In the News...

Strangers at the Feast
by Jennifer Vanderbes

The author, who garnered critical acclaim for her first novel, Easter Island, released this, her sophomore effort, in 2010. The story eerily forshadows the Trayvon Martin shooting. Although it takes place during Thanksgiving 2007, as the country teeters on the brink of recession, it is riveting and timely.

As three generations of the Olsen family gather to celebrate the holiday, two African-American teens from a nearby housing project embark on a mysterious job. The worlds of these two very distinct groups collide, culminating in a horrific crime. Vanderbes does an excellent job allowing the tension to build. However, the climatic moments seem rushed. Still, she is a novelist worth reading. This is truly a story "ripped from the headlines..."

In the News...

The 150th anniversary of the start of the Civil War has begun. Numerous books--both fact and fiction--are available at the display (April 2011) nearest the Welcome Desk. Gone with the Wind by Margaret Mitchell is a classic. This superb piece of storytelling brings the Civil War and Reconstruction vividly to life. With the missing four chapters of the original manuscript recently found, you'll no doubt hear more about this acclaimed novel.

Cold Mountain, a novel by Charles Frazier, was the subject of a popular movie and was a National Book Award Finalist. Based on local history and family stories passed down by the author's great-great-grandfather, this novel tells the tale of a soldier's perilous journey back to his prewar sweetheart at the end of the Civil War.

Those more interested in the facts might like to read A Short History of the Civil War by James L. Stokesbury, an author who specializes in war history. The Everything Civil War Book by Brooke C. Stoddard and Daniel P. Murphy, PhD, is an easy to use source for referencing battles and events surrounding the Civil War.

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Author Thomas Clavin's new release (November 2010) pays tribute to the entertainers who made Las Vegas what it is today. That Old Black Magic: Louis Prima, Keely Smith, and the Golden Age of Las Vegas celebrates these legendary stars along with a host of others who graced the Las Vegas stages--Frank Sinatra, Tony Bennett, and Eddie Fisher. Set in the 1950s and early 1960s, this true tale tells the captivating Vegas back story that launched the city as an entertainment mecca. Read firsthand accounts about Las Vegas and its entertainers in autobiographies, such as Tony Bennett's The Good Life.

Recently, Mr. Clavin hosted a fascinating author talk at the Riverhead Free Library featuring his book Dark Noon: The Final Voyage of the Fishing Boat "Pelican." It was September 1951 when an overloaded fishing boat sank off the coast of Montauk, killing most of those onboard. The author was able to interview a few remaining survivors to provide a gripping and realistic account of the tragedy. If you haven't read this book yet, now is the time. We will have multiple copies available for check out shortly.

In the News...

Tornadoes, hurricanes, floods...monster storms aren't just a present-day phenomenon. Read about one of Long Island's worst storms in R.A. Scotti's gripping true story Sudden Sea: The Great Hurricane of 1938. This dramatic recreation of the hurricane that ripped apart Long Island and the New England coast, has been praised by critics and book groups alike. Scotti draws on archival footage, newspaper accounts, and the personal testimony of survivors. Or, you may want to read Hurricane!, by Joe McCarthy, an earlier book about this same storm that left 650 people dead and 1,754 injured.

Recent reports of tornadoes on Long Island are causing quite a stir. Those unfamiliar with this less frequent but devastatingly destructive event may want to learn the basics from Tornadoes by Michael Allaby. Part of the Dangerous Weather series, these books explain our weather in layman's terms with diagrams and photos.

Tornado Hunter: Getting Inside the Most Violent Storms on Earth by Stefan Bechtel with Tim Samaras tells us the remarkable story of storm chasers who spearhead daring missions to extract secrets from Earth's most violent weather. You'll see the first ever photos from inside a tornado and meet survivors with incredible tales.

Preparedness is the key to the Island's wild weather. Check at the Reference Desk for information from our Emergency Management vertical file, or get advice from one of our numerous books on the subject, such as The Homeowner's Hurricane Handbook by Bob Sterns.

