Library Lines ...

It is becoming a challenge here at Rhoads Memorial Library to keep our doors open as flu, strep throat, and COVID cases are on the rise. Last Friday, we had to close one hour early as I was still at home quarantining and both part-time workers became ill at separate times with different ailments (not COVID-related, thank goodness!).

Instead of being pleased about the eight hours the library was open that day, two very vocal patrons were quite annoyed about the one hour we were not open. We apologize for the inconvenience our patrons may endure due to sudden closure, but it is in the best interest of everyone to try to keep this public facility as illness-free as possible.

Given the circumstances, it has been decided to close the library until further notice. Hopefully, by the time you read this, our health issues will be resolved, and we can be present to serve you. Watch for updates.

Newly released books that have arrived and are ready for checkout include:

"Shakeup" (a Stone Barrington novel) by Stuart Woods;

"Truly, Madly, Deeply" (a Baxter Family novel) by Karen Kingsbury;

"A Christmas Resolution" (a novel) by Anne Perry;

"Christmas at the Island Hotel" (a novel) by Jenny Colgan.

That last book, "Christmas at the Island Hotel" revolves around a new hotel on the remote island of Mure, located halfway between Scotland and Norway. Flora MacKenzie and her brother, Fintan, are working frantically to get the place ready for a grand opening gala near Christmas. Helping in the kitchen is Isla Gregor, a young, hard-working waitress who dreams of a better life, along with a young man named Konstantin Pederson.

Unbeknownst to Isla, Konstantin is the only son of the Duke of Utsire, who sent him to see what it is like to work hard for a living before receiving his inheritance. Initially resentful, Konstantin warms to the people and learns of many small-town secrets among its residents.

If you are not in the mood for a Christmas novel, however, there is another new release ready for checkout titled "A Solitude of Wolverines", a novel of suspense by Alice Henderson. According to reviewers, it is "both a mystery and a survival story written with a naturalist's eye for detail and an unrelenting pace. it is reminiscent of author Nevada Barr's works."

The book features Alex Carter, a wildlife biologist studying wolverines in a Montana wildlife sanctuary. Despite being run off the road and threatened by the locals, she persists in trying to save this endangered species. Alex notices some oddities in photos she has taken, unwittingly stumbling into a far-reaching illegal operation and becoming the hunted herself.

Until next week, Happy Reading!