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Author Anna Kovatcheva and her debut novel, She Made Herself a Monster
Photo of author: Sylvie Rosokoff
Daryl M., Librarian, West Valley Regional Branch Library, March 12, 2026

Anna Kovatcheva was born in Bulgaria and now lives in Brooklyn. She holds an MFA in fiction from New York University. Her chapbook, The White Swallow, was selected by Aimee Bender as the winner of the Gold Line Press Chapbook Competition; her short fiction has been anthologized in...

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Author Celia Laskey and first book Under the Rainbow

Interview With an Author: Celia Laskey

Daryl M., Librarian, West Valley Regional Branch Library, Thursday, June 4, 2020

Celia Laskey's work has appeared in Guernica, The Minnesota Review, and other places. She has an MFA from the University of New Mexico and was a finalist in Glimmer Train's Short Story Award for New Writers. She lives with her wife in Los Angeles.


Octavia Butler and the Central Library makerspace lab named in her honor.

Happy Birthday, Octavia! The Octavia Lab Celebrates its First Anniversary

Sara Rebman, Librarian, Children's Literature Department, Wednesday, June 3, 2020

Who was Octavia E. Butler?


Author's ebooks, music and tv show selections during the COVID-19 pandemic

Reading in the Time of COVID-19

Janice Batzdorff, Librarian, Tuesday, June 2, 2020

When the library closed almost three months ago, I checked out eight books. I’ve finished two of them. This is unusual for someone who reads everywhere—in checkout lines, on the Metro, at Dodger Stadium, even during social gatherings to take a break from the extroverts. Maybe that’s the problem.


Books about being a vegetarian or vegan

Vegetarianism and Veganism: A Rising Lifestyle

Salvadora Sosa Prieto, Administrative Clerk, Multilingual Collections, Monday, June 1, 2020

Being vegetarian or vegan; is it a diet or a way of life? As we've seen, the world is constantly changing and so is the way of life for many of us Angelenos.


photo of visitors at Grand Central Market in Los Angeles

Farewell, Haiku Friday! It’s Time to Chow Down on the Final Poems About Your Favorite Food

Christa Deitrick, Librarian, Literature & Fiction Department, Friday, May 29, 2020

We hope you’ve enjoyed the scrumdiddlyumptious poems created by Los Angeles Public Library staff members as part of our celebration of Asian Pacific Heritage Month. Thanks for sticking with us all the way to the dessert course!


Author John Scalzi and his latest novel, The Last Emperox

Interview With an Author: John Scalzi

Daryl M., Librarian, West Valley Regional Branch Library, Thursday, May 28, 2020

John Scalzi is a New York Times bestselling and award-winning speculative fiction author whose work has been translated into more than 20 languages.


Books about plagues in fiction

Plagues in Fiction: A Lesson in Hope

Elizabeth Graney, Librarian, Literature & Fiction Department, Tuesday, May 26, 2020

In a world of 24-hour news cycles and constant social media updates, it can seem impossible to escape our current stressful reality. So voluntarily choosing to read even more about world-ending plagues and their effects on the human psyche may feel a bit morbid or sadistic.


Famous Chinese cuisine dishes on table

Sayonara, Tanka Tuesday! Here Is the Last Batch of Tanka Poems About Your Favorite Food

Christa Deitrick, Librarian, Literature & Fiction Department, Tuesday, May 26, 2020

Here they are—the last few tankas written by Los Angeles Public Library staffers in celebration of Asian Pacific Heritage Month. It’s not too late to join in the fun by posting your own poem to Instagram.


collage with pizza, watermelon and pancakes

Happy Haiku Friday! Here’s Another Batch of Poems About Your Favorite Food

Christa Deitrick, Librarian, Literature & Fiction Department, Friday, May 22, 2020

As we head into Memorial Day Weekend and the feasting that often involves, consider this latest group of poems as your appetizer.


Author Marie Benedict with her latest novel, Lady Clementine

Interview With an Author: Marie Benedict

Daryl M., Librarian, West Valley Regional Branch Library, Thursday, May 21, 2020

Marie Benedict is a lawyer with more than ten years’ experience as a litigator at two of the country’s premier law firms and for Fortune 500 companies. She is a LibraryReads Hall of Fame Recipient and a New York Times bestselling author.


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