New York Times Literary Treat of the Week...

(On January 28, this Blog posted an obituary notice about Louis Auchincloss, who passed away two days before at age 92. The following is about his final work.)

Auchincloss, Louis. A Voice From Old New York: A Memoir of My Youth. Houghton Mifflin Harcourt.

Along with being born into high society (like Edith Wharton before him) Louis Auchincloss also had the luxury of being able to do what he wanted in life regardless of peer opinion. An illuminiating French literature course at Yale University inspired his first novel. When it was rejected by Scribner's, Auchincloss turned to law specializing in trusts and estates. This memoir however shows how permanent was the writing bug's bite in that little is said about law school or the practice of it except that his early firm experience was shared with the famous Dulles brothers (Allen was an early director of the Central Intelligence Agency; John Foster served as Secretary of State under Dwight Eisenhower). Auchincloss shares remembrances of family including distant cousin Jacqueline Kennedy Onassis during her time as a book editor; and friends such as Brooke Astor who said she wore jewelry to charity project events because it was expected of her. Everyone mentioned who helped influence the five dozen books Auchincloss would produce in his lifetime are treated with kindness. This was due to Auchincloss being born at a time when people (in his words) "were not raised to show our problems or disappointments in public."

Reviewed by Librarian, Bob.

New Non-Fiction Audiobook Arrivals!

In 1943, while World War II raged on in the Pacific Theater, Lieutenant Louis Zamperini was the only survivor of a deadly plane crash in the middle of the ocean. Zamperini had a troubled youth, yet honed his athletic skills and made it all the way to the 1934 Olympics in Berlin. However, what lay before him was a physical gauntlet unlike anything he had encountered before: thousands of miles of open ocean, a small raft, and no food or water.



Best selling author Lisa Scottoline presents her second memoir. Inspired be her weekly column in The Philadelphia Inquirer, Scottoline offers an updated account of her personal life. From her relationships with her ex-husbands to her adult daughter moving away from home, Scottoline's wit and humor will delight fans and casual listeners alike.







Award-winning Washington Post writer Jane Leavy chronicles Mickey Mantle's baseball career and explains how the legendary slugger's exploits directly affected an entire generation of Americans.






Nora Ephron, author of the immensely popular I Feel Bad About My Neck, offers an honest, hilarious critique of contemporary life and what, if anything, the future has to offer.








Gary Dell'Abate, notable for being the executive producer for The Howard Stern Show, presents a rip-roaring memoir. Here, Dell'Abate chronicles his journey though life, from his chaotic childhood to being the producer (and the butt of many jokes) of one of radio's most successful shows.

Books Soon to be published...

Awakened by PC Cast, January 4th
The Lake of Dreams by Kim Edwards, January 4th
Left Neglected by Lisa Genova, January 4th
Family Affair by Debbie Macomber, January 4th
Bird Cloud: A Memoir by Annie Proulx, January 4th
The Empty Family: Stories by Colm Toibin, January 4th
The Imperfectionists by Tom Rachman, January 4th
Under the Mercy Trees by Heather Newton, January 4th

New York Times Literary Treat of the Week....

Bush, George W. Decision Points. Crown Publishers.

Some detractors had hoped he would fade into permanent obscurity. Yet at this writing tax cuts originally formulated in the last years of George W. Bush’s presidency are being signed into law. This memoir of the 43rd president further highlights his legacy in telling the experiences and thought processes that affected Bush’s handling of major issues. He is quick to point out that those “weapons of mass destruction” in Iraq and the means of making it was a belief also held by Bill Clinton and John Kerry. Bush accuses the then governor of Louisiana and other state representatives of dragging their heels in asking for federal help in the aftermath of Hurricane Katrina. But he concedes that the “Mission Accomplished” speech on the aircraft carrier Abraham Lincoln in May 2003 was a major blunder given all that still needed to be accomplished in the terrorism war. Divided along themes instead of a day by day account of those two terms, the former Chief Executive weaves in family, religion, and impressions of foreign heads of state and political foes. The last part includes an affectionate salute to the late Senator Edward Kennedy.

For more about George W. Bush and his presidency, the Merrick Library has the following:

Rove, Karl. Courage and Consequence.
Bush, Laura. Spoken From the Heart.
Sanger, David. The Inheritance.
Barnett, Thomas. Great Powers.
Haass, Richard. War of Necessity, War of Choice.

