Rock of the '80s

If you are of a certain age and spent any part of your younger years in SoCal, you may have been very familiar with Jed the Fish. If your music […]

Staff picks: Feel-good books, movies, music to inspire and uplift

Books, movies, songs—new and familiar—are often a source of comfort when we’re feeling anxious, stressed, or momentarily going through a rough patch. But whether we’re having a bad day or […]

Photo of display case shelf with photographs and documents celebrating the centennial of the founding of the Brotherhood of the Sleeping Car Porters

The Brotherhood of Sleeping Car Porters was the First African-American Trade Union, founded in 1925 The 2025 theme for Black History Month is Labor, in commemoration of the centennial of […]

image of highway sign: " Exit 244 Twin Peaks Rd 1 1/4 miles"

Honoring the creator David Lynch, who passed away on January 15 at the age of 78. The Big Dream by David Lynch [Music CD], 2013 The third and final studio […]

hands holding gift wrapped in fabric with eucalyptus leaves decoration

Put your creativity to use with things you have in your craft supplies or kitchen, and add some extra warmth to the winter holidays by making gifts to give to […]

Image of colorful autumn leaves

The Thanksgiving holiday is a time to focus on home, family, feast, and reflection. Here are some recommendations designed for ways to honor old traditions or start new ones; for […]

image of skeleton reading a book

Halloween is just around the bend, and soon we’ll be setting our clocks back and presenting more dark hours for those “things that go bump in the night.” If you […]

Photo of bowl of pasta with grated cheese sprinkling down on it

It’s October 25: World Pasta Day–Celebrate! While you slurp your spaghetti or fork up fusilli, check out some titles you can get from the library to enjoy (sauce on the […]

Ocean/beach showing horizon and two arms holding up an open book, with text: "2016-2024"

  The Underground Railroad by Colson Whitehead, 2016 Cora is a slave on a cotton plantation in Georgia. Life is hell for all the slaves, but especially bad for Cora; an […]

Image of four people on bench each reading a newspaper or magazine, with text: "2001-2015" Image credit: "reading#2 by rschmidtz, used courtesy of CC by 2.0 Attribution License

Image Credit: “reading#2” by rschmidtz, 2015, used courtesy of CC by 2.0 Attribution License   The Life of Pi by Yann Martel, 2001  Yann Martel’s 2001 novel Life of Pi tells […]