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.

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.

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.

Booked for Lunch

Lunch time is book time at the Riverhead Free Library. Every Friday from 12: 30 to 1:30 p.m. through the end of August, librarians will present new authors and new books available for checkout to Riverhead cardholders. Here are a few samples of some of the latest titles.

The Beginners by Rebecca Wolff - Set in a secluded New England village, this atmospheric novel evokes a darkly Gothic aura. When two strangers show up in town, an adolescent girl becomes entangled in their lives and gets an unlikely education. Dread and desire hang over every page of this delicious thriller, as creepy as it is marvelous.

Silicon Jungle by Shumeet Baluja - In this sinister novel, a company's vast database of people's most private thoughts and actions raises ethical questions about today's cutting edge data-mining industry. Do-gooders, voyeurs, government agents, and radicals surface, and a naive, young intern is caught in the middle.

Last Men Out: The True Story of America's Heroic Final Hours in Vietnam by Bob Drury and Tom Clavin - The local author of Dark Noon, Tom Clavin co-authors this gripping true account of the brave U.S. Marines who led daring helicopter rescues, evacuating the remaining fellow marines and civilians as Saigon fell.

The Pioneer Woman: Black Heels to Tractor Wheels by Ree Drummond - This popular true romance is available in CD and in large print as well as in standard format. It tells the entertaining tale of a city girl who fell for an Oklahoma cowboy. From the author of The Pioneer Woman Cooks, this humorous story also provides some good "home-cooked" recipes.

Bring your own lunch and join us outdoors in the courtyard by the Yellow Barn for Booked for Lunch or indoors in case of rain or extreme heat!

Book Discussion: The Piano Teacher

by Janice J.K. Lee

Wednesday, July 20
7 to 8 p.m.

Join us for this intriguing piece of historical fiction set in Hong Kong during WWII and ten years later. Seduced by the social life of the expatriate community, Claire Pendelton begins an affair with an enigmatic Englishman whose devastating past threatens the present. This standout debut has been hailed by critics for its adept pacing and unexpected twists. The Piano Teacher offers a lush examination of East-West relations and compelling characters.

Have you read...?

Remarkable Creatures by Tracy Chevalier

This fine example of historical fiction boasts a starred review in Publishers Weekly. Set in pre-Darwinian Regency England, the story tells of an unlikely friendship between two women fossil hunters who live in the small community of Lyme Regis. Together they explore the world of paleontology, a science where men rule and women are dismissed, receiving little credit for their remarkable finds.

I listened to the book on CD and each of the two characters tells their first person story, beautifully executed by the actors Susan Lyons and Charlotte Parry. As well as being available as a CD and in standard format, the book is available as an e-book and in large print. Chevalier is also the author of the popular book Girl with a Pearl Earring.

We hope you will like Have you read...? We will continue featuring new books on this blog. If you read Remarkable Creatures, please blog to us about it.

Book Discussion: The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo

Saturday, January 22
11 a.m. to noon

Set in Sweden, Stieg Larson's international bestseller The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo introduces a provocatively odd couple who investigate the forty year old disappearance of a young heiress. Mikael Blomkvist, a disgraced financial analyst, and Lisbeth Salander, a multipierced tattooed computer hacker, are a favorite of readers across the globe with Blomkvist reflecting the late author's own tumultuous career as a crusading journalist.

Copies of this remarkable crime novel are available for those wishing to participate in the book discussion. Please sign up at the Reference Desk.

Riverhead Reads: Passport to Mystery

Winter is here and so is the Adult Winter Reading Club 2011, Riverhead Reads: Passport to Mystery. Read or listen to any book for a chance to win prizes in our weekly raffle drawings. Read a book from our preferred reading list, featuring international crime fiction, and double your chances of winning. Here's a sample of a few of the books listed for Scandanavia.

Before the popular Stieg Larsson series (The Girl With the Dragon Tattoo), the first grandmasters of Swedish dectecive fiction were the writing team of Maj Sjowall and Per Wahloo. The Man on the Balcony features Stockholm police inspector Martin Beck who also fights crime in The Locked Room. If you don't mind Scandinavian dreariness or brutal crimes, put this Edgar winning duo next on your list.

Even James Patterson has hopped on the bandwagon with his own Swedish crime thriller, The Postcard Killers, which he co-wrote with Swedish novelist, Lisa Marklund. We have plenty of extra copies of this book on hand. The number one bestselling author in Europe, Marklund has yet to make it big in the USA, but expect more of her books to surface here in the near future.

Swedish mystery writer Henning Mankell's Detective Inspector Kurt Wallander series features a rumpled, irritable middle-aged cop. Though the character failed to capture the same devoted attention of American readers as did Larsson's tattooed heroine, the author gets high praise for intricate plotting and for his tackling of social and global issues. Try The Dogs of Riga or any of his other available mysteries for something different.

