The Last Runaway by Tracy Chevalier

From Booklist: "Honor Bright sailed from England to America in 1850 with her sister, Grace, who is betrothed to a fellow Quaker in Ohio. After Grace's death, Honor is left in the awkward position of an outsider, searching for her place in an unsettled land of restless change where even the Quakers are different from those she had known at home. She finds solace in writing letters to friends and family in England and in the exquisite quilting skills that tie her to her old life and offer some hope of ties to a new one. Honor's only true American friend is Belle, the unorthodox milliner who clandestinely aids runaway slaves, even as her rough and charismatic brother, Donovan, hunts them down. Horrified by the realities of slavery, Honor faces the new complexities of the Fugitive Slave Law and the challenges it poses for the Quakers and for her personally. Chevalier offers a cast of strong characters wrestling with thorny personalities, the harsh realities of the frontier, and the legal and moral complexities of American slavery."

Systems are back up

All systems are go - at least that's what we've been told by SELCO. Please let us know if you experience any problems, and once again we are sorry for the inconvenience!

Computer problems

As you may have noticed, we are experiencing some computer problems. The regional consortium (SELCO) is suffering some sort of major outage, and it has taken down many of our systems as well, including the in library computers, the ability to request items online, online access to databases and access to eBook accounts as well. We are very sorry for the inconvenience!(but you can still come in and check out books - we'd love to see you!). They have not given us any idea when things will be working again.

Ubuntu Made Easy by Rickford Grant

Tired of Microsoft? Can't afford an Apple? You might want to look at a different operating system, Linux. A popular 'flavor' of Linux is Ubuntu. The Amazon.com review lists 5 good reasons to try Ubuntu: "1) it’s free; 2) its hardware requirements are pretty low; 3) it's easy to install; 4) it meshes pretty well with the Windows world; and 5) it’s robust, easy to use, and easily customizable." Ubuntu Made Easy is a great way to learn about your options for escaping the Microsoft/Apple hegemony! -Randy

Seven Days by Deon Meyer

From Library Journal: "When an ambitious South African lawyer is found stabbed to death in her luxurious apartment, the police have absolutely no clues. A month later, Bible-quoting emails arrive accusing the cops of a cover-up, and the author begins shooting one police officer a day until the case is resolved. In near panic, the authorities assign Benny Griessel to the Directorate of Priority Crimes Investigation (the Hawks). Benny-220 days sober, recently divorced, and feeling he has been a failure-races to solve the murder and find the shooter while fighting his own demons and trying to help musician friend Alexa deal with her alcohol problems. Meyer's eighth South African mystery bluntly shows how everything revolves around color even in postapartheid South Africa. The real appeal lies in the skillfully drawn characters, the everyday tensions among ordinary people, and the pain Benny feels in trying to do right. Meyer is a superb storyteller; his crime novels are a must read for fans of high-quality mystery."

Changes to library eBooks!

Overdrive, the company that provides us with eBooks and eAudiobooks, has rolled out the next generation of their catalog. It's quite different and has many improvements - we hope you like it! An 'orientation' to the new features can be found here. Please let us know if you have any questions!

Social reading

An increasingly popular method of finding good books to read involves social reading sites (think Facebook for books). Two of the most popular are LibraryThing and Goodreads. Curious about which might be best for you? Check out part 1 and part 2 of this very interesting article by Amanda Nelson of BookRiot.

You may have noticed that both our event and meeting room calendars are missing from our web page. Our web provider's site was the victim of an attempted hacking and while the trouble has been contained, our calendars suffered 'collateral damage.' This should be a very temporary condition; we should have them back up soon. Call us if you have questions. Sorry for the inconvenience!

Zero Separation by Philip Donlay

From Booklist: "Donlay's third novel rivets the reader from the first page and doesn't let up until the shocking end. Donovan Nash witnesses the theft of an executive jet and immediately finds himself accused of helping the villains get away. Ruthless FBI agent Veronica Montero digs into Nash's past and discovers a secret that would destroy Nash and his family. Rather than blow the whistle, Montero decides to blackmail Nash as a way of getting his assistance in solving the case. What appears to be a simple theft conceals a terrorist threat that could kill millions, and the man behind the plot has ties to Nash's past. Fans of political thrillers and military fiction, especially those dealing with the aerospace industry, will devour this one. Without a doubt, Donlay's best to date."

