-posted by Sonia, Health Reference
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Tag Archives: questions
A Bookish Question…
The latest bookish question I posed to my co-workers was,
“What’s your favorite bookish memory?”
Here are some answers:
“I have two. My first favorite bookish memory is when I was having a reading competition with one of my friends to finish the last Harry Potter first. I don’t remember who ended up winning the contest but I remember us calling each other at night and checking in to see where the other one was in the book and what we thought of all that was happening. My second favorite bookish memory is when I was younger I used to hate being outside by the pool. Whenever we’d visit my paternal grandma I’d want to stay in her apartment and play on the computer. To get me to get fresh air my mom gave me one of her many Nora Roberts books, Key of Light. It’s the first in her Key trilogy. I ended up getting so absorbed and loved her writing that I finished her trilogy (and stayed outdoors much to my mom’s delight) within the next two days and became one of Nora’s biggest fans.”
– Stacey, Readers’ Services Librarian
“Reading the first Harry Potter book out loud to my daughter and trying to figure out how to pronounce all the Harry Potter lexicon. I sounded pretty silly!”
– Lisa C., Assistant Library Director
“I remember commuting into the Manhattan on the LIRR in the 80’s when women wore socks and sneakers with their skirts (ugh!). I was reading The Shell Seekers by Rosamunde Pilcher. I was so wrapped up in the story I started crying for one of the characters. The man sitting in the next seat had no sympathy for me. Not even a tissue.”
– Rosemarie B., Librarian Trainee
“Reading Gone With the Wind by Margaret Mitchell, as a teenager and I couldn’t put it down. But my mother needed me to set her hair with rollers, so mom read it aloud while I curled her hair.”
– Betty P., Reference Librarian
“During grade school I was captivated by two books. The first was The Pink Motel by Carol Ryrie Brink, in which two children get involved with solving a mystery having to do with the assorted colorful characters staying in the bungalows of their parents Florida motel. The other was Shadow Castle by Marian Cockrell which was the story of a fairy prince who falls in love with a mortal princess and the trials and tribulations that ensue. I read and reread these two books until they fell apart and I still have them both. My love of the mystery and romantic paramormal genres can be directly traced to the wonderful times I had reading these two books.”
– Sonia, Reference Librarian
-posted by Sonia, Reference Services
About Our Reading – 2013 #6 – the best and worst
In December I asked our staff if they wouldn’t mind answering some questions about the books they read in 2013. The answers have been posted in this blog during the last few weeks. In today’s post, the penultimate in the series, we tell you what our best and worst read were in 2013.
What book did you most enjoy in 2013?
Me Before You by Jojo Moyes – Evelyn, Readers’ Services Librarian and Audrey, Media Clerk
There are three I cannot choose between and each are this year’s favorites for me: The Ghost Writer by Philip Roth, The Round House by Louise Erdrich and The Cuckoo’s Calling by Robert Galbraith. – Sonia, Readers’ Services Librarian
The Lowland by Jhumpa Lahiri – Neela, Head of Acquisitions
Visitation Street by Ivy Pochoda – Ed, Head of Reference Services
Unbroken: A World War II Story of Survival, Resilience, and Redemption by Laura Hillenbrand – Jackie, Head of Readers’ Services and Amy, Children’s Librarian
New York by Edward Rutherfurd – Betty P., Reference Librarian
This is a hard one: can I do a toss up? The Manor: Three Centuries at a Slave Plantation on Long Island by Mac Griswold, a fascinating look at the Sylvester Manor on Shelter Island.
Island at the Center of the World by Russell Shorto, a deeply researched look at the history of Manhattan Island.
