See whats happening around town!

Happy 4th of July!

Need a HOT book for the holiday weekend???
Take a look at four of my favorites.

Orphan Train by Christina Baker Kline

The Interesting by Meg Wolitzer

Bread & Butter by Michelle Wildgen

I Am Pilgrim by Terry Hayes

Exciting New Literary Voices

Need something new to read? Try one or all of these new to lit voices.

Become an Armchair Traveler

Want to go somewhere but don't want to leave the cozy, comfort of your own chair.  Not to worry try out one of our many armchair reads.  When you've finished, you'll feel as if you've been traveling for pages!

Happy reading!

Spring is Almost Here

Beat the winter blues by picking up one of these "A-Lister" reads!

From Book to Big Screan...

Do you consider yourself a bookwarm and a movie buff? Read these titles now before you enjoy them on the big screan!!!

January
Labor Day by Joyce Maynard

February
The Monuments Men by Robert M. Edsel
Endless Love by Scott Spencer
In Secret (book title Therese Raquin) by Emilw Zola
Vampire Academy by Richelle Mead
Winter's Tale by Mark Helprin

March
A Long Way Down by Nick Hornby
The Enemy (book title The Double) by Jose Saramago
Divergent by Veronica Roth

April
Under the Skin by Michael Faber
Heaven is for Real by Todd Burpo

May
Devil's Knot by Mara Leveritt

June
The Fault in Our Stars by John Green

August
If I Stay by Gayle Forman
The Giver by Lois Lowry
The Hundred-Foot Journey by Richard C. Morais

September
Dark Places by Gillian Flynn
Life of Crime (book title The Switch) by Elmore Leonard
The Maze Runner by James Dashner
This is Where I Leave You by Johnathan Tropper
A Walk Among the Tombstones by Lawrence Block
Addicted by Zane

October
The Best of Me by Nicholas Sparks
Gone Girl by Gillian Flynn

November
Mockingjay (The Hunger Games Trilogy Part I) by Suzanne Collins

December
The Hobbit, or There and Back Again (3rd installment) by J.R.R. Tolkin
Unbroken by Laura Hillenbrand

TBA
Wild by Cheryl Strayed
The Book of Common Prayer by Joan Didion
Far From the Madding Crowd by Thomas Hardy
The Imitation Game (book title Alan Turing: The Enigma) by Andrew Hodges
Before I go to Sleep by S.J. Watson
Child 44 by Tom Rob Smith
Serena by Ron Rush
Trash by Andy Mulligan (out in UK in May)
Hector and the Search For Happiness by Francois Lelord
Measure of a Man (book title One Fat Summer) by Robert Lipsyte
Every Secret Thing by Laura Lippman
Love, Rosie (book title Where Rainbows End) by Cecelia Ahern
Dermaphoria by Craig Clevenger
True Story by Michael Finkel

All the above titles are requestable though the OPAC.  Click on the title links provided and begin reserving!

Westhampton Library's Top 10

January's

1. And the Mountains Echoed by Khaled Hosseini

2. Gone Girl by Gillian Flynn

3. The English Girl by Daniel Silva

4. First Love by James Patterson

5. W is for Wasted by Sue Grafton

6. Cross My Heart by James Patterson

7. Gone by James Patterson

8. White Fire by Douglas Preston and Lincoln Child

9. The Interestings by Meg Wolitzer

10. The God of Guilt by Michael Connelly

New Works from Old Favorites

Back from a long, overdue holiday sabbatical with a lengthy, laundry list of books to read in 2014. Realizeing this year’s list is full of new titles by some of my all-time favorite authors it's clear that my To Read List will be longer than ever. Packed with works by well-known, bestselling author like Greg Illes, Lorrie Moore and Amy Bloom, 2014 is sure to remind you of why you have favorite authors.  Some authors haven’t has anything new in a couple of years and for others it’s been almost a decade or more.  Pulling out all the stops and reminding you why you're a reader here is a list of new titles by some of the industries favorites.  Happy Reading!

