New Book Club in a Bag - The Rent Collector by Camron Wright

Our newest Book Club in a Bag is The Rent Collector by Camron Wright. The book, based on actual accounts, follows a Cambodian family as they struggle to lead a meaningful life. It is a wonderfully complex book which has many themes to discuss. Please call Janine Walsh at 794-2570 x262 to reserve a six week slot for your book group. The bag comes complete with 10 copies of the book, historical context, questions, author biography and a DVD of the documentary the book is based on, River of Victory. With all this, your book discussion is sure to be a success!

November 15th at 7:30 p.m. – Evening Book Discussion: The Silent Sister by Diane Chamberlain

Join us on November 15 at 7:30 p.m. as we discuss The Silent Sister by Diane Chamberlain. In The Silent Sister, Riley MacPherson has spent her entire life believing that her older sister Lisa committed suicide as a teenager. Now, over twenty years later, her father has passed away and while she is cleaning out his house, she finds evidence to the contrary. Lisa is alive . . . alive and living under a new identity. But why exactly was she on the run all those years ago, and what secrets are being kept now? As Riley works to uncover the truth, her discoveries will put into question everything she thought she knew about her family.

For more information, please call the Reader Services Department at 516-794-2570 ext. 236.

Silent Sister Discussion Questions

November 14th at 1:00 p.m. - Lunch 'N Books: The Little Paris Bookshop by Nina George

Join us on November 14 at 1:00 p.m. as we discuss The Little Paris Bookshop by Nina George. Monsieur Perdu calls himself a literary apothecary. From his floating bookstore in a barge on the Seine, he prescribes novels for the hardships of life. Using his intuitive feel for the exact book a reader needs, Perdu mends broken hearts and souls. The only person he can’t seem to heal through literature is himself; he’s still haunted by heartbreak after his great love disappeared. She left him with only a letter, which he has never opened. Twenty one years later he reads the letter. What follows is simultaneously heartbreaking and heartwarming. Nina George’s impressionistic prose takes the reader on a journey not just through the glories of France and the wonders of books, but through the whole range of human emotions.

For more information, please call the Reader Services Department at 516-794-2570 ext. 236

October 26th at 12:30 p.m. - Lunch 'N Books: The Nightingale by Kristin Hannah

Join us on October 26 at 12:30 p.m. as we discuss The Nightingale by Kristin Hannah.  Bestselling author Kristin Hannah captures the epic panorama of WWII and illuminates an intimate part of history seldom seen: the women’s war. The Nightingale tells the stories of two sisters, separated by years and experience, by ideals, passion and circumstance, each embarking on her own dangerous path toward survival, love, and freedom in German-occupied, war-torn France. This is a bestselling, heartbreakingly beautiful novel that celebrates the resilience of the human spirit. 

For more information, please call the Reader Services Department at 516-794-2570 ext. 236

October 6th at 7:30 p.m. – Evening Book Discussion: What She Left Behind by Ellen Marie Wiseman

Join us on October 6 at 7:30 p.m. as we discuss What She Left Behind by Ellen Marie Wiseman. In this stunning novel, the acclaimed author of The Plum Tree merges the past and present into a haunting story about the nature of love and loyalty--and the lengths we will go to protect those who need us most.

Ten years ago, Izzy Stone’s mother fatally shot her father while he slept. Devastated by her mother’s apparent insanity, Izzy, now seventeen, refuses to visit her in prison. But her new foster parents, employees at the local museum, have enlisted Izzy’s help in cataloging items at a long-shuttered state asylum. There, amid piles of abandoned belongings, Izzy discovers a stack of unopened letters, a decades-old journal, and a window into her own past.

For more information, please call the Reader Services Department at 516-794-2570 ext. 236.

