New Nonfiction

The Peter White Public Library offers these new non-fiction titles.

You Are Here: Around the World in 92 Minutes: Photographs from the International Space Station by Chris Hadfield.

You probably remember Canadian astronaut Chris Hadfield from his 2013 rendition of David Bowie’s “Space Oddity”, which he video-recorded for posterity prior to leaving the International Space Station and retiring from the Canadian Space Agency. While aboard the space station, Hadfield also took a number of personal photographs of his unique vantage point of the Earth. He has published them to benefit the Michael J. Fox for Parkinson's Research foundation.

New Adult Non-Fiction 778.35 HA

The Arsenal of Democracy: FDR, Detroit, and an Epic Quest to Arm an America at War by A.J.Baime.

The term “arsenal of democracy” was coined by President Roosevelt in a December 1940 radio address; a call to provide assistance to the allies. It was no small task, but as the US itself declared war on two fronts a year later, the effort became monumental. The country looked to Detroit to produce tanks, Jeeps, and of course the B-24 bomber. Edsel Ford promised to build a “bomber an hour” to turn the tide. His father Henry was opposed to FDR, and to producing war goods. This set up a battle of its own between father and son.

New Adult Non-Fiction 940.531 BA

Rivers of Sand: Fly Fishing Michigan and the Great Lakes Region by Josh Greenberg.

A complete treatment of fly fishing, with emphasis on Michigan and the Great Lakes. Covers the basics of clothing, tackle, equipment and technique, and goes further into the lore of fly fishing with a well-written narrative style.

New Adult Non-Fiction 799.12 GR

Wild Idea: Buffalo and Family in a Difficult Land by Dan O’Brien.

Author and biologist O’Brien became convinced that the return of the buffalo to the American West was not only doing right by the species, but would restore a balance to the land. He has been running the Broken Heart Ranch in South Dakota since the 1990s, populated with grass-fed buffalo. With the gradual return of the animal, buffalo meat has gone from a delicacy to a legitimate food source with several advantages over beef. An informative and entertaining account of his family’s efforts to change the prairie and the dinner plate.

New Adult Non-Fiction 636.01 OB

Mapping Detroit: Land, Community, and Shaping a City.

An investigation into the history of Detroit from a cartographic angle. It describes the Old Northwest foundation of Detroit, agriculture, military, trade, the expansive growth that was enabled by manufacturing, depopulation, and attempts at revival.

New Adult Non-Fiction 977.434 MA

--Bruce MacDonald, Assistant Director

New Music CD's

Peter White Library is fortunate to have the Carroll Paul Trust fund that allows the library to have such a great music cd collection. 

Cinderella Soundtrack is the music from the new movie Cinderella, which was released in February of 2015.  This American romantic fantasy film was created by movie director Kenneth Branagh and composer Patrick Doyle.  

Cracker – Berkeley to Bakersfield. The American alternative rock band, Cracker released their tenth album, Berkeley to Bakersfield, on 429 Records.  It's a double-album that finds this uniquely American band traversing two different sides of the California landscape – the northern Bay area and further down-state in Bakersfield.   

Glen Campbell – I’ll Be Me Soundtrack.  This soundtrack is taken from the documentary film “Glen Campbell: I’ll be Me which covers Campbell’s life, farewell tour and his battle with Alzheimer’s disease. 

Nickelback – No Fixed Address.  No Fixed Address crosses a sonic spectrum with pulsating vigor and innovation reflected throughout the diversity of the album's 11 tracks, each embodying the much-loved Nickelback sound propelled to tantalizing and unique new levels. While continuing to lure a broad spectrum of listeners into the trademark Nickelback party-brew of fast-lane indulgences and soaring power ballads, No Fixed Address ultimately proves an equally befitting title for its inspired and boundary-pushing musical map.  

Rick Springfield – Stripped Down.  During Rick Springfield s 40+ year career, the artist has amassed 17 Top 40 hits, including four Top 10 s as well as achieving an iconic cultural moment with the Number One hit "Jessie s Girl," for which he won a 1981 Grammy Award for Best Male Rock Vocal Performance. And after 25 million records sold, Springfield shows no signs of slowing down. 

Tony Bennett & Lady Gaga – Cheek To Cheek.  Cheek To Cheek features classic jazz standards sung by Lady Gaga and Tony Bennett in a combination of vocal duets and solo performances.  It took over a year to complete and features jazz musicians associated with both artists including members of Bennett’s quartet, Mike Renzi, Gray Sargent, Harold Jones and Marshall Wood as well pianist Tom Rainer.   

Willie Nelson & Sister Bobbie – December Day.  Country music legend Willie Nelson is opening his vault with the launch of a brand-new archival series, titled Willie's Stash. The first release of the series is titled, December Day Willie's Stash Vol. 1.  Central to December Day is the collaboration of Willie and Sister Bobbie and features new versions of gems from Willie's extensive songwriting catalog.  

Books for Teens

Some of the best teen books of the year can be found on the main level of the library.  Whether you’re drawn to fantasy, realistic fiction, or suspense, these young adult titles are worth a try.

Darius & Twig by Walter Dean Myers features best friends from the same Harlem neighborhood who stand out in their fields of interest, Darius as a writer and Twig as a runner.  Faced with individual challenges that include unsavory and unsupportive family members, bullies at school, and danger on the streets, they strive to find a way out of the neighborhood and into college.   Instead of letting themselves fall into despair over their lots in life, Darius and Twig encourage each other’s progress and keep working toward their individual goals.  Myers scores big with this tale of steadfast friendship.

