Community of Readers Book Reviews

Peace on Earth : Pacem in Terris by Pope John XXIII

2011-08-01T07:18:00.000-07:00

This is the last of Pope John XXIII's Encyclical letters, addressing the usual audience of Bishops, Archbishops, etc., and uncommon for such letters, “all men of good will”, in 1963, two months before his death. Demonstrating the comprehensive understanding of the complexities of humanity, the Pope explains the necessity for a rule of law in all lands; an authority ordained by the Lord undertaken by followers, that protects rather than quells individual freedoms; It speaks of natural law, of the civil rights for, and reciprocal duties of, each individual necessary to establish and maintain world peace. It describes a duty to assume leadership roles, that legislative bodies may be spiritually influenced from within. It speaks of an obligation to pursue knowledge and employ it toward universal good. Included here also, is a collection of black and white photographs depicting a spectrum of people around the world enjoying their rights to work, to social security in old age, to gather with family, and much more.

Leatherby Libraries Call Number: OVERSIZE BX 1793 .A253 1964
2nd Floor Humanities Library
Review submitted by: Tracie Hall, Serials & Acquisitions Librarian, Law Library
Rating: Recommended

Tattoos on the Heart by Gregory Boyle

2011-08-01T07:12:00.000-07:00

Much more than an observation of gang life in East Los Angeles, this moving book by Boyle, a Jesuit priest, presents something far deeper than anecdotes from serving gang members. It is about what it means to be human, to be loved and to show love, and to exhibit practical Christianity. The stories that deal with compassion are especially thought provoking and deeply meaningful, and yet this book often seems to have a down-to-earth, practical, positive outlook (even though Boyle has buried more than 150 young people from gang violence).

Leatherby Libraires Call Number: BV 4517 .B665 2010
2nd Floor Humanities Library
Review submitted by: Andrew Tessandori, Cataloging Assistant, Leatherby Libraries
Rating: Highly Recommended

Minding Frankie by Maeve Binchy

2011-08-01T07:10:00.000-07:00

In typical Maeve Binchy style Minding Frankie weaves the lives of many characters together as they raise a motherless little girl. With her sense of humor she addresses alcoholism and the hold it has on the young father as he looks to family and friends for support. My favorite character is a long lost American cousin who brings positive and encouraging changes to all those she meets in this close knit Irish community.

Leatherby Libraries Call Number: McNaughton
1st Floor McNaughton Collection
Review submitted by: Linda Mueller, Administrative Assistant / Philosophy and Religious Studies
Rating: Highly Recommended

Spider Bones by Kathy Reichs

2011-08-01T07:00:00.000-07:00

This 2010 novel is one in a series featuring the cast of characters surrounding the forensic anthropology Temperance (Tempe) Brennan, who is usually found dividing her time between Montreal and her native North Carolina: the Fox television series “Bones” is based upon the character of Tempe at a younger age. The rather intriguing plot starts with an investigation of fingerprints of a man who has died during autoerotic asphyxiation, but the deceased's fingerprints mysteriously indicate a match to a North Carolinian who supposedly died in Vietnam in 1968. She takes off with her daughter to Hawaii (tough gig!) to seek the help of an old friend who works at the Joint POW/MIA Accounting Command (JPAC), where the mission is to find the remains of American war dead and bring them home. There Tempe's co-worker/former main squeeze and his offspring join them on the island.

Leatherby Libraries Call Number: McNaughton
1st Floor McNaughton Collection
Review submitted by: Cheryl Highsmith, Coordinator of Electronic Resources & Serials, Leatherby Libraries
Rating: Recommended

Introducing RDA: A Guide to the Basics by Chris Oliver

2011-07-29T15:16:00.000-07:00

Written for catalogers, this book provides practical and theoretical information on making the transition from the Anglo-American Cataloging Rules (AACR) to a new cataloging standard, Resource Description and Access (RDA). It discusses how RDA should benefit users, the global perspective of the new cataloging guidelines, its foundations in the theoretical models, continuity and changes between the old rules and new guidelines, and issues with implementing RDA. This book is a helpful introduction, but in some places it is unnecessarily complicated and still did not elucidate RDA for me.

Leatherby Libraires Call Number: Z 694.15 .R47 O45 2010
2nd Floor Social Science Library
Review submitted by: Andrew Tessandori, Cataloging Assistant, Leatherby Libraries
Rating: Somewhat Recommended

Everything on a Waffle by Polly Horvath

2011-07-29T12:10:00.000-07:00

11-year-old Primrose Squarp's parents are lost at sea, her babysitter smells like mothballs, and she lives with her uncle in an apartment attached to a gymnasium, but she finds comfort in The Girl on the Red Swing, a cafe where everything, including waffles, comes on a waffle (recipe to follow). This Newbery Honor book(my daughter insists that the runner-up honor books are always better than the medal winners), though written with a middle-grader audience in mind, is an enchanting nod to believing things you just know, even if you can't see them.

Leatherby Libraries Call Number: PS3558.O7276 E94 2002
3rd Floor Education Library, Muth Library of Children's Literature
Review submitted by: Nancy Stenerson Gonzales, Cataloger, Leatherby Libraries
Rating: Highly Recommended

Fargo Rock City : a heavy metal odyssey in rural Nörth Daköta by Chuck Klosterman

2011-07-29T11:54:00.000-07:00

I picked up Klosterman’s book about heavy metal, glam, and hair bands of the 80s because of the title (I too grew up in the country not too far from Fargo), and though I sometimes found his commentary on the actual music tedious (I’ve never rocked very hard), his autobiographical sections are pretty entertaining, and I have to admit that I had never considered the relationship between sexism and misogyny before I read this book

Leatherby Libraries Call Number: ML3918.R63 K56 2002
3rd Floor Music Library
Review submitted by: Nancy Stenerson Gonzales, Cataloger, Leatherby Libraries
Rating: Recommended

Religions Explained: A Beginner's Guide to World Faiths by Anita Ganeri

2011-07-29T09:21:00.000-07:00

Good overview of about 28 different religions. It's a beginner's guide, so nothing is too wordy. Where sensitive issues are involved (Palestine, Israel, pseudo-cults, etc), no more than a sentence or two are used. Easy reading and I learned a few things.

Leatherby Libraries Call Number: BL 80.2.G36 1997
2nd Floor Humanities Library
Review submitted by: Brett Fisher, Chair of Library Systems, Leatherby Libraries
Rating: Recommended

Soft Tissue Release by Jane Johnson

2011-07-29T08:28:00.000-07:00

At first I was a little put off with this book because it seemed to be geared toward those who were specifically going into the physical therapy medical field, but don't let the vocabulary fool you. This book is fairly easy to get the hang of and has photos, tips and FAQ's to assist the reader to understand and try out the different techniques for body therapy. By your self or with someone else, or with something else, release muscle tension with this text.

Leatherby Libraries Call Number: RM 721 .J645 2009
3rd Floor Science & Technology Library
Review submitted by: Anna Munakata, Music: Vocal/Mus.Ed.Inst Student
Rating: Recommended

Hell Gate by Linda Fairstein.

