Non-Fiction Finalists

NBA 2012
From Mumbai to Texas, Oklahoma to the Middle East, or in the days of LBJ, try one of the five non-fiction books nominated for the National Book Award, scheduled for award on November 14.

Click on the title to check book reviews, availability, or to place hold. Click on the author to read an author bio, an excerpt from the book, and to explore additional links.

Iron Curtain : the Crushing of Eastern Europe, 1945-1956 -- by Anne Applebaum
Behind the Beautiful Forevers : Life, Death, and Hope in a Mumbai Undercity -- by Catherine Boo
The Passage of Power -- by Robert J. Caro
The Boy Kings of Texas : A Memoir  -- by Domingo Martinez
House of Stone : a Memoir of Home, Family, and a Lost Middle East -- by Anthony Shadid

Someone's In the Kitchen

Chef's Surprise
With holiday season on the horizon, publishers tend to feature cookbooks and so do we. Here's a few:

Barefoot Contessa Foolproof : Recipes You Can Trust by Ina Garten
Enjoy TV chef Garten's latest collection of mouth-watering recipes. This an many other titles from this Food Network favorite are available.

The Gluten-free Table : the Lagasse Girls Share Their Favorite Meals by Jilly Lagasse and Jesse Lagasse Swanson
From the daughters of celebrity chef Emeril, who both follow gluten-free diets and know more than little about keeping the flavors in and the gluten out.

The Epicurious Cookbook : More than 250 of Our Best-Loved Four-Fork Recipes
The first-ever cookbook from the editors of Epicurious online. The book is organized seasonally and by type of meal.

Moufflet : More than 100 Gourmet Recipes That Rise to Any Occasion by Kelly Jaggers
Muffins need not be boring. Jaggers serves up all kinds of recipes featuring muffins as an opening meal item, side, or dessert.

Grain Mains : 101 Sexy, Satisfying Recipes That Move Whole Grains to the Center of the Plate by Bruce Weinstein and Mark Scarbrough
The latest from a cookbook author duo with a Connecticut connection.

Parents Need to Eat Too : Nap-Friendly Cooking, One-Handed Meals, and Time-Saving Tricks for New Parents by Debbie Koenig; forward by Lara Field
Pair this one with slow-cooker titles.

Edible DIY : Simple, Giftable Recipes to Savor and Share by Lucy Baker
75 recipes with plenty of packaging tips.

Thanksgiving : How to Cook It Well by Sam Sifton
Enjoy advice from a former food critic for the New York Times and guy who loves Turkey Day.

Nothing Like a Zombie Hoard...

Zombie Jamboree

What a busy day! Traffic everywhere. Gas station lines around the block.  Milk and bread at the grocery stores? Gone, baby, gone. As if we didn't have the much greater worry of Hurricane Sandy, we inadvertently let loose a rather sizable group of zombie makeup hoarders this afternoon.  Lock your doors, avoid the moaning, lurching horde, and use your time to prepare your family for the storm.  Be safe, East Hampton!

Many thanks to special effects makeup artists Caroline Wilcox and Deb Brennan for their expertise and a haunting afternoon at the library.

Second-Hand Prose

In For a Quarter...
If you fancy an inexpensive read -- more expensive than borrowing a library book for free but still absolutely, certainly inexpensive -- do check out the Second Hand Prose book shelves located in the library's lobby.  Paperback books sell for a quarter; hardcovers for a dollar. 'Special' books are often featured and are priced separately, as are occasionally donated DVDs.

Books for Kids
Children's books fans may also find inexpensive reads in the Children's Services area's book sale bins.  Most books sell for a quarter; some for a dime.

Friends of the Library
Proceeds from used book sales help our Friends of the Library group. The Friends annually fund the library's Museum Pass Program, summer reading activities and prizes, plus other special programs and projects.

If you have ever benefited from the museum pass program, please do consider volunteering your time to staff the Friend's Book Store on a Saturday morning from 10 a.m. to 12 p.m. or 10 a.m. to 1 p.m. Sign up at the library or contact us at (860) 267-6621 for more information. It takes many dimes, quarters, and dollars to get you to a museum at discount or for free...

Fiction Finalists

NBA 2012
Ready to read off the best seller list? Try one of the five fiction books nominated for a 2012 National Book Award, scheduled for award on November 14.

Click on the title to check book reviews, availability, or to place hold.  Click on the author to read an author bio, an excerpt from the book, and to explore additional links.