Reviewed by Librarian, Bob.

Bob Feller

On December 15 Baseball Hall of Fame pitcher Bob Feller passed away at age 92. Long before sports television regularly monitored the speed of major league pitches the Iowa-born right hander had a fastball once clocked at 104 miles per hour. It enabled Feller to win 266 games all with the Cleveland Indians, lead the American League in strikeouts seven times and be the first pitcher to win twenty games before the age of 21. Feller's three no hitters included the only one ever thrown on opening day (1940), and his twelve one-hitters still astound baseball fans even after more than half a century. Bob Feller was also the first major leaguer to enlist after Pearl Harbor, eventually serving with distinction as a Navy gun captain throughout World War Two.
On June 4 the Merrick Blog reviewed "Satch, Dizzy and Rapid Robert: The Wild Saga of Interracial Baseball Before Jackie Robinson" by Timothy Gay, recalling the off-season "barnstorming" of star performers including Bob Feller. The Library also has these titles telling of baseball's history:

Golenbock, Peter. Amazin': The Miraculous History of New York's Most Beloved Baseball Team
Smith, Curt. Storied Stadiums: Baseball History Through Its Ballparks
Vincent, Fay. The Only Game In Town: Baseball Stars of the 1930s and 1940s Talk About the Game They Loved
Schlossberg, Dan. The New Baseball Catalog

Books to Movies...

Out of My Head: A Novel by Mark Polizzotti
The list author says:
"In theatres January 7th, 2011. Movie version titled "Unknown White Male"

A man awakens from a coma, only to discover that someone has taken on his identity and that no one, (not even his wife), believes him. With the help of a young woman, he sets out to prove who he is.

New York Times Literary Treat of the Week....

Winchester, Simon. Atlantic: Great Sea Battles, Heroic Discoveries, Titanic Storms and A Vast Ocean of A Million Stories. Harper/HarperCollins.

What does the most prolific historian of a still new century choose next to explore after tackling everything from volcanoes to the Oxford English Dictionary? Write a "biography" about the Atlantic Ocean! Its name is of unknown origin and was first used in the fifth century B.C. by the Greek historian Herodotus. The Atlantic's birth is said to have been the end product of a continental split between South America and Africa. Ancient Phoenicians took the initial step in exploring the divide by visiting the coast of Spain and finding a dye from snails that was worth more than gold. Romans who conquered Britain would go no further west out of fear. It would take another fifteen hundred years before the navigator Americo Vespucci's travels along the Brazilian coast verified there was a new continent on the other side rather than the "India" hoped for by Columbus. Winchester weaves in literary perspectives about the Atlantic including Shakepeare's "The Tempest" (a new movie version starring Helen Mirren is currently out in theaters) and Melville's "Moby Dick."

Also by Simon Winchester at Merrick Library:

A Crack In The Edge Of The World
The Fracture Zone: A Return To The Balkans
Krakatoa: The Day The World Exploded
The Man Who Loved China
The Map That Changed The World
The Meaning Of Everything
The Professor And The Madman

Books on Sale Soon

Bloody Valentine by Melissa de La Cruz, December 28th
The Life You Want by Bob Greene, December 28th
Twelve Steps to a Compassionate Life by Karen Armstrong, December 28th
Sexy Forever by Suzanne Somers, December 28th
Dead Zero by Stephen Hunter, December 28th

NYT Magazine Article

Lusty Tales and Hot Sales: Romance E-Books Thrive

Sarah Wendell, blogger and co-author of “Beyond Heaving Bosoms,” is passionate about romance novels.

Click on the Title for the full article.

New York Times Literary Treat of the Week....

Cheever, Susan. Louisa May Alcott. Simon and Schuster.

If ever a parallel could be drawn between biographer and subject one finds it in this work. Louisa May Alcott's father, Bronson, was a largely unsuccessful educational reformer whose work seemed more important than his large family in Concord, Massachusetts. Susan Cheever's acclaimed writer father, John, might be seen to compliment Bronson in his absences for the sake of literature. It was fortunate that Louisa found inspiration in famous neighbors such as Ralph Waldo Emerson, who at times helped the Alcott family financially. Part of why Louisa eventually became a writer was also to keep everyone out of debt. Her experiences as a Civil War nurse in Washington, D.C. and as a seamstress and magazine editor may have given Henry James the idea to write his novel "Daisy Miller." Louisa never really enjoyed the fame and fortune she achieved writing "Little Women" and other works having lost two of her beloved sisters and becoming guardian to the daughter of one of them at age 48.