2011-07-29T08:24:00.000-07:00

This 2010 novel is one in a series featuring the cast of characters surrounding the New York City-dwelling ADA Alexandra (Alex) Cooper, whose usual beat is sex crimes. Her family is wealthy, but hard-working Alex has kept her day job. This time she and her crew mix it up with perps and victims alike following such assorted crimes as human trafficking and fleeing the scene of a traffic accident. All this and she usually finds the time to visit her island getaway cottage.

Leatherby Libraries Call Number: McNaughton
1st Floor McNaughton Collection
Review submitted by: Cheryl Highsmith, Coordinator of Electronic Resources & Serials, Leatherby Libraries
Rating: Recommended

90 Minutes in Heaven by Don Piper

2011-07-29T08:20:00.000-07:00

Don Piper introduces us to the theme of his book early on, when he describes his horrific encounter on a narrow bridge with an 18 wheeler that has weaved from the oncoming lane into his, facilitating a 110 mph impact. Declared dead by EMT technicians who leave him to tend to the living victims, while waiting for a coroner to arrive for the legal declaration and removal of the body. Miraculously, someone stopped in the increasing backup of traffic resulting from the collision, happens to be a minister from the same Baptist convention Don was headed home from. A moving recount follows of Don's experience while dead, and the unfolding of events as the minister, unaware of who Don is or that he has come from the same convention, feeling instructed by a higher power, uncharacteristically insists on being allowed to go to the “dead” victim to pray for him. More than an inspiring glimpse of heaven, this is a testament to the power of prayer.

Leatherby Libraries Call Number: BT 846.3 P56 2004
2nd Floor Humanities Library
Review submitted by: Tracie Hall, Serials & Acquisitions Librarian, Law Library
Rating: Recommended

Hot Bod Fusion by Robin Forward-Wise and David Wise

2011-07-28T06:58:00.000-07:00

Exercises that you could do right in your living room, this time, it is the truth. A combination of the best exercise from Pilates, yoga, ballet in one easy to read book. Not only that, this book does not give you a list of thing to eat and not eat, yay, no change in my diet baby!

Leatherby Libraries Call Number: GV546.5 .F67 2004
2nd Floor Social Science Library
Review submitted by: Anna Munakata, Music: Vocal/Mus.Ed.Inst Student
Rating: Highly Recommended

Symphonie Espagnole : Opus 21, for Violin & Piano by Édouard Lalo

2011-07-28T06:55:00.000-07:00

Oh, my god, my violin is doing the salsa! Reading clearly printed notes on paper, going higher and higher on my instrument, it's a challenge to get my violin to dance when all we've ever done really is make melodies. Lalo breathes in a Spanish flavor into his composition that the violinist and the accompaniment become dancers instead of just musicians, but it is up to said dancers to bring the music alive.

Leatherby Libraries Call Number: M 1013 .L22 op.21 1957
3rd Floor Music Library
Review submitted by: Anna Munakata, Music: Vocal/Mus.Ed.Inst Student
Rating: Recommended

The Kite Runner by Khaled Hosseini

2011-07-27T13:37:00.000-07:00

For the few of you who haven't already read this book,don't delay any further! Part history book, part novel, the Kite Runner simultaneously teaches you the history and culture of Afganistan and draws you into the personal coming of age struggles of a young boy. I picked up this book to get a better understanding of the country and people we have been at war with and was pleasantly surprised by the riveting personal story of Amir.

Leatherby Libraries Call Number: PS 3608.O832 K58 2003
2nd Floor Humanities Library
Review submitted by: Katie Silberman, Department Assistant, Music
Rating: Highly Recommended

Soldier: A Poet's Childhood by June Jordan

2011-07-27T09:09:00.000-07:00

This memoir is an exploration of the late June Jordan's childhood in Brooklyn, which was published two years before her death in 2002. Jordan was a celebrated poet, essayist, political activist, and teacher. Much different from a traditional autobiography told in a linear format, Jordan provides a collection of memories and events that often break into poems.

Leatherby Libraries Call Number: PS 3560.O73 Z47 2000
2nd Floor Humanities Library
Review submitted by: Stacy Russo, Chair of Public Services, Leatherby Libraries
Rating: Highly Recommended

Sämtliche Lieder : für mittlere Stimme und Klavier by Alma Maria Schindler-Mahler

2011-07-27T07:21:00.000-07:00

A collection of German art songs of the early 20th century, with only a piano needed to accompany the female voice. Mrs. Mahler has composed some very heartful and lyrical pieces for singing, though of course the performance quality is also up to the performer. Though the notations for both instruments seem simple, these works should not be forgotten and should be performed for all eternity.

Leatherby Libraries Call Number: M1620.M211 L5 1980z
3rd Floor Music Library
Review submitted by: Anna Munakata, Music: Vocal/Mus.Ed.Inst Student
Rating: Highly Recommended

Manual Mobilization of the Joints:The Extremities by Freddy M. Kaltenborn

2011-07-27T07:16:00.000-07:00

A short and concise book that guides those interested in body therapy, specifically, as the title says, the mobilization of the joints. Not only textual directions but photos and diagrams fill this 'massage' book which adds to the aide of understanding basic techniques. Though this book is geared more toward those who want to specialize in massage therapy, it also can give advice to amateurs .

Leatherby Libraries Call Number: RM 724 .K35 1999
3rd Floor Science & Technology Library
Review submitted by: Anna Munakata, Music: Vocal/Mus.Ed.Inst Student
Rating: Recommended

The Body Sulpting Bible Swimsuit Workout by James Villepigue

2011-07-27T07:12:00.000-07:00

A collection of exercise and health tips for, as the title implies, the summer season. Very informative, giving step by step instruction for each exercise, when to inhale and exhale, and even has tips for safety measures. I don't know if this is the BIBLE of getting your body to look like a model's but it is an excellent book to help one learn how to exercise without much aid from anyone else.

Leatherby Libraries Call Number: GV 546.W64 V55 2004
2nd Floor Social Science Library
Review submitted by: Anna Munakata, Music: Vocal/Mus.Ed.Inst Student
Rating: Recommended

The VI user's handbook by M.I. Bolsky

2011-07-27T07:03:00.000-07:00

Another blast back to 1984. This is a wonderful manual which reminds us all that simple things we take for granted now were once complicated and awkward. Remember, we YANK and PUT, we don't CUT and PASTE. Other commands I never knew existed include: beautify, magic, and warn.

Leatherby Libraries Call Number: QA 76.73.V5 B65 1984
3rd Floor Science & Technology Library
Review submitted by: Brett Fisher, Chair of Library Systems & Technology Division, Leatherby Libraries
Rating: Somewhat Recommended

Bonk: The Curious Coupling of Science and Sex by Mary Roach

2011-07-26T08:07:00.000-07:00

I was fascinated by the topic of this book, as I study communication in close relationships. It mostly lived up to my expectations, though there was definitely an "ick" factor to some of the studies and procedures that were described. I loved the writer's style though - I laughed out loud a number of times. Her interest in the topic also really shone through.

