Pi Day: Celebrate Literary and Mathematical Constants  

We all have stories that stick with us long after we finish them. Sometimes they are childhood favorites that we have memorized every word of (for us, it’s Harry Potter and the Sorcerer’s Stone and Ella Enchanted). Other times, they are single scenes from books that send us racing to the reference desk at our local branch to play “name that title” with a librarian as we provide them with the few disjointed details we can recall (I just remember an old guy named Barney). In our experience, BPL librarians are always victorious (Yes! It is Bartleby, the Scrivener!) 

For us, one of those books is Mike’s Mystery, the fifth title in The Boxcar Children Series.  We can’t explain why that book has stuck with us for so many decades. Long-time fans of the Series might describe the title as “random” (it is not the flagship first book or one of the more recently published interactive mysteries), and if we’re being honest, we hardly remember anything about it. We do remember, however, a vignette of a woman selling cherry pies out of a window. And for that reason alone, we continue to recall the title year after year. 

This Pi Day, whether you’re honoring the mathematical constant ?, delighting in a delicious slice of your favorite dessert, or running to the reference desk in the hopes of placing the cherry pie you read about in some book that one time, we encourage you to take a moment to celebrate the books, scenes, and stories that have stuck. 

Still searching for a story that sticks? Check out one of these pi(e)-themed reads: 

For the Math Minds 

Your algebra teacher might have taunted you that you’ll be using their class every day of your life—before realizing that almost all of us have machines running the numbers for us. And while we would never want to prove that teacher right, math is all around us. Pi in particular plays a key role in so many of life’s everyday equations. If you want to find out how, read Chris Waring’s How Pi Can Save Your Life: Using Math to Survive Plane Crashes, Zombie Attacks, Alien Encounters, and Other Improbable, Real-World Situations. To dive into fun, hands-on approach to how math works in our daily lives, check out Timothy P. Chartier’s Math Bytes : Google bombs, Chocolate-Covered Pi, and Other Cool Bits in Computing. Once you know all the ways math can be applied in out-of-the-box situations, reflect on the other side of the coin with Matt Parker’s Humble Pi: When Math Goes Wrong in the Real World. Of course, since Pi Day also lands during Women’s History Month, it’s impossible not to include Ada Lovelace amongst the mathematic minds we honor. For a look at Ada’s life, try Ada's Algorithm: How Lord Byron's Daughter Ada Lovelace Launched the Digital Age.

For the Bakers 

Bridge your passion for pie and Pi with Professor Eugenia Cheng’s How to Bake Pi: An Edible Exploration of the Mathematics of Mathematics—An Introduction to Mathematics Enhanced with Sweet and Savory Recipes. Apart from its (perhaps deceiving) title, Pie Squared: Irresistibly Easy Sweet and Savory Slab Pies moves away from math and highlights over 60 savory and sweet pie recipes, 20 crust and topping recipes, and step-by-step strategies for decorating. The book, along with Bravetart, Easy as Pie, and Dessert Person, contains countless recipes for sweet treats and is perfect for seasoned and beginner bakers alike. Finally, if pie isn’t your dessert of choice but you still want to stay on brand, Cookies: The New Classics contains 100 unique and easy to make recipes, including fabulous key lime pie meringues!  

For the Ones Who Just Love Pi(e) 

Making Piece: A Memoir of Love, Loss, and Pie by Beth M. Howard follows a young woman who, in the face of sudden tragedy, travels across America making pies on a quest to “pie it forward” and heal.  Life of Pi tells the story of a young Indian boy raised in a zoo who travels to America on a lifeboat with a group of furry friends. Though pie does not actually make an appearance in the book, this classic will undoubtedly tug at your heartstrings as it touches on themes of religion, fear, and family. Laurie Colwin's Home Cooking: A Writer in the Kitchen may also be pie-less, but its timeless collection of food essays is a must-read for all pie lovers.  

For the Food-Loving Sleuths: Food-Themed Cozy Mysteries 

Diane Mott Davidson is the first name that springs to mind for many food-loving sleuths. The long-running series follows Colorado caterer Goldy Schulz as murder seems to be on the menu at every event she caters. The series serves up delicious dishes alongside a heaping helping of homicide. For those seeking a new generation of cozy mystery cooks, look no further than Arsenic and Adobo by Mia P. Manansala. The first book in the Tita Rosie’s Kitchen series follows Lila Macapagal as she moves back to her hometown after a breakup, only to have her food critic ex-boyfriend drop dead at her aunt’s restaurant opening.