We’re big proponents of DIY at DBRL, and the holiday gift-giving season offers the perfect outlet. Homemade presents are unique, more personal, skip packaging waste and save money. They resist that potent December consumerism which hounds us to want and shop for more and more stuff. Presents, however, needn’t be flashy, made in a factory or wrapped in plastic. They don’t even have to be tangible things. Holiday gifts can be humble, waste-free labors of love. These gifts are more likely to be used and cherished by the lucky recipients, and they grant the giver an opportunity to explore an interest, hone a skill or let their talents shine. Continue reading “DIY Gifts”
What comes to mind when you think of home cooking? Do you think of traditional American meals like grilled cheese sandwiches, mashed potatoes, pot roast, etc.? As I was thinking up books to highlight for the topic of home cooking, it occurred to me that it could mean something very different depending on which home you grew up in. After all, the U.S. is a melting pot of people and cultures. Let’s explore some international home cooking! Continue reading “International Home Cooking”
Another of Marie Benedict’s fascinating historical fiction writings, “The Personal Librarian” describes Belle da Costa Greene, a light-skinned black woman who “passes” in the early twentieth century. Her father, the first black graduate of Howard University, fought for civil rights. Her mother chose to provide a better life for her children by becoming a part of the white privileged world.
Belle became librarian at Princeton where she was encouraged to apply for a position as librarian for J.P. Morgan to build his library into a world-renowned collection of ancient books and art. This girl, still in her twenties, managed to develop the skills needed to acquire these treasures, all the while maintaining her secret identity. The description of her ability to compete with male European collectors was fascinating, as was her relationship with her employer as he became more and more dependent on her and her decisions.
Perhaps the most interesting and important part of Belle’s story is the passing for white in a world where constant attention was essential. Every word had to be considered; every life choice had consequences. She knew of the Ku Klux Klan, the lynchings and the privileges now bestowed upon her and her family. The authors give us a sad and believable account of Belle’s life.
Three words that describe this book: important today, fascinating, moving
You might want to pick this book up if: You enjoy historical fiction and are interested in women’s rights, racial injustices, and the development of wealth in early twentieth century United States.
-Janet
This reader review was submitted as part of Adult Summer Reading 2021. We will continue to share these throughout the year.
Hey there, comic fans! While we’re on a bit of a hot streak, why don’t we go ahead and do our first ever part two for an entry? For this segment, we’re going to go over five more “obscure” characters/teams that you might find interesting. I use quotation marks because, of course, there’s going to be someone out there who’s a graphic novel expert and thinks these entries are common knowledge. Well, good for them! For the rest of you, however, I hope these give you some new reading material. As always, some mature content might be involved. Let’s go! Continue reading “Quintessential Comics: Dive into Obscurity II”
Throughout November and December, there are many holidays observed. I wanted to focus on one holiday in particular: Hanukkah. This year, Hanukkah is observed at or after sundown November 28-December 6. Though I hold no allegiance to any religion, I am nevertheless interested in, and respect, the symbolism and reverence food holds in cultural and religious identities. “You can learn culture while eating” as it’s said in “Joan Nathan’s Jewish Holiday Cookbook.” Being an Anthony Bourdain disciple, this spoke to me. If there is one thing we can all agree on, food is good and it should be shared. Continue reading “Read The Recipe! Vol. 3: Hanukkah”
Here is a new DVD list highlighting various titles recently added to the library’s collection.
“Roadrunner”
Website / Reviews
This documentary is an intimate, behind-the-scenes look at how Anthony Bourdain went from an anonymous chef to a world-renowned cultural icon. From Academy Award-winning filmmaker Morgan Neville (“20 Feet From Stardom,” “Won’t You Be My Neighbor?”), this unflinching look at Bourdain reverberates with his presence, in his own voice and in the way he indelibly impacted the world around him. Continue reading “New DVD List: Roadrunner, The Green Knight, & More”
The library can make your life easier. That’s the whole point of libraries, really, to serve the needs of our communities. Here are a few life hacks — or, if you don’t know about life hacks, think of them as helpful resources to make your life easier — found at the library.
Are you thinking of making a big purchase — car, washing machine, electric toothbrush — and you want to spend your money wisely? Consumer Reports has reviews of more then 8,500 products. It is funded through subscriptions, not advertising, and is known for providing accurate and objective reviews and analysis. Because it’s funded through subscriptions, it can be expensive — but not for patrons of Daniel Boone Regional library! With a library card you can access it for free through our website without even leaving home. Continue reading “Life Hacks…From the Library”
Through intricately interwoven alternating perspectives, Jennifer Latham’s lightning-paced page-turner, “Dreamland Burning,” brings the Tulsa Race Massacre of 1921 to blazing life and raises important questions about the complex state of U.S. race relations — both yesterday and today. For more books about this and other related historical events, check out this list.
Register for a Zoom link to attend this online discussion for teens and adults on Thursday, December 2 from 12-1 p.m.
One of my favorite things about learning history is that it adds new dimension to the things I already enjoy, and this is especially true for food history. For example, I have always loved pumpkin pie, but it hits me differently knowing that I’m eating Sri Lankan tree bark mixed with a spicy root that can grow just about anywhere and was as common in medieval Europe as pepper. These flavors are complemented by an aromatic flower bud from an Indonesian evergreen and a seed whose origins were so jealously guarded that it was dipped in lime juice before it was sold or exported so no one could grow their own. (Those are cinnamon, ginger, cloves and nutmeg, respectively.) Every ingredient and every recipe we enjoy is born of a long journey, both geographical and historical, and 
there is an absolute feast of books that tell those stories. Continue reading “Literary Links: Food History”
As someone who loves books and fears fairies, I am part of the target audience for “The Absolute Book” by Elizabeth Knox. You probably are, too. (If you don’t currently fear fairies, you haven’t read the right books about them, and you’ve certainly never faced the consequences of entering (even unknowingly) a bargain with one. For example, perhaps you’re traipsing through an idyllic woodland in a doomed attempt to recover a monocle or ascot you lost the previous day while burying a cache of aged cheese, when a dapper young man calls out to you, “Yoo hoo, care for some aged cheese?” There’s no way you’re passing up free cheese, and now that it’s been brought up, you have a real hankering, and you’ve left your shovel at home, so you can’t very well dig up your cheese cache, and also, you’re beginning to suspect this young feller may have acquired his cheese by pilfering the stash you’d so carefully concealed, and accepting the cheese would give you the chance to compare it to the cheeses you’d buried, and, if it matches, give this lad a stern talking to about a burier’s honor and the digger’s code. So you graciously accept the cheese, compliment him on his monocle and ascot, compare the cheese to your memory, and realize it’s an exact match. You start to admonish him, but then he says some stuff about how in exchange for the cheese you’re now forever doomed to write preposterous and patience-testing introductions to your blog posts without realizing you’re doing so. He also offers his monocle in exchange for a “magically sealed guarantee that you will fulfill a darkest bargain” at a later date. After asking for another piece of cheese and impatiently agreeing to additional inscrutable terms as he presents them (you’re quite hungry, and could do with a long soak in the tub), you retire to your manor. Much to your relief, you find your blog posts are as sensical and relevant as ever. But even were his “darkest bargain” to hold, even if the stuff about “forever serving” and “suffering the emptiness of the bleakest evenings eternally for the amusement of the fae’s brood” is true, a being who extracts bargains in exchange for stolen goods is one a gentleman does not hold in high regard, and a being who steals buried cheese is one to be feared.) Continue reading “The Gentleman Recommends: Elizabeth Knox”
