Alice Bliss by Laura Harrington

From Publishers Weekly; "Playwright and lyricist Harrington transforms her one-act musical Alice Unwrapped into a moving debut about loss and survival. Fifteen-year-old Alice has always been closer to her father (they share a love of working with their hands) than to her mother, but when she needs him the most, he's deployed to Iraq. Alice flexes her independence by claiming his workshop as her own and wearing his shirt. She feels a mix of responsibility and resentment toward her precocious little sister and her disengaged mother, and pursues typical teenage rites of passage while fearing the arrival of bad news. When it comes, Alice inspires her family to preserve her father's traditions and to craft new ones in his honor. The playwright's facility with language is evident throughout: "Maybe, she thinks, maybe he'll be home in time for cucumbers, and if not cucumbers, then for corn, and if not corn, then surely in time for tomatoes." Though the fluid narration offers access to many characters, this is the story of Alice, her courage, fear, and optimism, and her heartbreaking discovery of the extent to which her father's life will shape and guide her own."

Zone One by Colson Whitehead

From Publishers Weekly: 'While the revolution will not be televised, but the apocalypse and what comes after, at least according to Whitehead, will have sponsors. It will even have an anthem, the brilliantly self-referential "Stop! Can You Hear the Eagle Roar?" (theme from Reconstruction). As we follow New Yorker and perpetual B-student "Mark Spitz" over three harrowing days, Whitehead dumpster dives genre tropes, using what he wants and leaving the rest to rot, turning what could have been another zombie-pocalypse gore-fest into the kind of smart, funny, pop culture-filled tale that would make George Romero proud. While many stories in this genre are set in a devastated nowheresville, Whitehead plants his narrative firmly in New York City, penning a love letter to a Manhattan still recognizable after the event referred to only as "Last Night." Far from the solemn affair so often imagined, the apocalypse in Whitehead's hands is filled with the kind of dark humor one imagines actual survivors adopting in order to stave off madness. The author sometimes lets the set pieces he's so good at run long, but otherwise succeeds brilliantly with a fresh take on survival, grief, 9/11, AIDS, global warming, nuclear holocaust, Katrina, Abu Ghraib, Pol Pot's Year Zero, Missouri tornadoes, and the many other disasters both natural and not that keep a stranglehold on our fears and dreams."

ebook class

It must have been a very Kindle Christmas, because we have had lots and lots of people signing up for our class on how to get library eBooks on your Kindle. So many, in fact, that we've added a new class for Kindle owners. And because we know you don't want to wait to begin using your new toy, the class will be the very next day - Friday, January 6 from 5:30-6:30. Give us a call at 385-3645 or an email at rwpl@selco.info to sign up!

Dollhouse by the Kardashian sisters

For those of you who can't get enough of all things Kardashian! As Library Journal described it, "A first novel by three sisters who are fashionista celebrity TV stars but remain close, about (as far as I can tell) three sisters who are fashionista celebrity TV stars but remain close." What else would you expect from them and what else would you want from them?!

Leviathan Wakes by James S. A. Corey

From Publishers Weekly; 'Corey kicks off a sprawling space opera series with this riveting interplanetary thriller. Relations among Earth, Mars, and the unincorporated "Belter" settlements of the asteroid belt and outer planets are rarely more than cordial. When ice hauler Jim Holden investigates an emergency beacon on a derelict Belter ship, he finds-and broadcasts-evidence that it was attacked by Mars forces. Burnt-out Ceres Station detective Joe Miller is puzzled by a drop in organized crime violence and an oddly compelling case involving a missing Earth heiress and a cutting-edge biochemistry company, Protogen. As interplanetary civil war heats up, egged on by the aggressive IRA-like Outer Planets Alliance, Holden and Miller fight and think their way through a sticky web of politics, corporate secrets, and a possible alien invasion. The strong characterization and excellent world-building will have readers jonesing for the planned sequels."

Library closed

The library will be closed from December 23-26. We will be open our normal hours on Tuesday, December 27 (10-8pm). Happy holidays!