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Volcanoes are as fascinating as they are terrifying. Many books found at the library offer insight and historical information on this subject, popularized by the recent volcanic eruption in Iceland.

For general information, try Volcanoes by Mauro Rosi, Paolo Papale, Luca Lupi, and Marco Stoppato. This fully illustrated book provides a wealth of information about the geology of volcanoes and describes the structure and history of one hundred volcanoes around the world.

Simon Winchester, bestselling author of The Professor and the Madman, and one of the most renowned science writers of our time, tells the story of the world's most famous volcano in Krakatoa: The Day the World Exploded: August 27, 1883. This critically acclaimed book is sure to cativate both volcano enthusiasts and general audiences. Beyond the purely physical horrors of the event, Winchester shows how the eruption changed the world in more ways than could possibly be imagined.

To learn more about the little country and the volcano that literally brought air travel to a halt throughout much of Europe, check out the travel books on Iceland, including the Thomas Cook guide Iceland. Color photos illustrate the stark beauty of this unique country made up of volcanoes, which erupted as recently as 2004.

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Yesterday was all about the Irish. If you enjoyed St. Paddy's Day, try enjoying the evening with some good Irish authors.

The late Frank McCourt is best known for Angela's Ashes, a multiple award-winning memoir in which the author recounts his life as the child of Irish immigrants in Depression-era Brooklyn. After the death of McCourt's sister, the family decides to return to even worse poverty in Ireland. 'Tis, the sequel to Angela's Ashes, takes McCourt from Ireland back to America.

Another popular bestselling Irish author is Maeve Binchy whose recent book Heart and Soul will delight readers with its "cheerful, read-by-the-fire comfort," according to Kirkus Reviews. Although Binchy can be somewhat formulaic, her millions of fans swear by her. Her latest novel tells the story of an underfunded clinic in an Irish community, caught between the past and the present.

Morgan Llywelyn lives near Dublin, Ireland, and is also the author of numerous bestselling historical novels. Look for her new novel Brendan: The Remarkable Life and Voyage of Brendan of Clonfert, One of the Most Beloved Irish Saints. In a narrative laced with Irish history and lore, Llywelyn brings to life the complex tribal Celtic society of the fifth century.

Look for the library's Irish display this month for more Irish novelists--and some great Irish cookbooks, too.

In the News: Haiti

The recent earthquake in Haiti shed light on the plight of this nation, the poorest country in the Western Hemisphere. A land with a rich history of Voodoo, gods, and goddesses, Haiti emerged from dictatorship to democracy over a decade ago.

In Krik? Krak!, Haitian-born author Edwidge Danticat movingly describes what life was like under the dictatorship in a collection of nine interrelated stories. Praised by critics, this collection of intimate histories reveals the longing for peace and happiness of a people who live in the embrace of mythic powers and rites of passage.

All Souls' Rising by Madison Smartt Bell is "A serious historical novel that reads like a dream," according to the Washington Post. Nominated for multiple awards, Bell's book fictionalizes the horrific slave rebellion of the 1790s that brought an end to white rule in French colonial Haiti. Not for the faint-hearted, this work offers a fascinating glimpse into a little-known episode that took place in our hemisphere.

Those who prefer a true look at Haitian history, may want to read the book Divine Horsemen: The Living Gods of Haiti by social activist and filmmaker Maya Deren. Written in 1953, this anthropological investigation tells of the Haitian deities, practitioners, and Voodoo rituals that Deren encountered as a result of vast fieldwork and personal research in Haiti. Here, she was unexpectedly accepted as a member of a Haitian village.

Look for these books on display, at the Reference Desk, or check with a librarian.

