New Photos

Photos

I have not posted any photos in a while.

Masonry repairs on front of the library

The sandstone by the front doors has been crumbling over the past few years.  Jacob Arndt of Northwestern Masonry and Stone is cutting replacement stone.  The replacements come from the same area of Wisconsin as the originals and are a very close match. Arndt cuts the pieces to fit and then chisels in the decorative lines to match the old stone.  He will cut out the old stone and emplace the new pieces.

Kellerman Consortia and Simon Scarrow

Fiction

Golem of Hollywood by Jonathan Kellerman and Jesse Kellerman.  According to the author photo Jesse Kellerman looks more like his mom than dead.  A little difficult to tell since senior is facing the camera and junior is 1/4 profile.

The Blood of an Englishman by M.C. Beaton.  Another Agatha Raisin novel. Her bio says she was born in Scotland.  I wonder if she was eligible to vote in the independence referendum.  Did they call the vote a referendum or just a "vote"? Scots are weird.

The Paying Guest by Sarah Waters.  This sounds like one I would read.  London in 1922.  The post-war economy is poor and a formerly wealthy woman and daughter are obliged to take in tenants. "A love story, a tension-filled crime story, and a beautifully atmospheric portrait of a fascinating time and place."

The Zealot by Simon Scarrow.  I have not read this series in a couple years.  Fun stuff with Roman Legionnaires Cato and Macro in various adventures from Germany to Britain to Italy and now Judea. Historically accurate with adventures adventuring by adventurers.  Adventurers are weird.

Edge of Eternity by Ken Follett. Another door stopper by Follett of the Big Welsh Hair. A bunch of characters in the 1960s are printed on some real nice, heavyweight paper. Paper is weird.

Large Print

The Eye of Heaven by Clive Cussler and Russell Blake.  Cussler book covers are weird.

Festive in Death by J.D. Robb.

Robert B. Parker's Blind Spot by Reed Farrel Coleman.  Author estate titles are weird.

DVD

The Fault in our Stars starring [teen actors I never heard of] and Laura Dern.  Something about dying teenagers and love.  Chick movies are weird. When John Green spoke at an ALA luncheon a few months ago there was a security guy standing behind Green to fend away the gushing women librarians so Green could eat in peace. I'm serious.

Chelsea Cain?

Fiction

One Kick by Chelsea Cain.  I was intending to read a couple of her other books.  I have not gotten to them yet.. Crimespree magazine likes her. You think she gets this a lot?

Bittersweet by Colleen McCullough. Two sets of female twins from the same family grow up in turn of the century Australia.

Reckless Disregard by Robert Rotstein.  I read a really nice review for this novel but cannot remember where I read the review or what the book is about. A thriller set in Hollywood with an entertainment lawyer.  I think.

Best to Laugh by Lorna Landvik.  Comedy novel from someone in Minnesota with a Minnesota character moving to Los Angeles and trying to work as a comic.I think.

Don't Let Her go by Michelle Gagnon. This is a YA book, but ended up in my pile so I'm typing it in.  One of those teenagers-on-the-run-from-corporate/government-bad-guys novels. I think Gagnon was the one who posted something online a year or two ago about raccoon trouble. Better than Frog Trouble. Or Car Trouble. 

Monogram Murders by Sophie Hannah. Hannah writes a new Hercule Poirot novel.  I've read mixed reviews, find out for yourself.

In the Morning I'll be Gone by Adrian McKinty. This just won the Ned Kelly Award for best crime novel in Australia.  I was thinking Kelly was killed in that shootout. Nope, he was wounded, arrested, and hanged.

Back Channel by Stephen L. Carter.  Fictionalization of Cuban Missile Crisis.

The Miniaturist by Jessie Burton.  Marital trouble in 1686 Amsterdam.

The Bone Clocks by David Mitchell.  I never read Cloud Atlas.  Maybe I'll get around to it.  They used some heavy paper on this book.The dust jacket says the book is "hypnotic...rich with character".  Huh.  He wrote Black Swan Green, I ordered the audio version a few years after a nice review. 

I Haven't Read An Ian McEwan Book in Years

Fiction 

The Children Act by Ian McEwan.  I read a couple of his books in 1994-1995.  That was before he was a Big Deal.  I should read those Big Deal books, they must be pretty good.

Festive in Death by J.D. Robb.  Police Lieutenant Eve Dallas investigates murder. Lietennant is difficulf for me to spell.

Perfidia by James Ellroy.  The 800 lbs. gorilla of crime fiction.  Imagine a 800 lbs. guerrilla. How dangerous would that guy be?

Blood on the Water by Anne Perry.  London Copper William Monk witnesses a boat explosion that kills 200 people. Monk gets to work.

Audiobooks on CD

Business Adventures: twelve classic tales of the World of Wall Street by John Brooks. 17 hours on 14 CDs.  Stories about the Edsel disaster (except for Sheriff Dan Rhodes), the rise of Xerox, scandals at GE and how "iconic companies was defined by a particular moment of fame or notoriety."

Robert B. Parker's Blind Spot by Reed Farrel Coleman. 9 hours on 7 CDs.  I do not know if Coleman worked from an existing manuscript or not.  I won't try to find out. Coleman writes good books and spends a lot of time in Milwaukee.

Dark Blood by Christine Feehan.  15 hours on 12 CDs.  Werewolf romance.

Roman Hat Mystery by Ellery Queen. 11  hours on 9 CDs.  This was on sale.  I thought people might enjoy the story.

Road Dawgz by K'Wan.  10.5 hours on 9 CDs.  K'Wan sells a lot of books. But, I always figured they would not circulate here.  Phooey, I should buy a couple and find out for sure.  Kid grows up in tough situation, goes to jail, learns crime, aims for crime lord-dom.