Merry Christmas to all our patrons and a very Happy & Healthy 2019!

Wishing all our patrons a very 

happy & healthy 2019!

We thank you for your continued support.

Looking forward to a year filled with 

fabulous books, films, music and more!

Here come Head of Adult Services Diane's Favorites of 2018!

Click on any title to place a hold!

Born A Crime, Trevor Noah

he host of The Daily Show With Trevor Noah traces his wild coming of age during the twilight of apartheid in South Africa and the tumultuous days of freedom that followed, offering insight into the farcical aspects of the political and social systems of today's world.

Educated, Tara Westover

Traces the author's experiences as a child born to survivalists in the mountains of Idaho, describing her participation in her family's paranoid stockpiling activities and her resolve to educate herself well enough to earn an acceptance into a prestigious university and the unfamiliar world beyond.

Young Jane Young, Gabrielle Zevin

Branded for her affair with her congressman boss, an intern and blogger changes her name and moves to a remote town in Maine with her young daughter before local prompting to run for public office forces her to reckon with the past.

Home Fire, Kamila Shamsie

Given a chance to resume a deferred dream years after raising her troubled siblings, Isma worries about the influence of a powerful politician's son who drives the family to choose between love and loyalty, with devastating consequences.

Little Fires Everywhere, Celeste Ng
When a custody battle divides her placid town, straitlaced family woman Elena Richardson finds herself pitted against her enigmatic tenant and becomes obsessed with exposing her past, only to trigger devastating consequences for both families.

Pachinko, Min Jin Lee

In early 1900s Korea, prized daughter Sunja finds herself pregnant and alone, bringing shame on her family until a young tubercular minister offers to marry her and move with her to Japan, in the saga of one family bound together as their faith and identity are called into question.

Bright Hour, Nina Riggs

Discussing motherhood, marriage, friendship, and the legacy of her great-great-great grandfather, Ralph Waldo Emerson, the author, who has been diagnosed with terminal breast cancer, explores what makes a meaningful life when one has limited time.

Something in the Water, Catherine Steadman

A shocking discovery while on their honeymoon in Bora Bora forces Mark and Erin to make a dangerous choice between speaking out or protecting their secret.

White Chrysanthemum, Mary Lynn Bracht

Having spent her entire youth under Japanese occupation, a young woman in World War II-era Korea follows in her mother's footsteps as an elite female diver, only to be forced into prostitution in order to save her beloved younger sister.

Woman in the Window, A.J. Finn

After the Russells move in next door, Anna Fox, a recluse, finds her world crumbling when she witnesses something she shouldn't.

Here come Librarian Carol Ann's favorites of 2018 in no particular order...

Fiction:

Less by Andrew Sean Greer
Receiving an invitation to his ex-boyfriend's wedding, Arthur, a failed novelist on the eve of his fiftieth birthday, embarks on an international journey that finds him falling in love, risking his life, reinventing himself, and making connections with the past.

There There by Tommy Orange
A novel that grapples with the complex history and identity of Native Americans follows twelve characters, each of whom has private reasons for traveling to the Big Oakland Powwow.

The Fall of Lisa Bellow by Susan Perabo
When a popular middle-school girl is abducted in broad daylight by a masked man, the victim's rival, Meredith, struggles with terror while their community organizes vigils and searches.

Meet Me At The Museum by Anne Youngson
A disenchanted farmer's wife and a widowed museum curator begin a correspondence over their mutual fascination with poet Seamus Heaney's "The Tollund Man" and gradually share details from their lives, forging an unexpected bond along the way.

The Child Finder by Renee Denfeld
Hired by a family that has become desperate to find the young daughter who went missing three years earlier, a talented private investigator embarks on a search in a mysterious forest in the Pacific Northwest, where she is forced to confront painful realities from her own past as a lost child.

Washington Black by Esi Edugyan
Unexpectedly chosen to be a family manservant, an 11-year-old Barbados sugar-plantation slave is initiated into a world of technology and dignity before a devastating betrayal propels him throughout the world in search of his true self.

The Birdwatcher by William Shaw
Living with the secret that, as a child in Northern Ireland, he may have killed a man, Police Sergeant William South finds his world turned upside down when the only person connecting him to his early crime is murdered.

