Your source for information on the latest and greatest in reading arts and entertainment!

Wednesday, March 28, 2012

The Mad Men Reading List!




Are you a fan of the hit telivision series, "Mad Men?"




These titles are a great way to gain insight into the episodes and the social and cultural times in which the series is set. Happy Reading!









Opera DVDs @ The Merrick Library!




OPERA PRODUCTIONS FILMED LIVE AT NEW YORK’S METROPOLITAN OPERA IN MERRICK LIBRARY’S PERFORMANCE DVD COLLECTION

Aida – Giuseppe Verdi

Armida – Gioacchino Rossini

La Boheme – Giacomo Puccini

Doctor Atomic – John Adams

Don Pasquale - Gaetano Donizetti (recently received)
Eugene Onegin- Peter IlichTchaikovsky (recently received)

The First Emperor - Tan Dun (recently received)

Hansel and Gretel - Engelbert Humperdinck (recently received)

L’elisir d’Amore – Gaetano Donizetti

Lucia di Lammermoor – Gaetano Donizetti (recently received)

Madama Butterfly – Giacomo Puccini

Manon Lescaut - Giacomo Puccini (recently received)

Peter Grimes - Benjamin Britten (recently received)

I Puritani - Vincenza Bellini (recently received)

La Rondine – Giacomo Puccini (recently received)

Salome – Richard Strauss

Simon Boccanegra – Giuseppe Verdi

La Sonnambula – Vincenza Bellini (recently received)

Thais - Jules Massenet (recently received)

Turandot – Giacomo Puccini (recently received)

Die Zauberflote – Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart

Friday, March 23, 2012

Just Out on DVD
"J. Edgar" - Leonardo DiCaprio portrays the most controversial figure in the history of American law enforcement - Best Film of the Year Awards from the American Film Institute and the National Board of Review - directed by Clint Eastwood with stellar supporting cast including Naomi Watts, Judi Dench, Dermot Mulroney and Josh Lucas



Out March 27

"A Dangerous Method" - how did Freud and Jung come up with psychoanalysis? Would you believe it was over a woman? - directed by David Cronenberg ("Eastern Promises, "A History of Violence") and starring Keira Knightley, Viggo Mortensen and Michael Fassbender

Wednesday, March 21, 2012

The Library is now on Pinterest!!
Check out our boards!

New Audiobooks!

This brilliantly written, fast-paced book profiles everyday life in the settlement of Annawadi as experienced by a Muslim teen, an ambitious rural mother, and a young scrap metal thief, illuminating how their efforts to build better lives are challenged by religious, caste, and economic tensions.




Marrying a divorced father of two, Andi finds herself struggling to gain her stepdaughters' acceptance while preserving family peace in the face of daily dramas and competitions for her husband's attention that challenge everything she once believed about love, family and parenting.



A bored suburban wife, a documentary photographer-turned-paparazzo, and a detective who cannot let go of a cold case hide secrets from their loved ones only to have the past return in dangerous ways.




Mudgirl is a child abandoned in the silty flats of the Black Snake River. Mudgirl survives by an accident of fate—or destiny. After her rescue, the well-meaning couple who adopt Mudgirl quarantine her poisonous history behind the barrier of their middle-class values. But the bulwark of the present proves surprisingly vulnerable to the agents of the past.

An intense, psychological novel about one doctor's suspense-filled quest to unlock the mind of a suspected political assassin: his twenty-year old son.

Tuesday, March 20, 2012

New Performance Opera DVDs!

The Merrick Library invites you to return to the opera
as the Performance DVD section welcomes three new productions
filmed live at New York Metropolitan Opera:

"Don Pasquale" - Gaetano Donizetti's comedy which asks the question: when is the right age to marry?

"Lucia di Lammermoor" - Donizetti's tragic masterpiece with Anna Netrebko in the title role.

"Thais" - Jules Massenet's musical treatment of the classic novel by Anatole France with Renee Fleming in the lead role.

Monday, March 19, 2012

New DVD Arrivals!


