NEW ARRIVALS - DECEMBER

ADULT FICTION

 "11/22/1963" by Stephen King - "On November 22, 1963, three shots rang out in Dallas, President Kennedy died, and the world changed. What if you could change it back? The author's new novel is about a man who travels back in time to prevent the JFK assassination. In this novel that is a tribute to a simpler era, he sweeps readers back in time to another moment, a real life moment, when everything went wrong: the JFK assassination." - Baker & Taylor

"The Art of Fielding" by Chad Harbach - "This remarkable coming-of-age story, set at a New England college during an extraordinary baseball season, marks Harbach as a writer to watch. But you don't have to be a huge sports fan to be drawn into the novel's two love stories or to cringe at one young shortstop's fall from grace. The Art of Fielding has been praised by authors as diverse as Jonathan Franzen, Tea Obreht and James Patterson. Read just a few pages of this wise and tender story, and you'll easily see why." -- BookPageXTRA Online Review. BOOKPAGE, c2011.

"Christmas Wedding" by James Patterson - "Gaby Summerhill's four children come together for a Christmas homecoming they'll never forget. Gaby surprises them all with a wedding announcement?plus another gift that might give the family a chance for holiday cheer." -- BOOKPAGE, c2011.

"Devil's Gate" by Clive Cussler - "Kurt Austin, Joe Zavala, and the NUMA Special Assignments team are in full action in this ninth series installment (after Medusa). Sixty years ago on a cold and stormy night, a mysterious Russian defector loaded a curious cargo onto a U.S. plane. While he was killed in a gun battle with agents, the plane escapes but crashes into the sea. Six decades later, a cargo ship bursts into flames in the Azores; Kurt Austin sees pirates fleeing the scene but then witnesses their ship blowing up. As he and the rest of the team investigate, they find themselves up against an evil adversary who is working for an ambitious African dictator with a deadly extortion plan. Can the NUMA team stop him from destroying the world's major cities? Verdict Coauthored with Brown (Black Rain; Black Sun), Cussler's latest is the most breathtakingly suspenseful, wildly inventive, enjoyable thriller in the 'NUMA Files' series to date! Hard- core fans will snap it up." -- Cynde Suit, LJ Xpress Online Review. LIBRARY JOURNAL, c2011.

"Swamplandia" by Karen Russell - "Thirteen-year-old Ava Bigtree has lived her entire life at Swamplandia!, her family’s island home and gator-wrestling theme park in the Florida Everglades. But when illness fells Ava’s mother, the park’s indomitable headliner, the family is plunged into chaos; her father withdraws, her sister falls in love with a spooky character known as the Dredgeman, and her brilliant big brother, Kiwi, defects to a rival park called The World of Darkness. As Ava sets out on a mission through the magical swamps to save them all, we are drawn into a lush and bravely imagined debut that takes us to the shimmering edge of reality." -- Amazon.com

 MYSTERY

"As the Pig Turns An Agatha Raisin Mystery" by M.C. Beaton -  "Terrific..Beaton does a brilliant job of depicting Agatha's struggles with aging and keeping her detective agency afloat. Her romantic upheavals (will she ever marry close friend Sir Charles Fraith?) continue to tantalize." -- Publisher's Weekly

"Explosive Eighteen" by Janet Evanovich - “No less than her plotting, Evanovich’s characterizations are models of screwball artistry. . . . The intricate plot machinery of her comic capers is fueled by inventive twists.”—The New York Times  

"Red Mist" by Patricia Cornwell - "Determined to find out what happened to her former deputy chief, Jack Fielding, murdered six months earlier, Kay Scarpetta travels to the Georgia Prison for Women, where an inmate has information not only on Fielding, but also on a string of grisly killings. The murder of an Atlanta family years ago, a young woman on death row, and the inexplicable deaths of homeless people as far away as California seem unrelated. But Scarpetta discovers connections that compel her to conclude that what she thought ended with Fielding's death and an attempt on her own life is only the beginning of something far more destructive: a terrifying terrain of conspiracy and potential terrorism on an international scale. And she is the only one who can stop it." -- Amazon.com

