My LINKcat AccountAt the end of February, with the local birds beginning to sing and stakeout their territories, I ventured out to Kearney, Nebraska to see the beginning of the sandhill crane migration. On the drive out I had excellent timing and missed the now around Des Moines and had pretty good roads as I drove by 100s of cars and trucks in the ditch. On the way back I was following behind a snow storm with just the right amount of time to have good roads as well. This weekend – almost a full month later—I am heading back out to Nebraska to see the sandhill crane migration at its peak. Once again it looks like I will be dodging snow along the way. At the end of February, I saw thousands of sandhill cranes, which is a very impressive sight. This time the count will be in the tens of thousands -- up to half a million. That sight is more than impressive. If I get good pictures, I will post them on Facebook. In the meantime, while waiting for spring to arrive right here in DeForest, Wisconsin, there are some new, excellent books for your enjoyment listed below.
New Non-Fiction
Big data : a revolution that will transform how we live, work, and think / by Viktor Mayer-Schonberger. This revelatory exploration of big data, which refers to our newfound ability to crunch vast amounts of information, analyze it instantly and draw profound and surprising conclusions from it, discusses how it will change our lives and what we can do to protect ourselves from its hazards.
Young titan : the making of Winston Churchill / by Michael Shelden. An account of the World War II Prime Minister's early career includes coverage of his contributions to building a modern navy, his experimentations with radical social reforms and his lesser-known romantic pursuits. By the author of the Pulitzer Prize finalist, “Orwell”.
The girls of Atomic City : the untold story of the women who helped win World War II / by Denise Kiernan. Traces the unknown contributions of tens of thousands of women residents of the Manhattan Project's then-secret city of Oak Ridge, Tennessee, whose uranium-enriching jobs in support of the Project were shrouded in secrecy and whose legacy is still being felt today.
New Fiction
Z : a novel of Zelda Fitzgerald / by Therese Fowler. A tale inspired by the marriage of F. Scott and Zelda Fitzgerald follows their union in defiance of her father's opposition and her abandonment of the provincial finery of her upbringing in favor of a scandalous flapper identity that gains her entry into the literary party scenes of New York, Paris and the French Riviera.
The Andalucian friend : a novel / by Alexander Soderberg. Breaking her personal code to date a charming patient, Sophie Brinkmann discovers that he is the head of a powerful international crime organization warring against a ruthless German syndicate, a situation that pits her against an itinerant arms dealer, a disturbed detective, a vicious hit man, and a wily police chief.
The book of Killowen / by Erin Hart. Returning to the bogs after a year away from the field, archaeologist Cormac Maguire and pathologist Nora Gavin investigate a ninth-century corpse found in the trunk of a car along with the body of a provocative television philosopher, a case that is tied to an ancient volume of philosophical heresy.
Rage against the dying / by Becky Masterman. Pushed into early retirement after a brutal FBI career hunting sexual predators, Brigid Quinn finds her efforts to settle down with her new husband thwarted by a man who suspiciously confesses to her worst unsolved case.
Six years / by Harlan Coben. Harboring an enduring love for Natalie six years after her marriage to another man, Jake Sanders learns of his rival's death and attends the funeral only to discover that Natalie is not the woman she seemed to be, a situation that compels a determined search for answers. By the best-selling author of “Stay Close”.
The chance / by Karen Kingsbury. After living separate lives, Ellie and Nolan move toward the possibility of a reunion at the oak tree where they had buried letters to each other 11 years earlier, in a tale of heart-wrenching loss, the power of faith and the wounds that only love can heal.
The house of rumour / by Jake Arnott. Spanning decades, this glittering novel follows a cast of colorful characters as they make their way through a labyrinth that connects WWII spycraft, the occultism of Aleister Crowley, the Jonestown massacre, pulp science fiction, Latin American revolutionaries and new wave music.