Fun regional mystery series you may have missed: Dead Tease: A Loon Lake Mystery by Victoria Houston

From Library Journal: "The small population of Loon Lake, WI, wouldn't seem to lend itself to hit-man murders, but there you have it. Jen Williams has just left a clandestine tryst with the local hospital's executive, John McNeil, when she is knifed at her own mailbox. Sheriff Lewellyn "Lew" Ferris once again employs her deputized friend, retired dentist Paul Osborne, to help her figure out who the two-legged loon is, in this tale of jealousy and revenge. She has her hands full interviewing a full deck of suspects, including McNeil's jilted lover, his wife, and a crazed old widow. Perhaps there's a touch of Columbo about Lew's team, but don't underestimate this small-town squad. A delightful procedural that makes the most of the series' offbeat ensemble cast."

Salt Sugar Fat: How the Food Giants Hooked Us by Michael Moss

From Booklist: "The U.S. has the highest rate of obesity in the world, much of it due to the abundance of cheap, calorie-rich, processed food. Food companies manipulate our biological desires to scientifically engineer foods that induce cravings to overeat, using terms like mouth feel for fats and bliss point for sugars to tinker with formulations that will trigger the optimum food high. Coke even refers to their best customers as heavy users. Moss portrays how the industry discovered the allure of added sugar in the 1900s, and has been jacking up the levels ever since, without regard for consumer health, in everything from soda to breakfast cereals to instant pudding, in a race for market share. The food industry is not about to change, but this book is a wake-up call to the issues and tactics at play and to the fact that we are not helpless in facing them down."

The Book of Killowen by Erin Hart

From Publishers Weekly: "Hart combines powerful insights into human nature and pristine prose with history and archeology in her stellar fourth crime novel featuring Irish archeologist Cormac Maguire and American pathologist Nora Gavin. When the bog-preserved but dismembered and stabbed body of a ninth-century monk is found with the body of Benedict Kavanagh-the host of an intellectual TV chat show who's been missing for months-in the trunk of a car excavated from a Tipperary bog, Nora and Cormac investigate on the behalf of Ireland's National Museum. The pair, working in parallel with local detective Stella Cusack, look into landowner Vincent Claffey and the residents of the artists' colony at Killowen, a tight-knit community of individuals with hidden pasts and strong motivations to protect themselves. Hart teases the reader with hints without telegraphing the solutions to the mysteries a moment too soon. This exploration of the ways people keep secrets, innocuous and terrible, to create sanity out of difficult pasts, offers food for thought that persists beyond the immediate thrill of a well-told tale."

The Dinner by Herman Koch (eBook)

From Publishers Weekly: "This chilling novel starts out as a witty look at contemporary manners in the style of Yasmina Reza's God of Carnage before turning into a take-no-prisoners psychological thriller. The Lohman brothers, unemployed teacher Paul and politician Serge, a candidate for prime minister, meet at an expensive Amsterdam restaurant, along with their respective spouses, Claire and Babette, to discuss a situation involving their respective 15-year-old sons, Michel and Rick. At first, the two couples discuss such pleasantries as wine and the new Woody Allen film. But during this five-course dinner, from aperitif to digestif, secrets come out that threaten relations between the two families. To say much more would spoil the breathtaking twists and turns of the plot, which slowly strips away layers of civility to expose the primal depths of supposedly model citizens, not to mention one character's past history of mental illness and violence. With dark humor, Koch dramatizes the lengths to which people will go to preserve a comfortable way of life."

Lean In: Women, Work and the Will to Lead by Sheryl Sandberg

From Publishers Weekly: "Facebook COO Sandberg examines the dearth of women in major leadership positions, and what women can do to solve the problem, in this provocative tome. While acknowledging that women have made great strides in the business world, she posits that they still have a long way to go and lays out a plan for women to get there. "I have written this book to encourage women to dream big, forge a path through the obstacles, and achieve their full potential," she explains. The author's counsel-gleaned from her own experiences-includes suggestions for increasing self-confidence, particularly in the business world; understanding the role of mentors and how to identify them; building emotional relationships at work; not focusing on being liked; juggling marriage and children with a demanding job; and the importance of taking risks. "Hard work and results should be recognized by others, but when they aren't, advocating for oneself becomes necessary," Sandberg opines. A new generation of women will learn from Sandberg's experiences, and those of her own generation will be inspired by this thoughtful and practical book."

