Events for the Week of November 1….

Events going on at the library this week include…

• Zentangle Mania on Sunday (11/1) at 2:00
• CalFresh/MediCal Information Table on Tuesday (11/3) from 1:00-5:00
• STAR Reader also on Tuesday at 4:30
• Little Ones’ Storytime on Wednesday (11/4)… Sessions at 10:30 & 11:30
• STAR Reader on Wednesday at 3:00
• STAR Reader on Thursday (11/5) at 3:00
• Fun With Tablets also on Thursday at 4:00
• Drop in Computer Lab on Friday (11/6) at 3:30
• SAT Workshop on Saturday (11/7) at 10:00
• STAR Reader on Saturday 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.

Touch

Claire North has a knack for unusual premises when writing fiction and Touch demonstrates that.  In Touch the narrator is essentially a non-corporeal being that exists by taking over people on touch.  He/she (it’s never clear) was originally human but was murdered.  On death he/she plead for life and found he had taken over the murderer’s body.  Thenceforward she could become anyone she touched, taking over their body while the original inhabitant just sort of loses time until she is gone.  She is not the only one of her kind.  The narrator spends the course of the book fighting a shadow organization that is trying to kill off her kind (or is it?) and the result is an interesting thriller.  

While I was interested in the premise initially by the end of the story I was fully on board as viewing these creatures as non-human parasites that really needed to be exterminated.  So all in all an interesting story that I’d recommend to people who don’t require a sympathetic narrator.

Library Events in November…

(Mark your calendars accordingly)

The library has a number of interesting events planned in November.  I thought I’d take a minute and give you a run down so you can plan ahead.  Let’s start with the non-repeating events:

- - - - - - - - - -
11/1 @ 2:00
Zentangle Mania
Zentangle (R) is "mindful doodling". It is meant to provide you with the opportunity to relax and de-stress while at the same time creating lovely looking artwork. Join us to learn how and make a piece or two of your own.

11/3 from 1:00-5:00
Sign up for MediCal and CalFresh
Eligibility specialists from the LA County Department of Public Social Services will be on hand to help you and your family sign up for Medi-Cal, Covered California, CalFresh, and other government assistance programs.

11/7 @ 10:00
SAT Review Session
Join us for a Writing Review Workshop and polish your skills in advance of taking the SAT.

11/9 @ 4:00
Make it Monday: Building Block Challenge
Can your construction meet the challenge?

11/12 @ 4:00
Enjoy a Movie 
Join us for a showing of a film set in WWII and featuring some aspects of Native American history.

11/14 from 10:00-2:00
Practice SAT Test
A practice SAT Test will be administered.  

11/14 @ 2:00
Drop in Computer Lab
Bring your questions about computers, tablets, eReaders, or other electronic devices.  We will do our best to help you figure out answers.

11/14 @ 2:00
Zentangle Mania
Zentangle (R) is "mindful doodling". It is meant to provide you with the opportunity to relax and de-stress while at the same time creating lovely looking artwork. Join us to learn how and make a piece or two of your own.

11/15 from 1:00-5:00
Sign up for MediCal and CalFresh
Eligibility specialists from the LA County Department of Public Social Services will be on hand to help you and your family sign up for Medi-Cal, Covered California, CalFresh, and other government assistance programs.

11/17 @ 4:00
Teen Program
Join us for an undisclosed teen program.

11/18 from 10:00-2:00
ACA Information Table
Do you have questions about Covered California? Do you want to know if you qualify for low-cost or no-cost health insurance?  Stop in to meet with Enrollment Counselors who will talk to you face-to-face to explain your health coverage options through Covered California and help you select the best plan for your medical needs and budget.

11/23 @ 4:00
Make it Monday: Cartoon Class with Dave Boatman
Learn how to draw cartoons from your imagination with the very funny cartoonist Dave Boatman.

11/24 @ 12:00
Drop in Computer Lab
Bring your questions about computers, tablets, eReaders, or other electronic devices.  We will do our best to help you figure out answers.

