Off the Shelf
Off the Shelf is your destination for all things BOOKS. If you’re interested in reading recommendations, author interviews or the literary world's secrets, Brooklyn Public Library's bibliophile staff is at your service.
Celebrate Christmas in Summer!
The east coast is experiencing its last blast of heat this month before slipping into the cooler climate of the fall. For many people, post-Independence Day begins the countdown to Halloween while many others skip straight to Christmas.
Read My Lipstick
The time has come to paint that pout again.
Essential Cookbooks by Black Chefs and Authors
Soul food has become one of most prevalent and popular cuisines in the United States. As with Soul music, when a sensory experience feels so familiar, or so American it seems to have soul, we're really talking about its roots in the African diaspora.
Cool Off With These Hot Reads
It’s official: the dog days of summer are here. Now’s the time to grab a beach blanket, find a shady tree, sit in front of a fan...you get the idea. Wherever you end up, be sure to chill out with a good book—and don’t forget the sunscreen!
Author Tahmima Anam on The Startup Wife and Her Creative Influences
The Startup Wife, by acclaimed author Tahmima Anam, is a fresh and bold examination of society’s obsession with social media and glorification of its creators. At once wickedly clever, hilarious, romantic and shocking, Anam's latest is a genuine literary gem that I could not put down, and has already received starred reviews and praise from the likes of Publishers Weekly, Kirkus and author Rumaan Alam ahead of its July 13 release.
Books to Inspire a Revolution (Kinda): A Mini List
The Fourth of July is just a couple of days away—did you buy enough burgers for the grill? Fireworks to drive the neighbors crazy? Blueberries, in order to make that red, white and blue fruity cake Americans love so much? Awesome! You're well on your way to a great Independence Day. All you're missing now is a good book for when you've grown tired of the hoopla and want to escape, but you've already watched Hamilton a trillion times and could maybe use a break. Here are some books set against uprisings around the world that will satisfy your fighting spirit:
Celebrating Queer Joy During Pride
Brooklyn by Bike: Staff Reflections on National Bicycle Month
There's a learning and comfort curve to cycling in this city that every cyclist understands. There are laws to learn, upfront costs and scary, aggressive drivers. And for those used to traveling by train, there's a whole system of bicycle-friendly routes to learn in order to get started.
Need to Ease Back Into Reading? We Got You!
The last book I read in full was Let Me Hear a Rhyme by Tiffany D. Jackson, back in June of 2019. You read that correctly: June of 2019.
Reading Rut Remedies
If you’re on this blog, then I think you're well aware that reading is the best (nothing better!). But just like cooking, exercise or any hobby you practice regularly, sometimes the routine gets boring and you fall into a rut (nothing worse!).
Get Into This AAPI Heritage Month Booklist!
Since 1992, we celebrate Asian American and Pacific Islander (AAPI) Heritage Month in May to acknowledge the accomplishments and contributions of the AAPI communities to the United States. With the unacceptable rise in anti-Asian violence both here and abroad, it is especially vital for us to bring well-deserved attention to these amazing books written by AAPI writers of the past and present.
Avoid the Allure of Easy Money, It's Financial Literacy Month!
Spring Cleaning? Dust Yourself Off While You're At It!
Peeking into the Writing Life of Author Deesha Philyaw
I’m someone who wants to be emotionally invested in the well-being of fictional characters. I enjoy worrying about them when I’m not reading and pining for them when the book has ended. And usually, I avoid short stories because I struggle to connect with the characters in so few pages. However Deesha Philyaw and her debut short story collection, The Secret Lives of Church Ladies, changed my opinion entirely.
An Interview With Cover Designer Olivia McGiff
When people ask who my all-time favorite writer is, I never hesitate. "It’s Laurie Colwin, absolutely," I say.
The Oy of Cooking
Passover with the CookMobile BKLYN CookMobile is a cooking program for teens and other beginners. We cook our way through Brooklyn’s diverse cultural heritages, with an eye to scientific inquiry and food justice. Naturally, we relish holiday ceremony and celebration! Here’s what we recommend for Passover:
Three Memoirs & Biographies to Read for Women's History Month
March is a very special month, especially for me. We celebrate International Women’s Day on the 8th, and Women’s History Month for all thirty-one days. Additionally, my kind and loving mother was born in March. As a staunch queer and intersectional feminist librarian, and former women and gender studies major in college, I am forever passionate about centering ALL women’s stories and experiences. If you, too, are itching to read about the fascinating lives of three incredible women
Soda Bread & Shamrocks: A St. Patrick’s Day Booklist
We can’t give you a parade or a pub crawl, but we can offer you a celebratory booklist! Butter your soda bread, drown the shamrock and discover the history and traditions of St. Patrick’s Day with the BPL catalog.
