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Nonfiction Roundup: April 2020

Posted on Monday, April 6, 2020 by Liz

Although you might not be able to go to the library to check out new books right now there are still a lot of great new nonfiction titles coming out in April. Below I’m highlighting just a few, they will be made available from the library’s Overdrive site on their publication dates.

Top Picks

I'm Your Huckleberry book cover“I’m Your Huckleberry: A Memoir” by Val Kilmer
Val Kilmer has played many iconic roles over his nearly four-decade film career. A table-dancing Cold War agent in “Top Secret!” A troublemaking science prodigy in “Real Genius.” A brash fighter pilot in “Top Gun.” A swashbuckling knight in “Willow.” A lovelorn bank robber in :Heat.” A charming master of disguise in “The Saint.” A wise-cracking detective in “Kiss Kiss Bang Bang.” Of course, Batman, Jim Morrison and the sharp-shooting Doc Holliday. But who is the real Val Kilmer? With “I’m Your Huckleberry” the enigmatic actor at last steps out of character and reveals his true self. In this uniquely assembled memoir—featuring vivid prose, snippets of poetry and rarely-seen photos—Kilmer reflects on his acclaimed career, including becoming the youngest actor ever admitted to the Juilliard School’s famed drama department, determinedly campaigning to win the lead part in The Doors, and realizing a years-long dream of performing a one-man show as his hero Mark Twain. He shares candid stories of working with screen legends Marlon Brando, Tom Cruise, Robert Downey Jr. and Robert De Niro, and recounts high-profile romances with Cher, Cindy Crawford, Daryl Hannah, and former wife Joanne Whalley. He chronicles his spiritual journey and lifelong belief in Christian Science, and describes travels to far-flung locales such as a scarcely inhabited island in the Indian Ocean where he suffered from delirium and was cared for by the resident tribe. And he reveals details of his recent throat cancer diagnosis and recovery—about which he has disclosed little until now.
Publication Date: April 21

Joy at Work book cover“Joy at Work: Organizing Your Professional Life” by Marie Kondo and Scott Sonenshein
The workplace is a magnet for clutter and mess. Who hasn’t felt drained by wasteful meetings, disorganized papers, endless emails, and unnecessary tasks? These are the modern-day hazards of working, and they can slowly drain the joy from work, limit our chances of career progress, and undermine our well-being. There is another way. In “Joy at Work,” bestselling author and Netflix star Marie Kondo and Rice University business professor Scott Sonenshein offer stories, studies, and strategies to help you eliminate clutter and make space for work that really matters. Using the world-renowned KonMari Method and cutting-edge research, “Joy at Work” will help you overcome the challenges of workplace mess and enjoy the productivity, success, and happiness that comes with a tidy desk and mind.
Publication Date: April 7

Hidden Valley Road book cover“Hidden Valley Road: Inside the Mind of an American Family” by Robert Kolker
Don and Mimi Galvin seemed to be living the American dream. After World War II, Don’s work with the Air Force brought them to Colorado, where their twelve children perfectly spanned the baby boom: the oldest born in 1945, the youngest in 1965. In those years, there was an established script for a family like the Galvins–aspiration, hard work, upward mobility, domestic harmony–and they worked hard to play their parts. But behind the scenes was a different story: psychological breakdown, sudden shocking violence, hidden abuse. By the mid-1970s, six of the ten Galvin boys, one after another, were diagnosed as schizophrenic. How could all this happen to one family?
What took place inside the house on Hidden Valley Road was so extraordinary that the Galvins became one of the first families to be studied by the National Institute of Mental Health. Their story offers a shadow history of the science of schizophrenia, from the era of institutionalization, lobotomy, and the schizophrenogenic mother to the search for genetic markers for the disease, always amid profound disagreements about the nature of the illness itself. And unbeknownst to the Galvins, samples of their DNA informed decades of genetic research that continues today, offering paths to treatment, prediction, and even eradication of the disease for future generations.
With clarity and compassion, bestselling and award-winning author Robert Kolker uncovers one family’s unforgettable legacy of suffering, love, and hope.
Publication Date: April 7

More New Releases for April

Read Harder 2020: Digital Doorstoppers

Posted on Saturday, March 28, 2020 by Ida

Before I say anything else, I want to extend my heartfelt thanks to those essential workers who are still showing up every day and keeping life going during this global crisis. I hope in the near future, when the rest of us are back at work, you will get a turn to rest and read.