Very Bad Men by Harry Dolan

From Publishers Weekly: "Dolan follows Bad Things Happen, his acclaimed debut, with a riveting crime novel also featuring Ann Arbor, Mich., amateur sleuth David Loogan, editor of the mystery magazine Gray Streets. When Loogan finds a manuscript outside his office door-a story about three murders, two already committed and one still being planned-he instantly realizes it's not a work of fiction but a declaration from the murderer of two local men. With the help of his police detective girlfriend, Elizabeth Waishkey, Loogan uncovers an elaborate, at times convoluted conspiracy including criminals involved in a 17-year-old bank robbery gone wrong, an adulterous statesman, a paranormal fantasy novelist turned tabloid journalist, and a charismatic politician running for the Senate. As the body count rises, the intrepid Loogan gets closer to the truth-and closer to becoming the killer's next victim. Relentless pacing, a wry sense of humor, and an engaging protagonist add up to another winner for Dolan. "

A History of the World in 100 Objects by Neil MacGregor

From the publisher: "From the renowned director of the British Museum, a kaleidoscopic history of humanity told through things we have made. When did people first start to wear jewelry or play music? When were cows domesticated and why do we feed their milk to our children? Where were the first cities and what made them succeed? Who invented math-or came up with money? In this original and thought-provoking book, Neil MacGregor, director of the British Museum, has selected one hundred man-made artifacts, each of which gives us an intimate glimpse of an unexpected turning point in human civilization. A History of the World in 100 Objects stretches back two million years and covers the globe. From the very first hand axe to the ubiquitous credit card, each item has a story to tell; together they relate the larger history of mankind-revealing who we are by looking at what we have made."

400 Best Sandwich Recipes by Alison Lewis

From the publisher: "Simple to prepare yet sublime to eat -- sandwich recipes for every occasion. This is the go-to book on sandwiches. These recipes can be enjoyed at any mealtime -- not just lunch -- and include a wide array of snacks, appetizers and desserts. In addition to the standard fare, there is a selection of wonderful, intriguing and creative new recipes. With hundreds of choices, 400 Best Sandwich Recipes has the perfect sandwich for anyone's craving, and every recipe can easily be prepared by the home chef. The recipes are organized into: Breakfast and brunch sandwiches; Appetizers; Lunchbox sandwiches; The classics; Grilled cheeses; Burgers and sliders; Wraps International sandwiches; American favorites; Light and healthy sandwiches; Desserts; and Condiments."

Library closed

The library will be closed from Wednesday December 7 through Saturday December 10 in order to reconfigure the service desks, as well as to add a number of other enhancements and changes. We will be open regular hours on Monday, December 12. See you then!

The Destiny of the Republic by Candice Millard

From Publishers Weekly; "This rendering of an oft-told tale brings to life a moment in the nation's history when access to the president was easy, politics bitter, and medical knowledge slight. James A. Garfield, little recalled today, gained the Republican nomination for president in 1880 as a dark-horse candidate and won. Then, breaking free of the sulfurous factional politics of his party, he governed honorably, if briefly, until shot by an aggrieved office seeker. Under Millard's pen, Garfield's deranged assassin, his incompetent doctors (who, for example, ignored antisepsis, leading to a blood infection), and the bitter politics of the Republican Party come sparklingly alive through deft characterizations. Even Alexander Graham Bell, who hoped that one of his inventions might save the president's life, plays a role. Millard also lays the groundwork for a case that, had Garfield lived, he would have proved an effective and respected chief executive. His death didn't greatly harm the nation, and Millard's story doesn't add much to previous understanding, but it's hard to imagine its being better told."

Sanctus by Simon Toyne

From Library Journal: "In British author Toyne's stellar first in a projected trilogy, a thriller in the Dan Brown tradition, an ancient sect of monks who live in the Citadel, a church carved out of a mountain near the fictional Turkish city of Ruin, have been protecting a secret, "the Sacrament," since before the Christian era. A monk who knows the secret, Brother Samuel, escapes from the Citadel and throws himself off the mountain in full view of spectators and news crews. Later, American newspaper reporter Liv Adamsen learns that her phone number, carved into a small leather strap, has been found inside Samuel's stomach. The monk turns out to be her brother, whom she hasn't seen in years, so Liv travels to Ruin to try to solve the puzzle of his mysterious death. She and several other groups battle the deadly monks, who will stop at nothing to thwart their efforts to discover the Sacrament's secret. The truly mind-boggling revelation will leave astounded readers eager for the next installment."

The Borrower by Rebecca Makkai

In this delightful, funny, and moving first novel, a librarian and a young boy obsessed with reading take to the road. Lucy Hull, a young children's librarian in Hannibal, Missouri, finds herself both a kidnapper and kidnapped when her favorite patron, ten- year-old Ian Drake, runs away from home. The odd pair embarks on a crazy road trip from Missouri to Vermont, with ferrets, an inconvenient boyfriend, and upsetting family history thrown in their path. But is it just Ian who is running away? Who is the man who seems to be on their tail? And should Lucy be trying to save a boy from his own parents?