Armada by Ernest Cline

The Anatomy Lesson by Nina Siegal

Andrew’s Brain by E.L. Doctorow

And the Dark Sacred Night by Julia Glass

An Officer and Spy by Robert Harris

Bark: Stories by Lorrie Moore

The Blazing World by Siri Hastvedt

Blood Will Out by Walter Kirn

The Bone Clocks by David Mitchell

The Book of Strange New Things by Michel Faber

A Circle of Wives by Alice LaPlante

The City of Mirrors by Justin Cronin

Delicious! By Ruth Reichl

Edge of Winter by Ken Follett

Escape from Children’s Hospital by Jonathan Safran Foer

Frog Music by Emma Donoghue

The Here and Now by Ann Brashares

The Invention of Wings by Sue Monk Kidd

The Lie by Helen Dunmore

Lila by Marilyn Robinson

The Lobster King by Alexi Zentner

Long Man by Amy Greene

The Lost Sisterhood by Anne Fortier

Love and Treasure by Ayelet Waldman

Lovers at the Chameleon Club, Paris 1932 by Francine Prose

Lucky Us by Amy Bloom

The Magician’s Land by Lev Grossman

Natchez Burning by Greg Iles

Nora Webster by Colm Toibin

Ripper by Isabel Allende

The Rise & Fall of Great Powers by Tom Rachman

The Snow Queen by Michael Cunningham

Still Life with Bread Crumbs by Anna Quindlen

The Temporary Gentleman by Sebastian Barry

Thirty Girls by Susan Minot

To Rise Again at a Decent Hour by Joshua Ferris

Uganda Be Kidding Me by Chelsea Handler

Under the Wide and Starry Sky by Nancy Horan

Untitled Nick Hornby

Untitled Robert Galbraith (aka J.K. Rowling)

The Vacationers by Emma Straub

Well-Tempered Heart by Jan-Philipp Sendker

Gift Lit For Every Reader on Your List

Don't know where to being or what to buy for those hard to please readers on your list.  Here are some of our recommended Holiday reads!!!

Seasons Greetings

and Happy reading!!!!

For the Lazy Day Reader:
Clare of the Sea Light by Edwidge Danticat
The Rosie Project by Graeme Simsion
The Interestings by Meg wolitzer
The Husband's Secret by Liane Moriarty

For the Action-Packed Reader:
Book of Someday byDianne Dixon
Wrong Place, Wrong Time by Tilia Klebenov Jacobs
Doctor Sleep by Stephen King
White Fire by Preston & Child
The Edge of Normal by Carla Norton

For the Reading Writer:
The Bully Pulpit by Doris Kearns Goodwin
A Reader's Book of Days by tom Nissley
The Thoughtbook of F. Scott Fitzgerald edited by Dave Page
The Wonderbook by Jeff VanderMeer
How to Read a Novelist by John Freeman
Roth Unbound: A Writer and His Books by Claudia Roth Pierpont

For the Series/ Sequel Reader:
Why Grizzly Bears Should Wear Underpants by Matthew Inman (The Oatmeal)
Sycamore Row by John Grisham

For the Armchair Traveler:
At Night We Walk in Circles by Daniel Alarcon
The Cartographer of No Man's Land by P.S. Duffy
The Paris Architect by Charles Belfoure

For the History Reader:
The Ghost Bride by Yangsze Choo
George Washington's Secret Six by Brian Kilmeade & Don Yaeger
One Summer: America 1927 by Bill Bryson
The Signatire of All Things by Elizabeth Gilbert
My Notorious Life by Kate Manning

For the Reading Artist:
American Mirror: The Life and Art of Norman Rockwell by Deborah Solomon
Fosse by Sam Wasson
The Disaster Artist by Greg Sestero
The Flamethrowers by Rachel Kushner
Actors Anonymous by James Franco

