Legends & Lies: The Real West

Bill O'Reilly's Legends & Lies: The Real West
written by David Fisher

How did Davy Crockett save President Jackson's life only to end up dying at the Alamo? Was the Lone Ranger based on a real lawman-and was he an African American? What amazing detective work led to the capture of Black Bart, the "gentleman bandit" and one of the west's most famous stagecoach robbers? Did Butch Cassidy and the Sundance Kid really die in a hail of bullets in South America? Generations of Americans have grown up on TV shows, movies and books about these western icons. But what really happened in the Wild West? All the stories you think you know, and others that will astonish you, are here--some heroic, some brutal and bloody, all riveting. Included are the legends featured in Bill O'Reilly's ten week run of historic episodic specials-from Kit Carson to Jesse James, Wild Bill Hickok to Doc Holliday-- accompanied by two bonus chapters on Daniel Boone and Buffalo Bill and Annie Oakley.Frontier America was a place where instinct mattered more than education, and courage was necessary for survival. It was a place where luck made a difference and legends were made. Heavily illustrated with spectacular artwork that further brings this history to life, and told in fast-paced, immersive narrative, Legends and Lies is an irresistible, adventure-packed ride back into one of the most storied era of our nation's rich history.

Echos of the Past

If Walls Could Talk by Lucy Worsley

Why did the flushing toilet take two centuries to catch on? Why did medieval people sleep sitting up? When were the two "dirty centuries"? Why did gas lighting cause Victorian ladies to faint? Why, for centuries, did people fear fruit? All these questions will be answered in this juicy, smelly, and truly intimate history of home life. Lucy Worsley takes us through the bedroom, bathroom, living room, and kitchen, covering the architectural history of each room, but concentrating on what people actually did in bed, in the bath, at the table, and at the stove. From sauce-stirring to breast-feeding this book will make you see your home with new eyes. (Publisher Summary)

Letters of Note compiled by Shaun Usher

Based on the blog of the same name, this collection of letters is so handsome that it looks like a coffee-table book, but it's more than that. In it, Queen Elizabeth II sends a note to President Dwight Eisenhower reflecting on Mamie and Ike's visit to Balmoral Castle: she appends her recipe for scones. The chairman of the Whitehall Vigilance Committee receives a package with a note from Jack the Ripper accompanied by half a human kidney, pickled in wine: "I fried and ate it was very nise." Gandhi appeals to Hitler as the only one who can avert the impending war. Bank robber Clyde Barrow tells Henry Ford he only drives Fords. Francis Crick alerts his son about DNA. A wife writes to her samurai husband on the eve of battle (he died in the fighting, she committed suicide) and an ex-slave addresses his former master. This treasure trove of fascinating material includes more than 125 letters from both the famous and the unknown dating as far back as 1340 BCE, many reproduced in facsimile. (Library Journal Reviews)

The Manor by Mac Griswold

Cultural landscape historian Griswold examines the history of slavery, immigration, architecture, and family, all through the story of one house, the Sylvester Manor, built in 1733 and still standing today in Shelter Harbor, New York. Griswold's work is, in fact, a biography of the house, or at least the property on which the house now stands. In this meticulously researched contribution to US landscape history, Griswold's engaging prose and obvious attachment to the house and the generations of people, black and white, who crossed its threshold make this work an enchanting read. The author uses the treasure trove of documents saved by the family, garden and architectural plans, and artifacts found during an archaeological dig to reconstruct the social history of the manor's generations of inhabitants. Griswold's narrative style makes this a fascinating read for those interested in historical archaeology, landscape history, or in the social history of Northern slavery. (Choice Reviews)

Exploring New York

The Catskills by Stephen Silverman

A history that demonstrates "the color, charm, and even lunacy that for the past four hundred years have characterized the Catskill Mountains and the people attracted to them." Those who've seen the Catskills will love how the authors capture its magic. Those who haven't will start planning a trip. (Kirkus Reviews)

