The Reader's Corner @ The West Caldwell Pubilc Library

Catherine the Great: Portrait of a Woman

2011-12-14T06:23:00.000-08:00

CATHERINE THE GREAT: PORTRAIT OF A WOMAN

By Robert K. Massie

Call Number: BIOG CATHERINE

Empress Catherine II of Russia was an enigma of her time. Although born Sophia of Anhalt-Zerbst, a minor German Princess of little importance to the massive empire of Empress Elizabeth, she rose through rebellion to become the most beloved ruler of Russia since Peter the Great. Massie brilliantly recounts the many trials, tribulations, and heartaches that eventually produce Catherine the Great. We are quickly drawn into the often sad and equally harsh life of Catherine, whose “good fortune” at being betrothed to the future ruler of Russia, was overshadowed by the failures of her marriage (most importantly, the inability to produce an heir) and the almost constant displeasure of Empress Elizabeth. However, Catherine is able to rise above these obstacles to grab the throne from her husband just months after he is pronounced Czar. The major strength of this work is Massie’s ability to focus on the humanity and complexity of the Russian court. No person is one dimensional, not even Catherine’s childish and inept husband Peter. Catherine’s inability to live up to her enlightenment ideals (specifically, her inability to end serfdom) is also not spared the author’s critical scrutiny. Despite its length, Massie has written a superb biographical work that is almost impossible to put down. Catherine the Great is highly recommended for anyone that enjoys historical nonfiction and biography.

Featured Holiday Title

2011-12-08T08:31:00.000-08:00

Holidays on Ice by David Sedaris
Call Number: SS Sedaris

Check out this newly expanded collection of humorous stories featuring the Sedaris family.

2011-09-29T10:26:00.001-07:00

The Night Circus by Erin Morgenstern

The circus arrives without warning.

As children, Celia and Marco were unwittingly drawn into a competition between two masterful magicians, receiving very different forms of magical rearing. Events conspire to lead the two competitors to employment with Le Cirque des Reves, or The Circus of Dreams. The circus (which appears suddenly, only opens at night and closes at dawn) becomes the venue for their competition and their rebellion. As the rivals attempt to get the upper hand on one another, they come to realize they are actually expressing their love for one another with their magical feats. The stakes for the competition are high. There must be a clear winner and the loser must make the ultimate sacrifice. A delightful story of competition, sacrifice, magic and love

National Hispanic Heritage Month - Suggested Reading List

2011-09-19T10:39:00.000-07:00

National Hispanic Heritage Month

September 15 - October 15

The touching story of how four Dominican sisters assimilate into New York society and culture, much to the chagrin of their traditional parents.

Set in the near future, this provocative novel features Hispanic American "rebels" who are fighting for their life and liberty as an openly hostile American government discriminates against them.

Pulitzer Prize winning story of a young Dominican-American nerd who falls in love with a dangerous woman.

Antonia Felix chronicles the rise of the first Hispanic-American Supreme Court Justice, Sonia Sotomayor.

CNN anchor and special correspondent, Soledad O'Brien discussing growing up in a mixed race family (Black and Latino) and finding her passion for reporting on race in America.

Gabriel Garcia Marquez's epic masterpiece about love and loss.

September 11th - 10 Years Memorial

2011-09-07T11:19:00.000-07:00

The 10 year anniversary of September 11th is this Sunday. As the date approaches, we have compiled a booklist of titles commemorating the tragic events of that day and celebrating the lives of those lost as well as the heroic actions of the first responders.

The touching story of a seeing eye dog leading her owner out of the World Trade Center.

The story of the heroic actions of the passengers on hijacked flights; American Airlines Flight 11 and United Airlines Flight 93

Personal narratives of people who where in New York City at the time of the attacks on the World Trade Center.

Graphic adaptation of the 9/11 Commission Report

The true story of 30 widows who created a support group after the September 11th attacks.

Middletown, New Jersey lost more memebers of its community in the World Trade Center attacks than any other single town other than New York City. Gail Sheehy tells the story of the survivors.

Moving book about the heoric actions of the Engine 40, Ladder 35 firemen.

A Passage to India - Dinner, Book, and Movie Discussion

2011-08-05T07:23:00.001-07:00

A Passage to India
August 15th @ 5:00 PM

Before the event, read A Passage to India by E.M. Forster. On August 15th view 1984 classic film starring Judy Davis while enjoying a light dinner. Immediately following the movie there will be a lively discussion comparing the book and the film. This program is free and open to the public, but seating is LIMITED and registration is REQUIRED. Please call the Library at 973-226-5441 to register.