Lawn Boy by Jonathan Evison
Faced with a life of menial prospects in the years after high school, Mike Munoz, a young Mexican-American, attempts over and over to change his life for the better and achieve the American dream, only to be stymied by social-class distinctions and cultural discrimination.

The Which Way Tree by Elizabeth Crook
Surviving a panther attack that kills her mother and leaves her with scars, a tenacious young woman resolves to find and kill the unusually aggressive cat with the assistance of a charismatic Mexican-American, a haunted preacher, her traumatized half-brother, and an old hunting dog.

Non-Fiction:

Let's Go (So We Can Get Back): A Memoir of Recording and Discording with Wilco by Jeff Tweedy
The singer and songwriter of Wilco opens up about his past, his songs, the music, and the people that inspire him. Talks about his time with band Uncle Tupelo too.

I'll be Gone in the Dark by Michelle McNamara
An account of the unsolved Golden State Killer case, written by the late author of the TrueCrimeDiary.com website and featuring an afterword by her husband, comedian Patton Oswalt, traces the rapes and murders of dozens of victims and the author's determined efforts to help identify the killer and bring him to justice

Beastie Boys Book by Michael Diamond & Adam Horovitz 
Featuring contributions by the group's surviving members and complemented by rare visuals, a panoramic chronicle of the Beastie Boys traces their early collaborations, genre-breaking achievements and evolution as musicians and social activists.

Thanks a Lot Mr Kibblewhite: My Story by Roger Daltrey 
The front man of The Who draws on years of careful introspection in an anecdotal memoir of his rise from poverty to rock-and-roll stardom, sharing insights into the creative processes behind iconic hits and his relationship with Keith Moon.

We continue our 2018 favorites with...

...these from Reference Librarian Jill: 

Hotel Silence by Ava Ólafsdóttir

After a lonely divorced man with a compulsion to fix things books a room in the rundown Hotel Silence in a war-torn town, he finds new meaning to his life when he becomes close to the hotel owner and her young son and helps the locals mend their homes.

How to Stop Time by Matt Haig

A man with a secret rare condition that has enabled him to survive for centuries moves to London to become a high-school history teacher and considers defying his protective guardians' rule against falling in love when he becomes entranced by a captivating colleague.

My Year of Rest and Relaxation by Ottessa Moshfegh

After losing her parents, a young college graduate in New York City spends a year under the influence of a crazy combination of drugs to help heal herself from her feeling of alienation from the world.

I'll Be Gone in the Dark: One Woman's Obsessive Search for the Golden State Killer by Michelle McNamara

An account of the unsolved Golden State Killer case traces the rapes and murders of dozens of victims and the author's determined efforts to help identify the killer and bring him to justice. 

Tip of the Iceberg: My 3,000-Mile Journey Around Wild Alaska, the Last Great American Frontier by Mark Adams

Recounts the author's effort to retrace the historic 1899 Harriman Expedition around Alaska by using the state's public ferry system, and discusses how the lessons learned on the 1899 journey relate to Alaska's current environmental situation.

Sometimes I Lie by Alice Feeney

A psychological thriller by a former BBC News producer depicts the harrowing experiences of a coma patient with shut-in syndrome who, while unable to move or speak, must listen to those around her to figure out what happened and who is responsible for her injuries.

Dopesick: Dealers, Doctors, and the Drug Company that Addicted America by Beth Macy

Chronicles America's more than twenty-year struggle with opioid addiction, from the introduction of OxyContin in 1996, through the spread of addiction in distressed communities in Central Appalachia, to the current national crisis.

Kitchen Confidential: Adventures in the Culinary Underbelly by Anthony Bourdain

New York chef and novelist Bourdain recounts his experiences in the restaurant business, and exposes abuses of power, sexual promiscuity, drug use, and other secrets of life behind kitchen doors.

Us Against You by Fredrik Backman

When the small community of Beartown learns their amateur ice hockey team may be disbanded, the tensions mount, but a surprising new coach offers a chance at a comeback.

My Squirrel Days by Ellie Kemper

The comedian and star of The Office and Unbreakable Kimmy Schmidt delivers a hilarious and uplifting collection of essays about one pale woman’s journey from Midwestern naïf to Hollywood semi-celebrity to outrageously reasonable New Yorker.

