Archive | November, 2021

A Classic Remixed: So Many Beginnings

24 Nov

Hi everybody! My name is Nicole Marconi, and I’m the new head of the Access Services department at the Hoboken Library. I previously worked here as a Library Assistant in the Youth Services department and now I’m back after working at the Newark Public Library for a while as their Head of Youth Services.

While I was at the Newark Public Library, I ended up reading a lot of Young Adult fiction and nonfiction. I realized that I’ve been missing out on a lot of amazing literature and wanted to do a deep dive into YA. One of the best books that I came across was a book called So Many Beginnings: A Little Women Remix. This book was written by Bethany C. Morrow, a prominent author already in her own right. I saw an article about the book and was immediately intrigued. Books that reimagine or reinvent stories that are very well known can be tricky, but this book exceeded any and all expectations for me.

Popular culture has made us very familiar with the March sisters: Meg, Jo, Beth and Amy. The recent movie made by Greta Gerwig reintroduced the story for a new generation that felt refreshing but also stayed close to the source material. With So Many Beginnings, Bethany C. Morrow gives us a fresh perspective on a story that we already know. The original Little Women treats the Civil War as a side character in the main story. In So Many Beginnings, Morrow brings the Civil War and its issues of race and division right up front. The four March sisters know what it’s like first hand to question everything about their own existence, so feeling uneasy in their newfound freedom makes sense. I loved the way that Morrow made the characters so real and relatable. This book is definitely worth a read and a reread for anyone who is a fan of Little Women but also wants to hear another perspective of this beloved story.

So Many Beginnings: A Little Women Remix is available in print from BCCLS Libraries.

Written by:
Nicole Marconi
Access Services Manager

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Two Terrific New Mysteries: Grave Reservations & Arsenic and Adobo

17 Nov

Grave Reservations
by Cherie Priest
Grave Reservations, Cherie Priest’s latest, a mystery novel, is more light heartened than some of her previous works.  Leda a struggling travel agent who has developing psychic abilities teams up with Grady Merritt a Portland police officer to solve two separate mysteries that might have a common perpetrator and have been haunting them both.  Leda and the cast of supporting characters are a likable, funny bunch and Grady is charming as a widowed father who they help rekindle an enjoyment of life.  I’m hoping there will be many more in this terrific mystery series.  Great writing, great characters, and an interesting mystery will have you not wanting to put this one down. You can read about Priest’s Cheshire Red Reports Series here.

Arsenic and Adobo
by Mia P. Manansala
Arsenic and Adobo is Mia P. Manansala’s entry into the culinary cozy scene.  Lila Macapagal must return home after a devastating breakup to help run her Aunt’s restaurant.  When a nasty food critic who was also a former boyfriend suddenly dies at their restaurant, her life becomes filled with more than just romantic problems.  Will Lila be able to keep herself out of jail and save her family’s business? Lila’s extended Filipino family and her friends add spice to the novel.  The book includes several tempting Filipino inspired recipes including Chicken Adobo and cookies flavored with ube, purple sweet potato.  There’s a sneak peek at the end of her next novel Homicide and Halo-Halo that will have you looking forward to a second helping of the series, when it comes out in February.

Written by:
Aimee Harris
Head of Information and Digital Services

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