Dorothy Must Die by Danielle Page brings to mind a well-known line from THE WIZARD OF OZ. “Toto, I’ve a feeling we’re in Kansas anymore,” now applies to Amy and her pet rat, Star.  The story parallels Dorothy and Toto’s adventure when a tornado carries Amy’s double-wide trailer off to the land of Oz.  Sure enough, the yellow brick road is there, but nothing else is the same as the story Amy knows.  The Munchkins have fled their village, the tin woodsman - now equipped with knives as fingers – heartlessly heads up the Emerald City police, and Glinda – no longer a good witch – supervises strip mining operations for magic. When Amy meets the all-powerful Dorothy, she’s not at all like the original farm girl created by Frank L. Baum.  This imaginative tale explores the dark side of governance and power, juxtaposed against our childhood impressions of the magical land of Oz

The Half Life of Molly Pierce by Katrina Leno offers fascinating and suspenseful glimpse into the world of multiple personalities.  Molly has lived her life in pieces. “I wake up in my car. I remember what I put on this morning….I just don’t know how I got here.”  When she witnesses a tragic accident, the mystery of her blackouts begins to unwind.  Why did the boy who died know her name?  What does her family know about her memory lapses and why won’t they tell her?  As Molly searches through her memories for clues, she is able to piece together the two halves of her existence, pinpointing the incident that triggered her alter ego to surface and, ultimately, save her life.

Schizo by Nic Sheff contains three distinct storylines, leading to an ending that will make you question everything you just read.  First of all, Miles has just been diagnosed with schizophrenia, a disease that requires therapy and lots of daily medications that upset his stomach and give him headaches.  He truly has lost control of his body.  Then there are the crows that follow him around, making him question what’s real and what’s delusion.  Secondly, Miles’ family hovers over him and doesn’t acknowledge the fact that his brother went missing from the beach on the same day of his first schizophrenic blackout.  He makes it his goal to find his brother, even though everyone else has given up.  The third storyline involves an old friend, Eliza who returns to town after a two year absence, wanting to add some romance to their friendship. When all three storylines join together, Sheff creates an ending you won’t soon forget! 

Lynette Suckow, Reference Desk

Selections from BookPage magazine

The Friends of the Peter White Public Library sponsor a subscription to BookPage magazine.  This monthly tabloid is a selection guide for readers.  Free copies are available at the PWPL each month.  BookPage editors evaluate and select for review the best books published in a variety of categories and genres.  The Library Reads List is a compilation of books nominated by library staff across the country.  These are the latest books that librarians can’t wait to share with readers.  The PWPL has nine of the ten books listed for February 2015 on the book shelves.  These new works of fiction include new authors as well as popular and time-tested writers.

            Anne Tyler has established herself as a writer who captures history.  A Spool of Blue Thread follows three generations of the Whitshanks family back and forth with overlapping stories—just like a spool of thread.  Filled with quirky but genuine characters, this book realistically recounts the lives of this family and their well-worn Baltimore home. Tyler fans will not be disappointed, and this novel may encourage those unfamiliar with Tyler’s work to read some of her previous works.

            A Touch of Stardust by Kate Alcott combines a historical setting and a fictional screenwriter as Julie, an aspiring screenwriter from Indiana advances from studio go-fer, assistant to Carole Lombard and finally becomes a contract writer for MGM.  Using the making of Gone with the Wind as a backdrop, this captivating story will appeal to fans of vintage Hollywood.

            The unnamed friend of 15 year-old rape survivor examines the aftermath of the crime as it influences the life of victim Lindy Simpson in My Sunshine Away.  This debut novel by M.O. Walsh ties together numerous threads in what is being called “a budding classic likely to remain in readership for many years to come.”  The novel is filled with suspense, angst, loyalty and deceit.

            Joe Abercrombie follows his novel Half a King with a sequel Half the World.  This book can be read as the second book in the series or a standalone.  Thorn, a 15 year old has been told that a woman should look for a wealthy husband rather than a warrior.  Desperate to revenge her father’s death she lives to fight and destroy those who are bent on deceiving her.

            Finding Jake by Bryan Reardon uses flashbacks and present-day narratives to tell the story of stay-at-home dad Simon Connelly as he confronts the fact that he does not know his son Jake.  Suddenly one day, Connelly receives a text that there has been a shooting at his son and daughter’s high school.  As parents are reunited with their children, Connelly’s son Jake is declared missing.  Psychological suspense surrounding a parent’s worst nightmare make this a captivating and impossible book to put down.          

Fantasy fans will enjoy A Darker Shade of Magic by V.E. Schwab. Set in London, the link between parallel universes, the magician Kell is one of only two travelers who can move between them.  Something very sinister is disturbing the equilibrium, and Kell must unravel a plot that threatens to destroy both worlds.  Now perilous magic is afoot, and treachery lurks at every turn. To save all of the worlds, he will first need to stay alive.

Laurie R. King is one of the most popular mystery writers today, and her new book Dreaming Spies: A Novel of Suspense Featuring Mary Russell and Sherlock Holmes will not disappoint.  Russell and Holmes board an ocean liner enroute to Japan.  During the journey they meet a known blackmailer and a young Japanese woman who is not all that she seems.  Dobbs and her husband Holmes must solve a mystery involving international espionage, extortion and shocking secrets or an empire will be toppled. This book contains rich atmosphere and wonderful historical research.         

The Siege Winter is a novel set during King Stephen and Empress Matilda’s tumultuous civil conflict to claim England.  The pair will do whatever it requires no matter the cost to themselves or their subjects.  The brutality of the period is realistically captured without sacrificing the complex nature of the time or the people involved in the story.

            These and many other new works of fiction are available at the Peter White Public Library.

By Pam Christensen, Library Director