shop online at www.missourivalleyshopper.com To OurDayReaders Because New Year’s falls on a Friday, next week’s “River City” will run on Thursday, Dec. 31,. If you wish to submit any information for the “River City” edition next week, please have that information to us by 3 p.m. Tuesday, Dec. 29. We appreciate your assistance in this matter. New At The Library Here’s what’s new at the Yankton Community Library this week: ADULT BOOKS • Ashley Bell by Dean Koontz; Fiction • The Bone Labyrinth by James Rollins; Fiction • Bryant & May and the Burning Man by Christopher Fowler; Fiction • The First Hostage by Joel C. Rosenberg; Fiction • Invisible City by Julia Dahl; Fiction • The Relic Master by Christopher Buckley; Fiction • So You Don’t Get Lost in the Neighborhood by Patrick Modiano; Fiction • The Verdict by Nick Stone; Fiction • Eisenhower’s Armies by Niall Barr; Nonfiction • The Snoopy Treasures by Nat Gertler; Nonfiction • Writing Your Novel from Start to Finish by Joseph Bates; Nonfiction ADULT AUDIO BOOKS • The Theory of Death by Faye Kellerman Fiction ADULT DVDS • Ant-Man • Fantastic 4 • McFarland USA • Mission Impossible: Rogue Nation • Maze Runner: The Scorch Trials EASY BOOKS • Bear and Bunny by Daniel Pinkwater; Fiction • Double Happiness by Nancy Tupper Ling; Fiction ——— Did you know that you can reserve an item from home? Staff will then notify you as soon as the item is available. December 29, 2015 • Page 11 The Bookworm Bittersweet ‘Grandmother’ Will Bring Tears, Smiles “My Grandmother asked Me to Tell You She’s Sorry” by Fredrik Backman; © 2015, Atria; 372 pages ——— BY TERRI SCHLICHENMEYER “I forgive you.” Are there any three more powerful words? Can “I love you” — also used for countertops, couches, or coats — bestow such mercy? I don’t think so. “I forgive you.” In release and relief, those words put things back on track — although, in the new book “My Grandmother Asked Me to Tell You She’s Sorry” by Fredrik Backman, the transgressions hardly need absolution. Every grandmother’s house smells a little different. Some smell like cookies or old magazines, soup or stale perfume. But seven-year-old Elsa’s granny’s flat — the whole building, in fact — smelled like coffee, cigarettes, a “very large animal of some sort,” and Granny. For her entire life, Granny was the only friend Elsa had. Granny played games with Elsa, gave her rides in Renault (the car Granny said she won in a poker game), told Elsa stories (Granny loved stories!) and she taught Elsa how to get to the Land-of-Almost-Awake, the magic kingdom of Miamas, and a troubled knight named Wolfheart. Granny had a lot of superpowers, one of which was always being on Elsa’s side. And that, perhaps, was why she never mentioned the word “cancer” to Elsa. She didn’t want Elsa to know, or to mourn. That was probably why Granny never said goodbye before leaving Elsa with an assignment befitting a knight of Miamas. The assignment was a treasure hunt (Granny loved treasure hunts!), with clues and messages for people in their building: Britt-Marie, who was a “nag-bag,” and her husband, Kent; the boy who danced, and his mother; Maud, who fixed everything with cookies, and Lennart; Al, who drove Taxi. The first clue took Elsa to the door of a vicious dog that lived downstairs. If the dog didn’t kill her, surely the second delivery would: it was an apology for The Monster, who lived next to the dog. As Elsa made the deliveries, three more clues appeared until everything — including Granny’s not-so-goodbye — began to make sense. And so did the knowledge that “It’s possible to love your grandmother for years and years without really knowing anything about her.” Did you ever read a novel that was so captivating that when it was over, you felt a little adrift? That’s how I was when I finished “My Grandmother Asked Me to Tell You She’s Sorry.” If you can remember that time in your life when magic was real, grownups were mysteries, and you were about to learn the truth about both, then you’re halfway to understanding what makes author Fredrik Backman’s book so appealing: though she’s “insanely” precocious, Elsa still relies on a magicand-pretend life that’s whisked