January Book Club Selection

For the first month of 2009 we will be reading a fabulous piece of fiction by a talented young American writer. The writer is David Benioff and his 2nd novel is City of Thieves, our choice for the January read. The Washington Post wrote about it: “City of Thieves is a coming-of-age story brilliantly amplified by its worn-torn backdrop. Benioff’s finest achievement in City of Thieves has been to banish all possible pretensions from his novel, which never wears its research on its sleeve, and to deliver a rough-and-tumble tale that clenches humor, savagery, and pathos squarely together on the same page.” It's a fast-paced story that will have you hooked from the first few pages with it's smart prose and manages to also educate the reader about an epic period and place in Russian history during World War II. Come share your impressions of this great read at our next book club meeting on Wednesday, January the 14th at 6:30 pm. We'll see you then.

Notable Books of 2008

The New York Times puts together a list every year of their picks for "notable" books of the year and here is the current list of their 10 favorite (5 fiction and 5 non-fiction). The final ten are taken from a larger list of 100 notable books of the year and if you're feeling ambitious, well, by all means check it out here. No shortage of good reads here, folks ... no shortage at all.

Nick Barone Puppet Show

Come with the kids and check out "Holiday Treats" with acclaimed puppeteer Nick Barone. Mr. Barone will put on a wonderful holiday show filled with humor, music and beautifully-crafted puppets. Fun for the whole family! The program will run from 6:30pm until about 7:15 on Wednesday the 10th of December in the community room.

This program was made possible by generous support from the Friends of the West Valley Branch Library

December Book Club Title

For our next book club gathering, we will be reading a 2005 novel by Norwegian author Per Petterson entitled "Out Stealing Horses." Here is a brief review from The New Yorker magazine: In this quiet but compelling novel, Trond Sander, a widower nearing seventy, moves to a bare house in remote eastern Norway, seeking the life of quiet contemplation that he has always longed for. A chance encounter with a neighbor—the brother, as it happens, of his childhood friend Jon—causes him to ruminate on the summer of 1948, the last he spent with his adored father, who abandoned the family soon afterward. Trond’s recollections center on a single afternoon, when he and Jon set out to take some horses from a nearby farm; what began as an exhilarating adventure ended abruptly and traumatically in an act of unexpected cruelty. Petterson’s spare and deliberate prose has astonishing force, and the narrative gains further power from the artful interplay of Trond’s childhood and adult perspectives. Join us on Wednesday the 10th of December at 6:30pm when the book club next meets at West Valley library.

Recycling Art in the Garden

On Wednesday, November 19th we will have a a volunteer from the UCCE Master Gardeners of Santa Clara County presenting fresh ideas for preserving salvageable objects likely destined for a landfill somewhere. The purpose of the class is to promote recycling while creating a sense of whimsy & beauty in the garden. Come join us for our last UCCE Master Gardeners events of 2008 in our Community Room at 7pm. The event is free and cosponsored by the Friends of the West Valley Library and the UC Extension Master Gardeners of Santa Clara County.

The Fall Classic and some suggested reading

Well, it comes down to the Philadelphia Phillies and the Tampa Bay Rays in this year's World Series. I would have loved to have seen the Chicago Cubs play the White Sox (or better yet the Oakland A's), but the Cubs have insisted on staying true to their curse and bowed out in the divisional playoffs. That being said, the most entertaining book to come out recently on baseball has been Your Brain on Cubs, a collection of essays by neuroscientists and other knowledgeable types about why fans continue to support and believe in a team that last won a title over a century ago. And for you Phillies fans there is a book published this year about Phillies rookie catcher Chris Coste titled "The 33 year-old rookie : how I finally made it to the big leagues after eleven years in the minors." Sadly there are no books about the Tampa Bay Rays that I can suggest, but you just wait a few months and those predictable "worst to first" books are sure to hit the bookstores, and libraries of course. At least we don't have to list all of those Red Sox books as they seem to proliferate more than others, but I'll cry no tears over their demise this year and all I can say is "wait until next year, Charlie Brown ..." I'll see you at the Oakland Coliseum next April rooting for the green and gold. *Sigh*

Homework Center to open!

Yes, we finally have everything in place to offer our tremendously popular Homework Center again at West Valley library. The center is scheduled to open on Monday the 20th of October and again this year it will be from 3pm-6pm Monday thru Thursday. Our tutors from the past two years have moved on to other things and so we will have two new tutors beginning at the library this month. Come in to say "Hi" and get to know our new tutors and see what they can offer your budding scholars.

