Every Valentine’s Day, chocolate becomes part of the romantic holiday. From the moment chocolate was discovered, it was considered valuable, divine, and decadent, so what better gift to give lovers? The first chocolate candies were invented in the 1860s by Cadbury, who was also the first to market them in a heart-shaped box for Valentine's Day that same decade as quoted on luxist.com.

San Jose Public Library Collections

• Valentine's Day
• History of Chocolate
• Chocolate Recipe
• Romance Book
• Rose
• Love

Valentine's Day Craft in San Jose Public Library

• Make a Valentine's Day Decoration (Craft)

Valentine's Day Event

• Valentine's Day-Romantic Valentine's Day Ideas
• Valentine's Cupcake& Chocolate Tours
• The List: Best Valentine's Day Movies
• How to Make Homemade Chocolate

Persuasion, Jane Austen's last completed novel, satirizes social status and emotional turmoil with her famed wit and ironic style.  Not just any love story – Penguin Classics has compared the romantic narrative to the well-loved fairy tale, “Cinderella,” in the characters, conflict, and aspects of plot.  However, this tale is distinguished by the resplendence of literary beauty that is both philosophical and awe-inspiring: the impact of the theme, ‘persuasion,’ is recounted in a cleverly woven path that directs the heroine to her eventual felicity. 

Intrigued with the return of her former beau -- Captain Wentworth -- from eight and half years prior, Anne Elliott is placed in the uncomfortable position of remaining in company with him while he is courting another!  Austen displays the pain and agony of his return, the unspoken words, and misunderstandings that continue to evolve and devolve in the plot.  Along with that conflict is an underlying tension from the recommendations of Lady Russell, who discouraged the engagement all those years ago in the first place.    

Gillian Beer explains that Austen was perceptive that the ability to persuade or to be persuaded is crucial in regards to communication.  Beer states: "...  Jane Austen gradually draws out the implications of discriminating 'just' and 'unjust' persuasion."  That is, the narrative displays a profusion of variations of those inducing, or attempting to entice, others—or themselves.  Finally, Beer describes Austen's work as: "… the novel's entire brooding on the power pressures, the seductions, and also the new pathways opened by persuasion.”  Although, erudite in tone, Persuasion is in effect, a treatise on Austen’s personal challenges with similar phenomena in her own familial relationships.  It is one of the most fascinating and enduring novels ever!

A fabulous read! 

When I first heard about Nick Bantock's books I was intrigued.  Not only does the story capture you within the first few pages, but the way in which it is written and illustrated takes you to an entirely different world.   

In the first book, "Griffin & Sabine: An Extraordinary Correspondence" you explore Griffin and Sabine.  Who are they?  How do they know each other?  Do they really know each other?  Do they exist?  It leaves you wanting more, and more. 

Mr. Bantock obliges with the next installment titled "Sabine's Notebook".  This gives you much more insight as to who Sabine is, but still leaves you wondering "is she real?"  (Unfortunately, this title is not in our collection, but you can get it through Link+ here.)

To end the trilogy "The Golden Mean" deepens the quest into who these two individuals are, where their journey will take them, and if the answer to "how do I know you?" is answered.  

There are three other books that follow up on the correspondence between the two artist destine to find the answers to the mystery before them.  "The Gryphon", "Alexandria" and "The Morning Star" each take a turn telling a little bit more of this curious tale. 

Even after I read all 6 of these titles, I found myself wanting more.  Written in personal note and postcard format, these stories are fascinating!  Every turn of the page and opening of the envelope grants you access to this bizarre, yet tantalizing story.  Here's hoping the wonderful imagination of Nick Bantock isn't finished in the world of Griffin and Sabine!

