Mercer County Library Blog

One of my favorite movies as a teenager was The Breakfast Club , in 1984. It had a rock-filled soundtrack, and as the closing credits were rolling, they played the song “Don't You (Forget About Me)” by the group Simple Minds. I had never heard of that group, but I liked the song. After buying it at my local record shop, I became a fan, and began looking into their previous work. After all these years, I now own all their albums, and saw them in concert at the Count Basie Theatre in Red Bank, NJ in 2018. The founders of the group, Charlie Burchill and Jim Kerr, met as children growing up in Glasgow, Scotland. At a young age Charlie's mother died, but his father worked long hours, and couldn't properly care for Charlie. So Jim's family took him in. As a result, Jim and Charlie were raised as if they were brothers. They have been close ever since, and are still best friends to this day. As teenagers they became interested in music and, along with a few friends, formed a ...

Singing has been a huge part of my life for as long as I can remember. When my brothers and I were little, our dad would play guitar while our parents sang together as part of our bedtime routine. Long road trips were made bearable by singing along at the top of our lungs to our favorite Broadway musical soundtracks (I recognize “bearable” might not be the first word that comes to mind for some readers imagining this scenario, but it worked for us!). As I got older, I joined choirs and a capella groups whenever I could. Now, I have my own young children and a husband who plays guitar, and we love making music together as a family. Most choirs rehearse right around my kids’ bedtime, which makes it too difficult for me to participate in this season of life. I was really missing the feeling of being part of a community singing together in harmony. And I realized that other parents of young children might feel the same way. In fact, there could be people of all ages who might wish for tha...

We can all use more humor in our lives, especially during times of stress. There is an old saying that tragedy plus time equals comedy, and many different people have said this over the years. The website Quote Investigator refers to an American print example from a February 1957 Cosmopolitan interview with comedian, writer, and actor Steve Allen, in which he says: “Man jokes about the things that depress him, but he usually waits till a certain amount of time has passed…. I guess you can make a mathematical formula out of it. Tragedy plus time equals comedy. ” The site also goes on to reference earlier writings, including “the prominent English novelist Thomas Hardy penn[ing] a letter in 1889 containing the following thematically related statement: All comedy, is tragedy, if you only look deep enough into it. ” This explains the adult tendency towards “dark humor;” those jokes about things that we might consider serious or even tragic in other contexts. Laughter and humor can be use...

There is something magical about discovering a new book that you then find impossible to put down. A book that transports you into the world the author has created, and lets you get to know the characters as if you have known them your whole life. The characters are written in such a manner that they feel real, and the emotions they project make the reader feel those same ways. When you discover your new favorite book, it isn’t just the enjoyment of a well written story, you're developing a connection and relating to the characters or the plot of the book. I discovered one of my new favorite books recently. The book is The Frozen River by Ariel Lawhon, and it was just a phenomenal read. The book takes place in the town of Hallowell, Maine, between November 1789 to April 1790. You are introduced to a woman named Martha Ballard, a well-respected midwife and healer in the town. She is called upon late in the night to help out with a serious matter: a man's body was found in the ...

Here are some of the events and programs from around the Mercer County Library System for the month of April. For a complete list of events at your local branch, visit the MCLS Events Calendar , and check out the flyers in this post! National Poetry Month Events Celebrate National Poetry Month with readings, workshops, and open mic sessions that inspire creativity and expression. For Adults Poetry Reading & Open Mic Thursday, April 3, 2025, 6:30 pm Lawrence Branch Poetry Writing Workshop Saturday, April 5, 1:00 pm Hickory Corner Branch Poetry Circle: Poetry Month Reading Thursday, April 10, 2025, 6:30 pm Lawrence Branch Poetry Writing Workshop Wednesday, April 16, 2025, 2:30 pm Lawrence Branch Rule of Three Reading Group: Poetry Thursday, April 17, 2025, 6:30 pm West Windsor Branch A Poetry Happening: Mercer Poets Read Monday, April 28, 2025, 7:00 pm Virtual Program For Kids Blackout Poetry All month long Ewing Branch For All Ages Blackout Poetry Wall All...

Some people describe reading as a hobby. Then there are true bibliophiles, for whom literature is an obsession, something without which life is unimaginable. People’s attitudes towards whisky could be categorized these same ways. As literature can be divided into forms and genres, so too can whisky be divided by style. Single malt whisky is distilled exclusively from malted barley. Single pot still whisky is made from a mash of both malted and unmalted barley. Single grain whisky is made from a mash which might include any combination of grain, often corn. And while many American whiskies technically fall into this single grain category, in Ireland and Scotland single grain whisky is typically used for blending with single malt or single pot still to make a more affordable bottle. Single pot still is perhaps the most iconically Irish style, while the best whiskies from Scotland are certainly single malts. If you’re looking for a recommendation from your neighborhood librarian, I espec...