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: Three Cups of Tea

Saturday, January 23, 2010
11 a.m. to noon
Children's Program Room

The widely acclaimed Three Cups of Tea by Greg Mortenson and David Oliver Relin is an astonishing, uplifting story of a homeless mountaineer and his remarkable humanitarian campaign, set in the Taliban's backyard. Those wishing to attend the book discussion should sign up at the Reference Desk. You may order a book as well.

Mortenson's books, including Stones Into Schools, are also included on the preferred reading list for the Adult Winter Reading Club, Riverhead Reads: Making a Difference Globally and in Your Community. Library cardholders may check with the Reference Desk for program details.

Riverhead Reads

Sign up now at the Reference Desk for the Adult Winter Reading Club 2010. Read or listen to any book for a chance to win prizes in weekly raffle drawings. Get extra chances to win by reading a book from our preferred reading list. This winter's theme is Riverhead Reads: Making a Difference Globally & in Your Community. Check out the newest display with the presents on the top shelf for a sampling of these books. Here are a few....

The Blue Sweater: Bridging the Gap Between Rich and Poor in an Interconnected World by Jacqueline Novogratz is the inspiring story of a woman who left a career in international banking to embark on a quest to understand and tackle global poverty. It all started on a trip to Africa where the author saw a boy wearing a cherished blue wool sweater she had donated to Goodwill eleven years earlier.

For those who want to know how to get involved,Volunteerism edited by Frank McGuckin is an excellent resource. A series of essays and articles lays bare the issues surrounding the topic and introduces private and the national service agencies, including AmeriCorps. While providing thought- provoking critiques about the failure of some efforts, the book also sheds light on the rewards of volunteering.
Animal Investigators: How the World's First Wildlife Forensics Lab is Solving Crimes and Saving Endangered Species by Laurel A. Neme, Ph.D. shares behind-the-scenes cases and describes the scientific methods through which the lab safeguards endangered species that are being poached for their body parts. Filled with suspense, this book unfolds like a crime novel.

For readers in the mood for more serious biographies of remarkable people who made a difference, try Failure is Impossible: Susan B. Anthony in her Own Words by Lynn Sherr. Raised as a Quaker with a strong sense of social responsibility, Anthony was a key figure in the women's suffrage movement--but her legacy goes far beyond the vote.

Book Discussion and Author Event

This Common Ground: Seasons on an Organic Farm
by Scott Chaskey
Saturday, January 17
10:30 a.m. to noon
Main floor meeting room (PLEASE NOTE)

This promises to be a lively discussion with Long Island author Scott Chaskey hosting the event. The head farmer at Peconic Land Trust's Quail Hill Farm, located on the South Fork, Scott combines his love for books, poetry, and farming into This Common Ground. Please let the Reference Desk know if you plan to attend this event and have not already signed up. Light refreshments will be served.

The discussion will be followed by a reception at "The Green Spot" from 2 p.m. to 4 p.m. the same day. This new green wall to the right of the library's entryway is the location for a permanent display featuring free information about local "green" activities. Riverhead cardholders will also have an opportunity to sign up for the library's adult winter reading club, Riverhead Reads: The Green Spot, for a chance to win prizes from local merchants. Join us for light refreshments. No sign up is needed.