The Catskills (“Cat Creek” in Dutch), America’s original frontier, northwest of New York City, with its seven hundred thousand acres of forest land preserve and its five counties—Delaware, Greene, Sullivan, Ulster, Schoharie; America’s first great vacationland; the subject of the nineteenth-century Hudson River School paintings that captured the almost godlike majesty of the mountains and landscapes, the skies, waterfalls, pastures, cliffs . . . refuge and home to poets and gangsters, tycoons and politicians, preachers and outlaws, musicians and spiritualists, outcasts and rebels . . .  (Publisher Summary)

Goodreads Choice Awards: Winners Announced!

The winners of the 2014 Goodreads Choice Awards were announced yesterday! 

Goodreads readers cast 3,317,504 votes this year to decide the winners; these are the ONLY major awards that are decided by readers votes.

Click here to view the winners and nominees in all categories. How many of the books have you read?

Congratulations to all the winners!

Fiction
Landline by Rainbow Rowell

Recognizing that her marriage is in deep trouble in spite of her abiding and mutual love for her husband, television writer Georgie excludes herself from a Christmas family visit before discovering a way to reconnect with the man her husband used to be. By the award-winning author of Fangirl. (Publisher Summary)

Mystery and Thriller
Mr. Mercedes by Stephen King
Months after a crazed hit-and-run driver kills several attendees at a Midwestern job fair, a depressed retired cop and two unlikely allies join forces to find and stop the killer, who has sent a letter threatening another attack. (Publisher Summary)

Historical Fiction

All the Light We Cannot See by Anthony Doerr

A blind French girl on the run from the German occupation and a German orphan-turned-Resistance tracker struggle with their respective beliefs after meeting on the Brittany coast. By the award-winning author of About Grace. (Publisher Summary)

Fantasy
Book of Life by Deborah Harkness

Historian and witch Diana Bishop and her vampire scientist husband Matthew Clairmont return from a trip to the past still searching for the elusive alchemy tome Ashmole 782 in the final installment of the best-selling trilogy following Shadow of Night. (Publisher Summary)

Romance
Written in My Own Heart's Blood by Diana Gabaldon
After being presumed dead, Jamie Fraser returns to find that his best friend has married his wife, his illegitimate son has discovered who is father is, and his nephew has decided to marry a Quaker. (Publisher Summary)

Science Fiction
The Martian by Andy Weir
Stranded on Mars by a dust storm that compromised his space suit and forced his crew to leave him behind, astronaut Watney struggles to survive in spite of minimal supplies and harsh environmental challenges that test his ingenuity in unique ways. (Publisher Summary)

Horror

Prince Lestat by Anne Rice

A tale spanning periods from the ancient to the modern world reunites fans with beloved characters, from Louis de Pointe Lac and the eternally young Armand to David Talbot and Marius, who hear a mysterious voice urging ancients to destroy increasing populations of maverick vampires. (Publisher Summary)

Humor

Yes, Please by Amy Poehler

A first-person account by the Golden Globe-winning actress best known for her work on Parks and Recreation and Saturday Night Live includes coverage of such topics as her relationships with caregivers and her friendship with Tina Fey. (Publisher Summary)

Nonfiction

Opposite of Loneliness by Marina Keegan

This hope-filled posthumous collection of essays and stories from the talented young Yale graduate who died tragically five days after graduation details the struggle that we all face as we figure out what we want to be and how we can positively impact the world. (Publisher Summary)

History and Biography

The Romanov Sisters: the Lost Lives of the Daughters of Nicholas and Alexandra by Helen Rappaport

Draws on personal writings and private sources to illuminate the daily lives of the four Russian Grand Duchesses from their own perspectives, revealing their awareness of family turmoil and the approach of the Russian Revolution. (Publisher Summary)

