Mercer County Library Blog

Do you ever feel like you’re being watched? These days, security cameras capture you on street corners, generative AI remembers things about you, and third-party cookies track you across the Internet. The library offers a number of resources that will help you understand more about these important topics. In Means of Control , journalist Byron Tau explores how the U.S. government takes advantage of all the data collected about consumers on the Internet. “Recommendations” on social media feel eerily targeted and advertisements are specifically curated to your desires and purchasing behaviors. Beyond that, generative artificial intelligences such as ChatGPT, ClaudeAI, Google Gemini, and Grok are proliferating fast, with 62% of U.S. adults stating that they interact with generative AI at least once a week. In More Everything Forever , astrophysicist Adam Becker discusses how genAI companies and the billionaires who fund them do not always have our best interests in mind, valuing technol...

Let’s be real here, sometimes we are not as active readers as we would like to be. Family, relationships, career, and life overall get in the way. All this makes that 300-page novel collecting dust on your shelf that you’ve been meaning to pick up for weeks, now look as daunting as ever. Don’t worry, we’ve all been there. If you need something a little less time-consuming that still can pull you in and leave a big impact, look at a short story collection! Short story collections can be small narratives exploring multiple types of fun and unique genres. They are an avenue through which authors can choose to indulge in the weird and eccentric sides of our typical romance, horror, and science fiction categories. They’re a great way to introduce yourself to genres you would’ve never picked up on your own! As a short story lover myself, I can confirm that there is a lot of depth within the short pages of these collections. Think a short story collection could get you out of your reading f...

A few months ago, I decided I wanted to get into Star Trek ; setting out to consume every piece of its media ever released. It’s only been 60 years since the first show, certainly I’m not too late, right? If you weren’t already aware, the Star Trek cinematic universe is considerably massive; the complete collection totaling 14 shows (four of which are animated), 13 movies, around 55 novels, and over 100 comics. My progress? Pitifully negligible: I’m only on the seventh episode of the first season of the first show. If that wasn’t bad enough, at the start of the new year, Paramount+ began releasing the first episodes of a brand-new Star Trek show— Star Trek: Starfleet Academy . My ultimate goal may sound impossible, but only because it is. In all seriousness, becoming invested in a series like Star Trek is worthwhile for this exact reason—it has so much to offer, to the point you feel you may never run out of options. Of course, not every option is completely satisfying, or entertai...

As a librarian, I often get asked the question, “What do you like to read?” Generally, this is a loaded question in itself, as I like to read anything that sounds remotely interesting to me. I’ll read historical fiction (my favorite is East Asian history), literary fiction (I majored in English Lit…what can I say?), or non-fiction (a rare choice, but sometimes it calls to me). No matter what I read and given free will, I always come back to my comfort genres: Science Fiction and Fantasy, or SFF for short. Growing up, these imaginary worlds expanded my creativity, cultivated my interests, encouraged me to critically think about real life, and wonder about their impact on fiction as a whole. At the Robbinsville Branch, one could say that I’m the curator of the SFF collection. My input is valued when ordering new science fiction and fantasy books and I adapt the collection based on what’s popular with our patrons or out in the world. I also run a book club called Imaginary Universes ,...

A helpful way to understand a literary genre is as a set of reader expectations. Sci-fi readers expect that fictional worlds and technology will be consistent and have clear limits, so that readers can maintain a solid understanding of what’s possible within the book’s universe and what’s not. Similarly, readers of mysteries expect intrigue, a central character to unravel all the secrets, and clues to follow along the way. In the end, the mystery’s solution must fit with the established facts. So what happens when sci-fi and mysteries collide? Authors must juggle both sets of expectations effectively. If a sci-fi murder is finally explained by some previously unmentioned technology, readers are let down both by the lack of clear sci-fi worldbuilding and by the absence of any previous foundation for the mystery’s solution. The worst of both worlds! Successful sci-fi mysteries, on the other hand, use rules of their worlds not only to clarify the setting, but also to lay out all the piece...

