1st adult book from Harry Potter's JK Rowling

Mark your calendars and place your library holds now; 'Harry Potter' creator J.K. Rowling is releasing her first-ever novel for adults on September 27th.  The highly-anticipated book The Casual Vacancy is a big departure from her famous wizarding world, following the early death of a small town councilman whose demise reveals deep-rooted conflicts in his seemingly idyllic community.  Mastics-Moriches-Shirley Community Library has several copies on order and is already adding names to its waiting list, so place your hold today!

Inspiring new nonfiction

Looking for some new nonfiction that will inspire and uplift you?  Try:

• Master Class: Living Longer, Stronger, and Happier - Drawing from the latest research in psychology as well as inspirational stories from active seniors, this guide shows how to build and maintain an enriching, happy lifestyle in the golden years of life.
• A Golden Voice: How Faith, Hard Work, and Humility Brought Me from the Streets to Salvation - A former homeless man featured in a viral YouTube video shares the complete story of how he lost his successful career to a crack addiction, tracing his journey through homelessness and crime before finding love and redemption.
• How Much Is Enough? - Analyzes questions that arose from the 2008 financial crisis while assessing the predictions of John Maynard Keynes, sharing the authors' views of a positive life and how recent generations have traded morality for wealth.
• Perfect Chaos - Recounts the co-author's descent into suicidal depression due to bipolar disorder and her family's efforts to secure treatments, a pursuit that required daily struggles to manage symptoms, understand the disorder, and rebuild trust.

Happy reading from Mastics-Moriches-Shirley Community Library!

Summer reading club sign up starts today!

Stop by Mastics-Moriches-Shirley Community Library starting today to sign up for our annual Summer Reading Club!  For any book you read and review, you will be entered to win great prize baskets, starting in July.  Check the site often to get great book recommendations from your friends and neighbors, too.  Happy reading!

New Beach Reads

Plan on heading to Smith Point Park this weekend?  Stop by the Mastics-Moriches-Shirley Community Library on your way to check out one of these great new beach-bum reads.

• I Couldn't Love You More by Jillian Medoff - Enjoying a fulfilling if precariously balanced life with her partner, daughter and two stepdaughters, Eliot Gordon finds her children and everything she has worked for threatened by the arrival of her long-lost first love and a shocking chain of events.
• The Cottage at Glass Beach by Heather Doran Barbieri - Humiliated by her husband's infidelity, forty-year-old Nora Keane, married to the youngest attorney general in Massachusetts, takes refuge with her maternal aunt on Burke's Island off the coast of Maine.
• Skinnydipping by Bethenny Frankel - A tale loosely based on the author's early adulthood follows the experiences of a struggling actress and outspoken businesswoman whose ambitions lead her through several high-profile relationships.
• Beach House Memories by Mary Alice Monroe - A tale set in the 1970s American South shares the story of Lovie Rutledge, who reflects on a summer during which a beach vacation to escape her unfaithful, disdainful husband culminates in a fateful romance with a handsome biologist.
• Barefoot in the Sand by Roxanne St. Claire - When she decides to build a hotel on Mimosa Key after a hurricane destroys her home, Lacey Armstrong is distracted from her goal by architect Clay Walker, who is in desperate need of a job as he tries to get his life back on track.

Popular Book Club Books

Not sure what book to pick for your book club?  Here are some popular discussion-worthy books, many of which have multiple copies available at your Community Library:

• Hunger Games - In a future North America, where the rulers of Panem maintain control through a televised survival competition pitting young people against one another, sixteen-year-old Katniss's skills are put to the test when she voluntarily takes her younger sister's place.
• The Paris Wife - Follows the life of Ernest Hemingway's first wife, Hadley, as she navigates 1920s Paris.
• The Night Circus - Waging a fierce competition for which they have trained since childhood, circus magicians Celia and Marco unexpectedly fall in love with each other and share a fantastical romance that manifests in fateful ways.
• The Weird Sisters - Unwillingly brought together to care for their ailing mother, three sisters who were named after famous Shakespearean characters discover that everything they have been avoiding may prove more worthwhile than expected. 
• The Fault in Our Stars - Sixteen-year-old Hazel, a stage IV thyroid cancer patient, has accepted her terminal diagnosis until a chance meeting with a boy at cancer support group forces her to reexamine her perspective on love, loss, and life.

