My LINKcat AccountSo. Here we are. November. That transition month from fall to winter. That depressingly cold, dark, and gray month. The month when the birds that have been seriously thinking about heading south, start packing their luggage. That month when the trees that had been so gloriously clothed in improbable colors are stripped naked and stand shaking in the cold. That month when the clocks turn back and we are plunged even further into the dark. That month when harvests end and deer and geese and duck are hunted. That month when the flowers and plants are wilted and deliquescing draining the color out of the world. That month when we gather together as families and friends in the glow of hearth and home and defy the cold and defy the dark. That month when start the countdown to the big holidays at year’s end. That month when we are hoping it doesn’t snow so the winter when it comes will seem shorter. That month when we hope for snow to put an end to the suspense. T.S. Eliot said “April is the cruelest month” which indeed it might be, but I think November requires a brave and cheerful heart to get through it. And to help your heart stay cheerful, below you will find some of the new books that arrived at the library this past week. Enjoy!
New Non-Fiction
“Sisters First: Stories from Our Wild and Wonderful Life” by Jenna Bush Hager & Barbara Pierce Bush. The fraternal twin daughters of the 43rd U.S. president share lighthearted and poignant personal stories and reflections from their lives within a powerhouse political dynasty, from their witness to their grandfather's presidency through their subsequent upbringing and work under the eyes of the Secret Service, public and paparazzi.
“Texas Blood: Seven Generations Among the Outlaws, Ranchers, Indians, Missionaries, Soldiers, and Smugglers” by Roger Hodge. A history of the Texas borderlands by the author of The Mendacity of Hope illuminates subjects ranging from colonization and conquest through the war on drugs and regional genocide, offering additional perspectives based on the experiences of the author's seven-generation ranching family.
“Where the Past Begins: A Writer’s Memoir” by Amy Tan. The best-selling author of such novels as The Joy Luck Club presents an intimate memoir on her life as a writer that explores formative experiences from her childhood and her evolving perspectives on the symbiotic relationship between fiction and emotional memory.
“Before You Know It: The Unconscious Reasons We Do What We Do” by John Bargh. A leading expert on the unconscious human mind draws on 20 years of research to present a tour of the influences that shape everyday behavior, combining engaging anecdotes with the stories of remarkable discoveries about the role of science in everything from relationships and parenting to consumer behavior and business.
“Christmas: A Biography” by Judith Flanders. The best-selling author of The Making of Home presents a tour of Christmas holiday traditions from the original festival through today, touching on subjects ranging from gift wrap and the holiday parade to the first gag holiday gift book and the first official appearance of Santa Claus.
“France is a Feast: The Photographic Journey of Paul and Julia Child” by Jeff Fager. From the co-author of My Life in France comes a revealing collection of photographs taken by Paul Child that document his and Julia Child’s years in France.
“Guts: The Anatomy of ‘The Walking Dead’” by Paul Vigna. Published to coincide with the premiere of the eighth season, a guide to the popular AMC hit series by the reporter for the Wall Street Journal's "Walking Dead" column shares insider coverage of its storylines, characters, development and cultural relevance.
New Fiction
“Shattered Memories, No. 3(Mirror Sisters)” by V. C. Andrews. A conclusion to the darkly gothic trilogy finds Kaylee back at home in the aftermath of her identical twin's betrayal and enrolling in a new school where her hopes for a new start are sabotaged by new heights of malice. By the best-selling author of the Dollanganger Family series.
“Home for Christmas” by Holly Chamberlin. In a charming Maine seaside town, a single mother longs to create a memorable Christmas for her two daughters—and receives a chance to make her own wishes come true.
“In the Midst of Winter” by Isabel Allende. A minor traffic accident becomes a catalyst for an unexpected bond among a human rights scholar, his Chilean lecturer tenant and an undocumented immigrant from Guatemala, who explore firsthand the difficulties of immigrants and refugees in today's world. By the best-selling author of “The House of the Spirits”.
“The Last Ballad” by Wiley Cash. Inspired by actual events, a tale set in the Appalachian foothills of 1929 North Carolina follows the struggles of an ordinary woman to reclaim her dignity and rights in a labor mill, where she earns a paltry salary before risking her family and future to join a union.
“Manhattan Beach” by Jennifer Egan. Years after she is placed in the hands of a stranger vital to her family's survival, Anna takes a job at the Brooklyn Naval Yard during the war while meeting with the man who helped them and learning important truths about her father's disappearance. By the Pulitzer Prize-winning author of “A Visit from the Goon Squad”.
“Death on Tap” by Ellie Alexander. After catching her husband cheating on her, craft-brew expert Sloan Krause leaves the family business to work for a hip, new nano-brewery, only to discover a competitor dead in the fermenting tub, clutching a secret recipe.
“The Stolen Marriage” by Diane Chamberlain. Impulsively ending her engagement to another man to marry a mysterious stranger from a small North Carolina community in 1944, Tess rapidly discovers that she is trapped in a loveless relationship and is treated with suspicion by secretive neighbors before discovering her talents as nurse during a devastating polio outbreak.