THIS WEEK IN JULY

1. Thursday Jul 23 PAUL GRINER THURSDAY, JULY 23; 7-8 PM @ The Greene PAUL GRINER will introduce his novel, The German Woman, which Kirkus says is “Complex, authentic, compelling.” Spanning both world wars, we meet beautiful Kate Zweig, the English widow of a German surgeon, and...
2. Saturday Jul 25 KID’S STORYTIMES SATURDAY,July 25; 11:15 AM @ T&C We’ll feature a Beach theme, with fun activities and games....

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HOT BOOKS

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  THE SHALLOWS: What the Internet is Doing to Our Brains by Nicholas Carr

  In The Shallows, the author of The Big Switch brings us a fascinating look at how technology is changing our brains. We are surrounded with the wonders of technology, and while we delight in it, is it good for us? Can we get too much of a good thing? Are our brains being “taught” to scan and skim rather than delve deeply into a matter? Are we losing the ability to think for ourselves? Is our attention span dangerously short? Are we losing our capacity for “concentration, contemplation, and reflection?” These and many other topics are addressed in this thought-provoking book.

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  THE POPULARITY PAPERS by Amy Ignatow

  Kids who love the Wimpy Kids books will enjoy this one. It is funny illustrated journal covering a year in the life of 5th graders Lydia Goldblatt and Julie Graham-Chang who are bemoaning the fact that they don’t think they are popular. They develop a research project to try to figure out what makes a kid popular. They want to crack that code before they start middle school, and that’s when the fun starts. Their quest to gain popularity may not turn out the way they planned, but it surely keeps the reader in stitches.

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  SEAWORTHY: A Swordboat Captain Returns to the Sea by Linda Greenlaw

  The author shared her deep-sea fishing experiences with us in The Hungry Ocean and The Lobster Chronicles. Now, after a 10-year hiatus, she returns to captain a swordboat, and once again captures for us the thrill of pursuing and capturing the majestic and elusive swordfish. Besides following her thrilling adventures on the water, the reader walks with her as she unexpectedly sits in a jail in Canada jail, accused of trespassing into Canadian waters. Written in a conversational style, you’ll feel that Linda is having a chat with you about her seafaring adventures, and you’re sure to enjoy it.

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PAUL GRINER

THURSDAY, JULY 23; 7-8 PM @ The Greene

PAUL GRINER will introduce his novel, The German Woman, which Kirkus says is “Complex, authentic, compelling.” Spanning both world wars, we meet beautiful Kate Zweig, the English widow of a German surgeon, and Claus Murphy, an exiled American with German roots.  That year is 1944.  Going back in history to 1918, we find that Kate and her husband, Horst, had been taken for spies by Russian soldiers and forced to flee their field hospital on the eastern front, barely escaping with their lives.  

Years later, in London during the Nazis’ V-1 reign of terror, Claus spends his days making propaganda films and his nights as a British spy, worn down by the war and his own many secrets.  When Claus meets the widow Kate, he finds himself powerfully drawn to her—even after evidence surfaces that she might not be exactly who she seems.  As the war hurtles to a violent end, Claus must define where his own loyalties lie, whether he can make a difference in the war—and what might be gained by taking a leap of faith with Kate.  Reminiscent of the haunting romance of Michael Ondaatje’s The English Patient, The German Woman takes us inside the two world wars that defined the twentieth century and the hidden histories of two characters whose love story will haunt readers’ hearts and minds.  HOUGHTIN MIFFLIN 

Paul Griner has also written Collectors and the story collection, Follow Me.  He lives in Louisville, Kentucky.