Business

#Girlboss by Sophia Amoruso

The founder of "Nasty Gal" fashion shares a manifesto for ambitious young women that explains how to channel personal passion and energy while overcoming insecurities, outlining advice on doing work and garnering recognition. (Publisher Summary)

Food and Cookbooks

Make it Ahead: a Barefoot Contessa Cookbook by Ina Garten

The Emmy Award-winning celebrity chef shares favorite make-ahead recipes and meal-planning tips for a variety of occasions, suggesting preparation options for low-stress dishes that improve if prepared in advance. By the #1 best-selling author of Barefoot Contessa Foolproof. (Publisher Summary)

Best Debut Goodreads Author

Red Rising by Pierce Brown

A tale set in a bleak future society torn by class divisions follows the experiences of secret revolutionary Darrow, who after witnessing his wife's execution by an oppressive government joins a revolutionary cell and attempts to infiltrate an elite military academy. (Publisher Summary)

World War I Picks

In honor of this month's 100th anniversary of the start of World War I, we have put together a display on the main floor filled with books (and movies) about this monumental war including:



For more information and books about World War I, stop by the display on our main floor and speak to our reference librarians at the information desk.

2014 Pulitzer Prize Winners Announced

The 2014 Pulitzer Prize Winners were announced yesterday (April 14, 2014) at Columbia University in NYC. The book winners in the fiction, history, poetry, biography and general nonfiction categories are listed below - congrats to all!

Category: Fiction

Title/Author: The Goldfinch by Donna Tartt

Summary: "Young Theo survives an accident that kills his mother. Abandoned by his father, he lives with a friend's family in New York, where his obsession with a small painting that reminds him of his mother leads him to the art underworld." - Library Journal Reviews

Category: History

Title/Author: The Internal Enemy: Slavery and War in Virginia,1772-1832 by Alan Taylor

Summary: "Drawn from new sources, a Pulitzer Prize-winning historian presents a gripping narrative that recreates the events that inspired hundreds of slaves to pressure British admirals into becoming liberators by using their intimate knowledge of the countryside to transform the war." - Provided by Publisher

Category: Poetry

Title/Author: 3 Sections by Vijay Seshadri

Summary: "This new collection of poetry from the author of Wild Kingdom and The Long Meadow ponders the complex divisions of modern life - an errant history, an uncertain future and a present condition of wanting to outthink time."  - Provided by Publisher

Category: Biography

Title/Author: Margaret Fuller: A New American Life by Megan Marshall

Summary: "This intimate portrait of Thoreau's editor and Emerson's friend, who was also a daring war correspondent and a crusader for women's rights brings to life this American heroine's passion for her life's work, which was eclipsed by tragedy and scandal after her death at the age of 40." - Provided by Publisher

Category: General Nonfiction

Title/Author: Toms River: A Story of Science and Salvation by Dan Fagin

Summary: "Recounts the decades-long saga of the New Jersey seaside town plagued by childhood cancers caused by air and water pollution due to the indiscriminate dumping of toxic chemicals."  - Provided by Publisher

Click here for more information on current and past Pulitzer Prize winners, as well as nominated finalists. 

A Patron Recommends. . .

Book of Ages: the Life and Opinions of Jane Franklin by Jill Lepore:  From one of our most accomplished and widely admired historians, a revelatory portrait of Benjamin Franklin’s youngest sister and a history of history itself. Like her brother, Jane Franklin was a passionate reader, a gifted writer, and an astonishingly shrewd political commentator. Unlike him, she was a mother of twelve.

Benjamin Franklin, who wrote more letters to his sister than he wrote to anyone else, was the original American self-made man; his sister spent her life caring for her children. They left very different traces behind. Making use of an amazing cache of little-studied material, including documents, objects, and portraits only just discovered, Jill Lepore brings Jane Franklin to life in a way that illuminates not only this one woman but an entire world—a world usually lost to history. Lepore’s life of Jane Franklin, with its strikingly original vantage on her remarkable brother, is at once a wholly different account of the founding of the United States and one of the great untold stories of American history and letters: a life unknown.

