The Spirit Awards.

On February 25 within a giant tent situated along the coastline of Santa Monica, California the 27th Annual Independent Spirit Awards were presented for broadcast over the Independent Film Channel (IFC). The following films in Merrick Library's DVD collection were honored at that ceremony:

"Beginners" - Best Supporting Male Actor (Christopher Plummer)

"50/50" - Best First Screenplay (Will Reiser)

"Take Shelter" - Piaget Producer's Award (Sophia Lin)

"Margin Call" - Best First Feature (J.C. Chandor, director) and Robert Altman Award (best director/cast ensemble pairing)

New DVDs!

"Hugo" - what secrets are unearthed by an orphan in 1930s Paris - directed by Martin Scorsese (Golden Globe Award), winner of four Academy Awards (Cinematography, Art Direction, Sound Editing and Sound Mixing) and starring Ben Kingsley, Emily Mortimer and Christopher Lee

"Nurse Jackie: Season Three" - from Showtime - the further adventures of a woman who knows her way around the truth - stars multi-award winner Edie Falco

The BAFTA Awards and Our Collection!

On February 12 the British Academy of Film and Television Arts (BAFTA) held its annual award ceremony in London. The following films in Merrick Library's DVD collection were honored at the occasion:

"Rango" - Best Animated Film

"Beginners" - Best Supporting Actor (Christopher Plummer)

"The Help" - Best Supporting Actress (Octavia Spencer)

"Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows Part Two" - Best Special Visual Effects

Director/producer Martin Scorcese was given an Academy Fellowship for "outstanding contribution to film." Merrick Library has the following works of Mr. Scorcese on DVD:

The Aviator
Boardwalk Empire: Season One
The Departed
Golden Door
Shine A Light
Shutter Island
The Young Victoria

The BAFTA Awards also bestowed its Outstanding British Contribution to Cinema Award to veteran actor John Hurt. Mr. Hurt's talents can be seen on the following DVDs available at Merrick Library:

Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows Part One
Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows Part Two
Indiana Jones and the Kingdom of the Crystal Skull
The Limits of Control
New York, I Love You
The Oxford Murders
Perfume: The Story of a Murderer
The Proposition
V For Vendetta

New DVD - Out Today!

Out February 24:

"Puss In Boots" - how the furry swashbuckler won his fame before encountering "Shrek" - nominated for Best Animated Film Oscar - features the voices of Antonio Banderas, Salma Hayek and Billy Bob Thornton

Books on the Big Screen!

Dr. Seuss' The Lorax (2012)

March 2, 2012

A 12-year-old boy searches for the one thing that will enable him to win the affection of the girl of his dreams. To find it he must discover the story of the Lorax, the grumpy yet charming creature who fights to protect his world.

Directors: Chris Renaud, Kyle BaldaWriters: Ken Daurio (screenplay), Dr. Seuss (book),Stars:Zac Efron, Taylor Swift and Danny DeVito

New DVDs

Out February 21:

"Martha Marcy May Marlene" - Martha escaped a cult and its leader - or did she really? - stars Elizabeth Olsen, Sarah Paulson and John Hawkes

"Octubre" - from Peru - a tight-lipped moneylender's life is changed by a religious new neighbor and a baby left at his door - stars Bruno Odar and Gabriela Velasquez

"The Space Between" - a woman drives a Pakistani/American boy to New York in the wake of 9/11 - stars Melissa Leo ("The Fighter") and Brad Henke

"Tower Heist" - high-rise condo workers must burgle their place of work to win out over a Wall Street swindler - stars Ben Stiller, Eddie Murphy and Alan Alda

"The Way" - a grieving father seeks to complete the mountain journey that claimed his son - directed and costarring Emilio Estevez and starring Martin Sheen and Deborah Kara Unger

"Weeds: Season 7" - from Showtime - Nancy Botwin is now out of prison, in New York City and still selling pot - stars Mary Louise Parker and Kevin Nealon

New Audiobook Arrivals!