For the A Little Something Different Reader:
Beyond the Rift by Peter Watts
The Art of Lying down: A guide to Horizontal Living by Bernd Brunner

For the Award Winning Reader:
The Luminaries: A Novel by Eleanore Catton
The Good Lord Bird by James McBride

The Happy, Go-Lucky Reader:
The Most of Nora Ephron by Nora Ephron
Paddle Your Own Canoe by Nick Offerman

For the Interested in Lives Reader:
David and Goliath
I Am Malala
American Sniper
Johnny Carson by Henry Bushkin
Country Girl by Edna O'Brien

For that "New Adult" Reader:
Fangirl by Rainbow Rowell
Night Film by Marisha Pessl
The Bone Season by Samantha Shannon

For the Readers of Bestseller/Favorite Author:
We Are Water by Wally Lamb
Bellman & Black by Diane Setterfield
The Supreme Macaroni Company by Adriana Trigiani
Stella Bain by Anita Shreve
The Circle by Dave Eggers
First Call From Heaven by Mitch Albom
Valley of Amazement by Amy Tan

Give Thanks for Good Reads!

Here are a few good reads we are thankful for...

Book of Someday by Dianne Dixon

Turn Around Bright Eyes:

The Rituals of Love & Karaoke

by Rob Sheffield

Me Before You by Jojo Moyes

Someone by Alice McDermott

Poor Man's Feast:

A Love story of Comfort, Desire, and the Art of Simple Cooking

by Elissa Altman

The Rosie Project by Graeme Simsion

A Land More Kind Than My Own by Wiley Cash

A Curious Man:

The Strange & Brilliant Life of Robert "Believe It or Not" Ripley

by Neal Thompson

The Astronaut Wive's Club by Lily Koppel

Be sure to stop by before the holiday these titles will be gobbled up quickly...

Kennedy's Legacy

It's Been 50 Years

Who would have thought that 50 years later, after shots were fired on November 22nd 1963, a nation would still be curious about what happened at Dallas’ Dealey Plaza.  For decades readers have distended themselves with knowledge concerning JFK drama.  This year in recognition of our collective memories we honor and celebrate the life and achievements of John F. Kennedy.

In over 50 years dozens of authors have written about JFK’s life, death and legacy.  Looking for a good JFK book both soon to be published titles like JFK: The Smoking Gun by Colin McLaren (Dec. 2013) and 5 Days in November by Clint Hill & Lisa McCubbin (Nov. 2013), as well as, older titles like JFK the Unspeakable: Why He Died and Why It Matters by James W. Douglas (Oct. 2010) and An Unfinished Life by Robert Dallek (May 2004) are great places to.  The story of JFK’s life, legacy and death are all based on well-known conspiracy theories, biographical or first-hand account of the first family and even a few bestselling authors have dipped their pen in to tell fictional versions of JFK drama.  Each adaptation depicts various vantage points of JFK's life.  From author's as distinguished as Don DeLillo and Stephen King to journalists like Jim Lehrer and Jeff Greenfield, even outspoken pundit, Bill O'Reily has added to the collection of JFK inspired writings that have engaged readers for decades.

Many of the titles listed below are available through the library. Some titles listed are not yet available and will be released during the upcoming months. To reserve any title listed below click on the titles.

In addition when visiting the library take a momnet to view the display case located in the lobby as you enter the library.  You will see a display commemorating the 50th Anniversary of the Assassination of John F. Kennedy.  