September 13th at 7:30 p.m. – Evening Book Discussion: The Sisters Weiss by Naomi Ragen

Join us on September 13 at 7:30 p.m. as we discuss The Sisters Weiss by Naomi Ragen. When she discovers the truth about her Aunt Rose, who, in the 1950s, committed an unforgivable act, Rivka, growing up in a strict ultra-Orthodox family, sets off on a dangerous adventure to find her, which sets in motion a chain of events that stirs up the ghosts of the past and alters the future. Powerful, page-turning and deeply moving, this novel is an unforgettable examination of loyalty and betrayal; the differences that can tear a family apart and the invisible bonds that tie them together. For more information, please call the Reader Services Department at 516-794-2570 ext. 236.

August 2nd at 7:30 p.m. – Evening Book Discussion: The Garden of Letters by Alyson Richman

Join us on August 2 at 7:30 p.m. as we discuss Alyson Richman’s (author of The Lost Wife) The Garden of Letters. Loss and hope pervade this graceful narrative, which is set in Italy during WWII. In 1942, when music prodigy and Resistance member Elodie flees to Portofino, she is taken in by a doctor with a tragic past. Together they come to terms with loss and the terrible cost of war. For more information, please call the Reader Services Department at 516-794-2570 ext. 236.

July 22nd from 11 a.m. to 2 p.m. – Passport Van

The Town of Hempstead Passport Van will be at the Library for your convenience. You can apply for a passport or renew one in one visit. The Van has the equipment to take your picture. Please bring checks for payments. For further information on obtaining your passport, call the Hempstead Town Clerk’s Passport Office at 516-812-3100.

July 13th at 6:00 p.m. - The Rent Collector by Camron Wright - Film, Book Discussion, and Skype

Join us as we screen the documentary (which inspired the novel The Rent Collector) at 6:00 p.m., to be followed by the book discussion at 7:15 p.m. At 8:30 p.m., there will be a skype with filmmaker Trevor Wright and author Camron Wright.

The documentary, River of Victory, is an unsettling account of the harsh life of a Cambodian family as they struggle with financial woes and often disturbing medical treatments for their child.  This glimpse into their lives was captured when three young filmmakers, including Trevor Wright, struck up a conversation with a young mother, Sang Li, who lived at the dump.  The filmmakers discovered a story of resilience and strength too compelling to ignore.

After watching footage of his son's documentary, River of Victory, novelist Camron Wright decided to write a fiction book (The Rent Collector) based on Sang Li and her family.

For more information, please call the Reader Services Department at 516-794-2570 ext. 236.

July 12th at 7:30 p.m. - Travel Trivia Night

Test your knowledge of travel and travel literature at our library quiz on July 12 at 7:30 p.m.  Bring your friends, bring your teammates (up to 4), or just bring yourself. Sign up at the Reference Desk or online at http://tinyurl.com/jk698m9. Registration is limited.

June 21 at 7:30 p.m. - Evening Book Discussion: At the Water’s Edge by Sara Gruen - Skype with Author!

Join us on June 21st at 7:30 p.m. as we skype with Sara Gruen, author of At the Water's Edge, a gripping and poignant love story about a privileged young woman's awakening as she experiences the devastation of World War II in a tiny village in the Scottish Highlands.

June 6th at 11:00 a.m. - 8:45 p.m. - Adult Summer Reading Club "Novel Destinations" Kickoff With Featured Author Camille Perri

Join us for the kickoff of our 5th annual Adult Summer Reading Club as we host author Camille Perri's Long Island book launch of her lauded debut novel, The Assistants.  The book talk and signing will start at 7:30 P.M.  Sign up for the club in the lobby.  Can't make it?  Sign up online at http://tinyurl.com/jk698m9 or at the Reference Desk starting June 6th.

May 25th at 7:30 p.m. – Evening Book Discussion: Orphan #8 by Kim van Alkemade

Join us on May 25 at 7:30 p.m. as we discuss Orphan #8 by Kim van Alkemade.  In this stunning new historical novel inspired by true events, the author tells the fascinating story of a woman who must choose between revenge and mercy when she encounters the doctor who subjected her to dangerous medical experiments in a New York City Jewish orphanage years before.  For more information, please call the Reader Services Department at 516-794-2570 ext. 236.

