March 2026 – Derby Public Library's Blog

What’s Ashley Reading?: Daughter of Egypt

Daughter of Egypt by Marie Benedict

First line: The saloon glows in the flicker of the candelabras and the low light of ornate wall sconces.

Summary: In the 1920’s the discovery of the century shook the world. The tomb of the Pharaoh Tutankhamun was uncovered fully intact in the Valley of the Kings by archeologist Howard Carter and his patron, Lord Carnarvon. However, few know about the woman, who helped make this venture possible, Lady Evelyn Herbert, Lord Carnarvon’s daughter.

Having grown up surrounded by the artifacts and research of Egyptologists, she became fascinated with one person in particular, the first female pharaoh, Hatshepsut. As she travels with Carter and her father to Egypt, she hopes to find the lost tomb of this elusive pharaoh. During a time of turmoil between the British and Egyptian governments, they risked their lives to make this historical dig. When it comes down to a decision between her passion and her loyalties to her father, she must make a choice that will change her life and the world.

My Thoughts: Ancient Egypt is absolutely fascinating. Over the years, I have consumed as much as I can on the subject through documentaries and books. Last year I attended a talk given by former Director of Antiquities and world renowned Egyptologist, Dr. Zahi Hawass. It was so interesting to listen to him talk about the discoveries he has made or is on the verge of making. Reading Marie Benedict’s new book I can completely sympathize with Evelyn’s passion in all things Ancient Egypt.

The plot is told in dual timelines. One follows the rise of Queen Hatshepsut and the other is Lady Evelyn Herbert. Through Hatshepsut, we see her rise to pharaoh of Egypt and Eve shows us how the one time ruler was erased from history by her successors. I loved learning about Lady Evelyn and her part to play in the discovery of King Tut’s tomb. In many descriptions of this event, it is only the men who are mentioned but now readers can meet the woman involved too.

Interwoven into the narrative is the question of who these artifacts actually belong to once discovered. Are they the property of the home country or the discoverer/colonial power? This question still plagues museums and collectors today. Many items are being returned to their homelands but there are still some that draw international attention including the bust of Nefertiti held in Berlin, Germany.

If you want something to entertain as well as inform then this may be just the book for you! It will make the reader think and likely lead them to explore more about the real history behind the novel. For more on Queen Hatshepsut and other queens of Egypt I would recommend When Women Ruled the World by Kara Cooney.

The Blog Wants to Know: March 2026

It’s almost spring time and that means opening up the windows, clearing out the stale winter air, going through old clothes to donate or purge, and sprucing up your home. It’s not easy tackling the constant chore of cleaning so we’ve asked the librarians for their tips and tricks.

This month’s question is:

Do you have any cleaning, de-cluttering, or organizing tips that you’ve discovered over the years? What are some products that you love or books/resources that you have found helpful when cleansing your space? Are there areas in your home/car/workspace that you’ve found more difficult to keep tidy?

Shane, Public Support Services: One tip I have is have homes for items and always put things back in their home. If you put something somewhere just “for now,” that’s going to become its new home. My desk is my hardest place to keep tidy because it’s where I put my “deal with later” mail, and I don’t have a trashcan nearby to get rid of it when I do deal with it so it often stays on the desk. Bonus tip: I also like to have bags or baskets for work-in-progress crafts, crochet, and knitting so they can be put away or even left out in a way that doesn’t look like clutter.

Tabbitha, Youth Services: Every evening after dinner, our family shifts into ‘tidy-up mode.’ We set a timer, crank up the music, and work together to clear the day’s clutter. It’s our favorite way to hit the reset button so we can wake up to a fresh, organized home the next morning. To finish things off, I love using essential oils while I clean. It’s a simple, natural way to make the house smell amazing and adds a calming touch to our evening routine.

Annalise, Public Support Services: I think it’s vital to find tips that you can see yourself actually using in your daily life. For me, keeping my hobby room tidy is difficult because I have too many hobbies! For that room and all of my spaces in general, I use the “cousins and coworkers” method. I found this tip on iOrganize’s social media page. It’s helpful for me because it gives three simple categories to decide where an item should go: whether it’s cousins, coworkers, or family (which is a bit more general than cousins for those hard-to-sort things).” It’s made de-cluttering and cleaning much easier, and led to a cleaner space for myself to enjoy hobbies in overall!