The Ear of the Heart: An Actress’ Journey from Hollywood to Holy Vows by Mother Dolores Hart, former 1950’s actress who is now the prioress of the Abbey of Regina Laudis in Bethlehem, CT. I had visited the abbey recently and found her story amazing. The title comes from the quote of St. Benedict “Listen and attend to the ear of the heart.”- Brenda, Reference Librarian
The Middlesteins by Jami Attenberg AND The Burgess Boys by Elizabeth Strout – Pam M., Head of Programming
I have five: The Dark Witch by Nora Roberts; The Thinking Woman’s Guide to Real Magic by Emily Croy Barker; The Golem and the Jinni by Helene Wecker; A Hundred Summers by Beatriz Williams and A Game of Thrones by George R. R. Martin – Stacey, Readers’ Services Librarian
I have four: Where’d You Go Bernadette by Maria Semple; Wonder by R. J. Palacio; Orphan Train by Christina Baker Kline and The House Girl by Tara Conklin.- Pam S., Reference Librarian
Days of Blood and Starlight by Laini Taylor – I can’t wait for the third book in this trilogy! (By the way, the first book in this trilogy, Daughter of Smoke and Bone, was one of my favorites of last year.) – Erica, Reference Librarian
What was the worst book you read in 2013?
A first in a mystery series I had high hopes for: The Christie Curse by Victoria Abbott. But there is a second installment coming out, so what do I know? – Sonia, Readers’ Services Libarian
Mesmer, Book 1: Sanctuary – a free Kindle read, I tried this out because of the summary but found I couldn’t stick with it for more than a few pages. I’ve seen some free Kindle reads be great…but not this one. – Erica, Reference Librarian
Behind the Beautiful Forevers: Life, Death, and Hope in a Mumbai Undercity by Katherine Boo – Pam S., Reference Librarian
Burnt Offerings by Laurell K. Hamilton – Stacey, Readers’ Services Librarian
Loss of Innocence by Richard North Patterson – Pam M., Head of Programming
Maybe not the worst book. I suppose for a summer beach read it is okay: Island Girls by Nancy Thayer – Brenda, Reference Librarian
The Woman Upstairs by Claire Messud – Audrey, Media Clerk and Evelyn, Readers’ Services Librarian
Gun Church by Reed Farrel Coleman – Ed, Head of Reference Services
– posted by Sonia, Readers’ Services
About Our Reading – 2013 #5
In December I asked our staff if they wouldn’t mind answering some questions about the books they read in 2013. We’ll be sharing their responses to various questions here on this blog, a few every day. So keep coming back to find out how our reading went in 2013.
Was there a book you read in 2013 that you were looking forward to and were disappointed by?
Burnt Offerings by Laurell K. Hamilton – Stacey, Readers’ Services Librarian
Girl of Fire and Thorns by Rae Carson – I really wanted to love this one based on the blurb, but I just couldn’t get into it. I got about halfway through and while I enjoyed Carson’s writing style, the characters just never came alive for me. – Erica, Reference Librarian
There were two. I had never read a book by Mary Higgins Clark until this year when I finally got around to it. I usually find that there is something that’s good about the writing of those ultra-popular authors that will draw me in, but I found Clark’s book unbearable and had to abandon it. I won’t say which one. And although I enjoyed it, The Rosie Project by Graeme Simsion, did not live up to it’s pre-pub hype. – Sonia, Readers’ Services Librarian
And the Mountains Echoed by Khaled Hosseini – Neela, Head of Acquisitions and Jackie, Head of Readers’ Services
Bellman and Black by Diana Setterfield – Ed, Head of Reference Services
Songs of Willow Frost by Jamie Ford – Audrey, Media Clerk
The Woman Upstairs by Claire Messud – Evelyn, Readers’ Services Librarian
My American Revolution by Robert Sullivan – Brenda, Reference Librarian
The Yonahlossee Riding Camp for Girls by Anton DiScalfani – Pam M., Head of Programming
Was there a book you read in 2013 that you were surprised that you liked so much?