This Is How You Lose Her -- by Junot Diaz
A Hologram for the King -- by Dave Eggers
The Round House -- by Louise Erdrich
Billy Lynn's Long Halftime Walk -- by Ben Fountain
The Yellow Birds -- by Kevin Powers

Ridin' In Your Car

Vroom... Vroom...
If you are an antique car aficionado or car lover in general, you may be pleased to know the library has a subscription to Automobile Quarterly, aptly subtitled The Connoisseur's Magazine of Motoring  - Today, Yesterday, and Tomorrow.

East Hampton's own Belltown Antique Car Club funds the subscription.  Meet with like-minded car club fans first Wednesday of the month in the library's Community Room.

Books and Reading

On the cars in books front, we offer quick picks for cool-on-wheels reading:

Engines of Change : A History of the American Dream in Fifteen Cars by Paul Ingrassia
An entertaining social history of the fifteen cars : from the Model-T, to the sporty or speedy, and on to mini-vans, utilities, and hybrids.

Blood and Smoke : The Unsolved Mystery of the First Indie 500 by Charles Leerhsen
Explore the early days of Indie and we mean early. The first Indianapolis Motor Speedway opened in 1909.

Car : The Definitive History of the Automobile edited by Kathryn Hennessy
From DK, enjoy an "international view of the automobile through time."

Online Service

For DIY car repair and maintenance, there is no more trusted name than Chilton's Manuals. Now with ChiltonLibrary.com, you can access wiring diagrams, diagnostic codes, and maintenance tables for thousands of cars and trucks -- 24/7. Use your East Hampton Public Library card barcode number to log in.

Mars Madness

Late Spring on Mars
Image courtesy of NASA.gov

Red Planet Favorites
Understanding Mars is always a hot topic, made hotter still last August when "Curiosity" became the fourth rover to explore the Red Planet.  On the Mars in fiction front, we offer a round-up of a few classics.

War of the Worlds by H.G. Wells
The Martian Chronicles by Ray Bradbury
Mars Trilogy by Kim Stanley Robinson (Red Mars, Green Mars, Blue Mars)
Prelude to Mars by Arthur C. Clark
Man Plus by Frederik Pohl
Stranger in a Strange Land by Robert Heinlein
Mars Trilogy (Mars, Return to Mars, Mars Life) by Ben Bova
Rainbow Mars by Larry Niven
John Carter of Mars by Edgar Rice Burroughs

Non-Fiction Picks

Packing for Mars by Mary Roach
Less about Mars than the effects of long-term space travel.
Roving Mars (documentary video)
The story of NASA's two rovers, Spirit and Opportunity, which are currently driving around Mars.
Sojourner : an Insider's View of the Mars Pathfinder Mission by Andrew Mishkin
Chronicles one of the early Mars landing missions. We've since moved on to roving...

For Kids
Far-out Guide to Mars by Mary Kay Carson
The Mighty Mars Rovers : the Incredible Adventures of Spirit and Opportunity by Elizabeth Rusch
Mars : You Decide How to Survive! by Hena Khan and David Borgenicht

Surf's Up
NASA Mars Exploration Program
Discovery Space : Top 10 Sites on Mars
NASA Be a Martian!

Day of Discovery

Image courtesy of
DC Public Library

Columbus Day Holiday
We're certain you all remember the first line of this poem :
"In fourteen hundred ninety two
Columbus sailed the ocean blue."

We're also certain you'll all be out and about tomorrow and so we offer a few suggestions on how to spend a little of your Columbus Day quiet time.

Christopher Columbus : Walk the Plank Game
Answer 10 trivia questions from a bank of 20 though the motivational message is most certainly quirky and your choice. There are many other free versions of Walk the Plank history games available.

BBC Primary History : Famous People
Learn or refresh you knowledge about Columbus, then play a game to help Columbus prepare for his voyage.

Nova Online : Lost At Sea - The Search for Longitude
On the more challenging front, try your hand at being a virtual marine navigator. You'll need a Shockwave plug-in to play.

See you on Tuesday, October 9 at 10 a.m. The library is closed tomorrow, Columbus Day.

Our Shoes Were Made For Walking

And That's Just What We'll Do...
On any day and in conventional time, you are likely to see East Hampton's walkers. Some stroll; others power walk. Some walk with their children and/or favorite pooch; others may walk for a more solitary experience. Some you'll meet on the larger Village Center's sidewalk system; others on more rural roads and trails.

