​by Matt

Binge watching television shows has never been more popular then it is today. HBO, ShowTime, Starz, Netflix, Amazon, and more have been pouring money into great television shows, pushing the boundaries of what we expect. Some of the shows created today come with mind blowing production costs, top tier actors, and amazing writers. All this results in must see TV with every episode leaving you wanting more. Here is a list of must see shows for all types of viewers. If you’re a fan of comedy try Veep starring Julia Louis-Dreyfus as the Vice President of the United States. It has been nominated four years in a row for the Primetime Emmy Award for Outstanding Comedy Series, winning the latest one, and Louis-Dreyfus has won an astonishing four consecutive Primetime Emmy Awards. Romance fans will love the Outlander series based on the Diana Gabaldon’s historical time travel books. It’s become a quick favorite amongst many of the staff here. Any fan of gangster movies will love Boardwalk Empire starring Steve Buscemi as Enoch “Nucky” Thompson. The show is loosely based on historical crime figures during the Prohibition era; such as, Arnold Rothstein, Charlie Luciano, Al Capone and more. The series won 20 Primetime Emmy Awards, including two for Outstanding Drama Series. For a steamy psychological thriller try the Affair, told by two different characters that leave you questioning where the truth lies. The series won the Golden Globe Award for Best Television Series – Drama. Game of Thrones is a fantasy series based on George R.R. Martin’s, Sea of fire and Ice. The show reaches beyond fantasy fans with a lot offer; intense action, a great storyline, amazing actors, stunning scenery, and mind blowing events. The series won an outstanding 26 Emmy Awards. There are so many more great series available at the library: Homeland, Olive Kitteridge, House of Cards, Mad Men, Mr. Selfridge, Ray Donovan, Downton Abbey, True Detective, Call the Midwife, Vikings, the White Queen and many more. A fair warning, many of these shows have strong violence and nudity. Come in and talk to the librarians so that we can find one for you will love!

***IMAGE: real Christmas tree image with lights & gifts underneath in room w/o people***

The Islip Public Library will host a free Veterans’ Healthcare Enrollment Event on Thursday, November 19th from 10:00 am – 1:00 pm.

Find out about new and improved Veterans Affairs (VA) programs, including MyHealtheVet; VA Caregiver Support Services; Disabled American Veteran (DAV) Transportation Opportunities, and much more from the Community Outreach Team of the Northport VA Medical Center.

This caring team will answer important questions regarding eligibility for care and programs. Using their new mobile resource unit, VA staff will assist you in the application process*, offer hypertension screenings, and provide first-time physical exams for new VA enrollees.

VA ID cards are issued for veterans eligible for VA healthcare. This card is not the same as those issued by

the Suffolk/Nassau County Veterans Services Agency.

*Please bring a copy of your DD214/military separation papers if applying for VA benefits.

Important: Pre-registration through the Northport VA is required.

Please call: VA Community Relations Department at (631) 261-4400 Ext.7084/7082/5250

Do you know why Veterans Day is celebrated on November 11th every year?

Veterans Day originated as “Armistice Day” on November 11, 1919, the first anniversary of the end of World War I. Congress passed a resolution in 1926 for an annual observance, and November 11th became a national holiday beginning in 1938.

There are approximately 23.2 million military veterans in the United States.

The VA health care system had 54 hospitals in 1930, since then it has expanded to include 171 medical centers; more than 350 outpatient, community, and outreach clinics; 126 nursing home care units; and 35 live-in care facilities for injured or disabled vets.

Murphy, Julie. Dumplin

Sixteen-year-old Willowdean wants to prove to everyone in her small Texas town that she is more than just a fat girl, so, while grappling with her feelings for a co-worker who is clearly attracted to her, Will and some other misfits prepare to compete in the beauty pageant her mother runs.

This is a realistic and engaging story that touches on the humorous side of real teen problems without being to preachy. If you like John Green and Rainbow Rowell books you surely will love this book.

Aveyard,Victoria. Red Queen

In a world divided by blood--those with common, Red blood serve the Silver-blooded elite, who are gifted with superhuman abilities--seventeen-year-old Mare, a Red, discovers she has an ability of her own. To cover up this impossibility, the king forces her to play the role of a lost Silver princess and betroths her to one of his own sons. But Mare risks everything and uses her new position to help the Scarlet Guard --a growing Red rebellion--even as her heart tugs her in an impossible direction.

Kristoff, Jay. Illimunae.

The planet Kerenza is attacked, and Kady and Ezra find themselves on a space fleet fleeing the enemy, while their ship's artificial intelligence system and a deadly plague may be the end of them all.Told through a fascinating dossier of hacked documents—including emails, schematics, military files, IMs, medical reports, interviews, and more—Illuminae is the first book in a heart-stopping, high-octane trilogy about lives interrupted, the price of truth, and the courage of everyday heroes.

Almond, David. Song for Ella Grey.

