Staff Recommendations
Pages
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Mister Magic : a novel
by White, Kiersten
Reviewed by: Daryl M., Librarian, West Valley Regional Branch LibrarySeptember 25, 2023
Val has lived on the ranch for as long as she can remember. In fact, she has no memories of when she wasn’t living here, in rural Idaho, with her father. She teaches riding to the locals, but rarely leaves beyond supply runs to a local town. Her entire life is built around her father and a few regular ranch hands. Everyone else is transitory, staying just long enough to learn what they need.
When Val’s father dies, she is faced with a future that is not only unwritten, but it is unconsidered. Val has never contemplated a life anywhere other than the ranch. Her... Read Full Review
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Asada: The Art of Mexican-style Grilling
by Lopez, Bricia
Reviewed by: Sheryn Morris, Librarian, Literature & FictionSeptember 18, 2023
Call Number: 641.76 L864
Bricia Lopez and Javier Cabral lay out the facts, “Carne asada is not just a taco . . . in millions of backyards across Southern California, asada means family, friends, memories, great music, cold drinks, good times, and the community you’ve built.”--in all its multivarious forms.
This is a cookbook that is a feast for all your senses, from the book’s cover (original font), end papers (day-glo lime green); illustrations that are single or double-spread color photographs of Los Angeles, and of ingredients and finished dishes; and informative and personal anecdotes... Read Full Review
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Chita : a memoir
by Rivera, Chita
Reviewed by: Sheryn Morris, Librarian, Literature & FictionSeptember 11, 2023
Call Number: 812.092 R6194
Years ago, there was an advertisement for fur, “What Becomes a Legend Most?” For Dolores Conchita Figueroa del Rivero Anderson, best known as Chita Rivera, this razzle-dazzle memoir/autobiography is far more becoming than all the high-end luxury goodies that money can buy. Hardworking, full of energy and talent, she cut a big wide swath in the entertainment world: predominantly live theater, but also movies and television. There are a few basic facts about her theatrical career and contritubtions that need to be acknowledged. In the following musicals Chita was the original... Read Full Review
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The circumference of the world
by Tidhar, Lavie
Reviewed by: Daryl M., Librarian, West Valley Regional Branch LibrarySeptember 5, 2023
Call Number: SF
A mathematician, a rare book dealer, and a gangster search for a rare science fiction paperback named Lode Stars. They each have their reasons (some bordering on obsession) and their searches will cause their paths to cross, alter their destinies, and, quite possibly, transform our understanding of reality.
In his latest novel, award winning writer Lavie Tidhar takes readers on a wild, mind-bending adventure that is an exercise in extremes. It is deeply personal and... Read Full Review
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Brave the wild river : the untold story of two women who mapped the botany of the grand canyon
by Sevigny, Melissa L., 1986-
Reviewed by: Sheryn Morris, Librarian, Literature & FictionAugust 28, 2023
Call Number: 979.11 G751Se
The Colorado River was, and still is, one of the most dangerous rivers in the world: wild, unpredictable, and more challenging to navigate than skilled, seasoned river runners could imagine. In 1938 two botanists, Elzada Clover and Lois Jotter, joined a group of river runners in order to chart the plants of the Grand Canyon. Besides the Colorado River, there were additional challenges for the two botanists.
Botany, as well as other scientific fields, was dominated by and exclusive to men. Some areas of botany were thought to be all right for the gentler sex: the gathering of plants... Read Full Review
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Properties of thirst : a novel
by Wiggins, Marianne
Reviewed by: Sheryn Morris, Librarian, Literature & FictionAugust 21, 2023
This is a Bildungsroman that covers several generations of a family, some of whose origins are in the eastern part of the United States, but eventually take root in the western part, specifically California, on a sprawling ranch that has its existence perpetually challenged by the L.A. Water Corporation. The patriarch, Rocky Rhodes, has a twin sister, who, herself is a solidifying force in running the ranch. Rocky and his wife give birth to twins, who are not filled with that same sense of purpose, duty and commitment. The bombing of Pearl Harbor is a monumental turning point for... Read Full Review
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The Legend of Charlie Fish
by Rountree, Josh
Reviewed by: Daryl M., Librarian, West Valley Regional Branch LibraryAugust 14, 2023
Floyd Betts is a bit of a loner. He lives a solitary existence in Galveston, Texas. He works construction on local building projects and rents a room at Abigail Elder’s boarding house. It’s a quiet life, and Floyd likes it. But all of that is about to change.