Also by Susan Cheever at Merrick Library:

As Good As I Could Be
Desire: Where Sex Meets Addiction
My Name Is Bill
Note Found In A Bottle

New DVDs!!

"Dancing Across Borders" - acclaimed documentary about a young Cambodian's quest to be accepted into the accaimed School of American Ballet

"Lovely Still" - romantic drama starring Martin Landau, Ellen Burstyn and Elizabeth Banks

New Audiobook Arrivals!

When detective Eve Dallas receives a cryptic message from a woman bleeding to death in the street, she begins to notice that her latest case has come with a number of interesting side effects: visions of the deceased, familiarity with rooms she's never seen before, and fluency in Russian. Desperate to be free of her new gifts, Eve pursues the facts until she discovers a link between Beata's disappearance and the disappearance of eight other young women.



A rookie paramedic pulls a young woman alive from her totaled car, a first rescue that begins a lifelong tangle of love and wreckage. Sheila Arsenault is a gorgeous enigma, streetwise and tough-talking, with haunted eyes, fierce desires, and a never-look-back determination. Peter Webster, as straight an arrow as they come, falls for her instantly and entirely. Soon Sheila and Peter are embroiled in an intense love affair, married, and parents to a baby daughter. Like the crash that brought them together, it all happened so fast.



Twenty years have passed since forensic medical examiner Kay Scarpetta joined the Air Force to help pay for med school. Her time in service scored an exclusive training fellowship at the Dover Air Force Base and recently propelled her into her new position as the chief of the high-tech Cambridge Forensic Center in Massachusetts. However, when Scarpetta faces the toughest case of her career, she is forced to put both her reputation and career is put on the line.



In fifteenth century Rome, Toby O'Dare, a recently retired government assassin, receives a visit from the angel Malchiah. The heavenly figure instructs O'Dare to solve a grisly murder. But during the investigation, O'Dare discovers that the city is being haunted by an ancient demon and that solving the murder may have disastrous consequences for all of Rome.




Lacey Yeager is an aspiring artist who dreams of making it big in New York City. Over the course of 20 years, she climbs the rungs of NYC's art scene, charming those she meets with her energetic personality. Although her career soars to new heights, Lacey discovers that the life of an artist isn't as glamorous as she once thought.

New DVD!

Out December 7th
"Mademoiselle Chambon" - multi-award winning drama from France with a twist on the age-old love triangle

Author Signing. Book Revue

JOHN BARRICELLI

Wednesday, December 8th, 7pm
Host of Martha Stewart’s Everyday Baking from Everyday Food JOHN BARRICELLI will speak about and sign his new cookbook, The SoNo Baking Company Cookbook: The Best Sweet and Savory Recipes for Every Occasion.

A regular on The Martha Stewart Show and host of Everyday Food on PBS, John Barricelli has become a household name in the world of baking. Since its opening in 2005, John’s SoNo Baking Company & Café—nestled between the marinas of Water Street in South Norwalk, Connecticut—has quickly become a sought-after destination for artisanal breads, specialty cakes, delicate pastries, and much more. Featuring nearly
150 carefully written, foolproof recipes for sweet and savory breads and baked goods, The SoNo Baking Company Cookbook is a masterful, comprehensive, and inviting cookbook with accessible recipes ranging from rustic favorites to sophisticated indulgences.

A third generation baker, John Barricelli graduated from the Culinary Institute of America and worked at River Café, Le Bernardin, and the Four Seasons Restaurant. He owned and ran Cousin John’s Café and Bakery in Brooklyn for ten years. John worked at Martha Stewart Living Omnimedia, becoming a featured chef on Everyday Food, and in 2008 he became host of the spin-off Everyday Baking from Everyday Food. In 2005, John opened the SoNo Baking Company & Café in South Norwalk, Connecticut.

2010's Best Cookbooks: Real-Life Labors Of Love.

