Archive | April, 2025

What Will You Discover?: Friends of the Museum and Museum Passes

16 Apr

Friends of the Museum
by Heather McGowan
Friends of the Museum is Heather McGowan’s latest novel after almost a decade. The story takes place over one day (we are given the time throughout) with a cast of colorful characters who work at a notable New York Museum putting on a special gala event. I did find myself early on flipping back to the character list at the beginning of the story to keep track of everyone and their relationship to the museum and each other. Those vignettes that were most compelling were about the museum director who has hit a rough patch in her marriage, a security guard who is suffering with symptoms of early onset dementia, and one of the staff members who has become pregnant from a one night stand and is debating what her next step will be. Amongst all of their personal dramas are larger ones impacting the museum such as suspicious provenances for art work, possible fakes, hesitant donors, and food poisoning at the museum café. It is interesting how the different relationships and character behaviors inform each other; the friends in the title is definitely used with heavy irony for this tragicomedy. You can also borrow McGowan’s previous novels Schooling and Duchess of Nothing from BCCLS libraries. Her original screenplay for Tadpole was made into a movie starring Sigourney Weaver and Bebe Neuwirth. The film won Best Director at the Sundance Film Festival in 2002 for Gary Winick.

Museum Pass Program
If you are looking for your own interesting day at the museum, New York City and North Jersey have plenty of choices. The Hoboken Public Library Friends and Foundation, a membership-based organization that funds special Library programs and services, sponsors the Museum Pass program. Our Museum Pass program gives Hoboken Public Library cardholders, who are Hoboken residents, free admission to several of the area’s most popular museums and other attractions. Many of the passes can be printed or downloaded onto a phone to be used that day including Guggenheim Museum, Hoboken Historical Museum, and Intrepid Museum. Other passes may be picked up in person at the Main Library (500 Park Ave.) the day they are reserved and returned two days later including: Brooklyn Botanic, Cooper-Hewitt Museum, and the Museum of Modern Art. Passes vary with number of guests included as well as benefits such as discounts at the museum store so make sure to check what each has to offer; you can learn more and reserve a pass here.

What is your favorite museum; let us know in the comments!

Written by:
Aimee Harris
Information and Digital Services Manager

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Charming Romances: A Fellowship of Bakers & Magic and Written in the Stars

9 Apr

A Fellowship of Bakers & Magic
by J. Penner
A Fellowship of Bakers & Magic is the first in a previously self-published, Adenashire series now being published next Tuesday as a new special hardcover edition with new scenes from The Poisoned Pen Press, who publishes my favorite Phryne Fisher Mystery series. This a charming cozy fantasy for those who are looking for a Legends and Lattes read-a-like. The stakes are low, but the romance and recipes created are sweet when Arleta, a human woman, enters an eleven baking competition. She worries her lack of magic will keep her from winning the competition and even more importantly winning the heart of the head judge’s handsome and kind son. The story has strong themes about being open to friendship and that it is ok sometimes to ask for help as well as giving it. I felt Arleta was very relatable as a character and I enjoyed seeing her journey. I loved the idea of ice fairies being used for cooling the warm baked goods for icing so I wish there had been a bit more fantasy elements at times since sometimes the food, ingredients and cooking equipment seemed a bit too modern and “real world” for the fantasy setting, but on the whole I found the story to be a page turner and I look forward to reading the other two novels in the series focusing on Arleta’s BFFs. We will also see a fourth added in the fall that follows the next chapter in Arleta’s life post her happily ever after.

Written in the Stars
by Alexandria Bellefleur
In Written in the Stars, Darcy Lowell is setup by her brother, Brendon, on a blind date with Elle Jones, his new business partner, both women find each other attractive, but Darcy views astrologer Elle as being flaky and Elle thinks Darcy is a stuck up bore. But when Darcy fibs to her brother that the date went great something he then tells Elle about in front of her mom, both women decide to make a pact to act like they are dating through the holiday season. But when New Years rolls around both women are left wondering if perhaps they are more complimentary than they first believed. I enjoyed the banter between the two women and seeing how they both learned to open their minds and hearts as they learned more about each other. I listened to the audiobook version performed by Lauren Sweet, who has narrated over 100 audiobooks including several New York Times and USA Today bestsellers. If you enjoy Written in the Stars, you should also check out Hang the Moon which focuses on Brendon finding love and Count Your Lucky Stars which tells the story of Margot, Darcy’s fellow astrologer and bff.

Written by:
Aimee Harris
Information and Digital Services Manager

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