The Sixth Extinction: An Unnatural History by Elizabeth Kolbert

Drawing on the work of geologists, botanists, marine biologists and other researchers, an award-winning writer for The New Yorker discusses the five devastating mass extinctions on earth and predicts the coming of a sixth.

Here come our favorites of 2018...!

Let's start things off with our Director!  

Director Ellen Firer is a voracious reader...

trust me when I say she reads ALOT.  

Here are her favorites of 2018:

Kiss Quotient by Helen Hoang

When mathematician Stella Lane decides to improve her love life, she hires Michael Phan, an escort, to help her gain knowledge and experience in dating.

America for Beginners by Leah Franqui

A widow from India travels to California to learn the truth about what happened to the son who was declared dead shortly after he revealed his sexual orientation to their traditional family.

*The Lido by Libby Page*

An anxiety-riddled cub reporter for a small London paper is assigned to cover the closing of a local rec center and bonds with an 86-year-old widow who has swum in the community pool every day since childhood. 

Listen to our very own podcast interview with Libby Page right here!

The Road Trip by Susanne O'Leary

Maddy and Leanne are in need of a miracle, when they win the lottery these

two best friends pack their bags for the trip of an hilarious trip of a lifetime, and promise to start living life to the fullest.

Dear Mrs. Bird by A.J. Pearce

An adventurous young woman takes a typist job to assist the war effort and lands in the employ of a renowned advice columnist before she begins secretly replying to heart-wrenching letters rejected as unsuitable.

The Widows of Malabar Hill by Sujata Massey

In 1921, Bombay's first female lawyer, Oxford graduate Perveen Mistry, investigates a suspicious will on behalf of three Muslim widows living in strict seclusion who become subject to a murderous guardian's schemes for their inheritances.

Ghosted by Rosie Walsh

An idyllic romance between Sarah and her boyfriend, Eddie, is shattered when Eddie abruptly disappears, prompting Sarah to ignore her friends' advice and investigate what really happened. 

Next Year in Havana by Chanel Cleeton
A freelance writer returns to her grandmother’s homeland to fulfill her last wish to have her ashes scattered in Havana and discovers her family history amidst Cuba’s tropical beauty and dangerous political environment.

  

  

Our Next Book Discussion Book is your 2nd place Merrick Library Great American Reads Book Choice...

Join us Wednesday, December 5th at 2:30pm.

To Kill a Mockingbird by Harper Lee.

It has won the Pulitzer Prize, 

been translated into more than forty languages, 

sold more than thirty million copies worldwide, 

and been made into an enormously popular movie.

Get your books at the Circulation Desk!

Harper Lee

Today is Halloween...

Oh boy,oh boy!  
You have certainly come to the right place. 
Click here: these new horror titles are perfect. 
Place your hold here for some fabulous horror movies!
Are you ready?
 

Since we're in October, it seems only fitting that we would get this announcement via Tweet...

Penguin Books UK‏Verified account @PenguinUKBooks Oct 3

Some exciting news: Thomas Harris, bestselling author and creator of The Silence of the Lambs and Hannibal, is returning with a new novel in 2019. Pre-order it now: http://po.st/PreOrderThomasHarris …

Well of course I'll keep you posted on this as soon as we have any information. 

Who is Thomas Harris? 

A native of Mississippi, Thomas Harris began his writing career covering crime in the United States and Mexico, and was a reporter and editor for the Associated Press in New York City. His first novel, Black Sunday, was published in 1975, followed by Red Dragon in 1981, The Silence of the Lambs in 1988, Hannibal in 1999 and Hannibal Rising in 2006.

2 replies24 retweets58 likes

Recent Staff Picks by your Merrick Library Librarians....!