Put simply, 2010 was a monster year for cookbooks. It's the last thing you'd expect in the heyday of the food blog, the TV tie-in, the crowd-sourced recipe. But what we have here is an overwhelming display of carefully crafted books produced after years of research, recipe-testing and tireless detective work.

Visit this link for the full article:http://www.npr.org/2010/11/16/131357002/2010-s-best-cookbooks-real-life-labors-of-love?ft=1&f=1032

Author Signing - Book Revue

PETER QUINN

Tuesday, December 7th, 7pm
Historical mystery novelist PETER QUINN will speak about and sign his new novel, The Man Who Never Returned.

On the sultry evening of August 6, 1930, in the first summer of the Great Depression, Joseph Force Crater, recently appointed a justice of the New York State Supreme Court by Governor Franklin Roosevelt, bid two dinner companions good night and hailed a cab. Off he went into history, myth, and urban legend. Now, eighty years later, Judge Crater’s disappearance remains one of the most enduring and fascinating unsolved mysteries in the chronicles of Gotham.

In The Man Who Never Returned Peter Quinn brings back Fintan Dunne, the relentless, skeptical ex-cop/detective from Hour of the Cat, an puts him on the Crater case. The year is 1955, the silver anniversary of the Judge’s vanishing and a last golden moment for solving the puzzle before the people and clues follow Crater into the
fast-receding past. In a search full of unexpected twists, Dunne uncovers the shocking truth.

Peter Quinn is the author of two novels, Hour of the Cat and Banished Children of Eve, and an acclaimed collection of essays, Looking for Jimmy: A Search for Irish America. He served as chief speech writer for New York Governors Hugh Carey and Mario Cuomo. As well as publishing articles and reviews in The New York Times, Wilson
Quarterly, American Heritage and other publications, Quinn has been a commentator in Ric Burn’s New York: A Documentary Film; the Academy Award-nominated Passion of St. Rose; and The American Experience: Stephen Foster. He co-wrote McSorley’s New York, which won a local Emmy, and was an advisor for Martin Scorsese’s Gangs of New York.
Born, raised, and educated in the Bronx, he now lives in Hastings-on-Hudson.

New York Times Literary Treat of the Week....

Morris, Edmund. Colonel Roosevelt.

"Colonel" was the form of address preferred by Theodore Roosevelt after leaving the Presidency in 1909. "Bully" was the term used by detractors to describe Roosevelt's efforts to get the office back. The "Colonel" had helped bring the Executive branch out of the isolationism of a previous century to world involvement in a new one. He felt his former friend William Howard Taft and eventually Woodrow Wilson were trying to turn back the clock especially in the face of unavoidable war. When conflict came, Roosevelt offered to reorganize the "Rough Riders" which had made him a national hero only to be told he was behind the times about "the art of war." It fell to Roosevelt's four sons to carry the family mantle into battle which tragically resulted in Quentin, the youngest, being shot down over France. Privately never getting over that loss, it tolled the end of Roosevelt as an influence in America which Morris details thoroughly in this last part of his history of the twenty-sixth president.

Other Books by Edmund Morris at Merrick Library:

Dutch: A Memoir Of Ronald Reagan
Theodore Rex

New Audiobook Arrivals!

In 1997, four-year-old Amanda McCready vanished without a trace. Investigators Patrick Kenzie and Angela Gennaro risked their lives to bring her home, and did so successfully, but it was the most haunting case of their careers. Twelve years later, Amanda has vanished again, forcing Kenzie and Gennaro to relive past demons and once again race to save her life.





A circle of teenage burglars that the media has dubbed The Bling Ring has taken to pillaging the homes of Hollywood celebutants, and when a pair of drug-addled young copycats stumbles upon an art heist, that's just the beginning of the disaster to come. Soon LAPD veteran "Hollywood Nate" Weiss, surfer cops Flotsam and Jetsam, and the rest of the team at Hollywood Station have a deadly situation on their hands.


former Justice Department operative Cotton Malone, whose life is shattered when he receives an anonymous note carrying an unfamiliar Web address. Logging on, he sees Cassiopeia Vitt, a woman who's saved his life more than once, being tortured at the hands of a mysterious man who has a single demand: Bring me the artifact she's asked you to keep safe. The only problem is, Malone doesn't have a clue what the man is talking about, since Cassiopeia has left nothing with him. So begins Malone's most harrowing adventure to date, one that offers up astounding historical revelations, pits him against a ruthless ancient brotherhood, and sends him from Denmark to Belgium to Vietnam then on to China, a vast and mysterious land where danger lurks at every turn.