Six Years by Harlan Coben

From Library Journal: "Jake Fisher finds the love of his life, Natalie, and imagines their future together as husband and wife. Instead, she dumps him and a few days later then invites him to her wedding to a man she just met. Jake watches Natalie take her vows, and she tells him to leave her alone forever. For six years, he keeps that promise. But when he sees Natalie's husband's obituary, Jake decides to attend the funeral and comfort Natalie. He is stunned to discover that the man's widow is not Natalie and that the church where he watched her marry has no record of the ceremony. Verdict Coben is one of the best thriller writers in the business, and he delivers another amazing novel that will resonate with readers long after the final page is turned.The narrative is immersive, and the well-drawn characters and twisting plotting are stellar. With such a cool hook and a surprising and satisfying payoff, don't wait six years to read what might be Coben's best since Tell No One."

Book sale!

The semi-annual Friends of the Red Wing Public Library's used book sale will be this Saturday, March 23 from 9:00 am until 2pm. It's a wonderful opportunity to pick up great books at rock bottom prices, and all for a good cause. Come by and see! Or if you'd like to get a head start - and are a member of the FOL - come by Friday, March 22 from 2-5 for the members only presale!

Snow day! (again)

Today's T.O.O.L. meeting is canceled (we follow the school's lead - if school is canceled or let out early we cancel our children's events, including story hours, tween book club, T.O.O.L., etc). But the library is still open! (though please be careful if you drive here!)

Please come join us this Saturday, March 16, at 9:30am for the last of our special Winter Saturdays Family Story Times. Library staff will present a special themed story time including stories, songs, rhymes and a take home craft. This week's theme is Play Time! Older siblings welcome and no registration required.

New DVDs

Just arrived at the library (Rotten Tomatoes 85% and up edition...):

Looper (Rotten Tomatoes rating 93%)

Skyfall (Rotten Tomatoes rating 92%)







Arbitrage (Rotten Tomatoes rating 87%)







Touching the Void (Rotten Tomatoes rating 93%)

Author Larry Millett coming to Red Wing Public Library

Please join us at the library this Saturday, March 16, at 10am to see Larry Millett, author of the Sherlock Holmes in Minnesota mystery series as well as a number of books on Twin Cities architectural history. This is an great opportunity to hear from one of Minnesota's most famous authors! Sponsors are the Friends of the Red Wing Library and the Friends Book Club. Refreshments will be served.

Greatest Photographs of the American West by National Geographic

From the publisher: "Drawing from National Geographic's incredible trove of photographs -- some iconic, rarely or never-before-seen -- this dazzling quintessential American collection continues in the tradition of the bestselling Through the Lens and Image Collection. Official companion to a museum show running simultaneously at ten museums in the West, this book evokes the richness of our national identity and resonates with cultural import. National Geographic photographers have documented the American West for 120 years, telling stories of time and place, people and wildlife, crisis and change. This collection of images, unavailable anywhere else, is the very best from National Geographic's 10.5 million-image vault."

The Next Time You See Me by Holly Goodard Jones

From Library Journal: "Emily is a troubled 13-year-old, teased by the cutest boy in school and unable to rise above being the seventh-grade cipher. Her world is turned upside down when she stumbles across a body in the woods. Emily's teacher, Susanna, is worried about her problematic sister, Ronnie. Ronnie is a hard-drinking partier who loves a wild night out. But Susanna hasn't heard from Ronnie in weeks. Wyatt is an older man set in his ways who works at the local plant. All he has in his lonely life is his dog and his measly job. These characters and more all intersect in various ways under Jones's deft control, coalescing in a climactic ending. This first novel by award-winning Jones is going to be hot. In the vein of Gone Girl, last summer's runaway smash, Jones's tightly written Southern thriller will be one of spring's sizzling titles. Jones brilliantly weaves together story lines from unexpected angles. Her writing is fluid and she keeps a pace that will have readers lacing on their running shoes. And what a suspenseful, emotional, addictive run it is! Buy it now, read it now, share it now."

