Trivia of the Month (Answer)...

The month’s question asked what fallacies are.  To quote directly:

Fallacies are common types of arguments that have a strong tendency to go badly wrong, or to be used as deceptive tricks when two parties reason together.  In some instances they are simply careless errors in thinking, while in other case they are techniques of argumentation used by one arguer more or less deliberately to try to fool another into accepting a false conclusion.  

The question (& answer) are found on p. 271 of Concise Routledge Encyclopedia of Philosophy.  The book was published by Routledge in 2000.

Arroyo Book Club’s March Pick

The Arroyo Book Club will be reading Jojo Moyes’ Me Before You for their March meeting.  The book seems to be a relatively contemporary, sort of romance.  It is described by its publisher with:

They had nothing in common until love gave them everything to lose. Louisa Clark is an ordinary girl living an exceedingly ordinary life--steady boyfriend, close family--who has never been farther afield than their tiny village. She takes a badly needed job working for ex-Master of the Universe Will Traynor, who is wheelchair bound after a motorcycle accident. Will has always lived a huge life--big deals, extreme sports, worldwide travel--and now he's pretty sure he cannot live the way he is. Will is acerbic, moody, bossy--but Lou refuses to treat him with kid gloves, and soon his happiness means more to her than she expected. When she learns that Will has shocking plans of his own, she sets out to show him that life is still worth living. A Love Story for this generation, Me Before You brings to life two people who couldn't have less in common--a heart breakingly romantic novel that asks, What do you do when making the person you love happy also means breaking your own heart?

Stop by the library for a copy of the book and join us for discussion on March 24 at 3:00.

Events for the Week of February 25….

Events going on at the library during the week include:

• Grupo de apoyo para la familia on Monday (2/26) at 10:00
• LA Saves Information Table on Monday from 3:00-5:00
• Make it Monday features a building block challenge on Monday at 4:00
• Baby Storytime on Tuesday (2/27) at 10:30
• Toddler Storytime on Wednesday (2/28) at 10:30
• STAR Reader on Wednesday at 3:00
• STAR Reader on Thursday (3/1) at 3:00
• Drop in Computer Lab on Friday (3/2) at 3:30
• STAR Reader on Saturday (3/3) 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

Library Events in March…

(Mark your calendars accordingly)

The library has some interesting events planned in March.  As always, 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:

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3/4 @ 3:00
Sunday at the Movies
Join us for an afternoon film. Today we will feature the animated movie Storks.

3/5 @ 4:00
Gish Bac Food Demo
Learn about Oaxacan food from local restaurateurs.  There will be samples.

3/6 @ 3:00
Teen Program
Join us for a teentastic program.

3/6 @ 6:00
Circulo de Lectores
Hay café, pastel casero, ye conversación amena sobre el libro que estamos leyendo

3/9 @10:30
Baby Playground
Bring your baby for fun playtime.

3/10 from 9:30-12:30
VITA Tax Assistance
The good folks from VITA offer Free Income Tax Preparation & Filing for those who qualify. Find more details: http://www.lapl.org/whats-on/events/vita-free-income-tax-preparation-filing-3

3/12 from 2:00-4:00
LA DOT TAP Information Table
Questions about the transit system and TAP cards? Want to fill up your card? Swing by and talk to the folks from LA’s Department of Public Transportation.

3/12 @ 4:00
St. Patrick’s Day Craft
Enjoy St Patrick ’s Day (a bit in advance) and create something fun.

3/17 @ 2:00
Women’s History Month Documentary Film
Join us to enjoy a documentary film exploring women and their lives & work in honor of Women’s History Month.

3/18 @ 3:00
Sunday at the Movies
Join us for an afternoon film. Today we will feature the animated movie Wild Life.

3/19 @ 4:00
Make it Monday: Building Blocks Club
Come show us what you can build.

3/20 @ 3:00
Teen Program
Join us for a teentastic program.

3/20 @ 6:00
Circulo de Lectores
Hay café, pastel casero, ye conversación amena sobre el libro que estamos leyendo

3/24 from 9:30-12:30
VITA Tax Assistance
The good folks from VITA offer Free Income Tax Preparation & Filing for those who qualify. Find more details: http://www.lapl.org/whats-on/events/vita-free-income-tax-preparation-filing-3

3/24 @ 3:00
Arroyo Book Club
Join us for a discussion of Jojo Moyes Me Before You.

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

Grupo de apoyo para la familia - - - Mondays at 10:00

Baby Storytime - - - Tuesdays at 10:30
Stories, songs, and rhymes await babies up to 18 months

Toddler Storytime - - - Wednesdays at 10:30 
Little Ones’ 3 and under & their grownups are invited to join us for stories, music, & games. 

STAR Volunteer Readers - - - Available on Wednesdays at 3:00, on Thursdays at 3:00, and 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. 

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.

Crosstalk

Connie Willis’ latest Crosstalk introduces us to Briddey Flannigan who, convinced her relationship with her boyfriend is golden, agrees to undergo experimental brain surgery designed to link the pair emotionally.  Needless to say there are unexpected consequences and Briddey finds herself with a more then emotional connection to someone else.  Soon things are even worse as things she didn’t know about the world, her boyfriend, and her family become apparent.

