Brooklyn Book Festival

So many great events – their home page says it all:

The second annual Brooklyn Book Festival on September 16, 2007 is a book lover’s dream come true! The festival presents exciting and innovative fiction and non-fiction programs with author discussions and readings—come early to get a seat! Nearly 100 booksellers and thousands of books will fill beautiful Borough Hall Plaza and Columbus Park.  You can hear a poetry slam, participate in a define-a-thon, and have your favorite book signed by the author. Children can hear their best-loved books read at the Target Children’s Pavilion; teenagers will find sports, fantasy, graphic novels and more at the Independence Community Foundation Youth Pavilion.  The Brooklyn Book Festival is a best seller!  See you there!

Read the Book? See the Video.

BookVideos.tv offers compelling video stories that give readers insights into some of the world’s best authors. The social media video site offers the back story about the lives, personalities and the inspirations of these engaging writers. It is the place where your favorite books and authors come to life – watch Jodi Picoult, William Shatner, Mary Higgins Clark, Jeannette Walls, Susan Isaacs, Kathy Reichs, Zane, Sandra Brown, Philippa Gregory, and many more.

Attention Adult Harry Potter Fans!

Is reading Harry Potter your little secret? Caught up in the magic and otherworldly adventure? Try the Dresden Files series by Jim Butcher, a “Harry Potter” for adults. The main character, whose name is also Harry, is a wizard for hire in modern day Chicago. He battles demons, vampires, werewolves and other various monsters on a daily basis while struggling with bills and dealing with personal relationships. His escapades are a funny, wild ride through weirdness that has action, suspense, numerous plot twists and even some romance. The series titles are: Storm Front, Fool Moon, Grave Peril, Summer Knight, Death Masks, Blood Rites, Dead Beat, Proven Guilty, White Night and Small Favor (which is not yet published). Sit back, enjoy and don’t be afraid to laugh out loud, I do.

Library Flix

We’ve just added a collection of 450 films that can now be downloaded for free to your home computer. Another 250 are coming soon. The only ticket you need is your library card – with that you get the red carpet treatment!

Look for films like Ben Hur, Black Hawk Down, Philadelphia, Bonnie and Clyde, Casablanca, Brigadoon, Cabaret, Amadeus, Donnie Brasco, Rebel Without a Cause, Men in Black, Cool Hand Luke, Pulp Fiction, and King Kong. TV series such as Jewel in the Crown, Agatha Christie’s Poirot, and Patrick McGoohan’s Danger Man and The Prisoner. All of these and more are available from the “Download Media” portion of our website. Click on MyLibraryDV and follow the instructions
from there.

John Coltrane-Jazz Icon

Did you know that John Coltrane’s Home is right here in Dix Hills?  If you caught Gene Seymour’s article in Newsday last month, you discovered that the home is being restored to the way it was when the Coltrane family lived there.  It will then be opened to the public as a historic home.

Visit the library (Dix Hills building) to see our Coltrane display and pick up a copy of our bibliography devoted to the jazz legend.

Tell Your World War II Story

Did you live through the war?  Do you know someone who did?  Write your story -or theirs and send it to WLIW at “War Stories,” P.O. Box 1313, New York, NY 10116.  They will post it to the War Stories Website and it might even become part of a broadcast documentary.  Visit www.thirteen.org or www.wliw.org or call 212-560-2888 for more information.

Note:  “By submitting material, you give WNET, WLIW or EBC permission to publish, exhibit, distribute and otherwise use your submission in any manner in connection with the War Stories Project.”

Come into the library to see a poster about the project and the September 22 premiere of “New York War Stories.”

What I do on my summer vacation!

I don’t know what most people do on their vacation but I read, a lot! Vacation is the very best time to catch up on reading; no beds to make, clothes to wash or meals to cook or clean up from.

My vacation spot is 7 miles out in the Atlantic Ocean, a perfect place for catching up on my reading. I start weeks before we leave to select my reading material. I put aside any new magazines I receive in the mail, sort through all the unread books lying around the house and consider each one. Is it something I need to read for book group on deadline, that goes at the top of the pile, (This year the title is The Secret Book of Grazia dei Rossi by Jacqueline Park) ,  something I have been putting aside because it requires too much concentration or something I just picked up. I try to be very selective since books can be heavy and I have a weight limit.

When I get back in September, I will report on what I read . In the meantime, take a look at www.shelfari.com.  There you will find lots of books to choose from.

As they say, “so many books, so little time.”

Enjoy vintage children’s books for free

     The Rosetta Project is the largest collection of illustrated antique books online.  Every one of their enormous selection of children’s books is available to read online, page by page, or download in a zip file.  Some have accompanying audio files.  The quaint and charming illustrations are beautiful and filled with nostalgia.  Spend some time with your children reading and  exploring this wonderful combination of familiar and new.