I recently finished reading J.K. Rowling's The Casual Vacancy. Having been addicted to the Harry Potter series as an adult, I was eager to read Rowling's first offering actually targeted to my demographic.

Something that always struck me about the Harry Potter books was J.K. Rowling's unflinching approach to such dark themes as mortality, destruction and evil. I don't consider encounters with Lord Voldemort, murderous Death Eaters and soul-draining Dementors to be for the faint of heart. I admire Rowling for not allowing a need to "shelter" children from these unpleasant themes get in the way of her storytelling.
 

With The Casual Vacancy, J.K. Rowling is no less willing to confront an adult audience with harsher truths. Only now, she does not need the fantasy setting and the metaphors of dark magic and wizards gone bad to cover very adult themes of drug use, predators, child abuse and other uglinesses. And the reader does not have clear-cut heroes like Harry, Ron and Hermione to root for or villians like Voldemort and Draco Malfoy to deplore. The residents of Rowling's English town of Pagford are often unsympathetic, petty and selfish, but for the most part they are also simply ordinary people just trying to get through life. For me, this greater moral ambiguity made the greatest difference in my experience as a reader of   The Casual Vacancy as opposed to the the Harry Potter novels.  But I still recognize that unflinching storyteller.

Every parent has heard these words before, but when a young girl meets a potato the rolls are changed.  Check out I'm Bored and many more great new picture books at the library.  If you are still bored, join in some of our great events for families (click on links to view times and dates):

• Family Storytime (Spa/Eng) – Cuentos para Familias
• Reading to Furry Friends
• Lunar New Year Craft for Kids

Or take a look at our full calendar of events. 

We will do our best to keep your boredom at bay.

Have you ever wondered what the top ten adult fiction and non-fiction book titles are most frequently checked out each month from the San Jose Public Library? Well, here’s a selection from the top titles for January. I’ll post these monthly so you can see what your fellow library users are reading!

Have you ever wondered what the top ten adult fiction and non-fiction book titles are most frequently checked out each month from the San Jose Public Library? Well, here’s a selection from the top titles for December. I’ll post these monthly so you can see what your fellow library users are reading!

Remember hockey? Yeah, I do too! I know many of us Sharks fans are disappointed beyond words about the NHL Lockout, but we are also a resourceful bunch, and will find other things to keep us busy. Here is my list of things you can do to occupy your time when you would normally watch a game:

Read about hockey

The library has it all whether you are a history buff, want to read about your favorite player, or are sharpening your own skills on the ice. One of our newer titles, Hockey’s Greatest Stars: legends and young lions, profiles some of the greatest players in NHL history as well as new hopefuls.

For those new parents who are wondering, “How do I possibly introduce hockey to my child in a meaningful way? Especially if they can’t even stand up to ice-skate?” The library is your source for early literacy through hockey. Christopher Jordan’s My First NHL Series includes Hockey ABC and Hockey Animals.

Go to a hockey game

Support the San Francisco Bulls inaugural season by attending one of their games at the Cow Palace. The Bulls are part of the ECHL and are an official affiliate of our SJ Sharks. They recently traveled to the South Bay to play a game at The Tank and brought in over 12,000 hockey fans. 

Support local hockey

There is still hockey going on!  Check out Sharks Ice where youth and adult leagues are still on the ice. Take lessons, join a team, or even try out one of their drop-in hockey afternoons.  

Support local businesses

Without more than 17,000 fans hitting the streets of downtown San Jose several times a week, many local businesses are feeling the effects of the lockout too. Come downtown and visit your favorite eats, bars, museums and retail stores.

嚴歌苓第一本散文集, 雖然是十多年前的作品, 如果你錯過了, 或是覺得許久沒讀到好散文, 這本波希米亞樓應該是不會讓你失望的. 嚴歌苓的文筆細致流暢, 一篇篇文章如說故事般緩緩呈現, 不疾不徐, 讓人跟着故事裏人物的悲歡離合、或喜或怒或哀或樂. 其中波西米亞樓, 透過在異國相遇的個個人物，以及「波西米亞」樓中的房客們，展開作者對美國社會、人情、倫理、文化及社會的理解.

嚴歌苓是寫故事的高手, 是寫小說的專家,  但少寫散文, 嚴歌苓自己也表示, 寫小說可杜撰, 可寫他人人生, 是可以安全的撒謊, 而散文就沒有這種便利.  也因為如此, 嚴歌苓少產的散文卻更引人入勝, 因為他真實.

嚴歌苓出生於上海, 曾是跳紅色芭蕾舞的文藝兵, 後又擔任戰地記者, 很能寫東西, 1981年開始創作, 赴美求學期間打工賺取生活費，做過餐廳服務生、帶過孩子、照顧過老人等。1992年與美國外交官Lawrence年結婚, 婚前受到美國政府的嚴格審查, 這些生命波折人生多味, 在作者的文中均可看到.  也因為如此豐富的人生經歷,  無論是寫自己寫別人, 嚴歌苓筆下的人物總是生動並且觸動人心的.