"Carnage" - who is more childish in a crisis: kids or their parents?
directed by Roman Polanski and starring Jodie Foster, Kate Winslet and John C. Reilly

"The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo" - based on the phenomenal best seller by Stieg Larsson
Oscar winner for Best Editing - stars Daniel Craig, Rooney Mara and Christopher Plummer ("Beginners")

"The Muppets" - Disney reunites Jim Henson's timeless creations - and there may be a new addition! - Oscar for Best Original Song ("Man or Muppet") - stars Jason Segel and Amy Adams (with more guest appearances that can be named in this space!)

"The Sitter" - babysiting the kids next door can't be as bad as college - or can it?
stars Jonah Hill ("Moneyball") and Sam Rockwell

"Tinker Tailor Soldier Spy" - all hail the return of John LeCarre's espionage master George Smiley! stars Gary Oldman, Colin Firth and Mark Strong

Out March 23

"Hop" - the next Easter Bunny wants to be a rock star instead!
all-star cast headed by James Marsden and Kaley Cuoco (TV's "Big Bang Theory")


Thursday, March 15, 2012

New Performance Opera DVDs!



Merrick Library is happy to welcome three new opera productions to the Performance DVD section. Each performance in this trio was taped live from the stage of New York's Metropolitan Opera:

"I Puritani" - Vincenza Bellini's last opera depicting romance within the turmoil of England's Civil War

"La Sonnambula" - also by Bellini - was Amina unfaithful or was she asleep?

"Eugene Onegin" - a Tchaikovsky masterpiece based on the classic novel by Alexander Pushkin - cast led by Renee Fleming and Valery Gerglev

New Audiobook Arrivals!

Luke Warren has spent his life researching wolves. He has written about them, studied their habits intensively, and even lived with them for extended periods of time. In many ways, Luke understands wolf dynamics better than those of his own family. His wife, Georgie, has left him, finally giving up on their lonely marriage. His son, Edward, twenty-four, fled six years ago, leaving behind a shattered relationship with his father. Then comes a frantic phone call: Luke has been gravely injured in a car accident with Edward's younger sister, Cara. Suddenly everything changes: Edward must return home to face the father he walked out on at age eighteen. He and Cara have to decide their father's fate together. Though there's no easy answer, questions abound: What secrets have Edward and his sister kept from each other? What hidden motives inform their need to let their father die . . . or to try to keep him alive? What would Luke himself want? How can any family member make such a decision in the face of guilt, pain, or both? Another tour de force by Picoult, Lone Wolf brilliantly describes the nature of a family: the love, protection, and strength it can offer—and the price we might have to pay for those gifts.

Returning home to Blackberry Island to claim her inheritance and recover from her tour of duty, young Army vet Michelle Sanderson, to save her family's Inn, must form a tentative truce with single mother Carly Williams, whose shocking betrayal years earlier destroyed their friendship.


When a scientist he recently rescued from kidnappers is murdered, private investigator Isaac Bell discovers that a ruthless agent wants the scientist's secret new invention in order to exploit it to seize power for Germany.


Her idyll life shattered by her handsome boyfriend's infidelity, renowned movie director Tallie Jones also discovers that one of her closest associates has been stealing from her for years, a situation that compels her to partner with a dashing FBI agent to identify a hidden enemy. In this riveting novel, Danielle Steel reveals the dark side of fame and fortune. At the same time, she brilliantly captures a woman's will to navigate a minefield of hurt and loss—toward a new beginning.

