Librarians Across Los Angeles Say They No Longer Feel Safe at Work

I recently came across an article titled, 'Librarians Across Los Angeles Say They No Longer Feel Safe' by Jamie Paige and Rachael Gaudiosi. In the article, I read the following:

The region’s libraries have an array of patrons. That includes many people experiencing homelessness, who often use the public buildings to escape heat during the summer, cold and rain during the winter, or simply as a way to temporarily escape the streets. The vast majority are peaceful and law-abiding.

But some individuals have caused disruptions that raise serious concerns. A Westside Current review of 911 call data from 25 of the 72 Los Angeles City library branches found that LAPD officers were dispatched to libraries more than 900 times last year. Many of the calls involved unhoused individuals and stemmed from reports of violence, drug use, and trespassing.

The trouble is particularly acute at certain branches.

At the West Los Angeles Branch at 11360 Santa Monica Boulevard, where Rachel was parked, the LAPD responded to 98 emergency calls in the last two years. The incidents included violent disturbances, overdoses, narcotics-related activity, robbery, and reports of sexual assault and child endangerment. In several cases, dispatch logs show officers encountering individuals suffering from apparent mental illness or intoxication. Other incidents involved criminal threats and emergency medical transports.

Who knew working as a librarian at a public library could be so dangerous? 

Click on the above link to read the full article. 

Bookish Quote of the Day!!!

 

New to Me Little Free Library in San Ramon, California

 

This morning my husband and I found a new to us Little Free Library in San Ramon, California!! These LFLs keep popping up everywhere, which is fabulous. I left two books and took two books.

Have you found any Little Free Libraries lately?

Mother May I by Joshilyn Jackson

 

I listened to the unabridged audio version of Mother May I by Joshilyn Jackson, which is well narrated by the author. 

I picked Mother May I by Joshilyn Jackson because I'd read and enjoyed two previous novels by the author and also because this novel sounded like a really great read based on the blurb on the back of the novel. However, after I first began listening to Mother May I, I wasn't sure if I was going to like it. In fact, I almost ditched Mother May I for another read from my 'to be read' pile. But I pressed onward and I am glad that I did.

Although, I enjoyed Mother May I, it isn't my favorite novel written by Joshilyn Jackson to date. Overall, I think the writing, storytelling, plot, and characters are well done. I like suspense/thrillers and this novel has that down to a science. The first couple of chapters made it difficult for me to get into this novel. Also, the last chapter glossed over how things turned out in a way that was too tidy for my liking after the busy pace that kept the reader on edge for most of the novel... In other words, the ending was soft, too soft.

I have three other novels to read by Joshilyn Jackson in my 'to be read' pile that I look forward to reading in the future. I'm keeping my fingers crossed that I like them better than Mother May I. 

Below is the publisher's summary for Mother May I by Joshilyn Jackson from Goodread's website:

A novel of domestic suspense in which a mother must decide how far she is willing to go to protect her child and the life she loves -- a tale of power, privilege, lies, revenge, and the choices we make, ones that transform our lives in unforeseen ways.

Revenge doesn't wait for permission.

Growing up poor in rural Georgia, Bree Cabbat was warned that the world was a dark and scary place. Bree rejected that fearful outlook, and life has proved her right. Having married into a family with wealth, power, and connections, Bree now has all a woman could ever dream of.

Until the day she awakens and sees someone peering into her bedroom window--an old gray-haired woman dressed all in black who vanishes as quickly as she appears. It must be a play of the early morning light or the remnant of a waking dream, Bree tells herself, shaking off the bad feeling that overcomes her.

Later that day though, she spies the old woman again, in the parking lot of her daughters' private school . . . just minutes before Bree's infant son, asleep in his car seat only a few feet away, vanishes. It happened so quickly--Bree looked away only for a second. There is a note left in his place, warning her that she is being is being watched; if she wants her baby back, she must not call the police or deviate in any way from the instructions that will follow.

The mysterious woman makes contact, and Bree learns she, too, is a mother. Why would another mother do this? What does she want? And why has she targeted Bree? Of course Bree will pay anything, do anything. It's her child.

To get her baby back, Bree must complete one small--but critical--task. It seems harmless enough, but her action comes with a devastating price.

Bree will do whatever it takes to protect her family--but what if the cost tears their world apart?

I am giving Mother May I by Joshilyn Jackson a rating of 4 stars out of 5 stars.

Until my next post, happy reading!!

Bookish Quote of the Day!!!

 

CBS Sunday Morning - Former Librarian of Congress Carla Hayden speaks out on her firing by Trump

 

Dr. Carla Hayden is such a smart and articulate woman. I'm sorry to learn that she'd been dismissed as the Librarian of Congress.

The Other Einstein by Marie Benedict

 

I love reading historical fiction novels. I've been aware of Marie Benedict as an author for quite sometime now. In fact, I have a few of her novels in either my 'to be read' pile or on my ever growing reading wishlist. However, I hadn't read any of Marie Benedict's novels until June 2025.