Snow day!

Baby story time is canceled for today (we follow the school's lead - if school is canceled so are our children's events, including story hours, tween book club, T.O.O.L., etc). But the library is still open! (though please be careful if you drive here!)

Party time!

Please join us this Saturday, March 2, between 10am and noon, as we have an open house to say goodbye to our children's librarian, Pat Martin, who is retiring after 22 years with the library (and then heading off to the Peace Corps!). We'll have free muffins, cookies and juice. Please stop by and say goodbye to Pat!

Benediction by Kent Haruf

From Library Journal: "After the critical and popular success of Plainsong and its sequel, Eventide, Colorado native Haruf returns to his fictional town of Holt, on the high plains of eastern Colorado. As Dad Lewis, a central figure in the community, lies dying, he looks out from his bedroom window over the familiar wheat fields and pastures dotted with black cattle. His wife, Mary, is constantly by his side, and daughter Lorraine has left a lackluster romance in Denver to come help. Only the Lewises' relationship with their absent son, Frank, clouds Dad's blessed life. Numerous neighbors stop by to keep Dad's spirits up despite being burdened with their own cares. Rev. Lyle's heartwarming stories of people he's helped cover up a dark past. The Johnson women, mother Willa and daughter Alene, appear dull and unremarkable, but Alene hides an intense loneliness stemming from a passionate affair with a married man. As Dad's life slips away, these neighbors forge indelible bonds. Haruf captures the sadness and hardship, the joys and triumphs behind the lives of ordinary people. Benediction has an understated Our Town quality that's all the more powerful in the hands of this master storyteller. This is exceptional fiction not to be missed."

The Swerve: How the World Became Modern by Stephen Greenblatt

From Library Journal: "Greenblatt deftly transports readers to the dawn of the Renaissance, when in 1417 bibliophile Poggio Bracciolini uncovered the Roman poet and philosopher Titus Lucretius Carus's Epicurean work, On the Nature of Things, in the dusty confines of a German monastery. After lying dormant for centuries, Lucretius's "atomist" philosophy reemerged, promoting the joys of this world over the punishments and rewards of the next, gradually conquering humanist circles and influencing such luminaries as More, Machiavelli, Hobbes, and Newton. At the heart of Lucretius's Latin verse lies the core argument that by understanding the world around us, abandoning superstitious delusions, and coming to grips with humanity's insignificance, we begin to take ownership of our lives and set out on the pursuit of happiness. Greenblatt's masterful account transcends Poggio's significant discovery to encompass a diversity of topics including the Roman book trade, Renaissance Florence, and the Catholic Church's attempts to deal with heresy and schism. Students and general readers from across the humanities will find this enthralling account irresistible."

Top Dog: The Science of Winning and Losing by Po Bronson & Ashley Merryman

From Publishers Weekly: "Bronson and Merryman praise healthy competition as a force that not only spurs individuals to excel but drives the progress of entire cultures, convincingly pegging the development of democracy as a side-effect of the original Greek Olympics, and the composition of Bach’s masterpieces as a product of musical/religious politics. Citing studies that explore individual performance in the contexts that offer only intrinsic motivators versus those that provide a peer challenge, they find that performance is most enhanced when a competitor feels externally judged, opponents are few, the roles and goals are clear, and the participants are well-enough matched that the outcome is uncertain until the end. The authors explore physiological components of performance (like enzymes that may correlate with whether an individual needs stress to perform optimally), the role of gender in competition (men are more likely than women to overestimate their chances and take a risk), as well as the culture of competition at large, postulating on the effects of teaching universal self-esteem and the replacement of a “playing to win” ethos with one of “playing not to lose.” Accessible for fans of pop science, yet substantial enough to have practical applications, Bronson and Merryman’s investigation will have folks rethinking the impulse to win at work and play. "

Author Pete Hautman coming to Red Wing Public Library

Please join us at the library this Saturday, February 23, at 10am to see Pete Hautman, author of the Bloodwater mystery series as well as many popular and critically acclaimed books for children and teens. This is an great opportunity to hear from one of Minnesota's most famous authors! Sponsors are the Friends of the Red Wing Library and the Friends Book Club. Refreshments will be served.