"
When American journalist Pamela Druckerman has a baby in Paris, she looks for the secret behind France's astonishingly well-behaved children. French parenting isn't a known thing, like French fashion or French cheese. Even French parents themselves insist they aren't doing anything special. Yet, the French children Druckerman knows sleep through the night at two or three months old while those of her American friends take a year or more. French kids eat well-rounded meals that are more likely to include braised leeks than chicken nuggets. Motherhood itself is a whole different experience in France. There's no role model, as there is in America, for the harried new mom with no life of her own. French mothers assume that even good parents aren't at the constant service of their children and that there's no need to feel guilty about this.They have an easy, calm authority with their kids that Druckerman can only envy. Of course, French parenting wouldn't be worth talking about if it produced robotic, joyless children. In fact, French kids are just as boisterous, curious, and creative as Americans. They're just far better behaved and more in command of themselves. While some American toddlers are getting Mandarin tutors and preliteracy training, French kids are-by design-toddling around and discovering the world at their own pace. With a notebook stashed in her diaper bag, Druckerman-a former reporter for the Wall Street Journal sets out to learn the secrets to raising a society of good little sleepers, gourmet eaters, and reasonably relaxed parents. She discovers that French parents are extremely strict about some things and strikingly permissive about others. And she realizes that to be a different kind of parent, you don't just need a different parenting philosophy. You need a very different view of what a child actually is.

Wednesday, March 14, 2012

Author Signing!


Gary Klausner

Friday, March 16th, 2012, 7pm @ Book Revue

Author Gary Klausner will speak and sign his memoir, Never Say Never:
A Life of Challenges, which is about his life struggle with Cystic
Fibrosis.

Never Say Never: A Life of Challenges is a memoir by Gary Klausner, who at the age of ten years old was diagnosed with Cystic Fibrosis and is about the challenges he has encountered throughout his life. For the past thirty six years he has faced every challenge head on with his never say never attitude and has been an inspirational and motivational force to all who have met him. At the age of 33 Gary left his six-day-old twin boys and his wife, Robin, to move to North Carolina to be wait-listed for a double lung transplant at Duke University Hospital not knowing if he would ever see them again. Since receiving his double lung transplant in 1998 Gary's mission has been to spread the word about Cystic Fibrosis and Organ Donation. He has been featured on several television shows including: Bravo TV Channel "Queer Eye for the Straight Guy," The Discovery Health Channel "Beating the Odds" and News 12 Long Island. In addition, he has been honored by several organizations including the Boomer Esiason Foundation, and Cystic Fibrosis Foundation for his courage and
inspirational achievements.

Tuesday, March 13, 2012

Books on The Big Screen!!


The Hunger Games (2012)

March 23, 2012

Set in a future where the Capitol selects a boy and girl from the twelve districts to fight to the death on live television, Katniss Everdeen volunteers to take her younger sister's place for the latest match.


Director: Gary Ross
Writers: Gary Ross (screenplay), Suzanne Collins (screenplay),
Stars:Jennifer Lawrence, Josh Hutcherson and Liam Hemsworth

New DVD Arrivals!



Out March 13:

"The Adventures of Tintin" - whether or not you've encountered the books by Herge' be prepared for the ride of your life! - Golden Globe winner for Best Animated Film - directed by Steven Spielberg and featuring the voices of Jamie Bell, Andy Serkis and Daniel Craig

"The Descendants" - a man is brought back to reality and family by sudden tragedy - based on the novel by Kaui Hart Hemmings - Oscar winner for Best Adapted Screenplay and starring George Clooney (Golden Globe for Best Actor in Drama)

"Melancholia" - it might as well be her state of mind but in fact it is a planet ready to collide with Earth on her wedding day - stars Kirsten Dunst (Best Actress, Cannes Film Festival), Charlotte Gainsbourg and John Hurt

"My Week With Marilyn" - a film student is caught in the crossfire that ensues when Marilyn Monroe and Laurence Olivier work together - stars Michelle Williams (Golden Globe and Independent Spirit Winner) and Kenneth Branagh

"The Three Musketeers" - you can't keep those swordsmen of Dumas out of the movies! - stars Matthew MacFayden, Milla Jovovich and Orlando Bloom

"The Women on the Sixth Floor" - comedy set in 1960s France that proves a better life may be found close as upstairs - stars Fabrice Lucchini and Natalia Verbeke

"Young Adult" - a divorcee who wants an old love back finds he's married and a father - winner of Ensemble Cast Award at Palm Springs Film Festival - stars Charlize Theron, Patton Oswalt and Patrick Wilson

Thursday, March 8, 2012

Author Signing @ Book Revue



Tony Perkins, president, Family Research Council

Thursday, March 15th, 2012, 7pm

Author Adele Faber will read from and sign her book, How to Talk so Kids Will Listen & Listen so Kids Will Talk.

