My LINKcat AccountThere is nothing much to write about today. July 23rd is the 214 day of the year with 161 remaining. It was the birthday of Raymond Chandler in 1888. A hundred and one years later, in 1989, Daniel Radcliffe, star of all the Harry Potter films, was born. Speaking of Harry Potter, the annual Harry Potter Birthday bash is only a week and a day away. Every year, the library honors the birthday of the fictional character Harry Potter by having a huge birthday party. There will be cake, there will be beverages – pumpkin juice & butter beer—there will be crafts and competitions. Plan on attending! This invitation is for you. Come in costume if you so desire! The Harry Potter birthday party also draws us to the end of the Summer Library Program (and reading contest). So, while nothing much happened today, today is the harbinger of a big birthday party and the winding down of the summer activities. By the way, I actually already have seen ads for back to school. Once those ads are out in the world, we really are getting towards the end of summer. Although, I’ve also seen Halloween items starting to pop-up over the horizon like meerkats surveying the environment and that holiday is still months away. While summer’s end is creeping towards us, the summer book titles keep arriving. Below you will find a baker’s dozen to choose from. Enjoy!
New Non-Fiction
81 days below zero : the incredible survival story of a World War II pilot in Alaska's frozen wilderness / by Brian Murphy. Documents the story of the only surviving crew member of a World War II B-24 crash on a remote mountain near the Arctic Circle, tracing how his determination and luck enabled him to endure 12 weeks in the Yukon's brutal landscape.
The book of Joan : tales of mirth, mischief, and manipulation / by Melissa Rivers. The daughter of Joan Rivers presents an inspiring and intimate tribute to the iconic comedienne that shares insights into her life out of the spotlight, detailing their complicated but loving relationship and the lessons the author learned from her mother throughout their years together.
Getting real / by Gretchen Carlson. The celebrity news anchorwoman on FOX News describes her childhood in Minnesota as a violin prodigy and her rise through the ranks of reporting for local television stations and offers advice to women about how to find real-world success.
Judy & Liza & Robert & Freddie & David & Sue & Me... : a memoir by Stevie Phillips. The woman who took care of Judy Garland, held Liza Minnelli's wedding to Peter Allen in her living room and dealt with Burt Reynolds as well as many other celebrities tells all.
A lucky life interrupted : a memoir of hope / by Tom Brokaw. A best-selling author and former NBC anchorman chronicles a year spent battling cancer and reflects on his long, lucky life.
New Fiction
The Library at Mount Char / by Scott Hawkins. Carolyn and a dozen other children being raised by "Father," a cruel man with mysterious powers, begin to think he might be God; so when he dies, they square off against each other to determine who will inherit his library, which they believe holds the power to all Creation.
The long Utopia / by Terry Pratchett & Stephen Baxter. Lobsang's pursuit of a human life, Joshua's search for his father and the adaptation efforts of "the Next" post-humans are challenged by a voracious alien race that would conquer and colonize the Long Earth. By the #1 best-selling authors of “The Long Earth”.
My grandmother asked me to tell you she's sorry : a novel / by Fredrik Backman. Seven-year-old Elsa's grandmother dies and leaves behind a series of letters, sending the girl on a journey that brings to life the world of her grandmother’s fairy tales. By the internationally best-selling author of “A Man Called Ove”. Illustrations.
The first confessor : the legend of Magda Searus / by Terry Goodkind. A prequel to the Sword of Truth series follows the experiences of Magda Searus, who is shunned by her community members when she makes unsettling discoveries about her powerful husband's suicide and ventures out into a war-stricken world.
All together now : a novel / by Gill Hornby. When their singing coach dies unexpectedly before a big contest, a motley group of singers from a small English village overcomes respective challenges to pursue a shared goal. By the author of “The Hive”.
Love lies beneath : a novel / by Ellen Hopkins. Swept off her feet by a handsome surgeon, a wealthy divorcée manages upheavals in the affairs of her loved ones while becoming increasingly alarmed by threatening messages and her paramour's violent temper. By the “New York Times” best-selling author of “Collateral”.
Go set a watchman / by Harper Lee. A highly anticipated release of a newly discovered early work by the Pulitzer Prize-winning author of “To Kill a Mockingbird” continues the stories of iconic characters 20 years later during turbulent 1950s America.
After the storm : a Kate Burkholder novel / by Linda Castillo. Attempting to identify human remains that are uncovered by a tornado, Chief of Police Kate Burkholder discovers that the person had been murdered and was tied to a family's long-hidden secrets. By the “New York Times” best-selling author of “The Dead Will Tell”.