A stunning combination of medical history, cutting-edge science, and narrative journalism that transforms the listener's understanding of cancer and much of the world around them. Siddhartha Mukherjee provides a fascinating glimpse into the future of cancer treatments and offers a bold new perspective on the way doctors, scientists, philosophers, and lay people have observed and understood the human body for millennia.




An autobiography of the 43rd President of the United States provides an observation of his personal life from childhood on and public service as governor of Texas and operations in the White House.

Weekly Titles in the Spotlight for the Week ending Nov 24, 2010!!!

Books on Sale Soon

Port Mortuary (9780399157219) by Patricia Cornwell, November 30th

Of Love and Evil (9781400043545) by Ann Rice, November 30th

As Always, Julia (9780547417714) by Joan Reardon, December 1st

The Sherlockian (9780446572590) by Graham Moore, December 1st

America by Heart (9780062010964) by Sarah Palin, December 1st

Oprah #65 (9780142196588) December 6th

New DVD Release!!

"The Twilight Saga: Eclipse" - the continuing vampire adventure based on the phenomenal best-sellers by Stephenie Meyer - stars Kirsten Stewart, Robert Pattinson, Taylor Lautner and Bryce Dallas Howard

2010's Best Cookbooks: Real-Life Labors Of Love.

According to NPR....
Put simply, 2010 was a monster year for cookbooks. It's the last thing you'd expect in the heyday of the food blog, the TV tie-in, the crowd-sourced recipe. But what we have here is an overwhelming display of carefully crafted books produced after years of research, recipe-testing and tireless detective work. These labors of love — for the most part written or edited by women — are the work of cooks who not only have a remarkable, monklike ability to delve into their subject precisely and thoroughly, but also have a passion for sharing it.

Visit this link for the full article:http://www.npr.org/2010/11/16/131357002/2010-s-best-cookbooks-real-life-labors-of-love?ft=1&f=1032

What's Your Guilty Pleasure?

NPR has inititated a "My Guilty Pleasure" series where writers talk about books they love but are embarrassed to be seen reading. The list includes titles like "Meat Loves Salt", an erotic historical fiction novel, and "The Amityville Horror", a haunted real estate nightmare novel, and Judy Blume's "Forever", a steamy teen romance book. We would love to hear what your list includes!

Books to Movies.....

The Tempest (No Fear Shakespeare) by William Shakespeare
The list author says:
"In theatres December 10th, 2010."

In Julie Taymor's version of 'The Tempest,' the main character is now a woman named Prospera. Going back to the 16th or 17th century, women practicing the magical arts of alchemy were often convicted of witchcraft. In Taymor's version, Prospera is usurped by her brother and sent off with her four-year daughter on a ship. She ends up on an island; it's a tabula rasa: no society, so the mother figure becomes a father figure to Miranda. This leads to the power struggle and balance between Caliban and Prospera; a struggle not about brawn, but about intellect. Written by Anonymous

In Shakespeare's fantastical thriller the magician Prospero orchestrates spirits, monsters, a grief-stricken king, a wise old councillor, two treacherous brothers and a storm at sea into a fantastical conspiracy bringing banishment, sorcery and shipwreck into the lives of two hapless lovers to stir and seal their fate. Here Prospero takes female form as Prospera, giving her journey of vengeance and self-discovery a wholly new resonance. As Prospera breaks her magical staff against an entrancing volcanic landscape at the end of her heroic quest, this poignant story of love and forgiveness translates into a riveting and filmic mystical tale, for our own times.

Book Signing....

PAMELA KEOGH

Monday, December 6th, 7pm @ Book Revue
Bestselling author PAMELA KEOGH will speak about and sign her new book,
Are You a Jackie or a Marilyn? Timeless Lessons on Love, Power and Style.

It is an age old question. The Sexy Blonde or the Brainy Brunette? The flirty actress or the sophisticated first lady? Sleek or sassy? And, if it’s Marilyn men want to sleep with, but Jackie they want to marry, who should they strive to be? Can they be both? What can one learn from these two iconic women?