Leatherby Libraries Call Number: QP 251.R568 2009
3rd Floor Science & Technology Library
Review submitted by: Jennifer Bevan, Associate Professor, Communication Studies
Rating: Recommended

The Modern Soprano Operatic Album edited by Casa Ricordi

2011-07-26T07:36:00.000-07:00

A collection of very popular opera solos for the female voice, specifically females who have a tendency to sing higher compared to other females. The notations and lyrics are in large font so are very legible, and one can sing in the original language or a general English translations. The English translation though is not an exact translation, and though the English text has an easier flow to sing to, the words seem to take away the soul of the piece emphasized by the original language, plus, they way the two text are placed is mismatched, where sometimes the translation is above the original text and viseversa, very confusing.

Leatherby Libraries Call Number: M1507.M6 R5 1973
3rd Floor Music Library
Review submitted by: Anna Munakata, Music: Vocal/Mus.Ed.Inst Student
Rating: Somewhat Recommended

The Fairy Queen by Henry Purcell

2011-07-26T07:31:00.000-07:00

Shakespeare's comedic play “A Midsummer Night's Dream” recreated by Purcell for the operatic stage. This book housing the vocal score the “The Fairy Queen” has been cut down from the original version for a performance “devised by Peter Pears. The musical score is very easy to read for both singers and musicians and the music overall is enchanting, just like in a fairytale, if performed decently.

Leatherby Libraries Call Number: M1503.P994 F32 1977
3rd Floor Music LibraryReview submitted by: Anna Munakata, Music: Vocal/Mus.Ed.Inst Student
Rating: Highly Recommended

Stretching : 20th Anniversary by Bob Anderson

2011-07-26T07:23:00.000-07:00

A wonderful collection of stretching exercises for the whole body, even the face! Bob Anderson gives the reader a wide selection of stretches, from everyday stretches anyone can do to specific ones used to aide in different sports such as golfing and football. It should be owned by anyone who wants to wake up in the morning without worrying about shoulder aches weighing them down.

Leatherby Libraries Call Number: RA781.63 .A527 2000
3rd Floor Science & Technology Library
Review submitted by: Anna Munakata, Music: Vocal/Mus.Ed.Inst Student
Rating: Highly Recommended

Chasing the Night by Iris Johansen

2011-07-26T07:21:00.000-07:00

This 2010 novel is one in a series featuring the cast of characters surrounding the forensic sculptor Eve Duncan, whose daughter was kidnapped and remains missing and presumed dead. Into her orbit comes Catherine, a woman whose son was kidnapped who is an interesting character to add to the mix. Catherine persuades Eve to become involved in her own search. Suffice to say one of them is reunited with her child, while the other may have vital information about the still missing child at book's end.

Leatherby Libraries Call Number: McNaughton
1st Floor McNaughton Collection
Review submitted by: Cheryl Highsmith, Coordinator of Electronic Resources & Serials, Leatherby Libraries
Rating: Recommended

High Tech Schools : The Principal's Perspective by Cromer, Janis

2011-07-22T14:53:00.000-07:00

High Tech Schools: The Principal's Perspective Great romp through the "promise" of technology from 1984. The cover has Tron-like graphics. Makes predictions for 1990 and 2000. "We don't have enough time to cram our heads with learning things that a machine can do better." Spooky.

Leatherby Libraries Call Number: LB1028.3 .C76 1984
3rd Floor Education Library
Review submitted by: Brett Fisher, Chair of Library Systems, Leatherby Libraries
Rating: Somewhat Recommended

By Nightfall by Michael Cunningham

2011-07-22T11:14:00.000-07:00

The author has won a Pulitzer Prize for The Hours. This short novel frames in great detail a New York married couple who work in the arts (art dealer and editor). They have an alienated adult daughter living emphatically out-of-state and as the story proceeds almost everyone seems to become progressively disgruntled with various aspects of their lives. Add in interesting family back stories for both the husband and the wife, and watch the wife's younger brother come into the mix to stir things up in rather unorthodox ways.

Leatherby Libraries Call Number: McNaughton
1st Floor McNaughton Collection
Review submitted by: Cheryl Highsmith, Coordinator of Electronic Resources & Serials, Leatherby Libraries
Rating: Somewhat Recommended

The Secrets of Harry Bright by Joseph Wambaugh

2011-07-21T12:40:00.000-07:00

The title alone made me want to read this book. I loved it! Wambaugh can write a very authentic crime novel because he was former LA detective and the often the location of his stories are southern California which I enjoy as well. This story actually takes awhile to get going but I find the narrative so hilariously written I didn't mind the slow story line. The story is much less about Harry Bright as it is about all the other characters along the way. But the story also has a very painful depiction of the grief associated with the death of a child.

Leatherby Libraries Call Number: PS3573.A475 S4 1985
2nd Floor Humanities Library
Review submitted by: Linda Corcoran, Anderson Center for Economic Research
Rating: Highly Recommended

The Lady and The Monk by Pico Iyer

2011-07-21T12:30:00.000-07:00

I generally like good travel writing, and Iyer's book was no exception. I came away feeling that I had gained a nice flavor of Kyoto and some of its inhabitants. The writing was well done and the book is a very easy read.

Leatherby Libraries Call Number: DS897.K84I95
2nd Floor Humanities Library
Review submitted by: Jason Keller, Assistant Professor of Biological Sciences
Rating: Recommended

Ultimate Fitness by Gina Colata

2011-07-21T12:25:00.000-07:00

For anyone who has been seduced by the infomercials about getting a great body through some diet or exercise or those who just want to keep 'obesity' away, stop, and read this book. Gina Colata researches about the facts and legends of health and fitness and reveals to the reader, that there is no real miracle exercise or diet, the reality of staying healthy and looking good is a journey that is different for each person. There are not real answers on how to "be fit" in this book, but by reading these pages, one will definitely think twice about buying the next exercise items and instead think deeply about why one wants exercise in ones life.

Leatherby Libraries Call Number: RA781 .K585 2003
3rd Floor Science & Technology Library
Review submitted by: Anna Munakata, Music: Vocal/Mus.Ed.Inst Student
Rating: Highly Recommended

Gianni Schicchi by Giacomo Puccini

2011-07-21T12:21:00.000-07:00

A comedic story about one father's quest to make his daughter happy, Puccini created a one act opera that combines a chick flick with the inheritance drama of a TV Soap. The vocal score book published by Ricordi has both the original Italian and English translation printed for, lyrics, stage directions and plot lines. This book is for the individual performer, where English translations were made to fit with the music and the accompaniment is a readable piano notation only for private practice.

Leatherby Libraries Call Number: M1503.P977 G5 1996
3rd Floor Music Library
Review submitted by: Anna Munakata, Music: Vocal/Mus.Ed.Inst Student
Rating: Recommended

The Best of Ralph Waldo Emerson: Essays, Poems, Addresses

2011-07-21T12:13:00.000-07:00

Punctuated by an occasional short poem, Emerson's essays and addresses provocatively instruct from a metaphysical perspective on many fronts; scholarship (don't rely on book knowledge---build on it empirically), Christianity (should be less about history and more about embodying the Christ Spirit), American citizenship (progress should trump tradition); Nature, described with eight facets (nature, commodity, beauty, language, discipline, idealism, Spirit, prospects); Politics (self governance is the ideal-the existing government “is but a shabby imitation” of a wise man) and much more. 283 pgs.