"Tag Man" by Archie Mayor - "Mayor's 22nd Joe Gunther procedural (after 2010's Red Herring) offers strong ensemble play from Gunther, head of the Vermont Bureau of Investigation, and VBI staffers Willy Kunkle, Sammie Martens, and Lester Spinney as well as their Brattleboro police colleague, Ron Klesczewski." Publishers Weekly  

"V is for Vengeance" by Sue Grafton - "Kinsey Millhone (U is for Undertow) 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. VERDICT Kinsey plays a smaller role in this story, which may not please some of her many fans, but Grafton's pioneering sleuth is as clever and witty as ever." --Linda Oliver, Colorado Springs. 448pg. LIBRARY JOURNAL, c2011.

"Zero Day" by David Baldacci - "Readers expect excitement and intrigue in David Baldacci's books, and Zero Day is no exception...As Baldacci's new hero narrowly escapes countless close calls, the pairing of the author's imagination and knowledge create a wild ride for the reader. Puller is gutsy, brash and likable. Best of all, he survives to reappear in the next book of this new series." (The Free-Lance Star )

ADULT NON-FICTION

"Quest, Energy, Security and the Remaking of the Modern World" by Daniel Yergin - ""The search for sufficient, clean energy represents the defining challenge of this generation. Daniel Yergin has masterfully connected the forces of economics and geopolitics with the complex science of energy production and climate change. The Quest provides a lucid guide through the forest of issues that stands between us and a sustainable energy future." — Susan Hockfield, president, Massachusetts Institute of Technology

 

"Rome,A Cultural, Visual and Personal History" by Robert Hughes - “With elegance and beauty, Hughes majestically conducts us through the rich history of Rome . . . In a delightful guide, Hughes—whose The Shock of the New was recently named by Britain's Guardian one of the 100 greatest nonfiction books of the 20th century—provides a sometimes cantankerous but always captivating tour through the remarkable depth and breadth of the ancient city.” —Publisher’s Weekly (starred)

"Storm of War: A New History of the Second World War" by Andrew Roberts - “Gripping. . . . splendid history. A brilliantly clear and accessible account of the war in all its theaters. Roberts’s prose is unerringly precise and strikingly vivid. It is hard to imagine a better-told military history of World War II.” (Timothy Snyder, The New York Times Book Review )

BIOGRAPHY

"George F. Kennan: An American American Life" by John Lewis Gaddis - "We can be grateful to John Lewis Gaddis for bringing Kennan back to us, thoughtful, human, self-centred, contradictory, inspirational - a permanent spur as consciences are wont to be. Masterfully researched, exhaustively documented, Gaddis's moving work gives us a figure with whom, however one might differ on details, it was a privilege to be a contemporary...George F. Kennan: An American Life works brilliantly as a piece of intellectual history, and as a biography of a fascinating and complex man. Fortunately, both Gaddis and Kennan write beautifully. -- Gideon Rachman Financial Times

"Catherine the Great" by Robert Massie -  "Once upon a time, there was a minor German princess named Sophia. She went on to become the world's richest and most powerful woman, ruler of its then-largest empire, revered as "Catherine the Great." Her accomplishments and shortcomings as an autocrat and a woman make for a remarkable saga, and though many have tried, there may be no better author to take on the daunting task of chronicling than Robert K. Massie,...Massie situates Catherine's early life and three-decade reign amidst the tumult of the European Enlightenment, enriching his own narrative with telling excerpts of her letters and rich discussions of her political environment and personal motivations. The result is an utterly memorable book, a towering accomplishment, one of the year's best in any genre. --Jason Kirk, Amazon.com

"Then Again" by Diane Keaton - "“Although peek-behind-the-curtain moments are delicious—Woody Allen! Warren Beatty! Jack Nicholson!— the best parts of the book have nothing to do with Keaton’s considerable star power. At its heart, this is a manuscript about a mother and a daughter, with insights and confessions and lessons to which all readers can relate.” – The Wall Street Journal

DVD's

"Buck"

"Despicable Me"

"Exit Through the Gift Shop"