There’s nothing quite like escaping into a good book. A good cup of tea under a cozy blanket with my latest read is the perfect way to spend a lazy Saturday morning and, in my humble opinion, the best way to live through hundreds of dangerous adventures happening between the pages. You know, without all the actual life-threatening parts. Or mosquitos. I’m always happy to skip mosquitos.  Here’s some of my favorite adventures to read: Legends and Lattes - Part of the Cozy Fantasy trend, Legends and Lattes is about an orc who decides to retire from her adventures and open a coffee shop instead. She has a lot to learn about running a business, and will have to figure out how to deal with the local gang who wants a cut of her profits.  The Invisible Library   - A library that exists between all worlds, and librarians tasked with retrieving one-of-a-kind books from every world. This is book one of a completed seven book series, and it will have you racing through Victorian...

Every few years, I develop a new preference for one genre over all others. I call it my “bread-and-butter” genre, and at least half the books I read will be part of it. My b-n-b genre of the last year or so has been (mostly) epic fantasy written by women. I’ll share just a few of my favorites in the genre with you. Better yet, these are all series starters so, if you like the first book, there’s more enjoyment to be had. Happy reading! A River Enchanted  by Rebecca Ross Rebecca Ross accomplishes what so few authors can: a feeling of magic that weaves through the pages of a book, until you feel enchanted through reading it. Ross’ fantasy Scotland is a place worth visiting again and again. I only hope she continues to write in this world. Jack Tamerlaine hasn't stepped foot on Cadence in ten long years, content to study music at the mainland university. But when young girls start disappearing from the isle, Jack is summoned home to help find them. Enchantments run deep on Cadence:...

National Science Fiction Day is celebrated every January 2, and commemorates the birthday of prolific science-fiction writer Isaac Asimov. One might ask, what constitutes a true science-fiction read?  There have been debates over the definition of science fiction. I explain to patrons that “sci-fi books are set in the near future or distant future, and explore change through technological innovations or discoveries.”* Sci-fi stories deal with topics like artificial intelligence (AI), genetic engineering, post-apocalyptic times, aliens, ahead-of-their-time inventions, dystopias, space travel, and time travel. Science-fiction stories written in the past include elements that are present in today’s technology. Consider that a type of technology prevalent now existed in comic strips and books written in the early 20 th century. A smartphone wrist watch resembles a watch worn by Dick Tracy in the comic strip that bears his name. Also, 3D holograms were inspired by the robot R2D2 fr...

March 2024 should bring Denis Villeneuve’s Dune: Part Two to theaters. If you’re curious about the film, the book on which it’s based, or just need a little refresher, read on. Our protagonist is Paul Atreides, the 15-year-old son of Duke Leto Atreides and Lady Jessica. He has been taught fighting skills from his father’s veteran warriors, as well as the special ability of “the Voice” (also called “the weirding way”) from his mother. This ability allows one to force another to action simply by speaking in a certain fashion. He has also been having dreams, some of which have come to pass. Lady Jessica is a Sister of the Bene Gesserit, an ancient order of women some refer to as “witches” thanks to their abilities (like the Voice) and greater physical and mental control. They have power and influence across the galaxy, and can detect lies (the Emperor has one as a “Truthsayer”). They also have a hidden agenda: by manipulating bloodlines behind the scenes, they hope to breed a superior ...

The interest in UFOs, the name given to these unidentified flying objects in the 1950s, owes much to what is known in UFO circles as “the Roswell Incident”. (Recently the U.S. government decided to rename them UAPs for Unidentified Aerial Phenomena, but for the purposes of this blog, I’ll call them UFOs because I like the older term better.) It began in July 1947, when a local sheep rancher who lived not far from the small town of Roswell, New Mexico, discovered debris scattered over a square mile. The debris was primarily made up of metallic material. He brought some of this debris to the local sheriff, who turned the matter over to the commander of the Roswell Army Airfield. After an intelligence officer investigated the site, a press release was issued by the commander of the airfield, claiming that a “flying disc” had been recovered near Roswell. On July 7 th , the local Roswell newspaper published an article based on the press release from the Roswell Army Air Field (this was be...