Every morning on my way to the Circulation Desk I pass by the New Book display

BETCHA CAN’T WALK BY THE NEW BOOK DISPLAY

Andrea Plaziak, Head of Circulation

West Warwick Public Library

Every morning on my way to the Circulation Desk I pass by the New Book display. It is always difficult- oh the heck with it- it is impossible to just walk on by. The display is ever changing, never boring. We have everything there: videos, fiction books, non-fiction books, large print books. Sometimes I feel like the White Rabbit, so much to read and see, so little time. Let’s see what we can indulge in, shall we?

For your borrowing pleasure we have literary videos donated to us by the Lannan Foundation of Berkeley, CA. The videos feature major poets and writers such as Peter Matthiessen, Alice Walker, Sandra Cisneros, Galway Kinnell, Carlos Fuentes, Caryl Phillips, Czeslaw Milosz, and many others reading from some of their own works and discussing them with journalists or other authors. Each video is approximately one hour in length. This is a great series and has proven to be a hit with our patrons.

There is so much great non-fiction I don’t know where to start. The cookbooks are terrific. We have The Carbohydrate Addict’s Cookbook by Dr. Richard F. Heller and Dr. Rachael F. Heller, which contains 250 low-carb recipes. The Bean Bible by Aliza Green has terrific recipes ranging from a recipe for spicy homemade beer nuts to a delicious (yes, I tried it) recipe called Georgian green beans in walnut sauce. My favorite cookbook this week is 50 Chowders by Jasper White who also wrote Lobster at Home, another personal favorite. Not only can you find all kinds of clam chowder recipes, but there are also recipes for crab chowder, corn chowder, and pheasant and cabbage chowder. There are also recipes for Parker House rolls, all kinds of fritters, corn bread, and anadama bread. The book has great illustrations and cook’s notes.

We have a book by Alan Axelrod titled Elizabeth I CEO: Strategic Lessons from the Leader Who Built an Empire. Each chapter starts off with a short example of Elizabeth in her role as queen and turns what she did into a management lesson for today’s world. Dark Midnight When I Rise by Andrew Ward is the story of the Jubilee Singers, a group of ex-slaves and freedmen who introduced the world to African American music. Godfather of the Kremlin by Paul Klebnikov is the story of Boris Berezovsky and his place in the decline of Russia. We also have a copy of Homeschooling: The Teen Years by Cafi Cohen.

Now to the fiction. Stella Cameron’s new suspense novel is titled Glass Houses, Judith Gould’s new novel is Time to Say Good-bye. Emotionally Weird by Kate Atkinson takes place on an island off the coast of Scotland. Some of the new large print books include Fortune’s Rocks by Anita Shreve, The Tender Years by Janette Oke, Fiona Range by Mary McGarry Morris, The Midnight Hour by Karen Robards, and Where You Belong by Barbara Taylor Bradford.

Science fiction titles include Ilse Witch: Book One of the Voyage of the Jerle Shannara by Terry Brooks, Lt. Leary Commanding by David Drake, and The Telling by Ursula K. LeGuin.

Our mysteries include The Poisoned Serpent, a medieval mystery by Joan Wolf; a new Joanna Brady mystery, Devil’s Claw, by J. A. Jance, and those hysterical southern sisters Mary Alice and Patricia Anne do their thing in Murder Carries a Torch by Anne George.

As you can see there’s something for everybody. Walk by your library’s new book display or come visit ours—I’m sure you’ll feel as compelled to stop and investigate as I do each morning. You’re always welcome, and this is one of the few times when yielding to temptation can be good for you!