This is the first in a series of three novels written by the late Stieg Larsson, a Swedish journalist specializing in antidemocratic right-wing extremist and Nazi organizations and the editor-in-chief of the magazine Expo. Larsson has developed a story based on what he knows about, with a protagonist named Mikael Blomqvist, the editor of a financial magazine who is facing a short jail sentence for libel after his expose of a corrupt financier goes off course. Blomqvist is approached by the elderly industrialist Henrik Vanger who requests that Mikael investigate the disappearance of his teen-aged niece more than forty years earlier. To sweeten the deal, Vanger says he will present Blomqvist with the goods on the corrupt financier after the mysterious disappearance is solved.
Blomqvist is assisted in his investigation by the inscrutable Lisbeth Salander, a tattooed genius computer hacker who introduces an additional theme to the storyline, that of sexual violence against women. With the resolution of the mystery there is the promise of further adventures with Blomqvist and Salander. Well-drawn characters, attention to detail, and a fast-paced plot make this an enjoyable read.
Friday, December 21, 2012
Friday, December 14, 2012
Afternoon Book Discussions
Join us once a month, on a Wednesday afternoon from 1:00 to 2:00 pm, to discuss a fiction or non-fiction book selection. Coffee, tea and cookies are served. Books are available at the Circulation Desk four weeks before the discussion date. Our schedule is:
January 15th
The Thirteenth Tale, written by Diane Setterfield
When her health begins failing, the mysterious author Vida Winter decides to let Margaret Lea, a biographer, write the truth about her life, but Margaret needs to verify the facts since Vida has a history of telling outlandish tales.
February 20th
The Girl Who Played with Fire, written by Stieg Larsson
On the eve of the publication of a sex-trafficking expose, two reporters responsible for the magazine story are murdered. The fingerprints on the murder weapon belong to Lisbeth Salander, a genius hacker, prompting the magazine’s publisher to launch his own investigation to vindicate her.
March 20th The Irresistible Henry House: a Novel, written by Lisa Grunwald
Cared for in a series of temporary homes where young women are taught mothering, skills, winsome orphan toddler Henry captures the hearts of program director Martha and each of his temporary mothers while hoping for a permanent home.
April 17th The Gangs of New York: an Informal History of the Underworld, written by Herbert Asbury
This is an illumination of the gangs of old New York that ultimately gave rise to the modern Mafia.
May 15th Wide Sargasso Sea, written by Jean Rhys
Inspired by Charlotte Bronte’s Jane Eyre and set in the lush landscape of Jamaica in the 1830s, Creole heiress Antoinette Cosway meets a young Englishman and marries him. Afterwards, the rumors begin, poisoning her husband against her and driving her towards madness.
June 19th A Thread of Grace: a Novel, written by Mary Doria Russell
In 1943, fourteen-year-old Claudette Blum and her father flee across the Alps into Italy with thousands of other Jewish refugees seeking safety, only to find an open battleground among the Nazis, the Allied forces, resistance fighters, Jews in hiding and ordinary Italians.
January 15th
The Thirteenth Tale, written by Diane Setterfield
When her health begins failing, the mysterious author Vida Winter decides to let Margaret Lea, a biographer, write the truth about her life, but Margaret needs to verify the facts since Vida has a history of telling outlandish tales.
February 20th
The Girl Who Played with Fire, written by Stieg Larsson
On the eve of the publication of a sex-trafficking expose, two reporters responsible for the magazine story are murdered. The fingerprints on the murder weapon belong to Lisbeth Salander, a genius hacker, prompting the magazine’s publisher to launch his own investigation to vindicate her.
March 20th The Irresistible Henry House: a Novel, written by Lisa Grunwald
Cared for in a series of temporary homes where young women are taught mothering, skills, winsome orphan toddler Henry captures the hearts of program director Martha and each of his temporary mothers while hoping for a permanent home.
April 17th The Gangs of New York: an Informal History of the Underworld, written by Herbert Asbury
This is an illumination of the gangs of old New York that ultimately gave rise to the modern Mafia.
May 15th Wide Sargasso Sea, written by Jean Rhys
Inspired by Charlotte Bronte’s Jane Eyre and set in the lush landscape of Jamaica in the 1830s, Creole heiress Antoinette Cosway meets a young Englishman and marries him. Afterwards, the rumors begin, poisoning her husband against her and driving her towards madness.
June 19th A Thread of Grace: a Novel, written by Mary Doria Russell
In 1943, fourteen-year-old Claudette Blum and her father flee across the Alps into Italy with thousands of other Jewish refugees seeking safety, only to find an open battleground among the Nazis, the Allied forces, resistance fighters, Jews in hiding and ordinary Italians.