A Quick Chat with Brooklyn's Own Tiffany D. Jackson
If you were to scour the twitter account of best-selling YA author Tiffany D. Jackson (Grown), you’d surely come across a few readers who adamantly cuss her out for ripping through their emotions with her characters and plot twists (see: Allegedly and Monday’s Not Coming, especially).
Department Spotlight: Info Commons
Do you miss having access to amazing software resources here at the library? We’ve got you covered!
Interview with Author Silvia Moreno-Garcia
I think most people imagine a writer’s trajectory is a straight line but I’ve gone up and down...writing is a game of endurance.
Cold Enough For Ya? Reads from the Frozen Continent
When a healthy winter snowfall blankets our city with its chill, some of us long for warmer landscapes: sunny beaches, tropical islands. Some of us, however, loop on another of Granny's knitted mufflers and say to winter: Bring it on!
You, Too, Can Be a Revolutionary: A Black Panther Party Booklist
We’re coming up on the end of Black History Month, and this is usually the time when all the performative allyship starts to wane: people post one last Martin Luther King, Jr. quote or recycle a few facts about Harriet Tubman or Frederick Douglas. It’s the perfect time to remind our audience that Black history is American History, and as such, something that should be studied/brought up/shared throughout the year, not just in the shortest month.
Romance Novels to Read If You Love Bridgerton
While February is the month of love, it was the love we were feeling in December that was keeping us warm when we watched Netflix’s wildly popular, Bridgerton. The TV show is based on Julia Quinn’s series of the same name and while it was published 20 years ago, it’s getting some new love with the popularity of the show. If you’re looking to continue the fun you’ll find something to love on this list if you loved Bridgerton. Plus, the warm fuzzy feelings you get from reading a romance novel are just the thing to get you through the rest of winter.
That Guy Was President? Five Books on Forgotten Commanders-in-Chief
There are some presidents that—for better or worse—dominate the headlines decades after they’ve been in office, and others that fall into obscurity with every generation that passes. And it’s hard to pinpoint who our descendants will choose to still talk about (although I have a pretty good idea on a couple). But whatever the outcome, it’s good to know that for every random, “oh yeah, that guy was a president,” we encounter, there’s a historian willing to write about him. Here are five books about the men history likes to forget. Happy President’s Day!
Cozy Up with These Wintry Tales
It's early February and we finally got hit with our first snowstorm. It's the perfect time to wrap yourself up in a cozy blanket, sip a hot drink and crack open a book that will transport you to magical land, or scenic wintry destinations. Here are five picks to get you started!
Interview with Author Micah Nemerever
When I was a lonely teenager the local library was a sanctuary for me—there was one librarian in particular who linked me with public creative writing programs and offered to read stories I’d written...now that I’ve worked in libraries and know how busy librarians are, I’m especially grateful that she took the time to read my writing—it was above an
What You Read in 2020
This tumultuous start to 2021 notwithstanding, we can all agree that 2020 was a year unlike any other. Brooklynites masked up and quarantined for months on end; we showed our support for frontline workers at 7pm; we took to the streets in support of Black Lives Matter; we voted in a controversial presidential election. We also read—even when the libraries and bookstores were closed.
5 Winter Holiday Books to Cozy Up with this Season
Romance, Cookbooks, and More! December is chock full of holidays like Hanukkah, Christmas, Solstice, and Kwanzaa. Although 2020 has been A LOT and the holidays are looking a lot different than we’re used to, these cozy romances and fun nonfiction titles are ideal for making you smile as you sip a nice nog or chocolatey cocoa.
Understanding Our Divided American House
To many, the patchwork of red and blue states building up on the electoral map in early November—and especially the televised rancor that followed, revealed afresh the badly frayed state of our politics and led to worry what it might spell for our country.
Interview with Farzana Doctor
Growing up, my favourite places were my town’s public library and my school libraries. I still love these spaces for the sense of possibility they offer....
#TDOR: Transgender Day of Remembrance & Why Trans Lives Matter
Transgender Day of Remembrance was set aside to memorialize those who were killed due to anti-transgender hatred or prejudice. The event is held in November to honor Rita Hester, whose murder in 1998 kicked off the “Remembering Our Dead” web project and a candlelight vigil in 1999. Rita Hester’s murder—like most anti-transgender murder cases—has yet to be solved. (TDOR.info) These deaths are the ones that have been reported and recorded.