Sisterland by Curits Sittenfeld – Pam M., Head of Programming
The Thinking Woman’s Guide to Real Magic by Emily Croy Barker – Stacey, Readers’ Services Librarian
Gone Girl by Gillian Flynn – Pam S., Reference Librarian
Although I expected the book to be good, I never expected to enjoy The Cuckoo’s Calling as much as I did. I know I will continue to read Galbraith/Rowling’s mystery series for as long as she continues to write them. – Sonia, Readers’ Services Librarian
Telling the Bees by Peggy Hesketh – Ed, Head of Reference Services
Me Before You by Jojo Moyes. I didn’t think it would live up to all the hype, but it did. Glad I took the time to read it. – Jackie, Head of Readers’ Services
A Constellation of Vital Phenomena by Anthony Marra – Audrey, Media Clerk
Sycamore Row by John Grisham – Evelyn, Readers’ Services Librarian
Did you re-read any book in 2013?
A Lesson Before Dying by Ernest J. Gaines. An unbelievable book! – Jackie, Head of Readers’ Services
Death Comes for the Archbishop by Willa Cather – Brenda, Reference Librarian
The Great Gatsby by F. Scott Fitzgerald – Pam S., Reference Librarian
Fire Hawk by Justine Dare. Third in a trilogy that will likely be rereleased in e-form next year, this book is actually the first story chronologically, and the best one. A particular side character, the hero’s best friend, has had a place in my heart for years. There are rumors that his story will see print sometime next year as well. – Erica, Reference Librarian
Serpico by Peter Maas – Amy, Children’s Librarian
And Then There Were None by Agatha Christie. Just as good the second time around even though I knew whodunit! – Sonia, Readers’ Services Librarian
– posted by Sonia, Readers’ Services
About Our Reading – 2013 #4
In December I asked our staff if they wouldn’t mind answering some questions about the books they read in 2013. We’ll be sharing their responses to various questions here on this blog, a few every day. So keep coming back to find out how our reading went in 2013. Today we talk about some of the physical aspects of the books we read last year.
Did you have a favorite book cover in 2013?
White Vespa by Kevin Oderman, I’d like to climb those stairs and find out what’s up there or maybe knock on one of the doors. I don’t think I even want to read this book, what’s inside cannot possibly be as intriguing as this cover is to me. – Sonia, Readers’ Services Librarian
The Middle Kingdom: Two Brothers, Two Motorcycles, One Epic Journey Around China by Colin Pyle and Ryan Pyle – Neela, Head of Acquisitions
Are You Experienced? by Jordan Sonnenblick – Ed, Head of Reference Services
My Education by Susan Choi – Evelyn, Readers’ Services Librarian
The Golem and the Jinni by Helene Wecker – Stacey, Readers’ Services Librarian
What was the longest book you read in 2013?
A Game of Thrones by George R. R. Martin – Stacey, Readers’ Services Librarian
A Storm of Swords by George R. R. Martin – Sonia, Readers’ Services Librarian
Sycamore Row by John Grisham – Evelyn, Readers’ Services Librarian
Winter of the World by Ken Follett – Betty P., Reference Librarian
The Goldfinch by Donna Tartt – Audrey, Media Clerk
The Manor: Three Centuries at a Slave Plantation on Long Island by Mac K. Griswold – Brenda, Reference Librarian
The 2013 Pulitzer Prize for Fiction Winner: The Orphan Master’s Son by Adam Johnson – Jackie, Head of Readers’ Services
Five Days at Memorial: Life and Death in a Storm-ravaged Hospital by Sheri Fink – Amy, Children’s Librarian
What was the shortest book you read in 2013?
The Reason I Jump by Naoki Higashida- Amy, Children’s Librarian and Audrey, Media Clerk
I Could Pee on This: and other Poems by Cats by Francesco Marciuliano – Jackie, Head of Readers’ Services
The Rosie Project by Graeme C. Simsion – Evelyn, Readers’ Services Librarian
A Very Short Tour of the Mind: 21 Short Walks Around the Human Brain by Michael Corballis– and it was! -Sonia, Readers’ Services Librarian
The Night Bookmobile by Audrey Niffenegger – Stacey, Readers’ Services Librarian
– posted by Sonia, Readers’ Services
About Our Reading – 2013 #3
In December I asked our staff if they wouldn’t mind answering some questions about the books they read in 2013. We’ll be sharing their responses to various questions here on this blog during the month of January. So keep coming back to find out how our reading went in 2013. Today’s post is all about genre:
Did you read a book in (fill in the blank) genre in 2013 that you especially liked?