First up? 
Staff Picks from our Director, 

Ellen Firer:

The Wedding Sisters by Jamie Brenner

Hummus & Homicide by Tina Kashian

Room on Rue Amelie by Kristen Harmel

Good Luck With That by Kristan Higgins

My Oxford Year by Julie Whelan

The Lido by Libby Page

Other People's Houses by Abbi Waxman

The Road Trip by Susanne O'Leary
The Endless Beach by Jenny Colgan

Here are Staff Picks from 

Librarian

Carol Ann Tack:

The Birdwatcher by William Shaw

Meet Me at the Museum by Anne Youngson

The Sandman by Lars Kepler

Big Little Love by Katy Regan

The Lido by Libby Page

Lawn Boy by Jonathan Evison

Unbury Carol by Josh Malerman

Big Ship at the Edge of the Universe 

by Alex White

The Fall of Lisa Bellow by Susan Perabo

The Child Finder by Renee Denfeld

The Which Way Tree by Elizabeth Crook

Click any title about to place your hold.

There are SO many books to movies coming out this fall!

How many you ask? 

Twenty-six! 

That's right, twenty-six adaptations will hit movie screens over the next year. 

The. Next. YEAR! 

I'm really looking forward to:

The Hate You Give by Angie Thomas

Bel Canto by Ann Patchett

The Wife by Meg Wolitzer

Mortal Engines by Philip Reeve

 The Girl in the Spider’s Web 

by David Lagercrantz

See the trailers for the above titles plus more books-to-movies right here: BookRiot.

It's a perfect user friendly guide to books and movie trailers.  Check it out right here.

The 2018 National Book Award Long List is Out!

Here are the long list titles for the 

2018 National Book Award

Click any title to place your hold!

• Jamel Brinkley, A Lucky Man
  (Graywolf Press)
• Jennifer Clement, Gun Love
  (Hogarth / Penguin Random House)
• Lauren Groff, Florida
  (Riverhead Books / Penguin Random House)
• Daniel Gumbiner, The Boatbuilder
  (McSweeney’s)
• Brandon Hobson, Where the Dead Sit Talking
  (Soho Press)
• Tayari Jones, An American Marriage
  (Algonquin Books / Workman Publishing)
• Rebecca Makkai, The Great Believers
  (Viking Books / Penguin Random House)
• Sigrid Nunez, The Friend
  (Riverhead Books / Penguin Random House)
• Tommy Orange, There There
  (Alfred A. Knopf / Penguin Random House)
• Nafissa Thompson-Spires, Heads of the Colored People
  (Atria Books / 37 INK / Simon & Schuster)

A Modern Retelling of Pride and Prejudice? Sure! Why Not!

 Join us at the

Wednesday Afternoon 

Book Discussion 

on

Wednesday, October 3rd at 2:30pm 

as we discuss 

Eligible by Curtis Sittenfeld.

This is part two of our 

Great American Reads programming.

Don't miss it!

In Case You Missed These...

Get them right here:

A Constellation of Vital Phenomenon 

by Anthony Marra

Erotic Stories for Punjabi Widows 

by Balli Kaur Jaswal

The Road to Jonestown by Jeff Guinn

The Afterlives by Thomas Pierce

The Resurrection of Joan Ashby 

by Cherise Wolas

The Birdwatcher by William Shaw

Rubbernecker by Belinda Bauer

Lock In by John Scalzi

A Big Ship at the Edge of the Universe 

by Alex White

Educated by Tara Westover

If you missed any of these, 

check them out now! 

Click each title to place your reserve.

Not sure how to use the amazing services you have access to? Click right into the Merrick Library Academy!

How do I use Ancestry.com?  Merrick Library Academy!

How do I sign up for Facebook?  Merrick Library Academy!

How do I use Instagram? Merrick Library Academy!

Where can I go to learn a language? Merrick Library Academy!

How do I use Snapchat? Merrick Library Academy!

Huh? Use Merrick Library Academy!

Why? Because Merrick Library Academy!

Merrick Library Academy

Try it today!

Meet Libby! The new way to read e-books and listen to audio books...

Use this tutorial!

Books that make writers lose sleep at night...

The New York Times featured a nice roundup of  scary reads as chosen by some authors.

There are some great titles on this list! 

Click above to read the very interesting article.

In the meantime, here's a sample:

The Haunting of Hill House by Shirley Jackson

The Hot Zone by Richard Preston

Come Closer by Sara Gran

Parable of the Sower by Octavia Butler

The Collector, John Fowles

Pet Sematary by Stephen King

A Reaper at the Gates: Book Three of Ember in the Ashes Series by Sabaa Tahir

Helter Skelter by Vincent Bugliosi
Enjoy!

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