Library News

Rinconada Library is celebrating its 10th anniversary on Saturday February 8 from 3 PM to 5 PM. More details below and on the Library's Events Calendar.

Children's Library will be closed for renovations starting Sunday February 16 and continuing through the end of May.

All Library branches will be closed on Monday February 17 for the Presidents' Day holiday.

You could find out about these sorts of things in a slightly more timely manner by subscribing to the Library's mailing list. Like us, they send one or two messages per month, more usually one.

You can find out about other things they want you to know from the Palo Alto City Library Blogs page. Or you can subscribe to them with an RSS reader.

-Frank McConnell

 
What's special for February

February is here and so is our exciting book sale! This month, we're thrilled to feature a wonderful selection of Gardening books, generously donated from the personal collection of our dedicated volunteer and Palo Alto Historian, Steve S. Our specials don't stop there! Science Fiction and Military History enthusiasts will be delighted by the tremendous number of donations we've received over the past few months. Many of these fascinating reads can also be found in the respective sections of our Bargain Room.

The Health section has something special this month, thanks to our new section manager, John S., who has been hard at work refreshing the shelves. And let's not forget the Holidays! We're rounding out the specials with a heartwarming collection of books perfect for Valentine's Day, Mother's Day, and more.

In addition to our fabulous book offerings, FOPAL is pleased to host the Santa Clara County Registrar of Voters this Saturday near the Main Room. They will be setting up an outreach table to provide valuable information and assistance.

Be sure to take some time Saturday after the sale to join FOPAL as we celebrate the Rinconada Library's 10th anniversary from 3-5 PM. Stop by our out-reach table and say "Hi" to FOPAL community liasions Andrea S. & Clara M.

Don't miss out on this fantastic opportunity to explore new reads and support your local community. See you at the sale!

-Janette Herceg

 
Science Fiction, Fantasy, and Comics

The big story in Science Fiction, Fantasy, and Comics this month is again the large donation of older paperbacks, many not frequently seen. One shelf is full of Ace Doubles, from the F- (40¢), M- (45¢), and M- (50¢) series -- look for others next month. Many titles from Philip K. Dick and A.E. van Vogt, with ones that haven't been frequently reprinted. Hardcovers include a fine copy of Orwell's "Nineteen Eighty-Four" from 1949. It's the book club edition but the binding is the same as the US first. Shelf pictures at fopalbooks.com.

-Rich McAllister

 
Poetry

February brings the rain,
Thaws the frozen ponds again.
Poems are raining down as well.
Our shelves are full of books to sell.
Of classic verse we have a wealth.
Find them on the topmost shelf.
So brave the storms and come to see
How life improves with poetry.

https://fopalbooks.com/poetry.html

-Mandy MacCalla

 
Home & Crafts

It's all about fashion this February on the top Home bookshelf: The Fashion Book, American Style, Fashion Icons, and the Fashion Sketchbook, among others. There's also makeup, beauty, and hair care. This month we have Martha Stewart home design items: Decorating with Color, Decorating Details, plus How to Decorate. For fun, try I Like You, an Amy Sedaris book on home entertaining concepts. We also have several kitchen and bath references. There are various home styles from San Francisco designs to Martha's Vineyard interiors. Home maintenance and repair titles include Organized Living and Making a Home: Housekeeping for Real Life. Home building and remodeling resources range from The Girls' Guide to Off Grid Living, to Adobe: Build it Yourself.

This February in Floral Arts you'll find: Fantastic Flowerpots: 50 Creative Ways to Decorate a Plain Pot, a living gift you can make and give for Valentine's Day. Are you a model railroader? This month in Crafts we have manuals from track planning to basic electronics. You can also browse to find a title with more than 150 creative crafting ideas. New this February are various resources on pottery, ceramics, and clay art. In Fabric Arts try Amy Butler's In Stitches: More Than 25 Simple and Stylish Sewing Projects. Peruse other sewing guides, as well as an array of quilting, knitting, crocheting, and needlepoint resources. Don't forget to pick up Origami and coloring books!

Shelf photos can be found at https://fopalbooks.com/crafts.html.

-Virginia Perry

 
Antiques & Collections

This February we feature a plethora of books on glass and ceramics: Sotheby's Concise Encyclopedia of Porcelain, China and Glass in America 1880-1980, Collectible Glassware from the 40s. 50s, and 60s, plus A Short History of Glass, are among the many offerings. There are also a number of titles on beautiful glass paperweights. You'll find two books of British collectibles: British Toy Soldiers: 1893 to the Present by James Opie, and History of British Dinky Toys 1934-1964 by Cecil Gibson. Look for four special books on golf memorabilia. We also have Hakes Guide to Presidential Campaign Collectibles: An Illustrated Price Guide to Artifacts from 1789-1988. Find titles on coins, stamps, and medals, furniture and rugs, and other resources for your collecting reference.

