Swine flu

The recent news about the swine flu outbreak in Mexico, and the subsequent cases in the United States and Canada, has many people searching for information. One of the best sources of such information is the CDC, which has set up a special web page on swine flu as well as information on what individuals can do to protect themselves.

Author to speak at library

Steve Thayer, author of bestsellers such as The Weatherman and The Wheat Field, will visit the library on Saturday, April 25 at 10:00 am. He will discuss his newest book, The Leper. The program, sponsored by the Friends of the Red Wing Public Library, is free and open to the public.

Earth Day

Earth Day, founded by Senator Gaylord Nelson in 1970, is a day "designed to inspire awareness and appreciation for the Earth's environment." To learn about what individual citizens can do to help the environment, check out our selection of books. To learn about Earth Day activities, visit the Earth Day Network.

Sever weather awareness week

April 20-24 is Severe Weather Awareness Week. The Minnesota Department of Public Safety has a website with lots of interesting and useful information and links to help you prepare for weather emergencies.

Dan Brown's new book to arrive in September!

Dan Brown, author of The Da Vinci Code (the best selling hardcover adult novel of all time), announced that the follow-up to that book will be published on September 15, 2009. The Lost Symbol will feature Robert Langdon, the protagonist of The Da Vinci Code.

Twilight: the movie

Newly arrived at the library is Twilight, the movie version of the phenomenally successful book by Stephenie Meyer. Twilight, and its sequels New Moon, Eclipse and Breaking Dawn fly off the shelves as soon as they are put back. Stop by and see what all the fuss is all about - or just give us a call and we'll be happy to reserve a copy for you!

Mystery in the jungle

New Yorker writer David Grann set out to solve "the greatest exploration mystery of the twentieth century": what happened to British explorer Percy Fawcett. In 1925 Fawcett ventured into the Amazon to find an ancient civilization. For centuries Europeans believed the world's largest jungle concealed the glittering El Dorado. Captivating the imagination of millions, Fawcett embarked with his 21-year-old son, determined to prove that this ancient civilization--which he dubbed "Z"--existed. Then he and his expedition vanished. Check out Grann's book, The Lost City of Z, to find out the rest of the story!

A Reliable Wife, the first novel by author Robert Goolrick is winning rave reviews from critics. From the publisher; "Rural Wisconsin, 1909. In the bitter cold, Ralph Truitt, a successful businessman, stands alone on a train platform waiting for the woman who answered his newspaper advertisement for "a reliable wife." But when Catherine Land steps off the train from Chicago, she's not the "simple, honest woman" that Ralph is expecting. She is both complex and devious, haunted by a terrible past and motivated by greed. Her plan is simple: she will win this man's devotion, and then, ever so slowly, she will poison him and leave Wisconsin a wealthy widow. What she has not counted on, though, is that Truitt — a passionate man with his own dark secrets —has plans of his own for his new wife. Isolated on a remote estate and imprisoned by relentless snow, the story of Ralph and Catherine unfolds in unimaginable ways."

Minnesota authors to visit Best of Times bookstore

Tonight at 7:00 at the Best of Times bookstore, three of the best known and most popular Minnesota mystery authors (collectively known as the Minnesota Crime Wave) will come by to read from and discuss their books. Don't miss this chance to hear William Kent Krueger, Ellen Hart and Carl Brookins speak - and don't forget to stop by the library earlier to check out their books!

Frank Lloyd Wright

Critically acclaimed author T.C. Boyle has just written The Women, which "recounts the life of Frank Lloyd Wright as told through the experiences of the four women who loved him." The book was just discussed on Minnesota Public Radio, and has attracted widespread interest. Check it out!

New Michael Crichton books on the way

Author Michael Crichton, who died of cancer in November, left behind one finished and one partially completed novel. The completed novel, an adventure set in 17th century Jamaica and titled Pirate Latitudes, will be published in November, 2009. The second book, a technological thriller, will be released in 2010.

Tennis, anyone?

Now that spring is kinda sorta here, it's time for tennis! A great way to start off the season is by looking over the new book, Tennis in the Northland: A History of Boys High School Tennis in Minnesota (1929-2003). Once you're done with that, it should actually be warm enough to get out and play (and we can help there, too)!