May 19th at 12:30 p.m. - Lunch 'N Books: The Boys in the Boat by Daniel Brown

Join us on May 19 at 12:30 p.m. as we discuss The Boys in the Boat by Daniel James Brown.  Out of the Depression comes an irresistible story about beating the desperation of the times--the improbable account of how nine working-class American boys showed the world at the 1936 Olympics in Berlin what true grit really meant.  For more information, please call the Reader Services Department at 516-794-2570 ext. 236.

April 27th at 7:30 p.m. – Evening Book Discussion: A Fall of Marigolds by Susan Meissner

Join us on April 27 at 7:30 p.m. as we discuss A Fall of Marigolds by Susan Meissner.  Two women living one hundred years apart who experience similar tragic losses of love-Clara's in the Triangle Shirtwaist Fire, and Taryn's in the collapse of the Twin Towers-are connected through time by a scarf. For more information, please call the Reader Services Department at 516-794-2570 ext. 236.

March 29th at 7:30 p.m. – Evening Book Discussion: Orhan's Inheritance by Aline Ohanesian

Join us on March 29 at 7:30 p.m. as we discuss Orhan's Inheritance by Aline Ohanesian.  When Orhan’s brilliant and eccentric grandfather, Kemal, who built a dynasty out of making kilim rugs, is found dead in a vat of dye, Orhan inherits the decades old business.  Yet, Kemal has left the family estate to a stranger, an aging woman in Los Angeles.  Her existence and secrecy about her past only deepen the mystery.  For more information, please call the Reader Services Department at 516-794-2570 ext. 236.

March 24th at 12:30 p.m. - Lunch 'N Books: The Marriage of Opposites by Alice Hoffman

Join us on March 24 at 12:30 p.m. as we discuss The Marriage of Opposites by Alice Hoffman, the New York Times bestselling author of The Museum of Extraordinary Things.  This spellbinding tale is a forbidden love story set on the tropical island of St. Thomas, centering on the amazing woman who gave birth to painter Camille Pissarro - the Father of Impressionism.  For more information, please call the Reader Services Department at 516-794-2570 ext. 236.

March 9 at 7:30 p.m. – Evening Book Discussion: A Man Called Ove by Fredrik Backman

Join us on March 9th at 7:30 p.m. as we discuss A Man Called Ove by Fredrik Backman.  A feel-good story in the spirit of The Unlikely Pilgrimage of Harold Fry and Major Pettigrew's Last Stand, Fredrik Backman's novel about the angry old man next door is a thoughtful exploration of the profound impact one life has on countless others. For more information, please call the Reader Services Department at 516-794-2570 ext. 236.

January 20 at 7:00 p.m. - Evening Book Discussion: The Paris Architect by Charles Belfoure - Skype with Author!

Join us on January 20th at 7:00 p.m. as we skype with Charles Belfoure, author of The Paris Architect, his thrilling novel set in Paris during World War II.

January 11th at 12:30 p.m. - LUNCH 'N BOOKS/AUTHOR EVENT: Hissing Cousins: The Untold Story of Eleanor Roosevelt and Alice Roosevelt Longworth by Marc Peyser and Timothy Dwyer. The authors will be present to discuss their work.

Join us on January 11 at 12:30 p.m. as authors Marc Peyser and Timothy Dwyer discuss Hissing Cousins, their critically acclaimed double biography of first cousins Eleanor Roosevelt and Alice Roosevelt Longworth. For more information, please call the Reader Services Department at 516-794-2570 ext. 236.

December 7th at 12:30 p.m. - Lunch 'N Books: Our Souls at Night by Kent Haruf

Join us on December 7 at 12:30 p.m. as we discuss Kent Haruf's final novel, Our Souls at Night.  For more information, please call the Reader Services Department at 516-794-2570 ext. 236.

