As we’ve mentioned before, there has been an absolute run on the library. Our extended due dates have inspired our members to borrow by the wheelbarrow. You're all going "tome" for the holidays, it seems.

We can’t help but wonder what our books, CDs and DVDs are doing while we’re closed. So we’re turning to you to satisfy our curiosity.

Send us pictures of your Darien Library materials in the wild. We’ll put all the photos up on the library’s Flickr account and we’ll enter the best pictures into our very first photo contest. Watch for an opportunity to vote for your favorite photos. Winners will be awarded a fabulous prize.

Please put Darien Library Photo Contest in the subject line and send it to our excellent publicity manager at bthomas@darienlibrary.org

It was a dark and stormy night (truly!)...so after work, we headed out to dinner and a movie. As you can see, we got comfy as we waited for The Secret Life of Bees to begin. (What you can't see are the Raisinets, Goobers, and popcorn...the things that complete the movie-going-girls-night-out experience!)                                               

We really liked the movie, which is based on the book by Sue Monk Kidd. The story, set in the south in 1964 is about Lily, a young girl escaping from her abusive father and the haunting memory of her mother's death, and is set against the backdrop of the racial tension of the time. She flees with her black housekeeper and they find refuge and peace in the home of the Boatwright's...three beekeeping sisters. The cast of this movie really shines. Dakota Fanning, Jennifer Hudson, Queen Latifah, Alicia Keys, Sophie Okonedo, and Tristan Wilds star and they jolt this movie to brilliant life. The mature and honest performances combined with an excellent script and great direction and glorious cinematography, combine to create superb storytelling.

The book has sold more than 5 million copies, and spent over two years on the New York Times bestseller list. The movie, overall, is getting great reviews from critics and audiences and it certainly didn't disappoint us.

If you don't have time to get to the theater to check out the movie, check out the book! By the time the movie arrives on dvd, you'll be able to put your feet up and enjoy! 

Cold weather was made for curling up with a hot cup of tea, coffee or cocoa and a nice big book. We've noticed that many of our members are taking advantage of the extended loan period and checking out books they've always meant to read. Often, those "always meant tos" are a little heftier than the usual tomes.

As always, we're here to help! Our display table is groaning under the weight of big books for the big move. Some Pynchon, a little Michener and a few doorstop-worthy biographies are waiting for you.

While you can keep these mega-books until January 14, you don't have to spend December dusting around them once you've checked that "always meant to" off your list. Our book drop will be open even while we're moving, so you can return your überreads whenever you'd like.

As the Library prepares for its temporary closing from November 26th to January 10, it occurs to me that now may be a good time to check out one of those timeless classics that you've always meant to read but never did. For me, the choice comes down to War and Peace or The Brothers Karamazov. If you're looking for a good book to read while the library is closed, consider one of these great books:

• Anna Karenina
• David Copperfield
• East of Eden
• Great Expectations
• Jane Eyre
• Little Women
• Pride and Prejudice
• Tess of the D'Urbervilles
• Ulysses
• Vanity Fair
• Wings of the Dove

Check out one of these books between now and November 26th, and it won't be due back until January 14! Happy reading!

The book sale begins on Saturday at 9 a.m.

Come to browse, but be prepared to buy (it will be hard to resist!).

Here are all the details.

Photo by Flickr user only alice

According to bestselling author Ken Follett, his epic book, The Pillars of the Earth was a word-of-mouth hit. Not necessarily well-reviewed, practically dismissed as folly by some, Pillars, the story of the building of a mighty Gothic cathedral, went on to become an international bestseller that got people talking...and the conversation continues. Now I'm just doing my part to strongly recommend this grand novel.

The book came out nearly 20 years ago.  Recently, someone told me it was the best book he'd ever read. Only 100 pages in, I can see why. Follett begins by transporting the reader to the year 1135 and he does so masterfully. So instantly engrossed was I, I found myself yearning for the days when I lived in New York and so enjoyed my subway-reading time. But, hark! I found the solution -- the book on cd! I can attest, read or spoken, Follett's words will move you. His characters are so fully-formed and so real...I have chuckled, cringed, and wept on their behalf (and remember, I've only just begun this massive tome).

...got to go. It's time to leave for work. My chariot and story await. It may be a short commute...but thanks to Follett, I love the company, and I don't mind if there's traffic.

Re: The Must List

Like most people, it seems that I've always got a few "must lists" going at the same time. When it comes to reading, it's often split between stuff for work and stuff for pleasure...work stuff usually winning out. This time, I'm glad it did and the book thief, Liesel Meminger is forever etched in my mind.

The Book Thief by Markus Zusak is our One Book, One Community read; an effort that we enthusiastically embark on as part of the C.A.R.E. Darien town-wide campaign.

There will be more information coming from us about One Book, One Community, along with special programs and events once we're in the new building(!) early next year. For now, let's just talk about the book. We've got lots of copies circulating so we know there will be lots of people eager to talk about this amazing story.

Did you know that Death has a sense of humor? Death also fears us. How do we know? Death is the narrator of this book. Death notices 9-year old Liesel Meminger at the death of her brother, which is also the scene of her first book theft. Death observes her in her young life in Nazi Germany; her foster parents, a Jewish man they are hiding, neighbors, a dear friend, and the mayor's wife. Her reading sustains her and others. She is smart, willful, compassionate, and loyal - a reminder that even simple actions in ordinary lives can still be quite heroic. Heroic, too, is this masterful undertaking by the author.  Steal the time to read. The Book Thief is a MUST.

Sunday's Book Discussion. Historic.

When we meet tomorrow at 2:30 p.m. for our Fall Book Discussion Series and Jordon leads the talk about The Garden of Last Days, there's certain to be discussion of the pre 9/11 setting of the novel. There will also be discussion of Jordon's personal Dubus history. Jordon knew the author's father, Andre Dubus many years ago .When Janet and I went with Jordon this past summer to hear Andre (III) speak, it was a reunion of sorts...Jordon last saw the author more than 40 years ago!