Summer, as we all know, is such a busy time of year for all of us here in North Dakota.  In many reviews of books one sees the lines--"Good summer read" or "Great for the the beach!".  Here, though, summer  is more a time to travel or to get chores accomplished outside--and farming.  The sun helps us feel great, so we might even work in the house.  The sun streaming through the windows energizes us to clean and throw things out, it seems.  It's is a nice time for the library also since we are are often the recipient of those cleaning activities.  Several more groups of books have been deposited in our entry way or given us and we appreciate them!  Thanks to Gay Frojen and whomever left a bag of books in the entry way last week.  There are some good ones, it looks like, including six "cozy mysteries" by Joanne Fluke--including recipes, and two true stories about animals--one about a parrot and a scientist--Alex and Me and one about a blind cat taken in by a family--Homer's Odyssey.  The good thing is that they will still be here when you are no longer busy with painting, gardening, farming or whatever.  The other thing to remember is that you could always read in the car if you are a passenger and the library has audio books if you are driving.  We have CD's which work in all cars these days, so one could listen and drive.  We who help out at the library really think there is so much to offer at Finley Library!  Come in and check us out!
 
Here's a couple reviews:

Smoke Screen by Dick Francis.  (HC/LP)  (NDSL books)  Edward (Link) Lincoln is a British movie star being pursued by someone who wants him dead.  Having just returned to England from a difficult movie shoot in the badlands of Spain, a good friend asks him to go to South Africa to check out her string of race horses that don't seem to be running to their capabilities.  She is dying and wants her heirs to be able to get a good price for them if they wish to sell or, if not, a good stud fee.  When Link goes there he realizes that someone is running a scheme to reduce the worth of the horses, but why and who?  As always Francis writes a very interesting story with a very likeable character that manages to get himself out of a dilemma not of his own doing--and he does it with very little blood shed and few--if any--four letter words in a story that is enjoyable and exciting to the reader.
 
Cold Medina by Gary Hardwick.  (PB)  Tony Hill, a black man, is the head of the the Special Crimes Unit in Detroit, Michigan.  His job is heavy burden to him for several reasons--he sees extremely ruthless drug dealers--mostly Black--killing each other and pulling younger and younger kids into the organization, Detroit's economy is so very depressed and everyone is suffering "except the high-rolling whites" who live out on the bluffs, and he knows that he got his job not necessarily through his own abilities, but through politics.  The first pages lead the reader directly into a mutilation murder done with such hatred that even Tony and his partner, Jim, are surprised.  Right away they think that the murderer is a psychopath and not one of the "locals."  And right away the reader sees that these cops hate white people--especially the ones they work with.  There is some philosophizing about why they feel the way they do and about racial tension in the United States.  An interesting book written from a different perspective and very dark.