Read all About Him!
11/22/63 by Stephen King (Nov. 2011)
1960: LBJ vs. JFK vs. Nixon by David Pietrusza (9/2008)
Ask Not by Thurston Clarke (9/2004)
Betrayal in Dallas by Mark North (7/2011)
Camelot's Court: Inside the Kennedy White House by Robert Dallek (10/2013)
Contract on America by David E. Scheim (4/1992)
Councelor: A Life at the Edge of History by Theodore C. Sorensen (5/2008)
Dallas 1963 by Bill Minutaglio & steven L. Davis (10/2013)
The Dark Side of Camelot by Seymour M. Hersh (11/1997)
Destination Dealey: Countdown to the Kennedy Conspiracy by L.D. Fitzgerald (8/20011)
End of Days: The Assassination of John F. Kennedy by James L. Swanson (11/2013)
Four Days in November by The Staff of the New York Times (11/2003)
Five Days in November by Clint Hill & Lisa McCubbin (11/2013)
If Kennedy Lived by Jeff Greenfield (10/2013)
The Interloper: Lee Harvey Ozwald Inside the Soviet Union by Peter Savodnik (10/2013)
Jack 1939 by Francine Matthews (7/2012)
Jack Kennedy:Elusive Hero by Christopher Matthews (11/2011)
Jack & Jackie: Portrait of an American marriage by Christopher Anderson (7/ 1996)
John Fitzgerald Kennedy: a Life in Pictures by Yann-Brice Dherbier (11/2003)
JFK the Last Dissenting Witness by Bill Sloan (3/1992)
JFK: Remembering Jack by Christophe Loviny (8/2003)
JFK's Last Hundred Days by Thurston Clarke (7/2013)
The Kennedys: America's Emerald Kings by Thomas Maier (10/2003)
Kennedy & Nixon by Christopher Matthews (6/1996)
The Kennedy Tapes by Ernest R. May (10/1997)
Killing Kennedy:The End of Camelot by Bill O'Reilly (10/2012)
One Minute to Midnight by Michael Dobbs (6/2008)
These Few Precious Days: The Final Year of Jack 7 Jackie by Christopher P. Anderson (8/2013)
To Move the World: JFK's Quest for Peace by Jeffrey Sachs (6/2013)
Top Down: A Novel of the Kennedy Assassination by Jim Lehrer (10/2013)
We Were There by Allen Childs MD (11/2013)

*Note this is just a sampling of what we have and of what is available through Inter Library loan. Books are also requestable in other formats (Book on CD, Large Print & MP3 Audio, as well as through edownloads/audio to an iPad, iPhone, Kindle or tablit). Please visit the Reference desk or give us a call at 631-288-3335 x114 or 118 if you have further questions.

Author Event

It was our pleasure, along with Books & Books Westhampton, to host International Bestselling Author Alyson Richman on Sunday, October 27^th.  In an intimate gathering with fans, booklovers and aspiring writers, Ms. Richman discussed her works, why she writes and answered questions from some of her very inquisitive readers.

Ms. Richman charmingly captured the audience’s attention as she spoke of her books, four in total and one on the way, due out next fall.  She shared her background as to how she became an accomplished, well-known novelist. Her craft wasn’t cultivated through the typical love of reading and a profound appreciation for classic literature, though Ms. Richman does indulge in reading many popular book selections.  Ms. Richman was not a formal literature student; attending lecture on the great writers of the past and studying their works.  She was born on Long Island to a painter, her mother and her father, an engineer.  As a teenager her family moved to Japan due to her father’s career.  After spending much of her young adult life in a foreign country, Ms. Richman attended Wellesley College, where she majored in art history.  Ms. Richman said she constantly was asking questions and searching for answers.  She was often told, by her art history professors, that she had a unique ability to tell the story behind the art itself.  When she graduated Ms. Richman secured a grant and traveled back to Japan this time immersing herself in the culture as an apprentice to a Noh Mask Carver.  These carvers were rare and few still exist.  They came from long lineages of carvers and most times one mask could take a year or more to carve.  From this opportunity she began crafting her debut novel, The Mask Carver’s Son; asking herself what it would be like to grow up in the traditional Japanese culture, but desire something else much different, more modern, from what was expected of you.  What was it like to be the first of your family to shed the customs of one’s inheritance and follow your dreams?  What would it have been like to be an impressionist painter during the Meiji Period while living in Japan? Hence the story of Yamamoto Kiyoki, his strained and distant relationships and his desire to be a painter, not a mask carver like his father.