The Bat by Jo Nesbo

Finally available in English! The very first book in Jo Nesbo's phenomenally popular Harry Hole series. From the publisher: "Before Harry took on the neo-Nazi gangs of Oslo, before he met Rakel, before The Snowman tried to take everything he held dear, he went to Australia. Harry Hole is sent to Sydney to investigate the murder of Inger Holter, a young Norwegian girl, who was working in a bar. Initially sidelined as an outsider, Harry becomes central to the Australian police investigation when they start to notice a number of unsolved rape and murder cases around the country. The victims were usually young blondes. Inger had a number of admirers, each with his own share of secrets, but there is no obvious suspect, and the pattern of the other crimes seems impossible to crack. Then a circus performer is brutally murdered followed by yet another young woman. Harry is in a race against time to stop highly intelligent killer, who is bent on total destruction."

Confessions of a Scary Mommy by Jill Smokler

From the publisher: "Confessions of a Scary Mommy is a collection of original essays that take an irreverent look at the underbelly of parenting—things most moms would never admit, but feel every day. Brutally honest and hysterically funny, Confessions will leave you feeling less alone in the sometimes overwhelming and exhausting world of motherhood. If you’re already a fan, lock the bathroom door on your whining kids, run a bubble bath, and settle in. If you’ve not encountered Scary Mommy before, break out a glass of champagne as well, because you’ll be toasting your initiation into a very select club."

God's Hotel: A Doctor, a Hospital and a Pilgrimage to the Heart of Medicine by Victoria Sweet

From Library Journal: "This is a remarkable, poignant portrait of a committed physician on a quest to understand the heart, as well as the art, of medicine. Laguna Honda Hospital, the last remaining almshouse in the United States-a therapeutic community that houses and cares for the chronically ill or impoverished- offers veteran physician Sweet (clinical medicine, Univ. of California, San Francisco) a unique education in ministering to the body, heart, and soul. Her experiences there inspired her to study medieval physician, poet, and abbess Hildegard of Bingen's alternative approach to medicine of advocating that the human body be nurtured like a garden. Ultimately, Sweet embraced the notion and practice of slow medicine, an approach at odds with the contemporary rush for efficiency, a misguided trend to which even Laguna Honda eventually succumbs. A marvelous, arresting read for anyone interested in medical practice. Of particular appeal to aficionados of spiritual medical narratives such as Tracy Kidder's Mountains Beyond Mountains: The Quest of Dr. Paul Farmer, a Man Who Would Cure the World."

Cut to the Quick by Kate Ross

From Library Journal: "In 1820s London, Mark Craddock, formerly a stable hand for the ancient, respectable Fontclair family, blackmails Hugh Fontclair into asking for the hand of his only daughter. During a prenuptial house party at the Fontclair estate, gadabout dandy Julian Kestel discovers a murdered woman in his bed, then joins in the subsequent investigation. Likely suspects include Hugh's rakish cousin, evasive uncle, penniless poor relation, and so forth. Period atmosphere, polished dialog, ever-present class distinctions, and sprinklings of Regency romance make this a nice series opener with an unusual ``hero.''"

The Great North Road by Peter Hamilton

From Publishers Weekly: "Hamilton's stand-alone near-future mystery is a mesmerizing page-turner whose pace never lags despite the book's substantial length. In 2143, Newcastle police detective Sidney Hurst realizes that a naked corpse dragged from the river was a member of the North family. Clones Augustine, Bartram, and Constantine North founded a company that invested in trans-spatial connection, a technology that opened gateways to other star systems and expanded humanity's access to energy and living space. They cloned themselves in turn, by the hundreds. The wounds on the dead North, whose exact identity is vexingly hard to pin down, match those on Bartram's body after he and his household were slaughtered in 2121-and Angela Tramelo, convicted of those murders, always claimed that an alien monster was the real culprit. The intense whodunit plot and the sustained ambiguity about Tramelo's innocence or guilt are enhanced by plausible extrapolations of 22nd-century human cultures."