Leatherby Libraries Call Number: PS1603 H3 1941
2nd Floor Humanities Library
Review submitted by: Tracie Hall, Serials & Acquisitions Librarian, Law Library
Rating: Recommended

Dreams of Joy by Lisa See

2011-07-18T14:17:00.000-07:00

Dreams of Joy is the sequel to the hugely successful Shanghai Girls. In it, Joy runs away to Communist China to find her biological father and to connect with her roots. She discovers that life in the country is vastly different from what she expected. China, during the “Great Leap Forward” proves to be a challenge to her will to live. Pearl, her mother/aunt, follows her to China and eventually helps her to escape.

Leatherby Libraries Call Number: McNaughton
1st Floor McNaughton Collection
Review submitted by: Cathy Elliott, Law Library
Rating: Highly Recommended

Days of Grace by Arthur Ashe

2011-07-18T09:05:00.000-07:00

A book about the inner feelings of a superstar tennis player who contracted aids from tainted blood. It is a sad story but an uplifting one of how Arthur Ashe took his situation and faced it head on and tried to turn it around and not let it affect or rule his life.

Leatherby Libraries Call Number: GV 994 .A7 A3 1993
2nd Floor Social Science Library

Review submitted by: James McCulloch, Facilities

Rating: Recommended

9th Judgement by James Patterson

2011-07-15T15:54:00.000-07:00

Detective Boxer and her partner are faced with chasing a jewel thief, a killer with a vendetta against women and children and tracking a murderer they think is connected with the jewel thief. In this book Lindsey Boxer is forced by one of the killers to put her own life on the line - with dramatic action all the way around. The parallel story lines and non stop action, as well as the twist at the end of this 9th book in the Patterson series, continues and I can't wait to read the 10th one.

Leatherby Libraries Call Number: McNaughton
1st Floor McNaughton Collection
Review submitted by: Linda Mueller, Administrative Assistant / Philosophy and Religious Studies
Rating: Highly Recommended

Sudden Mischief by Robert B. Parker

2011-07-12T07:02:00.000-07:00

In this Spenser Series mystery Parker shares insights into Susan Sullivan's past relationships. As Spenser and his side-kick Hawk trace her ex-husband's business dealings they uncover relations to organized crime. This interesting path, along with the struggle Susan has emotionally when dealing with her ex make this a book about love and relationships as well as murder. Parker's wit and humor are in top form and one of the things I enjoy most about his books.

Leatherby Libraries Call Number: PS 3566.A686 S83 1998
2nd Floor Humanities Library
Review submitted by: Linda Mueller, Administrative Assistant / Philosophy and Religious Studies
Rating: Recommended

Wicked Appetite by Janet Evanovich

2011-07-11T12:35:00.000-07:00

This is a silly, light, enjoyable mystery revolving around the search for magic tokens that lead to one of the Stones of Power. The good guys consist of Lizzie, a bakery chef with unusual powers, Diesel, her protector, a one eyed cat, and a monkey, who all seek to outsmart Wulf ( the bad guy).

Leatherby Libraries Call Number: McNaughton
1st Floor McNaughton Collection
Review submitted by: Cathy Elliott, Law Library
Rating: Somewhat Recommended

Atlas Shrugged by Ayn Rand

2011-07-11T10:12:00.000-07:00

The setting is a dystopian United States of the future. A man named John Galt sets out to “stop the motor of the world” and gradually the best and brightest minds disappear, leaving the economy and country to collapse.

Leatherby Libraries Call Number: PS3535.A547 A8 1957
2nd Floor Humanities Library
Review submitted by: Cathy Elliott, Law Library
Rating: Highly Recommended

Six Wives of Henry VIII by Alison Weir

2011-07-11T07:56:00.000-07:00

Of all the women associated with medieval royalty, these six are undoubtedly the most famous (and written about). Taking their perspective, rather than that of King Henry VIII, was an intriguing way to frame the book. Weir's books are always thoughtful and well-researched, and this book is no exception. Plus, it's a great companion to the TV show The Tudors!

Leatherby Libraries Call Number: DA333.A2 W45 1991
2nd Floor Humanities Library
Review submitted by: Jennifer Bevan, Associate Professor, Communication Studies
Rating: Highly Recommended

Live to Tell by Lisa Gardner

2011-07-08T10:12:00.000-07:00

This was my first Lisa Gardner novel. The author presented 3 separate storylines that seemed impossible to connect but with lots of believable detail and imagination they were connected and brought to a close. It's a good murder mystery and summer read. I'll read more of this author's books.

Leatherby Libraries Call Number: McNaughton
1st Floor McNaughton Collection
Review submitted by: Linda Corcoran, Anderson Center for Economic Research
Rating: Recommended

The Problem of Pain by C. S. Lewis

2011-07-07T15:04:00.000-07:00

Another well-reasoned investigation from C. S. Lewis. He looks at pain from a Christian perspective. Very interesting parallels drawn about God's relationship with man and man's relationship with animals. This author has a great grasp on human nature and makes me want to read more.

Leatherby Libraries Call Number: BV 4905 .L48 1967
2nd Floor Humanities Library
Review submitted by: Brett Fisher, Chair of Library Systems, Leatherby Libraries
Rating: Highly Recommended

Picnic, Lightning by Billy Collins

2011-07-07T12:37:00.000-07:00

Commenting on his popularity, two-term U.S. Poet Laureate Billy Collins said that his poetry is “suburban, it's domestic, it's middle class, and it's sort of unashamedly that.” Of course there's much more to it. While he doesn't make us work too hard, and his voice is situated firmly in the everyday, the poet's imagination wanders vastly like a migrating monarch butterfly—colored with humor and discovery, wonder and profundity. Could it be the universe is the shape of a man looking out the window of his home, reading under a shade tree in his backyard or buzzing around the house on espresso?

Leatherby Libraries Call Number: PS 3553.O47478 P52 1998
2nd Floor Humanities Library
Review submitted by: Chris Rynd, Senior Writer, University Advancement
Rating: Highly Recommended

The Singing Sands by Josephine Tey

2011-07-06T10:17:00.000-07:00

Inspector Alan Grant is a Scotland Yard detective with [apparently] trauma-induced claustrophobia which he hopes to overcome on a fishing vacation with childhood friends. Of course, the discovery of a body on the train to his destination interferes with that plan. This is a fine example of Tey's 1950s mystery series.

Leatherby Libraries Call Number: PR 6025.A2547 S5 1959
2nd Floor Humanities Library
Review submitted by: Nancy Stenerson Gonzales, Cataloger, Leatherby Libraries
Rating: Recommended

A Shilling for Candles by Josephine Tey

2011-07-06T10:15:00.000-07:00

In this, “Inspector Grant's first case” (according to the book cover), the detective is charged with discovering the killer of a vacationing actress. There are the requisite red herrings, personality conflicts, and oddball characters making this another charming entry in the Alan Grant series.

