Book Discussion: Lost in the Forest

Wednesday, November 19
7 p.m.

Saturday, November 22
2 p.m.

Bestselling author Sue Miller sets this novel in the vineyards of Northern California where tragedy shatters a family's peace. With astonishing sensuality and immediacy, Lost in the Forest moves through the most intimate realms of domestic life from grief and sex to adolescence and marriage. Here is a rich tale of a family breaking apart and coming back together again.

Go to the Reference Desk to register for the book discussion and order a copy of this bestseller.

Local History Book Stop

For those who enjoy Halloween and a good scare or two, the library has some creepy new books just for you. Long Island ghost lecturer and author Kerriann Flanagan Brosky, with the help of paranormal investigator Joe Giaquinto, entertains and provides historic insights into Long Island's haunted history.

Brosky's first book, Ghosts of Long Island: Stories of the Paranormal, captures the real-life ghost stories surrounding Long Island homes and businesses, based on interviews with real people! Ghosts of Long Island II: More Stories of the Paranormal focuses on the spiritual aspect to a greater degree, according to Brosky, while providing an understanding of our Native American past.

Spooky Creepy Long Island by Scott Lerfebvre is somewhat lighter fare with thirty-five haunting tales of Long Island's supernatural history. From the infamous Amityville house to asylums, and creepy lighthouses, Lerfebvre provides a brief overview for the curious reader, or for those wishing to explore some actual haunted sites.

Visit our "thrilling, chilling, and terrifying..." display with the bat for more scary stories and strange phenomena. (On display through October 2008)

Listen Up!

Have you listened to a Playaway yet? It is the easiest way to listen to a book or music because the title is already loaded on a digital player. It weighs only 2 ounces, and there is no need for a separate CD or tape player. All you need is a battery and earphones and you are ready to go.

Feeling the need for some inner peace, how about listening to the Playaway, The Beginner's Guide to Meditation? The author Joan Z. Borysenko, Ph.D., leads you through three distinct forms of meditation: concentration, mindfulness, and a centering pray.

For peace of mind and body, listen to the Playaway 1 on 1 Yoga . O2 Yoga. The instructor, Mimi Loureiro, uses heat-generating sequences of postures and a mind-focusing breathing technique. The result is an invigorating and calming vinyasa yoga experience.

Feeling the need for some harmony? Give a listen to the Playaway Being in Balance. Author and lecturer Wayne W. Dyer shows you how to restore balance in your life by offering nine principles for realigning your thoughts so that they correspond to your highest desires.

Hermann Hesse's book Siddhartha, available on Playaway, is a sort of Buddhist guide to the unraveling of the tantalizing mysteries of Asian philosophy. Hesse's credo, "There is no duty, no duty whatever, for awakened humanity except the one duty to seek one's self, to become firm within oneself, to grope one's way forward, no matter where the road may lead." The Siddhartha is a story about a young man and his journey to find truth and balance in life.

Our Playaways are located by the books on CD and tape. Stop by the library and check one out.

Mr. Hollywood Speaks

Based on a true story... Whether its a gripping drama or an inspirational story this month's recommendations are all based on true events. With that in mind, we have a great line-up of films that are must-watches. And if you like what you see, be sure to ask at the Reference Desk for books on the same subject.

Glory Road, on DVD, is the inspiring true story of Coach Don Haskins and the Texas Western basketball team. This is the underdog story of history's first all African American lineup that went on to win the 1966 NCAA championship.

Football season is in full swing, so before the next big game check out Disney's Invincible: Inspired By a True Story on DVD. This chronicles the true story of Vince Papale, a 30-year-old part-time bartender who made it to the Philadelphia Eagles after they held open tryouts in 1976.

And finally we have the heartbreaking and riveting true story of Mariane Pearl, wife of the Daniel Pearl, the Washington Post reporter who was kidnapped and murdered by terrorists in 2002. A Mighty Heart follows Mariane's story of the desperate search for her missing husband and her courage in the face of insurmountable odds.

