A Long Petal of the Sea
by Isabel Allende (2020) “A masterful work of historical fiction about hope, exiles, and belonging, A Long Petal of the Sea shows Isabel Allende at the height of her powers.” I cannot disagree with this assessment from the cover of this book. Isabel Allende has been a...
THE PASHA OF CUISINE
by Saygin Ersin (2016); English translation 2018 I suspect you’re as bored as I am with our current restrictions and news which never seems to improve. We need to ESCAPE, if only for a few hours, to another place and time. I can help you with that. We’re going to the...
Senior Book Break: July 2020
Our discussions this month concerned how fictionalized histories, often based on facts, help us to understand what life was like during often turbulent times. What was life like for the person living then, who perhaps was not a major player in the circumstances, but...
STAMPED: RACISM, ANTIRACISM, AND YOU
by Jason Reynolds and Ibram X. Kendi (2020) For the past several months, technology and various media forms have revealed much to Americans about racism and racist incidents. I think many Americans are bewildered by recent events because they haven’t had (or taken)...
Library Now Open for Limited Access
We are excited to report that after several weeks of “pick up” only operations, the State of California has decreed that we may open to the public with limited access. We will keep the same hours as the curbside service of Monday and Friday from 1 p.m. to 3 p.m....
Book Break Returns with Social Distancing!
Book Break is meeting outdoors for the time being to comply with safe practices for gatherings. For our June meeting, we opted to sit under the tree on the south side of the library. It was shady and there was only a slight breeze. Perfect. There were 4 of us, and...
On Gold Mountain by Lisa See
Years before “finding our roots” became popular, Lisa See wrote this book subtitled “The One-Hundred Year Odyssey of My Chinese-American Family.” While she didn’t have the plethora of online information that’s available today for such projects, she had something...
Library Now Open for Curbside Service
The time has finally arrived—we are open for curbside service on Mondays and Fridays from 1 p.m. to 3 p.m. Sorry, no patrons can come inside just yet, but you can call (805) 481-4131 and let us know what your favorite genre is or your favorite author, and let our...
VILLAGE SCHOOL
by Miss Read (1955) In times of stress, confusion, and disruption of our daily routines, resorting to our favorite foods, familiar places, or people can help to center us, just as a beloved book or author can. The prolific “Miss Read” wrote numerous books over a...
The Revolution of the Moon
by Andrea Camilleri (2013) Many of us know Andrea Camilleri as the creator of the beloved Inspector Montalbano series of books and films. A few years ago, he discovered a little-known fact involving the Spanish Viceroy of Sicily in 1677 that was so shocking and...