Leatherby Libraries Call Number: PR 6025.A2547 S55 1958
2nd Floor Humanities Library
Review submitted by: Nancy Stenerson Gonzales, Cataloger, Leatherby Libraries
Rating: Recommended

Cleopatra : A Life, by Stacy Schiff

2011-07-06T09:49:00.000-07:00

This Pulitzer Prize-winning author has her work cut out for her in separating fact from fiction/legend in creating this biographical account constituting a well-researched 2010 tome replete with all the trappings, including extensive notes, a bibliography, and an index: nevertheless, a working knowledge of the geopolitical sensibilities of CA.50-30 BC is recommended (But can I get a chronology – please?). Even the most persistent reader needs more than an index to keep all the players straight, many of whom have similar names to complement their somewhat entangled (ahem) various family dynamics. Suffice to say that the Taylor-Burton biopic only managed to scratch the surface of this tortured story – however, spoiler alert: apparently the asp did not do it!

Leatherby Libraries Call Number: McNaughton
1st Floor McNaughton Collection
Review submitted by: Cheryl Highsmith, Coordinator of Electronic Resources & Serials, Leatherby Libraries
Rating: Highly Recommended

The Immortal Life of Henrietta Lacks by Rebecca Skloot

2011-07-05T08:42:00.000-07:00

This book traces the life and death of Henrietta Lacks, the woman whose cancer cells were first grown in a laboratory. Taking this perspective puts a human face on a major scientific accomplishment. However, it was not without tragedy, as Henrietta never consented to sharing her cells and her family never benefited from this medical breakthrough. This struggle between family and science keeps the story interesting and relevant.

Leatherby Libraries Call Number: RC265.6.L24 S55 2010
3rd Floor Science & Technology Library
Review submitted by: Jennifer Bevan, Associate Professor, Communication Studies
Rating: Highly Recommended

Ape House by Sara Gruen

2011-06-30T13:27:00.000-07:00

Quick read for a beach outing or plane trip. Apes that have learned sign language through plot are then kidnapped to become stars of reality tv show. Water for Elephants was much better by Gruen.

Leatherby Libraries Call Number: McNaughton
1st Floor McNaughton Collection

Review submitted by: Pam Ames, Purchasing Director
Rating: Somewhat Recommended

10th Anniversary by James Patterson & Maxine Paetro

2011-06-29T14:01:00.000-07:00

This is the 10th book in the Women's Murder Club Series. The book opens with Lindsay getting married. However, the story really heats up when the club pools their resources to find a missing baby and to gather evidence in the case of a famous heart surgeon charged with killing her husband.

Leatherby Libraries Call Number: McNaughton
1st Floor McNaughton Collection
Review submitted by: Cathy Elliott, Law Library
Rating: Highly Recommended

Norwegian Wood by Haruki Murakami

2011-06-24T14:01:00.000-07:00

Brought together by the death of their closest friend, Toru and Naoko find an unspoken comfort and understanding in their friendship. But while Toru tries to break from his quiet shell, Naoko sinks deeper into loneliness and isolation. This haunting story explores the deep bonds of relationships, and the pressures of growing up.

Leatherby Libraries Call Number: PL856.U673 N6713 2000
2nd Floor Humanities Library
Review submitted by: Charlotte Hughes, Student
Rating: Recommended

The New Old Healing by Henry Wood

2011-06-24T13:52:00.000-07:00

In these many brief essays Henry Wood sets forth an inspiring ministry of the healing power of thought energy which “may be counted as a divine endowment. . . The power of Spiritual optimism as a saving and healing force is yet but faintly appreciated.” He encourages us to “be alive to love, power, beauty , grandeur, health and harmony” and to break routine and live outside of our chosen profession or occupation; “Your being includes untold possibilities, but if they are latent, this amounts to present deadness.”

Leatherby Libraries Call Number: RZ401 .W829 1896
3rd Floor Science & Technology Library
Review submitted by: Tracie Hall, Serials & Acquisitions Librarian, Law Library
Rating: Highly Recommended

The Anthologist by Nicholson Baker

2011-06-24T07:07:00.000-07:00

Nicholson's character, poet Paul Chowder, tells us everything he knows about poetry while he struggles to write the introduction to his anthology. Full of humor, wordplay, insight, beauty and, of course, melancholy, this little novel made me laugh out loud many times over. A highly recommended read for lovers of poetry and language.

Leatherby Libraries Call Number: PS3552.A4325 A83 2010
2nd Floor Humanities Library
Review submitted by: Chris Rynd, Senior Writer, University Advancement
Rating: Highly Recommended

The Handmaid's Tale by Margaret Atwood

2011-06-23T07:03:00.000-07:00

I really enjoyed this book. I've always been a fan of dystopian novels and this one certainly fits the bill. It really struck me that although the book was published 25 years ago, the political and social themes (specifically the book's focus on religious fundamentalism) seem more relevant now than ever. If you check it out from the Leatherby Libraries, make sure to get the 2006 edition and read the introduction by Valerie Martin.

Leatherby Libraries Call Number: PR9199.3.A8 H3 2006
2nd Floor Humanities Library
Review submitted by: Hallie Nicholson, Development Writer, University AdvancementRating: Highly Recommended

Hell Gate by Linda Fairstein

2011-06-22T10:08:00.000-07:00

After a ship capsizes and bodies wash ashore, Alex Cooper finds herself immersed in political intrigue as she tries to find the person responsible for the "human trafficing". Set in New York city, this book takes the reader inside some of the great historical mansions of the area.

Leatherby Libraries Call Number: McNaughton
1st Floor McNaughton Collection
Review submitted by: Cathy Elliott, Law Library
Rating: Recommended

The Journey to The East by Hermann Hesse

2011-06-20T14:32:00.000-07:00

Vivid, mystical description of a member of a league, making a pilgrimage east. He loses touch with his earlier spirituality at the loss of one of their servants only to discover that (SPOILER ALERT) that loss was a test (which he failed). Well written. Often slips into LSD-trip-like spiritual meanderings (which are very well done). It's quick and worth the read.

Leatherby Libraries Call Number: PT2617.E85 M713 2003
2nd Floor Humanities Library
Review submitted by: Brett Fisher, Chair of Library Systems, Leatherby Libraries
Rating: Recommended

The Hiram Key: Pharaohs, Freemasons, and The Discovery of The Secret Scrolls of Jesus by Christopher Knight

2011-06-20T14:28:00.000-07:00

This book, if you can get past the angry anti- Christian, anti-Jewish comments that are thrown about, is very entertaining. Some of their conclusions seem to take great leaps, but it was worth the read anyway. Claims Qumran community and Jesus were early Freemasons following Egypt's king-making ceremonies and King Seqenenre Tao II (who they claim is the "original" Hiram Abif). Books by these authors always seem to be written in a style which carries the reader from discovery to discovery, building upon the previous ones. It is well written in that sense, but again, far-reaching.

Leatherby Libraries Call Number: HS403 .K55 1998
2nd Floor Social Science Library
Review submitted by: Brett Fisher, Chair of Library Systems, Leatherby Libraries
Rating: Somewhat Recommended

The Unbearable Lightness of Being by Milan Kundera

2011-06-17T16:18:00.000-07:00

Based on Friedrich Nietzsche's concept of eternal recurrence, this novel is a poetic blending of philosophy and fiction. Throughout their daily lives, the characters struggle between the relationship of chance and meaning in their decisions, thus adding a sense of "heaviness" and "lightness" to their being.