First Friday event!

This Friday, December 2, you can be part of Downtown Red Wing Main Street's latest First Friday event: Holiday Helping Hands.

Start at the Red Wing Public Library at either 4:00, 4:30, 5:00, or 5:30 and hear a story and receive a bag and blank card. Instructions will be on the bag for where to continue on for more supplies and the chance to create a card to be given to an elderly or homebound person. A special "mailbox" will be set up for those who would like a "Meals on Wheels" participant to receive theirs.

V is for Vengeance by Sue Grafton

From Library Journal: "Kinsey Millhone doesn't look the other way when she sees trouble, so when she spots a woman shoplifting, she immediately informs store authorities. This sets off a chain of events, as the woman is soon found dead of an apparent suicide. Her fiance doesn't believe she killed herself, and Kinsey's quest to find the truth puts her on the trail of a major shoplifting ring. Grafton's latest alphabetical mystery brings Kinsey into contact with a number of shady characters, from gangsters and gamblers to unhappy and unfaithful spouses. Grafton's pioneering sleuth is as clever and witty as ever."

Happy Thanksgiving!

The library will be closed on Thursday, November 24 due to the Thanksgiving Day holiday. We will be open our regular hours on Friday (10am-6pm) and Saturday (9am-3pm).

Diary of a Wimpy Kid: Cabin Fever is here!

From the publisher: "Greg Heffley is in big trouble. School property has been damaged, and Greg is the prime suspect. But the crazy thing is, he's innocent. Or at least sort of. The authorities are closing in, but when a surprise blizzard hits, the Heffley family is trapped indoors. Greg knows that when the snow melts he's going to have to face the music, but could any punishment be worse than being stuck inside with your family for the holidays?"

eBook class for iPad owners

Due to demand, we've added an eBook class just for iPad owners (though the process is quite similar to getting eBooks on an Android device or phone, so if you own an Android device, feel free to come as well!). It will be held Tuesday, Nov. 22 at 5:30 and will last about 30-45 minutes, though staff will stay to answer questions. Find out how to check out free eBooks and downloadable audiobooks from Red Wing Public Library. If possible, please bring your device. Registration is required - space is limited. Please email rwpl@selco.info or call 385-3645 to register.

Unscrewed by Ed Sobey

From the Publisher: "Unscrewed is the perfect resource for all UIYers - Undo It Yourselfers - looking to salvage hidden treasures or repurpose old junk. Author Ed Sobey will show you how to safely disassemble more than 50 devices, including: Laser Printer, Radio-Controlled Car, Zip Drive, Videocassette Recorder, Paper Shredder, Audiocassette Player, Electric Drill, Computer Mouse, Keyboard, Fax Machine, Joystick, Floppy Drive, Videocassette Camera, Electric Clock, and more! Each deconstruction project includes a "treasure cache" of the components to be found, a required tools list, and step-by-step instructions, with photos, on how to extract the working components. It also includes suggestions on how to repurpose your electronic finds. Why pay good money to an electronics store when you probably already have what you need in that old VCR, printer, or hair dryer? Fight the mindset of planned obsolescence-there's technological gold in that there junk!"

Best Fiction of 2011

Kirkus Reviews, known (accurately, I think!) as The World's Toughest Book Critics, have released their list of the best fiction of 2011. Check it out and then check them out from us!

Miss Peregrine's Home for Peculiar Children by Ransom Riggs

From School Library Journal: "Sixteen-year-old Jacob, traumatized by his grandfather's sudden, violent death, travels with his father to a remote island off the coast of Wales to find the orphanage where his grandfather was sent to live to escape Nazi persecution in Poland. When he arrives, he finds much more than he bargained for: the children from his grandfather's stories are still at the orphanage, living in a time loop in 1940. The monsters that killed Jacob's grandfather are hunting for "peculiar" children, those with special talents, and the group at the orphanage is in danger. Jacob must face the possibility that he, too, has certain traits that the monsters are after and that he is being stalked by adults he trusted. This complex and suspenseful story incorporates eerie photographs of children with seemingly impossible attributes and abilities, many of whom appear as characters in the story. The mysterious photographs add to the bizarre and slightly creepy tone of the book. Jacob is a strong and believable character, though only a few of the secondary characters are fully realized. The pacing of the story is good, alternating action sequences with Jacob's discoveries of his grandfather's long-hidden secrets. Readers will find this book unique and intriguing. Grades 8 & up."

