Library Lines ...

Mary Ruth Baird is the Displayer for the month of December, here at Rhoads Memorial Library.

Her exhibit of Christmas items ranges from books to a Santa cookie jar to yuletidethemed mugs.

Speaking of the yuletide season, well-respected author Richard Paul Evans has released a new stand-alone novel just in time for the holidays. "The Christmas Promise" is touted as a heartwarming story that features "secrets, heartbreak, forgiveness, and the true meaning of Christmas."

Conversely, if you need a break from holiday festivities, consider checking out these new releases:

-"Fear No Evil" by James Patterson finds Alex Cross entering the final battle with the all-knowing genius who has stalked him and his family for years. He and Detective John Sampson enter the Montana wilderness where they become prey. They have no way out and no backup.

-"A Blizzard of Polar Bears" by Alice Henderson is the followup novel to her debut of "A Solitude of Wolverines." Wildlife biologist Alex Carter lands a job studying a threatened population of polar bears in the Canadian Arctic. But when armed assassins close in on snowmobiles, she realizes someone does not want her to complete her mission.

- "The Unknown Woman of the Seine" by Brooks Hansen is set in the late autumn of 1889, when the body of a beautiful, unknown woman appears on the banks of the Seine River in Paris. After no one claims the body, a mold is taken of the face to yield a mask for future investigations. Henri Brassard, a former Gendarme and former prisoner of war, hopes to solve the mystery surrounding the woman and impress his former La Force superiors. Little does he know that his detective work will uncover the truth not only about her but about himself.

-"Vanishing Edge" by Claire Kells is set in Sequoia National Park, where a park ranger discovers an abandoned exclusive campsite comprised of an empty tent and high-end technical gear. Former FBI agent Felicity Harland is named chief investigator. She teams up with Ferdinand Huxley, a Navy SEAL turned park ranger to find that, while bad things happen in the wilderness, not all of them are accidents.

We will observe Christmas by closing at noon on Thursday, Dec. 23, and remaining closed through Monday, Dec. 27. We will re-open on Tuesday, Dec. 28, at 9 a.m.

Then, later that week, we will be closed on New Year's Eve, Friday, Dec. 31, and remain closed through Monday, Jan. 3, 2022. We will re-open on Tuesday, Jan. 4.

Until next week, Happy Reading!