Book Discussion

The Glass Castle

by Jeannette Walls

Saturday, March 24

11:00 a.m.

This thought-provoking memoir is as gripping as it is uplifting. As children, the author and her siblings fended for themselves, eating out of trash cans and living by their wits, while their parents inhabited a bizarre dreamworld. Yet Walls presents a unique and sometimes upbeat portrait of her life with them. There's lots to talk about in this thoroughly American chronicle.

All are welcome to register for the discussion at the Reference Desk. Cardholders may pick up a copy of the book here.

Book Discussion

RESCHEDULED

One Thousand White Women
by Jim Fergus

Saturday, March 3
11 a.m. to noon
(Downstairs in the Open Room)

Due to your requests, we are rescheduling this program, which was cancelled due to snow. Please join us to discuss this engrossing novel, a favorite of reading groups. Loosely based on actual historical events, this is the story of May Dodd and a colorful assembly of pioneer women, who under the auspices of the U.S. government, travel to the western prairies in 1874 to intermarry among the Cheyenne Indians. Sports reporter and author Jim Fergus (A Hunter's Road) brings the Cheyenne and their mates vividly to life at a pivotal time in U.S. history.

From the Horse's Mouth

War Horse by Michael Morpurgo

Told from the viewpoint of Joey, a beautiful red-bay colt, this novel evokes the courage and endurance of both man and horse.

Set in 1914 during World War I, Joey is bought by a farmer at an auction. Albert, the farmer's son, trains him and a strong loving bond is formed. Then Albert's father sells the colt to the cavalry. While charging into battle, Joey is captured by the Germans who use him to pull an ambulance and gun carts. The confusion and kindness of the enemies come together to save the wounded horse. A story not just for horse lovers but for those who enjoy historical fiction.

If you like heartwarming horse stories, then you will enjoy watching the DVD Long Shot, a story of courage and of overcoming the obstacles that life throws at us. When her husband leaves her, an equestrian and single mother moves to Colorado and rebuilds her life while working at a horse farm. A nice family movie.

Riverhead Reads: The Wild West

The Adult Winter Reading Club is back with Riverhead Reads: The Wild West. Stake your claim on a reading kit at the Adult Reference desk and begin.

Here are just a few of the books being offered:

Lighting Out for the Territory: How Samuel Clemens Headed West and Became Mark Twain by Roy Morris, Jr.

This lighthearted account of Samuel Clemens's sojourn through the American West documents how a failed search for silver prompted his literary reinvention and work as a journalist, stage performer, and short story writer

Those who prefer more traditional western stories might like to try Max Brand, Zane Grey, or Louis L'Amour. There's also less traditional westerns, designed to appeal to both men and women, and even some mysteries. Robert B. Parker 's acclaimed first western, Gunman's Rhapsody, plays out at the O.K. Corral with Wyatt Earp as the gunman. Check out Parker's Virgil Cole and Everett Hitch series as well.


If romance is what you're looking for, try one of Linda Lael Miller's novels. The Man from Stone Creek kicks off her Stone Creek series. Miller's books are more steamy unlike the Christian romances written by many female western authors such as Susan Page Davis and Lori Copeland.

Don't forget to check out the true stories of remarkable western women including High Spirited Women of the West by Ann Seagraves, Nothing Daunted: The Unexpected Education of Two Society Girls in the West by Dorothy Wickenden, and Cathy Williams: From Slave to Female Buffalo Soldier by Phillip Thomas Tucker.

Although you may read or listen to any book for a chance to win prizes in the Adult Winter Reading Club, you'll double your chances of winning by selecting one of these or other books from our preferred reading list. The Old West has it all!

Book Discussion

The Mayor of Casterbridge
by Thomas Hardy

Tuesday, November 22
7 to 8 p.m.

Please join us for this timeless classic. It is a tale of a man who is undone by his character defects, yet labors to redeem himself. Set in the fictional area of Wessex, Hardy's novels capture the essence of the rustic southwest region of England. His colorful, memorable characters and their fates are intricately linked to their natural environment.

The Green Spot

Take a hike! Attend our library program Hiking on Long Island, Thursday, September 22, 7 to 8:30 p.m. If you're too late for this, there are many other options.

Visit our hiking display on the first section of The Green Spot for hiking schedules from local organizations and books featuring some great treks and easy strolls. Some standouts include Short Nature Walks Long Island in which authors Rodney & Priscilla Albright take you on fifty-three leisurely walks with clear directions and detailed maps for each.

Long Island: A Guide to New York's Suffolk and Nassau Counties by Raymond Edward Spinzia, Judith Ader Spinzia and Kathryn Spinzia Rayne features many of the parklands on Long Island where you stroll the grounds of former estates or take more rigorous hikes through woodland preserves.

For those wishing to go further afield, try 60 Hikes Within 60 Miles of New York City by Christopher & Catherine Brooks. Unbounded by state lines, the trails showcase swamp streams and roaring waterfalls, hidden lakes and bald summits. A very scenic section of the Appalachian Trail is highlighted.

Many general books provide outdoor basics for hikers and backpackers, including Wilderness Basics by the San Diego Chapter of the Sierra Club. So get ready to get up and go!

Book Discussion

The Double Bind
by Chris Bohjalian
Wednesday, September 21
7 to 8 p.m.

The reading continues...
Now that the Adult Summer Reading Club and Booked for Lunch have ended, you can still get motivated to read by signing up and attending some great book discussions.

This spellbinding literary thriller, travels between the Roaring Twenties and the present, through Jazz Age Long Island and rural New England. A troubled homeless man's box of photographs holds the key to a deeply hidden secret that puts a young woman in jeopardy and into a cat and mouse game with pursuers who claim they want to save her.

Chris Bohjalian is a critically acclaimed bestselling author who takes readers on his most intriguing, most haunting, and most unforgettable journey yet.

Please sign up for the discussion at the Reference Desk where cardholders may pick up a copy of the book.