November Book Club

Join us in November as we discuss The Inheritance of Loss by Kiran Desai.

In a crumbling, isolated house at the foot of Mount Kanchenjunga in the Himalayas lives an embittered judge who wants only to retire in peace, when his orphaned granddaughter, Sai, arrives on his doorstep. The judge’s cook watches over her distractedly, for his thoughts are often on his son, Biju, who is hopscotching from one gritty New York restaurant to another. Kiran Desai’s brilliant novel, published to huge acclaim, is a story of joy and despair. Her characters face numerous choices that majestically illuminate the consequences of colonialism as it collides with the modern world.

Our next meeting will be held on Wednesday, Nov. 10 at 6:30pm. We're back in the Community Room for our next meeting, so please join us!

October Book Club Pick: Red Leaves by Thomas H. Cook

With the seasons changing and Halloween lurking around the corner, the West Valley Book Club has opted for a darker novel full of drama and suspense, not to mention a seasonally-appropriate title. Please join us in October as we discuss Red Leaves by Edgar-award winning author Thomas H. Cook.

Eric Moore has reason to be happy. He has a prosperous business, a comfortable home, a stable family life in a quiet town. Then, on an ordinary night, his teenage son Keith is asked to babysit Amy Giordano, the eight-year-old daughter of a neighboring family. The next morning Amy is missing.
Red Leaves is a story of broken trust and one man's heroic effort to hold fast the ties that bind him to everything he loves.

Join us on Wednesday, Oct. 13 at 6:30pm to discuss this book and to help choose our November pick. Please note that we will be meeting in Study Room B in the back of the library for our next meeting.

September Book Club

In honor of its 50th anniversary of publication, the West Valley Book Club will read and discuss the beloved classic To Kill a Mockingbird. Many of us have read this novel at some point in our lives, and if you haven't, you've got to check out this staple of American Literature. Even if you've already read it, there is enough rich content to ignite interesting discussion and opinions.

Join us on Wed. September 8th at 6:30pm in the Community Room to discuss this classic. We'll share some refreshments and decide on our next pick for October.

Growing Asian Vegetables

Come join us on Wednesday, July 14 from 7-8PM in the WV Community Room for our next free program conducted by the UCCE Master Gardeners of Santa Clara County. Jean Lee will share her experience and expertise growing Asian vegetables in her year-round Santa Clara County garden. Learn how (and when) to plant and harvest various Asian vegetables. The presentation will include photos from Jean's garden and from her trips to China. Bring your questions!

July Book Club

We're going to non-fiction for the month of July and it's a real adventure story in tracing the travels of one Percy Fawcett, a British explorer who was determined to discover the lost city of El Dorado in the dense Amazon jungle of Brazil. The only problem is that Fawcett and his small band of explorers disappered and were never heard from, nor found, again. The Lost City of Z is author David Grann's attempt to solve "the greatest exploration mystery of the 20th century" and he tells a fascinating tale of just what it takes to explore the Amazon and the jungle's "green hell." The book club will meet on Wednesday, July 21st at 6:30pm (one week later than usual!) Please join us if you can.

Bouquets From Your Garden

Flowers in the home say "Welcome!" Join us from 10 AM-Noon on Saturday, June 12, 2010 in the Community Room, where the UC Master Gardeners will show us how to create our own garden of cutting flowers. Be inspired to create your own arrangements with what you gather from your yard. Instructors will bring flowers and other plant materials for demonstration.
Activities for children will be available on the patio outside the Community Room. This free event is sponsored by Friends of the West Valley Library, UCCE Master Gardeners of Santa Clara County and the WV Branch Library.

June Book Club

In June we'll be reading some fiction that is based on a contemporary topic with global relevance. And just so we're clear about this, the word "fundamentalist" should not only be applied strictly to those of Muslim faith, but in this case the book "The Reluctant Fundamentalist" deals with the choices and life experiences of a muslim man in the western world. It's a short read at 184 pages, but surely a topic and global reality worth exploring and talking about. The Reluctant Fundamentalist was written by Pakistani author Mohsin Hamid in 2007 and will hopefully provide an engrossing level of conversation when next we meet on Wednesday June 9th at 6:30pm, as always. See you then.