Maycie, Public Support Services: My favorite cleaning tip is to make a sticky note wall. I’ll take a minute to walk around and assess what all I think needs done (or what I can realistically do) and each task gets it own sticky note. Then as I go along, I get to rip a note off of the wall after I complete each task. It’s a really nice physical representation of my progress on a deep clean day.

We have two big big dogs who were both grave diggers in their former lives so it is impossible to keep up with the amount of dirt that gets brought into our home. My best advice, and I know this is bougie, but get a robot that will mop for you. Not having to think about sweeping and mopping on top of other chores is a life saver. I can be doing the dishes while Niles (like the butler from the Nanny) mops around me. It’s so worth it!

Megan, Outreach Coordinator: I have found that doing a “Sunday Reset” has been helpful! Nothing feels better than starting the week off right.

Also, alternating household chores every week with your partner. This gives you one goal everyday for a week to focus on, instead of trying to do it all.

Finally, a 5 minute clean-up every night. Set a timer (either on your phone, or Youtube has fun ones) and everyone in the house tidy’s up. It’s especially fun with kids!

Dawn S., Youth Services: What I’ve had to do is change my mind set when de-cluttering. I used to be really bad at saving stuff. I would say to myself, “I might use this later.” That was my mistake because all I was doing was cluttering more. Tip: Throw it away if you don’t have an immediate use for it! I love using the Pink stuff to clean my shower and a magic eraser. My car is by far the hardest place to keep tidy. I want to say it’s due to shuttling kids from place to place, but it’s probably due to just being lax at cleaning it more often.

Ashley, Interlibrary Loan and Cataloguing: My biggest tip for cleaning is to clean as you go. Put things back where they belong as soon as you’re done with them. I use this to keep my apartment tidy but it is also my strategy when cooking/baking. If I put away supplies, wipe down work spaces and throw away trash, it feels like I finish quicker. I can enjoy the smell of the food cooking/baking faster rather than focusing on the cleaning process at the end.

Now it’s your turn! Share your tips and tricks for cleaning and organizing in the comments below.

What’s Ashley Reading?: The Case of the Missing Marquess

The Case of the Missing Marquess by Nancy Springer

First line: The only light struggles from the few gas street-lamps that remain unbroken, and from pots of fire suspended above the cobblestones, tended by old men selling boiled sea snails outside the public houses.

Summary: Enola Holmes, the younger sister of famed detective Sherlock Holmes, has lived her life on the family estate with only her mother as a companion. However, on her 14th birthday her mother mysteriously disappears leaving Enola to wonder what has happened to her. Using the clues left by her mother, she eludes her brother’s plans and escapes to London in search of her.

Along the way, she becomes embroiled in the case of the missing marquess and the dastardly villains who have abducted him. As she tries to rescue the young noble, she must also evade her older brother while also continuing her search for her mother. All in a day’s work it seems for a youngest Holmes sibling.

My Thoughts: A month or two ago I watched the Enola Holmes movies on Netflix. I enjoyed the star-studded cast including Millie Bobby Brown, Henry Cavill and Helena Bonham-Carter. Then recently I was looking for something short and lighter to listen to when I stumbled upon this. It felt like a perfect fit for my interest level at the time.

Having watched and read many Sherlock Holmes iterations, so I knew the feel of the Holmes-esque character. I liked both versions, movie and book, of Enola Holmes. She is smart, determined and resourceful as she tries to solve the mysteries before her. I loved how it introduces younger readers to clues and symbols in the art of detecting. For instance, Enola and her mother use the language of flowers to communicate in code. I can see this easily being a gateway into the more involved stories of Sherlock Holmes and other detective fiction.

Overall, it was an enjoyable listen. I may one day listen to more books in the series and see how they compare to the other movies. I would recommend this for teens looking for an engaging mystery series without too much violence or bad language.