"Gnomeo and Juliet"

"Jane Eyre"

"Pacific"

"Seven Brides and Seven Brothers"

"Sherlock: Season One"

"Tillman Story"

"Unsinkable Molly Brown"

"Water for Elephants"

MUSIC

"Free to Be You and Me" by Marlo Thomas

JUVENILE BIOGRAPHY

"Harvesting Hope: The Story of Cesar Chavez" by Kathleen Krull - "K-3 Showing how Chavez developed into an advocate and spokesman for migrant workers, Krull focuses on the march he led as part of a grape- pickers strike. The brief text creates a complex view of Chavez, and the mixed-media paintings are suffused with a variety of emotions. There are no sources, but this is an excellent choice for furthering understanding of racism, of nonviolent protest, and of the lives of workers before unions." -- THE HORN BOOK, c2003.

JUVENILE FICTION

"Big Nate Boredom Buster: Super Scribbles, Cool Comix, and Lost of Laugh" by Lincoln Pierce - "For kids (and adults) who display Big Nate–like symptoms (uncontrolled doodling, wisecracking, and Cheez Doodle consumption, to name just a few), look no further. Big Nate Boredom Buster will blow your pants off! This paper-over-board activity book is filled to the brim with exciting activities for Nate fans of all ages. There is plenty of space for kids to get creative, and all the favorite characters from Nate's world are included—the know-it-all Gina, Nate's best buddies, Francis and Teddy, his rival, Artur, and his least favorite teacher, Mrs. Godfrey, aka Godzilla. With personality pop quizzes (which Big Nate character are you most like?), the fabulous fun 'o' meter, cosmic cookie fortunes, create your own comix, the "honor roll or not?" amazing maze, rock and roll rhymin', knockout knock-knock jokes, and much more, Nate's world pops off the pages with more than 500 black-and-white illustrations that you get to help create" -- Amazon.com

"The Emerald Casket" by Richard Newsome - "Gr. 4-6. Gerald Wilkins, an Australian kid billionaire, finds himself inadvertently hunting another ancient relic with his sleuthing friends, twins Ruby and Sam, in the second installment of the Archer Legacy series. While learning more about his family and their long-held secrets, Gerald, who has barely acclimated to his inherited wealth in England, accepts an invitation to visit the gem-collecting Gupta family in India. Marketplaces, temples, old forts, and tombs provide lots of places to get into and out of tight spots and fight off a bevy of villains, who are also intent on finding the titular casket. A fun romp for action-loving readers."-- Karen Cruze, AMERICAN LIBRARY ASSOCIATION, c2011.

"First Light"  by Rebecca Stead - " Fourteen-year-old Thea lives in Gracehope, a hidden community underneath the ice. When Peter's family goes to Greenland, their paths intersect and they discover a close connection. Peter and Thea are vividly realized, and their frustrations with the secrets kept by the older generations are keenly felt. The story is immediate and compelling, and Gracehope itself is sketched with sure strokes." -- THE HORN BOOK, c2007.

"It Could Always Be Worse" by Margot Zemach - "A wise rabbi doles out surprising advice to a man complaining of overcrowded quarters in this Yiddish folktale; Zemach's exuberantly chaotic illustrations earned her a Caldecott Honor. Ages 3-up. " Copyright 1990 Reed Business Information, Inc, Publisher's Weekly

"Le Petit Prince: French Edition:" by Antoine de Saint-Exupery - "In 2000 Harcourt proudly reissued Antoine de Saint-Exupéry's masterpiece, The Little Prince, in a sparkling new format. Newly translated by Pulitzer Prize-winning poet Richard Howard, this timeless classic was embraced by critics and readers across the country for its purity and beauty of expression. And Saint-Exupéry's beloved artwork was restored and remastered to present his work in its original and vibrant colors. " -- Amazon.com

"Ranger's Apprentice Collection: The Ruins of Gorlan, The Burning Bridge, The Icebound" by John Flanagan - “The last few years have seen the publication of many fantasies, but few have the appeal of this original story.” —Booklist, starred review, on The Ruins of Gorlan