In her new book, Are You a Jackie or a Marilyn? Timeless Lessons on Love, Power, and Style, New York Times bestselling author Pamela Keogh dishes on what Jacqueline Kennedy Onassis and Marilyn Monroe knew that made men adore them and women want to be them. From insider tips to the juiciest gossip, Keogh looks at the public and private lives of these women and who they really were.

Pamela Keogh is the author of the internationally bestselling illustrated biographies of Audrey Style, Jackie Style, and Elvis Presley: The Man, The Life, The Legend. A journalist, she has also been published in Town & Country, British Vogue, Self Magazine, The New York Times, and many other national publications. She has also appeared on numerous television shows, ranging from Larry King Live to the Today Show. A graduate of Vassar College, she lives in New York City.

New York Times Literary Treat of the Week....

Hillenbrand, Laura. Unbroken: A World War II Story of Survival, Resilience, and Redemption. Random House.

Hillenbrand specializes in sagas that captivated past generations but are largely unknown to present ones. Her 2001 Seabiscuit (both in book and DVD form at Merrick Library) is a vivid example of such subject matter. So is this account of a runner who some said in his prime could only be overcome by the horse Seabiscuit. Louis Zamperini escaped a juvenile delinquent's inevitable fate by becoming a track star who came close to breaking the four-minute mile barrier. In the Pacific War Zamperini survived a May 1943 bomber crash only to wind up a prisoner in the Japan held Marshall Islands. Kept alive for propaganda purposes due to having been in the 1936 Berlin Olympics, Zamperini was subjected to prolonged torture and humiliation. Returning home, his postwar stress disorder was made manifest in alcoholism, violent fits and an unhappy marriage. Yet his conversion to Christianity in 1949 set Louis Zamperini on a path of inspirational speechmaking, starting up boys' camps and eventually forgiving his Japanese captors. Now at age 93, Zamperini's story should join that of Seabiscuit on the movie screen to be admired as well by a current generation.

Reviewed by Librarian, Bob.

Books to Movies....

"I Love You Phillip Morris" by Steve McVicker
The list author says:
In theatres December 3rd, 2010.

Steven Russell is happily married to Debbie, and a member of the local police force when a car accident provokes a dramatic reassessment of his life. Steven becomes open about his homosexuality and decides to live life to the fullest - even if it means breaking the law. Steven's new, extravagant lifestyle involves cons and fraud and, eventually, a stay in the State Penitentiary where he meets sensitive, soft-spoken Phillip Morris. His devotion to freeing Phillip from jail and building the perfect life together prompts Steven to attempt and often succeed at one impossible con after another. Written by The Film Catalogue

Incarcerated at the state penitentiary, con artist Steven Russell(Carrey) meets the love of his life: Phillip Morris (McGregor). As a free man, his passion results in a series of improbable cons to bust Phillip form jail and build the perfect life together. Written by Anonymous

Top Ten Art Books according to Booklist Novebmer 2010.

Another Fine Mess: A History American Film Comedy, by Saul Austerlitz. Austerlitz seeks to redress the lack of critical respect for comedic films in 100 lively biographical sketches of top comedy talents from Charlie Chalin to Katherine Hepburn to Judd Aparow.

Charlie Chan: The Untold Story of the Honorable Detective and his Rendezvous with American History, by Yunte Huang. Huang’s beautifully written blend of history, memoir, and analysis illuminates the many faces of Charlie Chan; his real-life role model, Honolulu cop Chang Apana; and still-urgent questions of immigration and racism.


Chuck Close: Life, by Christopher Finch. Finch portrays Close with the same
meticulous detail with which Close paints faces, telling with insight and sensitivity the astounding story of the struggles and triumphs of an artist of uncommon powers.


Empire of Dreams: The Epic Life of Cecil DeMille, by Scott Eyman. Aided by unique access to DeMille family papers, seasoned biographers Eyman offers an exhaustive and evenhanded look at iconic director and producer DeMille and epic Hollywood films.


Frank: The Voice, by James Kaplan. Kaplan’s fascinating account of Frank Sinatra from his birth in 1915 through 1954, when he won the Academy Award for Best Supporting Actor in From Here to Eternity, offers astute psychological, artistic, and cultural insights.


