Authors Diane and David Mariant will talk about their book Surviving Bipolar's Fatal Grip- the Journey to Hell and Back.  They will discuss their personal story with the illness, as well as coping strategies on December 9th from 4:30 - 5:45 in the West Valley Library community room.  A copy of this book is available at the Library if you want to see it before hearing the author's presentation.  This program has been paid for by the Friends of the West Valley Library.  

Looking for Anne of Green Gables: The Story of L.M. Montgomery and Her Literary Classic by Irene Gammel.

If a book can have a biography, Looking for Anne of Green Gables falls into this genre.

Irene Gammel delves into the magazine articles, photographs and advertisements that inspired Canadian author Lucy Maude Montgomery to write her classic children's novel. We also learn about the author's life: after her mother's death, Anne's father remarried and relocated far from Prince Edward Island where Anne grew up, raised by relatives. The author goes on to discuss the impact that the book, Anne of Green Gables has had on readers from its first publication in 1908 to the present day.  Green Gables is now a  National Heritage site visited by tourists from all corners of the globe.

The essence of this book is in its subtitle. In Breaking Night: A Memoir of Forgiveness, Survival, and My Journey From Homeless to Harvard, Liz Murray shares her amazing true story of breaking away from a family’s self-destructiveness and despair to build a positive and meaningful life. She learns how to survive being neglected by her drug addicted parents through a combination of (1) knowing they love her, (2) forgiving them for being unable to parent her (and her older sister), and (3) forging her own way. Her transformation from a 15-year-old homeless high school dropout to a Harvard University graduate is truly awe-inspiring.

While engrossed in reading Breaking Night, I envisioned it as an excellent feature film. Only later did I read (in the library catalog notes) that in 1999 Murray's story was produced as the Lifetime Original Movie Homeless to Harvard. Have you seen it?

The Alum Rock Business Association is partnering with the Alum Rock Branch Library to offer the Annual 2010 Light Up the Village event at the Alum Rock community. Visit Santa Claus and participate in the tree lighting ceremony for the holiday.We also invite you to join us for music, raffle prizes, kids' activities, and free books from Alum Rock Library!

Place: 3116 Alum Rock Avenue, San Jose CA 95127

Time: 12/11 1:00-5:30 PM

Visit Santa Claus - 3:30 to 5:00 PM

Tree Lighting Ceremony - 5:00 PM

Cormac McCarthy is probably better known for his other works, including No Country for Old Men, The Road, and All the Pretty Horses, but many consider Blood Meridian to be his greatest, and indeed one of the finest examples of contemporary American fiction.  A master of narration, McCarthy portrays the contradictions of the Wild West, depicting brutal, gruesome scenes of savagery with a stark and lyrical prose.

In 1847, a 14 year old Tennessee boy known only as "the Kid" wanders into the Southwest, where he eventually joins with a group of bloodthirsty men who hunt Indians for a living.  Led by the mysterious and learned Judge Holden, the band kills and terrorizes their way across the lawless West.

Not for the faint of heart, this book could be described as a work of Horror as easily as it could be called a Western.  This novel jabs a thumb into the eye of the romanticized Wild West and reminds the reader how the West was really won...through blood and slaughter.