By Katie Sue Ambellan It seems everyone these days is talking about the PBS Series Downton Abbey. The New York Times, Gawker and your trusted internet friends all seem to say the same thing:  Season 1 is really good. And for those who are fans of the hit British melodrama, there’s more.  Heck, you can [...]

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By Katie Sue Ambellan Calling San Francisco Poets!  Do you have what it takes to join the ranks of Lawrence Ferlinghetti, Janice Mirikitani, devorah major and Jack Hirschman as San Francisco Poet Laureate? Now is your chance!  Mayor Edwin M. Lee and the SF Poet Laureate Nominating Committee are seeking nominations for the sixth San [...]

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As Robert Downey Jr. and Jude Law burst onto the big screen this month in Guy Ritchie’s Sherlock Holmes: A Game of Shadows, lets pay homage to Sir Arthur Conan Doyle and the books that started it all. Grab your magnifying glass and pipe, and head over to your local branch library to check out [...]

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Tinker Tailor Soldier Spy opened recently with Oscar Buzz for Gary Oldman. (Give the man a nomination. It’s time.) If you didn’t see the movie yet, allow The Reader’s Review to whet your appetite for espionage with our list of best picks from the world of spies, moles, and government cover ups! **All titles available [...]

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Nothing can put you in the holiday spirit like a favorite Christmas song. Much like the good china, our holiday albums stay tucked away for most of the year, safely protected from dust and signs of wear; and for just a few sweet weeks we pull them from our attic and enjoy the artists that [...]

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By Reid Meadows Last night I was flipping through the channels right before heading to bed and suddenly came across the The Santa Clause (1994), just about your most stereotypical Christmas flick. I coyly smiled to myself and figured I’d jog my memory until the next commercial break. Not the case. Two hours later, my [...]

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By Katie Sue Ambellan I have a very real, unrealistic, unfounded and out-of-control fear of the undead. Zombies.  Oh god.  In a dark alley at night, the thought alone spooks me into a steady jog for the supposed safety of my house. I’ve more or less have sworn off any movie that confronts them.  Not [...]

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Its that time of year again! Getting an ulcer at the thought of spending the holidays with your (allegedly) dysfunctional family? Well put the “fun” back into dysfunctional with the master himself: John Waters. Born in Baltimore in 1946, Waters rose to fame in the early 70s with his transgressive cult films. As the famed [...]

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Thanksgiving is just around the corner. Like it or not that means a solid month of uncomfortable family get-togethers, stressful travel disasters, and failed attempts at replicating Grandma Carol’s famous sweet potato pie.   As John Wayne one said, “Pilgrim, you cause a lot of trouble!” But never fear! Friends of the San Francisco Library [...]

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Congratulations to the San Francisco Public Library, winner of a National Competition to build Learning Labs for teens! The Library received $100,000 in grants from the MacArthur Foundation and Institute of Museum and Library Services (IMLS) as well as an additional $20,000 in funds to support the work from the Friends of the San Francisco [...]

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