The Scandanavian invasion is not just limited to Sweden. Many top notch crime writers hail from other countries, including Norwegian writer Karin Fossum. Her Inspector Sejer series is kicked off by Don't Look Back, set in an idyllic Norwegian village. Fossum is another author who is widely acclaimed across Europe and many of her books are available here as well.

Most of the international mystery authors write series mysteries with continuing characters. However, their books that are published in the USA may vary from the order in which they were published in their native countries. In most cases it is unnecessary to read an author's books in any particular order. Check with the Reference Desk to join the Adult Winter Reading Club and pick up a kit for your Passport to Mystery.

Book Discussion: A Trip to the Stars

Wednesday, September 22
7 to 8:30 p.m.

Written by poet Nicholas Christopher, this unique coming-of-age tale and love story shows us what happens when we lose what matters most. In 1965, a young boy and his aunt become separated when the child is kidnapped by a wealthy uncle. Despite this unnerving event, mysterious ties continue to link the two over the next fifteen years that they are apart.

Spanning several continents, A Trip to the Stars is seeped in mystery, romance, and intellectual adventure. Sign up for the discussion and pick up a book at the Reference Desk.

Patron Picks

Thank you to everyone who participated in Riverhead Reads, our annual adult summer reading club. Here are some of the top-rated book picks from our patrons.

The Shack by William P. Young was one of the most requested books of 2007. Set deep in the Oregon wilderness, it tells the tale of the brutal murder of a family's youngest daughter and her father's attempt to reconcile it--with himself and with God. Multiple copies of this book are available, so if you have not already read it, now is the time!

For those who enjoy reading Pultizer Prize-winning authors, Geraldine Brooks is a must. Her latest title, People of the Book, is enthusiastically read by book groups and receives high praise from our patrons. The story of rare-book expert Hanna Heath takes us back in time as she discovers a series of tiny artifacts in a volume's ancient binding and pieces together the mystery of the book's origins.

Those who enjoy a lighter read may want to try out New York Times bestselling author Diana Palmer whose sizzling modern-day western Fearless is sure to please romance readers. Set in the wide open spaces of Texas, it pits an undercover DEA agent against a fiercely independent female rancher.

Finally, The Summons is one of author John Grisham's more current legal thrillers. As a beloved and powerful judge lays dying, he issues a summons for both of his sons to return home. But the judge dies too soon for the meeting to take place, leaving behind a shocking secret.

Look for more Patron Picks on the September 2010 display.

Book Discussion: Amagansett

Amagansett

by Mark Mills

Saturday

March 20, 2010

11 a.m.

A national bestseller and former Long Island Reads selection, this suspenseful drama offers the best in historical fiction. When a Basque fisherman casts his nets in the treacherous waters of the Atlantic, he pulls in the body of a beautiful young woman. Screenwriter Mills expertly fashions the dynamic history of Long Island's south shore in this clash between the rich summer people and the dispossessed immigrant fishermen and Native Americans. Set in the post-World War II era, the story skillfully combines a poignant love story with a solid police procedural. Praised by critics.

In the News

Even today books are banned by certain institutions or in other venues for political, religious, sexual or social reasons. Beginning in 1982, the American Library Association (ALA) has celebrated Banned Book Week annually during the last week of September. The goal of this weeklong event is to keep the concept of literary freedom in the forefront of Americans' minds. Look for our display of books that have been banned throughout the ages, and select your own banned book to read!

Here are just a few of them...

Lady Chatterley's Lover by D.H. Lawrence was inspired by the long-standing affair between Lawrence's German wife and an Italian peasant who eventually became her third husband. This fictionalized account is the story of Constance Chatterley, who, while trapped in an unhappy marriage to an aristocratic mine owner whose war wounds have left him paralyzed and impotent becomes involved with a gamekeeper. Many critics consider it Lawrence's best novel.

Candide by Voltaire tells the story of a naive youth who is conscripted, shipwrecked, and tortured by the Inquisition without losing his will to live. Voltaire is a brilliant satirist and one of the most influential figures of the eighteenth century Enlightenment. Highly readable, this is a book you will long remember.

Famed and recently deceased author John Updike was a prolific novelist, poet, and short story writer, and winner of the Pulitzer Prize in Fiction. Rabbit, Run, his second novel, is about a high-school basketball star who on an impulse, at the age of twenty six, deserts his wife. Set in a small urban area of southeastern Pennsylvania in 1959, the story portrays the potentially tragic clash between religion and morality.

Book Discussion - A Fine Balance

A Fine Balance : a novel
by Rohinton Mistry

Wednesday, September 23, 2009
7 - 8 PM
Riverhead Free Library Open Room

Life in an unnamed Indian city couldn't be worse when four people join forces in order to survive. Dina, a seamstress who is losing her sight, two tailors and Maneck, a student, share a cramped apartment and learn that compassion and cooperation make it possible to create a bond, shaping their dire circumstances into something bearable and dramatically changing themselves for the better.

