Trace Your Family History

Inspired by her family’s Christmas ravioli tradition, author Laura Schenone traces her family’s roots from Italy to New Jersey in The Lost Ravioli Recipes of Hoboken. During her search to find the original recipe she discovers much more about herself, her family and the place they used to call home. Like Ms Schenone, you can discover much about your family’s history with a bit of research. 

The Roxbury Library provides free access to historical records, censuses and family histories online from Ancestry.com. The Library will be holding class for Roxbury cardholders on July 28, 6pm. During which you will be shown how to find your records so that you can begin to create your family history story. Patrons will be provided with a blank family tree which should be completed and brought to the class.

The Lost Ravioli Recipes of Hoboken by Laura Schenone is this year’s One Community, One Book selection by the Morristown Festival of Books. Ms Schenone will be appearing at the 2015 Morristown Festival of Books on October 2. For more information about the One Community, One Book initiative and the Morristown Festival of Books like the Facebook page and follow the Twitter feed.

7 Days until the Morristown Festival of Books!

The Morristown Festival of Books starts one week from today! As the excitement grows, I thought I would post the flyers that can be seen all around Morris County. How many have your seen?

Put on your boxing gloves and Duke it out with the controversial author of The Price of Silence: The Duke Lacrosse Scandal, the Power of the Elite, and the Corruption of Our Great Universities. Buy your tickets here.

Don your feather boas and enjoy our free children’s author events. Afterward visit South Street Creamery, don’t forget to ask for Festival flavor Fancy Nancy in a sprinkle cone!

Calling teen writers! A panel of YA authors will discuss the how tos of a writing career. Here’s your chance to get answers to your writing questions from a trio of successful authors.

Haven’t read the One Community, One Book selection yet? No worries, attend the program and pick up a copy of Providence on site. Lisa Colozza Cocca will be signing books at the Presbyterian Parish House at the conclusion of the program.

Did I mention the Morristown Festival of Books is a free festival? All the author talks and panels on Saturday are FREE! There is no excuse not to participate; we have authors for every taste: fiction, human rights, military, cooking and more so see you there!

10 Days until the Morristown Festival of Books!

The Morristown Festival of Books inaugural One Community,One Book initiative has been a great success!  Towns throughout Morris County, Libraries in both Morris and Somerset counties and individuals have jumped aboard to support the initiative. The Town Councils and Mayors of Butler, Florham Park, Mendham Twp, Morris Plains, Morris Twp, Morristown, Mount Olive, Netcong, Rockaway Boro, Roxbury, and Washington all have issued One Community, One Book proclamations urging their residents to read Lisa Colozza Cocca’s Providence.

Many book clubs in the area have been discussing Providence.
Pictured here is the Flanders Book Club get together.

Librarians around the area have been very enthusiastic about the One Book; engaging their book clubs in lively discussions of what Becky should do. I have to take a moment to thank Lotte Newlin, Library Director of the Kemmerer Library in Harding for allowing us to hold our kick-off event at her library. The event was fantastic and what a wonderful venue. If you haven’t been to the Kemmerer Library, it is definitely worth a look. Pick a good book off the shelf, and relax in a comfy reading chair looking out on the pretty pond out back.

A wonderful group of women donated funds to purchase Providence for many local Libraries. Through their generosity, Providence is also available in e-book format in the Morris County and Somerset County Library Systems. Look for a plaque in your Library copy thanking Modern Mondays.

Morristown Presbyterian Parish House

Now we are counting down the days (10) until the Morristown Festival of Books. At 3pm on September 27 in the Morristown Presbyterian Parish House, Lisa Colozza Cocca will take the stage to talk about creating Providence, her first fiction novel.  She will be taking questions from the audience. Personally, I hoping to hear a bit about how Lisa sees Becky, Rose and Georgina’s lives evolve after the conclusion of the book, say five years down the road. After Lisa has satisfied her readers’ curiosity, the program turns to the real world implications of Becky’s decision to run-away and raising Georgia. A panel of local experts: Judge Michael Wright (yes Mendham grads, OUR Mike Wright), Newbridge Services CEO Robert Parker and Brenda Mirley LCS, former Director Spence Chapin will discuss how the Morristown social services would help Becky, Georgia and Rose.

If you still haven’t read Providence, there is still time to pick up a copy. Bookworm, the official OCOB bookseller will be at the Parish House with books to sell. See you Saturday, September 27 at the Morristown Festival of Books.

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