November 23 at 7:30 p.m. – Evening Book Discussion: The Songs of Willow Frost by Jamie Ford

Join us on November 23 at 7:30 p.m. as we discuss The Songs of Willow Frost by Jamie Ford.  This program usually meets monthly at 7:30 p.m. at the library and is led by the members of the group. The books are chosen by the participants and the whole session is discussion oriented. For more information, please call the Reader Services Department at 516-794-2570 ext. 236.

November 11th at 12:30 p.m. - Lunch 'N Books: Go Set a Watchman by Harper Lee

Join us on November 11 at 12:30 p.m. as we discuss Harper Lee's newly discovered novel, Go Set a Watchman. Originally written in the mid-1950s, this work features many of the characters from To Kill a Mockingbird some twenty years later.  For more information, please call the Reader Services Department at 516-794-2570 ext. 236.

November 5th at 12:30 p.m. - Lunch 'N Books: To Kill a Mockingbird by Harper Lee

Join us on November 5 at 12:30 p.m. as we discuss Harper Lee's classic Pulitzer Prize winning novel, To Kill a Mockingbird.  For more information, please call the Reader Services Department at 516-794-2570 ext. 236.

October 21 at 7:30 p.m. – Evening Book Discussion: The Arsonist by Sue Miller

Join us on October 21 at 7:30 p.m. as we discuss Sue Miller's suspenseful novel, The Arsonist.  This program usually meets monthly at 7:30 p.m. at the library and is led by the members of the group. The books are chosen by the participants and the whole session is discussion oriented. For more information, please call the Reader Services Department at 516-794-2570 ext. 236.

October 13 at 7:00 p.m. - Meet Sasha Abramsky, author of The House of Twenty Thousand Books

Join us as Sasha Abramsky shares his family story as he presents his book, The House of Twenty Thousand Books. His grandfather, Chimen Abramsky, was an extraordinary bibliophile who amassed a vast collection of socialist literature and Jewish history, and had hosted epic gatherings in his house that brought together many of the age’s greatest thinkers. Sasha takes the reader on a wondrous journey, from the vanished worlds of Eastern European Jewry to the present.

September 30 at 7:30 p.m. – Evening Book Discussion: The Boston Girl by Anita Diamant

Join us on September 30th at 7:30 p.m. as we discuss Anita Diamant's latest work, The Boston Girl.  Told through the eyes of a young Jewish woman growing up in early twentieth century Boston, this historical novel explores such themes as family ties and values, feminism and friendship.

Art Therapy

Praised by both critics and readers, B.A. Shapiro's thrilling first novel, The Art Forger, focused on a young female artist embroiled in a forgery scheme.  In Shapiro's latest work, The Muralist, the focus is also on a young woman with artistic ambitions, but this time the stakes are even greater.  The main character in this story, Alizee Benoit, is fighting for her family and her sanity.

This historical novel begins with Alizee's great niece, Danielle, discovering paintings that are stylistically similar to her great aunt's work.  As Danielle attempts to prove the paintings are Alizee's, her research helps illuminate her hazy knowledge of her mysterious relation.  Alizee had disappeared during the years leading up to World War II and no one knows what had happened to her. Danielle undertakes the challenge which takes her through many twists and turns, and several startling discoveries.

The main focus of the book is on Alizee and her struggle to create her artwork and remaining sane while her family is trying to escape the powder keg of Europe as the Nazis rise to power.  She's already coping with anxieties and other mental issues due to a previous trauma, so this new responsibility of trying to help her family escape to the United States is pushing her over the edge.  The lines between reality and illusion are blurred, and there are times you don't know if something is really happening to Alizee or if she's delusional.

Even though Alizee's character is fictional, there are several historical individuals she interacts with such as groundbreaking artists such as Mark Rothko, Jackson Pollock, Lee Krasner, and Willem de Kooning.  She is portrayed as a pioneer of abstract expressionism, someone with great potential and talent who inspired and influenced these artists to create this new style of art.

