Documentary Showing (Arroyo Book Club)…

The Arroyo Book Club book for May, the namesake by Lahiri, is part of the Big Read Program (http://www.neabigread.org/books/namesake/) so we are enriching our normal book discussion with an additional documentary showing.  In this case we will be screening 3 short documentaries on the India experience in America on May 17 at 3.  The films included in this documentary screening are:

•     Punjabi Cab - Sikh cab drivers in San Francisco
•     Nalini by Day, Nancy by Night - Telemarketers in India
•     Miss India Georgia - Ethnic beauty competition

 Please plan to join us.

Arroyo Book Club Pick for May…

In May the Arroyo Book Club will be participating in the Big Read Program.  The Big Read book this time around is the namesake by Jhumpa Lahiri.  Go to the Big Reads’ web page for the book (http://www.neabigread.org/books/namesake/) for details, reading guides, and more. 

Let me quote briefly from the book description… “In The Namesake, Lahiri enriches the themes that made her collection an international bestseller: the immigrant experience, the clash of cultures, the conflicts of assimilation, and, most poignantly, the tangled ties between generations…. With penetrating insight, she reveals not only the defining power of the names and expectations bestowed upon us by our parents, but also the means by which we slowly, sometimes painfully, come to define ourselves.”

Drop by the library for a copy of the book and plan to join us for discussion on May 24 at 3:00. 

We are also showing a series of three short documentaries on the Indian experience in America in conjunction with this book, so you will want to also plan to join us on May 17 at 3:00 to see them.  

Events for the Week of April 28…

Things going on at the library during the week include:

• Little Ones’ Storytime on Wednesday (4/30) at 10:30
• STAR Reader also on Wednesday at 3:00
• The USC Gluck Gifts from Over Sea duo performs on Wednesday at 6:30
• STAR Reader on Thursday (5/1) at 3:00
• Fun w/ Tablets program also on Thursday at 4:00
• Drop in Computer Lab on Friday (5/2) at 3:30

You can always check the Branch Page (http://www.lapl.org/branches/arroyo-seco) on the LAPL website for upcoming events or check out the Master Calendar (http://www.lapl.org/whats-on/calendar) where you can search for something specific across multiple branches.

Trivia of the Week...

Without further ado, here is this week’s question.  So we all know (I assume) that diamonds measure at the top of the Mohs scratch hardness scale… what mineral falls on the other end of the spectrum?

The Universe Versus Alex Woods

In The Universe Versus Alex Woods by Gavin Extence our narrator (Alex Woods) tells us the tale of his life from the point when he was struck by a meteorite when he was ten to the aftermath of a spectacular event when he was 17.  Alex is an interesting boy who develops a number of  unusual relationships and displays a great deal of intellectual curiosity.  The book is entertaining & requires some thoughtful reflection on the reader’s part.

A book I would recommend to those looking to explore some serious questions in a not TOO serious manner.

TOW (& Answer)...

This week’s question was - - - what is the first recorded comet?  The first comet recorded was seen in November of 1618 and described by Edward Johnson in his Johnson’s Wonder-working Providence.

The question (& answer) were taken from p. 493 of Famous First Facts by Joseph Nathan Kane, Steven Anzovin, & Janet Podell.  The book was published by H. W. Wilson in 1997. 

Half-Off Ragnarok

Seanan McGuire returns to her InCryptid universe in Half-Off Ragnarok, the third of the series.  This book changes narrators from the previous volumes and follows the life and adventures of Alexander Price (brother of our previous narrator).  Alex is in Ohio, working at the zoo as a cover while investigating the local reptilian cryptid creatures.  It soon becomes apparent that there is a petreficator loose (a creature who turns its prey to stone… think Medusa or basilisk) and Alex races to figure out the whys and wheres of the various incidents & to resolve them satisfactorily.

I wound up liking this book in the end but found it slow to get into, I almost put it down unfinished but it picked up steam in the nick of time and hooked me.  I would recommend starting this series with one of the other books and picking this up if you found you liked the others enough to give a volume that will require work getting into a try.

