The Hidden World of the Fox

Do you love keeping a look out for these sly creatures that are becoming more and more common?  Take a look at this beautifully written book for more on them.  Click here: http://ipac.hclibrary.us/polaris/default.aspx to reserve your copy!

The Hidden World of the Fox by Adele Brand

Mammal ecologist Adele Brand is fascinated with the red fox, an animal that can be found in cities, the suburbs, as well as rural settings, in the Northern hemisphere on several continents.  Foxes often seem to be on the edge of interaction with other animals and with humans, watching and aware of their surroundings.  Though Brand’s tribute is very well researched and documented, citing scholarly sources, she also explores the folklore associated with foxes, making this a very accessible for the casual fox observer.  As the human population encroaches more and more on wildlife’s natural habit, the interaction between humans and animals becomes inevitable, giving humans a chance to observe these aloof, mysterious creatures.  Brand’s prose is lyrical as she describes these oft misunderstood creatures, making this a must read for any wildlife enthusiast, especially those enchanted by the every increasingly reappearing red fox.

New for November

The Confession Club by Elizabeth Berg

This companion novel to The Story of Arthur Truluv, is set in Mason Missouri where a group of women, ranging in age from 20s through 80 something, will bare their souls to each other as each makes a confession to a dinner club, confessions that startle, amaze, and often don’t seem as terrible when spoken out loud. Cooking school teacher Iris takes center stage as she helps recreate a cake seen in a play for a woman who is less than a stellar cook; she finds herself befriending, and being befriended by John, a homeless Vietnam War veteran who has lost his wife and child, yet still manages to find hope in the most unexpected places, and who personifies the need to forgive each other and oneself.  Fans of Fannie Flagg will enjoy this slice of life story with recurring characters, and will look forward to more visits to Mason.   

Twenty-One Truths About Love by Matthew Dicks

Dan Mayrock is struggling with many things: he hasn’t told his wife Jill that the bookstore he quit his teaching job to open is sinking fast; Jill, who still has her teaching job, wants to get pregnant, and succeeds; Dan also feels he is competing against Peter, Jill’s deceased first husband, though except for Christmas Eve (Peter’s birthday), Jill doesn’t really bring him up a lot.  Dan is also estranged from the father who left him at nine-years-old, but who has been reaching out to Dan, and whom Dan is ignoring.  How can Dan become a good father when he has no one to model himself after?  Deciding that the best way to get some extra money in order to support his family, is to rob a bingo hall; he knows this is not his brightest idea, but it is the best one he can come up with, and he does make a friend in Bill, a 72-year-old Vietnam War veteran who lost his wife to a carjacking and his son to cancer.  Told in a series of almost stream-of-conscious list, the plot moves along at a fast pace, and the characters to not suffer from the format, surprisingly they are very well-developed.  This unique format makes this an entertaining fast read with an enjoyable, neurotic character who has more to offer than he realizes.

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