When Floyd returns to Old Cypress, Texas, for his father’s funeral, he encounters Nellie and Hank. Nellie is 12 years old and Hank is 9. They were recently orphaned under mysterious circumstances as their family was preparing to leave Old Cypress. Nellie’s mother was accused of being a witch. It is very, very... Read Full Review
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I'll stop the world : a novel
by Thoman, Lauren
Reviewed by: Daryl M., Librarian, West Valley Regional Branch LibraryAugust 7, 2023
Time travel is a staple of fiction. For well over a century writers have imagined different ways to propel their protagonists backwards and forwards through time. Sometimes they are merely observers, allowing the author to speculate on past motivations or future developments. But just as often, the protagonist is sent to the past to correct something affecting the future. Often, HOW the time traveler got to the past is unimportant compared to WHY they were sent, and what they need to fix. In her debut novel Lauren Thoman tells a tim-travelling story of discovery in which a young... Read Full Review
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Hell Bent
by Bardugo, Leigh
Reviewed by: Daryl M., Librarian, West Valley Regional Branch LibraryJuly 31, 2023
At the end of Ninth House, Galaxy “Alex” Stern solved the mystery of who killed Tara Hutchins and why, uncovering a conspiracy that involved some of the highest offices of Yale University and several of their “secret societies.” At the end of the novel, Darlington, Alex’s advisor in Lethe, the “ninth house” which oversees the magical practices of Yale’s secret societies, was still missing – presumably sent to hell as part of the cover-up of Tara’s murder. It was quite the freshman year for Alex Stern at Yale!
As Alex begins her sophomore year, she is... Read Full Review
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The London Séance Society
by Penner, Sarah
Reviewed by: Daryl M., Librarian, West Valley Regional Branch LibraryJuly 24, 2023
Lenna Wickes, and her younger sister Evie, are very different people. Lenna is interested in the world and how it works. She has an interest in science, even though she knows that a young lady in Victorian London is not supposed to be interested in such things. Evie, on the other hand, is interested in the spirit world. She is interested in spirits, séances, and the world a step removed from our own. The two sisters regularly taunt and challenge each other on their interests and perspectives of the world.
And then, suddenly, Evie is gone. She is murdered and the... Read Full Review
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Piecing Together Los Angeles: An Esther McCoy Reader
by McCoy, Esther
Reviewed by: Sheryn Morris, Librarian, Literature & FictionJuly 18, 2023
Call Number: 720.910941 M131
For the most part, Los Angeles architecture has made its mark and numerous international and domestic architects will compete for an opportunity to design a residence, a public, or a commercial building. This was not always the case. There was someone who recognized the value, quality, originality and importance of the West and its architecture, at a time when it was not considered worth evaluating, predominantly by those in the East. In an interview Esther McCoy said, “ … Los Angeles has always been open to new ideas. Los Angeles is not rigid at all. It’s a plunger city.... Read Full Review
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Sex, death, and God in L.A.
by
Reviewed by: Sheryn Morris, Librarian, Literature & FictionJuly 12, 2023
Call Number: 979.41 L881Sex 1994
This essay collection about Los Angeles includes the works of Eve Babitz, Alexander Cockburn, Mike Davis, Lynell George, Thomas S. Hines, Jeremy Larner, Rubén Martínez, David Reid, Carolyn See and David Thomson.This is an updated version (1994) of the previous edition (1992). The preface to this edition by David Reid offers a substantial analysis of Los Angeles. The preface and the essays are not at all dated and provide insights that are still wise and relevant. David Reid's comments state, “The plan of this book is to consider the character and customs of Los Angeles in relation to... Read Full Review