Good Earth - Book, Movie, Dinner & Discussion Event

2011-07-13T08:22:00.001-07:00

The Good Earth
July 26 @ 5:00 PM

Before the event, read the Pearl S. Buck classic, The Good Earth. On July 26th view the classic and controversial 1937 film starring Paul Muni and Luise Rainer while enjoying a light dinner. Immediately following the movie there will be a lively discussion of the book and the film. This program is free and open to the public, but seating is LIMITED and registration is required. Please call the Reference Desk at 973-226-5441 to sign-up.

Novel Destinations - Adult Summer Reading

2011-06-15T06:27:00.001-07:00

Registration Opens June 20th!

The West Caldwell Public Library is happy to announce our 5th annual Adult Summer Reading Club: Novel Destinations@ West Caldwell Public Library. Enjoy lively dinner, movie, and book discussions, entertaining programming, prize contests, prize drawings for books and more! Simply read (or listen) and review just three books from June 20th - August 15th to be eligible for the grand prize drawing. Only books read during the before mentioned dates are valid for contest entry. Please call or visit the Reference Department at 973-226-5441 for full contest rules.

Visit the Library's website for a list of Summer Reading Programs

Visit the Library's website for Summer Reading Book Suggestions

Thoughts on Books - Winter 2011

2011-05-04T11:50:00.000-07:00

Ethan Frome is a man whose life became buried despite of and because of himself. He is a good, salt-of-the-earth man living a stifled life due to obligation. As a result, at age 28 he is married to a “sickly” nagging woman named Zeena, working on a failing farm and hopelessly in love with his wife’s maid/cousin, Mattie. As Ethan’s feelings of longing for Mattie as well as his disgust for his wife’s laziness and cruelty become harder to ignore, Ethan is forced to make a choice between love or a slow death. Ironically, in choosing love, Ethan Wharton marvelously reveals the layers of Ethan’s story with just enough restraint to make the ending that much more affecting.

Never Let Me Go is a Science Fiction novel set in England during the latter decades of the 20th Century. We meet students Kathy, Ruth, and Tommy (the three principal characters of the novel) at Hailsham, a seemingly idyllic boarding school on the English countryside. However, from the very beginning there is nebulous and possibly nefarious undercurrent of secrecy surrounding life at Hailsham. Soon we learn, concurrently with the “students,” that they are actually human clones created to donate their vital organs for the “greater good” of humanity. Cloning is the only Sci-Fi element of this novel and while cloning looms large in lives of our protagonists – this science has permitted their existence after all – it is elegantly eclipsed by Ishiguro’s character driven story. This Sci-Fi novel is really a story about life, love, loss, and sacrifice. Despite its genre (whose literary merits are often overlooked), this novel does not rely on dramatic special effects or the suspension of disbelief. It simply assays the multifaceted question of how we define humanity.

We do not know his real name. We do not know his nationality. And for the first third of the novel we can only guess at his occupation. Yet, with all these unknowns and perhaps because of them, we are filled with a sense of dread. He is a killer; that we are almost certain of. However, the reader is unprepared for the mode in which this “killer” does his work and his unapologetic justifications of his occupation. The plot and the protagonist (yes, our “killer” can be defined as such) are very complex and Martin Booth brilliantly uses the power of first person narrative to lead us on a fascinating journey through the mind and life of gun maker for higher. While the narrative is slow going in the first third of the book due to overly elaborate descriptions of the Italian countryside, the action eventually ratchets up an unexpected and tragic conclusion.

This historical mystery transports the reader to a time of great turmoil in 14th century England. Set against the back drop of the Catholic Church’s Western Schism and the first rumblings of the War of the Roses, Clark brilliantly uses period detail and understated prose to add authenticity to her intricate plot. English manor lord Roger de Hutton has been poisoned and everyone – friends, family, and servants a like – are potential suspects. Sister Hildegrad, Cistercian nun (who also happens to be a childhood friend of Lord Roger) takes up the case. With the help of the Steward of the Castle and the chary Abbot of Meaux, Hildegrad makes her way through the precarious labyrinth of medieval court intrigue. Clark has penned an utterly engrossing mystery that should appeal to both historical fiction and mystery fans. It truly is the best of both literary worlds.

The Family Man by Eleanor Lipman

2010-12-09T06:41:00.000-08:00

Join us for a friendly discussion featuring Eleanor Lipman's The Family Man on January 13th at 10:30 AM. The discussion will be held at the Crane's Milly Library located in the Town Square Building, 459 Passaic Ave, West Caldwell.

