Mystery & Suspense
Tuesday, February 2nd @ 6:30 - 7:45 p.m., Main Library
J.A. Jance's mystery novel Desert Heat is the first in a series featuring Arizona small-town Sheriff Joanna Brady. Joanna, the mother of 9-year-old Jenny, has a good life with solid, honest and loving husband Andy, a local lawman running for Sheriff.  When Andy is gunned down and left dying in the desert sun, it's Joanna whose determined efforts to clear Andy's name, now linked to drug dealing and smuggling.
Discussion facilitated by Heidi.Ontiveros@hayward-ca.gov, 510-881-7975.
 
Mostly Literary Fiction
Monday, Feburary 8th @ Noon, Peet's Coffee (B St. and Mission) and  6:30-7:45 p.m., Main Library
We will be discussing The Writing on My Forehead by Nafisa Haji. Saira Qader is a free-spirited and rebellious Muslim-American of Indo-Pakistani descent who rejects the constricting notions of family, duty, obligation and fate. But when  tragedy strikes, Saira looks to the stories of those who came before and discovers the hope, pain, joy, and passion that defined their lives.

Choose from two different meeting times and locations - noon at Peet's Coffee & Tea or in the evening at the Main Library.
Discussion facilitated by Sally.Thomas@hayward-ca.gov, 510-881-7700. Not able to attend meetings but want to discuss this book with others? Join GoodReads.com and participate in online discussions! On Monday, March 1, we will have another opportunity to interact with the author in an online text chat via GoodReads.com. You must have an account on GoodReads.com to participate. Contact Sally for more information.
 
Autobiography & Memoir
Wednesday, February 17th @ 6:30 - 7:30 p.m., Main Library
Laughing Without an Accent: Adventures of a Global Citizen is the
second book by Firoozeh Dumas, author of Funny in Farsi, the first book we read in this group. Mining her rich Persian heritage with dry wit and bold spirit, she puts her own unique mark on the themes of family, community, and tradition. Dumas documents her first year as a new mother, the experience of taking fifty-one family members on a birthday cruise to Alaska, and a road trip to Iowa with an American once held hostage in Iran. Laughing Without an Accent shows how our differences can unite us and provides indelible proof that Dumas is a humorist of the highest order.
Discussion facilitated by Abbe.Kalos@hayward-ca.gov, 510-881-7941.

Weekes Branch Group
Saturday, February 27th @ 11:00 a.m., Weekes Branch Library
In Fast Food Nation:  the Dark Side of the All-American Meal, Eric Schlosser discusses how the fast food industry has radically transformed America's diet, landscape, economy, and workforce, often in insidiously destructive ways. On any given day, one out of four Americans opts for a quick, cheap meal at a fast-food restaurant, without giving either its speed or its thriftiness a second thought.
Group facilitated by Melesha.Owen@hayward-ca.gov or call 510-293-5239.