Monday, December 3, 2012
Christmas Fiction
Some holiday romances:
A Fool’s Gold Christmas, by Susan Mallery, is about injured dancer Evie Stryker and her return to her hometown of Fool’s Gold and her estranged family. In a “bah, humbug” mood, Evie is talked into staging the town’s winter festival and then she plans to leave. But an unlikely attraction to her brother’s best friend results in a Christmas miracle.
The Christmas Singing: A Romance from the Heart of Amish Country, by Cindy Woodsmall, portrays the celebration of Christmas among the Amish, while telling the story of Mattie Eash, for whom Christmas has painful memories since her fiancé Gideon abruptly broke up with her three years ago. Although her move to a new town has brought her a new life as a cake decorator and a new love, Mattie unexpectedly must return home where she meets up with Gideon again.
An O’Brien Family Christmas, by Sherryl Woods, presents the reader with two romances within the O’Brien family as they celebrate Christmas in Dublin, Ireland. Playboy Matthew falls for older woman Laila but then she breaks off their romance. Can he win her back? Then matriarch Nell meets up with an old boyfriend and the sparks fly. Will these two couples end up happily ever after?
Christmas and mysteries:
Twelve Clues of Christmas, written by Rhys Bowen, features Lady Georgiana Rannoch, who is 35th in line to the British throne and in need of funds, in this Depression-era story. She is able to hire herself out as a paid hostess at a country Christmas house party. The holiday festivities begin; until the murder victims begin to pile up. Christmas recipes and period party instructions are included.
Merry Christmas, Alex Cross, by James Patterson, shows us Alex Cross at home with his family after finding the thief who stole from his church’s poor box. Then, he gets another phone call summoning him to investigate and solve a complex hostage situation.
Monday, November 19, 2012
All About Style
When you do something with style, you express your personality. Each of us, as an individual, have different tastes in clothing, décor, favorite activities and more. Here are some books that celebrate our differences and our similarities.
The Truth about Style, written by Stacy London, the co-host of TLC’s What Not to Wear, highlights the stories of nine different women from all walks of life. Before sharing these stories, however, Stacy tells us about the ups and downs of her own life and how she overcame her problems. Then we see how Stacy guides the nine women in their search for new self-images, starting in their closets. Several color photos accompany each case study.
Cupcakes and Cashmere: a Guide for Defining Your Style, Reinventing Your Space, and Entertaining with Ease, is written by Emily Schuman, the creator of the blog Cupcakes and Cashmere. This guide is arranged by season and is packed with information relating to the topics of style, beauty, at home and food and entertaining. The text is complemented by attractive color photos.
Wear This Now: Your Style Solution for Every Season and any Occasion is written by Michelle Madhok with Eileen Conlan. Madhok is the founder of Shefinds Media, which includes the website shefinds.com. This book helps the reader analyze her clothes closet, shop like a pro, look fabulous in every season and dress for special occasions. Cute color illustrations abound.
Lilly: Palm Beach, Tropical Glamour, and the Birth of a Fashion Legend combines a biography of fashion designer and icon Lilly Pulitzer with an examination of her style sense and business acumen. The book, written by Kathryn Livingston, includes a large scoop of gossip and a collection of appealing black-and-white celebrity photos.
The Truth about Style, written by Stacy London, the co-host of TLC’s What Not to Wear, highlights the stories of nine different women from all walks of life. Before sharing these stories, however, Stacy tells us about the ups and downs of her own life and how she overcame her problems. Then we see how Stacy guides the nine women in their search for new self-images, starting in their closets. Several color photos accompany each case study.
Cupcakes and Cashmere: a Guide for Defining Your Style, Reinventing Your Space, and Entertaining with Ease, is written by Emily Schuman, the creator of the blog Cupcakes and Cashmere. This guide is arranged by season and is packed with information relating to the topics of style, beauty, at home and food and entertaining. The text is complemented by attractive color photos.
Wear This Now: Your Style Solution for Every Season and any Occasion is written by Michelle Madhok with Eileen Conlan. Madhok is the founder of Shefinds Media, which includes the website shefinds.com. This book helps the reader analyze her clothes closet, shop like a pro, look fabulous in every season and dress for special occasions. Cute color illustrations abound.
Lilly: Palm Beach, Tropical Glamour, and the Birth of a Fashion Legend combines a biography of fashion designer and icon Lilly Pulitzer with an examination of her style sense and business acumen. The book, written by Kathryn Livingston, includes a large scoop of gossip and a collection of appealing black-and-white celebrity photos.