In the News

With all the talk about bad weather, it could be worse. The Longest Winter: The Incredible Survival of Captain Scott's Lost Party by Katherine Lambert tells the true story of the 1912 British Antarctic expedition. Although Captain Robert Scott and those with him perished, Lambert tells the amazing tale of survival of the expedition's other lost crew, who endured a seven month Antarctic winter in a makeshift igloo. The use of detailed diaries brings the story to life.

Closer to home, Winter Quarters: George Washington and the Continental Army at Valley Forge by Noel F. Busch provides another gripping winter adventure set during the American Revolution. Despite the terrible privations they endured, the colonial troops rallied and emerged in the spring from Valley Forge as a disciplined fighting force.

For those who prefer fiction, Winter's Tale by Mark Helprin is a fascinating winter story. This former bestseller, takes readers on a fanciful journey through New York of the Belle Epoque (1890-1914) with a master thief and a Brooklyn milkhorse who discovers he can fly.

While you curl up by the fire and read, treat yourself to an inviting meal from Soups & Stews for Fall and Winter Days by Liza Fosburgh and linger over a bowl of white bean soup or scallop and snow-pea chowder.

On a day like today--with the snow falling--it's a perfect time to stay inside. If you're at the library, visit our Winter Wonderful display near the reference desk featuring these and plenty of other winter books, many providing information about cold weather activities--skiing, ice hockey, winter gardening, and more.

In the News

Check out the Riverhead Free Library's newsletter for information about a bus trip to Amish Country (Lancaster, Pennsylvania) on Wednesday, October 21, 2009. Sign up today at the Public Information Desk.

Visit our October 2009 book display to learn more about the Amish, or to read a good Amish mystery or romance. Here are a few samples . . .

The real-life horrific shooting of ten Amish schoolgirls in Nickel Mines, Pennsylvania, in 2006, stunned the larger world. Amish Grace: How Forgiveness Transcended Tragedy by Donald B. Kraybill, Steven M. Nolt, and David L. Weaver-Zercher explores the many questions about religious beliefs that allowed the Amish to forgive so quickly.

A Prayer for the Night: An Ohio Amish Mystery comes from popular Amish writer P.L. Gaus, who deftly balances the pace and practices of Amish life in northern Ohio against the unfolding urgency of a hostage situation. Gaus is praised by reviewers for his "refreshing authenticity" in this account of rumschpringe, that indefinite period during which Amish teens are permitted to immerse themselves in the modern world before deciding if they want to embrace traditional ways.

Those who like sweeter stories may want to try The Parting, a novel by Beverly Lewis, noted for her award-winning Amish stories. The first part of the three-book series (The Courtship of Nellie Fisher), The Parting ignites a clash between the old and the new. Well-drawn characters, a romance, and the exploration of Amish traditions and a relationship with God all lend depth to this popular series.

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.

In the News

Woodstock is over, but there's still time to celebrate the '60s this August. Visit our book and CD display nearest the circulation desk and pick out your favorite '60s icon or read about rockets and remember the war in Vietnam. There's something for everyone. Here's a sample.

1969 by Rob Kirkpatrick chronicles American music, news, politics, art, publishing, and sports during 1969 from Woodstock to the Manson family to Richard Nixon's presidency to the gay rights movement.

Aquarius Revisited: Seven Who Created the Sixties Counterculture That Changed America by Peter O. Whitmer with Bruce VanWyngarden is a joyful and intriguing romp through this controversial era with a focus on the ideas and writings of seven key figures that define the decade, including William Burroughs, Allen Ginsberg, and Norman Mailer.

Rocket Men: The Epic Story of the First Men on the Moon by Craig Nelson recreates the story of the Apollo II moon mission as well as providing the history of rocketry, human space flight, and the space race.

Keep Your Head Down: Vietnam, the Sixties, and a Journey of Self-Discovery by Doug Anderson offers an evocative depiction of the author's service in Vietnam and its effects when he returns to America. In a life-changing trip back to Vietnam in 2000, he meets with former enemies who are now, like him, writers and poets.