I decided to listen to the unabridged audio version of The Other Einstein by Marie Benedict, which is nicely narrated by Mozhan Marnò.

I think one of the many reasons I enjoy reading historical fiction novels is because I enjoy seeing how an author will portray the interactions between historical figures. In this case, we have Albert Einstein and his first wife, Mileva Marić, featured front and center in The Other Einstein by Marie Benedict. Mileva Maric is clearly the main character with Albert Einstein as the secondary character.

I found the writing for The Other Einstein to be riveting and very engaging for the most part. The storyline and character development were also well done. 

I enjoyed learning more about the life of Mileva Maric as I never knew she existed until reading this novel. Mileva was a brilliant mathematician and physicist. She met Albert Einstein while both were attending college and the pair fell in love during their college days. Albert Einstein was sweet, romantic and tender towards Mileva Maric. However, over time, Einstein becomes more egotistical, especially as he becomes more famous. Mileva becomes pregnant out of wedlock with Albert's child, byt Albert refuses to marry her at the time. Once married, the pair continue to work intellectually on Einstein's work. It seems like Mileva had contributed significantly towards Einstein's work, but she isn't given credit for her help. Albert is even unfaithful to Mileva during their marriage and eventually treats her badly the more famous he becomes. Mileva eventually divorces Einstein and is given custody of their children.

In the author notes at the end. Ms. Benedict goes into the research she performed in order to write this novel. Ms. Benedict also sites where she found some of the information she discovered while researching for this novel.

The only major disappointment for me was that the last section of the novel. Section three was a bit drawn out for my liking. I felt like it could have been shorter. Additionally, I felt like Einstein was made to look like a major creep when it came to his personal life with Mileva Maric. If he was a major creep, how far do you go to drive the point home in a work of fiction?

Below is the publisher's summary for The Other Einstein by Marie Benedict from the Goodreads website:

A vivid and mesmerizing novel about the extraordinary woman who married and worked with one of the greatest scientists in history, written by New York Times bestselling author Marie Benedict!

In the tradition of The Paris Wife and Mrs. Poe, The Other Einstein offers us a window into a brilliant, fascinating woman whose light was lost in Einstein's enormous shadow. It is the story of Einstein's wife, a brilliant physicist in her own right, whose contribution to the special theory of relativity is hotly debated and may have been inspired by her own profound and very personal insight.

Mitza Maric has always been a little different from other girls. Most twenty-year-olds are wives by now, not studying physics at an elite Zurich university with only male students trying to outdo her clever calculations. But Mitza is smart enough to know that, for her, math is an easier path than marriage. And then fellow student Albert Einstein takes an interest in her, and the world turns sideways. Theirs becomes a partnership of the mind and of the heart, but there might not be room for more than one genius in a marriage.

I am giving The Other Einstein by Marie Benedict a rating of 4 stars out of 5 stars.

Until my next post, happy reading!

Bookish Quote of the Day!!

 

Caribbean-American Heritage Month - Caribbean Themed Books I'd Like to Read!

Until earlier this month, I had no idea that June is Caribbean-American Heritage Month! 

Below is a list of books I'd like to read that are tied to the Caribbean in some way. Some of the books are fiction and some are nonfiction.

1. Black Cake by Charmaine Wilkerson
2. Monster in the Middle Tiphanie Yanique
3. Pleasantview by Celeste Mohammed
4. Before Night Falls by Reinaldo Arenas
5. A House for Mr. Biswas by V.S Naipaul
6. The Farming of Bones by Edwidge Danticat
7. Running Sideways by Pauline Davis
8. Miss Pat: My Reggae Music Journey by Patricia Chin
9. Of Women and Salt by Gabrielle Garcia
10. The Cemetery of Untold Stories by Julia Alvarez

Have you read any of the above books? Do you have any Caribbean books you would recommend for future reading? Please share your thoughts in the comment section!

LGBTQIA+ Books I Want to Read!

June is known as Pride Month. Back in June of 2022, I posted my top ten LGBTQIA themed books to read for Pride Month. All of the books listed in my post were ones I'd already read. Click on the above link to see which LGBTQIA books I've already read.

For this post, I wanted to focus on ten LGBTQIA themed books I would like to read in the future.

1. We Are Only Ghosts by Jeffrey L. Richards

2. The Evolution of Love by Lucy Jane Bledsoe

3. Flux by Jinwoo Chong

4. Rainbow Milk by Paul Mendez

5. Dead in Long Beach, California by Venita Blackburn

6. Creep: Accusations and Confessions by Myriam Gurba

7. Beyond Magenta: Transgender Teens Speak Out by Susan Kuklin

8. Being Jazz: My Life as a (Transgender) Teen by Jazz Jennings

9. The Secrets of My Life by Caitlyn Jenner

10. Pageboy by Elliot Page

Have you read any of the above books? Do you have any LGBTQIA+ book recommendations? Share in the comment section below.