I always enjoy Willis’ work but I find that she always uses the same style.  She uses the style to the point where I expect that if you gave me a random selection of her writing from a work I was unfamiliar with I’d only need a couple of paragraphs to guess Connie Willis must be the author.  Her characters always engage in a kind for frenetic communication where nobody actually listens to what anyone else is saying but instead just assumes what is said is what they thought should be said.  Actions are undertaken on the basis of all this false communication and the plot of the stories evolve out of that interaction.  I am generally left wanting to yell at the characters to just “shut up and actually listen” - it would solve 90% of the problems they face. 

BIT OF A SPOILER … So here we have a book with communication as a theme, to the extent that actual telepathy is a thing, and the characters still don’t listen to each other.  A book that leaves you pondering.  I would recommend it and indeed if you haven’t read any Connie Willis give her a try.

Events for the Week of February 18….

Please be aware that the library will be closed on Monday, February 19 for President’s Day.  Events going on at the library during the remainder of the week include:

• Baby Storytime on Tuesday (2/20) at 10:30
• Circulo de Lectores on Tuesday at 6:00
• Toddler Storytime on Wednesday (2/21) at 10:30
• STAR Reader on Wednesday at 3:00
• Design for 3D Printing on Wednesday at 6:00
• STAR Reader on Thursday (2/22) at 3:00
• Drop in Computer Lab on Friday (2/23) at 3:30
• VITA Tax Assistance on Saturday (2/24) from 9:30-12:30
• STAR Reader on Saturday at 2:00
• Arroyo Book Club 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

Death’s Daughter

If you’re in the mood for some lightweight, silly fantastical reading pick up Death’s Daughter by Amber Benson.  The book tells the tale of Calliope Reaper-Jones, a somewhat self-involved, shallow thinking twenty something.  Then her father is kidnapped and Calliope must step up to the plate in order to save him. 

The book offers an amusing plot and an annoyingly cotton candy main character but it is good for a couple of hours of entertainment.

Trivia of the Month....

This month’s question comes from the world of philosophy.  What are fallacies?

Events for the Week of February 11….

Events going on at the library during the week include:

• Grupo de apoyo para la familia on Monday (2/12) at 10:00
• LA DOT Information Table on Monday from 2:30-4:30
• Valentine’s Day Craft on Monday at 4:00
• Baby Storytime on Tuesday (2/13) at 10:30
• Teen program on Tuesday at 4:00
• Toddler Storytime on Wednesday (2/14) at 10:30
• STAR Reader on Wednesday at 3:00
• STAR Reader on Thursday (2/15) at 3:00
• Drop in Computer Lab on Friday (2/16) at 3:30
• African-American Music Celebration on Saturday (2/17) at 2:00
• STAR Reader on Saturday at 2:00
• Design for 3D Printing Workshop 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

Gish Bac Restaurant Talks Oaxacan Food -- Rescheduled

Gish Bac has rescheduled!  Don't miss the chance to come by for a fascinating lecture about Oaxacan food.

As part of Visualizing Language: Oaxaca in LA, join us as we take a culinary journey into Oaxaca, tasting and learning about Gish Bac's multi-generational specialty of barbacoa & mole negro.  You will get an historical and cultural background of the food and, most importantly, there will be samples.

Event will take place on March 5 at 4:00.

Luchador

In Luchador Erin Finnegan brings us the tale of Gabriel Romero an orphaned American raised in Mexico City by relatives and his obsession with lucha libre.  His love leads him to an apprenticeship and soon he is fighting to make his own mark on the world and to achieve success without compromising his core sense of self.

I enjoyed the book even though I have zero interest in the world of wrestling.  Finnegan brought her characters to life and made the reader care about their experiences and the choices they were making.

Events for the Week of February 4….

Events going on at the library during the week include:

• Design for 3D Printing Workshop on Sunday (2/4) at 3:00
• Grupo de apoyo para la familia on Monday (2/5) at 10:00
• Special Eric Carle Storytime on Monday at 4:00
• Circulo de Lectores meet on Tuesday (2/6) at 6:00
• STAR Reader on Wednesday (2/7) at 3:00
• STAR Reader on Thursday (2/8) at 3:00
• Drop in Computer Lab on Friday (2/9) at 3:30
• VITA offers free income tax preparation & filing on Saturday (2/10) from 9:30-12:30
• STAR Reader on Saturday at 2:00
• Design for 3D Printing Workshop on Saturday (2/10) 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

February eResource of the Month….

Looking for something good to read? Longing for new authors writing on a particular theme or in a particular style? Have kids with teachers who are insistent they read books at certain Lexile levels? Then you’ll want to check out NoveList, February’s eResource of the Month.

NoveList is a comprehensive readers’ advisory resource for fiction and nonfiction for readers of all ages.  It provides series and genre information as well as full text reviews, Goodreads reviews, book cover images, first chapter excerpts, and Lexile reading levels.

Using the advanced search page you can limit by specific subject, age groups, audience, Lexile, author read-alikes, grade level, award winners and more.

On NoveList’s home page you can find recommended reading lists, “I’m in the mood for books that are…” books, or use their appeal mixer tool. 

Access NoveList via the Los Angeles Public Library’s Research & Homework page (http://www.lapl.org/collections-resources/research-and-homework#N).  It is accessible from home and from the Library’s Internet computers with your library card.

As always you can call or stop by the library if you have any questions about using this promising tool.