11/25 from 10:00-2:00
ACA Information Table
Do you have questions about Covered California? Do you want to know if you qualify for low-cost or no-cost health insurance?  Stop in to meet with Enrollment Counselors who will talk to you face-to-face to explain your health coverage options through Covered California and help you select the best plan for your medical needs and budget.

11/28 @ 3:00
Arroyo Book Club
Join us for a lively discussion of the book The Narrow Road in the Deep North by Richard Flanagan.


- - - - - - - - - -

Each month the library also has a number of ongoing classes & events.  They are:

Little Ones’ Storytime - - - Wednesdays at 10:30 & 11:30
Little Ones’ 3 and under & their grownups are invited to join us for stories, music, & games.  We offer two sessions, pick the one that is convenient for you.  (Library will be closed for Veteran’s Day on 11/11)

STAR Volunteer Readers - - - Available on Tuesdays at 4:30, on Wednesdays at 3:00, on Thursdays at 3:00 & on Saturdays at 2:00
STAR readers present the fun of storytelling and reading to children one-on-one or in small groups. Kids earn a free book to keep after 3 visits.

Fun with Tablets - - - 1st & 3rd Thursdays at 4:00
Join us for a tablet based activity.  Your suggestions for future projects welcome.

Drop in Computer Lab - - - Fridays at 3:30
Bring your questions about computers, tablets, eReaders, or other electronic devices.  We will do our best to help you figure out answers.

- - - - - - - - - -

Please do not hesitate to call the library at 323-255-0537 if you have any questions or would like more information.  Remember that 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.

November’s Arroyo Book Club Pick….

The November Arroyo Book Club book is The Narrow Road into the Deep North by Richard Flanagan.  The recent announcing of this year’s Man Booker prize winner got me thinking that we should read last year’s and so that is just what this book is.  To quote from the book’s flap description:

Moving deftly from a Japanese POW camp to present-day Australia, from the experiences of Dorrigo Evans and his fellow prisoners to that of the Japanese guards, this savagely beautiful novel tells a story of the many forms of love and death, of war and truth, as one man comes of age, prospers, only to discover all that he has lost.

Sounds like an interesting potentially depressing read.  Stop by the library for a copy of the book and plan to join us on Saturday, November 28 at 3:00 for our discussion.

Triva of the Week...

This week’s question is where did Colby cheese originate? Bonus points for when.

Zentangle Mania…

Zentangle® is "mindful doodling". It is meant to provide you with the opportunity to relax and de-stress while at the same time creating lovely looking artwork. Books that discuss the topic include:

• The Beauty of Zentangle by Suzanne McNeill
• Creative Tangle by Trish Reinhart
• Pattern Play by Cris Letourneau

Check out the book covers below for an idea about how pretty zentangle can be then plan to join us at either of our upcoming sessions to learn how to do zentangle and to make a piece or two of your own.  We have a session scheduled on Sunday, November 1 at 2:00 and on Saturday, November 14 at 4:00.  Come to either or both!

      

Events for the Week of October 25….

Events going on at the library this week include…

• Game Day on Sunday (10/25) at 2:00
• Choose Health LA Kids Parenting Workshop on Monday (10/26) at 10:30
• Make It Monday --- Day of the Dead Crafts on Monday (of course) at 4:00
• Drop in Computer Lab on Tuesday (10/27) at 12:00
• STAR Reader also on Tuesday at 4:30
• Little Ones’ Storytime on Wednesday (10/28)… Sessions at 10:30 & 11:30
• STAR Reader on Wednesday at 3:00
• STAR Reader on Thursday (10/29) at 3:00
• Drop in Computer Lab on Friday (10/30) at 3:30
• SAT Workshop on Saturday (10/31) from 10:00 to 12:00
• STAR Reader on Saturday at 2:00
• Library Trick or Treating also on Saturday from 3:30 to 5:00

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.

TOW (& Answer)...