Events for the Week of April 21…

Things going on at the library this week include:

• Little Ones’ Storytime on Wednesday (4/23) at 10:30
• Introduction to Word Processing on Wednesday at 12:00
• STAR Reader also on Wednesday at 3:00
• STAR Reader on Thursday (4/24) at 3:00
• Fun w/ Tablets program also on Thursday at 4:00
• Drop in Computer Lab on Friday (4/25) at 3:30
• UCLA Gluck Percussion Trio on Saturday (4/26) at 2:00
• Arroyo Book Club also on Saturday at 3:00

You can always check the Branch Page (http://www.lapl.org/branches/arroyo-seco) on the LAPL website for upcoming events or check out the Master Calendar (http://www.lapl.org/whats-on/calendar) where you can search for something specific across multiple branches.

History of Highland Park…

Here is a 1958 document that lists community resources available in Highland Park.  Check it out to see if your favorite resources were around way back then.  

(http://dbase1.lapl.org/webpics/calindex/documents/11/520706.pdf)

Melt

If you are as fond of macaroni and cheese as I am you will want to check out this cookbook.  Melt, by Stephanie Stiavetti & Garrett McCord, devotes itself entirely to variations on the theme of macaroni and cheese & (vitally for a cookbook) includes a ton of mouthwatering photographs.  These variations stretch from the classic stovetop melty cheese & macaroni to delicious sounding pasta salads that include (unmelted) cheese.   Consider for example a serving of Summer Pasta Salad with Fruit Salad or Lincolnshire Poacher with Cotija, Chorizo, and Penne.  

Trivia of the Week...

This week’s question - - - What is the first recorded comet?

TOW (& Answer)...

The question for the week was what is the Planck constant?  (to almost quote from our source…) The Planck constant (symbol h) is the ratio of energy carried by a photon (W) to its frequency (v).  A basic relationship in the quantum theory of radiation is W=hv.  The value of h is 6.626196 x 10^-34 m² kg / s.  The Planck constant appears in many relationships in which some observable measurement is quantized.

The question (& answer) were taken from p. 191 of The Facts on File Dictionary of Chemistry by John Dainthith.  The book was published in 1999 by Checkmark Books. 

Events for the Week of April 14…

Please remember that the library will be closed on Sunday, April 20.  Things going on at the library during the rest of the week include:

• Little Ones’ Storytime on Wednesday (4/16) at 10:30
• STAR Reader also on Wednesday at 3:00
• STAR Reader on Thursday (4/17) at 3:00
• Fun w/ Tablets program also on Thursday at 4:00
• Drop in Computer Lab on Friday (4/18) at 3:30
• Introduction to Spreadsheets class on Saturday (4/19) at 2:00
• USC Gluck Trio Sonoro performs on Saturday at 3:00

You can always check the Branch Page (http://www.lapl.org/branches/arroyo-seco) on the LAPL website for upcoming events or check out the Master Calendar (http://www.lapl.org/whats-on/calendar) where you can search for something specific across multiple branches.

Websites I Like…

One website I’ve liked for a long time is the Health City website (http://www.healthycity.org/).  This website basically aggregates a lot of sociological and demographic information and lays it out for you geographically.  If you want a list of organizations providing services for the abused in your zip code you can find it here.  If you’re looking for a list of entities providing educational opportunities in your area this’ll do the trick.  You could just map your neighborhood generally and see what is going on where you live.  But that is not all that this site does.  It also allows you to find demographic information about a particular area to quite a fine level of detail.  Heck you can find causes of death for your particular zip code (heart disease was the leading cause of death in 90042 in the year 2000 but cancer killed the most in 2010). 

Take a moment and explore it.

Music in the Library (some exciting upcoming events)…

We have 3 music programs coming up.  Everyone is welcome to join us for what are sure to be some truly exceptional performances (judging by past experience).  Mark your calendar & join us:

April 19 at 3:00 for the USC Gluck Trio Sonoro.  This performance is worth attending if only to see what kind of music a trio consisting of a harpist, a trombonist, and a percussionist will play.  I know I’m curious.

April 26 at 1:30 for the UCLA Gluck Percussion Trio.  Come see how UCLA musicians compare to USC musicians & enjoy a rhythmic (I assume) selection of music.

April 30 at 6:30 for the USC Gluck Gifts from Over Sea (group).  Come listen to a duo of guitar/lute player and lap harp/vocalist present us with folk music from the 15^th and 16^th centuries.  It should be fascinating. 

