My LINKcat AccountSitting next to me in a glass vase is, Izzie, a wooly bear caterpillar. In between rain storms last week, Izzie was discovered making his/ her way towards the hosta plants by the book return on the southwest corner of the library building. We decided to give Izzie a home and see if he/she will spin a cocoon and winter over with us. Izzie is a very hungry caterpillar who really likes a nice bedewed hosta leaf to munch on. Those of you who have been reading this column over the years, know that I have in the past made amazingly accurate predictions about the severity of the upcoming winter based on my interpretation of the weather-lore surrounding the stripe of the woolly bear. I was taught that the wider the stripe the milder the winter. Izzie has a nice wide stripe so, based on the smallest sample size one could possibly have, I would forecast a milder than normal (but who can define normal anymore?) winter. Izzie’s predictive abilities do not extend to predictions of precipitation except what one could interpret from the term “mild”. So why the name “Izzie”? I hear you ask. Well, that black and reddish-brown, striped woolly bear caterpillar will spin a cocoon and spend the winter inside it. When the weather warms, it turns into the lovely, Isabella moth, which is an orange-yellow moth with a 1.5 to 2 inch wingspan with three longitudinal rows of small dots on its abdomen. Hence the name “Izzie”. I also predict there will be lots of books coming your way in the fall and winter months. Below is a sampling of some of the titles that arrived recently. Enjoy!
New Non-Fiction
“The Art of Being Bill: Bill Murray and the Many Faces of Awesome” by Ezra Croft& Jennifer Raiser. A collection of nearly 150 artworks featuring iconic star Bill Murray depicts him as both a portrait subject and an ironic presence within famed masterpieces, in a volume complemented by quotes, a film history and details about each piece.
“These Truths: A History of the United States” by Jill Lepore. The award-winning author of The Secret History of Wonder Woman chronicles the origins and rise of today's divided America while investigating whether the nation has delivered on its promises of political equality, natural rights and the sovereignty of the people.
“Every Man a King: A Short, Colorful History of American Populists” by Chris Stirewalt. The politics editor and co-host of Perino & Stirewalt: I'll Tell You What examines America's populist traditions as reflected by leaders ranging from Andrew Jackson and Teddy Roosevelt to Pat Buchanan and Donald Trump.
“How Fascism Works: The Politics of Us and Them” by Jason Stanley. The Yale philosopher and author of How Propaganda Works reveals the fascist politics behind today's ethnic, racial and religious divides, identifying 10 key examples of fascist politics that are used by today's leaders to hold onto power.
New Fiction
“Solo: A Star Wars Story” by Mur Lafferty. Board the Millennium Falcon and journey to a galaxy far, far away with the most beloved scoundrel in the galaxy in a novelization of the film Solo: A Star Wars Story.
“Timeless (Drizzt)” by R.A. Salvatore. A debut entry in a trilogy by the New York Times best-selling author of Maestro continues the story of beloved dark elf Drizzt Do'Urden to reveal the stories of his parents as well as the friendship between Zaknafein and Jarlaxle.
“Christmas Cake Murder, No.23 (Hannah Swensen Mysteries)” by Joanne Fluke. Juggling the responsibilities of opening her shop with the demands of Christmas, Hannah Swensen is surprised by the writing talents of an elderly local whose murder story chillingly comes true. Includes recipes. By the New York Times best-selling author of “Chocolate Chip Cookie Murder”.
“Leverage in Death, No. 47 (In Death)” by J.D. Robb. When an airline executive is blackmailed into a suicide bombing in his Wall Street office, Lieutenant Eve Dallas investigates strange inconsistencies in the case while trying to uncover the blackmailers' true agenda. By a #1 New York Times best-selling author.
“The Man Who Came Uptown” by George Pelecanos. Unexpectedly released from jail, Michael Hudson confronts profound changes in his Washington, D.C. home while struggling between loyalties to the person responsible for his freedom and the prison librarian who helped him develop a love of reading. By the author of “The Cut”.
“The Boy at the Keyhole” by Stephen Giles. A British boy begins to suspect in the aftermath of his mother's urgent visit to America that she has actually been murdered by the housekeeper who cares for him on his family's isolated country estate. A first adult novel.
“Cross Her Heart” by Sarah Pinborough. A devoted single parent hides the truth about her daughter's absent father and asks her best friend for help when challenges from her past threaten her teenage daughter. By the New York Times best-selling author of “Behind Her Eyes”.
“Echoes in the Walls, No. 2 (House of Secrets)” by V.C. Andrews. Fern and Ryder navigate brutal family disapproval, class divisions and shattering revelations from the past in their growing love for each other, in a second entry in the gothic saga that began with “House of Secrets”.
“When the Lights Go Out” by Mary Rubica. Forced to start over upon her mother's death, a college student with debilitating insomnia begins to succumb to her grief before a stranger's desperation to have a child changes both of their lives. By the New York Times best-selling author of “The Good Girl”.