Leatherby Libraries Call Number: PG5039.21.U6 N413 1991
4th Floor Humanities Library
Review submitted by: Charlotte Hughes, Student
Rating: Highly Recommended

Fateless by Imre Kertész

2011-06-16T15:26:00.000-07:00

Fateless is narrated by Georg Koves, a fourteen-year-old Hungarian boy, who is unceremoniously separated from his family in Budapest and sent to the Nazi concentration camps at Auschwitz, Buchenwald and Zeitz. Georg sees himself less as a victim and more as a participant in a life that unfolds as a series of disappointing and increasingly dire revelations. With this troubling, dispassionate, often apologist voice, Kertész seems to be painstakingly recounting his own formative notions of fate and agency – an adolescent's first struggle with the concept of meaning within the bewildering inhumanity of the Holocaust.

Leatherby Libraries Call Number: PH3281.K3815 S6713 1996
4th Floor Holocaust Memorial Library
Review submitted by: Chris Rynd, Senior Writer, University Advancement
Rating: Recommended

Ideal Suggestion Through Mental Photography by Henry Wood

2011-06-15T08:13:00.000-07:00

Henry Wood's instructive essays and exercises, on the restorative power in the contemplation of Spiritual aspirations and affirmations, aided by mental pictures, vigilantly practiced with the aim to overcome and replace thoughts that arise from such base emotions as anger, jealousy, pride, ambition, or fear (a process that restored his own health when allopathic practitioners could not); evoked praise from the critics of his day (at least by the reviewers included at the end of this book), who understandably dubbed him “the Emerson of the new Metaphysical thought.” 163 Pages.

Leatherby Libraries Call Number: RZ401 .W829 1896
3rd Floor Science & Technology Library
Review submitted by: Tracie Hall, Serials & Acquisitions Librarian, Law Library
Rating: Highly Recommended

Troubled Man by Henning Mankell

2011-06-14T13:58:00.000-07:00

This is the first Mankell novel I've read even though I'm a big Kurt Wallander fan. I will look for other Mankell books to read. The main character, Wallander - a Swedish cop, gets dragged into solving the disappearance of his daughter's future in laws and so begins the cat and mouse chase. I found this book to be well written and suspenseful. What else can you ask for in a good crime drama/spy thriller?

Leatherby Libraries Call Number: McNaughton
1st Floor McNaughton Collection
Review submitted by: Linda Corcoran, Anderson Center for Economic Research
Rating: Recommended

Mere Christianity by C. S. Lewis

2011-06-10T11:38:00.000-07:00

Boiling down the essence of Christianity, free of denominational debate, this man has a real gift for presenting logical and easy to follow arguments to make his case. “…a cold, self- righteous prig who goes regularly to church may be far nearer to hell than a prostitute. But, of course, it is better to be neither.” “…a real Person, Christ, here and now, in that very room where you are saying your prayers, is doing things to you.” Speaks of evolution as taking unimaginable changes in course, recommending not to follow the timeline – armored creatures should lead to increased-armored creatures – but no, armorless beings with great minds. And the next step has already begun – “a change from being creatures of God to being sons of God.”

Leatherby Libraries Call Number: BT77 .L348 1984
2nd Floor Friedman Collection
Review submitted by: Brett Fisher, Chair of Library Systems, Leatherby Libraries
Rating: Highly Recommended

American Ground: Unbuilding the World Trade Center by William Langewiesche

2011-06-10T08:25:00.000-07:00

This book is a compilation of Atlantic Monthly articles about the dismantling of the World Trade Center after September 11. It is an important piece of journalism. The details about the Sept. 11 attacks and the looting and conflicts between the policemen and firemen during the "unbuilding" process that make it hard to read at times as well. However, it is well worth it.

Leatherby Libraries Call Number: HV6432 .L364 2002
2nd Floor Social Science Library
Review submitted by: Jennifer Bevan, Associate Professor, Communication Studies
Rating: Highly Recommended

A Dog's Purpose: A Novel for Humans by Bruce W. Cameron

2011-06-08T16:07:00.000-07:00

This book is a simple, quick tale told from the perpective of a dog who reincarnates through several lifetimes. It's very basic, but I was hooked by Cameron's insight into the canine mind. I would highly recommend this book for dog lovers and only somewhat recommend it to readers who require complexity.

Leatherby Libraries Call Number: McNaughton
1st Floor McNaughton Collection
Review submitted by: Chris Rynd, Senior Writer, University Advancement
Rating: Recommended

Roots by Alex Haley

2011-06-07T21:13:00.000-07:00

Somehow I never got around to reading this in 1974, but reading it and reflecting on how this book changed the United States was very interesting. The new edition has an essay that comments on these issues.

Leatherby Libraries Call Number: E185.97.H24 A33 1977
2nd Floor Humanities Library
Review submitted by: Nancy Brink, Director of Church Relations
Rating: Highly Recommended

Secrets to the Grave by Tami Hoag

2011-06-07T20:58:00.000-07:00

Secrets to the Grave (2011) by Tami Hoag. This is second entry in what appears to be developing into a new crime/mystery series set in sunny SoCal in the mid 1980s in the fictional idyllic town of Oak Knoll – well, it would be idyllic except for all the serial killers which seem to be lurking, not to mention other random murders. A May-December romance established in the first book has developed into a marriage between a teacher and a profiler for the FBI who carries an unwanted souvenir in his head, and their relationship remains front and center in the story. By setting the novel in the 80s, the author limns a time just prior to the establishment of DNA as the gold standard in crime scene evidence.

Leatherby Libraries Call Number: McNaughton
1st Floor McNaughton Collection
Review submitted by: Cheryl Highsmith, Coordinator of Electronic Resources & Serials, Leatherby Libraries
Rating: Recommended

Conserving Migratory Pollinators and Nectar Corridors in Western North America edited by Gary Paul Nabhan

2011-06-07T10:40:00.000-07:00

This book contains several reports of empirical research conducted on four specific pollinators; the Lesser Long Nosed Bats, Rufous Broad-Tailed Hummingbirds, White-Winged Doves, and Monarch Butterflies. It describes the diets, patterns, routes, and many stresses these pollinators encounter in their migration South to Mexico from the United States and Canada and the challenge of coordinating trinational conservation efforts. (190 pages)

Leatherby Libraries Call Number: QH 76.5 .W34 C64 2004
3rd Floor Science & Technology Library
Review submitted by: Tracie Hall, Serials & Acquisitions Librarian, Law Library
Rating: Recommended

The Fifth Witness by Michael Connelly

2011-06-06T21:58:00.000-07:00

The Fifth Witness (2011) by Michael Connelly. This is another entry in the Bosch-Haller line and is subtitled A Lincoln Lawyer Novel. It is reliably enjoyable and a good summer read. This is a Mickey Haller story, and Harry Bosch makes the briefest of cameos. The usual supporting characters appear as well, and Mickey's preferred mode of transportation continues to be in his trusty Lincoln, although (minor spoiler alert!) the crew actually takes up office space for this outing. The foreclosure crisis forms the backdrop for the case, giving the story a very contemporary feel. A client who is facing foreclosure is also charged with murder, ratcheting up the courtroom stakes substantially. The guilt/innocence of the client is finally revealed near the end of the story just as Mickey is charting a new course for his legal career trajectory.