Mystery:
If you like Irish history, give a look to The Seventh Trumpet by Peter Tremayne. – Brenda, Reference Librarian
Not a mystery, but a suspense series: “The Sam Capra novels” by Jeff Abbott which starts with Adrenaline. – Jackie, Head of Readers’ Services
Visitation Street by Ivy Pochoda – Audrey, Media Clerk
First Family by David Baldacci – Betty P., Reference Librarian
Mystery is my favorite genre and my favorite in the genre for 2013 was The Cuckoo’s Calling by Robert Galbraith/J. K. Rowling. – Sonia, Readers’ Services Librarian
Sandrine’s Case by Thomas H. Cook – Ed, Head of Reference Services
Celebrity in Death by J.D. Robb – the mystery was absorbing and the cast of new characters (literally, the cast of a movie about the protagonists of the series) was fun to watch. Seeing heroine Eve Dallas try to reconcile the differences between friends and actors with their physical similarities was really hilarious at times. – Erica, Reference Librarian
Romance:
Celebrity in Death. The book advanced the love stories between married couple Eve and Roarke while also adding some sweet moments for secondary couple Peabody and McNab. 
– Erica, Reference Librarian
Imperfect Bliss by Susan Fales-Hill – Stacey, Readers’ Services Librarian
I like reading historical romances where the characters somehow seem to have somewhat current sensibilities and the author makes it work. Between the Duke and the Deep Blue Sea by Sophie Nash was one I liked a lot in 2013. – Sonia, Readers’ Services Librarian
Non-Fiction:
Let’s Get Digital by David Gaughran. An overview on how to write and market a successful e-book, Gaughran takes real-world success stories and interviews authors who have done well for themselves, but he also goes into a lot of the technical stuff that comes after you’ve written a novel and before you put it up for sale. – Erica, Reference Librarian
The Science of Sin : The Psychology of the Seven Deadlies (and Why They Are So Good For You) by Simon M. Laham – Stacey, Readers’ Services Librarian
Etched in Sand : A True Story of Five Siblings Who Survived an Unspeakable Childhood on Long Island by Regina Calcaterra – Neela, Head of Acquistions and Amy, Children’s Librarian
Midnight in Peking: How The Murder of a Young Englishwoman Haunted the Last Days of Old China by Paul French – Audrey, Media Clerk
Stories I Only Tell My Friends by Rob Lowe – Evelyn, Readers’ Services Librarian
Creative Confidence: Unleashing the Creative Potential Within Us All by Tom Kelley and David Kelley – Pam M., Head of Programming
Breaking Night: A Memoir of Forgiveness, Survival, and My Journey from Homeless to Harvard by Liz Murray and Unbroken: A World War II Story of Survival, Resilience, and Redemption by Laura Hillenbrand – Jackie, Head of Readers’ Services
Young Adult:
Revolution by Jennifer Donnelly – Pam S., Reference Librarian
The Runaway King by Jennifer A. Neilsen – a young adult fantasy novel. While not as cleverly written as the first one in the series (The False Prince), it sets up well for the third book in the trilogy while still being a fun, entertaining read. The main protagonist, Sage, is supposed to be exceedingly smart and cunning, and for once, the author is able to actually make you believe this. I find that often these types of characters fall flat because the author can’t write as cunningly as the character is supposed to be. Not so here. – Erica, Reference Librarian
Historical Fiction:
I do love my history. I read more Civil War books because of the anniversary of the Battle of Gettyburg. And even enjoyed two historical novels of the period: Anne Perry’s Slaves of Obsession and Michael Sharra’s The Killer Angels. – Brenda, Reference Librarian
The End of the Point by Elizabeth Graver – Ed, Head of Reference Services
Biographical Fiction:
The Aviator’s Wife by Melanie Benjamin, Z: A Novel of Zelda Fitzgerald by Therese Fowler and Fever by Mary Beth Keane – Evelyn, Readers’ Services Librarian
Book in Verse:
Dogfight: The 2012 Presidential Campaign in Verse by Calvin Trillin – Audrey, Media Clerk
Short Stories:
Nine Inches by Tom Perrotta – Pam M., Head of Programming
– posted by Sonia, Readers’ Services
About Our Reading – 2013 #2
Earlier this month I asked our staff if they wouldn’t mind answering some questions about the books they read in 2013. We’ll be sharing their responses to various questions here on this blog, a few every day. So keep coming back to find out how our reading went in 2013.
