Staff Recommendations
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Zandra Rhodes : 50 fabulous years in fashion
by Rhodes, Zandra, 1940-
Reviewed by: Sheryn Morris, Librarian, Literature & FictionAugust 26, 2020
Call Number: 746.52 R477-1 folio
Who is that woman on the cover of the book? A holdover, punk rock fashion designer? The appearance, clothes and art are by design, but her name is not. For over 50 years, Dame Zandra Rhodes has been actively designing textiles, clothes and anything else that she has the creative impulse to work on. Friends, designers, artists, fashion designers and colleagues pay homage to her in this collection of essays. There are fond remembrances of this iconoclast, for whom originality is not a word, but a way of life. As they tell it, she was always full of surprises, and she still is... Read Full Review
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The Darwin Affair
by Mason, Timothy
Reviewed by: Daryl M., Librarian, West Valley Regional Branch LibraryAugust 18, 2020
Call Number: M
It probably goes without saying that when Charles Darwin published his revolutionary theories regarding evolution, and their supporting evidence, in The Origin of Species in 1859, there was controversy. Even today, 160 years later, Darwin’s theory of species evolving over time still engenders strong feelings of resistance to his ideas, especially within faith-based communities, in spite of the fact that his ideas gained the wide ranging support of the scientific community long ago. So, it probably isn’t surprising that when first introduced, Darwin’s ideas sparked outrage and... Read Full Review
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The Ghosts of Sherwood
by Vaughn, Carrie
Reviewed by: Daryl M., Librarian, West Valley Regional Branch LibraryAugust 10, 2020
Call Number: e-Book
The earliest references to Robin Hood date back to the 14th century, and the earliest surviving copies of the story are from the 15th century. The details may change, but the core of the legend concerns a nobleman turned outlaw with a band of followers known as the Merry Men. He is a highly skilled archer and swordsman, who is loyal to the absent King Richard. He challenges the treatment of common people by Prince John and the Sheriff of Nottingham by robbing the rich and giving to the poor. He also has a legendary romance with Maid Marion. The story is one of the best-known... Read Full Review
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A Star is Bored
by Lane, Byron
Reviewed by: Daryl M., Librarian, West Valley Regional Branch LibraryAugust 3, 2020
Kathi Kannon is the daughter of a famous actress mother, and went on to gain her own fame as Princess Talara in the space spectacular, Nova Quest. She has gone on to work as a script doctor and written several novels, but several decades later she is a star in decline. She is famous, outrageous and always looking for the next thrill, and needs a personal assistant. Enter Charlie Besson, a young man from New Orleans who has transplanted himself to Los Angeles. He is searching for something, anything, that will bring purpose to his currently miserable existence. When he is... Read Full Review
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The year 1000 : when explorers connected the world -- and globalization began
by Hansen, Valerie, 1958-
Reviewed by: Sheryn Morris, Librarian, Literature & FictionJuly 29, 2020
Call Number: 909 H249
According to the Oxford English Dictionary, the word “globalization” is not that old a word and refers to:
“The action, process, or fact of making global; esp. (in later use) the process by which businesses or other organizations develop international influence or start operating on an international scale, widely considered to be at the expense of national identity.”
When we speak about globalization today, it is usually about international trade and the legal documents that formalize it. The concept of globalization existed centuries ago,... Read Full Review
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Pretty as a Picture
by Little, Elizabeth
Reviewed by: Daryl M., Librarian, West Valley Regional Branch LibraryJuly 21, 2020
A young film editor in need of a job is offered one that, at first, seems too good to be true: working for an Oscar-winning director on a high-profile project on location. But, as we all know, if something seems too good to be true, it more than likely is. So, it should really be no surprise that the production turns out to be plagued with accidents, a temperamental director who is regularly firing the crew, and threatening the cast, and finally there is a murder.