Leatherby Libraries Call Number: McNaughton
1st Floor McNaughton Collection
Review submitted by: Cheryl Highsmith, Coordinator of Electronic Resources & Serials, Leatherby Libraries
Rating: Recommended

Other People's Trades by Primo Levi

2011-06-06T21:52:00.000-07:00

After reading the The Monkey's Wrench, I couldn't wait to read another PL book. Other People's Trades was again a compilation of many short stories on a wide variety of subjects/trades. One main difference I saw between the two is that a least a quarter of these stories were well above my level of comprehension. Boo! But several were written about subjects from an interesting view point which were hilarious and thought provoking – several of my favorites: "Grandfather's Store," "The Scribe" (about the initial use of a computer), "Stable/Unstable" (about wood), "The Fear of Spiders," "The Mark of the Chemist" and "Animals." An example, in "Novels Dictated by Dickens," which is essentially about animal behavior he states “…particularly domestic animals are like us, but 'with the lid off'," meaning their behavior is similar to what our's would be if we lacked inhibitions. PL provides many examples to support this thought. I really enjoyed the parts of this book I understood.

Leatherby Libraries Call Number: PQ4872.E8 A4413 1989
2nd Floor Humanities Library
Review submitted by: Linda Corcoran, Anderson Center for Economic Research
Rating: Somewhat Recommended

Prep by Curtis Sittenfeld

2011-06-06T11:49:00.000-07:00

Sittenfeld captures the teenage girl's self-absorption, confusion, anxiety, and growth with honesty and no small amount of affection. This fictional account of middle-class, midwestern Lee Fiora's four years at a New England boarding school will not make anyone long to relive their own high school years, but readers will certainly recognize themselves somewhere in this novel.

Leatherby Libraries Call Number: PS 3619 .I94 P74 2005
2nd Floor Humanities Library
Review submitted by: Nancy Stenerson Gonzales, Cataloger, Leatherby Libraries
Rating: Recommended

Just Kids by Patti Smith

2011-06-03T11:49:00.000-07:00

This memoir and National Book Award winner tells the story of Patti Smith's years in 1970s New York City as she experimented and developed herself as an artist in music, poetry, and visual works. It is also the story of the artist Robert Mapplethorpe. Patti and Robert shared a rich relationship as friends, lovers, and fellow artists. There are cameos throughout of famous people Patti came into contact with during this period, including Allen Ginsberg, William S. Burroughs, Sam Shepard (also Patti's lover), Janis Joplin, and Jimi Hendrix. I agree with Joan Didion's statement about this book on the inside cover: "This book is so honest and pure as to count as a true rapture."

Leatherby Libraries Call Number: McNaughton
1st Floor McNaughton Collection
Review submitted by: Stacy Russo, Chair of Public Services, Leatherby Libraries
Rating: Highly Recommended

The Hunger Games by Suzanne Collins

2011-06-03T11:31:00.000-07:00

I thoroughly enjoyed The Hunger Games, the first book of the trilogy of the same name. For young adult fiction, it's a fairly dark and violent story. In the distant future, a cruel and corrupt government controls the 12 districts that make up what used to be the United States. Each year, citizens of every district must send two children into the Hunger Games, a televised death match. The story follows 16-year-old Katniss Everdeen. Katniss is resourceful and tough but is she capable of murdering to stay alive in the Hunger Games arena?

Leatherby Libraries Call Number: PS3603.O4558 H86 2008
3rd Floor Education Muth Library
Review submitted by: Hallie Nicholson, Development Writer, University Advancement
Rating: Highly Recommended

Practicing Peace in Times of War by Pema Chodron

2011-06-01T14:53:00.000-07:00

Chodron inspires her readers to use practical ways to work for peace in their lives, discussing how we as individuals can react to everyday situations in a way that promotes peace within ourselves and our relationships and interactions with others. While mostly focused on this individual aspect of peacemaking, Chodron eventually puts it in the bigger picture and concludes that peace in the hearts of individuals can work towards creating a culture of compassion rather than perpetuating a culture of violence and aggression. This book takes from Buddhist teachings, but people from all backgrounds can benefit from its simple message -- striving for peace in our everyday lives can eventually break the cycle of the seemingly endless wars that are raging all over the world and replace it with genuine compassion.

Leatherby Libraries Call Number: BQ4570.P4 C56 2006
2nd Floor Humanities Library
Review submitted by: Andrew Tessandori, Cataloging Assistant, Leatherby Libraries
Rating: Highly Recommended

Never Let Me Go by Kazuo Ishiguro

2011-06-01T12:14:00.000-07:00

Never Let Me Go is haunting and sad, with moments of sweetness. The creeping realization about the truth of the main characters' lives drives the first half of the book, but the heart of the story is the search for what makes us truly human.

Leatherby Libraries Call Number: PR6059.S5 N48 2005
2nd Floor Humanities Library
Review submitted by: Lacey Walswick, Admin Assistant, Wilkinson College
Rating: Highly Recommended

The Monkey's Wrench by Primo Levi

2011-05-31T16:49:00.000-07:00

This author is undoubtedly known to most readers but I'd never heard of him and with one book I am hooked. The book contains several stories about the main character Faussone telling his friend very funny tales about his job/life as a rigger. But of course it is much more than that. He reflects on his relationship with his father, his two aunts, women/lovers and co-workers in a very humorous way with some philosophy and psychology thrown in. Faussone's father encouraged his son to follow him in the family business (making copper bowls) but Faussone wanted to do something more monumental and in the process learned that loving your work is the equivalent of happiness on earth. I liked the book for another reason, in each story he described the process of how the project was accomplished, i.e. how a suspension bridge is built. I recommend this book; it is a fabulous read.

Leatherby Libraries Call Number: PZ4.L66 M7
2nd Floor Humanities Library
Review submitted by: Linda Corcoran, Anderson Center for Economic Research
Rating: Recommended

Dressmaker of Khair Khana by Gayle Tzemach Lemmon

2011-05-31T16:46:00.000-07:00

This is the story of a remarkable woman, Kamila Sidiqi, and how she not only survived the Taliban's occupation, but rose above the hardships to start a business, help support her family, offer classes in sewing to the neighborhood women, and become a community activist. She turned her biggest obstacles into opportunities for not only herself and family, but also to the women of Afghanistan.

Leatherby Libraries Call Number: McNaughton
1st Floor McNaughton Collection
Review submitted by: Cathy Elliott, Law Library
Rating: Highly Recommended

City of Thieves by David Benioff

2011-05-31T09:11:00.000-07:00

City of Thieves tells the story of Kolya (a deserter from the Russian army) and Vika (an accidental thief) in their quest for a dozen eggs in a besieged Leningrad. The horrors of civilian life in World War Two as well as the unique bonds that wartime can create are well told and the book reads incredibly quickly. Without question one of the best books that I've read in some time -- make sure to read the prologue.

