What They Do in the Dark by Amanda Coe

From the publisher: "Like Lionel Shriver's We Need to Talk About Kevin and Donna Tartt's The Little Friend, this gripping novel pulls you toward its unimaginable climax and will leave you haunted and heartbroken. Spoiled but emotionally neglected Gemma, who seems to have everything, and semi-feral Pauline, who has less than nothing, are two very different ten-year-old girls growing up in a tough Yorkshire town in the 1970s. Pauline longs for the simple luxuries of Gemma's life: her neatly folded socks and her clean hair. Gemma, upset by her parent's breakup, loses herself in fantasies of meeting the child television star Lallie. When Lallie shoots a movie in their hometown, Gemma and Pauline grab the chance for their wildest dreams to come true. But the film becomes a terrible catalyst for the larger forces acting on the two girls, a dysfunctional adult world that trickles down to the children; and playground bullying escalates, with dreadful consequences."

Deadly Monopolies by Harriet Washington

From Publishers Weekly: "Medical ethicist and journalist Washington spotlights the choices made within Big Pharma, and finds that they all point to one motive: profit. Washington begins with the 1980 Bayh-Dole Act, which "married the university to Big Pharma [and] created a medical-industrial complex that eventually robbed universities of their independence and seized control of medication design, costs, and even the evaluation of medication in medical journals." The industry generated record profits through such tactics as selling excised tissues without permission, patenting human genes that were found to be linked to diseases, and even conducting research on uninformed trauma victims and suspicious drug trials in third world countries. The $310 billion industry, which takes in huge profits while bankrupting first world patients and ignoring many third world diseases, often justifies its actions by claiming high research costs, but Washington finds many holes in this argument. Washington concludes with suggested solutions for this ethical morass: open-access drug development, legislation, and collaborations motivated first by research, not profit."

Lots of Candles, Plenty of Cake by Anna Quindlen

From the publisher: "In this irresistible memoir, the New York Times bestselling author and winner of the Pulitzer Prize Anna Quindlen writes about looking back and ahead-and celebrating it all-as she considers marriage, girlfriends, our mothers, faith, loss, all the stuff in our closets, and more.   As she did in her beloved New York Times columns, and in A Short Guide to a Happy Life, Quindlen says for us here what we may wish we could have said ourselves. Using her past, present, and future to explore what matters most to women at different ages, From childhood memories to manic motherhood to middle age, Quindlen uses the events of her own life to illuminate our own. Along with the downsides of age, she says, can come wisdom, a perspective on life that makes it satisfying and even joyful. Candid, funny, moving, Lots of Candles, Plenty of Cake is filled with the sharp insights and revealing observations that have long confirmed Quindlen's status as America's laureate of real life."

Thinking, Fast and Slow by Daniel Kahneman

A New York Times Book Review  best book of 2011. A Globe and Mail Best Books of the Year 2011. One of The Economist 's 2011 Books of the Year. One of The Wall Street Journal 's Best Nonfiction Books of the Year 2011. Daniel Kahneman, recipient of the Nobel Prize in Economic Sciences for his seminal work in psychology that challenged the rational model of judgment and decision making, is one of our most important thinkers. In this highly anticipated book Kahneman takes us on a groundbreaking tour of the mind and explains the two systems that drive the way we think. System 1 is fast, intuitive, and emotional; System 2 is slower, more deliberative, and more logical. Kahneman exposes the extraordinary capabilities--and also the faults and biases--of fast thinking, and reveals the pervasive influence of intuitive impressions on our thoughts and behavior. Thinking, Fast and Slow will transform the way you think about thinking.

The Expats by Chris Pavone

From Publishers Weekly: "Fans of John le Carre and Robert Ludlum will welcome former book editor Pavone's first novel, a meticulously plotted, psychologically complex spy thriller. When Dexter Moore, a financial systems security expert in Washington, D.C., receives a lucrative offer to work for a bank in Luxembourg, his wife, Kate, resigns her position as a CIA operative-a job her husband knows nothing about-and vows to recreate herself as a devoted wife and mother to their two boys. But Kate soon discovers that computer geek Dexter has been living a secret life as well, and that he may be a thief being investigated by the FBI and Interpol who's stolen millions of euros in online banking transactions. The sheer amount of bombshell plot twists are nothing short of extraordinary, but it's Pavone's portrayal of Kate and her quest to find meaning in her charade of an existence that makes this book such a powerful read."

Service outage

We are very sorry about the library service problems you have experienced the past several days - problems we couldn't even let you know about or explain because our web page was down. It all began with the failure of a critical computer system at the headquarters of SELCO, our regional library consortium. Until it was replaced (a process that took far too long) we had no catalog, no ability to check in, check out or request books, no email and no web page. We are mostly back up now. Thank you for your patience and once again, our apologies for any inconvenience!

New DVDs

Newly arrived at the library:


Last Train Home (Rotten Tomatoes rating 100%)






The Descendants (Rotten Tomatoes rating 89%)







War Horse (Rotten Tomatoes rating 77%)






Justified: The complete first season

I Didn't Ask to Be Born (But I'm Glad I Was) by Bill Cosby

From Library Journal: "Written in the same fashion as Cosby's highly successful Cosbyology, his latest is a welcome collection of irresistibly funny observations and reminiscences. He writes the way he performs his stand-up comedy-he rambles on but keeps you interested to see whether he eventually returns to his original topic (he does, with his usual finesse). Cosby's storytelling covers his experiences parenting as well as his own childhood memories growing up in Philadelphia in the 1940s; a tirade about the once-popular Cabbage Patch dolls; and his hilarious thoughts on what it must have been like in the Old West (circling the wagons in under eight seconds takes practice!). This is a book with which everyone can identify on some level; it is humor at its best. Highly recommended."

