Jan's Column 2021
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January 14, 2021 - Cloudy Days
Normally by this time of -- almost the mid-point of January-- I would be optimistically pointing out the lengthening of days and perhaps, begin the countdown to Ground Hogs Day where we would find out if there were six more weeks of winter in store for us. However, these first couple of week so January have been mostly cloudy and if not cloudy, then foggy. It is so very difficult to celebrate the return of more daylight when the street lights are coming on at three o'clock in the afternoon. Indeed, we have gained daylight. There earliest sunset during those dark, December days was at 4:29. At his writing, sunset is at 4:40 p.m. and sunrise has, finally, begun getting later. It is now at 7:31. We haven't seen a sunrise that early since Christmas Day. The good news is that even though we can't see it to be cheered by it, the days are getting longer and that no matter what February 2nd will roll around in just 19 days. And once we're in February you can almost see spring popping it's head up over the horizon. In the meantime, theses dark days lend themselves rather nicely to reading. Below you will find some of the new books that have recently arrived at your library. Enjoy!
New Non-Fiction
Get What’s Yours for Health Care: How to Get the Best Care at the Right Price (Get What’s Yours) by Philip Moeller. An authoritative, unbiased reference by the award-winning "Ask Phil" columnist shares concise information about how to communicate with doctors, hospitals and health-care providers to get access to quality care, minimize medical bills and contest denied insurance claims.
Know Yourself, Know Your Money: Discover WHY You Handle Money the Way You Do, and What to Do About It! by Rachel Cruze. The father-and-daughter personal finance experts behind the best-selling “Smart Money Smart Kids” counsel readers on how to understand one's individual strengths and vulnerabilities to establish a healthy relationship with money and set more productive financial goals
ADHD 2.0: New Science and Essential Strategies for Thriving with Distraction—from Childhood Through Adulthood by Edward Hallowell & John Ratey. The best-selling authors of “Driven to Distraction” draw on cutting-edge research into the less-recognized strengths of the ADHD mind, including the "variable attention trait," to discuss career goals, positive relationships and the pros and cons of medication.
Martha Stewart’s Very Good Things: Simple Tips and Genius Ideas for an Easier and More Beautiful Life by Martha Stewart. The premier American lifestyle expert and television personality shares practical tips and clever solutions for making life easier and more delicious such as infusing vinegar with herb blossoms and using lip balm to free a stuck zipper.
The Power of Ethics: How to Make Good Choices in a Complicated World by Susan Liautaud. Drawing on two decades as an ethics advisor guiding corporations and leaders, academic institutions, nonprofit organizations, and students in her Stanford University ethics courses, the author provides clarity to blurry ethical questions, walking you through a straightforward, four-step process for ethical decision-making you can use every day
New Fiction
Detransition, Baby by Torrey Peters. A trans woman, her detransitioned ex and his cisgender lover build an unconventional family together in the wake of heartbreak and an unplanned pregnancy, in a debut by the author of the novella, “Infect Your Friends and Loved One”.
The Liar’s Dictionary by Eley Williams. Tasked with identifying false entries in an encyclopedic dictionary before it is digitized, a young intern questioning her sexuality and place in the world uncovers the laugh-out-loud mountweazels of a disaffected Victorian lexicographer.
The Heiress: The Revelations of Anne de Bourgh, No.1 (Pride & Prejudice Novels) by Molly Greeley. A reimagining of the story of Jane Austen's mysterious character depicts a rejected young heiress who fights a life-long addiction before discovering health and passion in the London home of her cousin, Colonel John Fitzwilliam.
The Last Garden’s in England by Julia Kelly. From the author of the international best-seller “The Light Over London” and “The Whispers of War”comes a poignant and unforgettable tale of five women living across three different times whose lives are all connected by one very special garden.
Shiver by Allie Reynolds. A reunion weekend in the French Alps turns deadly when five friends discover that someone has deliberately stranded them at a remote mountaintop resort during a snowstorm, where ominous things begin to happen. A first novel
Twenty, No. 17 (Jack Swyteck) by James Grippando. A nightmarish shooting at their daughter's school finds Jack Swyteck and his law-enforcement officer wife, Andie, investigating a chief suspect's alleged ties to Al Qaeda amid growing anti-Muslim fervor.
Neighbors by Danielle Steel. Opening her home to neighbors in the aftermath of a devastating earthquake, a reclusive woman inadvertently triggers events that reveal secrets, divide relationships and forge new bonds among strangers. By the best-selling author of “All That Glitters.”