A healthy brain is the key to staying vibrant and alive for a long time, and in Use Your Brain to Change Your Age, bestselling author and brain expert Dr. Daniel G. Amen shares ten simple steps to boost your brain to help you live longer, look younger, and dramatically decrease your risk for Alzheimer's disease. Dr. Amen's breakthrough, easy-to-follow antiaging program shows you how to:• Boost your memory, mood, attention,and energy• Decrease your risk for Alzheimer's and other forms of dementia• Eat to live longer• Reduce the outward signs of aging and make your skin more beautiful• Promote the healing of brain damage due to injury, strokes, substance abuse, andtoxic exposure• Dramatically increase your chances of living longer and looking younger••And much more.By adopting the brain healthy strategies detailed in Use Your Brain to Change Your Age, you can outsmart your genes, put the brakes on aging, and even reverse the aging process. If you change your brain, you can change your life—and your age.

The time is the present. The place, the rugged coast of Northern California. A bluff high above the Pacific. A grand mansion full of beauty and tantalizing history set against a towering redwood forest. A young reporter on assignment from the San Francisco Observer . . . An older woman welcoming him into her magnificent family home that he has been sent to write about and that she must sell with some urgency . . . A chance encounter between two unlikely people . . . An idyllic night—shattered by horrific unimaginable violence, the young man inexplicably attacked—bitten—by a beast he cannot see in the rural darkness . . . A violent episode that sets in motion a terrifying yet seductive transformation, as the young man, caught between ecstasy and horror, between embracing who he is evolving into and fearing what he will become, soon experiences the thrill of the wolf gift.

Poppy Wyatt has never felt luckier. She is about to marry her ideal man, Magnus Tavish, but in one afternoon her “happily ever after” begins to fall apart. Not only has she lost her engagement ring in a hotel fire drill but in the panic that follows, her phone is stolen. As she paces shakily around the lobby, she spots an abandoned phone in a trash can. Finders keepers! Now she can leave a number for the hotel to contact her when they find her ring. Perfect! Well, perfect except that the phone's owner, businessman Sam Roxton, doesn't agree. He wants his phone back and doesn't appreciate Poppy reading his messages and wading into his personal life. What ensues is a hilarious and unpredictable turn of events as Poppy and Sam increasingly upend each other's lives through emails and text messages. As Poppy juggles wedding preparations, mysterious phone calls, and hiding her left hand from Magnus and his parents . . . she soon realizes that she is in for the biggest surprise of her life.


#1 New York Times bestselling author Vince Flynn is back with another nail-biting political thriller that follows the young Mitch Rapp on a deadly mission to hunt down the men responsible for the Pan Am Lockerbie terrorist attack.
For months, Mitch Rapp has been steadily working his way through a list of men, bullet by bullet. With each kill, the tangled network of monsters responsible for the slaughter of 270 civilians becomes increasingly clear. He is given his next target: a plump Libyan diplomat who is prone to drink and is currently in Paris without a single bodyguard. Rapp finds him completely unprotected and asleep in his bed. With confidence in his well-honed skills and conviction of the man's guilt, he easily sends a bullet into the man's skull. But in the split second it takes the bullet to leave the silenced pistol, everything changes. The door to the hotel room is kicked open and gunfire erupts all around Rapp. In an instant the hunter has become the hunted. Rapp is left wounded and must flee for his life. The next morning, the news breaks in Washington that Libya's Oil Minister has been killed along with three innocent civilians and four unidentified men. The French authorities are certain that the gunman is wounded and on the loose in Paris. As the finger pointing begins, Rapp's handlers have only one choice—deny any responsibility for the incident and pray that their newest secret weapon stays that way, avoiding capture and dying quietly. One person in the group, however, is not prone to leaving things to chance. Rapp has become a liability, and he absolutely cannot be allowed to be taken alive by the French authorities. But it will soon become clear that nothing is more dangerous than a wounded and cornered Mitch Rapp.


Lieutenant Eve Dallas is no party girl, but she's managing to have a reasonably good time at the celebrity-packed bash celebrating The Icove Agenda, a film based on one of her famous cases. It's a little spooky seeing the actress playing her, who looks almost like her long-lost twin. Not as unsettling, though, as seeing the actress who plays Peabody drowned in the lap pool on the roof of the director's luxury building. Now she's at the center of a crime scene-and Eve is more than ready to get out of her high heels and strap on her holster and step into the role she was born to play: cop.