Staff pick

Starting today and appearing every so often, we'll feature a book recommended by one of our staff members. My main reading interests are historical fiction, mysteries and science fiction/fantasy (and if you are looking for book suggestions in any of those genres, please come talk to me!) and I'm going to kick things off with one of the best works of historical fiction I have ever read: A Conspiracy of Paper by David Liss. The author is a historian who filled his book with fascinating period detail without making it obtrusive or boring. You'll learn all about the beginnings of the stock market in early 18th century London - and its attendant corruption, scandals and villains (not so different from today!). But it's not a dry & dull discussion of finances; the main story follows a 'thief-taker' (think early version of private eye) named Benjamin Weaver, a Jewish former boxer, who investigates the mysterious death of his father. The dialogue is fabulous, the action intense, the settings and characters wonderfully described. Anybody who enjoys historical fiction but hasn't discovered David Liss is in for a treat! (best of all, it's the first in a series!) - Randy

The Cradle in the Grave by Sophie Hannah

From Library Journal: "Within the span of a week, a crazed killer has gripped London by attacking mothers who have been convicted—and acquitted—in a sensationalist rash of crib death cases. One of the victims is known for her heartrending memoir and is also the centerpiece of an in-progress TV documentary. A puzzle card is left on her body; the same card is mailed to the TV producers. Hannah's frenetically paced psychological thriller is a searing indictment of our judicial system and the media's role in fueling collective hysteria. Known for combining her police procedurals with woman-in-peril suspense novels, she again succeeds in scaring our shoes off."

Sisterhood of Dune by Brian Herbert and Kevin Anderson

From the publisher: "It is eighty-three years after the last of the thinking machines were destroyed in the Battle of Corrin, after Faykan Butler took the name of Corrino and established himself as the first Emperor of a new Imperium. Great changes are brewing that will shape and twist all of humankind. The war hero Vorian Atreides has turned his back on politics and Salusa Secundus. The descendants of Abulurd Harkonnen Griffen and Valya have sworn vengeance against Vor, blaming him for the downfall of their fortunes. Raquella Berto-Anirul has formed the Bene Gesserit School on the jungle planet Rossak as the first Reverend Mother. The descendants of Aurelius Venport and Norma Cenva have built Venport Holdings, using mutated, spice-saturated Navigators who fly precursors of Heighliners. Gilbertus Albans, the ward of the hated Erasmus, is teaching humans to become Mentats... and hiding an unbelievable secret. The Butlerian movement, rabidly opposed to all forms of "dangerous technology," is led by Manford Torondo and his devoted Swordmaster, Anari Idaho. And it is this group, so many decades after the defeat of the thinking machines, which begins to sweep across the known universe in mobs, millions strong, destroying everything in its path."

The Crown by Nancy Bilyeau

In this historical thriller, an aristocratic young nun must find a legendary crown in order to save her father's life and preserve all she holds dear from Cromwell's ruthless terror. Booklist said "[s]trong character development, realistic historical detail, and an atmosphere of pervasive tension coupled to a fast-paced plot make it compulsively readable. Woman's Day made it a Book Pick of the Month, calling it a "must read...Part The Da Vinci Code, part The Other Boleyn Girl, it will keep you guessing until the very end!" Check it out!

Special story hour!

As part of Red Wing Downtown Main Street's First Friday series of events, there will be a special story hour at the library on Friday, April 6. There will be 2 sessions - one at 5:00 and one at 5:30. Other downtown events include a special $1 guest pass at the YMCA (the rec pool and slide are open) and an ArtReach activity for kids (from 5-6pm) having to do with water and spring! Please come downtown and join us!

The Girl in the Gatehouse by Julie Klassen

From Booklist: "It might not be much, but the abandoned gatehouse is Mariah Aubrey’s new home. After a brush with scandal threatens to tarnish her family’s social standing, Mariah is sent away by her father. Fortunately her aunt, Mrs. Francesca Prin-Hallsey, offers the use of the old gatehouse on her late husband’s estate. But since Mariah also needs a way of supplementing the meager funds provided by her family, she begins writing novels. Inspiration for her literary efforts is the one thing not in short supply, especially once Captain Matthew Bryant arrives to lease the estate after her aunt’s death. Both kind-hearted and courageous, Matthew is the stuff from which romantic heroes are made, and he would be perfect for Mariah if only he wasn’t so determined to marry another woman! Klassen creates a wonderful cast of engaging characters while neatly stirring in a generous dash of mystery and danger into the plot of her latest, charmingly romantic inspirational romance." Winner of the 2011 Christy award for historical romance!

The Paleo Diet Cookbook by Loren Cordain

From the publisher: "The cookbook based on the bestselling The Paleo Diet.
Dr. Loren Cordain's The Paleo Diet has helped thousands of people lose weight, keep it off, and learn how to eat for good health by following the diet of our Paleolithic ancestors and eating the foods we were genetically designed to eat. Now this revolutionary cookbook gives you more than 150 satisfying recipes packed with great flavors, variety, and nutrition to help you enjoy the benefits of eating the Paleo way every day."