Grant Wood, by R. Tripp Evans. Evans transforms our view of painter Grant Wood and his all-American paintings, including American Gothic, in a revelatory and heartrending biography of an artist forced to conceal his homosexuality.


The Hare with Amber Eyes: A Family’s Century of Art and Loss, by Edmund de Waal. An inheritance of 264 netsuke (miniature carved figures) inspired acclaimed ceramist de Waal to tell the astonishing story of his father’s cosmopolitan Jewish family, the Ephrussi,in a spellbinding tale of accomplishment and terror, reinvention and survival.


Just Kids, by Patti Smith. Smith chronicles the mutual love and entwined artistic Odysseys of herself and photographer Robert Mapplethorpe in New York City circa 1970 in a lucid, witty, and moving memoir.

Leo and His Circle: The Life of Leo Castelli, by Annie Cohen-Solal. Gallery owner Leo Castelli was king when New York became the Capital of the global art world, but Cohen-Solal is the first to tell the full story of his Hungarian roots, Trieste boyhood,hunger for life, and devotion to cutting edge art.


Princess Noire: the Tumultuous Reign of Nina Simone, by Nadine Cohodas. Cohodas writes emphatically about Nina Simone’s indelible music, which expresses all the pain,determination, and hope of the civil rights movement, her courageous activism, and the tragedies that derailed her.

New DVD Release...

"The Extra Man" - comedy/adventure from the directors of "American Splendor" - stars Kevin Kline, Katie Holmes and John C. Reilly

As Heard on NPR

Chris Hedges, author of Death of the Liberal Class was on Talk of the Nation Monday. Monday's On Point spoke with Simon Winchester about his latest book, Atlantic: Great Sea Battles, Heroic Discoveries, Titanic Storms and a Vast Ocean of a Million Stories.

Tuesday Morning Edition interviewed Senator Christopher (Kit) Bond about his book, The Next Front: Southeast Asia and the Road to Global Peace with Islam.

The show also included a segment with Nora Ephron about her new book, I Remember Nothing.

Tuesday Diane Rehm interviewed Stacy Schiff, author of Cleopatra: A Life.

Tuesday Talk of the Nation featured Death of the Liberal Class by Chris Hedges; and African Rhythms: The Autobiography of Randy Westonby Randy Weston, Willard Jenkins, Ronald Radano, and Josh Kun (9780822347842).

Tina Brown recommended Cleopatra by Stacy Schiff on Wednesday's Morning Edition. The show also included Reza Aslan, editor of Tablet and Pen: Literary Landscapes of the Modern Middle East.

Thursday the Diane Rehm Show interviewed Deborah Cadbury, author of Chocolate Wars: The 150-Year Rivalry Between the World's Greatest Chocolate Makers.

Lynda Barry, author of Picture This: The Near-Sighted Monkey Book was on Thursday's Talk of the Nation.

Science Friday has scheduled Antonio Damasio to discuss his new book, Self Comes to Mind: Constructing the Conscious Brain.

Dennis Lehane is scheduled for Saturday's Weekend Edition to discuss his new book, Moonlight Mile.

New York Times Literary Treat of the Week....

Richards, Keith and Fox, James. Life.

Last month Merrick Library welcomed to its Biography section Frank: The Voice by James Kaplan. This month Merrick says hello to the memoirs of someone who might be the rock and roll equivalent of Mr. Sinatra. Grandson of a onetime dance band saxophonist, Keith Richards from age fifteen on sought to develop his own playing style after the initial influence of American blues guitarists. Richards shared his passion for the Delta sound with school friend Mick Jagger which formed the core of The Rolling Stones. That bond has remained despite a degree of social alienation between the two on many levels particularly over their individual trysts with singer/songwriter/actress Marianne Faithfull. While Jagger has been knighted Richards continues to be the original rock antihero even after a legacy of brushes with world law enforcement bodies over illicit drug possession. In 2006 while dealing with a hematoma caused by falling from a tree Richards received get well wishes from many admiring celebrities including a surprise from his native England: then-Prime Minister Tony Blair.

