A new Morgan, a new King Arthur and a new Merlin.....but will there be any magic?

We have quick turnaround with story time -- it ends this week (March 28-April 1) -- no April Foolin'! And registration for our next session starts on Monday, April 4 for RVC School district residents.

Ever notice how often it seems newly released books have the same words in the title, like wife or daughter? We've had The Saturday Wife, The Reliable Wife, The 19th Wife, The Paris Wife, etc., etc. Looks like the latest trend in publishing is the word tiger. The Battle Hymn of the Tiger Mother by Amy Chua and The Tiger's Wife by Tea Obreht are currently on the best seller list and I've heard both are very compelling reads.

Wonder if all the recent talk of 'tiger blood' had anything to do with it? Hmmmm...

The movie Sucker Punch is visually enticing but the crtics says it lacks dialogue and substance... : (

One of the last true movie stars of all time died today at the age of 79. We put up a tribute table here at the library to Ms. Taylor with some of her many films and books about her career and turbulent life.

May she rest in peace.

This Friday, March 25, is the 100th Anniversary of the Triangle Shirtwaist Factory Fire in NYC. The fire led to legislation improving factory safety standards and helped form the International Ladies' Garment Workers' Union, which fought for better working conditions for sweatshop workers. Some good books on the subject include: Triangle: the fire that Changed America (non-fiction) , Triangle, Threads and Flames (fiction).

American Experience on PBS recently did a piece on this tragic event in which 146 souls lost their lives.

In Rockville Centre we have our own parade March 19th @ 12pm!

The RVC library will be in the parade! Show us your suppport when you see our banner.

FYI.... I'm also on a mission to find a little friend.

I'll admit it, there aren't many great books about St. Patrick's Day for kids. (Add another to my write-a-children's-book-about list.) So to celebrate, read some wacky Irish folk tales instead: Giants dressed as babies, children turned into swans, a CinderLAD, and more.

As tomorrow is St. Patrick's day (one of my favorite holidays), I wanted to tell you about a novel I just read called The Yellow House by Patricia Falvey. It's about the passion and politics of Northern Ireland at the beginning of the 20th Century as Ireland struggled for independence from Britain (The Troubles). And, as the Irish would say, Och, it's a grand love story too.

The Linen Queen is Falvey's latest novel (2011) set in Northern Ireland during WWII.

Beannacht Lá Fhéile Pádraig!

If you're looking for a historical fiction novel where you can imagine drinking with Scott & Zelda Fitzgerald, chatting with Gertrude Stein in her salon and discussing literature with Ezra Pound, have I got the book for you!

The Paris Wife by Paula McLain is the story of Ernest Hemingway's first wife, Hadley. Who knew Hemingway married a cougar? (Hadley was 8 years older than Ernest.)

I've now become obsessed with all things Hemingway and plan on reading The Sun Also Rises which was written during his time in Paris.

An interesting tidbit, the actress Mariel Hemingway (remember her in Woody Allen's Manhattan) is the grandaughter of Hadley and Ernest Hemingway.

While clicking around TV the other day I saw an ad for the movie, The Lincoln Lawyer, based on the best-selling novel by Michael Connelly. Got me to thinking what other books are being made into movies this year. Here is a preview of Top Books Made into Movies in 2011 in case you'd like to read the book before you go see the movie.

The Help by Kathryn Stockett is one of the big movies coming out this Fall. Have you heard about the controversy concerning this blockbuster novel? Wonder if the possibility of the movie generating millions of dollars has anything to do with the lawsuit ? Hmmm ...