Before She Disappeared by Lisa Gardner. Investigating the cold-case disappearance of a Haitian teen in a gritty Boston neighborhood, Frankie Elkin navigates resident and police resistance as well as the challenges of her own sobriety before risking her life to uncover the truth.
January 7, 2021 - Happy New Year!
Happy New Year! Here we are a week into the new year already. My how time flies during the holidays. This week, finally, some new books have arrived at the library. That pesky pandemic has disrupted the publishing trade a bit. Books that were ordered at the beginning of summer are only just arriving. Publishing dates have been pushed back for many months in some cases. All of which makes having a steady stream of books coming into the library for your reading pleasure a challenge. A challenge we can't do anything about. The books will arrive when they arrive. However, if the year is beginning as it means to go on, then there is hope that there will be weekly deliveries of new books. If 2021, decides to imitate last year, it's hard to say what might have in store for us -- I'm only talking book-wise here. In the meantime, there are plenty of books below some of which might pique your interest. Enjoy!
New Non-Fiction
Keep Sharp: Build a Better Brain at Any Age by Sanjay Gupta. Keep your brain young, healthy, and sharp with this science-driven guide to protecting your mind from decline by neurosurgeon and CNN chief medical correspondent Sanjay Gupta.
Fly Into the Wind: How to Harness Faith and Fearlessness on Your Ascent to Greatness by Dan Rooney. An F-16 fighter pilot, American hero, Folds of Honor founder and family man delivers a code for living—an inspirational call to action to help ordinary people ascend to their highest level in life.
Biohack Your Brain: How to Boost Cognitive Health, Performance, and Power by Kristen Willeumier. The “Your Brain Health” neuroscience podcaster outlines recommendations for promoting brain health and resilience throughout a lifetime, outlining helpful techniques for preventing memory loss and other neurodegenerative disorders.
The One Wild and Precious Life: The Path Back to Connection in a Fractured World by Sarah Wilson. The best-selling author of First, We Make the Beast Beautiful addresses the chronic loneliness affecting a high percentage of Americans today, discussing the vulnerabilities of high-pressure, tech-driven environments and how to view solitude through a spiritual lens.
Eat Smarter: Use the Power of Food to Reboot Your Metabolism, Upgrade Your Brain, and Transform Your Life by Shawn Stevenson. Lose weight, boost your metabolism, and start living a happier life with this transformative 30-day plan for healthy eating from the host of the hit podcast “The Model Health Show”.
New Fiction
Light of the Jedi, No.1 (Star Wars: The High Republic) by Charles Soule. Long before the First Order, before the Empire, before even The Phantom Menace . . . Jedi lit the way for the galaxy in The High Republic
Robert B. Parker’s Someone to Watch Over Me, No. 48 (Spenser) by Ace Atkins. When his apprentice Mattie's childhood friend from the South Boston housing projects is murdered, Spenser traces the victim's demise to an international sex-trafficking ring that has been operating with impunity under the protection of a well-connected billionaire.
The Arrest by Jonathan Lethem. Working as an organic farmer in a post-apocalypse world devoid of technology, a former Los Angeles screenwriter unexpectedly reconnects with his once-famous partner, who has retrofitted a nuclear-powered digger to launch an unknown agenda.
The Survival of the Thickest: Essays by Michelle Buteau. The stand-up comedian, actress and host of the “Late Night Whenever” podcast shares an unapologetic collection essays that reflect on her Caribbean heritage, her September 11 newsroom work and her experiences with IVF, surrogacy and motherhood.
Hush, Hush, No. 56 (Stone Barrington) by Stuart Woods. New York City cop turned Manhattan law firm rainmaker, Stone Barrington, lands in hot water in a highly anticipated latest installment in the best-selling series by the Edgar Award-winning author of Chiefs.
NYPD Red, No.6 by James Patterson & Marshall Karp. Available for the first time in print, a sixth entry in the series co-written by the award-winning author of Jackie Ha-Ha continues the story of top NYPD Red Detective Zach Jordan and his partner, Detective Kylie MacDonald.
American Traitor, No. 15 (Pike Logan) by Brad Taylor. Assisting a witness's flight from murderous foreign agents, Pike Logan and Jennifer Cahill uncover a plot to trigger a war between China and Taiwan by destabilizing the latter's government and digital defenses.
The Butterfly House by Katrine Engberg. Detectives Jeppe Karner and Anette Werner race to solve a series of sordid murders linked to some of the most vulnerable patients in a Danish hospital.