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.