Raising Steam

Terry Pratchett, one of my all time favorite writers, has a new book out and it is just as good as I’ve always found a Pratchett book to be.  In Raising Steam we are back on the Discworld (of course) following the development of locomotion, steam locomotion.  Mister Simnel a lad with a fixation has built a prototype & things spin off from there involving all the standard characters, from Lord Vetinari, to Moist von Lipwig, to Commander Vimes and including all the plot you can handle.

I would recommend Pratchett to anyone.  Pick up Raising Steam, or any of his previous titles, and give him a try.  

History of Highland Park…

Here we have another advertising pamphlet.  This one was probably put out a bit earlier then the last, maybe late 50’s / early 60’s and is advertising both Highland Park and Eagle Rock.  It includes photos.  Take a look at it here (http://dbase1.lapl.org/webpics/calindex/documents/11/520732.pdf).

Daily Life Through History

The April electronic resource of the month is the database Daily Life Through History.  This database provides information about everyday details about life in the past in a way that helps to make history relevant and meaningful.  Use this database when you are looking for background information about the way people lived in a particular time and place.

Find the database via the library website’s Research & Homework page (http://www.lapl.org/collections-resources/research-and-homework#D).  You will need your library card when accessing the database from a non-library computer.

Here is a flyer to provide you with more information about the database (http://www.lapl.org/sites/default/files/articles-and-information/pdfs/14-04flyer.pdf). 

Trivia of the Week...

This week’s question is what is the Planck constant?

Events for the Week of April 7…

Things going on at the library during the week include:

• Teen Council Meeting on Tuesday (4/8) at 4:00
• Little Ones’ Storytime on Wednesday (4/9) at 10:30
• STAR Reader also on Wednesday at 3:00
• Fun w/ Tablets program on Thursday (4/10) at 4:00
• Computer Basics Class also on Thursday at 6:30
• Drop in Computer Lab on Friday (4/11) at 3:30
• Job Interview Workshop on Saturday (4/12) at 2:00

You can always check the Branch Page (http://www.lapl.org/branches/arroyo-seco) on the LAPL website for upcoming events or check out the Master Calendar (http://www.lapl.org/whats-on/calendar) where you can search for something specific across multiple branches.

History of Highland Park…

Check out this advertising pamphlet.  It is selling Highland Park to prospective residents.  It appears to have been put together sometime in the late 60’s or early 70’s.  Photographs and the hard sell about Highland Park of yore.  Check it out (http://dbase1.lapl.org/webpics/calindex/documents/12/518938.pdf)

TOW (& Answer)

The week we asked about the word nosh.  Nosh is a term that originated in 1957 and applied to eating and drinking, often specifically to eating between meals.  The term comes from the Yiddish.

The question (& answer) were taken from p. 139 of the Oxford Dictionary of Slang by John Ayto.  The book was published in 1998 by Oxford University Press. 

The Mammoth Book of Time Travel SF

If you like tales of time travel and enjoy the short story format then you couldn’t ask for a better book then The Mammoth Book of Time Travel SF.  This book, edited by Mike Ashley, is full of excellent stories revolving around standard time travel tropes.  Included are works by such authors as Gregory Benford, Fritz Leiber, Robert Silverberg, Kage Baker (one of my favorite writers), Michael Swanwick, John Varley, and many more. 

This is a book I would definitely recommend.  I tend to like short story anthologies because you can always skip around in them and read the stories that appeal to you while ignoring or not reading what doesn’t appeal.  In this book, for example, I did not finish the Lake story “The Truth about Weena.” It just wasn’t my cup of tea but I did find more than one of the other stories in the book “unputdownable.”  Give it a try and see which stories will appeal to you.  

Author Event: Yuyi Morales

Join us for a visit with two-time winner of the Pura Belpré Illustrator Award, Yuyi Morales on Sunday, April 6 at 2:00.

Yuyi's books include the Belpre winner Niño Wrestles the World (2013) and Just in Case (2008). Her illustrations are featured in many wonderful picture books including Harvesting Hope: The Story of Cesar Chavez (2003) and Georgia in Hawaii: When Georgia O'Keefe Painted What She Pleased (2012).

Books will be available for purchase at event.  Everyone is welcome.