November Book Club selection

A little bit of historical fiction comes our way for the November book selection in the form of The Madonnas of Leningrad by Debra Dean. The Seattle Times wrote about it: "Memory and the imagination are the gifts that keep on giving in "The Madonnas of Leningrad," an exceptional debut novel by Seattle writer Debra Dean. In this bifurcated story, an aging Russian immigrant living in Seattle loses her grip on the present and yields to the past, specifically the most intense period of her life: the years of deprivation and fear known as the siege of Leningrad. To her family, the old woman is succumbing to dementia. But to Marina Buriakov, the reward for her forgetfulness is the opportunity to revisit, room by room and painting by painting..."

So come on by on Wednesday the 12th of November at 6:30pm for our next gathering. We'll see you then.

October Book Club Title

The past week sent many omens, signals, reminders, whatever you may wish to call it, about the title we have chosen for our October read. From a variety of sources came gushing and strongly opinionated statements speaking to the importance and sheer humanity of this book ... and so it is and so we shall read this highly regarded title. We're confident that there will be an abundance of discussion when we next meet on Wednesday the 8th of October to talk about "Three Cups of Tea" by Greg Mortenson. It's been a popular book club title for the past couple of years and hopefully it will inspire much when next we meet. Please join us on October the 8th at 6:30 pm and be a part of a great group of readers.

September Book Club ... "The Tender Bar"

We'll be reaching into the realm of personal memoirs and non-fiction with our September selection entitled "The Tender Bar" by J.R. Moehringer. A book that has garnered attention for it's descriptive language of a time (various) and a place (the neighborhood bar)that was formative to the development of a young man's identity. The New York Times Book Review wrote: “The Tender Bar is a beautiful, gravelly love letter to [an] amorphous father, a melancholy romance between a boy and a corner saloon that's as smoky and heart-crackling as a Sinatra 78.” Grab yourself a copy and join us on Wednesday September the 10th at 6:30pm when we gather next, not in a bar, sadly, but in our cozy library community room to talk about this unique title. We don't have a jukebox, but I can assure you we'll have some appropriate bar/lounge music to fill the background.

Book Club Update!

Ladies and gents, we have a title picked for the next two book club meetings, however, we will NOT be meeting in the month of July. The facilitator of the West Valley Book Club will be on vacation and so we're all taking the month off in case anybody else wants to get in a little R&R. OK then, the next meeting will occur on Wednesday, August 13th when we gather to discuss The Book Thief by Marcus Zusak. The book has been described as "... perched on the cusp between grown-up and young-adult fiction ..." and it has been well-received by a wide readership. It's a long-winding epic of 552 pages so the extra month off will hopefully serve us well. Be a part of it and join us in August! And just so you all know about the September meeting, we've chosen to read a piece of non-fiction in the form of a 2005 book called The Tender Bar by J.R. Moehringer. We'll have more information about the September title posted later in the summer. See you in August!

Summer Reading Celebration: June 14 - August 9

Bring the whole family to West Valley Branch Library this summer! Our annual Summer Reading Celebration begins on June 14th. We have great stuff going on all summer long for kids, teens, AND adults.


Starting June 14th, kids and teens can sign up for Catch the Reading Bug or Metamorphosis @ Your Library Reading Logs. Mark your reading time spent between June 14- August 9 in your Reading Log, and come back to the library to receive fun prizes! Also, be sure to check our Events Calendar for more information about all of the great programs and events going on at the library this summer.

Adults, Summer Reading isn't just for the kids anymore... We now have an Adult Summer Reading program too! This year, the theme is "Savor the Summer". Fill out entry forms at the library for each book you read or listen to this summer and put them in the drawing box. We'll be doing multiple drawings all summer long for cool stuff. Find out more information here!

June Book Club Title

We will be reading an intriguing piece of historical fiction for our June meeting entitled "Year of Wonders" by Geraldine Brooks. The book focuses on a small town in medieval England confronting the arrival of the deadly plague sweeping Europe. Frighteningly good stuff and it should make for some great conversation. Join us on June 11th at 6:30pm when we next meet.

5th Birthday Celebration in May!