JUVENILE NON-FICTION

"Incredible Journeys: Amazing Animal Migrations" by Dwight Holing - "This book is a rich resource for students in grades 2 to 6 to read and explore the immense variety of animal adaptations, not only for migration but for survival. . . . The first six pages alone would make the book worth having as a resource through middle school because of the precision and clarity of the explanations of factors affecting migration. . . . I strongly recommend Incredible Journeys as a resource for almost any grade and even for the interested adult. It's a lovely book" -- NSTA

"Come Back Salmon" by Molly Cone - "An inspiring story of young scientists in action, featured on Nova: how schoolchildren in Everett, Washington, worked with their teachers to clean up Pigeon Creek and reclaim it as a salmon spawning ground. Candid color photos of boys and girls of several ethnic groups, plus a text based on recorded conversations with the kids, lend drama and immediacy; additional scientific facts (e.g., how salmon scales tell the age of the fish; how salmon build a nest or  appear in boxes.)" -- (Nonfiction. 10-12) -- Copyright ©1992, Kirkus Associates, LP

 

"The Gift of the Tree" by Alvin Tresselt - "With a new title, larger format, and expansive new illustrations, a reissue of The Dead Tree, the prolific author's 1972 account of the natural end of an oak's long life: rotting wood attracts insects and then leaves holes that become homes for other creatures; after the tree falls, it continues to nurture and provides homes for the forest wildlife until there remained only a brown ghost of richer loam where the proud tree had come to rest.'' Sorensen, a Danish painter who also reillustrated Tresselt's Sun Up (1991), contributes sun-dappled, impressionistic illustrations that beautifully reflect an evocative text that's a reminder that just 20 years ago young children could be expected to take words like ``garner'' and ``moldered'' in their stride. One of the best of a spate of spring books designed to encourage the treasuring of trees." -- Copyright ©1992, Kirkus Associates, LP

"Dinosaurs Go Green" by Laurie Krasny Brown and Marc Brown - "tackle the important, timely subject of environmental protection and preservation in this classic Dino Tales: Life Guides for Families picture book, now reissued with a new title and fresh cover design. Kids will learn easy, practical ways to give back to the earth from these friendly, familiar dinosaur characters, including how to conserve natural resources, find new uses for old things, the ins-and-outs of recycling, tips for planting a tree, and much more. Originally published as Dinosaurs to the Rescue! in 1994, this eco-friendly picture book is now printed on recycled paper with nontoxic soy inks." -- Amazon.com

"Terra Tempo: Ice Age Cataclysm" by David Shapiro - "Join in the adventure as Ari, Jenna, and Caleb unlock the secret of time travel and journey back 15,000 years to witness the great Missoula Floods of the Ice Ages, the largest floods to have ever washed over the face of the earth. Experience the world of the not so distant past when giant mammoths and saber-toothed cats roamed the Pacific Northwest. Ride along with the time travel kids as they tour the changing landscapes from back of the mythic Thunderbird and work together to survive the dangers of the Ice Age Cataclysm!" -- Amazon.com

"Franklin and Winston: A Christmas That Changed the World" by Douglas Wood - "Ages 6-10. Wood (No One But You) pulls back the curtain on history to offer a snapshot of Winston Churchill's Christmas 1941 visit to the Roosevelt White House. The mix of famous quotes, humanizing anecdotes, and references to both monumental work (war strategizing) and holiday fun imbue this volume with an inviting fly-on-the-wall tone. Moser (Oh, Harry!), too, effectively balances light and serious with his watercolor portraits, which were often inspired by archival photos." -- PUBLISHERS WEEKLY, c2011. 