Claire witnesses a love so dramatic it is as if Ella Grey has been captured and taken from her, but the loss of her best friend to the arms of Orpheus is nothing compared to the loss she feels when Ella is taken from the world in this modern take on the myth of Orpheus and Eurydice set in Northern England. A powerful and emotional deep read with typical teens in love. It is both heartwarming and heartbreaking.

Woolston, Blythe. MARTians

In a near-future consumer dystopia, Zoë Zindleman must choose from limited, bleak housing options, including a converted strip-mall refuge that offers safety and proximity to her new place of work, ALLMART. A book that makes you look at the futuristic world of three young people trying to make sense of their place in society.

Tired of reading the same authors all the time?

Try something different!

10 books for adults that are getting some buzz right now:

1. The Clasp. Sloane Crosley

The first novel from Crosley, a writer whom comic David Sedaris calls "perfectly, relentlessly funny"… a few old friends search for a necklace (in the present day) that went missing during the Nazi occupation of France.

2. Fates and Furies. Lauren Groff

A literary masterpiece, nominated for the National Book Award…. two viewpoints - one from the wife, one from the husband – in the same marriage.

3. Between the World and Me. Ta-Nehisi Coates

Written in the form of a letter to a black teenage boy - Coates’ own 15-year-old son - the author tries to make sense of the blatant racial injustice that still exists in America.

4. City on Fire. Garth Risk Hallberg

This novel will throw you into the swirling mayhem of 1970s New York City, reaching a crashing crescendo during the blackout of July 13, 1977.

5. I Will Always Write Back: How One Letter Changed Two Lives.

Caitlin Alifirenka and Martin Ganda

The letters of two penpals, Caitlin and Martin, that began in 1997. It’s two kids from two different worlds, a 12-year-old girl in America, and a 14-year-old boy in Zimbabwe.

6. Did You Ever Have a Family. Bill Clegg

A first novel, long listed for the Man Booker Prize, about the repercussions of a kitchen disaster in a big house in Connecticut on the night before a wedding.

7. My Brilliant Friend. (1^st of the 4 Neapolitan novels) Elena Ferrante

Elena Ferrante is the pen-name for an Italian novelist whose true identity is unknown. Her Neapolitan novels - series about two perceptive and intelligent girls from Naples trying to create lives for themselves within a violent and stultifying culture - are producing an almost “cult-like” following!

8. Zinky Boys: Soviet Voices from the Afghanistan War. Svetlana Aleksievich

Svetlana Alexievich is the winner of this year's Nobel Prize in Literature. This work of nonfiction is about the Soviet dead who were shipped back in sealed zinc coffins (hence the term “Zinky Boys”), while the state denied the very existence of the conflict.

9. Furiously Happy: A Funny Book About Horrible Things. Jenny Lawson

The author explores her lifelong battle with mental illness. It’s an “hysterical, ridiculous book about crippling depression and anxiety.”

10. Submission. by Michel Houellebecq

An award-winning novelist explores the theme of Islam in current French society in this satirical novel. “A comic masterpiece.”

Who doesn’t love a juicy burger, smothered in cheese and dripping with delicious toppings! I have two tasty burger spots for you to try as well as a bunch of books that will show you how to make a dynamite burger.

Local Burger, conveniently located on Main Street in Bay Shore is a new burger joint in town. It provides a fun and relaxed atmosphere with a creative menu. They have several seating options, indoor, outdoor and even super casual picnic tables outback. But that’s not all. Local Burger is truly local, they proudly support a handful of local businesses by featuring a vast selection of Long Island craft beers, wines from the North Fork, cocktails made from local liquors, beef from local butchers and they even use Islip’s very own Coyle’s Ice Cream to make their delicious shakes! Their ingredients might be local but their burgers are out of this world.

My favorite burgers are the Hangover (bacon, American cheese, a fried egg and organic ketchup), the PB & B (peanut butter, bacon and cheddar), and the Atomic (cheddar, bacon, jalapenos, onions, horseradish pickle chips and sriracha mayo). You can also build your own burger with a variety of delicious toppings and unique sauces. Other notable menu items are the Sea Salt and Truffle Fries, Salt-N-Vinegar Fries, Saranac Root Beer Float and any of their hot dog creations made with nitrate free, grass fed beef. This is a great place for a casual trip with the family or to have a bite and a pint with friends.

Joe’s Sirloin Burger Grill is worth the quick trip to Bohemia. Joe’s is a fast casual eatery that specializes in burgers, fries and sandwiches. In addition to their indoor seating they also have a great wood deck with picnic tables for those who like to dine al fresco. They have hearty portions for a fair price.

At Joe’s, they use a 100% ground sirloin to make their six ounce patties and boast, “no blend, no fillers, and no preservatives.” It is simply pure ground sirloin and quite delicious. You can switch out the sirloin burger for a chicken spinach feta burger, turkey burger or even a veggie burger. You can also build your own burger or choose one of their creations. My favorites include the Horseradish Aioli Burger (mozzarella, horseradish aioli sauce, onion, lettuce and tomato), the Wasabi Swiss Burger (swiss cheese, wasabi sauce, onion, lettuce and tomato), and the Chipotle Bacon Burger (bacon, chipotle mayo, pickle, onion, lettuce and tomato). Other must try menu items include their meaty chicken wings, sweet potato fries, jalapeno poppers and the salads – says my wife. You can also grab a bottled beer to go with your burger or a bucket of beer to share with friends.