It's been 5 years since we opened our beautiful green building, back in 2003! We're throwing an all-day birthday bash, and YOU are our guests of honor! Please join us as we celebrate 5 great years in our building, providing library services to the local community. We will be celebrating all day on Saturday, May 10, from 10am-5pm. Refreshments will be served in the lobby all day, and all are invited to sign our birthday mural.
Also be sure to check out these special events!
11:00 AM: Birthday-themed Toddler Storytime
12:30 PM: Cake Cutting and Toasts with library and local community leaders
1:00 PM: Cinco de Mayo Performance for families by Colibri

May book club title

Our title for next month's book club meeting on May 14th will be a book entitled "A Million Nightingales" by Susan Straight. Now, we have but only two copies in the library system, but there are plenty to be found at neighboring libraries such as Santa Clara County and through Link+. Just let us, any of us, know if you need help finding a copy of this or ANY title ... as always. Hope to see you there.

San Jose Teen Idol

Go on, get your Teen Idol groove on. Yup, we have another year of San Jose Idol competitions at various branches, West Valley included on Thursday the 24th of April. The competition will be furious and if you want information about what you need to do to participate click HERE!Cash prizes await and fame that knows no boundaries, for sure. If you are between the ages of 12-19 c'mon down and show us whatcha got. We know you're out there singing in the shower and in the park with your friends so come on in and do it in the library too!

April Book Club Selection

The book we will be reading and discussing for our next meeting will be "Perfume: The Story of a Murderer" by Patrick Suskind. This is a fabulously crafted story, entirely unique in it's telling and really no wonder that it was finally adapted and made into a film. Join us for what should be a colorful discussion. The next meeting will be on Wednesday, April 9th at 6:30pm.

A lovely panorama ...

Check out this great image of the main floor of our library and appreciate the natural light, the impressive allure of architectural lines and the overall welcoming nature of our space. That's all ... just sharing a moment captured in time by Daisy Porter, our Senior Librarian last Thursday the 28th of February. Ahhh yes, Spring is in the air with a warm and glowing sun making itself felt in more ways than one.

Taxonomy? Taxidermy? No, just Taxes for now ...

If you come to the library looking for subjects that begin with "TAX" at this time of the year, well, we're going to point you in the direction of the IRS and the State Franchise Tax Board and those pleasant types. We do NOT distribute or carry tax forms here at San Jose Public Library, but we do have a slew of information on obtaining tax related assistance. One of the more useful and requested bits of information is the free assistance that can be obtained at a variety of locations and dates through an array of providers. So take a deep breath, get your paperwork together and good luck tackling that unavoidable yearly burden of civic duty.

March Book Club Title

We had a good time talkin' about The Distant Land of My Father, this year's Silicon Valley Reads selection, and we're lookin' forward to the author Bo Caldwell being here next week, but it's time to move on with our reading selection for March. We have chosen Water for Elephants by Sara Gruen to be our next read. So get your copy now as it remains a popular title in our library system and many others, I'm sure. The next meeting will be on Wednesday, March 12th at 6:30pm. See you there.

February Frenzy

There are a lot of events going on this month at West Valley! We hope to see you here!

Anime & Manga Club for Teens
Fri, Feb 8, 4:00 PM - 5:30 PM
Do you love all things anime and manga? Want a place where you can share your artwork and make new friends? West Valley Branch Library has an anime and manga club just for teens ages 12-18, and we want YOU to join! We get together every month to watch anime episodes and films, discuss manga, plan club activities, eat Japanese snacks, and have fun!
This event takes place in the Group Study Room B

Celebration of the Year of the Rat
Sat, Feb 9, 2:00 PM - 3:00 PM
Please join us at Calabazas Park (1230 Blaney Ave, San Jose) for a spectacular Chinese New Year celebration. Watch a dragon parade, a lion dance, and a kung fu/ ta chi demonstration, and participate in fun family craft activities.
This event takes place at Calabazas Park, 1230 Blaney Ave. San Jose, CA , (408) 996-1536

Friends of the Library Book Sale at West Valley Branch
Sat, Feb 9, 9:00 AM - 3:00 PM
Books galore! We'll have children's, adult, and teen books; picture books, computer books, books in languages other than English; books about gardening, cookbooks, and romance novels; and any other category you can imagine. Friends of the Library get first dibs from 9am to 10am, and the sale opens to the general public at 10am. After 2pm, every bag of books you fill is only $2. All proceeds go to the Friends of the West Valley Library, who generously support the library's programs and collections.

