Pemberley Revisited

Pride, Prejudice, and P.D. James
Due out next week is the U.S. edition of Death Comes to Pemberely by critically acclaimed British crime novelist, P.D. James. The author, a life-long admirer of Jane Austen's classic novels, takes us back to Pemberley where a murder tale unfolds.

Though we've only read excerpts from the book, we predict this one will find its way in to the land of must-read.  Fans of Austen or James?  Place your holds...

Further Reading, Listening, and Viewing
Fans of Austen's books probably won't need a refresher course on Pride and Prejudice (different formats, incarnations or loosely based-on, parody) any more than P.D. James fans are likely to forget the likes of Devices and Desires, Children of Men, Original Sin, or Certain Justice.

If you are a fan of one author but don't know much about the other, consider reading outside the box!

About Jane Austen
A Jane Austen Education : How Six Novels Taught Me About Love, Friendship, and The Things That Really Matter by William Deresiewicz
Jane Austen : A Life by Claire Tomalin
Jane Austen, Obstinate Heart : A Biography by Valerie Grosvenor Myer

Surf's Up
Enjoy an interview with P.D. James, courtesy of the U.K.'s Telegraph or visit The Republic of Pemberley.

Spiritual Matters

Inspirational Reads

Here's a short list of new titles on religious and spiritual topics.

Beyond Religion : Ethics for a Whole World by Dalai Lama
The Dalai Lama delivers a familiar and compelling message on compassion, wisdom, and morality. Release date is Tuesday, December 6.

Man Seeks God : My Flirtations with the Divine by Eric Weiner
Weiner (The Geography of Bliss) travels to Turkey, China, Israel, and Nepal, among other places, on a midlife spiritual quest.

The Rise and Fall of the Bible : The Unexpected History of an Accidental Book by Timothy Beal
Learn about the history of the Bible from Beal, a professor of religious studies at Case Western Reserve University.

Twelve Steps to a Compassionate Life by Karen Armstrong
Religion historian, Armstrong (The Case for God), argues for compassion and living the Golden Rule as an everyday enterprise. Armstrong was instrumental in creating The Charter for Compassion, a project funded by TED (Technology, Entertainment, Design), a non-profit devoted to "ideas worth spreading".

In the Shadow of the Buddha : Secret Journeys, Sacred Histories, and Spiritual Discovery in Tibet by Matteo Pistono
Part travelogue, part spiritual memoir, part controversial political reportage, the author, a practicing Buddhist, chronicles his travels to Tibet.

The Torah Revolution : Fourteen Truths That Changed the World by Reuven Hammer
The author, an influential Conservative rabbi, explores the underpinnings of Jewish faith and belief.

Evolutionary Enlightenment : A New Path to Spiritual Awakening by Andrew Cohen
For fans of Deepak Chopra (The Shadow Effect), the present moment awareness movement, or Eckhart Tolle.

Unprotected Texts : The Bible's Surprising Contradictions About Sex and Desire by Jennifer Wright Knust
Knust, a Baptist pastor and theology professor, explores challenging and controversial topics in both the Old and the New Testament.

Happy Holidays!

Mix and Match for Kids
From October 1 to December 31 of each year, we have a close bunch of holidays that we celebrate in different ways.

With Halloween long behind us, Thankgiving this week, and December's holiday season just around the corner, here's a selection of kid friendly holiday resources to jump start your late-year family celebrations.

Thanksgiving Day!
FREE (Federal Resources for Educational Excellence)
Check out online resources about Thanksgiving provided by the Library of Congress, Smithsonian Institute, National Archives and more!

Books and Reading
Here's a few of the latest books added to our kiddo December holiday reading collections:
A Bad Kitty Christmas by Nick Bruel
Harvest of Light by Allison Ofanansky
Babymouse: A Very Babymouse Christmas by Jennifer Holm
A Christmas Tree for Pyn by Olivier Dunrea
Home for Christmas by Jan Brett
Hanukkah, Oh Hanukkah by Olga Ivanov and Aleksey Ivanov
Lighthouse Christmas by Toni Buzzeo
The Littlest Evergreen by Henry Cole

Chocolate, Wine, Cheese... MMmmm

Holiday Entertaining
If you missed last Saturday's seminar on pairing chocolates with wine and cheese for maximum flavor and effect, stop by the library to pick up an information sheet distributed during the program.