The Huckleberry Murders by Patrick McManus

From Publishers Weekly: "In McManus's amusing, folksy fourth Bo Tully mystery, the 43-year-old Blight County, Idaho, sheriff is headed for his favorite remote spot to pick huckleberries when five frantic women inform him that they've spotted bodies nearby. Tully finds three young men, apparently farm laborers, lying by a huckleberry patch, each shot in the back of the head. Tully has his hands full with the rare triple murder as well as the disappearance of rancher Orville Poulson, whose so-called caretaker, Ray Crockett, has entrenched himself on Poulson's property. Meanwhile, various women need the sheriff's attentions, including putative psychic Etta Gorsich, deputy Daisy Quinn, FBI agent Angela Phelps, and nurse Scarlett O'Ryan. Tully once again proves an unorthodox and effective lawman, while McManus's storytelling, be it about a haunted lake or a modern mountain man, never flags."

Theodore Boone; The Abduction

From the Barnes & Noble review: "Theodore Boone, the eighth-grade legal beagle of John Grisham's Kid Lawyer is back for another round of crises in and out of the courtroom. Young Theo's problems are just theoretical: His best friend April has vanished from her bedroom in the middle of the night and no one in town seems capable of penetrating the mystery. It's up to young Boone to piece together the story behind her disappearance and bring any culprits to justice. An engaging suspense story by one of America's most famous authors."

The Wisdom of the Radish by Lynda Hopkins

From the publisher: "Early in The Wisdom of the Radish, Lynda Hopkins admits that she's not a farmer. She’s not even a farmer's wife. She's an aspiring farmer's girlfriend. With this tentative start, she and her boyfriend become the country's newest sodbusters. Their goal is to earn a living wage selling the fruits of their labor at the local farmers' market in Healdsburg, California. What at first sounds pastoral and idyllic quickly devolves into disaster: crop failures, worm-riddled corn, flood, and an episode involving a fox that's right out of Aesop's Fables. But with perseverance, Mother Nature's strong inclination for plants to grow, and sage counsel from Internet message boards, a working farm rises from humble soil. Hopkins is a winning storyteller, and her account of seedlings, harvests, chickens, and goats is gripping. Ultimately, the farm becomes home and not just an endless set of chores. Sometimes it just takes a little heart to become more than an aspiring farmer's girlfriend."

The Leftovers by Tom Perrotta

From Library Journal: "October 14 looked like any other day in the leafy New England enclave of Mapleton-until it didn't. Eighty-seven townspeople and millions more around the world simply disappeared. Cars careened with no one behind the wheel, school kids were without teachers, food went uneaten on dinner tables, and lovers found themselves abandoned. The Rapture? No one knows. What we do know is that the psychological trauma for those left behind is overwhelming, and who better than Perrotta, known for his ability to zero in on the vicissitudes of middle-class America to grapple with the impact? Three years after "The Sudden Departure," Kevin Garvey's wife has joined a cult, son Tom has ditched college to follow guru Holy Wayne, and lovely daughter Jill has shaved her head and taken up with stoners. Nora Durst's life is in a holding pattern as she awaits the return of her husband and child, while Reverend Jamison, enraged at being passed over, publishes a newsletter exposing the failings of the missing. Perrotta has taken a subject that could easily slip into slapstick and imbued it with gravitas. Like Richard Russo, he softens the sting of satire with deep compassion for his characters in all their confusion, guilt, grief, and humanity."

NaNoWriMo!

With the advent of eBooks, publishing books is easier than ever, but writing them is still hard! So check out the National Novel Writing Month (thus the NaNoWriMo...) website. There's all sorts of tools and help for aspiring writers!

From the Washington Post: "…Once you start reading 1Q84, you won't want to do much else until you've finished it. Murakami possesses many gifts, but chief among them is an almost preternatural gift for suspenseful storytelling…Despite its great length, Murakami's novel is tightly plotted, without fat, and he knows how to make dialogue, even philosophical dialogue, exciting…There's no question about the sheer enjoyability of this gigantic novel, both as an eerie thriller and as a moving love story…I read the book in three days and have been thinking about it ever since."