The Cutting Season by Attica Locke

From Library Journal: "Caren Gray faces down the ugly history of slavery daily-she manages the Belle Vie plantation for its owners, the Clancy family. For generations, her family worked for the Clancys, and she and her nine-year-old daughter found refuge here after Hurricane Katrina. Caren's routine of coordinating school tours, weddings, and banquets is interrupted by the grisly discovery of a migrant worker's body on the property. The police zero in on a suspect, but Caren is unconvinced they have their man. Her investigation unearths more than she bargained for-and she realizes how widespread the repercussions of slavery still ripple. Locke's second novel is a layered, nuanced mystery with a social conscience. Weaving legal, social, historical, and economic elements into the story of a changing family, it's a good choice for readers who enjoy multifaceted mysteries with a strong female protagonist and that blur genre distinctions"

Exploring J.R.R. Tolkein's The Hobbit by Corey Olsen

From Publishers Weekly: "Since 2009, Washington College English professor Olsen's Web site, The Tolkien Professor, has provided accessible insight into the works of famed academic and fantasist J.R.R. Tolkien. Fans of that site will be pleased to discover Olsen narrowing his focus here to The Hobbit, the children's book in which the first tentative steps that would eventually lead to Mount Doom itself were taken. Olsen studies Tolkien's work chapter by chapter, illuminating details of character and plot that might otherwise escape the reader; the various versions of the work in question and the reasons why Tolkien altered his work are likewise examined. A work of love backed up by professional experience, this book is packed with information; the author's infectious enthusiasm pervades his words, ensuring that what could have been a dry work in other hands will retain even a casual reader's interest. The result is a text suitable for fans and scholars alike."

The Intercept by Dick Wolf

From Library Journal: "Wolf, the master storyteller behind NBC's four Law and Order series, makes a spectacular fiction debut with this gripping thriller. Just three days before the dedication of the new Freedom Tower on July 4, five passengers and a flight attendant on an incoming transatlantic flight prevent Awaan Abdulraheem, a fellow passenger, from hijacking the plane. However, Jeremy Fisk, the leading detective from the NYPD's well-funded Intelligence Division, and his assistant, Kirsten Gersten, soon suspect that this lightweight Yemeni terrorist purposively diverted their attention from another passenger, Saudi art dealer Baada Bin-Hezam, who deplaned and disappeared into Manhattan to orchestrate a new attack. With only 36 hours remaining before the ceremony, Fisk and Gersten conduct a citywide manhunt. A pulsating plotline. Clever characters. Dramatic dialog. Surprising twists. All make for an edge-of-your-seat read that will have thriller fans eagerly awaiting the next series installment."

The Willpower Instinct by Kelly McGonigal

From the publisher: " After years of watching her students struggling with their choices, health psychologist Kelly McGonigal, Ph.D., realized that much of what people believe about willpower is actually sabotaging their success. Committed to sharing what the scientific community already knew about self-control, McGonigal created a course called "The Science of Willpower" for Stanford University's Continuing Studies Program. The course was an instant hit and spawned the hugely successful Psychology Today blog with the same name. Informed by the latest research and combining cutting-edge insights from psychology, economics, neuroscience, and medicine, McGonigal's book explains exactly what willpower is, how it works, and why it matters. Readers will learn: Willpower is a mind-body response, not a virtue. It is a biological function that can be improved through mindfulness, exercise, nutrition, and sleep. People who have better control of their attention, emotions, and actions are healthier, happier, have more satisfying relationships, and make more money."

Please come join us this Saturday, February 2, at 9:30am for the third of our special Winter Saturdays Family Story Times. Library staff will present a special themed story time including stories, songs, rhymes and a take home craft. This week's theme is Dinosaurs! Older siblings welcome and no registration required.

Lone Survivors by Chris Stringer

From Library Journal: "Prominent paleontologist and anthropologist Stringer eviews recent research from a wide breadth of fields to give readers an up-to-date view of the state of human prehistory. In doing so, he also shows how science works to adapt and update theories as improved techniques bring new facts to light and new evidence is found in the field. Stringer explains many state-of-the-art techniques for studying fossils (e.g., uranium-series dating, electron spin resonance, computerized tomography, DNA sequencing) and combines these findings with current research in the areas of archaeology, evolutionary anthropology, epigenetics, and environmental studies to provide a well-rounded view of how the Homo genus evolved. Stringer, a leading proponent of the recent single-origin hypothesis or "Out of Africa" theory, continues to support that model with some modifications. A broad and current review of the subject makes this an essential book for anyone interested in psychology, sociology, anthropology, human evolution, or the scientific process."