You might also like to mark your calendars for a second program presented by the gourmet chocolatiers from Klassic Kreations. On December 3rd, we'll be exploring savory appetizers paired with heart-healthy chocolate, plus holiday tablescaping ideas.

Books and Reading
Here are but a few off-beat books related to last Saturday's program topic :
Unquenchable : a Tipsy Quest for the World's Best Bargain Wines by Natalie MacLean
Food Presentation Secrets by Cara Hobday & Jo Denbury
Chocolate : A Bittersweet Saga of Light and Dark by Mort Rosenblum
A Passion for Cheese by Paul Gayler
Cheese & Wine by Janet Kessel Fletcher
Making Artisan Chocolates by Andrew Garrison Shotts

Walking In a Winter Wonderland : Village LIONS Fundraiser

Sleigh Bells Ring! Are You Listening?

The library's main reading room is now adorned with a superb selection of wreathes, table-top trees, gift baskets, and other festive items you might like to add use for holiday decorating and entertaining.  All of the items were created and donated by local residents, organizations, and businesses.

Silent Auction
All items will be on display through Saturday, December 3. Browse the collection, place your bids, then mark your calendars and join the Village Lions in the library Community Room on Sunday, December 4 for a gala reception and auction results. Details to follow.

Neighbors Helping Neighbors
This is the third year for the inventive Belltown Winter Wonderland Fundraiser which celebrates our community's creative and generous spirit. The program also offers an easy way to spend your dollars locally, with assurance that your dollars will stay in our community. All funds raised from the auction will go to the East Hampton Fuel Bank.

Turkey Day!

"Thanksgiving dinners take eighteen hours to prepare. They are consumed in twelve minutes. Half-times take twelve minutes. This is not coincidence." ~ Erma Bombeck

Thanksgiving, a great American tradition, brings to mind parades, feasts, football, family, friendship, and above all -- gratitude.  As we all plan for the upcoming holiday, here's a few quick lists of practical and enjoyable books.

Meal Planning
The library offers oodles of cookbooks that speak to a variety of preferences and lifestyle choices.  Supplement or trade any of these more traditional titles and plan a perfect holiday meal.
New Thanksgiving Table by Diane Morgan
Thanksgiving 101 by Rick Rodgers
Betty Crocker Complete Thanksgiving Cookbook
Thanksgiving Entertaining by Lou Seibert Pappas
Gather : Memorable Menus for Entertaining..by Georgeanne Brennan
Happy Holidays from the Diva of Do-Ahead by Diane Phillips

Football Favorites
From classic to sublime; a few with DVD companions:
The Blind Side by Michael Lewis
Friday Night Lights by H. G. Bissinger
Paper Lion by George Plimpton
North Dallas Forty by Peter Gent
Carry the Rock : Race, Football, and the Soul of an American City by Jay Jennings
Pigskin Warriors : 140 Years of College Football's Greatest Traditions..by Steven Travers
The Glory Game : How the 1958 NFL Championship Changed Football Forever by Frank Gifford

Books for Kids
Check out our Children's Services' holiday book section for these and other fun titles:
Five Silly Turkeys by Salina Yoon
Balloons Over Broadway by Melissa Sweet
Fancy Nancy : Our Thanksgiving Banquet by Jane O'Connor
I Know an Old Lady Who Swallowed a Pie by Alison Jackson
An Old-Fashioned Thanksgiving by Louisa May Alcott
One Is a Feast for Mouse by Judy Cox
Amelia Bedilia Talks Turkey by Herman Parish

Reading a Life...

Biographies and Memoirs

Last February, publisher Alfred K. Knopf used Twitter to ask people why they read biographies. If the responses resonate with you, here's a quick list of the latest, all about fascinating people.

Technology
Walter Isaacson's biography of globally successful hi-tech genius entrepreneur, Steve Jobs, is available in book and audio CD formats. Also on CD is The Steve Jobs Way : iLeadership for a New Generation by Jay Elliot. Your kids might enjoy Steve Jobs, Steve Wozniak and the Personal Computer by Donald B. Lemke.