This week’s question was what do the two scallop-shaped entry points flanking the entrance to the Maguire Gardens at the Central Library represent?  Well the one on the left represents the archaic.  It, to quote my source, “represents the urge to build and embellish…”  Its look is derived from the Mixtec and Inca.  The one on the right represents the post-literate.  It contains mathematical equations from early in the twentieth century. These equations “suggest the contemporary intellectual ground in which it is precisely known that nothing is certain.”

The question (& answer) were taken from p. 18 of Spine: The Jud Fine art plan at the Maguire Gardens, Central Library, Los Angeles by Jud Fine and Harry Reese.  The book was published by the Los Angeles Library Association in 1993.

I’ll Give You the Sun

In I’ll Give You the Sun by Jandy Nelson we meet twins Jude and Noah.  We see Noah’s take on the events of their lives when they are 13, almost 14 and pick up with Jude’s take 3 years later.  When we first meet them the twins are inseparable but something happened in the intervening years and when we pick up the story they are barely speaking.  The book explores the twins' experiences as they approach this terrible event and as they attempt to recover from it.  

The book was compelling and hard to put down.  I would recommend it to anyone who appreciates a good dramatic exploration of emotion.

History of Eagle Rock….

Here (http://dbase1.lapl.org/webpics/calindex/documents/10/520288.pdf) we have an article that discusses the history of the land the Eagle Rock Plaza was built on.  While the article definitely has the tone of a press release by the mall in question the history described is nevertheless interesting.  The article is from 9/30/1973.  Take a look at it.

Events for the Week of October 18….

Events going on at the library this week include…

• Choose Health LA Kids Parenting Workshop on Monday (10/19) at 10:30
• Teen Read Week Program on Tuesday (10/20) at 4:00
• STAR Reader also on Tuesday at 4:30
• Little Ones’ Storytime on Wednesday (10/21)… Sessions at 10:30 & 11:30
• STAR Reader on Wednesday at 3:00
• STAR Reader on Thursday (10/22) at 3:00
• Navigating Health Coverage Seminar also on Thursday at 5:30
• Drop in Computer Lab on Friday (10/23) at 3:30
• SAT Workshop on Saturday (10/24) from 10:00 to 12:00
• STAR Reader also on Saturday at 2:00
• Arroyo Book Club meets 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.

Trivia of the Week...

This week’s question is what do the two scallop-shaped entry points flanking the entrance to the Maguire Gardens at the Central Library represent?

Seveneves

I have long been a fan of Neal Stephenson and found his latest work, Seveneves, to live up to my expectations.  The book grabs you from its opening line of “The moon blew up without warning and for no apparent reason.”  The first & second parts of the book explore the consequences of that event (extremely catastrophic) and the race to save something of Earth’s biosphere.  In the third section we jump ahead 5,000 years to see what the result of all the struggle we just witnessed was.  Throughout the book we are treated to some excellent explorations of scientific & engineering questions with imaginative solutions to the problems our protagonists encounter.

The book was very moving (hard to avoid when almost everything dies) yet didn’t sink into moroseness or saccharine reflection.  Ultimately it celebrates survival and provides the reader with an epoch spanning adventure though I do quibble that (spoiler) we never did find out if the Moon’s destruction was a deliberate act or very long shot accidental event.  Recommended.

TOW (& Answer)...

This week’s question was what is a martinet & where did the word originate?  A martinet is someone who is a strict disciplinarian.  The original martinet was Jean Martinet a lieutenant colonel in Louis XIV infantry.  To quote my source:

He was an autocratic drill master, known for sharp military efficiency and his insistence that his orders be carried out exactly to the last detail.  He drove his men to their limits, demanding maximum effort, and accepted nothing less than instant obedience and a polished performance.  His men were taught to ask no questions.

The question (& answer) were taken from p. 160 of A New Dictionary of Eponyms by Morton S. Freeman.  The book was published by Oxford University Press in 1997.

Events for the Week of October 11….

