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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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A Fresh Look at a Classic Series: Harry Potter

27 Oct

It might be hard to believe but I had never read the Harry Potter series by J.K. Rowling before. Even though I read everything I could get my hands on growing up, this book never came on my radar until the movies came out!

So if you don’t know, the Harry Potter series is a Children’s Fantasy series about an 11 year old orphan Harry Potter who finds out he is a wizard and starts going to a mysterious school for young wizards called Hogwarts. 

It’s a fun series and I can understand why it’s so popular, especially amongst people who read it as a kid. It will make you wish for an owl telling you that you’re actually a wizard to show up at your window and whisk you away to adventure. As an adult, personally I can’t imagine myself being obsessed with the series but it was a very enjoyable read and I finished the series easily. I still don’t understand why people love Snape and Malfoy so much. To be honest, I found them pretty horrible and don’t feel like they really redeemed themselves in the end. Maybe it is because of how they were portrayed in the movies and by such great actors but in the book, not so much.

The series is appropriate for ages 10 and up for sure. It is a great story filled with magic, mystery, danger, great friendships, found family and a relatable set of heroes. 

If you would like to check out the books, we have it at the library and it can be ordered through our catalog and you can check out the ebooks and audiobooks through Hoopla accessible with your library card through the Hoboken website or Hoopla app!

Thanks for reading! 

If you would like to watch the video version of this review and more, follow the Library’s teen instagram page @Hobokenlibraryteens!

If the description of pasties and other treats in the novel made your stomach rumble, you can also read a past review of theUnofficial Harry Potter Cookbook here.

Written by:
Asha Mobiley
Teen Librarian

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