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Despite the Orwellian nature of her new novel, Hazards of Time Travel, Joyce Carol Oates imbued humor into her talk, mostly self-deprecating but always hitting its intended mark. The novel was originally supposed to be called Vicissitudes of Time Travel, though admittedly I had to look up the word; apparently it means “a change of circumstances or fortune.”

For a second, I forgot that a literary titan was standing in front of me; her talk was conversational, like goi...

Since March is Women’s History Month and International Women’s Day is celebrated on March 8^th, we selected  audiobooks focused on women in history and women leaders for our current audiobook display. Enjoy historical tales of bravery alongside words of wisdom from contemporary women. There is a little bit of everything from life during the Tudor Age to life under the Taliban’s rule. Happy listening!

The Hidden Lives of Tudor Women: A Social History  by El...

What immediately struck me about Ayesha Harruna Attah’s The Hundred Wells of Salaga was the vivid, evocative prose; while her writing was concise, the few details she allowed were beautiful, especially when she described a man’s lecherous behavior towards her protagonist, Aminah, in a Ghana marketplace. The “pads of his fingers settled on her the way one’s feet steady themselves on new ground: on tiptoes at first, and then with all of one’s weight” (Attah 11). The deft, careful beaut...

As you know, there was almost total destruction of the town of Paradise this past November. Most schools were destroyed along with their library collections. The public library is still standing, but the library collection is a total loss due to smoke damage. Under-resourced public school libraries in the Bay Area also need books for their students. You can make a difference by donating new and gently used books for toddlers, children and young adults to...