First Finds! June New Books at the Haltom City Public Library

The first of the month = First Finds! Here is the latest installment of new and interesting books from the collection. 

Paul McCartney : the life by Philip Norman
Genre: Biography
"Since the age of twenty-one, Paul McCartney has lived one of the ultimate rock-n-roll lives played out on the most public of stages. Now, Paul's story is told by rock music's foremost biographer, with McCartney's consent and access to family members and close friends who have never spoken on the record before. PAUL McCARTNEY reveals the complex character behind the façade and sheds new light on his childhood--blighted by his mother's death but redeemed by the father who introduced him to music. This is the first definitive account of Paul's often troubled partnership with John Lennon, his personal trauma after the Beatles' breakup, and his subsequent struggle to get back to the top with Wings--which nearly got him murdered in Africa and brought him nine days in a Tokyo jail. Readers will learn about his marriage to Linda, including their much-criticized musical collaboration, and a moving account of her death. Packed with new information and critical insights, PAUL MCCARTNEY will be the definitive biography of a musical legend,"--Amazon.com.

Until we are free : my fight for human rights in Iran by Shirin Ebadi
Genres: Autobiography/Memoir; Politics and global affairs; Society and culture
"The first Muslim woman to win the Nobel Peace Prize recounts how she endured death threats, false accusations targeting her family, arrests, invasions of privacy, home attacks, office seizures and other harassment from the Iranian government for her work as a human rights lawyer." - NoveList

FYI: Read here about Shirin Ebadi and about her winning the Nobel Peace Prize.


Redemption Road by John Hart
Genre: Mystery
"In Hart’s new suspense novel, we meet veteran detective Elizabeth Black, who is facing possible suspension for a suspicious shooting. At the same time, former police officer Adrian Wall is released from prison after serving time for the murder of Julia Stange. Stange’s son wants Adrian dead. Adrian has always claimed his innocence, but after his release, a couple of new bodies turn up at the church. This is a thrilling page-turner that starts at a rapid-fire pace and doesn’t let up. Great book for literary and thriller lovers alike. -- Kelly Currie for LibraryReads."- NoveList


At the edge of summer by Jessica Brockmole
Genres: Historical Fiction; Epistolary novels
"Spending a summer in a French château in the aftermath of her father's death and mother's disappearance, 15-year-old Clare befriends her hosts' son, who she reencounters years later during World War I as an angry and devastatingly wounded soldier." - NoveList

FYI: An Epistolary Novel is one written as a series of letters.




Zero K by Don DeLillo
Genre: Social science fiction
"Jeffrey Lockhart’s father, Ross, is a George Soros-like billionaire now in his sixties, with a younger wife, Artis, whose health is failing. Ross is the primary investor in a deeply remote and secret compound where death is controlled and bodies are preserved until a future moment when medicine and technology can reawaken them. Jeffrey joins Ross and Artis at the compound to say 'an uncertain farewell' to her as she surrenders her body." - NoveList





Want more? Click on the "First Finds" label below to see more recommended books.

School's Out Next Week!

Ding dong, the school bell stops ringing this week.  Woo hoo!  I remember how thrilled I always felt when school was over for the summer.  To me, summer meant sleeping in, going to the pool, biking, hiking and reading away many a summer afternoon while relaxing in the hammock.  But as much as I looked forward to summer vacations from school, I also ended up getting bored.  I’d get too sunburned at the pool, it’d be too hot to ride my bike, and usually the abundance of bugs and snakes discouraged me from hiking.  Even as much as I loved reading, a few weeks after school was out for the summer, I’d start whining for something different and fun to do.

Then I grew up, had a family of my own and guess what?  Come summer, I’d get to hear the same refrain that I used as a kid, “There’s nothing to do!” 

Well, that’s not going to be a problem at the Haltom City Public Library and their 2011 Summer Reading Program. Tuesday nights, starting June 7, will be Family Movie Night at the library.  Showtime will be 6:30 p.m.  Thursdays, starting June 2, will be Teen Time with topics on writing, poetry, photography and even a poetry slam open mike session.  Creative teen time starts at 2:00 p.m. And on Fridays, starting this week at 2:00 p.m., OMG, there will be a different special guest every Friday to entertain all the young-at-hearts! Nope, no way anyone can be bored this summer.  And what’s the best of all—there will be books, books and more books to choose from for lazy summer day reading. 

Yes, it’s going to be a cool summer at the Haltom City Public Library thanks to Chesapeake Energy, Friends of the HC Public Library, N. TX. Regional Library System, Texas State Library & Archives, and the hard-working but fun loving Haltom City librarians.  Check the city’s website for details or pick up a flier the next time that you are at the library.  I might even sneak away from work myself for one or two of the fun activities but don’t tell anyone. Hope to see you there!