Long Island Reads 2014

Join fellow Long Islanders in reading the 2014 Long Island reads selection The Manor: Three Centuries at a Slave Plantation on Long Island by Mac Griswold!

In 1984, the landscape historian Mac Griswold was rowing along a Long Island creek when she came upon a stately yellow house and a garden guarded by looming boxwoods. She instantly knew that boxwoods that large—twelve feet tall, fifteen feet wide—had to be hundreds of years old. So, as it happened, was the house: Sylvester Manor had been held in the same family for eleven generations. And so begins the author's journey to uncover the secrets and stories of The Manor.

Based on years of research and voyages that took Griswold as far as West Africa, this compelling history of a Long Island plantation located on Shelter Island, spanning three centuries and 11 generations, reveals the extensive but little-known story of Northern slavery. Griswold's The Manor is at once an investigation into forgotten lives and a sweeping drama that captures our history in all its richness and suffering.

An author talk and book signing will be held at Sylvester Manor on Saturday, May 17 1:00 pm - 4:00 pm.. For more information click here.

For a Reader's Guide to The Manor click here.

Join us for a book discussion about The Manor on Wednesday, April 23 from 2:00 - 4:00pm. Click the "Book Discussion" box to the right to register. Copies of the book will be available at the circulation desk after March 20.

Political Intrigue and Moral Dilemmas

The gap between rich and poor has never been wider . . . legislative stalemate paralyzes the country . . . corporations resist federal regulations . . . spectacular mergers produce giant companies . . . the influence of money in politics deepens . . . bombs explode in crowded streets . . . small wars proliferate far from our shores . . . a dizzying array of inventions speeds the pace of daily life.

These unnervingly familiar headlines serve as the backdrop for Doris Kearns Goodwin’s highly anticipated The Bully Pulpit : Theodore Roosevelt, William Howard Taft, and the Golden Age of Journalism.

Chosen as one of Amazon's Best Book of The Month - November, The Bully Pulpit is a dynamic history of the first decade of the Progressive era, that tumultuous time when the nation was coming unseamed and reform was in the air. The story is told through the intense friendship of Theodore Roosevelt and William Howard Taft—a close relationship that strengthens both men before it ruptures in 1912, when they engage in a brutal fight for the presidential nomination that divides their wives, their children, and their closest friends, while crippling the progressive wing of the Republican Party, causing Democrat Woodrow Wilson to be elected, and changing the country’s history.

Pulitzer-prize winning historian Doris Kearns Goodwin is the author of the New York Times bestseller Team of Rivals which was the basis for the Academy Award winning movie Lincoln. Will her newest book follow suit? Check it out and let us know what you think.

Go Inside JFK's Oval Office

Decades after JFK's death, historians are still finding new ways to examine his presidency.  In The Fourteenth Day: JFK and the Aftermath of the Cuban Missile Crisis: The Secret White House Tapes, David Coleman gives us a fly on the wall look what happened in the dangerous days following the time when the world was as close to nuclear war as it has ever been.  Based on newly uncovered material, this book provides a fresh look at those tense days that both history buffs and Kennedy fans will appreciate.

Fresh Look at The Irish Potato Famine

In The Graves Are Walking: The Great Famine and Saga of the Irish People, John Kelly delivers a fresh narrative account of Ireland between 1845 and 1852.  Though there have been worse famines statistics wise, the Irish Potato Famine remains the worst in history in terms of percentage of population killed.  This well researched book delves into not only the causes of the famine and the politics behind the governments response but also covers the emigration experience. This is a must read for anyone interested in Irish history and readers who enjoy non fiction in general will enjoy Kelly's storytelling as well.

