Patch Picks: Local Librarians Pick Favorite Books

While the National Education Association's Read Across America Day is geared toward children, since it commemorates Dr. Seuss' birthday, we all could use a good book. So Patch asked five local librarians to recommend their favorite reads. See what's likely on their nightstands.

Ultramarathon Man: Confessions of an All-Night Runner by Dean Karnazes was Director Dennis Fabiszak's pick. A runner, he said it was "A truly inspiring book that changed my life by making me realize that my concept of what the human body is capable of was far short of reality." For more inspiration from Karnazes you can track his progress in his Run Accross America which began Feb. 25.

That Old Black Magic: Louis Prima, Keeley Smith and the Golden Age of Las Vegas by Tom Clavin. Steven Spataro, the head of reference services, at East Hampton Library, said Clavin paints a vivid picture of Las Vegas in the 1950's- 1970's.  "Well researched and masterfully crafted, Clavin chronicles the triumphs and downfalls of one of Las Vegas's most popular acts "The Wildest," Louis Prima, Keeley Smith, and Sam Butera, at the Sahara Hotel and Casino."  There are also many "nifty little side stories" about Prima's friendship with Frank Sinatra, and many other Vegas performers from the period, he said.

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Young Adult Librarian Lisa Houston selected The Book Thief by Marcus Zusak.  Written originally for adults in Zusak's native Australia, the book has been called "life-changing" by many young adults, Houston said. "Set in Nazi Germany, with Death as the narrator, the protagonist is a 10 year-old girl who steals books to settle the score for the tragic losses in her life. Called beautiful, unusual, compelling, important, and a literary phenomenon by critics, the story highlights the heroism and hope of ordinary people."

The Worst Hard Time: The Untold Story of Those Who Survived the Great American Dust Bowl by Timothy Egan was chosen by Gina Piastuck, head of the Long Island Collection. :This is an eye-opening, historical account of those who stayed, rather than leave their homes and families behind," she said. "Aside from being an ecological disaster, the Dust Bowl decimated whole communities whose affects can still be seen today."

The Thousand Autumns of Jacob de Zoet by David Mitchell was the choice from Susan Mullin, head of adult services at. According to the description, the story centers on young clerk, Jacob de Zoet, who arrives in coastal Japan in the summer of 1799 to make his fortune and return to Holland to wed his fiancée. His plans are shaken when he meets the daughter of a Samurai.