This book is quite suspenseful as it builds momentum and heads towards what appears to be an ominous conclusion, up until the last minute one is unsure of Alizee's fate (I'm surely not telling!). Issues such as is creativity associated with mental illness and having to choose between one's career versus one's family are at the heart of this book.  It's got a different feel than the Art Forger but should appeal to readers who gravitate towards books with strong female characters.

August 11 at 7:00 p.m. - Evening Book Discussion: Help for the Haunted by John Searles - Meet the Author!

Join us on August 11 at 7:00 p.m as we welcome back last year's wonderful guest speaker, John Searles, who will lead us in a "spirited" discussion of his Alex award winning novel, Help for the Haunted.

January 20 at 7:00 p.m. - Evening Book Discussion: The Paris Architect by Charles Belfoure - Skype with Author!

Join us on January 20th at 7:00 p.m. as we skype with Charles Belfoure, author of The Paris Architect, his thrilling novel set in Paris during World War II.

July 7th at 7:30 p.m. - Extraordinary People - Honoring Our Local Celebrities

What does an Emmy winning Saturday Night Live cameraman, a prize winning photographer and a Cosmopolitan Magazine editor have in common?  They are all famous East Meadow residents!  Join us as we learn more about these fascinating people!  Click here for more information on this special program.

Jan Kasoff

Tony Barboza

Camille Perri

June 30th at 7:30 p.m. - Evening Book Discussion: All the Light We Cannot See by Anthony Doerr

Join us on June 30 at 7:30 p.m. as we discuss All the Light We Cannot See.  From the highly acclaimed, multiple award-winning (Pulitzer Prize winner) Anthony Doerr, the beautiful, stunningly ambitious instant New York Times bestseller about a blind French girl and a German boy whose paths collide in occupied France as both try to survive the devastation of World War II.

June 18th at 12:30 p.m. - Lunch 'N Books: All the Light We Cannot See by Anthony Doerr

Join us on June 18 at 12:30 p.m. as we discuss All the Light We Cannot See.  From the highly acclaimed, multiple award-winning Anthony Doerr, the beautiful, stunningly ambitious instant New York Times bestseller about a blind French girl and a German boy whose paths collide in occupied France as both try to survive the devastation of World War II.  This Pulitzer Prize winning novel will be moderated by Marion Wren.     

June 1st - 11 a.m. to 8 p.m. - Adult Summer Reading Club “Out of the Ordinary...Extraordinary” Kickoff

The East Meadow Public Library Reader Services Department is excited to announce our fourth annual Adult Summer Reading Club.  It is a great way to learn about new titles to read during the lazy days of summer and a chance to participate in fun book programs!  Just sign up and then submit any titles you have read during the summer months.

The first sign up day will be Monday, June 1st. Our kickoff party will be held in the library lobby from 11:00 a.m. to 8:00 p.m.  Can't make it?  You can register anytime between June 1st and August 4th at the Reference Desk or online at our website: https://ny.evanced.info/eastmeadow/sr/homepage.asp?ProgramID=13. Please choose to either enroll and review online or to enroll and submit reviews at the Reference Desk.

May 19 at 7:30 p.m. – Evening Book Discussion: The Woman Upstairs by Claire Messud

Join us on May 19 at 7:30 p.m. as we discuss Claire Messud's intriguing novel, The Woman Upstairs.  This Washington Post Top Ten Book of the Year will be presented by Joy Brann.

April 21 at 7:30 p.m. - Evening Book Discussion: The Museum of Extraordinary Things by Alice Hoffman

  

2015 LONG ISLAND READS SELECTION

Join us on April 21 at 7:30 p.m. as we discuss the mesmerizing and illuminating, Alice Hoffman's The Museum of Extraordinary Things.  It is the story of an electric and impassioned love between two vastly different souls in New York during the volatile first decades of the 20th century.  Hoffman weaves her trademark magic and masterful storytelling to unite her characters in a sizzling, tender, and moving story of self-discovery in tumultuous times.  This Long Island Reads selection will be presented by Harriet Hagenbruch.

