The top book this week at the Quincy Public Library "13 1/2" by Nevada Barr. Taking a detour from her highly successful Anna Pigeon series, Barr brings readers a complex plot filled with enigmatic characters. In 1968, Dylan Raines wakes up in his bedroom surrounded by police and his seriously injured brother. His baby sister, mother and father were all murdered with an axe -- an axe he supposedly wielded killing nearly his entire family. His brother, Richard, did everything he could to keep Dylan's incarceration to a minimum, but he still ended up spending seven years in a juvenile facility. Nearly four decades later, Polly Deschamps is a divorced woman with two children who has just found the man of her dreams. When a tarot card reader tells her that she will kill her husband, she begins to wonder about her whirlwind courtship and newly found happiness. Even though there are few surprises, this taut psychological thriller will keep you engrossed.
Some women seem to get pregnant just by sharing a toothbrush with a man, while others try for years without any success. Fertility treatments are expensive, invasive, and often unsuccessful. Dr. Sami S. David, and Licensed Acupuncturist Jill Blakeway have developed a three-month program to maximize a woman's fertility options. "Making Babies" guides women through a natural conception process that combines nutrition, over-the-counter medicines, and other simple remedies to aid conception, as well as addressing the mistakes some couples are making in their attempt to conceive.
While codes and signs have been around for centuries, society has seen a renewed interest in these mysterious symbols thanks in part to their use in popular movies and books. Paul Lunde examines the beginnings of secret languages and how they are used in the military, imbued with spiritual meaning, as a new form of communication in our technologically evolving world, and thousands of other uses. "The Book of Codes" is an illustrated guide to hundreds of signs, symbols, ciphers, and languages throughout the world, both modern and historic.
In a beautifully illustrated complement to the Discover Channel documentary Nature's Most Amazing Events and the upcoming series "Seasons of Survival," editor Karen Bass brings readers"Nature's Great Events." The book focuses on six monumental events: The Great Flood, The Great Feast, The Great Migration, The Great Melt, The Great Salmon Run, and The Great Tide, explaining the timeline of each occurrence in minute detail. Filled with glorious color photographs and first-hand accounts within each chapter, this book is a treat for any armchair explorer.
If you have always wanted to be your own bartender, but didn't know how to begin, here's your chance. "Mix Shake Stir: Cocktails for the Home Bar" by Danny Meyer is the perfect place to start. Meyer, owner of several renowned New York City restaurants, shares secrets for the proper garnishes, glassware, and even ice. He also provides tried-and-true recipes for such classics as an old-fashioned, pink lady, and mojito. If you want to have a little adventure with your cocktails, perhaps you could try a velvet underground, a heart of darkness, or the golden skirt swizzle.
All of these books are available for checkout at the Quincy Public Library and the York Street Branch located in the Quincy Senior and Family Resource Center if you have a current Quincy or Tri-Quincy Area Public Library District card. Reciprocal borrowing cards from other area libraries will be honored as well. You may also place reserves on library materials and check your patron record online at www.quincylibrary.org.