BOARD BOOKS

"Book of Sleep" by Na Il Sung

"Hooray for Fish" by Lucy Cousins

PICTURE BOOK

"Astonishing Secret of Awesome Man" by Michael Chabon

"Best Friend on Wheels" by Debra Shirley

"Book! Book! Book!" by Deborah Bruss

"The Doorbell Rang" by Pat Hutchins

"The Good Luck Cat" by Joy Harjo

"Granpa" by John Burningham

"Maggie B." by Irene Haas

"Martha Speaks" by Susan Meddaugh

"Nana Upstairs and Nana Downstairs" by Tomie dePaola

"Otis and the Tornado" by Loren Long

"SkySisters" by Jan Bourdeau Waboose

"Sea Gifts" by George Shannon

"Thanks to the Animals" by Allen Sockabasin

"Three Cheers for Catherine the Great" by Cari Best

 YOUNG ADULT

"My Name is Not Easy" by Debby Dahl Edwardson - "Told by five different narrators covering the time period 1960-65, this is essentially Luke s story, whose native and, as the title indicates, difficult-to-pronounce name is not revealed until toward the end. Forbidden to use their language, fed unfamiliar food and under the thumb of priests and nuns, some strict and some kind but whose religion is unfamiliar, Luke s homesickness is visceral. The good wishes and intentions of other children, their teachers and their parents all fail to offer comfort or to soften the hardships endured. Details of the outside world and the concerns of the day are woven in to the narrative, often highlighting how astonishingly oblivious the world is to the reality of life in Alaska. The rivalry between Indian and Eskimo is made equally vivid, along with the stereotypes and bias that both sides believe about the other. Readers will see these children become adolescents, imbibing of the rebellion that the decade is known for in the lower 48 and allowing proximity to build bridges of understanding and hope, even in the midst of death and loss. Not herself Iñupiaq, Edwardson (Blessing s Bead, 2009) makes clear in a note that this is a reflection of the childhood experiences of her contemporaries, including her husband, on whom the character of Luke is based." --Kirkus Reveiws --Kirkus Reveiws

"Going Bovine" by Libba Bray -  "(High School) When sixteen-year-old Cameron was five, he jumped ship on the 'It's a Small World' ride at Disney World and nearly drowned. 'The thing is, before they pulled me out, everything had seemed made of magic...But the minute I came to on the hard, glittery, spray-painted, fake snow...I realized it was all a big fake. The realest thing I'd ever experienced was that moment under the water when I almost died.' This sets the theme for the even wilder ride that follows, when Cameron's erratic behavior leads to a diagnosis of Creutzfeldt-Jakob (a.k.a. mad cow) disease. With the student body that used to ignore him throwing a save-Cameron pep rally and decorating the gym with paper cows, Cameron and his friend Gonzo, a hypochondriac dwarf, flee the hospital on a mission (as detailed by a punk-rock angel named Dulcie) to save the world from 'dark energy' -- or do they? Bray gleefully tosses a hallucinogenic mix of elements into the adventure -- snow globes, fire demons, a talking yard gnome, a demon-fighting New Orleans jazz musician, and more -- but their origins can all be found in Cameron's mundane pre-diagnosis life. So is his trip 'just a ride,' as https://www.facebook.com/greensborofreelibrary.org his Mom once told him about 'It's a Small World'? Readers will have a great time trying to sort everything out and answer the question at the heart of it all: even if Cameron's experiences are all a dream, are they any less real?" -- THE HORN BOOK, c2009.

"Shelter" by Harlen Coben - "Being the new kid at his high school is the least of Mickey Bolitar's worries; how about a missing girlfriend and dad's possible rising from the dead? Walking to school one morning, Mickey is accosted by an eerie old lady (whom he dubs Bat Lady) who dramatically declares that his father is alive, despite the fact that Mickey saw his dad die in a car accident. Bat Lady is only on a back burner of Mickey's lively mind; in the forefront is finding out what happened to new girlfriend Ashley Kent, who stopped coming to school one day. Attempts to learn more have been stonewalled by teachers and the administration. Mickey teams up with two unlikely sidekicks: Ema, a sarcastic overweight goth girl whom Mickey rescued from humiliation in gym class, and Spoon, a hacker nerd who knows all about Mickey's mad basketball skilz (which he's keeping under wraps). Many daredevil acts ensue. ... Most of the time, Mickey's short-attention-span snark seems both age appropriate and believable. His mother's struggle with drug addiction adds poignancy. A not-bad-at-all entry into the teen market for this adult author." -- KIRKUS MEDIA LLC, c2011.