April 16 at 12:30 p.m. - Lunch 'N Books: The Museum of Extraordinary Things by Alice Hoffman

 
2015 LONG ISLAND READS SELECTION
Join us on April 16 at 12:30 p.m. as we discuss the mesmerizing and illuminating, Alice Hoffman's The Museum of Extraordinary Things.  It is the story of an electric and impassioned love between two vastly different souls in New York during the volatile first decades of the 20th century.  Hoffman weaves her trademark magic and masterful storytelling to unite her characters in a sizzling, tender, and moving story of self-discovery in tumultuous times.  This Long Island Reads selection will be moderated by Martin Haas, PhD.

March 31 at 7:00 p.m. - Evening Book Discussion: The Story Hour by Thrity Umrigar - Skype with Author!

Join us on March 31 at 7:00 p.m. as we skype with Thrity Umrigar, author of The Space Between Us, The Weight of Heaven, and The World We Found.  For this special presentation, Ms. Umrigar will discuss her latest work, The Story Hour, a heartbreakingly honest novel about friendship, family, secrets, forgiveness, and second chances.

Reader Services Has Some Books to Keep You Warm

It's winter with a vengeance and we're all stuck inside.  Instead of fretting (and freezing), may we suggest two good, long, page-turners to take you away. Curl up on the couch with a cup of chamomile, your favorite furry friend, and a good book to start feeling warm again.

Theodore Decker, a 13 year old NYC prep school student, is in trouble and may be suspended. On the way to the parent-teacher conference, he and his mother decide to stop in at the Metropolitan Museum of Art to view an exhibition.  While his mother looks at the paintings, Theo separates from her to follow a young girl who's with an older man.  An explosion occurs and he is thrown to the ground along with the other museum attendees. The old man, now dying, insists he take the painting by Fabritius, The Goldfinch, and a ring out of the museum, and gives him a name to contact.  When he gets back to his Greenwich Village apartment, he finds that his mother died in the explosion and that he is virtually an orphan; his father having left them without a contact many years ago.  Thus begins Donna Tartt's tour de force novel The Goldfinch, a compelling book that explores the themes of family, friendship, luck, atonement, redemption and fate.  As they follow Theo's life path, readers will be caught up in the twists and turns that destroy and remake him, and ultimately bring him to the place he needs to be.  This book deservedly won the Pulitzer Prize and the Andrew Carnegie Medal of Excellence.

What could be better than a murder mystery?  How about one that is somehow tied to a bio-terrorism plot on an international level.  If this sounds intriguing, you'll probably love Terry Hayes' I am Pilgrim, a novel that will leave you breathless.   "Saracen", a radicalized Saudi, patiently concocts a failure proof scheme to take America down and avenge the death of his father.  As ex-CIA operative Pilgrim attempts to unravel his plot, the reader moves with him from Britain to France, Saudi Arabia and  Afghanistan following the clues that will hopefully prevent a melt-down.  First time author Hayes is a screenwriter and his book reads like a James Bond movie.
 
Happy reading!

February 1st through February 14th - Blind Date with a Book

In honor of Valentine's Day, from February 1st through February 14th, we'd like to "fix you up" with a blind date!  We'll select a variety of library books, wrap them up in festive paper and you won't know the "identity" of your blind date till you get home.

Try it! You may end up having a great read with a book you never would have thought to choose.  With each book is a "Rate a Date" slip, simply say whatever you want about your date.  Return your slip to enter our raffle for a special prize, one entry per person.  For more information, please call the Reader Services Department at 516-794-2570 ext.236.

Evening Book Discussion: The Unlikely Pilgrimage of Harold Fry by Rachel Joyce

January 20, 2015 at 7:30 PM -  Evening Book Discussions -  The Unlikely Pilgrimage of Harold Fry by Rachel Joyce

This program usually meets monthly at 7:30 p.m. at the library in a casual atmosphere, and is led by the members of the group. The books are chosen by the participants, and the whole session is discussion oriented. For more information, please call the Reader Services Department at 516-794-2570 ext.236.