Book Blog

Fall is always an exciting time for new books. This year two of my favorite authors, Michael Chabon and Barbara Kingsolver, have new titles coming out and I am so excited! But wait...there's more! I loved Ken Follett's Fall of Giants and have been eagerly awaiting the sequel for two long years. My patience will finally be rewarded this September. Get on the request lists . . . more »

For so many busy parents, it seems like baby's arrival means the end of delicious, home-cooked meals. How can a mom or dad manage to whip up something healthy and flavorful in-between diaper changes, feedings and playtimes? Well moms and dads, the library has loads of books that explain exactly how you can have the same gourmet meals you cooked before baby, bringing fun back . . . more »

Red Mars Blue Mars Green Mars With the recent landing of the Curiosity rover on Mars, I was put in mind of my favorite science fiction Mars books. Red Mars is the first entry in this venerable trilogy by Kim Stanley Robinson. The story of the first settlement on Mars touches on many themes, but I was fascinated by the utopian thinking most of all. . . . more »

Genealogical Research has become a popular hobby these days, due in part to newer technologies and services that make researching your family history easy and accessible for everyone. SCCL is hosting an ongoing series of programs at each of our branches to introduce you to genealogical research. Our website also provides tons of genealogical resources to help you get started. Why is it so important . . . more »

Season of the Jew This fictionalized account of the Te Kuti uprising, set roughly in 1850-60, is not a fast read but is a compelling view of colonial New Zealand. The protagonist, George Fairweather, is a soldier in Her Majesty's army fighting the Maori. He rapidly becomes disillusioned with the colonists' greed for land, and quits the army to drift around New Zealand doing odd . . . more »

At reference desks throughout Santa Clara County Library we receive all kinds of questions about the Paleo Diet. From requests for books to more information about this increasingly popular way of eating, the Paleo Diet seems to be something that has taken the health and nutrition world by storm. But what exactly is the Paleo Diet? Is it difficult to follow? Complicated? Will it work . . . more »

August 9th is Book Lover's Day!! Since we are all book lovers here at Campbell, we wanted to celebrate by sharing a list of our all-time favorite books. Choosing one single book is a difficult task for any book lover, but we faced the challenge head-on and discovered that we have a pretty diverse bunch of readers here. We hope you enjoy our list, and . . . more »

The votes are in! NPR has released the results of its poll on Teen literature. Take a look at the results of the '100 Best-Ever Teen Novels'. Harry Potter is leading the charge with the number one spot. There are some classics in there, and a few that I didn't expect (Ok, so there's some I don't think deserve to be on the list... ). . . . more »

Guardian of the Dead Ellie, the main character, is a boarding student at Mansfield School in Christchurch. She has a crush on a mysterious, lonely boy in her Classics class. He turns out to be half patupaiarehe, a kind of Maori vampire, and she, of course, has latent magical powers too. A serial killer named the Eyeslasher is stalking random victims all over the Christchurch . . . more »

If you are like me, the long hot days of summer bring on the urge for gooey s'mores, campfires, crafts, and all sorts of summer camp related goodness. If a trip to the lake isn't going to happen this year, let SCCLD bring summer camp home to you. Just take a deep breath and smell the Coppertone. The classic summer camp movie. Hayley Mills plays . . . more »