Mercer County Library Blog

Historical fiction can take many forms, but perhaps the most intriguing recent examples are two novels by author Phillip DePoy: A Prisoner in Malta and The English Agent , the first entries in The Christopher Marlowe Mysteries. They combine historical personages and locations, with both fictitious inventions, real incidents and accurate biographical details. The two novels are filled with vivid dialog and swashbuckling adventures, creating something like Shakespeare in Love 1998 meets Mission Impossible 1996 – with touches of Indiana Jones, yet utilizing the world during the reign of Queen Elizabeth I. Phillip DePoy is the winner of an Edgar Award for Mystery Fiction. He is the author of 21 novels and 43 plays, and is also a poet, scholar and performance artist. He has been married to playwright Lee Nowell for over 22 years and to whom both books are lovingly dedicated. A Prisoner in Malta begins in 1583, with nineteen-year-old Cambridge University student, Christopher Marlowe - ...

As we approach the end of the year, we readers are bombarded with best-of and must-read lists. There are even “round-ups” of the best best-of lists. I enjoy them at first, but eventually find the deluge exhausting. I’m here to offer you alternatives when you are looking for your next book. Librarians are trained in “readers’ advisory,” aka book recommendations, and it is one of my favorite things to do. If you ask a librarian for a book recommendation (please do!), we’ll ask you about what you’re looking for, your favorite authors, your dislikes, and maybe even what your favorite movies and TV shows are. Based on all that, we’ll do a little research and find books to suggest. Sometimes I might recommend a book that I loved, but only if it matches what a reader is looking for. If you’d like to look for books yourself, I recommend two related resources that Mercer County Library System offers our patrons for free: NoveList Plus and NoveList K-8 Plus . You can access both from home by ...

I would not call myself a foodie but I do enjoy reading books with a food theme. From cozy mysteries to rom-com fiction, I love a story that includes recipes and cooking. As a children’s librarian, I am especially fond of picture books that feature foods from other cultures. Reading picture books with recipes from around the globe helps children engage with the world and learn about other people through the kinds of food they eat. Food is something that we all have in common. From holidays and celebrations to the family dinner, food is the glue that binds us together. It defines our daily life and can bring such joy. It is the tastes, smells and sounds that define who we are. Many family traditions are passed down through recipes and cooking. For me it was the apple pie my mother made during the holidays. Each year I try to recreate the recipe for my children. I’ve listed some of my favorite books by authors who were inspired by the cooking traditions from their backgrounds. I hope y...

You know it is spring break when there is a barrage of museum pass pickups at the library. I am not much of a museum person; however, earlier this spring I got swept into museum mania and I found myself at the Mercer Museum in Doylestown. The museum houses a remarkable collection of pre-industrial tools, stunning in their preservation, yet reminding one of the loss of trades and cultures. Being there brought back memories of my own favorite gadget, a kitchen tool. The object called to my mind was a much-loved Konkani traditional contraption called Addoli . It is a wooden plank with a scythe-like blade fixed on to it. The plank serves as a seat, the sharp rounded blade functions as a vegetable chopper, while the spiky end is used for grating coconuts. The device sits close to ground, which means sitting in almost a bound angled pose (aka cobbler’s pose) was an everyday thing for women in these kitchens. No wonder my mom and my aunts would laugh in my face at the mention of an exerc...

As the air gets chillier and the leaves start changing colors, it may still be hard to picture what our community might have looked like hundreds of years ago. Thankfully, that’s where our friends at the Tulpehaking Nature Center come in! In celebration of Native American Heritage Month, the Tulpehaking Nature Center and the Mercer County Parks Commission are partnering up with the Mercer County Library System this November for four special events! The Lenape Indians, also known as the Delaware Indians or the Lenni Lenape, were a tribe who originated in parts of New Jersey, New York, Delaware, and Pennsylvania. Staff from the Tulpehaking Nature Center will be teaching us the history of the Lenni Lenape who lived in our area through various activities, pottery, and games. The Tulpehaking Nature Center will be at the Hightstown branch on Saturday, November 2 nd at 10:00 am, hosting an outdoor Lenape Games program, and then will be at the Robbinsville branch at 2:30 pm for a pottery even...

November is Gluten-Free Diet Awareness Month. The National Foundation for Celiac Awareness (NFCA) founded this awareness month to bring attention to celiac disease and other gluten-related disorders. Their mission is to improve the lives of those in the celiac and gluten-free communities by educating about the gluten-free diet. If you or a friend or family member follows a gluten-free diet, you don’t have to miss out on delicious food this holiday season. The Mercer County Library System has many holiday cookbooks for you to check out! Gluten-Free Small Bites – eBook “The voice behind glutenfreeonashoestring.com, Nicole's been making gluten-free goodies that are delicious as they are safe for nearly ten years. Indulge in her new recipes for Crab Rangoon, Cheddar Hush Puppies, Fried Pickle Chips, Mozzarella Sticks, Pizza Pinwheels, Miniature Mac and Cheese Cups, Spanakopita Bites. . . and more!” – Provided by publisher Something Sweet: 100+ Gluten-Free Recipes for Delicious Dess...

Similar to everyone around the world, there are things I do for myself that bring me happiness: spending time with loved ones, cooking, crocheting, drinking coffee, and watching a TV show or movie. But the one thing I absolutely love to do that, without a doubt, brings me happiness is re-reading a book. But why? Why would a librarian surrounded by great literature rather re-read The Shining by Stephen King for the 10th time?    One of the reasons that I enjoy re-reading is that I may find a new detail I had glossed over in previous readings of the book. Re-reading the book helps me better understand the story and what the author wanted the audience to gain. When I find those hidden details and foreshadowing I missed, it feels like I am reading the book for the first time. I can form my own theories about the themes of the book, take a deeper look at the perspective of the characters, and understand why they might have acted the way they did. I can then share those theor...