Seven Year Switch by Claire Cook

Jill Murray thought that she and husband, Seth, had a happy marriage. Daughter Anastasia was age three when Seth abruptly decided marriage was too confining, and left, taking all the money in their bank account with him. Seven years later, Jill is struggling to support herself and her daughter, by answering phones for a travel agency and teaching cooking classes at a community center. Now, after all those years of somehow managing to survive, she keeps hoping that life will hold something more promising for her in the future. What she hadn't counted on was her husband's sudden reappearance in their lives. Was it possible to forgive a man who had so disappointed her, even as he begged to be forgiven as if he had done nothing wrong? Could they be a family again? Jill knew that Anastasia needed a father, but was that reason enough to risk heartbreak again. There's also a new man in her life, and Seth has mentioned a girlfriend who might still be in the picture. Take this book to the beach with you, and find out whether or not Jill makes the right decision about the men in her life.

2011 marks the 200th anniversary of Sense and Sensibility, Jane Austen's first published novel. For 200 years, people have enjoyed Jane Austen's interesting characters and plots as well as her dry humor. Laurie Viera Rigler has written two novels about two different women who adore Jane Austen's novels.

In Confessions of a Jane Austen Addict, Courtney Stone, a young woman from 21st century Los Angeles, finds her self mysteriously transported to England in the early 1800's. Not only does Courtney find herself in a new time period and a new country, she also finds herself in a new body, that of a a young woman by the name of Jane Mansfield. Courtney has to adapt to different clothing, and different etiquette. While Courtney wonders if she will ever return to her old life, she decides to try to enjoy her new life, and not make too many mistakes. This novel is available in the following formats:  book  spoken CD  spoken ebook

In Rude Awakenings of a Jane Austen Addict, Jane Mansfield, an unmarried daughter of a nobleman, finds herself mysteriously transported to Los Angeles in the year 2009, into the body of Courtney Stone. Although Jane appreciates modern marvels such as modern plumbing, electronics and the freedoms of independent women, she is still puzzled by other modern things such as skimpy clothing and public displays of affection between unmarried people. Jane also discovers that her favorite anonymous writer, the authoress of Sense and Sensibility and Pride and Predjudice is named Jane Austen, and that she has written a total of six novels. Jane adapts to her new life as much as she can; however, she still misses her old life. This novel is available in the following formats:  book  spoken CD

Would you like to read Jane Austen's novels?

They are available in various formats.   Film adaptations have also been made of her novels.  Graphic novel adaptations of her first two novels have also been published.

Sense and Sensibility  - first published in 1811
book  ebook  spoken ebook  spoken CD  dvd  graphic novel

Pride and Prejudice - first published in 1813
book  ebook  spoken ebook  spoken CD  dvd  graphic novel

Mansfield Park - first published in 1814
book  ebook  spoken ebook  spoken CD  dvd

Emma - first published in 1815
book  ebook  spoken ebook  spoken CD  dvd

Northanger Abbey - first published in 1817
book  ebook  spoken CD  dvd

Persuasion - first published in 1817, but dated 1818
book  ebook  spoken ebook  spoken CD  dvd

Tango is the most romantic dance form I can think of and there's a whole lot of Tango going on at the Library this month!

Put on your dancing shoes and head for Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. Library on Saturday, January 8th (this Saturday) at 3pm in Room 255!  Jurek Mazur and Company will be presenting a program on the roots of Tango (including demonstrations). 

 Carlos Gardel is known as the most prominent figure in the history of Tango.  Although he died in 1935, his songs and recordings live on and on.  You may recall a famous scene from Scent of a Woman which featured Al Pacino dancing to a Gardel song - Por Una Cabeza.  This video features the original recording of that song.

The Tango Singer by Tomás Eloy Martínez is a wonderful story about a student seeking out an elusive tango singer in Buenos Aires who has never recorded his voice and who shows up in random parts of the city to sing for whoever happens to be on the street at the time.   It is a quick read and evocative of the tango culture of Argentina.

If you want to learn more about Tango, the website Todo Tango is a great place to get info on historical Tango as well as todays dancers and singers.

To start dancing the Tango yourself and with a partner, we've got some instructional videos that just might help you!  Latin Dancing for Beginners or Learn to Dance in Minutes: Latin Dances are available at libraries all over the city.

Though this film isn't exactly about Tango, Strictly Ballroom is a really great film about ballroom dancing.  Don't expect the usual with this Australian movie by Baz Luhrmann who also made Moulin Rouge and William Shakespeare's Romeo + Juliet.