The Mask Carver’s Son, just rereleased this fall, was Ms. Richman’s first title published.  In acknowledgment of its second publication the Monday Night Book Club chose it as their October book pick.  As Ms. Richman read eloquently aloud to her audience from The Mask Carver’s Son she furthered her reader’s love of her writing.  Attendees learned of Ms. Richman’s writing process; how she researches the answers to her questions for a year, traveling and meeting with individuals to help piece her stories together. She the submits the first draft, after a year of writing and editing, then edits it and eight months to a year later it’s done and published.

Ms. Richman also discussed her three other titles, including the well enjoyed, 2012 Long Island Reads Winner, The Lost Wife.  She said by book four she finally found her audience who are now patiently waiting her fifth novel to be revealed next fall.  In anticipation of her next book Ms. Richman fed the audience bread crumbs of the story to come; we know the title, The Garden of Letters, along with the setting, during WWI, and the character, a messenger for the Italian Resistance.

Thank you to Alyson Richman and her lovely daughter for joining us on Sunday.  The discussion was fantastic and Ms. Richman is a wonderful storyteller.  Many readers were thrilled to have met such a phenomenal writer and are eagerly awaiting The Garden of Letters.  For more information or to check out Ms. Richman’s other titles visit her website at AlysonRichman.com.

An Article of Interest: To Be Well-Read or Not?

Is one person well-read if they were to read 100 books, 1,000 books or a million books? If so, which books would be on that list?

As I read through my daily newsfeeds, favorite websites, blogs, etc. I came across this questioning article from Bookriot.com, about what makes an individual well-read.  How many books, 1 or 50, how about 100, would someone have to read to be well-read? Do they have to be a certain type of book? Does a book other than a well-known literary classic count? Can you be well-read if you read graphic novels, romance or if you enjoy reading about future worlds?  Is being well-read like being well-rounded, so if you read a little of everything you’d be well-read or is it reading a percentage of the forever growing titles published each year.

I’m not too sure myself, but I liked this article, From Zero to Well-Read in 100 Books, and thought you would too!  Plus it comes with a list of 100 titles you may want to consider trying as you make your way to becoming well-read.

Article: From Zero to Well-Read in 100 Books

Do you agree or disagree with the article above? Which titles would you have included?  What are your thoughts on being well-read?

Author Event

Wicked Reads for Halloween

Looking to get in the Halloween "Spirit"? Here are some eerily, strange and horrifically, creepy reads that will make your skin craw and the hairs on the back of your neck stand tall.

The Nature of Monsters by Clare Clark
Dracula by Bram Stoker
Rebecca by Daphne du Maurier
After Dark by Haruki Murakami
Frankenstein by Mary Shelley
The Night Circus by Erin Morgenstern
Woman in White by Wilkie Collins
Northanger Abbey by Jane Austen
The Best of Poe: Tell-Tale Heart, The Raven, The Cask of Amontillado and 30 Others by Edgar Allan Poe
The Little Stranger by Sara Waters
Doomed by Chuck Palahniuk
The Tale of the Body Thief by Anne Rice
Pet Sematary by Stephen King
Wicked: The Life and Times of the Wicked Witch of the West by Gregory Maguire
Interview with the Vampire by Anne Rice
The Exorcist by William Peter Blatty 
Carrie by Stephan King
The Ocean at the End of the Lane by Neil Gaiman
The Daylight Gate by Jeannette Winterson
The Shining by Stephan King
Long Island Oddities: curious locales, unusual occurrences and unlikely urban adventures by John Leita & Laura Leita
Heart-Shaped Box by Joe Hill
World War Z: An Oral History of the Zombie War by Max Brooks
Ghost Story by Peter Straub
The Zombie Survival Guide: Complete Protection from the Living Dead by Max Brooks
The Winter Ghosts by Kate Mosse
The Gargoyle by Andrew Davidson
Sorry by Zoran Drvenkar
The Right Hand of Evil by John Saul
Doctor Sleep by Stephen King
The Skull Beneath the Skin by P.D. James

See a wicked read you'd like to try? All above titles are available in our collection.  Stop by, give us a call, 631-288-3335 x114/118 or request it online through our online catalog.

