Cocktails & Conversation

Jeannette Walls’ coming of age memoir, “The Glass Castle,” is a story of courage amid dysfunction.

When sober, Jeannette's brilliant and charismatic father captured his children's imagination, teaching them physics, geology, and how to embrace life fearlessly. But when he drank . . . Her mother was a free spirit who hated the idea of chores and didn't want the responsibility of raising a family. 'Why should I cook a meal that will be gone in an hour when I can do a painting that will last forever?'

The Walls children learned early that they had to fend for themselves. They fed, clothed, and protected one another. Their father's grandiose dreams, especially of building a “glass castle,” served as a cornerstone on which they built their hope. One day, things would get better. More stable.

Fast forward to years later, Jeannette is covering the Academy Awards and attending black-tie parties while her parents were squatting in an abandoned building on the Lower East Side.

"The Glass Castle" is an incredible true story of a nomadic and impoverished childhood, revisited with compassion and forgiveness.
[mash-up of publisher blurbs]

Or watch the 2017 movie version starring Brie Larson, Woody Harrelson and Noami Watts.

352 pages
non-fiction

• ALA Alex Award (2006)
• Lincoln Award Nominee (2008)

It’s not just a festival—it’s a marathon of merriment, where the only rule is: Prost often and never let go of that pretzel. 🍻🥨

❎ Oktoberfest: Where Beer Flows, Dignity Goes & Your Liver Questions Your Life Choices
Bavaria’s annual ‘hold my beer’ moment. For 16 glorious days, Munich becomes a beer-fueled wonderland where giant steins of beer clink as strangers become friends, oom-pah bands drown out regrets, dancers in traditional gear somehow make polka look cool, and proof that ledelhosen are always a good idea—at least until 3 a.m. Zicke zacke, zicke zacke, hoi, hoi, hoi.

✅️ Oktoberfest-Lite: All the Bratwurst, Beer & Pretzels, None of the Regrets!
We’re going to celebrate the tamer version at The Garden Grill in Smithtown. I’ve heard they host an amazing outdoor Oktober Festival. And we’re gonna Prost responsibly! 🍻

What’s on tap:

• German-inspired eats (brats, schnitzel, warm pretzels—hold the yodeling)
• Seasonal brews (or wine/cider for the beer-averse)
• Good company (mandatory; bad jokes encouraged)

You don’t need a German passport to join the fun—but you do need to raise your glass and bellow ‘Prost!’ like your dinner depends on it.

Menu: [https://www.thegardengrill.com/oktoberfest]
Payment: You add up your items and multiply that sum by 1.3% to get the total amount owed.

Join us as we read the winner of our latest book vote. Picture a creaky old mansion, secrets lurking in every shadow, and a story that will keep you on the edge of your seat!

Everyone believes that Lenora Hope is a mass murderer.

When the Hope family was massacred decades ago, she was the only one left after that tragic night.

Mute, paralyzed and confined to a wheelchair, Lenora hasn't been able to tell her side of the story.

Until her new live-in caregiver Kit brings her a typewriter. And with one working finger Lenora begins to type:

I want to tell you everything . . .

383 pages
Gothic/Thriller