Read the Recipe! Stop: Cookie Time!

Posted on Wednesday, November 30, 2022 by Jason Delpire

All About Cookies by Christina Tosi book coverDecember is here, and for many of us that means baking. And baking cookies, specifically. Holiday cookies are a great way to connect generations of family in a task sure to create memories. When we think of holiday cookies, what comes to mind? Sugar cookies, peanut butter blossoms, ginger snaps, snickerdoodles? Sure. Those are all fine and have a place on the table, but maybe you want to show your cousin who the real cookie boss is in the family. Here’s where the mad genius, the rule-breaker, the one marching to the beat of her own Hobart mixer… Christina Tosi, comes in.

Listen, I know you want to recreate the holidays of your youth and create memories for your youngest family members, and that is commendable, but we can do better. “All About Cookies” is the newest book by Christina Tosi, and, as expected, it is amazing. Continue reading “Read the Recipe! Stop: Cookie Time!”

Q&A With Nina Mukerjee Furstenau, Author of “Green Chili & Other Impostors”

Posted on Wednesday, November 23, 2022 by Decimal Diver

Nina Mukerjee Furstenau is a Columbia, MO author whose latest book is “Green Chili and Other Impostors.” The book focuses on food stories within the Indian subcontinent, but also mixes in memoir, travelogue, and history, with several recipes included throughout. Furstenau is a journalist, author, and editor of the FoodStory book series for the University of Iowa Press. Other published works include “Biting Through the Skin,” “Tasty! Mozambique,” “Savor Missouri” and numerous stories and essays for newspapers and magazines. Nina was kind enough to take the time to be interviewed via email. Continue reading “Q&A With Nina Mukerjee Furstenau, Author of “Green Chili & Other Impostors””

Worried About Holiday Shopping? Try These Craft Projects Instead!

Posted on Monday, November 21, 2022 by MaggieM

Two sets of cloth napkins and a wrapped present sit on a table
Following Creativebug’s tutorials, I made two different types of cloth napkins and repurposed a paper bag and fabric scraps to wrap them. Photo credit Maggie Maginness

You probably don’t need me to point out that Halloween is over, Thanksgiving is coming right up, and Black Friday will be here before you know it. If thinking about shopping for the holiday season has your blood pressure rising, consider making some of your holiday gifts and decorations this year (okay, you’ll likely have to do some shopping for materials, but hopefully it will be less shopping, more making, and more using odds and ends you already have). Continue reading “Worried About Holiday Shopping? Try These Craft Projects Instead!”

New DVD List: Abbott Elementary, Nope, & More

Posted on Friday, November 18, 2022 by Decimal Diver

Here is a new DVD list highlighting various titles recently added to the library’s collection.


Season 1 
Website / Reviews 
This TV show is a workplace comedy featuring a group of dedicated, passionate teachers — and a slightly tone-deaf principal — who find themselves thrown together in a Philadelphia public school where, despite the odds stacked against them, they are determined to help their students succeed in life. Continue reading “New DVD List: Abbott Elementary, Nope, & More”

Reader Review: Portrait of a Thief

Posted on Wednesday, November 16, 2022 by patron reviewer

Portrait of a Thief by Grace d. Li book coverPortrait of a Thief” is a beautiful exploration of what it means to be an American-born person whose ancestry lies on a different continent. It’s also about stealing art. More specifically, Chinese art plundered from previous conquests by the Western world.

In the book, China has requested that their plundered items be returned to them, to no avail. So now, a wealthy private citizen wants to hire a group of Chinese-American college students to steal the art back. The problem is, none of them are majoring in theft.

Can they steal all five Chinese artworks back? Or will they get caught, ruining their futures in the process? With delightful character development, lovely writing, and a little romance, this is an excellent book choice.

Three words that describe this book: Deep, intricate, thoughtful

You might want to pick this book up if: you like heists and a Robin Hood-esque quest.

-Anonymous

 

This reader review was submitted as part of Adult Summer Reading 2022. We will continue to share these throughout the year.

Literary Links: Giving Thanks for Native American Heritage Month

Posted on Sunday, November 13, 2022 by Reading Addict

Seal of the Otoe Missouria TribeNovember is Native American Heritage Month, as declared by President George H. W. Bush on August 3, 1990. We join in paying tribute to the rich ancestry and traditions of Native Americans. The national events began with a YouTube presentation by Joy Harjo, the first Native American U.S. poet laureate, who joined Deb Haaland, the first Native American cabinet secretary, in a conversation with Librarian of Congress Carla Hayden on November 1. Continue reading “Literary Links: Giving Thanks for Native American Heritage Month”

The Importance of Community

Posted on Friday, November 11, 2022 by Ida

The Daniel Boone Regional Library vision statement begins, “DBRL strives to be at the heart of the community…” Public libraries are so much more than a place to store books, and one of the most important things they do is to help build community. In our library, we work toward this in many ways.

Libraries are some of the few public venues where you don’t have to spend money to spend time. We provide meeting spaces for local groups. We promote civic engagement by supplying voter registration forms, hosting election forums, and serving as a polling location on Election Day. A wide variety of programs bring together community members from all backgrounds, ages, living situations and abilities. We also serve active online communities through social media pages, such as the Read Harder Challenge Discussion Group on Facebook. Continue reading “The Importance of Community”

The Gentleman Recommends: Louise Glück

Posted on Wednesday, November 9, 2022 by Chris

While many adults look at babies and understandably, given the convenience of diapers and the plentiful milk, envy their lifestyle, I think back to the frustrations of being unable to make larger, older humans understand me and also how uncomfortable it is to be trapped in a garment filled with waste, and so must declare, despite all the free milk, that I much prefer not being a baby. Sure, adults underuse mobiles and are rarely praised for properly using a toilet, but at least we have the agency to choose to diminish the joy in our lives by not hanging mobiles above our sleep stations, and there is nothing stopping us from asking our families and trusted colleagues to appreciate our toilet expertise. Continue reading “The Gentleman Recommends: Louise Glück”