Enemies is the first definitive history of the FBI's secret intelligence operations, from an author whose work on the Pentagon and the CIA won him the Pulitzer Prize and the National Book Award. We think of the FBI as America's police force. But secret intelligence is the Bureau's first and foremost mission. Enemies is the story of how presidents have used the FBI as the most formidable intelligence force in American history. Here is the hidden history of America's hundred-year war on terror. The FBI has fought against terrorists, spies, anyone it deemed subversive—and sometimes American presidents. The FBI's secret intelligence and surveillance techniques have created a tug-of-war between protecting national security and infringing upon civil liberties. It is a tension that strains the very fabric of a free republic.

Merrick Goes to Grammy!!

On February 12 the 54th annual Grammy Awards were presented live over CBS from Los Angeles. The following albums in Merrick Library's music CD collection were honored at the ceremony:

"21" - Adele - Album of the Year, Best Pop Vocal Album, Record of the Year/Song of the Year ("Rolling in the Deep"), Best Pop Solo Performance ("Someone Like You")

"Duets II" - Tony Bennett - Best Pop Performance by a Duo or Group ("Body and Soul" with Amy Winehouse)

"Bon Iver" - Bon Iver - Best New Artist, Best Alternative Album

"Wasting Light" - Foo Fighters - Best Rock Album, Best Rock Song/Rock Performance ("Walk")

"F.A.M.E." - Chris Brown - Best R&B Album

"The Lady Killer" - Cee-Lo Green - Best R&B Song/Traditional R&B Vocal Peformance ("Fool For You")

"My Beautiful Dark Twisted Journey" - Kanye West - Best Rap Album, Best Rap Song/Rap-Sung Collaboration ("All of the Lights")

"The Love EP" - Corinne Bailey Rae - Best R&B Performance ("Is This Love")

"The Book of Mormon" - Broadway soundtrack - Best Musical Theater Album

"Watch The Throne" - Jay-Z - Best Rap Perfornance ("Otis")

"Speak Now" - Taylor Swift - Best Country Solo Performance/Country Song ("Mean")

"Own The Night" - Lady Antebellum - Best Country Album

"Paper Airplane" - Alison Krauss and Union Station - Best Bluegrass Album

"What's It All About" - Pat Metheny - Best New Age Album

Tributes throughout this year's Grammys were made in memory of singer Whitney Houston, who passed away February 11 at the age of forty-eight. Merrick Library has the following albums on CD featuring the vocal talents of Miss Houston:

The Bodyguard: Original Soundtrack Album
Divas Live/99
I'm Your Baby Tonight
Just Whitney
The Prince of Egypt: Music from the Original Motion Picture Soundrack

Books on the Big Screen!

The Secret World of Arrietty (2010) based on The Borrowers by Mary Norton
17 February 2012 (USA)

The Clock family are four-inch-tall people who live anonymously in another family's residence, borrowing simple items to make their home. Life changes for the Clocks when their daughter, Arrietty, is discovered.

Directors: Hiromasa Yonebayashi, Gary Rydstrom
Writers: Mary Norton (novel), Hayao Miyazaki (screenplay), and 2 more credits »
Stars:Bridgit Mendler, Amy Poehler and Will Arnett

NEW DVDs!

Out February 11:

"The Twilight Saga: Breaking Dawn Part 1" - the latest chapter in the popular vampire series based on the best-selling novels by Stephenie Meyer - stars Kristen Stewart, Robert Pattinson and Taylor Lautner

Out February 14:

"The Rum Diary" - for what do you use words? - a New York writer transplanted to Puerto Rico must choice either profit or justice - stars Johnny Depp, Aaron Eckhart and Giovanni Ribisi

""Take Shelter" - whether or not scary dreams mean anything makes all the difference to a man in relation to his family and community - stars Michael Shannon, Jessica Chastain and Shea Whigham

Best Sellers Club!

