By Carole Howard and the Library Staff

Next weekend is a bonanza for book lovers, as the Friends of the Library book sale is being held at the Extension Building at the Fairgrounds on July 20 and 21.

Friday, July 20 at 6 p.m. is the Friends’ annual meeting, potluck and book sale. You must be a member of the Friends to attend this event, but you are welcome to pay your dues at the door. Memberships are $5 for an individual, $10 for a family, $2 for students and $100 for a lifetime. If you want to attend the annual meeting, please call the library at 264-2208 to let us know what you are bringing to the potluck. After eating and a very short meeting, you get first dibs on the books on sale. On Saturday, books go on sale to the general public from 8 a.m. to 1 p.m.

We need volunteers to help set up at the Extension Building at 9 a.m. on Friday, and to help on Saturday with the sale and cleanup afterwards. Please call the library if you are able to help.

The Friends’ annual book sale benefits book lovers in many ways. The library raises money for new books by selling those no longer needed. You can add books to your personal library at very low prices. And you can clean out your personal collection by donating those you’re finished with to the library for this sale. Please bring your donations for the book sale to the library before Tuesday, July 17.

New novels: adventure and thrillers

“The Winter of Frankie Machine” by Don Winslow is another of the author’s humorous novels about life in the Mafia. “The Texicans” by Nina Vida is an historical adventure set in San Antonio in the mid-1800s. “State of the Union” by Brad Thor is a thriller about what happens when America discovers the Russian Federation has become our dangerous enemy again, just like in the days of the Cold War. “Havoc” by Jack DuBrul is a thriller about an unimaginable act of terrorism.

Non-fiction: Poverty and computers

“The Working Poor: Invisible in America” by Pulitzer Prize winner David K. Shipler is a comprehensive and thoughtful assessment of poverty in 21 st Century America, with a guide to how to resuscitate the American dream. “Networking for Dummies/8 th edition,” which describes how to build and manage a network, has been updated for Windows Vista, plus Windows Server 2003 R2 and VOIP.

Stories of real people

“90 Minutes in Heaven: A True Story of Death and Life” by Don Piper tells of his experiences after his car was crushed by a semi that crossed into his lane and, according to medical personnel, killed him. “In Buddha’s Kitchen” by Kimberly Snow is a humorous yet insightful accounting of the author’s adventures as head cook at a Tibetan Buddhist retreat center. “Kitchen Confidential: Adventures in the Culinary Underbelly” by executive chef and FOX TV personality Anthony Bourdain reveals trade secrets that chefs and restaurateurs cringe to read. “Rite of Passage,” edited by Lisa Johnson, contains tales by backpackers taking that all-important first trip to Europe. “Mistresses of Mayhem: The Book of Women Criminals” by Francine Hornberger takes readers on a gripping and often unnerving journey into the lives and minds of female criminals like Lizzie Borden, Bonnie Parker, Ma Barker and Sante Kimes.

How-to and self-help

“Painting Murals: Images, Ideas and Techniques” by Patricia Seligman shows you how to paint all kinds of murals from a trompe l’oeil in the bathroom to nursery characters on the wall of a child’s bedroom and even a mural in the garden. “Zen for Americans” by Soyen Shaku is an explanation of Buddhist beliefs published together with the Sutra of Forty-two Chapters. “Descriptionary/Third Edition” by Marc McCutcheon is a reference tool for when you know the definition of a word but you do not know the word itself. “Abs Diet for Women” by David Zinczenko rpomises to help you improve your health, your looks, your athletic performance and your sex appeal. “Destructive Emotions: How Can We Overcome Them” is a conversation with the Dalai Lama and world-class scientists and philosophers as these leading minds grapple with age-old questions of compelling contemporary urgency.

Political leaders then and now

“Andrew Jackson: His Life and Times” by H.W. Brands is a superb biography by this respected historian, who was a finalist for the Pulitzer Prize for biography. “Barn Burning, Barn Building” by Texas politician Ben Barnes is an inside look not only at Texas politics but also his role in the careers of Presidents Johnson, Bush Sr. and Bush Jr.

Thanks to our donors

For a generous monetary donation, we thank Don and Donna Geiger. For books and materials, our gratitude to Mary Adcock, Larry Bartlett, Gail Becker, Linda Bennett, Diane Bower, Donna Carman, Robert Case, Betsy Cotton, Susan Dussel, Valiant Fulco, Douglas Granrath, Sharee Grazda, Euginia Hinger, Duane Hortleip, Dot Jones, Sam Lang Jr., Juliana Martin, F.B. Overly, Rod Preston, Lyn Rogers, Christine Trout and Margaret Wilson.

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