Spring Books, April 2012

Lawnchairs for me mean reading outside. Now that the weather has turned a little more balmy (After that ridiculously warm March), I find myself wanting my kids to go outside so I can join them with a good book. Here’s a few that are new to the library this month. Not all are fiction – travelogues are great in the spring, when you’re feeling a sense of adventure!

  Wild: From Lost to Found on the Pacific Crest Trail, by Cheryl Strayed Her mother has just passed away, her family lives all over the country, and her marriage has just gone down the toilet. What does a young woman do to recover? Cheryl Strayed decided to hike the entire Pacific Crest Trail, from the Mojave Desert to Washington State and she decided to do it all by herself. She must be an experienced hiker, right? Wrong – she had no experience, only a vague dream of needing to do something that made her life more meaningful. This book chronicles her journey with humor as she speaks about a journey that ultimately tore her apart and put her back together again.

  Kitty Cornered, by Bob Tarte Bob’s first book, Enslaved by Ducks, is fantastic, but Kitty Cornered is even more so. For anyone who lives with cats in the house knows that they have a tendency to take over. Bob tells it all, from how his household grew from one cat to six, and how those furry felines began to dictate the shape the human lives would take. Cats managed to dictate sleeping arrangements, furniture texture and placement, and even the dining habits of everyone in the house. As Bob’s life is overtaken by his catty friends, he realizes they have a special way of showing him how to achieve contentment, even dealing with injury and illness. A touching story that’s a must read for cat lovers. The Innocent, by David Baldacci Sometimes even the government needs someone else to solve their problems. Will Robie is a killer, one that never questions orders and always follows through. Except for this once, when a job seems a little off and Robie refuses to complete the mission. Now his life is in danger, and to top it off, he’s found himself rescuing a teenage girl who may be the center of a vast conspiracy. For a man who lives mostly in the shadows, Robie is about to step into the spotlight to blow a really big whistle.

  The Wind Through the Keyhole, by Stephen King For the fans of King’s Dark Tower series, this book fills in some gaps in the history of the Gunslinger, Roland Deschain. When he and his friends need to find shelter from a horrendous storm on their way to the Outer Baronies, Roland tells two stories that shed light on his dark past, stories that fans of the series (which concluded in 2004) will dearly love. Though this book takes place in the Dark Tower world, it is a stand alone novel for those who have not read the others. Take a chance, read something a little different.

  Betrayal, by Danielle Steel Tallie Jones is a famous Hollywood director. Her award-winning films consistently achieve great praise and her name is fast becoming legendary. Yet she doesn’t like the lime-light, preferring her family and close friends instead. Her relationships are strong and trusting, vastly different from others in her profession. But things are not what they seem. An audit calls to light that someone has been stealing money – and that’s not all. Now, shockers after shocker, Tallie must figure out which one of her personal relationships is not what it seems to be. Which of her closest family and friends is betraying her?

 The Witness, by Nora Roberts One night, Elizabeth lets loose. Though her controlling mother would not approve, she lets a strange man with a strange accent lure her to a strange house and her life changes forever. Twelve years later, Brooks Gleason, the sheriff of a small town in the Ozarks, is intrigued by Abigail Lowery, a woman who lives outside of town with a huge dog and a large gun collection. She designs security systems, but manages to reveal nothing of herself or her past. Gleason believes she needs protection from something, but without getting close to her, he’ll never figure it out. One of Nora’s best yet, with a strangely appealing heroine and a plot that will keep you at the edge of your chair.

  Event Update: April 25 at 6:00, Meinders Library will be hosting Sheryl Peterson, an author and illustrator of some wonderful non-fiction books for younger readers. Sheryl has written several books on dinosaurs and others on fantastic places to be, including Minnesota and Machu Picchu! Come and join us for a great author-in-residence!

  PAFL Update: Pipestone Area Friends of the Library is looking for members – anyone who is a friend to Meinders Library is welcome to join! The Friends group works hard to promote the library, raise money for projects, and organize their yearly book sale, in addition to the HUGE amount of support they provide throughout the year. Call for the date of their next meeting.

  Book Club Reminder: Book club regularly meets on the fourth Thursday of each month. The next meeting is April 26th at 7:00 in the Meinders Library conference room and everyone is welcome. The book is The Great Gatsby by F. Scott Fitzgerald.

 If you have questions or have a book you’d like to reserve or renew, please don’t hesitate to give us a call at (507) 825-6714. The hours for Meinders Library are Monday through Thursday from 10 AM – 8 PM, and Friday and Saturday from 10 AM – 5 PM. Meinders Community Library is located at 1401 7th Street SW, on the south side of the high school.