For those of us hunkering down at home for the foreseeable future, here’s our chance to knock out the most formidable Read Harder Challenge of 2020: task number 16, a doorstopper (over 500 pages) published after 1950, written by a woman. If you are intimidated by lengthy books, ebooks can remove some of the anxiety because they don’t put any extra weight in your hands as a reminder of how large the task is. Continue reading “Read Harder 2020: Digital Doorstoppers”

Protecting Your Mental Health During a Pandemic

Posted on Monday, March 23, 2020 by Alyssa

Drawing of stick people stuck inside of their paper houses

I think I speak for a lot of us when I say that everything feels really weird right now. I have never lived through anything like this before. The CDC and many other helpful sources have offered great information on protecting your physical health during this pandemic, including hand washing and social distancing. The anxiety surrounding COVID-19 along with the isolation required to prevent its spread present a potent combination that can really take its toll on your mental health. While I am just a humble library associate and therefore cannot fix all of your problems, I have some suggestions that I will hopefully implement myself. Continue reading “Protecting Your Mental Health During a Pandemic”

The Gentleman Recommends: Our Digital Branch

Posted on Monday, March 16, 2020 by Chris

As our communities join metaphorical hands and rally around the mutually beneficial and necessary acts of isolation, social distancing and hand washing, one realizes that without books many among us will go mad and begin to cast our cats in plays that are far too complex for the cats to even remotely begin to stage, even as they are far too simplistic (given the parts were expressly crafted for the limited range of a cat) to entertain humans for more than the length of a gif (even with the cats being super cute). Fortunately, you can always access books through the internet, until the internet goes down, which then of course leads to far darker scenarios than what is conjured when avid book readers are denied their fix. There is not enough toilet paper or hand sanitizer in anyone’s weird and selfish makeshift bunker to stave off the dire consequences of a society going through world wide web withdrawal. But the internet is not down! So books are unlimited! Stay home and read!

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Given that with every keystroke my horrifically dry digits crack and bleed (washed to the point of madness, claims my butler through the door of the pantry I’ve benevolently isolated him in), I would like to briefly present a few of entertainment resources you can access for free (with your library card, which you can obtain through our website) through Daniel Boone Regional Library’s website.  Continue reading “The Gentleman Recommends: Our Digital Branch”

New DVD List: Knives Out, Fleabag & More

Posted on Wednesday, March 11, 2020 by Decimal Diver

Here is a new DVD list highlighting various titles recently added to the library’s collection.

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Website / Reviews 
A tribute to mystery mastermind Agatha Christie and a fun, modern-day murder mystery where everyone is a suspect. When a renowned crime novelist is found dead at his estate, the inquisitive and debonair Detective Benoit Blanc is mysteriously enlisted to investigate. From the novelist’s dysfunctional family to his devoted staff, Blanc sifts through a web of red herrings and self-serving lies to uncover the truth behind his untimely death. Continue reading “New DVD List: Knives Out, Fleabag & More”

Debut Author Spotlight: March 2020

Posted on Monday, March 9, 2020 by Katherine

Here’s a look at some of the exciting debuts novels hitting our shelves in March. Place your holds now! For a more complete list, please visit our catalog.

Conjure Women book cover“Conjure Women” by Afia Atakora

Conjure Women is a sweeping story that brings the world of the South before and after the Civil War vividly to life. Spanning eras and generations, it tells of the lives of three unforgettable women: Miss May Belle, a wise healing woman; her precocious and observant daughter Rue, who is reluctant to follow in her mother’s footsteps as a midwife; and their master’s daughter Varina. The secrets and bonds among these women and their community come to a head at the beginning of a war and at the birth of an accursed child, who sets the townspeople alight with fear and a spreading superstition that threatens their newly won, tenuous freedom. Continue reading “Debut Author Spotlight: March 2020”

Literary Links: Marking 100 Years of Votes for Women

Posted on Sunday, March 8, 2020 by Anne

This year marks 100 years since the passage of the 19th Amendment, which opened up the right to vote to women throughout the country. Women spent many years working for suffrage, enduring the taunts and occasional threats from those who did not believe they should step foot in the voting booth. As we celebrate this anniversary, here are a few books that explore the people who made universal suffrage possible and the challenges they faced in bringing the vote to all people. Continue reading “Literary Links: Marking 100 Years of Votes for Women”

The 2020 Census

Posted on Friday, March 6, 2020 by Eric

Article 1, Section 2 of the United States Constitution mandates that the country conduct a count of its population once every 10 years. Every census aims to count the entire population of the country, and at the location where each person usually lives. This year will be the 24th time that the country has counted its population since 1790. Get ready for the 2020 Census!

Everyone living in the 50 states, District of Columbia and five U.S. territories is required by law to be counted. This includes babies and people in the United States who are not citizens. You can learn more about who to count here.

Continue reading “The 2020 Census”