If you're walking, or thinking about it, we offer a quick list of titles that may provide can-do inspiration. Armchair travel and other reads to ponder round out the list.

Chiwalking : The Five Mindful Steps for Lifelong Health and Energy by Danny Dreyer and Katherine Dreyer

Dog Walks Man : A Six-Legged Odyssey by John Zeaman

The Connecticut Walk Book East from the CT Park & Forest Association

Healing Walks for Hard Times : Quiet Your Mind, Strengthen Your Body, and Get Your Life Back by Carolyn Scott Kortge

Walk a Hound Lose a Pound : How You and Your Dog Can Lose Weight, Stay Fit, and Have Fun Together by Phil Zeltzman and Rebecca A. Johnson

Walk Off Weight by Michele Stanten

Walk Across America by Peter Jenkins

Wanderlust : a History of Walking by Rebecca Solnit

The Lost Art of Walking : the History, Science, Philosophy and Literature of Pedestrianism by Geoff Nicholson 

The Walker's Companion by Elizabeth Ferber

Videos
Walking for Weight Loss
Walk Away the Pounds : Super Fat Burning with Leslie Sansone
Leslie Sansone's Walk and Jog
Leslie Sansone Walk at Home

Audio Companions
Nothing like a soothing voice and a good read to help you pass the time on the walkway. The library offers downloadable audio books and audio books on CD and MP3 disc. Enjoy your stroll ... animated cutie courtesy of Animateit.net.

"L" Is for "Library and "Z" Is for Zombie

Zombify You! 
Buckle up costume party fans! Get grungy and learn how to "zombify" yourself using guidance from makeup artists Caroline Wilcox and Deb Brennan. With makeup in place, we'll add some accessories, practice the zombie shuffle, and move around like the undead (a very 'rigor'ous way to walk).

This pre-Halloween program is scheduled for Saturday, October 27th beginning at 1 p.m. Appropriate for zombie hordes ages 12 and up; click here to register.

Zombie Page-Turners
A quick list of walking dead favorites for older tweens or older teens, several more subtle than the usual zombie fare.
The Enemy Series by Charlie Higson (In order : The Enemy, The Dead, The Fear)
The Forest of Hands and Teeth by Carrie Ryan
The Chronicles of Nick by Sherrilyn Kenyon (In order : Infinity, Invincible, Infamous)
Raising Stony Mayhall by Daryl Gregory
World War Z by Max Brooks
Pride and Prejudice and Zombies Series
Rot and Ruin by Jonathan Maberry
Zone One by Colson Whitehead

Just for Fun : Preparing for the Zombie Apocalypse
Laugh if you must but the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) is capitalizing of the zombie craze.  Here's one in a series of public service widgets designed to encourage emergency preparedness.

Elections for Little People

Cast Your Ballots!
Though your grade school kids won't be voting in the upcoming election, we here offer a quick list of lively books with a seasonal flavor. Fiction and non-fiction titles are included, mainly written with a light touch.

Election Day by Margaret McNamara
Grace for President by Kelly DiPucchio
Vote for Me! by Ben Clanton
Duck for President by Doreen Cronin
If I Ran for President by Catherine Stier
Shh! We're Writing the Constitution by Jean Fritz
Vote! by Eileen Christelow
Madam President by Lane Smith
Babymouse for President by Jennifer L. and Matthew Holm
White House Kids by Joe Rhatigan
Bad Kitty for President by Nick Bruel
John, Paul, George and Ben by Lane Smith
Our White House : Looking In, Looking Out with an introduction by David McCullough
Those Rebels, John & Tom by Barbara Kerley
The Democratic Process by Mark Friedman
The U.S. Constitution by Michael Burgan
George vs. George by Rosalyn Schanzer
Who's Haunting the White House? : the President's Mansion and the Ghosts Who Live There by Jeff Belanger
Presidential Races : Campaigning for the White House by Arlene Morris-Lipsman

Surf's Up
Web sites worth a gander...
Congress for Kids : from the Dirksen Congressional Center
Kids in the House : Four levels of content about the U.S. House of Representatives
Kids.gov : A portal to .edu and .gov websites
iCivics.org : A civics education site founded in 2009 by Justice Sandra Day O'Connor; for tweens, teens, and adults!

Thanks to School Library Journal for inspiration!