July 9, 2015 - Classics

When I sat down to write this, it was just coming up to 2 p.m. on July 3rd which put me in mind of that great turning point in the Civil War –152 years ago—when Pickett was about to make that failed charge at the Union lines which would end the hopes of the South. Pickett’s charge put me in mind of the William Faulkner passage from “Intruder in the Dust” : "For every Southern boy fourteen years old, not once but whenever he wants it, there is the instant when it's still not yet two o’clock on that July afternoon in 1863, the brigades are in position behind the rail fence, the guns are laid and ready in the woods and the furled flags are already loosened to break out and Pickett himself with his long oiled ringlets and his hat in one hand probably and his sword in the other looking up the hill waiting for Longstreet to give the word and it's all in the balance, it hasn't happened yet, it hasn't even begun yet, it not only hasn't begun yet but there is still time for it not to begin …” Faulkner was writing in 1948 and sixty-seven years later, I imagine, this is still true for some. It’s hard to remember sometimes that the Civil War, this Battle of Gettysburg took place during the 87th anniversary of the Declaration of Independence and that Faulkner wrote his tome only 85 years after Pickett’s Charge and that history is alive and playing itself out in current times. One of the things that great literature does is connect us to the past and the present. It illuminates the present in terms of the past and the past in light of the present. Which is why we should read the classics. Well, enough of that. By the way, we do have many, many classics in the library. And while I’m sure you’ll enjoy the books listed below, I don’t think any in this batch will achieve the status of “classic”. Classics are like rich desserts; a little goes a long way and leaves you hungry for more. The lighter fare below however, is perfect for summer reading. Enjoy!

New Non-Fiction

  • cover art Childhood disrupted : how your biography becomes you biology, and how you can heal by Donna Nakazawa. Showing the link between Adverse Childhood Experiences (ACEs) and adult illnesses, an award-winning science journalist, sharing stories from those who have overcome ACEs, explains how we can reset our biology and help our loved ones find ways to heal.
  • cover art The Hirschfeld century : portait of an artist and his age / edited by David Leopold. A visual retrospective of the influential Hollywood and Broadway artist's extensive career collects 360 iconic illustrations and photographs from different points of his creative development, including classic production posters and caricatures of golden-era stars.
  • cover art The sociology book / by Dorling Kindersley. A new installment in the award-winning “Big Ideas Simply Explained” series profiles the world's most renowned sociologists and more than 100 of their biggest ideas, including issues of equality, human rights, the effects of globalization and the rise of urban living in modern society.
  • cover art Men of war : the American soldier in combat at Bunker Hill, Gettysburg, and Iwo Jima / by Rose Alexander. Shedding light on the experience of the individual soldier, a renowned historian examines three battles during which readers see the formation of the United States military that people know today and the traditions that have shaped the character of America's armed forces. By the author of “Washington's Spies”.

New Fiction

  • cover art And sometimes I wonder about you : a Leonid McGill mystery / by Walter Mosley. Investigating the murder of a client he initially refused to help, Leonid navigates difficult personal elements in his own life while uncovering dark secrets about the victim's old-money family and its missing heiress. By the award-winning author of the Easy Rawlins mysteries.
  • cover art The map of chaos : a novel / by Felix Palma. A conclusion to the trilogy that includes the award-winning “The Map of Time” and “The Map of the Sky” finds its mysterious protagonist seeking an obscure magical book that will help him confess a dangerous secret to a lost loved one.
  • cover art Vixen : a Nameless Detective novel / by Bill Pronzini. Hired by a self-proclaimed model to find her missing brother, Nameless questions his client's motives when he discovers inaccuracies in her story and sinister complexities that undermine the case. By the award-winning author of “Nemesis”.
  • cover art Kiss me / by Susan Mallery. In Fool's Gold, California, loner cowboy Zane Nicholson finds Phoebe Kitzke, the one woman who has a chance at capturing his heart. By a “New York Times” best-selling author.
  • cover art Untamed / by Diana Palmer. Resisting the advances of her former best friend-turned-mercenary, Clarisse Carrington struggles to live independently after a wrenching family tragedy, only to find herself seeking the aid of rugged mercenary Stanton Rourke when she is targeted by a dangerous adversary. By the “New York Times” best-selling author of “Dangerous”.
  • cover art The English spy / by Daniel Silva. A latest thriller by the best-selling author of “The Heist” continues the adventures of art restorer, assassin and spy Gabriel Allon.
  • cover art Tom Clancy under fire / by Grant Blackwood. Jack Ryan Jr. clashes with Russian intelligence in a race to find a missing agent who holds secrets vital to both sides. By the best-selling author of the Briggs Tanner series.
  • cover art Truth or die / by James Patterson & Howard Roughan. When his journalist girlfriend's latest scoop leads to a violent confrontation, attorney Trevor Mann discovers a shocking secret that governments and terrorist organizations would do anything to possess. By the best-selling authors of “Second Honeymoon”.
  • cover art 1636 : the Cardinal virtues / by Eric Flint & Walter Hunt. In 1636 France, King Louis sends his expectant wife, Queen Anne, into seclusion to keep her safe from those who would do her harm, while France's foreign enemies as well as traitors within the court make their move, forcing factions both inside and outside of the country to choose sides. Part of a “New York Times” best-selling series.
  • cover art William Shakespeare's the clone army attacketh : Star Wars part the second / by Ian Doescher. A latest entry in the uproarious series by the author of “William Shakespeare's The Empire Striketh Back” re-renders the tale of yeoman Jedi Anakin Skywalker's struggles between light and dark in riotous iambic pentameter.
  • cover art Bradstreet gate : a novel by Robin Kirman. The brutal murder of a Harvard senior and rumors about a charismatic instructor haunt the lives of three graduates over the course of a decade-long search for answers.