In the News

You can't go very far today without seeing a news story about runaway corporate greed. So why not dig a little deeper into the headlines and check out all of these great books we have at the Riverhead Free Library.

Abraham L. Gitlow's Corruption in Corporate America delves into the underlying reasons for corporate greed and the scandals that arise. Examining each aspect of what makes up a corporation and what can and has gone wrong, Gitlow gives examples for stopping the criminal exploits of a greedy company.

Enron is the poster child for of today's major corporations falling by the wayside and going out of business. Bethany McLean exposes the company's bankruptcy scandal in The Smartest Guys in the Room : The Amazing Rise and Scandalous Fall of Enron.

Dangerous Business :The Risks of Globalization for America by Pat Choate takes a hard look at the globalization movement and its impact on U.S. government policies. Arguing against the interdependence and increasing greed of multi-national corporations, Choate's book takes aim at at a lot of the current problems the country is facing.

Jeff Benedict investigates a Supreme Court case involving eminent domain, a low-income neighborhood, and the pharmacy giant Pfizer. Little Pink House: A True Story Of Defiance And Courage details the uphill battle against the town of New London, Connecticut, sighting eminent domain as a justification for bulldozing a small section of the town in order to bring in big business from Pfizer.

In the News

After an historic election, a new president has been sworn into office. President Obama has had a fascinating life, but so have many of our past presidents. We have a great selection of presidential biographies at the Riverhead Free Library. Here are a few.

An Unfinished Life: John F. Kennedy, 1917-1963 by Robert Dallek, a Boston University professor and presidential biographer, chronicles the life of one of America's most captivating presidents. This highly praised biography takes a balanced look at the private and public life of Kennedy and presents never before released information from the family archives.

Pulitzer Prize-winning author Dorris Goodwin Kearns has been referred to lately for her book Team of Rivals : The Political Genius of Abraham Lincoln, which discusses President Lincoln's unique cabinet choices that lead up to his presidency. Kearns delves into the reasoning and motivations behind Lincoln's political maneuvers, and there have been apt comparisons to Barack Obama's own cabinet selections.

Author David McCullough, well known for his engaging and dynamic biographies, has written a Pulitzer Prize winner with Truman. This in-depth page turner follows our thirty-third President, Harry S. Truman, from his humble beginnings, his World War I heroics, his early years in politics, to his historic re-election campaign.

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India offers its share of prize-winning authors and books. The tragedy in Mumbai, or Bombay as some still call it, gives us a chance to reflect on this fascinating and culturally diverse country.

At the stroke of midnight on August 15, 1947, the sovereign nations of India and Pakistan were born. Indian Summer: The Secret History of the End of an Empire by Alex von Tunzelmann richly portrays the end of an empire and the rise of Mohandas Gandhi.

First Darling of the Morning: Selected Memories of an Indian Childhood by Thrity Umrigar, bestselling author of The Space Between Us, is a story intimately and compassionately told against the sensuous background of everyday life in Bombay.

No selection of books about India would be complete without authors V.S. Naipaul, the first Booker Prize winner of Indian descent and a Nobel Prize winner, and controversial author Salman Rushdie, another Booker Prize winner. Naipaul's book India: A Million Mutinies Now is a vivid travelogue that encompasses the India of the 1990s. Haroun and the Sea of Stories by Rushdie is a timeless novel that effortlessly transcents political and religious squabbling and is great for children and adults.

The Alchemy of Desire by Tarun J. Tejpal is a novel that brings the reader to the top of the world and into the fabled Himalayan mountains. It celebrates the chaotic spirit of a country during a time of great change--at the turn of the millennium.

For another perspective, try noted American travel writer Paul Theroux's fictional account of today's India. The Elephanta Suite weaves three intertwined novellas of Westerners transformed by their sojourns in India.

There's a wealth of material to choose from. Visit the Reference Desk for more suggestions on this legendary nation.