Please remember that the library will be closed for Columbus Day on Monday.  Events going on at the library during the rest of the week include…

• CalFresh/MediCal Info Table on Sunday (10/11) from 1:00-5:00
• STAR Reader on Tuesday (10/13) at 4:30
• Little Ones’ Storytime on Wednesday (10/14)… Sessions at 10:30 & 11:30
• STAR Reader on Wednesday at 3:00
• STAR Reader on Thursday (10/15) at 3:00
• Tablet Fun also on Thursday at 4:00
• Drop in Computer Lab on Thursday at 6:00
• Drop in Computer Lab on Friday (10/16) at 3:30
• SAT Practice Test on Saturday (10/17) starts at 10:00
• STAR Reader also on Saturday 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.

Ms. Marvel: No Normal

I’m not normally a fan of graphic novels but I picked this one up out of curiosity and found it quite appealing (Ms. Marvel, Vol 1, No Normal).  I would still rather read a description and build my own picture then look at a picture and read a few lines of dialog so this is not a book, or series, that I would ever buy but it was definitely worth reading so it is a series that I would check out of the library to read. 

This was the first of the series so we are introduced to Ms. Marvel aka the teenaged Kamala Khan.  We learn how she became Ms. Marvel and follow on her first adventures in the life of superhero-ing.  As an absolute non picture person I didn’t really look at the pictures so I can’t comment as to their quality and addition to the story but the story itself was engaging and reasonable interesting.  

I would definitely recommend this to those who like graphic novels and would even recommend it to non-graphic novel readers with a taste for interesting, non-traditional heroes.

Websites I like….

I recently stumbled across the blog Separated by a Common Language and have been enjoying it a lot.  As you can probably guess from the title it is principally about the difference between American English and British English.  The writer is an American Linguist who is married to an Englishman and living and working in England.  She has an interesting tone and each article is quite informative.  Perfect for those who love delving into the minutiae of language.  Take a look.

Southern Comfort

Skyy brings us a light romance in Southern Comfort.  Katrina (or Tree) is left broken hearted and at loose ends when her girlfriend leaves her to move to LA.  Seeking recovery she takes off on a European tour where she meets Willow and the two hit it off.  Willow seeing a chance at love goes to Memphis, hoping to connect with Tree only to find that Tree’s ex is not as out of the picture as everyone had supposed.  Who will win Tree’s heart?  

This is a straight up romance novel with interesting, personable characters (we follow the exploits of Tree’s & Willow’s friends as well). Recommended with those who like romance and don’t require that such romance happen between a man and a woman.

Trivia of the Week...

This week’s question is what is a martinet & where did the word originate?

Events for the Week of October 4….

Events going on at the library this week include…

• Choose Health LA Kids Parenting Workshop on Monday (10/5) at 10:30
• Make It Monday Building Block Challenge on Monday (of course) at 4:00
• CalFresh/MediCal Information Table on Tuesday (10/6) from 1:00-5:00
• STAR Reader on Tuesday at 4:30
• Little Ones’ Storytime on Wednesday (10/7)… Sessions at 10:30 & 11:30
• STAR Reader on Wednesday at 3:00
• STAR Reader on Thursday (10/8) at 3:00
• Drop in Computer Lab on Friday (10/9) at 3:30
• STAR Reader on Saturday (10/10) at 2:00
• Drop in Computer Lab on Saturday 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.

October’s eResource of the Month…

Hoopla is the October eResource of the Month.  Hoopla is a digital streaming platform that provides access to more than 300,000 digital entertainment titles.  Use your computer or mobile device to stream or download up to 15 full length feature movies, episodic television programs, full music albums, e-books, graphic novels, and e-audiobooks every month.

You can access hoopla from your personal computer via the hoopla link on the library’s emedia page (http://www.lapl.org/collections-resources/e-media) or download the hoopla app to your tablet or smartphone.  You’ll need an email address and your library card number and PIN to get started.

Once on the hoopla main page you'll find a selection of new titles separated by format.  You can also search for titles via the field at the top of the page.  If you're looking for entertainment give it a try.