From Publishers Weekly: "This adrenaline shot of uncut geekdom, a quest through a virtual world, is loaded with enough 1980s nostalgia to please even the most devoted John Hughes fans. In a bleak but easily imagined 2044, Wade Watts, an impoverished high school student who calls a vertically stacked trailer park home, lives primarily online, alongside billions of others, via a massive online game, OASIS, where players race to unravel the puzzles OASIS creator James Halliday built into the game before his death, with the winner taking control of the virtual world's parent company, as well as staggering wealth. When Wade stumbles on a clue, he's plunged into high-stakes conflict with a corporation dedicated to unraveling Halliday's riddles, which draw from Dungeons and Dragons, old Atari video games, the cinematic computer hacker ode War Games, and that wellspring of geek humor, Monty Python and the Holy Grail. (Of course.)... [S]weet, self-deprecating Wade, whose universe is an odd mix of the real past and the virtual present, is the perfect lovable/unlikely hero."

From Library Journal: "Anyone familiar with Ellis's work knows his fascination with Physeter macrocephalus, the sperm whale. In homage to Herman Melville, he and his masterpiece, Moby-Dick, are referenced throughout as Ellis approaches these cetaceans from a number of facets-their history (as well as we know it) and legend, biology, social lives, human interaction (they're friendly), adversarial relationship with and taste for squid (best chapter title: "I'll Have the Calamari"), the whaling industry, and efforts to protect them. Buttressing the text, which incorporates science lingo but is still accessible to lay readers, are 122 photos and illustrations, including many of Ellis's original artworks. At once a richly detailed, informative, scientific exploration as well as a love sonnet to the ocean's greatest leviathan, this will appeal to fans of nautical history, nature, Melville, and armchair cetologists. A superb addition to Ellis's canon."

From Publishers Weekly: "Phil Hunt leads a quiet life with his wife, Nora, raising horses near Auburn, Wash., except when he's helping make drug deliveries through the mountains to Canada. Twenty years earlier, Phil killed a man during a botched robbery, and though he did his time, he's still serving the emotional sentence. Living in nearby Silver Lake is deputy Bobby Drake, the son of a legendary lawman who got arrested smuggling drugs just like Phil. Disaster results after Bobby, who hasn't seen the elder Drake in 10 years, inadvertently stumbles on Phil and his new partner during the middle of a drug exchange. Soon, Phil is on the run not only from the law but also a ruthless assassin sent by the smugglers. Waite eloquently depicts men in turmoil for whom the choice isn't necessarily between right and wrong but where to draw the line."

From Publishers Weekly: "It's hardly surprising that Ebert, the Pulitzer Prize-winning film critic for the Chicago Sun-Times since 1967, begins this candid examination of an extraordinary life with an allusion to Ingmar Bergman's Persona, about an actress who loses her voice in mid-performance. Though three thyroid cancer surgeries resulting in the removal of his lower jaw have left Ebert unable to speak, eat, or drink, these are not famous last words. Forgoing a traditional linear format, each chapter-particularly "My Old Man" and "Big John Wayne"-could function as a stand-alone essay. Born in Urbana, Ill., in 1942, Ebert spent a carefree childhood, often with his nose in a book. Drawn to newspapers beginning in high school, he became the sports reporter for his school paper before rising to the rank of co-editor. The position of film critic fell into his lap at the Sun-Times and Ebert hasn't looked back. And while films have governed his life for close to 50 years, he wisely doesn't choose the greatest hits version of his reviewing career, focusing instead on the life he's lived in between screenings: his battle with alcoholism; tight-knit friendships forged in the newsroom (and bar); and his marriage to Chaz, whom he calls "the great fact of my life." Hollywood gets its due, but it's an ensemble player, sharing the screen with reminiscences both witty and passionate from one of our most important cultural voices."

From Library Journal: "Following Love Walked In and Belong to Me, de los Santos's third novel embraces the draw of college friendships. Catalina, Will, and Pen meet on a drama-filled night their freshman year and from that moment are completely inseparable, a solid trio whose bonds seem unbreakable. But something serious does come between them, and after college the friends stop speaking to one another. Yet each one feels the others' absence deeply. Until one day when Pen and Will receive a curt email from Cat: "Please come to the ten-year reunion, I need you." It's a mystery that neither Pen nor Will can ignore. What they find at the reunion is unexpected. This novel is partly a deep look into a friendship and what strengthened it as well as what ruined it, and partly a mystery that sends Pen and Will halfway around the world to the Philippines. The story unfolds in pieces-why the friendships fell apart and what reunites the friends in ways they would not have thought possible are slowly unveiled."

