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Collage of films adapted from books
Elizabeth Graney, Librarian, Literature & Fiction Department, October 6, 2025

If you've heard it once, you've heard it a million times—the book was better! There's nothing like debating the differences between a favorite book and its translation to the screen. But if you don't know your beloved series is coming out as a movie or that the fun-looking preview you saw was adapted from a book, how can you join the debate? The Library is here to the rescue! Here, we will be...

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Author TJ Kline and his book, The Extraordinaries

Interview With an Author: TJ Klune

Daryl M., Librarian, West Valley Regional Branch Library, Thursday, July 23, 2020

TJ Klune is a Lambda Literary Award-winning author and an ex-claims examiner for an insurance company.


Collage of zines

Celebrate International Zine Library Day

Angi Brzycki, Senior Librarian, Digitization & Special Collections, Tuesday, July 21, 2020

Independent, non-commercial, and often handmade magazines have been around long before 2011 when Alex Wrekk designated July as International Zine Month. A well-known zinester, Wrekk, also specified July 21 as International Zine Library Day.


Author Gretchen Berg and her first novel, The Operator

Interview With an Author: Gretchen Berg

Daryl M., Librarian, West Valley Regional Branch Library, Tuesday, July 21, 2020

Gretchen Berg was born on the East Coast, raised in the Midwest, and spent a number of years in the Pacific Northwest. She has taught English in South Korea and in Northern Iraq and has traveled to all the other continents. A graduate of Iowa State University, she lives in Chicago, Illinois.


Author Grady Hendrix and his latest book, The Southern Book Club’s Guide to Slaying Vampires

Interview With an Author: Grady Hendrix

Daryl M., Librarian, West Valley Regional Branch Library, Thursday, July 16, 2020

Award-winning author Grady Hendrix has written about the confederate flag for Playboy magazine, covered terrible movie novelizations and ninja death swarms for outlets ranging from Slate to the British Film Institute, and scripted award shows for Chinese television.


Books made to popular musicals

Beyond Hamilton: More Musicals Based on Books

Elizabeth Graney, Librarian, Literature & Fiction Department, Wednesday, July 15, 2020

Lin-Manuel Miranda’s musical Hamilton: An American Musical took the world by storm when it premiered in 2015. Combining American history with modern music styles and traditional period costumes with non-traditional casting, it pioneered a new style of musical.


Ray Potes, a zinemaker

Interview With a Zine Maker: Ray Potes

Angi Brzycki, Senior Librarian, Digitization & Special Collections, Friday, July 10, 2020

Ray Potes is a photographer and the editor of Hamburger Eyes, a black and white photography zine. He’s also the creator of the blog and zine, Ray Reports.


Suzanne Vega on the cover of her recent album, New York is My Destination

Music Memories: Happy Birthday, Suzanne Vega!

Keith Chaffee, Librarian, Central Library, Friday, July 10, 2020

On July 11, 1959, Suzanne Vega was born. Vega is a singer/songwriter who had some unexpected pop success in the late 1980s and early 1990s with a pair of surprising hit singles, “Luka” and “Tom’s Diner.”


Author Elizabeth Little and her latest book, Pretty as a Picture

Interview With an Author: Elizabeth Little

Daryl M., Librarian, West Valley Regional Branch Library, Thursday, July 9, 2020

Elizabeth Little is the author of Dear Daughter, which won the Strand Critics Award for Best First Novel, and two works of nonfiction, Biting the Wax Tadpo


Collage of famous authors

Read it First: Truth is Stranger Than Fiction

Elizabeth Graney, Librarian, Literature & Fiction Department, Wednesday, July 8, 2020

Last month we took a look at the lives of famous authors as shown in popular films. And while that was a fun way to learn more about the authors we know and love, we all know that sometimes films take creative license to make their stories more interesting.


Collage of American cuisine books

Yours? Mine? Ours? Yes! We Call It American Cuisine

Sheryn Morris, Librarian, Literature & Fiction, Tuesday, July 7, 2020

Other than indigenous peoples, we are a nation of immigrants, those who came by choice and those who came by force. As our country keeps growing and changing with new people arriving all the time, what we eat changes too. Like our country, American cuisine is never static.


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