Teen Battle of the Bands Audition
Tue, Feb 12, 4:00 PM - 6:00 PM
In honor of Teen Tech Week, it’s time to “Tune In @ your library”! We're calling all teen musicians (groups and solo) between the ages of 12-18...Now’s your chance to be heard! Enter San Jose Public Library’s Battle of the Bands 2008 online by February 15th for your chance to compete at a live concert in March and win awesome prizes, including studio recording time and generous gift certificates! The first part of this battle takes place ONLINE. Send us your submissions between Feb. 6-15. Email us at sjplbattleofthebands@gmail.com with a link to your music online (i.e. your page on MySpace, YouTube, Pure Volume, etc), along with your contact information. Don’t have your music online yet? Stop by our “virtual audition” recording session at West Valley on Tuesday, 2/12 at 4pm, along with your musical equipment. We will record you playing and help you upload the video online. Please visit the information desk for more information and official rules.

Valentine's Day Bash for Teens
Thu, Feb 14, 4:00 PM - 5:30 PM
Hey teens! Is true love in the air, or does it just stink? Whether you love or loathe Valentine’s Day this year, join us for a fun V-Day Bash! We’ll be making valentines (or UN-valentines, your choice!), decorating “broken heart” cookies, showing a movie about unconventional love, playing fun games, and of course, eating lots of chocolate! For teens ages 12-18.

Creative Writing Workshop for Children
Wed, Feb 20, 10:00 AM - 2:00 PM
Learn the basics of creating fictional characters from a talented author, publisher, and teacher in a fun-filled 4 hour creative writing workshop. Please bring your own lunch. Snacks provided. Geared toward children ages 9 -15.

teensReach Meeting
Thu, Feb 21, 4:00 PM - 5:00 PM
teensReach is our advisory and volunteer group for teens ages 13-18. We meet every third Thursday of the month to share ideas and plan activities in the library. Earn volunteer hours, be heard, make a difference in your community, and have fun! Please join us at the next meeting!

Silicon Valley Reads Presents - Author Bo Caldwell
Thu, Feb 21, 6:30 PM - 8:00 PM
Join us as we welcome the author of this year's Silicon Valley Reads title The Distant Land of My Father - Bo Caldwell. Ms. Caldwell will be reading a little from her book and taking questions about the book and her work . It is a fascinating piece of fiction and we expect a lively and interested gathering of participants. All are welcome.

Chinese Zodiac Family Craft Activity
Sat, Feb 23, 12:00 AM - 1:30 PM
Join us for a fun family craft activity for all ages in honor of Chinese New Year! Learn about your Chinese Zodiac sign and make a fun craft project for the year of your birth. This event is sponsored and led by West Valley’s teensReach volunteer group.

South Bay Guitar Society: Thomas Viloteau
Sat, Feb 23, 2:30 PM - 3:30 PM
Please join us for "A Conversation with Thomas Viloteau", presented by the South Bay Guitar Society. Born in Paris in 1985, Thomas Viloteau is an internationally-renowned classical guitarist, and winner of the 2006 Guitar Foundation of America International Solo Competition. Please join us for performance excerpts and a Q & A with this accomplished young musician.

Game On! Teen Gaming Party
Fri, Feb 29, 4:00 PM - 5:30 PM
Teens ages 12-18, please join us for our monthly gaming party! We'll be playing Nintendo Wii and Guitar Hero, and we'll also have board games and snacks.

February Book Club Title & Date

So we have Silicon Valley Reads visiting West Valley library in the form of an author visit on February 21st (see previous post)and so it seemed like a natural to choose the same title for our February Book Club discussion. So, yes, we will be discussing Bo Caldwell's "The Distant Land of My Father" on Wednesday the 13th of February at 6:30pm. Join us if you've read the book and wish to toss around topics and questions that we can next ask the author herself the following week! It should be rewarding as our book club has started with a tremendous energy and literary momentum! All are welcome, of course.

Silicon Valley Reads 2008

West Valley branch library has a history of hosting great author events for Silicon Valley Reads and this year is no different. Join us on Thursday, February 21st at 6:30pm as we welcome local author Bo Caldwell whose book "The Distant Land of My Father" has been chosen for this year's community read. We'll be hosting an author reading and a Q&A session with Ms. Caldwell along with a tea reception. Tea reception? Well, we'll have some good hot Chinese teas on hand in any case for everyone to warm-up with. Get your copy now of "The Distant Land of My Father" to give yourself some time to read it before the event. We hope to see you there. And for more information about Silicon Valley Reads, just click on the highlighted text!