Upcoming Programs

• Hearing Loss: Have You Heard? — Thursday, December 1 at 11:00am
• First Friday - December 2nd at 6:30pm, the Library presents Drums and Dance of India, featuring the Taalim School of New Jersey.
• Introduction to Herbal Medicine — Wednesday, December 7 at 7:00pm

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TOP 10 ROYALTY BOOKS
By Staff Member Amy

THE RELUCTANT EMPRESS: ELISABETH of AUSTRIA by Brigitte Hamann
B ELISABETH HAM
Often called the 19th Century Princess Diana. Married at age 16 to Emperor Franz Joseph of Austria, her turbulent life and tragic death resembles Princess Diana’s life.

VICKY: PRINCESS ROYAL OF ENGLAND & GERMAN EMPRESS by Daphne Bennett
943.084 BEN
Queen Victoria and Prince Albert’s eldest and favorite child. An exceptionally brilliant woman, she never achieved the greatness her parents wished for her.

MARIE ANTOINETTE: THE JOURNEY by Antonia Fraser
B MARIE ANTOINETTE FRA
One of history’s most misunderstood women. You’ll discover the truth about her and her tragic life.

GEORGE, NICHOLAS, AND WILHELM: THREE ROYAL COUSINS AND THE ROAD TO WORLD WAR I by Miranda Carter
940.3 CAR
A incredibly informative narrative that gives insight to the three cousins and rulers who were swept up the events leading to the First World War.

NICHOLAS AND ALEXANDRA by Robert Massie
947.08 MAS
Considered by some, the standard by which other royal biographies are measured. At the heart of this biography is a classic love story.

ROYAL FEUD : THE DARK SIDE OF THE LOVE STORY OF THE CENTURY by Michael Thornton
941.084 THO
A fun read. This book tells the truth behind the “love affair of the century”. This was the first book that hinted that the beloved Queen Mother could be tough. Fans of the movie “A King’s Speech” will recognize some of the scenes of the book.

EDWARD & ALEXANDRA by Richard Hough
941.0823 HOU
Edward was the second child and Queen Victoria’ heir. Ascending the throne at age 60, he and his beautiful Danish consort Alexandra only reigned for 9 years but made a lasting impact. Alexandra was the daughter of Denmark’s King Christian IX, “The Father – In –Law of Europe”

MATRIARCH: QUEEN MARY AND THE HOUSE OF WINDSOR by Anne Edwards
B MARY EDW
A biography of a “minor” princess who rose from obscurity to marry the future King George V. A fascinating woman who became an exemplary Queen. She is probably most known for her collection of jewels.

THE LAST ROMANTIC : A BIOGRAPHY OF QUEEN MARIE OF ROMANIA by Hannah Pakula
B MARIE PAK
One of the most famous Queens of our time if not the most eccentric.

ROYAL SISTERS : QUEEN ELIZABETH AND PRINCESS MARGARET by Anne Edwards
941.085 EDW
A very informative biography of Queen Elizabeth and her late sister Princess Margaret.

Send comments to: Amy.

Staff recommends: Black Light by Patrick Melton, et. al.

Buck Carlsbad is a private investigator, traveling the country taking jobs and pulling marks. Sounds pretty innocuous, right? Until you learn that Buck has a special gift, and that pulling marks means capturing wayward ghosts and poltergeists. Buck is scarred by thoughts a desolate stretch of Nevada where the ghosts of several notorious killers lie and where his parents themselves were killed. He tried to go there once before and was nearly killed himself by what lies in wait there. When he learns of plans to build a high-speed rail line that will connect Los Angeles and Las Vegas, traveling right through the paranormal "triangle" in the desert, and he receives a mysterious invitation to ride the inaugural journey, he knows that there is trouble brewing. As Buck rides the high-speed train and the ghosts come out of the woodwork, he's in a life or death struggle, where everything is on the line. This book is an interesting horror-thriller, and it moves seamlessly despite being a collaboration between three different writers. There is a considerable amount of graphic violence on par with some movies (the writers wrote the screenplays for the Saw franchise if that gives you any idea) but if you are a fan of supernatural horror, you should definitely check Black Light out.

Send comments to: Tim

Staff recommends: The Magicians by Lev Grossman

Everyone growing up wants to believe that there is a fantasy world where they can escape to; a place where there are magical creatures and where Kings and Queens rule. Quentin is an everyday teenager from Brooklyn, New York who believes that magic is real. When he accidentally steps between the real world and the magical world, he ends up at a school called Brakebills, where he is accepted in as a student of magic. As he learns spells, new friendships are formed and Quentin's dreams finally come true when Quentin and his friends reach the magical world of Fillory; a magical land they all dreamed was real. Along the way they find out the real back story to the Fillory novels, and the danger that lurks behind each corner. Taking inspiration from Harry Potter and the Chronicles of Narnia, The Magicians is a tale about friendship, and the magic and adventure they all encounter together. This is a fantastic read for anyone who loves the Harry Potter and The Chronicles of Narnia series as you will be able to pick up on the influences quickly. The reading is fast and there is a lot of action and a little romance. This is the first book in the trilogy written by Lev Grossman.