When Marissa Dahl’s agent calls her in for an interview, she is both excited and terrified. It sounds... Read Full Review
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Read Me, Los Angeles
by Orphan, Katie
Reviewed by: Nicholas Beyelia, Librarian, History and Genealogy DepartmentJuly 13, 2020
Call Number: 810.9 O74
Read me, L. A.: a book lover’s celebration of Los Angeles by Katie Orphan explores L.A.’s literary heritage and the people, places and events that gave it life. Orphan, a writer and manager of a local bookstore, has written a book that is ostensibly marketed as a literary tour guide of the city, but functions as a paean to Los Angeles’ portfolio of literary assets and the writers who lovingly contributed to it.
The book’s central focus is exploring the work of both contemporary and long-departed writers who made Los Angeles a central character within... Read Full Review
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The chiffon trenches : a memoir
by Talley, André Leon
Reviewed by: Sheryn Morris, Librarian, Literature & FictionJuly 7, 2020
Call Number: 746.52 T148-2
Fashion journalist André Leon Talley’s autobiography could not be more prescient, and not just for fashion followers. Written before the pandemic and recent protest movements, the four and a half page introduction validates the concerns and issues which are playing out on the streets of the world:
“For so long I was the only person of color in the upper echelons of fashion journalism,but I was too busy pushing forward, making it to the next day, to really think about the responsibility that came with this role. Memories linger in the mind … Now I realize it... Read Full Review
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When we were magic
by Gailey, Sarah
Reviewed by: Daryl M., Librarian, West Valley Regional Branch LibraryJune 29, 2020
Call Number: YA
After graduation, prom night is often the penultimate event in the life of a high school senior. Students may save, plan and dream about the night for months or even years prior to going. So what happens when the prom doesn’t go the way you planned? What if something truly unexpected, like death, mars the evening? What do you do and who do you call? This is the set up for Sarah Gailey’s latest, and first Young Adult novel, When We Were Magic. This novel definitely has a crossover appeal for adults.
Alexi’s prom night, overall, has not gone as she planned... Read Full Review
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The Mermaid, the Witch, and the Sea
by Tokuda-Hall, Maggie
Reviewed by: Daryl M., Librarian, West Valley Regional Branch LibraryJune 22, 2020
A young noblewoman is betrothed by her parents into an unwanted, arranged marriage. A young pirate struggles to survive and protect his brother from the dangers inherent in the life they have been forced to live. A mermaid is captured and threatened with death because her blood, when drunk, allows humans the solace of forgetting things they don’t want to remember. A witch lives in seclusion because the Nipran Empire has declared her kind a threat that must be eliminated. The Sea, which the Nipran Empire uses and is attempting to subjugate to its will, will bring these different... Read Full Review
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Conventionally Yours
by Albert, Annabeth
Reviewed by: Daryl M., Librarian, West Valley Regional Branch LibraryJune 15, 2020
A common theme in novels, motion pictures and television is the fine line between love and hate. One only has to look at William Shakespeare’s The Taming of the Shrew (or it’s modern reincarnation 1999’s Ten Things I Hate About You) for an example of supposed loathing turning to love. And there are many, many other examples of this theme. Annabeth Albert takes this idea and sends it on a cross-country road trip in her latest novel, Conventionally Yours.
Conrad and Alden are two of the regular gamers who play at Professor Tuttle’s shop near... Read Full Review
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Under the Rainbow
by Laskey, Celia
Reviewed by: Daryl M., Librarian, West Valley Regional Branch LibraryJune 8, 2020
In a recent survey, the small town of Big Burr, Kansas has earned the title of “most homophobic town in the U.S.” The non-profit that conducted the survey, Acceptance Across America (AAA), determines that the appropriate response to their findings is to send a task force to Big Burr. They will move to Big Burr, set up an office and live in the town for two years. AAA hopes that the task force can, and will, become a part of the community. They are also hopeful that eventually they will be able to change the locals’ attitudes regarding LGBTQ people. Debut author Celia Laskey... Read Full Review