Join the Library's Best Sellers Club and you will automatically be placed on the reserve list for the latest fiction by your favorite authors. Simply complete the form on our Homepage and you will be reading your favorite authors in no time! Call or visit the Reference Desk for more information.

Author Signing

Kristin Hannah

Tuesday, February 14th, 2012, 7pm @ Book Revue, Huntington.
Author Kristin Hannah will be here to speak and sign her new novel, Home Front.

In her bestselling novels Kristin Hannah has plumbed the depths of friendship, the loyalty of sisters, and the secrets mothers keep. Now, in her most emotionally powerful story yet, she explores the intimate landscape of a troubled marriage--with this provocative and timely portrait of a husband and wife, in love and at war.

All marriages have a breaking point. All families have wounds. All wars have a cost…

Like many couples, Michael and Jolene have to face the pressures of everyday life—children, careers, bills, chores—even as their twelve year marriage is falling apart. Then an unexpected deployment sends Jolene deep into harm’s way and leaves defense attorney Michael at home, unaccustomed to being a single parent to their two girls. As a mother, it agonizes Jolene to leave her family, but as a soldier she has always understood the true meaning of duty. In her letters home, she paints a rose-colored version of her life on the front lines, shielding her family from the truth. But war will change Jolene in ways that none of them could have foreseen. When tragedy strikes, Michael must face his darkest fear and fight a battle of his own--for everything that matters to his family.

At once a profoundly honest look at modern marriage and a dramatic exploration of the price of war on an ordinary American family, HOME FRONT is a story of love, loss, heroism, honor and ultimately, hope.

Happy Birthday Mr. Dickens

Tuesday marked the 200th anniversary of the birth of Charles Dickens — the great
19th century English novelist who gave us stories of pathos and comedy, and colorful portraits of the people of London, from the poor in the back streets, to the rich in the parks and avenues.

Lots of Dickens' phrases — like "Bah humbug" and "God bless us, every one!" — have slipped into our minds and our memories. And along with the words, the characters, too — from hungry orphan Oliver Twist to Little Dorrit to cruel Mr. Murdstone

Visit this link for the full article: http://www.npr.org/2012/02/07/146473441/dickens-at-200-a-birthday-you-cant-bah-humbug

NBC's Weekend Today Book Critic Talk.

BILL GOLDSTEIN, Book Reviewer, Editor and Book Critic for NBC’s Weekend Today in New York
Huntington Public Library
338 Main Street, Huntington, NY 11743
Sunday, March 4
2:30 pm

Don’t miss this special opportunity to meet this highly respected individual in the world of books. Bill Goldstein will discuss his favorite books and choices for book clubs, and he will answer your questions. Goldstein’s book reviews, author interviews and coverage of the publishing industry appear in The New York Times, Newsday, People, and other publications. He is founding editor of the books site of nytimes.com and is book critic for NBC’s Weekend Today in New York. A graduate of the University of Chicago, Goldstein started his career in journalism at Publishers Weekly and was assistant book editor at Newsday as well as senior editor at Scribner.

Free. Open to all. To register, call 631-427-5165.

New DVDs

Just Out:

"Happy Happy" - Sundance Film Festival winner comedy from Norway that proves life is more than to what you have become accustomed

Out February 7:

"Anonymous" - presenting one view on how the Shakespeare authorship controversy began - stars Rhys Ifans, Vanessa Redgrave and David Thewlis

"Fireflies in the Garden" - tragedy exposes the underside of a seemingly successful family - all-star cast including Julia Roberts, Ryan Reynolds and Emily Watson

"Downton Abbey: Season Two" - the 2012 Golden Globe Winner for Best Miniseries as seen on "Masterpiece Classic" (PBS) - stars Hugh Bonneville, Elizabeth McGovern and Maggie Smith

"The Song of Lunch" - how much has changed (and what hasn't) about former lovers meeting after fifteen years - stars Alan Rickman and Emma Thompson

"The Sunset Limited" - HBO dramatization of Cormac McCarthy's novel depicting two men facing up to life choices - stars Samuel L. Jackson and Tommy Lee Jones

Books on the Big Screen!