Adult Summer Reading Club: Long Island Fiction

The Adult Summer Reading Program is here. Now is the time to sign up for Riverhead Reads: Long Island Fiction. You may read or listen to any book for a chance to win prizes. Double your chance to win by reading books on the preferred Long Island Fiction list. Drop by the Reference Desk to sign up and receive a kit containing the list and raffle tickets. Here's a sampling of a few of the books listed, which are available at the library.

L.I.E. is by David Hollander, who grew up in Suffolk County, Long Island. This debut novel takes place in Medford and follows teen Harlan Kessler through two years of love, sex, death, betrayal, salvation, and enlightenment, painting a vivid picture of a blue collar family in ten intimately interwoven stories.

For a national bestseller, try Amagansett by Mark Mills. Endorsed by another Long Island author, Nelson DeMille, as well as by the Los Angeles Times, this first novel was also a Long Island Reads selection. A first-generation Basque fisherman who casts his nets into the Atlantic and pulls in the body of a beautiful young woman. What initially looks like a routine drowning turns into a murder investigation set in an area that becomes a social battleground for the local fisherman. A gripping story, with powerfully drawn characters.

Veteram writer John Saul presents a creepy stalker story, Perfect Nightmare, which turns into a shrewd whodunit. Though this is not Saul's best work, the novel may satisfy those who like the sexual-psychopath thriller. This one's about the kidnapping of a teenage girl who is initially pegged as a runaway. It takes place on Long Island's north shore.

For more Long Island fiction, check out the display with the gift packages by the Circulation Desk.

Book Discussion

The Lace Reader
by Brunonia Barry

Wednesday, March 11, 2009
7 p.m.
&
Saturday, March 14, 2009
2 p.m.

Please join us to discuss this fascinating story, steeped in mystery and the paranormal, and narrated by the main character, who is mentally ill. The misty place between fact and fiction will be explored in Barry's first original adult novel, set in Salem, Massachusetts, where lobstermen, witches, and tourists all add to the mix for a rich and rewarding read.

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.

Blue Ribbon Book Stop

Looking for a good book to read? Or, are you searching for a new favorite author? Our librarians will be happy to assist you with suggestions to suit your taste. Here are a couple of the latest librarian-recommended books, also available in large print and CD.

The Confessor by Daniel Silva is a superbly spun thriller featuring Gabriel Allon, art restorer/Mossad spy, who returns to yet another tale of espionage. The novel's theme revolves around whether or not the Catholic Church turned a blind eye to Nazi atrocities against the Jews during World War II. This solidly plotted, well-crafted story will appeal to readers who enjoy authors such as John le Carre and Allen Furst.

The Girl With No Shadow by Joanne Harris is the sequel to Chocolat. It continues the story of Vianne, who has reinvented herself as the widow Yanne Charbonneau. Her daughter, previously known as Anouk, is now called Annie. The novel is written in several voices, and its characters are amazing, interwoven, and perfectly articulated. For all who loved Chocolat, this is a must read!

Blue Ribbon Book Stop

Come on in and take a look at our new July displays! The middle display (by the large print books) features lots of blue ribbon books, recommended by librarians.

For those who enjoy exotic reads, take a look at Caravans by James Michener. Published in 1963, this is a fictionalized account of a missing American woman and a young member of the staff of the American Embassy in Kabul, Afghanistan, whose job is to find her.

There are many other great stories set in Afghanistan. If you enjoyed The Kite Runner by Khaled Hosseini, you may want to check out his latest A Thousand Splendid Suns. This newer book plays out against the volatile events of the country's last thirty years--from the Soviet invasion to the reign of the Taliban to post-Taliban rebuilding. It is a tale of two generations brought jarringly together by the tragic sweep of war.

The Storyteller's Daughter by Saira Shah is real-life memoir . Risking her life to film Beneath the Veil--her acclaimed record of the devastation of women's lives by the Taliban--the English-born Shah discovers her extended Afghan family and her extraordinary heritage.

For more riveting Afghani fiction and non-fiction recommendations, reply to our blog or check at the reference desk.

Book Discussion

Many Long Islanders will remember the crash of TWA Flight 800 when it exploded over the Atlantic near East Moriches. Night Fall by Nelson DeMille reconstructs this shocking event in a riveting fictionalized account that is sure to initiate a fascinating discussion with longstanding DeMille fans and newcomers alike. Visti the Reference Desk to order a copy of the book and to sign up for one of the two discussions on:

Thursday, June 19 at 8 p.m.
or
Saturday, June 21 at 2 p.m.