Free eBook class for Kindle users!

Kindle compatibility with eBooks from the Red Wing Public Library is here and we have been fielding lots of questions! So many, in fact, that we are going to offer a free class on checking out books and downloading them to your Kindle or Kindle app. Our next class will be Thursday, October 27 from 5-6pm. Registration is required - space is limited. Please email rwpl@selco.info or call 385-3645 to register. If possible, please bring your Kindle. We are more than willing offer classes at other times if the one above doesn't work for you - so please call if you are interested!

One of National Public Radio's recurring features is "You Must Read This," which presents conversations with authors about the books they love to recommend. Well worth a look!

From Publishers Weekly: "Dispelling the idea that science is based on unchanging rules, Harvard physicist Randall offers an insider's view of modern physics, a vital, continually "evolving body of knowledge" in which previous ideas are always open to change-or even disposal, when researchers discover a theory which better fits observational evidence. While acknowledging art and religion as different ways to search for truth, Randall celebrates how science "seeks objective and verifiable truth" through careful observation and measurement. As our technology allows our view of the world to expand, the range of things we can observe also expands, from what we can see with our naked eye to the world of subatomic particles and forces studied by particle physicists. The Large Hadron Collider is the biggest, most complex tool yet built to parse this tiny world to answer some of physics' biggest questions: the source of mass and gravity, the secrets behind dark matter and dark energy, and the underlying structure of the universe. Randall's witty, accessible discussion reveals the effort and wonder at hand as scientists strive to learn who we are and where we came from."

From Library Journal: "When a family tragedy strikes in a Colorado mining town, young Jozef Vinich and his father return to pre-World War I Austria. Together they live in poverty, working as shepherds and hunting to support themselves. When Jozef's cousin Zlee joins them, a strong bond grows between the two young men. Despite the pastoral setting, Jozef grows increasingly discontent with his rural lifestyle. Eventually Jozef and Zlee join other Austrian men on the Italian front. They not only confront the horrors of combat but also contribute to those horrors through their skill as expert marksmen. This is Krivak's first novel; his earlier work, A Long Retreat: In Search of a Religious Life, is a memoir about his experience in a Jesuit formation program. An unsentimental yet elegant look at a character's coming-of-age as well as his survival of the Great War's brutality. With ease, it joins the ranks of other significant works of fiction portraying World War I-Erich Maria -Remarque's All Quiet on the Western Front or Ernest Hemingway's A Farewell to Arms."

From Publishers Weekly: 'A new father, Hertsgaard was growing increasingly anxious and despondent about climate change and the world his child would inherit. His new book is his investigation into the techniques that could allow his daughter and her generation "to survive the challenges ahead." This readable, passionate book is surprisingly optimistic: Seattle, Chicago, and New York are making long-term, comprehensive plans for flooding and drought. Impoverished farmers in the already drought-stricken African Sahel have discovered how to substantially improve yields and decrease malnutrition by growing trees among their crops, and the technique has spread across the region; Bangladeshis, some of the poorest and most flood-vulnerable yet resilient people on earth, are developing imaginative innovations such as weaving floating gardens from water hyacinth that lift with rising water. Contrasting the Netherland's 200-year flood plans to the New Orleans Katrina disaster, Hertsgaard points out that social structures, even more than technology, will determine success, and persuasively argues that human survival depends on bottom-up, citizen-driven government action."

New Jack Reacher novel!

From Library Journal: "What turned career army cop Jack Reacher into the wandering and deadly version of a knight in rusted armor? In this 16th novel in the highly successful Reacher franchise, Child goes back to small-town Mississippi in 1997. Women have been murdered near a secret Ranger base. The Rangers are suspected, and the official investigation is a mess. Reacher is sent to town disguised as a bum to keep one eye on what might be a flawed army investigation, the other on a series of similar killings in the town, and if he had a third eye, he would use it to cover his back. Exciting and suspenseful, with deceit and cover-ups, violence, and sex, this is another great entry in Child's compelling series. Reacher's many fans can only hope there will be many more. Highly recommended for anyone who likes intelligent, well-written, tense thrillers."