Read It! Book Discussion Group

2010-11-20T06:43:00.000-08:00

White Oleander

Janet Fitch

Join us on December 9th at 10:30 AM at Crane's Mill Library to discuss this thought-provoking title. Copies of the book are available at the Library's Reference Desk. All are welcome to attend. The Crane's Mill Library is located at 459 Passaic Avenue in West Caldwell.

Read It! Featuring Sarah's Key by Tatianna de Rosney

2010-11-02T16:17:00.000-07:00

When: Thursday, November 11th @ 10:30 AM

Where: Crane's Mill Library

Join us at Crane's Mill Library in the Town Square Building located at 459 Passaic Avenue in West Caldwell for a lively discussion of this title. This program is free and open to the public. For a copy of the book, please contact the Reference Department at 973-226-5441.

Saturday Matinee Book Club

2010-09-20T08:21:00.000-07:00

Lipstick Jihad

By Azadeh Moaveni

Saturday Matinee Book Club Returns September 11th

2010-08-18T10:52:00.000-07:00

The Girl Who Fell From The Sky
By
Heidi Durrow

The Stepford Wives Dinner & Movie Event

2010-07-14T13:34:00.000-07:00

The Stepford Wives by Ira Levin

Tuesday July 20, 2010 @ 5:00PM

Join us for our second Retro Reading Adult Summer Reading Club book and movie event on Tuesday July 20th at 5:00PM. Take a trip back to the 1970s and join us for a program of dining and discussion. Before the event, read the book The Stepford Wives written by Ira Levin. On July 20th, view the classic movie starring Katherine Ross and Patrick O’Neal. Immediately following the movie there will be a lively discussion of the book and the film. Registration is required and limited. To register, please call the Library at, 973-226-5441.

Movie, Dinner & Book Discussion Event!

2010-06-21T11:31:00.000-07:00

The Accidental Tourist by Anne Tyler
June 22, 2010 @ 5:00PM

Take a trip back to the 1980s and join us for a program of dining and discussion. Before the event, read the book The Accidental Tourist written by Anne Tyler. On June 22nd view the movie starring William Hurt, Kathleen Turner, and Geena Davis while enjoying a light dinner. Immediately following the movie there will be a lively discussion of the book and the film.

Saturday Matinee Book Club

2010-04-20T12:29:00.000-07:00

Chronicle of a Death Foretold

Garbriel Garcia Marquez

Saturday Matinee Book Club

2010-02-09T10:06:00.000-08:00

The Devil and Miss Prym

Paulo Coelho

Saturday Matinee Book Club

2010-01-08T13:33:00.000-08:00

The Curious Incident of the Dog in the Night-Time

by Mark Haddon

Read Across West Caldwell - October 2009

2009-09-24T08:53:00.000-07:00

Featuring:

The Guernsey Literary and Potato Peel Pie Society

by Mary Ann Shaffer and Annie Barrows

In celebration of National Reading Group Month, join the West Caldwell Public Library in a community shared reading of The Guernsey Literary and Potato Peel Pie Society written by Mary Ann Shaffer and Annie Barrows. Contact the Library at, 973-226-5441 for more information regarding the various programs and book discussions taking place in October 2009.

Literary Jeopardy

2009-08-26T09:38:00.000-07:00

CONTESTANTS NEEDED TO COMPETE IN:
The West Caldwell Public Library

Literary Jeopardy Challenge

(BASED ON THE POPULAR TV GAME SHOW“Jeopardy”)

_____________________________________________________

WHEN: Wednesday, September 23, 7:00PM

WHERE: The West Caldwell Public Library Community Meeting Room
30 Clinton Road, West Caldwell, NJ

Join the West Caldwell Public Library for our first Literary Jeopardy Contest on Wednesday, September 23rd at 7:00PM. Register to be a contestant and compete to win “literary” prizes in a challenging and fun game based on the popular TV game show, Jeopardy. Not interested in competing, but don’t want to miss out on the fun? Enjoy the event as an audience member and be entered in a fun prize raffle just for audience members. This event will hold fun surprises for both the contestants and audience members alike. Registration is required and LIMITED to compete in the game. Registration is requested of anyone wishing to attend. For more information, please contact the Reference Department at, 973-226-5441.

Classic Jazz Film Festival Presents: Lady Sings The Blues - August 3, 2009 @ 5:30PM

2009-07-23T08:51:00.000-07:00

The West Caldwell Public Library invites you to jazz up your summer at our Classic Jazz Film Festival and join us for a free viewing of Lady Sings the Blues, a classic film chronicling the life of the great Billie Holiday on Monday, August 3, 2009 at 5:30PM. A prize drawing for advanced reading copies of the new titles will be held prior to the film. This program is free and open to the public. Registration is requested. To register, please contact the Reference Department at 973-226-5441.