away so quickly, it’s breathtaking. And yet, that having-to-grow-up-fast time is mercifully aborted by the posthumous wishes of the kind of grandmother you’ll wish you had, the one who knows there’s no need to hurry childhood’s exit. Bring tissues when you start “My Grandmother Asked Me to Tell You She’s Sorry,” but bring your funnybone, too. It’s that kind of book — one that, if you miss it, you’ll never forgive yourself. Year In Review ‘Witcher 3,’ ‘Fallout 4’ Lead AP’s Top 10 Games good, too.) 5. “Her Story”: Viva Seifert For all its baroque touches, “Witcher 3” boils 10. “Until Dawn”: A bunch plays a young wife with a missing down to a domestic drama about a jaded warof teenagers plan a weekend at husband in this time-hopping mysAssociated Press video game tery that takes place entirely within a secluded cabin. What could go rior and his impetuous adopted daughter — critics Lou Kesten and Derrik J. a police interrogation room. I’m not wrong? This thriller initially looks and it’s quite moving. Lang’s favorite titles of the year sure it’s even a “game,” but creator like dozens of slasher movies, but featured monster hunters, treasure Sam Barlow’s clever plotting and it twists all the familiar tropes into hunters, guardian spirits and mursomething perversely original. Seifert’s nimble performance comder suspects: bine to deliver a knockout tale. Throw in a witty performance by performance by actress Viva Seifert toon”: With an overreliance on a 6. “Rise of the Tomb Raider”: TV’s breakout star of the year, Rami and gameplay that almost anyone certain bouncy plumber, Nintendo Chapter two of the franchise Malek of “Mr. Robot,” and you have can engage with because it involves LOU KESTEN has long been guilty of playing it reboot finds young Lara Croft a nasty little horror gem. simply searching for words on a safe. That totally changed this year 1. “The Witcher 3: Wild Hunt”: searching for the secret to immorscreen. If more developers created with the introduction of the loveable This role-playing drama from tality. It’s at its best when the Tomb games like “Her Story,” the medium paint-wielding squid kids. A splashy DERRIK J. LANG Poland’s CD Projekt Red set a new Raider is, you know, raiding tombs, would be taken more seriously. aesthetic and adrenaline-pumping standard for weirdness when it 1. “Fallout 4”: Despite its with clever environmental puzzles action helped “Splatoon” success5. “Rise of the Tomb Raider”: sent his hero in pursuit of a flying unforgiving density, “Fallout 4” fully roll over all other multiplayer Lara Croft is on a roll. After a that work your brain cells harder ghost fetus. For all its baroque was the year’s most captivating shooters. much-need reboot of the treasure than your reflexes. touches, “Witcher 3” boils down title. I wanted to stop returning to hunting franchise, developer Crystal 9. “Batman: Arkham Knight”: 7. “Pillars of Eternity”: A to a domestic drama about a jaded Bethesda Softworks stylish version Dynamics keenly avoids a sophoRocksteady Studios’ apparent swan character cursed with mysterious warrior and his impetuous adopted of a nuclear-ravaged Boston and more slump with a snowy, survivalsong in their incredible “Arkham” visions tries to find out why babies daughter — and it’s quite moving. the staggering array of choices it focused second installment that series finally unleashed the Dark are being born without souls in 2. “Fallout 4”: The latest epic presented, but I couldn’t stay away meticulously builds on what made Knight across all of Gotham — this indie role-playing game from from Bethesda Softworks crams in from carving out my own destiny in 2013’s “Tomb Raider” an adventure complete with the Batmobile at his Obsidian Entertainment. Fans of a bunch of genres — role-playing, this special role-playing saga. worthy of the iconic heroine. disposal — without sacrificing the old-school classics like “Baldur’s first-person shooter, even a civili2. “The Witcher 3: Wild Hunt”: cerebral storytelling or majestic flu6. “Ori and the Blind Forest”: Gate” and “Planescape: Torment” zation-building simulation — and From the bonus swag in the box to idity of its well-oiled