Tuesday, November 13, 2012
Humor at the Library
Sometimes life can get you down. We have a solution for that: visit the library and pick out some humor books. Some of our new ones include:
I Hate Everyone . . . Starting with Me, written by comedienne Joan Rivers, is a rant against all people, no matter how worthy they may be, or how politically incorrect it is to belittle them. She goes after the dead, the elderly, the disabled, and people with annoying habits, people with good manners, and on and on. Although funny to read, the reader may find him or herself wincing at some of the jokes.
How Not to Read: Harnessing the Power of a Literature-Free Life, written by Dan Wilbur, gives tips on how to fake leading a well-read life, in order to impress others and be successful. An added bonus is the section of book jacket redesigns.
Suburgatory: Twisted Tales from Darkest Suburbiais written by Linda Erin Keenan and based on the television show by the same name. The book describes how Keenan’s life changes after she leaves her job as a CNN news producer and becomes a suburban stay-at-home mother. Her humor targets upper-middle class homeowners and parents.
The Choke Artist: Confessions of a Chronic Underachiever, is David Yoo’s autobiographical account of his failure- and fear-filled experiences from early adolescence to adulthood. Now the author of two young adult novels, Yoo enables the reader to identify with his pain and laugh along with him.
I Hate Everyone . . . Starting with Me, written by comedienne Joan Rivers, is a rant against all people, no matter how worthy they may be, or how politically incorrect it is to belittle them. She goes after the dead, the elderly, the disabled, and people with annoying habits, people with good manners, and on and on. Although funny to read, the reader may find him or herself wincing at some of the jokes.
How Not to Read: Harnessing the Power of a Literature-Free Life, written by Dan Wilbur, gives tips on how to fake leading a well-read life, in order to impress others and be successful. An added bonus is the section of book jacket redesigns.
Suburgatory: Twisted Tales from Darkest Suburbiais written by Linda Erin Keenan and based on the television show by the same name. The book describes how Keenan’s life changes after she leaves her job as a CNN news producer and becomes a suburban stay-at-home mother. Her humor targets upper-middle class homeowners and parents.
The Choke Artist: Confessions of a Chronic Underachiever, is David Yoo’s autobiographical account of his failure- and fear-filled experiences from early adolescence to adulthood. Now the author of two young adult novels, Yoo enables the reader to identify with his pain and laugh along with him.
Friday, November 2, 2012
Dieting the Healthy Way
Learn to control your weight the healthy way with these new diet books. They are:
The DASH Diet for Weight Loss: Lose Weight and Keep It Off – the Healthy Way – with America’s Most Respected Diet, written by Thomas J. Moore, MD, describes the Dietary Approaches to Stop Hypertension (DASH) eating plan originally developed to lower high blood pressure and high cholesterol, as well as lower the risk of developing serious illnesses such as stroke, heart failure, colon cancer and more. Included are tips on meal planning, food tracking, exercise, and grocery shopping. Both meat-eater and vegetarian meal plans are offered; along with a brief collection of recipes.
Eating Well, Living Better: the Grassroots Gourmet Guide to Good Health and Great Food, is written by Michael S. Fenster, MD, a cardiologist and host of a local cable TV cooking show “What’s Cookin’ with Doc”. Here is a weight loss plan, nutritious eating plan, and collection of healthy recipes all wrapped up in one book.
Hungry for Change: Ditch the Diets, Conquer the Cravings, and Eat Your Way to Lifelong Health, by James Colquhoun and Laurentine Ten Bosch, presents confirmed methods for losing weight and preventing and reversing disease through healthy diet. Also included are several recipes, menu planners, and a three-day detox plan.
The Lean: A Revolutionary (and Simple!) 30-Day Plan for Healthy, Lasting Weight Loss is written by Kathy Freston, a wellness expert who has appeared on several national television shows. During each day of this 30-day routine, the reader makes small, healthy diet and lifestyle changes that yield big results. A chapter containing 45 recipes, and numerous suggestions on what to eat, complete this book.
The DASH Diet for Weight Loss: Lose Weight and Keep It Off – the Healthy Way – with America’s Most Respected Diet, written by Thomas J. Moore, MD, describes the Dietary Approaches to Stop Hypertension (DASH) eating plan originally developed to lower high blood pressure and high cholesterol, as well as lower the risk of developing serious illnesses such as stroke, heart failure, colon cancer and more. Included are tips on meal planning, food tracking, exercise, and grocery shopping. Both meat-eater and vegetarian meal plans are offered; along with a brief collection of recipes.