NW by Zadie Smith

From Library Journal: "Partway through this charged onslaught of a novel, Smith's first in the seven years since On Beauty, a young tough refusing to put out a cigarette on a children's playground says, "You can't really chat to me. I'm Hackney, so," referring to the London borough. Although it gets a rise from his challenger, the comment clarifies Smith's story. Geography is destiny, and NW (North West London), with its housing projects and increasingly marginalized community, is the force shaping the narrative. Natalie Blake (nee Keisha) grew up there but has worked hard, tugged at her Afro-Caribbean roots, and become a lawyer; friend Leah, who also got a degree (as a state-school wild card) and is now "the only white girl on [Council's] Fund Distribution Team," doesn't want to move on. They circle warily, and Natalie eventually circles back, even as other characters-ambitious Felix and heartthrob Nathan, now in the gutter-wash through the you-are-there writing. Told in numbered, run-on chapters that occasionally offer an aphorism or poetry, Smith's elliptical prose initially frustrates, then mesmerizes; it's a brilliant, daring way to deliver real lives-and, in the end, an emotional knockout."

The Economics Book ed. by Niall Kishtainy

I love DK (Dorling Kindersley) books, especially for their visuals. Economics doesn't seem like a natural topic for them but give this book a try - you'd be surprised how interesting they can make it! - RD The publisher's description: "From Aristotle and Thomas Aquinas, to Adam Smith and John Maynard Keynes, to the top economic thought leaders of today, The Economics Book is the essential reference for students and anyone else with an interest in how economies work. Easy-to-follow graphics, succinct quotations, and thoroughly accessible text throw light on the applications of economics, making them relatable through everyday examples and concerns. Employing DK's trademark visual approach, The Economics Book takes a frequently confusing subject and makes sense of it, clearly highlighting both historically important and emerging ideas in this critical field of science."

The Bluebird Effect: Uncommon Bonds with Common Birds by Julie Zickefoose

From Publishers Weekly: "Mr. Troyer, a bluebird saved from the fatal clutches of a sharp-shinned hawk, goes on to live a life of bigamy. Thus begins bird lover Zickefoose's captivating memoir. In her collection of avian stories-enlivened by her evocative line drawings-Zickefoose, a naturalist, bird painter, and songbird rehabilitator, shares her passion and curiosity for "the zone where birds interact with people... the moment when my gaze meets a bird's-that exchange of awareness of the 'who' in each of us, the spark of understanding leaping from the bright bead of its eye to mine." She takes on the care of four astonishingly tiny hummingbirds, "hatched from eggs no bigger than black-eyed peas," who dominate her life with feedings every 20 minutes. She rails against the extinction of ivory-billed woodpeckers and is transported by "tanagers being tanagers, in all their unfathomable beauty and grace." Birders will appreciate her meticulous observations and devotion to the avian world, but anyone who's ever considered hanging a birdfeeder is likely to be mesmerized by the sensuous, precise prose as well as Zickefoose's vivid portraits of scrawny, fluffy phoebe chicks, a self-possessed hummingbird perched on a clothesline, dwarfed by the surrounding clothespins, and orioles migrating by moonlight. Readers will be astounded by the drama and intelligence fluttering in their backyards."

Author William Kent Krueger coming to Red Wing Public Library

Please join us at the library this Saturday, January 26, at 10am to see William Kent Krueger, author of the wildly successful Cork O'Connor mystery series set in Northern Minnesota. This is an incredible opportunity to hear from one of Minnesota's most famous authors! Sponsors are the Friends of the Red Wing Library and the Friends Book Club. Refreshments will be served.