predecessors. This luminescent platformer did will feel right at home. veers from hilarious black comedy the gratis downloadable content, Ben Affleck should take note. something that no “Super Mario 8. “Undertale”: This lo-fi the third installment in CD Projekt to heartbreaking tragedy. It’s most Bros.” has ever accomplished. It 10. “Assassin’s Creed: Syndiproject from Toby Fox turns game Red’s sweeping role-playing series memorable for its haunting vision made me tear up — and that’s not cate”: After last year’s buggy and conventions upside-down. A huis as much of a love letter to fans of of humanity somehow surviving just because it’s so darn difficult. boring edition set amid the French man child is trapped underground monster hunter Geralt of Rivia as it after nearly destroying itself. Moon Studios managed to artfully Revolution in Paris, Ubisoft’s stealth — but instead of killing all the is to the fantasy genre as a whole. 3. “Super Mario Maker”: balance intricate riddle solving with series rebounded in 2015 with a This majestic entry should be reNintendo gives its fans all the tools monsters he encounters, he can an emotional tale about loss and jolly jaunt to old England. A brilliant membered for years to come. they need to build two-dimensional negotiate with most of them. It’s a discovery. recreation of Victorian London — thought-provoking approach, and 3. “Metal Gear Solid V: The challenges starring Mario and his 7. “Sunset”: While most games right down to the pubs — was a one I hope more big game publishPhantom Pain”: After a stunning crew. Somewhere out there, kids tell war stories from behind the bar- spectacular playground for quirky 28 years of crafting “Metal Gear” are learning the ropes on their way ers will notice. rel of a gun, “Sunset” dared to do so twin gangsters Jacob and Evie Frye. 9. “Rock Band 4”: The ultimate games, Hideo Kojima’s open-world to designing the games we’ll be on the other side of a mop handle. ——— party game returns, inviting you coda brought the walls surroundtalking about 20 years from now. Yes, it sounds boring to play as a What were your favorite games www.missourivalleyshopper.com those fake www.missourivalleyshopper.com to jam anew with all ing protagonist Snake down for the 4. “Ori and the Blind Forest”: housekeeper tasked with cleaning of the year? Share them on Twitter instruments that have been gather- first time. In a year overstuffed with This melancholy yet action-packed — and snooping around — her boss’ with Lou Kesten at http://twitter. ing dust over the last five years. open-world titles, “Phantom Pain” adventure follows an orphaned penthouse. Belgium developer Tale com/lkesten and Derrik J. Lang at was the most technically flawless of The ability to download songs you spirit creature as it tries to restore of Tales made it a strangely evocahttp://twitter.com/derrikjlang. them all. purchased for earlier versions is a tive interactive experience. life to a devastated woodland. It’s 4. “Her Story”: Sam Barlow’s huge bonus. (“Guitar Hero Live,” 8. the year’s most beautiful game — voyeuristic mystery is a rarity. which streams its tunes, is pretty “Splaand one of its most challenging. The game features a provocative BY LOU KESTEN Associated Press www.missourivalleyshopper.com www.missourivalleyshopper.com www.missourivalleyshopper.com www.missourivalleyshopper.com Benson Ag Sales Wishing you and your family a joyful, bright, Visit our Web site at healthy, prosperous www.missourivalleyshopper.com and happiest new year ahead! Visit our Web site at Meridian Seed Tenders www.missourivalleyshopper.com 2 & 4 Box and Bulk Tenders Fuel Trailers Visit our Web site at& Donna Tony www.missourivalleyshopper.com • Great Parts • Great Warranty On-Hand & In-Stock! NO WAITING! 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Tokyo Japanese Cuisine provides comfortable seating for 96 and a large party room accommodates 30-40 guests. Japanese food is based upon the principle of health and longevity; dine at Tokyo for a healthy journey each day! Tokyo Japanese Cuisine is open Sunday – Thursday 11:00 am – 10 pm and Friday and Saturday 11:00 am – 10:30 pm. Contact them at: 605-260-3388.