From Library Journal: "The digital age took what was essentially an antiquarian hobby-the study and identification of typefaces and fonts-and turned it into a flourishing present-day avocation. What font do you select when typing at your keyboard? And which do you prefer for your e-reading? Baskerville? Verdana? How much do you know of the magical history behind your choices? Here is a wonderful update for those whose fondness for matters typographical predates the digital age, as well as those whose eyes need awakening to this particular enchantment. Garfield has a light touch and moves effortlessly among various aspects of typography past and present, not only from design perspectives but from accessible social, historical, and legal angles as well. There's a fascinating discussion of the ampersand, references to rock album covers with title fonts that stir the emotions, and a sobering clarification about copyright. Throughout, Garfield offers "fontbreaks" in which he focuses on the provenance of a particular typeface. An added pleasure: the book's own text switches fonts to briefly reflect the typeface under discussion. Highly recommended to all, whether or not you feel predisposed to like this kind of thing! Eye-opening and mind-expanding!"

From Kirkus Reviews: "While working in Milan in 1997, the author met his future wife Bruna. Although she was Brazilian, they decided to marry and make their home in the New Jersey beach community where he was raised. Sean was born in 2000. In 2004, Bruna and Sean traveled to Brazil to visit her parents. Goldman planned to join them in a week, but four days after her departure, she phoned to inform him that she was leaving him and demanded sole custody of their son. Seeking legal advice, he learned that this was not just a custody case. According to the Hague Convention, which had been ratified by both the United States and Brazilian, his wife had kidnapped their son. Despite the fact that U.S. courts ordered the immediate return of the Sean to the United States—where a custody hearing would be held in accordance with the Convention—Goldman was thwarted continually by the Brazilian judicial system. In 2008, having no other recourse, Goldman decided to seek publicity for his case. Featured on NBC, he attracted the attention of New Jersey Representative Chris Smith, who became a determined advocate on his behalf and enlisted support from fellow congressmen, Secretary of State Hillary Clinton and President Obama. Sean became a poster child for thousands of other abducted children, and finally, in December 2009, he was released to the custody of his father. A riveting tale of an unusual abduction and a father's determination to regain rightful custody of his son."

From Library Journal; "At the start of this sweet romance, our well-read heroine, Laura Horsley, is quite distraught at the thought of her beloved Henry Barnsley Books closing its doors. Without any job prospects and leading a somewhat sheltered life, she is thankfully blessed with a knack for organizing fabulous bookshop events. At one such event, Laura is unexpectedly tapped by the notoriously demanding literary agent Eleanora Huckleby to plan a grand literary festival. Not only will Laura be setting up the festival, she is also charged with securing an appearance by the famous and reclusive Irish author Dermot Flynn. Having been a longtime fan and student of his work, she is not prepared for the complicated man she meets and his effect on her. In learning to challenge and trust herself, Laura takes some leaps of faith and learns a lot on the way. Fforde creates intelligent and humorous characters in Laura, Dermot, and, particularly, Eleanora. Readers can easily imagine how much fun it would be to be in Laura's shoes."

From the publisher: "An irresistible new collection from the New York Times bestselling author and [former] host of MSNBC's Countdown with Keith Olbermann. In his particular wit and style, Keith Olbermann skewers politicians, celebrities, and people behaving badly. This book starts right after President Obama's election and collects all of Olbermann's acclaimed "Special Comments," a few of his "Quick Comments," all but one of his feature "WTF," selections of "Bushed" and "Still Bushed," and, of course, a healthy dose of "The Worst Person in the World.""

From the Barnes & Noble Review: "Charming, funny, imaginative - probably not words you would expect in a review of a book about zombies, but then again, Warm Bodies is a novel filled with surprises. First-time author Marion has dreamed up a fully realized dystopian universe. And in a great stroke of irony, he has invented a dead character who displays the most humanity of all.
That character is "R," a zombie who inhabits a rotting, abandoned airport along with a large community of cohorts in varying stages of physical decay. Like all zombies, "R" has no memory of his past life he doesn't know what job he once had, or if he had a family, or even what his name was. He only knows that some catastrophic event a war? a virus? has almost destroyed the human race, sending the remaining people fleeing to an abandoned stadium. The problem is that every so often, zombies get hungry, and they only have an appetite for living flesh and organs. The story takes a sharp turn during one expedition for "food," as "R" devours the brain of a teenage boy and suddenly starts hearing the boy's thoughts in his own head. Soon he finds himself falling in love with Julie, the boy's girlfriend. And strangely enough, she is attracted to him, too.
A most unusual pair of star-crossed lovers, "R" and Julie seek to keep each other safe from the violent forces that threaten them. In Marion's expert hands, the story takes on all kinds of real-world implications, as these two characters like countless lovers before them wonder whether their love might actually change the world."