In the Shadow of the Banyan by Vaddey Ratner

From Publishers Weekly: "The struggle for survival is relayed with elegance and humility in Ratner's autobiographical debut novel set in Khmer Rouge-era Cambodia. Raami is seven when civil war erupts, and she and her family are forced to leave Phnom Penh for the countryside. As minor royalty, they're in danger; the Khmer Rouge is systematically cleansing the country of wealthy and educated people. Escaping their Phnom Penh home aboard a rusty military vehicle, a gold necklace is traded for rice, and literacy can mean death; "They say anyone with glasses reads too much... the sign of an intellectual." Amid hunger, the loss of much of her family, and labor camp toil, Raami clings to the beauty that her father has shown her in traditional mythology and his own poetry. Raami's story closely follows that of Ratner's own: a child when the Khmer Rouge took over in 1975, she endured years under their rule until she and her mother escaped to the United States in 1981. This stunning memorial expresses not just the terrors of the Khmer Rouge but also the beauty of what was lost. A hauntingly powerful novel imbued with the richness of old Cambodian lore, the devastation of monumental loss, and the spirit of survival."

Grizzly Bears and Razor Clams: Walking America's Pacific Northwest Trail by Chris Townsend

I'm a bit biased on this one - to me, Glacier National Park is the most beautiful national park in the country, and the Pacific Northwest isn't far behind. I highly recommend visiting either (but maybe not a 1200 mile solo hike...) -Randy. From Library Journal: "The Pacific Northwest Trail is 1200 miles of rugged terrain from Glacier National Park in Montana to the Pacific Ocean. Townsend walked the trail solo in 75 days. The only guidebooks available to him were woefully out of date, and large portions of the trail remain unmarked. This volume covers his preparation for the journey, the route he followed, and the difficulties he faced. The book also includes many color photos of the area's breathtaking natural beauty. The appendixes contain information about how he plotted his trail, a list of his supplies (including brand names), and his evaluation of what worked and what didn't. Townsend makes every word count. Readers interested in the Pacific Northwest and wilderness backpacking will enjoy the combination of nature writing and practical advice."

A Memory of Light by Robert Jordan and Brandon Sanderson

It's been 23 years, but the 14th and final volume of Robert Jordan's Wheel of Time series is finally here!And judging by the reviews that are coming in, it was worth the wait. Better reserve your copy soon!

Be Good: How to Navigate the Ethics of Everything by Randy Cohen

From Library Journal: "Cohen was the author for 12 years of the popular Ethicist column for the New York Times Magazine, in which he addressed readers' questions about ethical issues they faced in their daily lives. Here, after a useful introduction in which he explains his methods and procedures, Cohen collects many of these columns, organized into thematic chapters around such topics as family, doctors and nurses, work, love and sex, money, and religion. Each chapter includes a preliminary essay in which Cohen comments on the general ethical questions surrounding that theme. Many of the questions concern issues of honesty, e.g., making a false statement about one's religion to avoid discrimination in a foreign country. Even those who disagree with his answers are likely to recognize that Cohen is an acute and caring writer. Anyone interested in ethical questions - and who is not? - will find this book valuable."

Hot Reads for Cold Nights 2013

It's time for the annual Hot Reads for Cold Nights program, sponsored by the Friends of the Red Wing Public Library. Register for the program and receive a free gift bag! Fill out read and recommend cards and be entered for prize drawings. Come and listen to any of the Hot Reads author programs at the library. If you have any questions, please give us a call.

The Time In Between by Maria Duenas

From Library Journal: "Sira Quiroga begins life as the bastard daughter of a humble seamstress in Madrid, but bad luck, fate, and the crooked path -toward true love all lead her to a life of dizzying glamour, adventure, and high-stakes espionage. When young Sira is abandoned by her lover in Morocco, she is forced to reinvent herself as a sophisticated dressmaker to the expatriate community while the Spanish civil war devastates her homeland. Her work brings her into contact with powerful men, compelling women, and a man she believes to be a journalist and perhaps the love of her life. When the British government asks her to return to Madrid to spy for them as World War II sweeps Europe, she reluctantly agrees, but in doing so becomes a heroine. The first-person perspective makes this long novel seem short, and the rich narrative includes many important figures and incidents from history. Does the story topple into melodrama from time to time? Sure. Does the ending leave you wanting more? Perhaps. Nonetheless, this Spanish import is so romantic, so grand, and so terrifically engrossing that readers will forgive and forget. It is no surprise this debut novel was a runaway success in Europe. American fans of historical fiction looking for a dramatic, uncomplicated escape will be similarly entranced."