Royal Historical Fiction

Kings, princesses, emperors, sultans, pharaohs... the lives of all monarchs are fair game in these works of historical fiction.  Check out a few novels featuring royalty from Mastics-Moriches-Shirley Community Library, currently on display in the fiction section.  Titles include Nefertiti, The Tsarina's Daughter, Imperium and Theodora: Actress, Empress, Whore.  Need more suggestions? Take a look at the complete Royal Historical Fiction book list, assembled by librarian Kelly S.

Listen to our new Playaways...

Did you know that Mastics-Moriches-Shirley Community Library offers Playaways?  These are pocket-sized mp3 players that come preloaded with a specific book.  Use them with your current headphones or earbuds - batteries are included.  They're perfect for bibliophiles on the go!  Check out one of these new Playaways from various genres:

• Darkness Falls by Cate Tiernan - While living at River's Edge where she is learning to cope with her darker impulses, immortal Nastasya's ties to dark magic get in her way once again and she is pulled back into her former destructive lifestyle.
• Getting Off: A Novel of Sex and Violence by Lawrence Block - After a woman begins killing her one-night stands right after sex, she thinks of all the men she bedded before her killing spree, who got away alive--and begins to murder them, too, one by one.
• The Wedding Quilt by Jennifer Chiaverini - As the wedding day of Sarah McClure's daughter Caroline approaches, Sarah is determined that the blocks in her daughter's quilt will display a vivid pastiche of love in all its varieties.

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.

Curl up with a good library book!

Community Library cardholders can now sign up for the 2012 Winter Reading Club!  Whether you read print books or e-books, Mastics-Moriches-Shirley Community Library wants to hear your opinions.  Join the dialogue: sign up & share your reviews here starting today, and stop by the library for your free sign-up gift.  Each review you submit is also an entry for the raffle prize of the week, so the more you read, the more chances you have to win! 

Final Summer Reading Club Update

Congratulations to Jackie Williams-Gerard, who won the "Making Memories" raffle basket, the eigth of eight weekly prizes offered through the 2011 Adult Department Summer Reading Club! This year's Summer Reading Club is now officially over, with 428 members logging reviews for a grand total of 970 books. Thanks everyone for helping make this program a success!

Week 7 Summer Reading Club Update

Congratulations to Peg E., who won the "Shutter Bug" raffle basket, the seventh of eight weekly prizes offered through the 2011 Adult Department Summer Reading Club! It's not too late to join this all-online club for book lovers, which is free and open to all adult Mastics-Moriches-Shirley Community Library cardholders: sign up here or call (631) 399-1511 x 240. You can read or listen to any book you want, and for each book review you contribute to our site, you're entered to win the raffle prize of the week. So far over 600 books have been reviewed! Next week's prize is "Making Memories;" good luck and happy reading from your Community Library!

Week 6 Summer Reading Club Update

Congratulations to Deborah E. , who won the "Tea-Licious" raffle basket, the sixth of eight weekly prizes offered through the 2011 Adult Department Summer Reading Club! It's not too late to join this all-online club for book lovers, which is free and open to all adult Mastics-Moriches-Shirley Community Library cardholders: sign up here or call (631) 399-1511 x 240. You can read or listen to any book you want, and for each book review you contribute to our site, you're entered to win the raffle prize of the week. So far over 550 books have been reviewed! Next week's prize is "Shutter Bug;" good luck and happy reading from your Community Library!

Week 5 Summer Reading Club Update

Congratulations to Rachel P., who won the "How Tweet It Is" raffle basket, the fifth of eight weekly prizes offered through the 2011 Adult Department Summer Reading Club! It's not too late to join this all-online club for book lovers, which is free and open to all adult Mastics-Moriches-Shirley Community Library cardholders: sign up here or call (631) 399-1511 x 240. You can read or listen to any book you want, and for each book review you contribute to our site, you're entered to win the raffle prize of the week. So far over 350 books have been reviewed! Next week's prize is "Tea-Licious;" good luck and happy reading from your Community Library!