Eating Well, Living Better: the Grassroots Gourmet Guide to Good Health and Great Food, is written by Michael S. Fenster, MD, a cardiologist and host of a local cable TV cooking show “What’s Cookin’ with Doc”. Here is a weight loss plan, nutritious eating plan, and collection of healthy recipes all wrapped up in one book.
Hungry for Change: Ditch the Diets, Conquer the Cravings, and Eat Your Way to Lifelong Health, by James Colquhoun and Laurentine Ten Bosch, presents confirmed methods for losing weight and preventing and reversing disease through healthy diet. Also included are several recipes, menu planners, and a three-day detox plan.
The Lean: A Revolutionary (and Simple!) 30-Day Plan for Healthy, Lasting Weight Loss is written by Kathy Freston, a wellness expert who has appeared on several national television shows. During each day of this 30-day routine, the reader makes small, healthy diet and lifestyle changes that yield big results. A chapter containing 45 recipes, and numerous suggestions on what to eat, complete this book.
Wednesday, October 24, 2012
Travels to New York City
One of the greatest cities in the world is just a short car or train ride away from us on Long Island. Whether you’re going on a day trip or a weeklong vacation, look under Dewey number 917.47 for New York City travel books to suit a wide range of interests.
Here are some new books that focus on some of the more popular aspects of travel: sightseeing, shopping and eating.
The Art Lovers’ Guide New York: The Finest Art in New York by Museum, Artist, or Period, is a fully illustrated manual about its art museums and galleries. The reader is presented with half and full page black-and-white and color photos of sample paintings, sculptures, and other works of art, accompanied by text that describes more than sixty museums and galleries. Maps and indexes accentuate the guide’s usefulness.
The Stylist’s Guide to NYC, is written by Sibella Court, who is an “in the know” interior stylist. She introduces the reader to the city’s various stores, services, galleries, markets, and places to eat. Color photos, maps, concise, informative text and an index make this a dependable handbook.
Zagat 2013: New York City Shopping is billed as a survey “covering 2,212 stores in New York City, as rated and reviewed by 14,407 avid shoppers on plus.google.com/local”. Stores are rated based on their quality of merchandise, display, service and cost. Entries are listed alphabetically; lists are arranged by special features, merchandise, and locations
Zagat New York City Food Lover’s Guide 2012/13 is a combination of brief reviews and lists compiled by category, ethnic focus, and food tours. It is “based on the opinions of 6,909 avid food lovers . . .covering 1,537 food and entertaining resources in New York City."
Let’s not forget Brooklyn! Food Lovers’ Guide to Brooklyn: Best Local Specialties, Markets, Recipes, Restaurants, and Events, written by Sherri Eisenberg, contains summaries of “Foodie Faves”, “Specialty Stores, Markets, and Producers”, and “Food Events” presented in chapters arranged by neighborhood. Maps and indexes help the reader access information.
Here are some new books that focus on some of the more popular aspects of travel: sightseeing, shopping and eating.
The Art Lovers’ Guide New York: The Finest Art in New York by Museum, Artist, or Period, is a fully illustrated manual about its art museums and galleries. The reader is presented with half and full page black-and-white and color photos of sample paintings, sculptures, and other works of art, accompanied by text that describes more than sixty museums and galleries. Maps and indexes accentuate the guide’s usefulness.
The Stylist’s Guide to NYC, is written by Sibella Court, who is an “in the know” interior stylist. She introduces the reader to the city’s various stores, services, galleries, markets, and places to eat. Color photos, maps, concise, informative text and an index make this a dependable handbook.
Zagat 2013: New York City Shopping is billed as a survey “covering 2,212 stores in New York City, as rated and reviewed by 14,407 avid shoppers on plus.google.com/local”. Stores are rated based on their quality of merchandise, display, service and cost. Entries are listed alphabetically; lists are arranged by special features, merchandise, and locations
Zagat New York City Food Lover’s Guide 2012/13 is a combination of brief reviews and lists compiled by category, ethnic focus, and food tours. It is “based on the opinions of 6,909 avid food lovers . . .covering 1,537 food and entertaining resources in New York City."
Let’s not forget Brooklyn! Food Lovers’ Guide to Brooklyn: Best Local Specialties, Markets, Recipes, Restaurants, and Events, written by Sherri Eisenberg, contains summaries of “Foodie Faves”, “Specialty Stores, Markets, and Producers”, and “Food Events” presented in chapters arranged by neighborhood. Maps and indexes help the reader access information.
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