Scent of Magic

Scent of Magic by Maria V. Snyder is book two of her latest series.  Snyder’s books actually need to be read in order so if you haven’t read the first title Touch of Power you’ll want to pick it up.  Snyder’s books are always quite good.  She sets up a complex fantasy world and peoples it with multifaceted, authentic people.   This particular series focuses on a realm where some people are gifted with magic.  There has recently been a catastrophic plague and the survivors are suffering from the ambitions of multiple power hungry rulers.  The heroine has the gift of healing and is working to defeat the “evil” ruler. 

I would recommend any of Snyder’s series to reader’s interested in fantasy. 

Healthy Food Demonstration & Sampling

Save the Date

 

Join us on Saturday, June 15 at 2:00 for a presentation from the Network for a Healthy California (http://publichealth.lacounty.gov/nut/network/index.htm) and:

• Learn ways to make your (& your family’s) eating habits healthier. 
• Get your own FREE healthy recipe book. 
• Watch a food prep demonstration & sample the delicious results. 
• Bring any questions you have along with you. 

Check out their Champions of Change website (http://www.cachampionsforchange.cdph.ca.gov/en/index.php).

The Arroyo Book Club pick for June…

The Arroyo Book Club will be reading the book In the Garden of Beasts by Erik Larson for our June meeting.  This book is set in Berlin during Hitler’s rise to power.  It follows the lives of William E. Dodd, the United States’ Ambassador to Germany, and his family as they move from enjoying an exciting life in early 30’s Germany to the gradual realization that things are not as they seem.   Larson is noted for his ability to write exciting narrative non-fiction and this book is no exception. 

Stop by the library for a copy of the book and plan to join us for discussion on Saturday, June 22 at 3:00. 

Trivia of the Week....

This week's question is - - - who is Method Man?

Events for the Week of May 27…

The library will be closed on Monday, May 27 for Memorial Day.  Things going on at the library during the rest of the week include:

• Baby & Toddler Storytime on Wednesday (5/29) at 10:30
• LACMA Art Class for Teens also on Wednesday at 4:00
• LACMA Art Class for Kids & Families on Thursday (5/30) at 4:00
• Desktop Publishing Class also on Thursday at 6:30

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.

TOW (& Answer)...

The question was what is instrumentality.  To quote from the source:

“Instrumentality - government agency issuing marketable securities backed the full faith and credit guarantee of the government.  The term is normally used in connection with notes, certificates and bonds issued by U.S. government agencies, such as the Export-Import Bank, the Government National Mortgage Association, or the Small Business Administration, but can refer more generally to any government agency.”

The question (& answer) were taken from p. 236 of Dictionary of Banking Terms by Thomas P. Fitch. Published by Barron’s in 1997. 

Naked in Death

I have never read Nora Roberts (or her alter ego J. D. Robb) as I’m not really a romance fan, but I recently heard someone speak of the Robb books emphasizing their SF aspects so I thought I’d pick up the first in the series and give it a try.  The book Naked in Death is a mystery that is set in New York City in 2058.  There is a romance component (of course) which I found annoying so I would just skip the pages that focused on the love subplot.  There was enough non-romance plot in the book that I didn’t have to skip too many pages.  The book was interesting enough for me to finish it.  I would recommend it to fans of romance who are open to something a bit different but I don’t think I would recommend it to SF fans.

The Doorbell Rang

I enjoyed Rex Stout’s Nero Wolfe detective series when I was a teenager so I picked up a title, The Doorbell Rang, to revisit recently.  This particular volume pits Wolfe (& Archie) against the FBI on behalf of their client.  They manage to accomplish the extremely difficult task of getting a leash on the (Hoover era) FBI as well as solving a murder.  This book is a bit misogynistic of course (as far as I can tell Stout is always anti-woman) however, if that is something you can overlook, the book is quite satisfying.

Websites I Use...

WolframAlpha (http://www.wolframalpha.com/) is a fun website to just play around with.  They bill themselves as a computational knowledge engine which means I guess that they’re kind of like an encyclopedia on steroids.  If you type in parabola, for example, you get a nice basic disquisition about a generic parabola.  If you type in y=x^2 +4 you get information about that specific parabola (including its graph, derivative, and global minimum).  If you type in two equations it’ll give you information about the system (including the graphs & solutions).  All in all it’s just plain fun to fool around with.  

If you haven't used it before & want to see what it's about your best bet is to just click on the examples link and browse around for a bit in your preferred subject areas of interest.

Trivia of the Week...

This week's trivia question is:

What is instrumentality (hint: think banking)?

Red Planet Blues

Robert J. Sawyer attempts a noir mystery set on Mars in his latest title, Red Planet Blues.  In this book, our detective is living on a Mars that is at the end of a “rush” --- a fossil rush in this case.  He works a number of cases that keep coming back to the same principal mystery involving the location of the original fossil source.  We meet a number of classic noir tropes in the course of the book & reach a satisfying conclusion in the end.  I would recommend this book to a lover of Science Fiction and/or a lover of an old fashioned gumshoe detective mystery.

I must say though, that this is not Sawyer’s best book.  Sawyer has long been one of my favorite SF writers.  I make a point of getting his books in my hands as soon as they are published.  So I would strongly recommend finding one of his earlier works and giving him a try… if you’re not already a fan.  If you’re looking for specific suggestions, I’ve always liked Calculating God or The Terminal Experiment or Factoring Humanity. 

Events for the Week of May 20…

Things going on at the library during this the week include:

• Teen Volunteer Orientation on Tuesday (5/21) at 4:00
• Baby & Toddler Storytime on Wednesday (5/22) at 10:30
• LACMA Art Class for Teens also on Wednesday at 4:00
• LACMA Art Class for Kids & Families on Thursday (5/23) at 4:00
• Drop in Computer Lab on Friday (5/24) at 3:30
• Arroyo Book Club meeting on Saturday (5/25) 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.

TOW (& Answer)...

The question was what is Congressional immunity?  To answer: “The Constitution shields members of Congress from lawsuits of criminal charges that relate to their legislative duties.”  This protection was planned to keep Congress independent from the legislative branch.  

The question (& answer) were found on p. 215 of Congress A to Z edited by David R. Tarr and Ann O’Connor and published by the Congressional Quarterly in 1999.

History of Highland Park (or in this case Eagle Rock)….

Check out this article from the HP News-Herald published on 9/10/1961 (http://dbase1.lapl.org/webpics/calindex/documents/11/520879.pdf).  In it a pioneer farmer reflects on her life in Eagle Rock in the late 1800’s.  It is a nice little reminiscence of the time and discusses ordinary life, school life, and the arrival of the Railroad.  A picture is included.