My LINKcat AccountHere we are in the month of October. Why it seems like only yesterday when I was talking about all the new spring books that had begun to arrive. Now, suddenly, autumn is upon us and the fall list of books from the publishers is arriving en masse. We've had a couple of mornings when there was frost on the rooftops, but so far, no frost or freeze warnings have been issued. This means, among other things, that the tomatoes continue to ripen on their pathetic looking plants. There's something about tomato plants at the end of September that seems to be just waiting for that killing frost so it can go on to that great garden in the sky ( or, I suppose, if it's been an evil tomato plant, it will go to that great rototiller in the ground). Allergy suffers are waiting - nearly as pathetically as the tomato plants-for the first killing frost. Sure, weeds, grasses, and ragweed are hardly producing any pollen now. But what there is, still gets blown around. And for allergy sufferers who are also blessed with mold allergies, well, we're not only praying for a killing frost, but also for a little snow cover. There is nothing like a little snow to keep the mold from blowing around. So, there's a lot to be said for autumn. The end of the growing season, the end of pollen production, the arrival of lots of new books from best-selling authors, and the possibility of snow just beginning to peak around the November page of the calendar. There are also achingly blue skies, cool nights, warm days, trees dressed up in jubilant colors, football, apples, and cozy evenings. So, now that we're in October, time to get to the books which are listed below. Enjoy!
New Non-Fiction
Knocking on heaven's door : the path to a better way of death / by Katy Butler. A National Magazine Award finalist outlines a less invasive, more humane approach to end-of-life care that reveals the potentially traumatic practices of modern medicine, sharing the stories of her own parents' struggles to achieve peaceful and natural deaths while explaining the political and technological factors that are interfering with patient preferences.
On the trail of Genghis Khan. by Tim Cope. Undertaking a journey not successfully completed since the days of Genghis Khan, a professional adventurer travelled by horseback across the entire length of the Eurasian steppe, an incredible 6,000-mile, three-year-long trip during which he became immersed in the land and its people.
I'm too young for this! : the natural hormone solution to enjoy perimenopause / by Suzanne Sommers. The best-selling author counsels women on how to promote optimal health in the face of turbulent hormonal cycles associated with the years leading up to menopause, sharing advice on a variety of topics from nutrition and fitness to managing mood imbalances and maintaining positive relationships.
An appetite for wonder by Richard Dawkins. The world's most famous atheist and evolutionary biologist, whose work has transformed the way we think about genes, evolution and religion, offers profound insight into his own evolution as a man and as a thinker, from his beginnings in Kenya to his intellectual awakening at Oxford.
Si-cology 101 : tales & wisdom from Duck Dynasty's favorite uncle / by Si Robertson. A star of the hit A&E show "Duck Dynasty" brings together his best tall tales, crazy exploits and quirky one-liners in a single raucous collection.
Countdown : our last, best hope for a future on earth? / by Alan Weisman. The author visits 20 countries around the world to get their take on the sustainability of human life on the planet, discussing optimum population and how to prosper without endless growth in this follow-up to "The World Without Us".
New Fiction
Doctor Sleep : a novel / by Stephen King. Returns fans to the characters and territory of "The Shining" in the story of a middle-aged Dan Torrance, who after decades as an itinerant alcoholic uses his remnant powers to assist the dying before coming to the aid of a 12-year-old girl being tortured by a tribe of murderous paranormals
A man of his own / by Susan Wilson. Returning home from World War II with injuries that shatter his professional baseball dreams, Rick Stanton is reunited with his beloved dog, Pax, who had been volunteered for the Army's K-9 Corp and who has forged an equally strong bond with a soldier who joins Rick's family. By the author of "The Dog Who Danced".
The wedding gift / by Marien Bodden. Given as a wedding gift the slave half-sister with whom she grew up, Sarah is subsequently rejected by her suspicious husband and returned to her parents' home, setting in motion a series of events that destabilize the once-powerful family and test the powerful bonds between its women.
Black skies : an Inspector Erlendur Novel / by Arnaldur Indridason. Feeling unfulfilled in his career after attending a school reunion, Sigurdur Óli struggles with setbacks in his relationship and position in the Icelandic police department only to have a favor for a friend go wrong, catapulting him into the middle of a grisly murder case. By the award-winning author of "Silence of the Grave".
King's mountain : a ballad novel. by Sharyn McCrumb. Drawn into the American Revolution by famous British officer Patrick Ferguson's threat against his settlement, John Sevier organizes the Carolina Overmountain Men militia and leads them through a pivotal victory against Tory forces. By the best-selling author of "The Ballad of Tom Dooley".
Deadline / by Sandra Brown. Already coping with Afghanistan battle fatigue, a journalist receives a tip he can't ignore about a potentially huge story involving the son of terrorists at-large for 40 years in this new thriller from the author of "Tough Customer".
The Mayan secrets / by Clive Cussler & Thomas Perry. While vacationing in Mexico, Sam and Remi Fargo discover a skeleton with an ancient Mayan book, full of secrets and information so powerful, many people who do anything to possess it in this new mystery adventure from the co-authors of "The Tombs".
Blindsided / by Fern Michaels. From a best-selling author comes a library-only hardcover edition of her newest book in the Sisterhood series.