From the Horse's Mouth

Secretariat (DVD)

A tribute to one of the most legendary and loved thoroughbreds of all time. After twenty-five years of no Triple Crown winners, Secretariat, affectionally known as Big Red, garnered this title in 1973. Penny Chenery Tweedy, who inherited her father's stable, acquires Secretariat when she loses a coin toss. This DVD recreates the spectacular journey of an incredible horse and the women who risks everything to make him a champion. You don't have to love horses to enjoy this family film (PG) filled with warmth, thrill, and drama. Special features include unseen race footage and interviews behind the scenes.

If you're looking for other racehorse DVDs, check out Seabiscuit; On the Muscle: Portrait of a Thoroughbred Racing Stable; and Racing Stripes. If you like to read, check with a reference librarian for some great books on the thoroughbreds.

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 Remains of the Day

by Kazuo Ishiguro

Monday, February 16, 2911

7:00 p.m.

Please join us to discuss this critically acclaimed novel set in postwar England. Winner of the Booker Prize, its story is told from the viewpoint of Stevens, the perfect English butler. At the end of his three decades of service at Darlington Hall, Stevens confronts his doubts about the true nature of the "great" man he served.

The New York Times Book Review proclaimed this to be "One of the best books of the year" when it was written in 1988, while the Boston Globe labelled it as "One of the best books of the decade." The book was later made into a movie, starring Anthony Hopkins, and produced by Merchant Ivory.

To attend this book discussion, please sign up at the Reference Desk.

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.

In the News

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.

Where the Fur Flies

Human-Animal bonds. Americans love their pets! Just look at all the books written on this subject. Every month there are one or two new titles. This bond is mutually beneficial to our health and well-being. It has existed for thousands of years. In addition to the health benefits, animals actively assist us in many other ways. An unspoken, deeply felt bond is created between animals and people!

The following books are just a few of the many wonderful stories where animals of all types have made our lives richer and fuller. This bond is so good for both species!

Homer's Odyssey: A Fearless Feline Tale or How I Learned About Life and Love with a Blind Wonder Cat by Gwen Cooper. Once in a lifetime story of an extraordinary cat and his human companion. This story about love and hope is funny and moving for anyone who has fallen in love with an animal with a disability. A must read!

An Eagle Named Freedom: My True Story of a Remarkable Friendship by Jeff Guidry. The moment Jeff saw the baby eagle with broken wings, his life was changed. "Freedom" couldn't fly but she had Jeff. A very moving story.

Hachi: a Dog's Tale. DVD. Based on a true story from Japan, it is inspirational and heartwarming. I loved this movie!

Angel by My Side: The True Story of a Dog Who Saved a Man and a Man Who Saved a Dog by Mike Lingenfelter. This is about Mike and his rescue golden retriever. When two serious heart attacks and open heart surgery threaten to take away most of Mike's reason for living, Dakota, an extraordinary service dog, is by his side to help him gain his independance. Dakota was '1999 Service Dog of the Year' by Delta Society and was chosen as 'Humanitarian of the Year' by the National Sertoma Club of Dallas. Dakota was the first non-human recipient in history for this award.

Why We Ride: Women Writers on the Horses in Their Lives. Horses are chosen for their beauty, ability, trust, and friendship. They teach us something about becoming stronger, better people. Based on this trust, this is truly a symbiotic relationship. A great book for both horse owners and horse lovers.

Wesley the Owl: The Remarkable Love Story of an Owl and His Girl by Stacey O'Brien. I loved this book. The author captured the essence of the soul of Wesley. It is funny, fascinating and powerful. A must read about selfless devotion.

Making Rounds with Oscar: The Extraordinary Gift of an Ordinary Cat by David Dosa. Touching! A must read for cat lovers or anyone with compassion for humans in a medical setting. This story proves there are no ordinary cats!

For more books about the human-animal bond, check out the November 2010 display by the large print books.