Long Awaited Publication of George Orwell's Diaries

Published for the first time in the United States, Diaries gives readers insight into the interior life of George Orwell, author of iconic books such as 1984 and Animal Farm.  Written as separate books, these diaries include both political and domestic entries that chronicle Orwell's travels among miners and migrant workers, the drama of World War II, the death of Orwell's wife, and his battle with tuberculosis.  Edited by the world's foremost Orwell scholar, this groundbreaking work serves as the autobiography Orwell was never able to write.

The man who almost killed Hitler

History buffs, WWII afficianados, and true crime readers will all appreciate The Lone Assassin: The Epic True Story of the Man Who Almost Killed Hitler, a 1993 German-language book available for the first time in English translation.  Georg Elsner was just an ordinary man living in 1939 Munich until he resolved to assassinate Adolf Hitler.  Elsner's homemade bomb went off successfully, killing 8 people but not his intended target.  This book looks at the lead-up to one of the great "what-if" moments in history - check it out at Mastics-Moriches-Shirley Community Library!

Readers unite for "World Book Night"

What famous literary personage (supposedly) both came into and left this world on April 23?  If you guessed William Shakespeare, scholars mostly agree that you're right!  Organizers of World Book Night selected April 23 in part for its significance as the Bard's birthday (and death day).  Celebrate the second annual "World Book Night" by setting tonight aside for reading.  Turn off your TV, turn off your phone, and settle into a quiet spot with a good book, or read one aloud with your whole family!  And don't forget to encourage your friends to follow your example.  As always, Mastics-Moriches-Shirley Community Library is your source for great reading material.

'Titanic' reads, one century after the tragedy

It's been 100 years since the sinking of the unsinkable Titanic ocean liner on April 15, 1912.  Hollywood is celebrating by re-releasing the 1997 movie Titanic in 3D, and books also abound for those curious about the famous disaster.  Try Voyagers of the Titanic: Passengers, Sailors, Shipbuilders, Aristocrats, and the Worlds They Came From, or Titanic: The Last Night of a Small Town, or Titanic Tragedy: A New Look at the Lost Liner.  Check out these books, and more, from the display on the main floor of the Mastics-Moriches-Shirley Community Library.

Debut novels past and present: Fitzgerald's 'This Side of Paradise'

On March 26, 1920, exactly 92 years ago, F. Scott Fitzgerald's debut novel This Side of Paradise was published.  The now classic story garnered the 23-year-old author instant acclaim (see full article from History.com), although Fitzgerald is arguably better known to modern readers for The Great Gatsby, which takes place here on Long Island.  What future literary talents are premiering today?  This blog often features promising debut novels available at Mastics-Moriches-Shirley Community Library - enter "debut" in the search bar at the top left to browse.

Happy Birthday, William Floyd

William Floyd School District, William Floyd Parkway, William Floyd Plaza - William Floyd's name is all over this community, but who was William Floyd anyway?  In fact, William Floyd was a local resident (his estate in Mastic is now a historic site) who was a signer of the Declaration of Independence.  Celebrate this local founding father's 277th birthday on Saturday, December 17th by visiting your Community Library.  At 3 pm, local schoolchildren will perform music and read selections from their essays, after which all are invited to help blow out the candles on William Floyd's birthday cake and enjoy some light refreshments.  Can't make it to the party?  Read up on William Floyd - check out a book from your Community Library's "Happy Birthday William Floyd" display.

Pulitzer Prize Winners

Few literary awards are as well-known as the coveted Pulitzer Prize. These are winners of the recently-announced 2011 Pulitzer Prizes in the letters and drama categories:

Fiction: A Visit from the Goon Squad by Jennifer Egan
General nonfiction: The Emperor of All Maladies: A Biography of Cancer by Siddhartha Mukherjee
History: The Fiery Trial: Abraham Lincoln and American Slavery by Eric Foner
Biography: Washington: A Life by Ron Chernow
Poetry: The Best of It: New and Selected Poems by Kay Ryan

Many of these titles have been featured in previous "best of" lists on this blog, so take this post as your reminder to check out these library books and treat yourself to some high-quality writing.