February 4, 2021 - Booky the Badger

Farewell to January and hello to February. Time seems to be really flying as we head into a new month that brings us two, count them two, major holidays. I am, of course, speaking about Ground Hog Day -- which shall already have occurred by the time you read this-- and the Super Bowl. If the weather predictions hold for Tuesday, and at this writing sunrise on Tuesday is fewer than 24 hours away which improves the accuracy of the forecast many fold, then Booky the library's prognosticating Badger, will undoubtedly see his shadow which means six more weeks of winter. Looking closely at that weather forecast it looks like the upcoming week, including the weekend, will be frigid (would this be an arctic outbreak?). The nice thing about frigid weather is that it provides the perfect excuse to stay inside, with a hot beverage, possibly a pet (cat or dog--absolutely your choice, and your pets, I suppose), possibly a knit or crocheted throw draped over your lap (and under the pet), a fire crackling softly in the hearth (or on your computer screen), and --the most important ingredient of all-- a good book. Below you will find some of the new titles which recently arrived at your library. Enjoy!

New Non-Fiction

cover art Land: How the Hunger for Ownership Shaped the Modern World by Simon Winchester. The author of “The Professor and the Madman” and “The Perfectionists” explores the notion of property—our proprietary relationship with the land—through human history, how it has shaped us and what it will mean for our future.

 

cover art Long Time Coming: Reckoning With Race in America by Michael Dyson. From the New York Times best-selling author of “Tears We Cannot Stop” issues a passionate call to America to finally reckon with race and start the journey to redemption.

 

cover art A Shot in the Moonlight: How a Freed Slave and a Confederate Soldier Fought for Justice in the Jim Crow South by Ben Montgomery. The sensational true story of George Dinning, a freed slave, who in 1899 joined forces with a Confederate war hero in search of justice in the Jim Crow south

 

cover art Saving Justice: Truth, Transparency, and Trust by James Comey. The former FBI Director and best-selling author of “A Higher Loyalty”, uses his long career in federal law enforcement to explore issues of justice and fairness in the U.S. justice system.

 

cover art Fundamentals: Ten Keys to Reality by Frank Wilczek. One of our great contemporary scientists reveals the 10 profound insights that illuminate what everyone should know about the physical world

 

cover art Beginners: The Joy and Transformative Power of Lifelong Learning by Tom Vanderbilt. The author of “Traffic” celebrates the pleasures of learning something new regardless of age, describing the remarkable connections he made during a year spent trying new things, from joining an amateur choir to attending surf camp in Costa Rica.

 

New Fiction

cover art Ink and Shadows, No.4 (Secret, Book and Scone Society) by Ellery Adams. When her bookstore is targeted by a family-values group during the Halloween season, Nora Pennington and her fellow readers investigate a suspicious death that occurs at the same time Nora discovers an ominous message under her doormat.

 

cover art Irish Parade Murder, No. 27 (Lucy Stone) by Leslie Meier. When a brash new reporter is implicated in the murder of a corrections officer, Lucy Stone uncovers a bizarre mystery while interviewing a stranger whose revelations change everything for Lucy's family. By the author of “Invitation Only Murder”.

 

cover art The Paradise Affair, No. 9 (Carpenter and Quincannon) by Bill Pronzini. Piggybacking a search for two con men onto his wife's plans for a second honeymoon, Quincannon encounters more trouble than anticipated when Sabina becomes embroiled in a locked-room murder case.

 

cover art Burnt Sugar: A Novel by Avni Doshi. Shortlisted for the 2020 Booker Prize, a literary debut novel set in India is about mothers and daughters, obsession and betrayal.

 

cover art The Broken Spine, No. 1 (Beloved Bookroom) by Dorothy St. James. Rescuing hundreds of precious books from her newly digitized library, spunky librarian Trudell Becket is forced to prove her innocence when the politician behind the library's demolition is murdered. By the author of the White House Gardener mysteries.

 

cover art Star Trek: Picard: The Dark Veil by James Swallow. Picard faces a new challenge when the Alpha Quadrant is mired in crisis.

 

cover art The Four Winds by Kristin Hannah. A Depression-era woman confronts a wrenching choice between fighting for the Dust Bowl-ravaged land she loves in Texas or pursuing an uncertain future in California. By the best-selling author of “The Nightingale”.