Week 4 Summer Reading Club Update

Congratulations to Rachel A., who won the "Take a Hike" raffle basket, the fourth of eight weekly prizes offered through the 2011 Adult Department Summer Reading Club! It's not too late to join this all-online club for book lovers, which is free and open to all adult Mastics-Moriches-Shirley Community Library cardholders: sign up here or call (631) 399-1511 x 240. You can read or listen to any book you want, and for each book review you contribute to our site, you're entered to win the raffle prize of the week. So far over 350 books have been reviewed! Next week's prize is "How Tweet It Is;" good luck and happy reading from your Community Library!

Summer Reading Club Trends

Only halfway into this year's summer reading club and it's already obvious that most members have very diverse reading tastes. Still, a few books are already emerging as this summer's most popular reads. Leading the list is James Patterson's new book 10th Anniversary; six of the reading club's 300+ members read it. Four people gave it 5 stars and two people gave it 4 stars. His book Now You See Her has also been a popular choice, with three people reading it so far. Other popular reads include (in no particular order): Kiss of Midnight, The Postmistress, Buried Prey, Miles to Go, Quicksilver, and I'll Walk Alone. Two titles which are surprisingly popular given that they're not new releases are Stephen King's 2009 Under the Dome and Dear John by Nicholas Sparks, which was published in 2006 but has since been turned into a movie. Popular authors include James Patterson, Stephen King, Charlaine Harris, Stephenie Meyer, Nora Roberts, Sara Shepard (Pretty Little Liars series), and Richard Paul Evans.

Remember, even if you're not a Summer Reading Club member, you can see for yourself what others in the club have been reading here. Also, it's not too late to join: click here to do so & remember to stop by the Information desk the next time you're at the library to pick up your free sign-up prize, which consists of candy, a bookmark, and a luggage tag that fits this year's Club theme, "Novel Destinations."

Week 3 Summer Reading Club Update

Congratulations to Althea D., who won the "Grill Master" raffle basket, the third of eight weekly prizes offered through the 2011 Adult Department Summer Reading Club! It's not too late to join this all-online club for book lovers, which is free and open to all adult Mastics-Moriches-Shirley Community Library cardholders: sign up here or call (631) 399-1511 x 240. You can read or listen to any book you want, and for each book review you contribute to our site, you're entered to win the raffle prize of the week. So far over 300 books have been reviewed! Next week's prize is "Take a Hike;" good luck and happy reading from your Community Library!

Reader Review: The Help by Kathryn Stockett

The Help by Kathryn Stockett has enjoyed continued success since its original publication in 2009 (as evidenced by the fact that your Community Library owns over 20 copies and still has trouble keeping them on the shelf!). Here's a quick plot summary: "Twenty-two-year-old Skeeter has just returned home after graduating from Ole Miss. She may have a degree, but it is 1962, Mississippi, and her mother will not be happy till Skeeter has a ring on her finger. Skeeter would normally find solace with her beloved maid Constantine, the woman who raised her, but Constantine has disappeared and no one will tell Skeeter where she has gone." Interested? One Summer Reading Club member puts it best: "Hurry up and read it before the movie comes out."

Week 2 Summer Reading Club Update

Congratulations to Audrey L., who won the "Let's Boogie" raffle basket, the second of eight weekly prizes offered through the 2011 Adult Department Summer Reading Club! It's not too late to join this all-online club for book lovers, which is free and open to all adult Mastics-Moriches-Shirley Community Library cardholders: sign up here or call (631) 399-1511 x 240. You can read or listen to any book you want, and for each book review you contribute to our site, you're entered to win the raffle prize of the week. So far over 200 books have been reviewed! Next week's prize is "Grill Master;" good luck and happy reading from your Community Library!