Still deciding whether to dine in? Try spicing up your burger at home. Whether it is adding avocados to give it a rich creamy taste or homemade coleslaw to add a crunch- the options are limitless. Browse through these great books to get ideas on crafting your next burger: Bobby Flay’s: Burgers, Fries & Shakes, The Good Stuff Cookbook: Burgers, Fries, Shakes, Wedges, And More and The Burger Bar: Build Your Own Ultimate Burgers. After a little research, I created my own masterpiece…a grass fed beef patty topped with avocado, tomato, smoked gouda, crispy bacon, homemade slaw, all on a toasted English muffin with chipotle mayo. So what are you waiting for? Don’t get caught having the same boring burger night after night. Check out these local burger joints or stop in and pick up a book to start creating your very own burger creations. Also, tell me about your favorite burger joints and what unique toppings you enjoy.

The Chipotle Bacon Burger and sweet potato fries at Joe’s Sirloin Burger Grill.

The Slaw Burger with American cheese and sweet potato fries at Joe’s Sirloin Burger Grill.

The Buffalo Chicken Wings at Joe’s Sirloin Burger Grill.

Are you looking for free infant, toddler and preschool-age activities? Do you want to meet other moms in the community?

The Islip Public Library has something for everyone. Borrow an iPad and show your child how to use it in the library or a Kid’s Kindle to take home for 7 days. The Kid’s Kindle features age appropriate books, movies, and games that are being updated regularly as per our subscription.

Show your child how to use a computer mouse and play games on one of our 8 PCs. 3 have preloaded games. Tumblebooks is a link found on the library’s homepage and includes stories, videos, music, puzzle and games and language learning. Enjoy the read-aloud feature. Exercise your imagination in our firehouse tent. Read aloud a board book, picture book, magazine, easy reader or non-fiction book and help your child read 1000 books before kindergarten!

If you check out the books on your child’s card and activate your account, it will track all the books that you are reading together! Color a picture using our crayons and seasonal coloring pages. Borrow a multi-themed book bundle, tied up with a red ribbon and ready to grab and check out - dinosaurs, princesses, sharks, trucks.

Check out our multi-themed backpacks that include books, dvds, and props that your child will love – feelings, fire trucks, trains, bugs and more. Learn a second language with a book that includes a second language cd. Your child can listen to our books with accompanying CD in the car while you run your errands. Listen to lullabies, karaoke, classical or movie-themed music from our tremendous cd collection.

Our preschool dvd collection includes Sesame Street, Baby Mozart, Baby Einstein, Veggie Tales and more. Draw on our chalk board to help develop fine motor skills. Help your child learn to read using our beginning reading books featured on a display just for this purpose. Connect train tracks on our train table for a unique configuration and then operate our many unusual trains. Assist your child in putting together our puzzles or borrow a puzzle from our vast puzzle collection.

We offer a sign language class every other month, multiple musical programs – PlayHooray, Miss Heather and Musical Playground, and an open playtime with our educational toys. Park in our stroller corral and meet new friends. Click here to register. Get an Islip Library card for your child today. Oh, did I mention, everything is FREE!!!

By Greg Klein

Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, Pinterest, YouTube, etc... is a part of our everyday lives. Many of us use it to communicate with family and friends, discover news, share pictures, videos and more.

However, when you create an account on one of these social media sites, it’s not uncommon for them to require you to provide biographical information about yourself. Information such as your name, e-mail address, phone number, and so on.

I’m no psychic but, I don’t think you want to publish this information to the entire world. If you feel this way, you’re not alone. The majority of us want to use these services while maintaining our privacy.

To protect your privacy, take some time and go onto your social media accounts and get into the privacy settings. Review each option carefully and set the setting to the appropriate level of security you are comfortable with to keep your biographical information, status updates, shared items, pictures, etc… as private or as public as you want.

Secondly, never provide account information, Social Security numbers, bank information or other sensitive financial information on a social media website.

Thirdly, when choosing friends or contacts on a social media site, think about why you use the website and be picky about whom you choose to be friends with. Decide if it is appropriate to accept the friend request or not. Remember a friend will be able to see the information you allow, while some information on your profile will be blocked from non-friends. Before adding a friend, make sure you know the person and you're comfortable letting them see your profile.

Lastly, be careful with the information you provide on social media. The social media companies keep records of all the information you provide on their service. Even if you delete a post or remove some biographical information, the social media company is going to have that information saved in their records. However, they can only find out what we share about ourselves. If you don’t want them to know, then don’t share.

We all agreed to a massive privacy terms and conditions policy when we created the account. Few of us actually read the policy but, once we share, its fair game...

...That’s the price of free accounts. For further information, I highly recommend you check out: Terms of Service by Jacob Silverman and film Terms and Conditions May Apply, both titles are available at the Library.