We are sorry to report that the library is out of eclipse safety glasses!
We do, however, have some great information about viewing the eclipse safely, reading material about the eclipse, and an eclipse viewing event. Information availabe here.
10 Great Reasons to Read Fiction in May 2017
Wondering what great books are arriving in May? Here are ten of them.
Building Community with Gifts from the Garden
Delicious garden recipes to share with friends.
As part of our New Year intentions, last January my partner and I made a commitment to foster community by hosting garden grown meals in our home throughout the year. Winter was a bit sparse, but we managed fresh squeezed juice from our fruit trees and some greens from the garden. Not enough to host a meal, but as with all good intentions, we're still working on it!
I've been looking through OPL's collection of gardening and cookbooks to help with recipes and gardening tips. I've listed a few of my favorites to share with you. You don't need to have a garden to enjoy these recipes. You can use ingredients purchased from farmer's markets or the supermarket. Whether you're cooking for yourself, your family, your friends or your community, you're sure to find many delicious recipes between these pages.
The Name is Yuknavitch
Lidia Yuknavitch has a new book: The Book of Joan. Get in line.
Lidia Yuknavitch. That’s her name.
I was racking my brain yesterday to recall the author of an emotionally intense memoir to recommend to someone, and tried every variation from Yanowitz to Yonavich. I tried to do a search on “amazing women authors from Oregon with Ken Kesey as writing teacher” but Google failed me. I finally had to look in my list of books read since 2011. (Yes, I keep a list- I’m a librarian.) The title is The Chronology of Water: A memoir. It was captivating, unforgettable, as was my impression of the author.
This Month, Read a Prizewinner
The 2017 Pulitzer Prizes have been announced.
The Oakland Public Library congratulates the staff of the East Bay Times for the Pulitzer Prize they won this week in the Breaking News category for their "relentless coverage of the 'Ghost Ship' fire, which killed 36 people at a warehouse party, and for reporting after the tragedy that exposed the city’s failure to take actions that might have prevented it."
Did you know that 2017 is the centennial year for the Pulitzer Prizes and the 101st awarding of prizes? In 1917 just four awards were given, for reporting, editorial writing, history, and biography/autobiography. Over the decades the Pulitzer's categories have expanded to include fiction, drama, poetry, editorial cartooning and feature photography, among other categories. You can see the complete list, past and present, here.
10 Great Reasons to Read Fiction in April 2017
There are so many great books arriving this month! Here are ten of the best.
New Books by Local Authors
New books and local authors at OPL.
There's no shortage of creative talent in the Bay Area. Exciting new books by local authors are hitting the shelves and Oakland Public Library has copies for you to check out. Here are some new titles that I'm looking forward to reading and hope you will, too. All of these authors are making appearances at OPL branches so make sure to stop by and meet the people behind the books, ask questions, and learn more about the creative process.
Road Trips, a memoir by Tamim Ansary, recounts stories from his years as part of the American ‘60s and ‘70s counterculture, after he arrived from Afghanistan where he was born
Our History is Our Strength
Women's History Month is a good month to read about women who made history.
In observance of Women’s History Month we bring you a short list of books on women who made important contributions to the fight for suffrage, in civil and human rights, and in science and mathematics. Read on.
Women achieved the right to vote in the United States in 1920 after a struggle almost as old as the nation itself. For a good overview of that movement, read With courage and cloth : winning the fight for a woman's right to vote by Ann Bausum. To learn more about the 1848 Seneca Falls Convention, birthplace of the American Woman Suffrage movement, read Seneca falls and the origins of the women's rights movement by Sally G. McMillen.
10 Great Reasons to Read Fiction in March 2017
Looking for your next great read? Here are ten possibilities coming during the month of March.
Immigrant Stories
A collection of books released in the last year dealing with the experience of U.S. immigrants.
During the past month, many U.S. immigrants have faced new challenges as a result of executive orders issued from the White House. As a nation of immigrants, we know that the immigrant experience is varied and unique. Listed below are books released in the last year that capture some of the unique experiences of what it means to be a U.S. citizen and/or an immigrant living in the U.S.
Nonfiction
Good Books Come in Threes
Join us at the Main Library on February 26 when we'll be hosting three terrific writers and their new books.
On Sunday, February 26 the Main Library will hosting an author program featuring Bay Area novelists Vanessa Hua, Shanthi Sekaran, and Ali Eteraz, who all have new books out. They’ll be here to talk about and read from them with us.
Shanthi Sekaran’s new novel, Lucky Boy, concerns two women, one Indian-American, the other undocumented and from Mexico, and their love for the same baby boy. Infertility, adoption, and the rights of the undocumented are highlighted in this insightful story. Sekaran is also