Big Miracle (2012)
3 February 2012 (USA)

In small town Alaska, a news reporter recruits his ex-girlfriend - a Greenpeace volunteer - on a campaign to save a family of gray whales trapped by rapidly forming ice in the Arctic Circle.

Director: Ken Kwapis
Writers: Jack Amiel (screenplay), Michael Begler (screenplay)
Stars:Drew Barrymore, John Krasinski and Kristen Bell

Based on the Novel, "Freeing the Whales", By Tom Rose

Author Signing

Bonnie Schneider

Saturday, February 4th, 2012, 4pm @ Book Revue
National TV Meteorologist Bonnie Schneider will be here to speak and sign copies of her book, EXTREME WEATHER. Bonnie appears on the various media platforms of CNN and HLN. She is also the former morning meteorologist of News 12 Long Island.

Flash floods, tsunamis, earthquakes, hurricanes, mudslides, thunderstorms, and wildfires - these devastating events are happening around the world at an alarming rate. As a Meteorologist on CNN and HLN, Bonnie Schneider reports on these natural disasters, explaining when they're likely to strike, and telling viewers how to respond when they do. In Extreme Weather, Schneider distills that information into
a guide for readers. She interviews experts from a wide variety of agencies - including FEMA and NOAA - to provide a comprehensive understanding of the science behind weather patterns and the latest thinking on how to act in dangerous conditions. Ranging from topics that cover every season and every climate, Schneider introduces the reader to the best course of action during weather emergencies, including:

*how to handle extreme weather scenarios in your car, outside, on a boat or at home
*what you need to have at home to protect against floods, earthquakes, or severe storms
*how to protect your home from rapidly spreading wildfire
*how to create a family evacuation plan for different emergencies
*making sure your beloved pet is taken care of in time of disaster

Drawing on actual survivor stories, Extreme Weather reminds readers that disaster can strike at any time, changing your life forever.

Happy Birthday!

A Wrinkle In Time isn't the only book that's turning 50 this year. Ken Kesey's iconic "One Flew Over The Cuckoo's Nest" is having a golden anniversary, too.

The Merrick Library owns the Novel and the DVD.

And The Actor Goes To.......

On January 29 the 18th annual Screen Actors Guild Awards were simulcast over the TNT and TBS cable channels live from the Shrine Exposition Center in Los Angeles. The following productions available on DVD from the Merrick Library were honored at the ceremony:

"The Help" - Outstanding Ensemble in a Motion Picture, Best Female Actor in a Leading Role (Viola Davis), Best Female Actor in a Supporting Role (Octavia Spencer)

"Beginners" - Best Male Actor in a Supporting Role (Christopher Plummer)

"Boardwalk Empire: The Complete First Season" - Outstanding Ensemble in a Television Drama Series, Best Male Actor in a Drama Series (Steve Buscemi)

"Mildred Pierce" (HBO) - Best Female Actor in a TV Movie or Miniseries (Kate Winslet)

"Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows: Part 2" - Best Stunt Ensemble in a Motion Picture

CD-ROM Games for Kids @ the Library!

The Children’s Room has many CD-ROM games that can be borrowed for 7 days.

They are mostly Windows compatible for PCs. We do have some that will work with MACs.

Please come in and see the educational and fun games that are available!

Opera Anyone??

Merrick Library is proud to announce the arrival of the following operatic performances on DVD all recorded live at New York's Metropolitan Opera:

"Peter Grimes" - Benjamin Britten's saga of a man's search for acceptance after a great tragedy

"Hansel and Gretel" - Engelbert Humperdinck's (not the pop singer) family classic based on the classic fairy tale

"Manon Lescaut" - Giacomo Puccini's tale of fatal beauty encompassing two continents

"La Rondine" - Puccini's depiction of the struggle between love and dependence in mid-nineteenth century France

"Turandot" - Puccini's last opera concerning a seemingly inaccessible princess of China

"The First Emperor" - modern opera composed by Oscar winner Tan Dun (Crouching Tiger Hidden Dragon) with an all-star cast led by Placido Domingo