Keith Richards appears on the following DVDs at Merrick Library:

Les Paul: Live In New York
Pirates Of The Carribean: At World's End
Shine A Light
Stones In Exile

And on the following music CDs:

Les Paul And Friends: American Made, World Played
Timeless: Songs By Hank Williams
Burn Your Playhouse Down: The Unreleased Duets (George Jones)
The Fantastic Mr. Fox: Original Soundtrack

On CD with The Rolling Stones:

A Bigger Bang
Bridges To Babylon
Exile On Main Street
Forty Licks
The Long Black Veil
Shine A Light

Reviewed by Librarian, Bob.

Books In The Media...

As Seen on Television

Jessica Seinfeld, author of Double Delicious!: Good, Simple Food for Busy, Complicated Lives appeared Monday morning on Good Morning America.

The Colbert Report included Jonathan Alter, author of The Promise: President Obama, Year One Monday night.

Tuesday morning Rachael Ray, author of Rachael Ray's Look & Cook appeared on Good Morning America.

Regis and Kelly included Nigella Lawson, author of Nigella Kitchen: Recipes from the Heart of the Home on Tuesday. She also appeared on the Today Show and Martha Stewart this week.

Tuesday The Early Show featured Bobby Flay's Throwdown!: More Than 100 Recipes from Food Network's Ultimate Cooking Challengeby Bobby Flay.

Wednesday morning the Today Show included Buddy Valastro, author of Cake Boss: Stories and Recipes from Mia Famiglia.

Wednesday morning, the Early Show featured Michael Chiarello, author of Bottega: Bold Italian Flavors from the Heart of California's Wine Country.

Susan G. Baker, author of Passing It On: An Autobiography with Spirit was on Fox & Friends on Wednesday.

The Today Show included Jeff Dunham, author ofAll by My Selves: Walter, Peanut, Achmed, and Me on Wednesday.

Oprah went fly fishing withBrian Grossenbacher and Jenny Grossenbacher, authors of Fly Fishing Montana: A No Nonsense Guide to Top Waters as part of Wednesday's show.

Wednesday on the View, author Mark Halperin, of Game Change: Obama and the Clintons, McCain and Palin, and the Race of a Lifetime.

Thursday the View hosted Laurie David, author of The Family Dinner: Great Ways to Connect with Your Kids, One Meal at a Time (9780446565462).

Ellen included Portia de Rossi, author of Unbearable Lightness: A Story of Loss and Gain on Thursday's show.

David Sedaris, author of Squirrel Seeks Chipmunk appeared on The Daily Show with Jon Stewart Thursday night.

Thursday The Late Show with David Letterman hosted Steve Martin, whose new novel, An Object of Beauty cmes out later this month.

Friday morning the Today Show hosted Robyn Silverman, author of Good Girls Don't Get Fat: How Weight Obsession Is Messing Up Our Girls and How We Can Help Them Thrive Despite It.

Also on Friday's Today Show author Adam Carolla of, In Fifty Years We'll All Be Chicks: . . . And Other Complaints from an Angry Middle-Aged White Guy.

Friday Oprah celebrates the 25th anniversary of the movie based on the book The Color Purple by Alice Walker.

Bill O'Reilly, author of Pinheads and Patriots: Where You Stand in the Age of Obama is scheduled for Real Time with Bill Maher on Friday.

Friday night the Late Show with David Letterman has scheduled Tracy Morgan, author of I Am the New Black.

New Non-Fiction Audiobooks!

In this inquisitive voyage of self-discovery, Rhonda Byrne reveals that people have the ability to dramatically improve their lives. From better health to a successful, fulfilling career, listeners will discover how to completely overhaul their lives and finally start living the way they have always wanted.


In 1997, James Keene was sentenced to ten years to life in prison for dealing drugs. Unable to serve that amount of time, James made a deal with authorities: he could obtain an early release if he can get a convicted serial killer to confess his crimes. Sent to a maximum security prison for the criminally insane, Keene endured the most harrowing experience of his life.

Despite the controversy surrounding her personal life and the mystery still shrouding her death, Marilyn Monroe is still one of America's most iconic women. Here, this collection of Monroe's personal writings offers listeners a taste of the unique individual the world prematurely lost.


Marianne Williamson offers 21 lessons completely separate from anything related to diet or exercise. This program will retrain the mind in the area of weight in order to break the cycle of overeating, dieting, and shame that rules so many lives.





A history of the 40-year battle between the Comanche Indians and white settlers, centering on the Comanche chief Quanah.