My LINKcat AccountA little less than a week ago, Booky the library's badger, predicted that winter would be sticking around for a while. So far, the forecast has been accurate. Snow, wind, cold, have all followed Booky's prediction. February snows and cold snaps can do a lot to dishearten even the staunchest Midwesterner. That Wisconsinite who proclaims, to anyone who will listen and without a trace of sarcasm in their voice, "I love winter! I love having four seasons! I love snow and the cold crisp air!" By the time mid-February rolls around most of us are looking for signs of spring, or planning trips south, or taking part in strange outdoor activities like frozen turkey bowling. Anything to keep us from thinking about winter. In case you're looking for something to do next week, stop by Studio 203. The Studio will be decorated for Mardi Gras (Fat Tuesday, so that would be Tuesday, February 13th (a.k.a, Valentine's Day Eve --at least this year). Pretend you are in New Orleans, try on some silly, festive, hats, and sample a paczki ( the closet thing to beignets we could find). Take a selfie with French Quarter balconies in the back ground and festoon yourself with some Mardi gras beads. You can pretend, at least for a little while, that you are in the deep South and that spring is only a thousand miles due south. And as always, there are lots of new books to entertain and inform you. They are listed below. Enjoy!
New Non-Fiction
“That’s What She Said: What Men Need to Know (and Women Need to Tell Them)About Working Together” by Joanne Lipman. An award-winning journalist and publisher outlines anecdotal solutions for harmonious working relationships between the sexes, citing the unique contributions of professional women and how their male counterparts can implement a healthier business culture that bridges gender gaps.
“I Know How You Feel: The Joy and Heartbreak of Friendship in Women’s Lives” by F. Diane Barth. The popular Psychology Today blogger and therapist shares expert insights into the complicated landscape of women's friendships, drawing on the real-life experiences of clients from all walks of life, as well as examples in literature and pop culture to offer counsel on a range of issues, from betrayal to rejection to difficult personalities.
“Media Madness: Donald Trump, the Press, and the War Over the Truth” by Howard Kurtz. A former media critic for The Washington Post argues that Donald Trump's criticism is, at least partially, justified and explains how he believes most journalists have gone from neutral truth-tellers to pure pundits
“Strength in Stillness: The Power of Transcendental Meditation” by Bob Roth. A practical guide to meditation by a leading authority and celebrity therapist shares insights into the scientific principles behind why and how transcendental meditation works to reduce stress, access inner power and build resilience without gimmicks and mystical verbiage.
New Fiction
“Child of a Mad God, No. 1 (Coven)” by R. A. Salvatore. A first book in a major new series by the best-selling author of Archmage follows the story of a witch's young daughter, born under a fateful Blood Moon, who finds herself alone in a tribe of vicious barbarians.
“Into the Fire, No.w (Vatta’s Peace)” by Elizabeth Moon. Having discovered the existence of a mysterious arctic base on the inhospitable island where her shipmates and she have been marooned, intrepid admiral Kylara Vatta works to expose the shadowy organization behind the base before stumbling on secrets at the heart of a personal family tragedy.
“An American Marriage” by Tayari Jones. When her new husband is arrested and imprisoned for a crime she knows he did not commit, a rising artist takes comfort in a longtime friendship, only to encounter unexpected challenges in resuming her life when her husband's sentence is suddenly overturned. By the author of “Silver Sparrow “
“Good Neighbors” by Joanne Serline. Forming a neighborhood clique based mostly on the ages of their children, four suburban couples are torn by differing opinions about one family's decision to adopt and raise a child from Russia who either has a difficult personality disorder or is being mistreated by her adoptive parents. A first novel.
“Only Killers and Thieves” by Paul Howarth. Two adolescent brothers are exposed to the brutal realities of life and the seductive cruelty of power after a tragedy shatters their family on the untamed frontier of 1880s Australia. A first novel.
“Look for Me, No.9 (Detective D. D. Warren)” by Lisa Gardner. Detective D. D. Warren teams up with Flora Dane from “Find Her” in an investigation involving the sinister disappearance of a 16-year-old girl whose family has been brutally murdered. By a #1 New York Times best-selling author.
“The Undertaker’s Daughter” by Sara Blaedel. Receiving an unexpected inheritance from the father who abandoned her, 40-year-old widow Ilka Nichols Jenson impulsively travels from Copenhagen to her late father's mortuary in Wisconsin and begins to comb through his estate before stumbling on an unsolved murder. By the #1 internationally best-selling author of “The Forgotten Girls”.
Two Girls Down” by Louisa Luna. Hired by the devastated mother of two young girls who have gone missing from a small Pennsylvania town strip mall, enigmatic bounty hunter Alice Vega is rebuffed by the overextended local police and partners with disgraced former cop, Max Caplan, on a case involving a dangerous web of lies, false leads and complex relationships.
“The Weight of an Infinite Sky” by Carrie La Seur. A story inspired by Shakespeare's Hamlet follows the experiences of a Montana cattle rancher's son whose career disappointments give way to the death of his father, his scheming uncle's advances toward his mother and a mining company's designs on his family's land. By the acclaimed author of “The Home Place”.
“The Wife” Alafair Burke. Marrying an economics professor she met while catering an East Hampton dinner party, Angela finds her tragic past coming under scrutiny at the same time she is asked to defend her husband against wrongful accusations. By the New York Times best-selling author of the Edgar Award-nominated “The Ex”.