From the publisher: "The extraordinary author of Cold Mountain and Thirteen Moons returns with a dazzling new novel of suspense and love set in small-town North Carolina in the early 1960s. Now, with his brilliant portrait of Luce, a young woman who inherits her murdered sister’s troubled twins, Frazier has created his most memorable heroine. Before the children, Luce was content with the reimbursements of the rich Appalachian landscape, choosing to live apart from the small community around her. But the coming of the children changes everything, cracking open her solitary life in difficult, hopeful, dangerous ways. Charles Frazier is known for his historical literary odysseys, and for making figures in the past come vividly to life. Set in the twentieth century, Nightwoods resonates with the timelessness of a great work of art."

From the publisher: "An intimate account of the Royal couple, featuring breathtaking photos from the April 29th Royal Wedding. LIFE has covered all of the lavish royal weddings since even before Queen Elizabeth II wed in 1947, and of course the magazine documented in splendid, intimate detail the "wedding of the century," that of Prince Charles and Lady Diana, years later. Now LIFE celebrates the royal engagement of Prince William and Kate Middleton. This book includes intimate pictures of William and Kate as they grew to be the splendid adults they are today. The best photographs of royal weddings that have already been, including those of Charles and Diana, Grace Kelly and Rainier of Monaco, Fergie and Andrew, and many others. A detailed look at the Middletons and the Windsors-the latter, royal family dating back to Queen Victoria. Photography from Buckingham Palace insiders, including pictures from Litchfield and Lord Snowdon."

From Publishers Weekly: "Debut author Morgenstern doesn't miss a beat in this smashing tale of greed, fate, and love set in a turn of the 20th-century circus. Celia is a five-year-old with untrained psychokinetic powers when she is unceremoniously dumped on her unsuspecting father, Hector Bowen, better known as Le Cirque des Reves' Prospero the Entertainer. Hector immediately hatches a sinister scheme for Celia: pit her against a rival's young magician in an epic battle of magic that will, by design, result in the death of one of the players, though neither Celia nor her adversary, Marco, is informed of the inevitable outcome. What neither Hector nor his rival count on is that Celia and Marco will eventually fall in love. Their mentors-Marco's mentor, Alexander, plucked him from the London streets due to his psychic abilities-attempt to intervene with little success as Celia and Marco barrel toward an unexpected and oddly fitting conclusion. Supporting characters-such as Bailey, a farm boy who befriends a set of twins born into the circus who will drastically influence his future; Isobel, a circus employee and onetime girlfriend of Marco's; and theatrical producer Chandresh Christophe Lefevre-are perfectly realized and live easily in a giant, magical story destined for bestsellerdom."

Library eBooks now available for the Kindle!

Amazon and OverDrive have just announced that Kindle compatibility with eBooks from the Red Wing Public Library is here! You can check out books and download them directly to your Kindle or Kindle app. See the press release for some of the details; more to follow soon! The library will be offering classes on eBooks and eReaders beginning in October. Please call Randy at 385-3645 if you are interested.

From Publishers Weekly: "In Penny's outstanding seventh Chief Inspector Gamache novel, Gamache and his loyal deputy in Quebec's Surete, Insp. Jean Guy Beauvoir, are still coming to terms with the multiple physical and emotional traumas they suffered in the previous book, Bury Your Dead. Meanwhile, the day after the triumphant opening of a show of their friend Clara Morrow's paintings at Montreal's Musee d'Art Contemporain, a dead woman with a broken neck turns up in Clara's garden in the small town of Three Pines. Gamache and his team return to this outwardly idyllic community once again to ascertain whether one of its residents is a murderer. With her usual subtle touch and timely injections of humor, Penny effectively employs the recurring motif of the chiaroscuro, the interplay of light and dark, which distinguishes Morrow's artwork and which resonates symbolically in the souls of the author's characters."

International Talk Like a Pirate Day!

Avast, mateys, today be International Talk Like a Pirate Day! For those o' ye with a hankerin' ta larn more, check out some o' our booty:

The Pirates of Somalia: Inside Their Hidden World






Pirates of Barbary: Corsairs, Conquest and Captivity in 17th Century North Africa




Seized: A Sea Captain's Adventures Battling Scoundrels And Pirates While Recovering Stolen Ships In The World's Most Troubled Waters