Send comments to: Dennis

This Week at the Library

Info & Registration for Programs & Classes: Call 732-721-5600
*Indicates Registration Required
(J) - Children’s - ext. 5028
(YA) - Young Adult - ext. 5028
(A, SR) - Adults/Seniors - ext. 5033
(CC) - Computer Classes - ext. 5033
(LH) - Laurence Harbor: 732-566-2227

Monday November 14
10:00am: Pre-school Storytime Craft (J)
12:00pm: Bridge Club (A, SR)*
4:30pm: Chess Club (Gr 1-6)
6:30pm: Craft Club (A, SR)
7:00pm: Ladies Night Out Book Discussion(A, SR)

Tuesday November 15
2:30pm: Computer Basics (CC, A, SR)*
6:00pm: Bracelets and Armbands (YA)
7:00pm: ESL (A, SR)*

Wednesday November 16
3:30pm: Math Tutoring (Gr 6-12)
6:30pm: Chess Club (YA, A, SR)
7:00pm: MS Word 2007 Basics (CC, A, SR)*

Thursday November 17
1:00pm: Craft Club (A, SR)
1:00pm: Scrabble Club (A, SR)
2:30pm: Internet Basics (CC, A, SR)*
4:15pm: School Age Crafts (Gr K-3)
7:00pm: Original Book Discussion (A, SR)

Friday November 18
Friends of the Library Holiday Book Sale
1:30pm: Senior Friday Movie (A, SR)
2:30pm: Learn to Use Your iPad (YA, A, SR)*

Saturday November 19
Friends of the Library Holiday Book Sale
10:00am: Math Tutoring (Gr 9 & Beyond)

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A Librarian Recommends: Damned by Chuck Palahniuk

Madison Spencer is the chubby, precocious daughter of a pair of wildly narcissistic movie stars condemned to Hell for dying of a drug overdose. In this wicked satire of the afterlife, adult greed and teen drama, Madison finds out that Hell is often like the infamous teenage movie The Breakfast Club, as she joins forces with teen stereotypes: the jock, the rebel and the diva, in order to make her way through the afterlife. Starting every chapter with a snarky jab at Judy Blune's teen fiction nugget Are You There God, It's Me Margaret, Madison describes her time in Hell, working in the Satanic call center where telephone solicitations are placed to the living during the dinner hour asking inane questions about consumer products. Madison also recounts her brief life with her super wealthy and self-absorbed parents, a brutal send-up of the celebrity worship culture we live in in America today. As Madison travels through hell, she meets historical figures of the past, from the expected like Adolf Hitler to the unusual like Charles Darwin. Slowly Madison begins to change, and the quiet and servile child grows more brazen and literally discovers her true self... in Hell. This was a well done satire, and one of Palahniuk's more successful books. The narrative is a little choppy and underdeveloped at times (possibly over-edited do to the potential controversial subject matter) but he makes his characters convincing and believable, and the satire and in-jokes are quite amusing. While certainly not for everybody, any open minded reader looking for a sharply worded satire should enjoy this book.

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Museum Pass Program

Enjoy a Day at the Museum on us!

The Friends of the Old Bridge Public Library have generously provided FREE passes for Old Bridge Public Library Customers to three of the area's most popular museums:

American Museum of Natural History (New York, NY)

The Brooklyn Botanic Garden (Brooklyn, NY)

Children's Museum of Manhattan (New York, NY)

Check out a pass to one of the museums with your library card, just like a book. Enjoy your visit with family and friends and then return the pass to the Library. Complete details of the Museum Pass program are listed here:

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Writer/singer to tell adoption story

Carol Barbieri, a writer, singer/songwriter and adoption-reform advocate, will offer a presentation titled “Mugshots on the Mantel” 7 p.m. Nov. 10 at the Old Bridge Public Library Main Branch, Route 516 and Cottrell Road.

Barbieri will offer her own adoption-reunion story. Prompted by her son’s diagnosis with a life-threatening heart condition, she began a search for her birth family and uncovered many secrets including her birthmother’s suicide, the family’s criminal past and the fact that she was living in the same town as the twin sister from whom she had been separated at birth. A musical performance of Barbieri’s adoption song, “Your Secret’s Safe With Me,” will follow the lecture.

For more information, call the library at 732-721-5600, ext. 5033, or email timnil@oldbridgelibrary.org.

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