Blue Ribbon Book Stop

Fantasy, fact, and fiction merge in some unusual Long Island stories. Bridging the past and the future, A Winter's Tale by Mark Helprin is a fanciful love story of a master thief and a white horse. Helprin begiles us with Baymen and billionaires and an ongoing search to stop time for the sake of love. This is the prefect tale to hunker down to on those cold winter nights.

The manipulation of time continues in The Montauk Project by Preston B. Nichols with Peter Moon. Part legend, and part conjecture, this chronicles one of the most amazing and secretive research projects in recorded history. Beginning in 1943, it culminates in bizarre experiments at Montauk Point.

Set in a small Long Island fishing community in 1947, Amagansett by Mark Mills is a dark and thoughtful story of a fisherman who finds his life transformed forever when he pulls up the body of a beautiful young woman in his fishing nets. This was previously a Long Island Reads book, part of a reading program for promoted by public libraries on Long Island.

For more fiction unique to Long Island, check with the Reference Desk.

Local History Book Stop

From 1640 to 1918, Long Island's inhabitants actively participated in the whaling industry. For Candlesticks & Corset Stays: Long Island's Yankee Whalers by Laurence Cone provides an historic look at whaling in and around Cold Spring Harbor. Mark Well the Whale! Long Island Ships to Distant Seas by Frederick P. Schmitt recreates the Golden Age of whaling in this area, while Whales and Whaling: Sag Harbor, New York, edited by George A. Finckenor, provides insight into the topic with documents from a whaling fleet.

Descendants of these formidable whaling clans, the bay fishermen, also play an important role in the historic fishing culture of Long Island. Men's Lives: The Surfmen and Baymen of the South Fork by Peter Matthiessen captures the lifestyle of this waning three hundred year old society of the commercial fishermen on the east end of Long Island. The hardcover version of the book contains black and white illustrations of another bygone era.

Mr. Hollywood Speaks

Looking for something otherworldly? Search no further! Here at the library we have a great collection of new and old science fiction flicks that will transport you to far away galaxies.

Starting with the not-so-ordinary, The Fountain is a smart and enthralling sci-fi story that is heartbreaking and intriguing all at once. Staring Hugh Jackman and Rachel Weisz, this story of life, death, and love spans over a thousand years.

Zathura is the quasi-sequel to Jumangi, only this time a magical board game leads to an outer-space adventure. Thrilling and comical, this family movie comes highly recommended.


Sky Captain and the World of Tomorrow is a throwback film with the look and feel of vintage 1930s science fiction movies, like Metropolis and Buck Rogers. Joe "Sky Captain" Sullivan and beat reporter Polly Perkins are out to save the world from a mad scientist with city-crushing robots.

Last on the list is Tin Man, a new twist on the Wizard of Oz original, this sci-fi channel mini-series stars Zoe Daschanel as Dorthoy. The modern day update returns Dorothy back to the land of Oz and on the run from the evil sorceress Azkadellia.

Where the Fur Flies

Love Animals? Of course you do or you wouldn't be reading this blog. Human-animal relationships have become a popular topic. Therapy dogs, service animals, even wildlife viewing, have enhanced the lives of humans. We have great books by authors such as Jane Goodall, Caesar Millan, and Monty Roberts to further our appreciation of animals. The following selections will make you laugh and cry. Enjoy and please make comments! I love to hear from all you animal lovers.

Dewey: The Small-Town Library Cat Who Touched The World by Vicki Myron. As a kitten left in the book-drop bin, this special cat charmed his way into the lives of the people of Spencer, Iowa.

Chosen By A Horse: A Memoir by Susan Richards. A charming story of a women whose hurts from a difficult past are healed with the help of an abused horse rescued by the SPCA. This special relationship alters her life.

Dog Man: An Uncommon Life On A Faraway Mountain by Martha Sherrill. This gripping biography tells how one man saved the entire breed of Akita dogs during WWII.

Duma, starring Campbell Scott & Hope Davis, is a DVD. Watch the unbreakable bond of friendship between a young boy and a cheetah.