Born to be Wild!

Our adventures will now take you to the extreme north and the extreme south. Available for your reading pleasure are a few Arctic and Antarctic exploration books from our collection that will let you feel the chill of winter a bit early. So set a fire in the fireplace, grab a blanket and one of our books, and enjoy!

A Fabulous Kingdom : The Exploration of the Arctic by Charles Officer and Jake Page. "Inconsistant and forbidding, the Arctic lured misguided voyagers into the cold for centuries--pushing them beyond the limits of their knowledge, technology, and stamina." This book charts these quests and the eventual race for the North Pole.

"The link to friends and family had been severed. Now there was no turning back. The only direction home was..." North to the Pole. North to the Pole by

Will Steger with Paul Schurke explains how in 1986 the Steger International Polar Expedition set out with no resupply of equipment or supplies to prove the heavily debated question of whether Robert Peary reached the Pole in 1909 in a similar manner.

Here we have another North Pole adventure: Across the Top of the World: To the North Pole by Sled, Balloon, Airplane and Nuclear Icebreaker. This one took place in 1991 aboard the Soviet nuclear-powered icebreaker Sovetskiy Soyuz. This adventure traces the routes of such explorers as Dr. Frederick Cook, Admiral Robert Peary, Admiral Byrd, Sir John Franklin, George Nares, and others who launched their own treacherous expeditions.

Sara Wheeler's book entitled Terra Incognita:Travels in Antarctica tells of how the author embarked on the same journey as the famous Ernest Shackleton. Eighty years after Shackleton, Wheeler weaves together her own experiences on the ice, linked with the grueling advetures of Antarctica's most mythic figures.

In Scott of the Antarctic: A Life of Courage and Tragedy by David Crane, Crane provides a portrait of the explorer that has not been seen in prior works. Also included are accounts of Scott's dramatic journeys that are the most compelling parts of his story. These are only slices of a larger narrative that includes remarkable scientific achievement and the challanges of a tumultuous private life.

Where the fur flies

After having a fun day outside, you may just want to relax with a good animal movie. We have old time favorites and plenty of new movies for your enjoyment.

Funny movies such as The Cat From Outer Space may be just the one you were looking for!

Looking for adventure/action? The Colt is a sure bet with its Civil War setting

and is based on a true story.

Inspired by a true story? In the popular movie Eight Below, a scientific expedition is forced to leave behind their team of beloved sled dogs due to a sudden accident and perilous weather conditions in Antarctica. The dogs must struggle for survival slone in the intense frozen wilderness for over six months.

Moondance Alexander is a very nice family movie about a 15-year-old girl who befriends a horse.

Local History Book Stop

With summer on the wane and fall approaching, now is a good time to enjoy some of the pleasures of the North Fork. And there's more than just pumpkin picking! Whether or not you're a wine aficionado, a trip to the local vineyards can be a relaxing "day-cation."

To get in the mood or just to be an armchair traveler, read The Vineyard: The Pleasures and Perils of Creating an American Family Winery by Louisa Thomas Hargrave. In 1973, along with her husband, Hargrave purchased a run-down 1680 potato farm and began growing wine grapes on the North Fork when most experts said that it was impossible. About this book, author Hugh Johnson says, " You don't look for covered wagon stories as close to home as this, but everyone who plants a new vineyard is a pioneer..." This memoir got excellent reviews from Riverhead patrons who have already read the book.

John Ross has been a professional chef and restaurant owner on the North Fork of Long Island for over 30 years. His book, The Food and Wine of the North Fork: Historical Anecdotes and Recipes, provides a different look at the area. Ross takes readers on a nostalgic tour of North Fork restaurants from 1870 to the present, complete with photographs.

For more information on North Fork wines, vineyards, dining, and lodging, drop by the Reference Desk and browse through a reference copy of Guide to Long Island Wine Country by Peter M. Gianotti, published by Newsday Books.