Overheard: Deliberations of the 2020 BPL Literary Prize Committee
Each fall, the Brooklyn Public Library Literary Prize recognizes an outstanding work of both nonfiction and fiction with an award and a $5,000 prize. The 2020 awardees will finally be announced on Friday, November 20th at the Brooklyn Classic–the signature fundraising event of the Brooklyn Eagles.
Celebrate Indigenous Peoples Day
By Leah Golubchick, Hasina Islam, and Elizabeth Willse Indigenous Peoples Day is a celebration of the original inhabitants of America, and of New York. It is a day to acknowledge their history, to celebrate their customs and contributions to culture. And it is a day to learn more about indigenous people, and to carry that process of learning forward into a more ongoing project of discovering and honoring their contributions.
You've Been Accepted: Queer and Trans-Inclusive Magic Schools
I have a complicated relationship with Harry Potter. I read the first three books back-to-back-to-back at the very beginning of the Harry Potter craze, then proceeded to fall in love with Harry, Hermione, and Ron over the next decade. As I was about to enter my senior year of high school, Harry was battling Voldemort for the last time. I quite literally grew up with Harry.
Women’s Equality, Today
Women’s Equality Day deserves your attention, especially now. In the midst of a major social awakening in America, it’s become clear that so much more can be done in our nation’s fight for true equality.
When Did You Fall in Love with Reading?
A little birdie told us that, when our collective quarantine happened, many avid readers just couldn't focus on books anymore. We're sure it's quite scary to suddenly find the thing that felt like home, now feels as if it's 'too much'. If this sounds like you, fear no more!
We Are Not OK: Mental Health Resources for BIPOC Communities
Among the myriad of issues and system breakdowns exposed by our national COVID-19 problem, the mental health of our citizens hovers near the top of the list. Add in the current social and political unrest and a daily struggle with generational trauma, and you’ll uncover that our Black, Indigenous, and PoC communities have had an extra helping of stress and strife on their collective plates.
A Mood Ring for Beach Reads
For book lovers in search of a silver lining, here’s one: even in these unprecedented times, it’s still safe to read on the beach! Find your outdoor oasis, practice social distancing and take a dip into these recently published books. The offerings below, handpicked to provide a much-needed escape, range from steamy rom-coms and domestic dramas to literary thrillers and personal histories. And always remember: if it's a book and you’re reading it on a beach, it’s a beach read.
Climate Wednesdays Are Back!
We are pleased to announcethe return of Climate Wednesdays at Brooklyn Public Library! This series, presented by 350 Brooklyn, examines how Brooklynites can face the climate crisis and features experts and activists sharing their ideas and practical solutions to combat climate change.
Department Spotlight: Justice Initiatives
Quarantine with the DeKalb Library Staff
These past few months have been very strange, indeed, as we’ve adapted to staying apart but working together on library projects virtually. One of the ways the staff of DeKalb Library has been able to feel connected is through having virtual meetings with our colleagues on Zoom and nurturing the friendships that are very strong in the branch. In between talking about important library matters, we’ve found ways to talk about what we’re reading, watching and listening to, and the other ways we’ve been trying to take care of ourselves and feel "normal".
Author Spotlight: June Jordan, Poet of the People
Will Black Lives Matter on the Fourth of July? (The COVID-19 Remix)
Independence Day is approaching quickly in the US on Saturday, and it will be an interesting one in the Age of Donald Trump, COVID-19, Social Distancing, Asian American discrimination and harassment and a resurgence of protests demanding that Black Lives Matter. But many of us don’t think about the Fourth of July’s legacy and how freedom did not come to everyone in 1776, the repercussions of which are still being felt today.
Don't Stop Celebrating Black Music Month
The history of Black music in America is essentially the history of American music.
Must Reads on the Black Experience: A Juneteenth Booklist
From General Order Number 3: "The people of Texas are informed that in accordance with a Proclamation from the Executive of the United States, all slaves are free. This involves an absolute equality of rights and rights of property between former masters and slaves, and the connection heretofore existing between them becomes that between employer and hired laborer."
Celebrate Pride with These Poetry Collections!
Here is a brief list of books from the last year-ish that transcend Pride Month, and presents a more nuanced, representative and resonant experience of queerness than what is often front and center this time of year.
A Quick World Goth Day Tutorial
I discovered goth music about the same time I discovered Anne Rice. I was in the sixth grade and spent much of my time listening to Siouxsie & the Banshees on my portable record player and summoning ghosts with my Ouija board, then I found the paperback of Interview with the Vampire on my parents bookshelf and never gave it back.