Which book that you read in 2013 are you most likely to recommend to others?
If someone wants a mystery: The Cuckoo’s Calling by Robert Galbraith/J. K. Rowling, for light fiction: Crazy Rich Asians by Kevin Kwan and for literary fiction: The Ghost Writer by Philip Roth. – Sonia, Readers’ Services Librarian
Visitation Street by Ivy Pochoda – Ed, Head of Reference Services
This is Where I Leave You by Jonathan Tropper – Pam M., Head of Programming
Fearless by Cornelia Funke – start with the first one, Reckless, and keep going; her whimsical writing style and fantastic world building will absorb you from the first page. – Erica, Reference Services Librarian
Fall of Giants and Winter of the World, both by Ken Follett. – Betty P., Reference Services Librarian
The Circle by Dave Eggers – Amy, Children’s Services Librarian
Calling Me Home by Julie Kibler – Audrey, Media Clerk
The Lowland by Jhumpa Lahiri and I Am Malala : The Story of the Girl Who Stood Up for Education and Was Shot by the Taliban by Malala Yousafzai. – Neela, Head of Acquisitions
Dark Witch by Nora Roberts, A Hundred Summers by Beatriz Williams and The Language of Flowers by Vanessa Diffenbaugh. – Stacey, Readers’ Services Librarian
Me Before You by Jojo Moyes and The Silent Wife by A. S. A. Harrison. – Jackie, Head of Readers’ Services
Me Before You by Jojo Moyes, Crazy Rich Asians by Kevin Kwan and Wise Men by Stuart Nadler. – Evelyn, Readers’ Services Librarian
If you were a member of a book group or a book discussion leader here at the library, what book led to the best discussion in 2013?
Breaking night : A Memoir of Forgiveness, Survival, and My Journey from Homeless to Harvard by Liz Murray – Stacey, Readers’ Services Librarian
A Lesson Before Dying by Ernest J. Gaines read for Banned Books Week in September. This title offers a wealth of discussable topics. – Jackie, Head of Readers’ Services
The Lotus Eaters by Tatjana Soli – Evelyn, Readers’ Services Librarian
The best book discussion that I was involved with here at the library was for The Round House by Louise Erdrich, just last month. – Sonia, Readers’ Services Librarian
Did any book make you cry in 2013?
Plain Kate by Erin Bow – beautiful writing, and haunting ending. – Erica, Reference Services Librarian
Still Alice by Lisa Genova – Brenda, Reference Services Librarian
Etched in Sand: A True Story of Five Siblings Who Survived an Unspeakable Childhood on Long Island by Regina Calcaterra – Neela, Head of Acquisitions
It didn’t make me cry but The Night Bookmobile by Audrey Niffenegger was very sad. – Stacey, Readers’ Services Librarian
Me Before You by Jojo Moyes – Jackie, Head of Readers’ Services; Evelyn, Readers’ Services Librarian; Audrey, Media Clerk and Betty P., Reference Services Librarian
– posted by Sonia, Readers’ Services