Hey Book Clubs! What are you Reading?

October is National Reading Group month.

Here is a list of the top ten books published this month that libraries across the country are loving.

Click to print top ten Library Reads flyer for October

For More information about Library Reads please visit their website at Libraryreads.org

Book Review

In Broken Places
By Michele Phoenix

I was so please to have had the opportunity to read In Broken Places by Michele Phoenix. I had not read her previous title, but look forward to picking it up shortly. In Broken Places was such a gratifying read. Phoenix’s writing style and her ability to craft a truly compelling story kept me reading and has me now recommending it to everyone looking for a new literary voice.

I really liked how each character brought a new depth to the story Phoenix tells. Like a main character should, Shelby guides you deeper and deeper as you meet her broken spirit. She truly has a shaded perspective of who she is and what she has to offer. This damaged vantage point is because of her abusive father and her dysfunctional childhood which she shared with her older brother. As a reader you sincerely feel Shelby’s hardships as she struggled to find herself worthy of giving and receiving love. Her need for sarcasm when feelings got to close is a true defense mechanism and her own personal character flaw; thus, making Shelby’s character even more believable. Through the story you witness Shelby’s self-destruction as she internally battles to change for her daughter. As Shelby realized her burdens aren’t as heavy as she believes them to be, she hooks you and from then on you cannot help but rooting for her. If you try and put the book down, you're at a loss, you have no choice but to finish. In Broken Places is a unique story of an all too well feeling many individuals feel all too often. With insight and clarity, Michele Phoenix tells an absorbing tale of genuine, unconditional love, the strength to overcome one's past and the tenderness of wounds that we all carry with us. It’s a hard read not to enjoy.

Click on the image link above to view a book trailer of In Broken Places. Book trailer provided by YouTube.com

Banned Books Challenge

Calling All Readers!!!

What a wonderful event Hachette, Reading Group Guide and McNally Jackson Books have planned for reader.  On Saturday, September 7th bask in literary heaven while you meet authors and experience an opportunity to mingle with other book lovers.  Tickets are $50 and include lunch and book bag. Visit http://www.mcnallyjackson.com/hachette-reading-group-day for registration info.

WellRead Reader's Pick

Above All Things

by Tanis Rideout

Set in 1924 in post-World War I Cambridge and on the cliffs of Mount Everest, Above All Things is a truly adventurous tale of one's love.  Written in alternating perspectives, George and Ruth Mallory, retell the story of their love and the devastation on their family, which George causes due to his obsession with conquering Mount Everest.  This debut novel is a gripping, historical tale composed of two interlocking themes - love and extraordinary adventure.

For George and Ruth Mallory will there be redemption amid their divided devotions? George is a husband and father of three.  He leaves his wife and children in Cambridge to fuel his passion, a third attempt to reach the summit of Mount Everest, and be known to the world as the first to surmount its high peaks. While his wife and children are a world away, at home awaiting his fate.

This story is not just about the relationship between a husband and his wife nor is it about just a mountain or one's failure or even one's loyalty. Above All Things is about what two people can endure for each other, it's about faith and honor, it's about one's duty, and the guilt or shame one feels.  Tanis Rideout's debut novel has a air of timelessness woven though its words.  It is clear that Rideout's characters are driven by their deepest desires and need to be loved,regardless of their successes and short comings.  Read Above All Things with an open mind and you'll be sure to look at the world a little differently when you've finished.

Thank you Pat B. for your WellRead Reader's Pick.

Click on the links below to view other titles you may like if you enjoy this pick.

Books About Wives of the Famous

Mount Everest