Shelf photo can be found at https://fopalbooks.com/crafts.html.

-Virginia Perry

 
Puzzles and Games

This month we received two large donations of dozens of new to us Eboo puzzles now shelved and ready for you. There are a few interesting ones from a new publisher, too, as well as many from the regular brands.

The puzzle section is now expanded, but the unfortunate reality is because we have not been getting many quality games to sell. Especially if you are a strategy game lover that has lost interest in some of your recent year acquisitions, we would love to get them a new home.

-Vicky Evans

 
February Book Reviews

The First Time She Drowned by Kerry Kleter

The First Time She Drowned is a heart wrenching tale of the fragile and incomprehensible connection between a mother and her daughter. Written for young adults or late teens, this book screams of the pain people have gone through, and how we as humans struggle to move on.

Cassie grew up in a family revolving around her older brother and her mother. They were the most important people in the world to her, and she did everything she could to keep them happy; not realizing the pain her mother was inflicting on her. As Cassie grew older, she started realizing that the way her mother was treating her wasn't okay, and started to rebel. But after a while, a child will still crave the warm embrace of their mother. Cassie still tried to get her mother to love her; until they both snapped.

After Cassie tried to fight back and failed, her mother sent her to a mental institution, hoping for her daughter to be properly educated. For 3 years, Cassie lived in that place, almost drowning in her futile hope of her family returning for her. But she started making friends and learning about happiness as well as how to keep her head afloat with healthy dreams. Finally, at 18, Cassie takes off to the real world; thirsty for the life she has been dreaming about.

Once thrusted into such a new environment with new dangers and old, Cassie must start to understand that the world isn't just filled with black and white. This haunting story will encourage young adults who feel like they're drowning, to fight for the surface and break their heads out from the water. Recommended for ages 15 - 18.

Garfield

The timeless story of a fat orange tabby cat forever echoes through the ages; Garfield is the wonderfully endearing story of a cat named Garfield meandering through life with some mischievous pranks along the way.

A long running series of 76 Garfield books, Garfield will be there growing up alongside your children throughout the ages.

Without needing much prior knowledge, this is one of the greatest book series known to mankind; and is recommended for children 6 - 16 years old.

-Emma Chen

 
Children's Room

This is your last chance at our collection of books for Lunar New Year and Valentine's Day--all priced to sell. And February is Black History Month, so look on the bookcase between the windows (between Non-fiction and Vintage), on the Non-fiction display table, on the shelves of the Art cart, and on the "A" Non-fiction shelves for a terrific selection of books on Black history and biography.

It's a banner month for the School-age Fiction section. On the Classics shelves you'll find many gift-quality, beautifully illustrated titles: Peter Pan, The Adventures of Alice in Wonderland, Bambi, The Wind in the Willows, The Complete Tales of Beatrix Potter, The Secret Garden, Pinocchio, Treasure Island, Robin Hood, and Greek Mythology. A new version of the "Little House on the Prairie" series is coming to television soon, and we have a boxed set of all the books. On the Award Winners shelves are two collections of Roald Dahl's books, in addition to his poetry collection entitled Vile Verse. The Popular Authors cart is packed, and in the Popular Series section there is a brand new collection of ten Goosebumps stories, still in shrink wrap.

To quote a favorite Children's Room poet, A. A. Milne, "Let it rain! Who cares?" That's because our Activity section is crammed with wonderful hands-on toys and projects--enough for at least forty days and forty nights. Once again we've received a large donation of Legos, including Lego robotics and many bags of Lego people. For a perfect combination of experimentation and entertainment, we have many Snap Circuit kits--both standard and specialized--including two remote control car projects. You'll also find several other remote control items on our shelves, along with board games and puzzles for all ages. Classroom teachers and parents will find bags of science equipment from a FOSS meteorology unit, as well as lots of math and science books--everything priced to sell. And as usual, our graphic novel shelves are packed; this month we feature a collection of Asterix.

Look in the Picture Books section for some popular collections and series: Sesame Street (8 books); Richard Scarry (5 books); Munschworks (First Collection and Treasury book 3); Disney My First Library (12 books including alphabet, nursery rhymes, colors, numbers, etc.); A Child's First Library of Values (15 volumes); Curious George; Arthur; Clifford; Berenstain Bears; Franklin; Magic School Bus; Little Critter; Daniel Tiger's Neighborhood; Misty (pony stories).