Jazz Up Your Resume & Interview Skills Two-Part Series - August 5, 2009 & August 11, 2009 @ 6:30PM

2009-07-23T08:31:00.000-07:00

The West Caldwell Public Library is offering two workshops focusing on resume and interviewing assistance for career changers and job seekers. On Wednesday, August 5, 2009 at 6:30PM, resume specialist, Don Goodman will return to offer another free informative workshop on resume creation, as well as offer timely tips and techniques to improve current resumes. On Tuesday, August 11, 2009 at 6:30PM, Barbara McGregor of the McGregor Consulting Group will offer a seminar focusing on job interview preparation, standard job interview questions as well as other tips and techniques to help job seekers really “sell themselves” during the interview process. These programs are free and open to the public. Registration is requested. Contact the library to register at 973-226-5441.

Adult Summer Reading Events Calendar

2009-07-09T07:01:00.000-07:00

ADULT SUMMER READING CLUB FEATURED BOOK SELECTION

2009-06-19T12:02:00.000-07:00

The Fisher King Paule Marshall

The book club will meet to discuss this novel on Wednesday July 22, 2009 at
6:30PM in the Community Meeting Room.

Copies of the book are
available at the Reference Desk.

ADULT SUMMER READING CLUB 2009

2009-06-19T11:56:00.000-07:00

Jazz Up Your Summer @ The West Caldwell Public Library

June 15, 2009 - August 17, 2009

The West Caldwell Public Library is happy to announce our third annual Adult Summer Reading Club! The rules are simple;

1. Read or listen to just one book between June 15, 2009 - August 17, 2009. If you’re looking for a good read, check out our list of suggested titles in print or online at http://wcplra.blogspot.com
2. Write the book’s title, author and a sentence or two describing each book read on the entry form on the next page.
3. Turn your entry form in at the West Caldwell Public Library Reference Desk and receive a gift drawing entry to win an iPod Mini and “bundles of books” prizes.
4. Any additional titles read will result in additional entries into prize drawings.
5. Only books read between June 15, 2009 and August 17, 2009 are valid for contest entry.
6. You must be 18 years or older to participate.
7. You need not be present to win.
8. Registration & contest is open to all.
9. Registration opens on June 15th.

The Great Gatsby - Dinner, Movie & Discussion Event

2009-05-11T09:10:00.000-07:00

Jazz Up Your Summer @ West Caldwell Public Library and join us for a program of Dining and Discussion. Before the event, read the book The Great Gatsby written by F. Scott Fitzgerald. And on June 15th view the movie starring Robert Redford and Mia Farrow and then enjoy a light dinner while comparing in a lively discussion, the book and the film.

This program is free and open to the public.

Registration is required and limited.

To register, please contact the Reference Department at
973-226-5441.

Book of the Month - The Pirate's Daughter

2009-05-06T09:52:00.001-07:00

Stylish movie stars, buried treasure and scandalous affairs all against the backdrop of beautiful Jamaica. Margaret Cezair-Thompson pens a lush saga of forbidden love, consequences and cultural upheaval as we follow two Jamaican beauties, Ida and her daughter May through their trials of love and loss in early 20th Century Jamaica.

Facts Behind the Fiction:
The True History of Paradise by Margaret Cezair-Thompson
Book of Jamaica by Russell Banks
The Maroons of Jamaica, 1655-1796: A History of Resistance, Collaboration and Betrayal by Mavis Christine Campbell
My Wicked, Wicked Ways by Errol Flynn
One People by Guy Kennaway
Caribbean by James Michener

Similar Reads -Fiction:
Treasure Island by Robert Louis Stevenson
Can’t Stop the Carnival by Herman Wouk

The Pirate's Daughter is the May selection for the Saturday Matinee Book Club. Copies of the book are available at the Reference Desk.

Painted Veil Dinner, Movie & Discussion Event!

2009-03-17T11:20:00.000-07:00

Join us on April 14th at 4:30PM for a free dinner, movie & discussion featuring W. Somerset Maugham's The Painted Veil. Join us for a free screening of the film adaptation of The Painted Veil staring Edward Norton and Naomi Watts, followed by a lively film and book discussion comparing the two mediums. Copies of the book are available at the Reference Desk. A light dinner will be provided by the Library.

Please contact the Reference Department at, 973-226-5441 to register.