You can stop fighting with your children! Here is the bestselling book that will give you the know-how you need to be more effective with your children—and more supportive of yourself. Enthusiastically praised by parents and professionals around the world, the down-to-earth, respectful approach of Adele Faber and Elaine Mazlish makes relationships with children of all ages less stressful and more rewarding. Now, in this thirtieth-anniversary edition, these award-winning experts share their latest insights and suggestions based on feedback they’ve received over the years.

Books On The Big Screen!




John Carter (2012) based on "The John Carter of Mars Collection"
March 9, 2012

Transplanted to Mars, a Civil War vet discovers a lush planet
inhabited by 12-foot tall barbarians. Finding himself a prisoner of
these creatures, he escapes, only to encounter a princess who is in
desperate need of a savior.

Director: Andrew Stanton
Writers: Andrew Stanton (screenplay), Mark Andrews (screenplay),
Stars:Taylor Kitsch, Lynn Collins and Willem Dafoe

New Audiobook Arrivals!


Part Dan Brown-like thriller, part Scandinavian crime drama, The Last Good Man is a phenomenal debut centered on the mysterious linked murders of several dozen men and women around the world, and the Danish detective seeking to solve the riddle—before he becomes the next victim.




In this exciting seventh entry in Thomas Perry's Jane Whitefield series, Jane spirits James Shelby, a man unjustly convicted of his wife's murder, out of the criminal court building in downtown Los Angeles-but the price of Shelby's freedom is high.



Underachieving lawyer Jamie Wagner faces a morally and legally wrenching case when his client, a woman wrongly convicted of murdering her husband, begs him to help her get freed so that she can commit suicide and donate her heart to her terminally ill daughter. A gripping story of an ordinary man faced with an impossible situation, David Rosenfelt's latest is his most powerful thriller yet.

Saturday, March 3, 2012

New DVDs Coming Soon!


Out March 6:

"Footloose" - spirited remake of the 1984 classic where fear is challenged by dance - stellar cast including Julianne Hough, Dennis Quaid and Andie Macdowell

"Game of Thrones" - from HBO - enter a fantasy world inspired by the popular books of George R. R, Martin - stars Sean Bean, Mark Addy and Peter Dinklage (Emmy winner)

"Immortals" - how far would you go to stop a king from having the ultimate power of war? - stars Mickey Rourke, Freida Pinto and John Hurt

"Jack and Jill" - Attention All Units! Adam Sandler in two roles! - also stars Katie Holmes and Al Pacino

"Like Crazy" - a clear look at true love both when drawn together and driven apart - stars Anton Yelchin, Felicity Jones and Jennifer Lawrence

"The Skin I Live In" - from Spain - the greatest discovery in plastic surgery has its complications (and they are very human!) - directed by Pedro Almodovar ("Volver") and starring Antonio Banderas

And the Award Goes To........


On February 26 the Hollywood and Highland Center in California played host to the 84th Academy Awards. The following films in Merrick Library's DVD collection were honored at that ceremony:

"Beginners" - Best Supporting Actor (Christopher Plummer)

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

"Hugo" - Best Sound Editing, Best Sound Mixing, Best Art Direction, Best Cinematography and Best Visual Effects

"Midnight in Paris" - Best Original Screenplay (Woody Allen)

"Rango" - Best Animated Feature

This year's Academy Awards marked the ninth appearance of Billy Crystal as host. Merrick Library has the following DVDs featuring the talents of Mr. Crystal:

Analyze That
Analyze This
City Slickers
The Princess Bride
Tell Them Who You Are
Tooth Fairy

A highlight of the event was the presentation of an Academy Honorary Award for special achievement to actor James Earl Jones. His talents can be found on the following Merrick DVDs:

Clear and Present Danger
Disneynature: Earth (narrator)
Star Wars: A New Hope
Star Wars: The Empire Strikes Back
Star Wars: Return of the Jedi