-Carolyn Davidson

 
Children's Vintage

Children's Vintage has a wide array of unusual materials this month. First up are children's LPs - from the classic Carnival of the Animals to The Little Engine That Could. Then we have an entire collection of softcover books and pamphlets, including comics and graphic novels, that have been collected over the entire last year. In addition, a special display has been set up highlighting California and Santa Clara history, just in time for those 4th grade mission reports. Plus a robust world languages section that includes a child's dictionary translating English into Gujarati. Charles Schulz' Peanuts and Charlie Brown books, one particularly suitable for Valentine's Day, and Oz books round out our February offerings. See shelf photos at https://fopalbooks.com/kids.html.

Children's Vintage is located in the children's portable, tucked away in a cozy nook in the back left corner as you enter the sale.

-Lisa Heitman

 
Sociology/Anthropology

This month, the Sociology/Anthropology section features 389 books. Only a few are from previous months; the majority came from recent donations. Classics such as The Affluent Society by John Kenneth Galbraith are among the newly received books. A one-minute video defines precisely the book's main concern: the increase in private wealth and the decline in the quality of life for the majority. Another important book featured in February is The Dawn of Everything by David Graeber and David Wengrow. The Guardian opened its discussion of the book by stating that "Wengrow and his late co-author David Graeber caused a sensation with their revisionist view of humankind's development."

-Natalia Koulinka

 
Judaica

Browse the Judaica section for books on the Jewish religion and culture including editions of the Torah and other basic texts, Kabbalah, Jewish history, the Holocaust, memoirs, Israel, Jewish Women, the Jewish American Experience and other related subjects.

Special interest this month -

• Mala's Cat: A Memoir of Survival in World War II
• Buried by the Times - The Holocaust and America's Most Important Newspaper
• Blessed is the Daughter
• Torah from Dixie: Intriguing Thoughts on the Weekly Torah Portion
• Day by Day in Jewish History
• Biblical Images : Men and Women of the Book

Most fiction with Jewish themes will be found in Modern Literature/Classics or Current Fiction. Books entirely in Hebrew are shelved in the European Languages section.

Shelf photos at https://fopalbooks.com/judaica.html

-Charlotte Epstein, Judaica Section Manager

 
Self Help/Personal Growth

One bay has 'Popular on Amazon' books, including two shelves of New Arrivals. These books have an Amazon ranking that shows a relatively large number of the books are being sold – an indicator of popularity. The next bay has four shelves of New Arrivals. The last two bays have books (other than new arrivals) that can be put into a subsection, such as Relationships, Happiness, Little Books, etc. You might check out the Journals and Workbooks sections for ways to support you in your personal growth goals for the year. There are two Pop-Up subsections: five books by Melody Beattie, a popular self help writer and eight books on Narcissism in case you have a special interest! Happy Valentine's Day from one Book Lover to another,

-Marnie

 
Music CDs

Once again the CD Section will be offering "NEW" CD's (CD's still sealed in original MFG's shrink wrap) for sale at the February Sale. Selections include Rock, Jazz, Classical, Soundtracks and New Age; and an assortment of Misc ones. Be able to buy "NEW" items at a fraction of their cost on Amazon.

-John Scheibe, The FOPAL CD Guy

 
Pop-Up Music Sale

Our February Pop Up Music Sale will feature over 1,000 new discs added since last month's sale. Feel free to browse our 10 tables under the tents next to the Main Room entry ramp.

-George Chaltas, Music Sales

 
Politics

Hello there avid readers...how's it going? As we spiral into insanity, why not pick up a book on politics? As LBJ once said, "Books and ideas are the most effective weapons against intolerance and ignorance." Arm yourself with knowledge, and once you have that knowledge, act. Nothing was ever done by passively waiting for things to happen.

:)

-Margaret

 
History

Someone once said that those who don't remember history are doomed to repeat it. This month the History section has a lot of books on fascism and imperialism, the fall of the Roman Republic, and the coming of the US Civil War. This could also be a good time to read up on the American Revolution and the early years of the US.

In observance of Black History month there are several copies of The 1619 Project.

-Lin McAllister

 
Donations

We accept donations on Monday through Saturday from 3-5 pm in the Main Room. But we close to donations in the week before the sale so that we can prepare the Main Room for the sale, which means that we are closed for donations from Sunday February 2 through Sunday February 9. Please hold your donations until Monday February 10.

We will also be closed Monday February 17 for Presidents' Day.

Please read our donation guidelines before you bring materials to us.

 
Suggestions?

We're always eager to hear your suggestions for ways to improve our book sale. Please email us at suggestions@friendspaloaltolib.org.