Author Reading "Sky Train: Tibetan Women on the Edge of History" - Saturday, September 11, 2:30pm

Join local writer and activist Canyon Sam as she reads from her book Sky Train: Tibetan Women on the Edge of History. She boards the controversial "Sky Train" from Beijing to Tibet and crosses the Himalayas in search of women from her oral history project decades previous in a groundbreaking memoir which explores the untold stories of Tibetan women and their critical role in Tibetan history. Foreword by the Dalai Lama.

A book sale and signing follows this event.

Read the review on Canyon Sam's book in the San Francisco Chronicle: http://www.sfgate.com/cgi-bin/article.cgi?f=/c/a/2009/11/22/RVOI19TM1G.DTL

Canyon Sam will also read at the Bernal Heights Branch Library on Wednesday, October 6, 2010, at 6:30pm.

Adult Summer Reading - The Results Are In!

As you know, the Adult Summer Reading Program this year was a competition between the Bayside branches and the Oceanside branches about which side would read the most books this summer.

And the winner is... Bayside with 2140 books read this summer! The Oceanside was not far behind with 1917 books read.

Chinatown Branch, being one of the Bayside branches, is among the winners. A big thank you to all the patrons that have participated in the program this year!

Book reviews have been posted on this blog and on the SFPL website (http://www.sfpl.org/index.php?pg=2000277401). Take a look if you are looking for a good book to read!

Librarians Recommend: "Tokyo Year Zero" by David Peace

Mysteries are not necessarily known for their innovative writing styles, but David Peace achieves this beautifully in Tokyo Year Zero while presenting a compelling mystery story at the same time. Several girls get murdered during the chaotic time preceding and following the Japanese surrender in World War II and a haunted, sleeping-pill addicted Tokyo police detective who may or may not be a war criminal has to solve the crime.

Beautiful, haunting and definitely recommended. If you liked Inspector Minami make sure you check out "Occupied City," the sequel to "Tokyo Year Zero."

And if you would like even more reading suggestions for mysteries set in Japan, try out Fiction Connection, one of our Literature & Books databases. Try a search for "Japan" and "mysteries" to get some ideas of what this database can do or ask a librarian to give you a tour.

Librarians Recommend: "The Spellman Files" by Lisa Lutz

If you are a fan of wacky female characters like Bridget Jones or Janet Evanovich’s Stephanie Plum, you should check out “The Spellman Files” by Lisa Lutz.

The Spellman’s are a family of private investigators whose members think that installing a dead bold on the inside of a bedroom door is nothing unusual, have no qualms about doing surveillance on other family members, and who routinely smash the lights on each other’s cars to make such surveillance easier – it is just easier to follow a car with a broken tail light, you see. Izzy Spellman, the narrator of this entertaining debut novel, is working on a 15 year-old disappearance case that her parents assigned to her as a means of keeping her in the business. When she can’t stop investigating even though her parents ask her to and her younger sister, a sugar-addicted 14 year-old with a recreational surveillance habit, disappears, the family is on the verge of getting torn apart.

Librarian's Verdict: An incredible fun read with a San Francisco setting. And don’t worry if you get hooked, the follow-ups “The Curse of the Spellmans” and “The Revenge of the Spellmans” are already available at the library!

Adult Summer Reading - Patrons Recommend

"City of Refuge" by Tom Piazza

I had to keep reminding myself that this is a work of fiction because the writing is so real and personal, it reads like a first-person accounting of events. The story begins a few days before Hurricane Katrina hits New Orleans and takes us through the storm and its aftermath. Not surprisingly, we see how poverty and neighborhood have everything to do with how people survived - those with cars and money had a way to evacuate and those without resources were stranded. The writer makes you feel the devastation all around and leaves you with a sense of grief for the people of New Orleans.

Do you have a book recommendation of your own? Leave a comment on this blog or join the Adult Summer Reading program at your branch library and fill out a Book Review form in paper or online!

Adult Summer Reading - Patrons Recommend

"The Year Before the Flood" by Ned Sublette

Ned Sublette's passion is researching and writing about the music of Africa, Cuba & New Orleans, and in 2004-2005 he had received a fellowship to come to Tulane University in New Orleans to do just that. This book traces the origins and connections of that music, but the author digs deep into the culture, history, racism, violence and crime in New Orleans and searches for explanations about how and why the Katrina emergency (before and after) was handled so badly. This book doesn't just raise questions; it provides very complete, honest answers.

Adult Summer Reading - Patrons Recommend

"Tide Running" by Oonya Kempadoo

This book takes place on the Caribbean island of Tobago, so water is a constant presence, literally surrounding the characters and always within their sight. The action all centers around Cliff, who lives with his mother, brother and sister in very modest circumstances and his interaction with Peter & Bella, a wealthy married couple who live with their son in a luxurious home. The family becomes friendly with Cliff, allowing him into their home and their lives.

This would be a great book for a book discussion group because it raises so many questions about being open and trusting versus the wisdom of putting too much temptation in front of someone who has lead a very deprived life.

Adult Summer Reading - Patrons Recommend

Still looking for a summer read? Here is a review of "An Embarrassment of Mangoes" by Ann Vanderhoof written by one of your fellow patrons.

Many people dream of leaving their jobs and their daily lives and embarking on a wild adventure, but in "An Embarrassment of Mangoes" Ann and Steve Vanderhoof take readers along on their 2-year, 7000 mile voyage aboard their 42-foot sailboat, as they make their way from their home in Canada to their final destination of the Caribbean island of Grenada. The excitement of the voyage itself, as well as the fun & experience of getting to visit 47 islands make this a wonderful book to read this summer. Ann has included several recipes native to the various islands they visited.

Want more recommendations? Check out the Adult Summer Reading reading lists or ask your librarian for help. And don't forget to sign up for the Adult Summer Reading and let us know how many books you have read this summer!