American Authors
Just One Catch : a Biography of Joseph Heller by Tracy Daugherty
And So It Goes : Kurt Vonnegut, A Life by Charles J. Shields
Blue Nights by Joan Didion

Hemingway's Boat by Paul Hendrickson

American History
Jack Kennedy : Elusive Hero by Chris Matthews

Pair this one with Jacqueline Kennedy : Historic Conversations on Life with John F. Kennedy by Jacqueline Kennedy Onassis or for kids, Kennedy Through the Lens by Martin W. Sandler.

World History and Art
Try Catherine the Great : Portrait of a Woman by Pulitzer-winning biographer Robert K. Massie (Nicholas and Alexandra and Peter the Great). Art history fans might try Van Gogh : the Life by Steven Naifeh & Gregory White Smith.

Sports
Sports fans will find Los Angeles Laker Jerry West's memoir, West by West, a compelling read. Also try the biography of the late Walter Payton, star running back for 1985's Super Bowl winning Chicago Bears.  Baseball fans will appreciate Brooklyn Dodgers pitcher Ralph Branca's memoir, A Moment in Time : an American Story of Baseball, Heartbreak, and Grace.

Film
Immerse yourself in books about influential film critics Pauline Kael (The New Yorker) and Roger Ebert, Pulitzer Prize-winning film critic for the Chicago Sun-Times.  Also find Marc Eliot's biography of the late "King of Cool" film icon, Steve McQueen.

Popular Music/Popular Culture
Pick and choose bios (solid and sort-of) : Judy Collins, Mick Jagger, Harry Belafonte, Bill Cosby, Ellen DeGeneres, Michael Moore.  For a big stretch on the idea of "biography", documentary films about Pearl Jam and George Lucas offer fun viewing.

Kid Classics

Never Out of Style
Here's a quick list of perennially popular picture book titles that have stood the test of time. If you and the latest little person in your life haven't had the pleasure, curling up with any of these kid classics will be a fun reading ride!

In some cases, favorite characters appear in additional books that you can enjoy, too.

Swimmy by Leo Lionni
Corduroy by Don Freeman
Rosie's Walk by Pat Hutchins
Shy Charles by Rosemary Wells
On the Day You Were Born by Debra Frasier
Julius, the Baby of the World by Kevin Henkes
Harry the Dirty Dog by Gene Zion
Tikki Tikki Tembo by Arlene Mosel
Good Morning Chick by Mirra Ginsburg
Little Gorilla by Ruth Bornstein
Whistle for Willie by Ezra Jack Keats
Five Little Monkeys Jumping On the Bed by Eileen Christelow
Chicken Soup with Rice : A Book of Months by Maurice Sendak
Harold and the Purple Crayon by Crockett Johnson
"More More More" Said the Baby : 3 Love Stories by Vera B. Williams

NaNoWriMo? Get Going!

Logo courtesy of National
Novel Writing Month

It's National Novel Writing Month
If there's a book inside you, give a look at the NaNoWriMo website.  Sign up for a free account, post your daily word counts, and track your progress as you work towards writing 50,000 words in a month.  That about 175 pages in 30 days.

If you need a push, gentle shove, or kick in the pantalones to get started, check out Nanowrimo's Pep Talk Archive.  Your favorite authors offer inspiration...

Steampunk!

More Than Old-Fashioned Contraptions...
If you are interested in how the future was conceived in the past, join us at the library for a couple of Steampunk-related programs. If you would like to read ahead on the subject, click for a few recommended books, including the Steampunk Bible.

On Tuesday, November 15th, we'll be showing The Time Machine (the ultimate Steampunk gizmo) based on 1895's same-name speculative novel by H.G. Wells. If you grew up with this film, we invite you to join us and share your comments.  Click on over and watch the trailer.  Film discussion program begins at 6:30 p.m.; all are welcomed.

On Thursday, November 17, Our Take A Break Series will feature an overview of Steampunk as a genre in both fiction, film, and art. Also use your creativity to make yourself a Steampunk-inspired brooch.