheney, A major portrait of the fourth U.S. President offers insight into his pivotal contributions as a Founding Father, covering such topics as his political philosophy, Federalist papers rationale and Louisiana Purchase achievements. By the best-selling author of "We the People".
The boom : how fracking ignited the American energy revolution and changed the world / by Russell Gold. A Pulitzer Prize finalist presents an unstinting exploration of today's controversial fracking technologies to consider the arguments of its supporters and detractors, profiling key contributors while explaining how the practice is changing the way energy is used.
New Fiction
Black lies, red blood / When her lover, journalist Ander Brant, goes missing and his phone number is discovered on the body of a homeless man, Swedish police officer Ann Lindell pursues an investigation that requires her to hide the truth about her relationship. By the award-winning author of "The Princess of Burundi".
A family affair / by Fern Michaels. A young dancer finds an unexpected partner, and finally is able to live according to her heart.
Live to see tomorrow / by Iris Johansen. When her mentor, Hu Chang, tasks her with rescuing an imprisoned journalist in Tibet, shadowy CIA Operative Catherine Ling is pitted against a man so vile that she wonders if she is being used as a pawn in a game of revenge that is not hers to play.
Midnight crossroad / Charlaine Harris. The first book in a new trilogy from the best-selling author behind the Sookie Stackhouse series describes what happens in Midnight, Texas, a dried-up, one-traffic-light town when a mysterious new resident, Manfred Bernardo, moves in.
The bees / by Laline Paull. A member of the lowest caste in her orchard hive, Flora 717, due to her courage and strength, finds her way into the Queen's inner sanctum where she discovers secrets about the hive that cause her to challenge authority and perform unthinkable acts.
Delicious! : a novel / by Ruth Reichl. Working as a public relations hotline consultant for a once-prestigious culinary magazine, Billie Breslin unexpectedly enters a world of New York restaurateurs and artisanal purveyors while reading World War II letters exchanged between a plucky 12-year-old and James Beard. A first novel by the best-selling author of "Tender at the Bone".
The girl who saved the King of Sweden : a novel / by Jonas Jonasson. Nombeko Mayeki, who has risen out of poverty to become a chief adviser at the helm of one of the world's most secret projects in South Africa, holds the fate of the world in her hands when she discovers a nuclear missile that was supposed to have been dismantled.
Unlucky 13 / by James Patterson. New mother and San Francisco detective Lindsay Boxer has her happy world shattered when a dangerous and deranged killer from her past returns in this new addition to the series co-authored by the prolific author of the Alex Cross novels.