My LINKcat AccountWe had our first snow of the season this past Friday morning (sometime in the wee hours). I awoke to the grass, car, and porch covered with snow. It wasn’t much snow. Less than an inch I would guess. But, it was enough snow to track a cat in: I know this because I let my cat out in it and I could certainly see where she had set her hot little paws down. Having a snow deep enough to track a cat in means that we can now make a prediction about the number of snows there will be this winter. But first another bit of weather-lore which states that if the first snowfall lands on unfrozen ground, winter will be mild. I think this snow met that criteria. So it should be a mild winter. There are at least four methods knocking around in folklore-based weather prediction circles. They are as follows: 1) Count the number of foggy mornings in August. This number will be the same as the number of snowfalls for the following winter, according to my calendar/ journal there were 8 foggy mornings ... 2) Count the number of days from the first snowfall until Christmas. This number will also give the correct number of snowfalls to expect (which would be 46) or...3) Count the number of days from the first snowfall of the season to the preceding New Moon. This will tell you how many snows the coming winter will bring. The preceding New Moon was actually November 7th but two snows makes absolutely no sense around here, so let’s calculate from the October 8th, new moon. That would be 32 days or 32 snows or …4) The date of the month of the first snowfall in which the paw prints of a cat can be seen predicts the number of snowstorms for that winter season (that would be November 9th or 9 snows. Now “snows” don’t have to be great big accumulations, they just need to be deep enough to track a cat in. No matter what method you use, there’s a fair number of days coming that will be filled with that wintery stuff. Perfect weather for reading. Below you will find some of the new books that arrived recently at the library. Enjoy!
New Non-Fiction
“She Want’s It: Desire, Power, and Toppling the Patriarchy” by Jill Soloway. The creator of Transparent shares the poignant story of how her parent came out as transgender, compelling the author to challenge the male-dominated landscape of Hollywood to create her Emmy- and Golden Globe-winning series.
“Hindsight: All the Things I Can’t See in Front of Me” by Justin Timberlake. The notable performing artist offers a new biography for fans.
“Capitalism in America: A History” by Alan Greenspan. The former Federal Reserve Chairman and the acclaimed Economist historian trace the epic story of America's evolution from a small patchwork of threadbare colonies to the world's most powerful engine of wealth and innovation.
“Lab Rats: How Silicon Valley Made Work Miserable for the Rest of Us” by Dan Lyons. The New York Times best-selling author of Disrupted examines how the half-baked ideas of Silicon Valley and its "new oligarchs" have changed the way we work, damaged our brains and left us poorer and insecure.
“1,000 Books to Read Before You Die: A Life-Changing List” by James Mustich. A celebration of the reading life by the co-founder of the acclaimed A Common Reader presents a cross-genre, historically representative compendium of 1,000 forefront works of literature, complemented by essays on each book's particular relevance.
“Almost Everything: Notes on Hope” by Anne Lamott. The New York Times best-selling author of Hallelujah Anyway presents an inspirational guide to the role of hope in everyday life and explores essential truths about how to overcome burnout and suffering by deliberately choosing joy.
New Fiction
“Listen to the Marriage” by John Osborn. Months of therapy in a San Francisco marriage counselor's office trace the crises that are threatening a family and the efforts of a therapist who would help them overcome self-imposed obstacles. By the author of “The Paper Chase “
“The Little Shop of Found Things, No.1” by Paula Brackston. A woman who takes over an antique shop with her mother finds herself transported back to the 17th century while examining a beautiful silver chatelaine. By the New York Times best-selling author of “The Witch's Daughter “
“Marilla of Green Gables” by Sarah McCoy. The New York Times best-selling author of The Baker's Daughter imagines the life of farm girl Marilla Cuthbert from Montgomery's classic series and describes how premature responsibilities end her dreams and inspire her secret work as an abolitionist.
“The Darkness, No. 1 (Hidden Iceland)” by Ragnar Jonasson. A series debut by the author of the Dark Iceland thrillers finds Detective Inspector Hulda Hermannsdottir of the Reykjavik Police targeted by a violent adversary who would prevent her from solving the murder of a Russian asylum seeker.
“Dead Ringer, No. 29 (Agatha Raisin Mysteries)” by M.C. Beaton. Agatha Raisin investigates the murder of an identical twin and co-manager of Thirk Magna's bell-ringer team, a demise that questions the innocence of bullied co-workers and a fed-up lawyer. Part of a New York Times best-selling series on which the hit TV series is based.
“Holy Ghost, No. 11 (Virgil Flowers)” by John Sandford. A mayor's half-baked scheme to revive a floundering Minnesota community by turning it into a religious shrine is thrown into chaos by the discovery of a body. By the #1 New York Times best-selling author of “Twisted Prey”.
“The Reckoning” by John Grisham. The best-selling author of The Firm returns to Clanton, Mississippi, to trace the unthinkable mid-20th-century murder of a local reverend by a young war hero who refuses to defend his actions during a bizarre trial.