Leatherby Libraries Call Number: PS3552.E54425 C58 2008
2nd Floor Humanities Library
Review submitted by: Jason Keller, Assistant Professor of Biological Sciences
Rating: Highly Recommended

Live from New York: An Uncensored History of SNL by Tom Shales and James Andrew Miller

2011-05-31T09:06:00.000-07:00

This book is a riveting collection of interviews of Saturday Night Live cast members, writers, producers (including Lorne Michaels himself!) through the years of the show. It almost feels like you are eavesdropping on intimate conversations that you should not hear, which makes the book that much more fun. There are lots of interesting tidbits in here if you are a fan of the show. It is a long book, but the interview format makes it fly by.

Leatherby Libraries Call Number: PN1992.77.S273 S52 2002
3rd Floor Film/TV Library
Review submitted by: Jennifer Bevan, Associate Professor, Communication Studies
Rating: Highly Recommended

Unbroken by Laura Hillenbrand

2011-05-31T08:57:00.000-07:00

This book follows Louis Zamperini from his thieving childhood in Torrance to his time as an Olympic runner to his time as an Air Force bomber and POW in World War Two. His ability to survive some unimaginable physical and mental hardships is truly incredible. I found the final section following his return to civilian life to be particularly meaningful.

Leatherby Libraries Call Number: McNaughton
1st Floor McNaughton Collection
Review submitted by: Jason Keller, Assistant Professor of Biological Sciences
Rating: Highly Recommended

Fingersmith by Sarah Waters

2010-08-13T16:46:00.000-07:00

If you're looking for a light, quick, satisfying read to cap off your summer, you will enjoy devouring Fingersmith. Set in England in the Victorian age, this somewhat gothic historical novel boasts a delightfully twisting plot and a solid cast of memorable characters. This was a hard-to-put-down book that I tore through in a couple of days.

Leatherby Libraries Call Number: PS3503.R167 A6 1990
2nd Floor Humanities Library
Review submitted by: Chris Rynd, Senior Writer, University Advancement
Rating: Highly Recommended

The Vintage Bradbury by Ray Bradbury

2010-08-13T16:44:00.000-07:00

This is a great collection of short stories by Orange County's own author of fantasy and “speculative fiction,” though some of my favorites, like All Summer in a Day, are omitted. I cut my teeth on collections like R is for Rocket and S is for Space as a youngster and enjoyed these stories just as much as an adult. Bradbury has his own style and every line is rich with imagination, vitality and wonder.

Leatherby Libraries Call Number: PS3503.R167 A6 1990
2nd Floor Humanities Library
Review submitted by: Chris Rynd, Senior Writer, University Advancement
Rating: Recommended

Fury by Salman Rushdie

2010-08-13T16:41:00.000-07:00

Although this short novel is far from his best work, it's a nice showcase for everything that Rushdie does best. Densely layered with cultural, political and literary references and double entendres, Fury is a hilarious, farcical, intellectual romp. On the skewer this time are American society in the first years of the 21st century, academe, the Internet generation and gender politics to name just a few.

Leatherby Libraries Call Number: PR6068.U757 F87 2006
2nd Floor Humanities Library
Review submitted by: Chris Rynd, Senior Writer, University Advancement
Rating: Recommended

Fun Home: A Family Tragicomic by Alison Bechdel

2010-08-13T10:14:00.000-07:00

Whether you're an avid reader of graphic novels or are looking for a good one as your foray into this genre, Alison Bechdel's Fun Home is for you! Her book has all the essential elements of an exemplary graphic novel: good writing, captivating artwork, and a highly engaging storyline. The author's depiction of her family life, especially the relationship she shared with her dad, is candid, touching, and outright hysterical. This is truly one of my favorite graphic novels of all time.

Leatherby Libraries Call Number: PN6727.B3757 Z46 2007
1st Floor Graphic Novels Collection
Review submitted by: Annie Knight, Coordinator of Brandman Library Services, Leatherby Libraries
Rating: Highly Recommended

Balzac by Edgar Saltus

2010-08-13T10:04:00.000-07:00

This engaging volume was an entertaining introduction to Balzac, whom I had always imagined to be a snobbish academic (I have never actually read anything by Balzac). The penultimate chapter was essentially a list of what Saltus identified as Balzac's words of wisdom, the best of which was, "As soon as a misfortune occurs, some friend or other is always ready to tell us, and to run a dagger into our hearts, while expecting us to admire the handle."

Leatherby Libraries Call Number: PQ2178 .S3 2010
2nd Floor Humanities Library
Review submitted by: Nancy Stenerson Gonzales, Cataloger, Leatherby Libraries
Rating: Recommended

The Dharma Bums by Jack Kerouac

2010-08-13T09:59:00.000-07:00

The Dharma Bums is a semi-fictional account of two young men that alternates between their outdoor adventures, including their quest for dharma via Zen Buddhism and solitude in nature, and their more bohemian adventures in the San Francisco area, including wild parties and beat poetry readings. While I enjoyed the road trips, hobos, and mountain climbs, as well as examining rural-urban duality, this was a somewhat disappointing introduction to Kerouac for me that left me wanting something more meaningful. Though, I learned about the Asian passion for tea and that "you can't fall off a mountain!"

Leatherby Libraries Call Number: PS3521.E735 D48 1976
2nd Floor Humanities Library
Review submitted by: Andrew Tessandori, Cataloging Assistant, Leatherby Libraries
Rating: Somewhat Recommended

The Shadow of the Wind by Carlos Ruiz Zafon

2010-08-12T21:40:00.000-07:00

The Shadow of the Wind is a great story, full of mystery, that strengthened my love for reading. At its foundation, it's a book about the value of books, about their influence on each of us as we read and are impacted by them. It highlights the sense of community that any piece of literature can build amongst its readers and the surprising connections that follow. Meaningful and entertaining, it's the perfect combination of what fiction can be!

Leatherby Libraries Call Number: PQ6668.U49 S6613 2004
2nd Floor Humanities Library
Review submitted by: Justin Koppelman, Program Coordinator, Department of Student & Campus Life
Rating: Highly Recommended

The Autobiography of My Mother by Jamaica Kincaid

2010-08-12T21:34:00.000-07:00

Everything I have read by Jamaica Kincaid is rhythmic and repetitive in a hypnotic, intoxicating way. She is amazing. In this novel we meet Xuela Claudette Richardson, whose mother died at the moment she was born. The title is perplexing and definitely open for much interpretation, since Xuela is haunted by her mother's absence, but knows very little about her (which leads to the reader also knowing very little). Kincaid's novel is sensual and richly layered while she examines disturbing and difficult aspects of love, poverty, class, race, and sexuality.

Leatherby Libraries Call Number: PR9275.A583 K5636 1997
2nd Floor Humanities Library
Review submitted by: Stacy Russo, Chair of Public Services, Leatherby Libraries
Rating: Highly Recommended

Sizzling Sixteen by Janet Evanovich

2010-08-12T16:47:00.000-07:00

This is latest in the Stephanie Blum series. She teams up with her fellow bounty hunters, Lulu and Connie, to save their boss from the mob. As always Stephanie is aided by Morelli, her policemen/ boyfriend and Ranger who heads a security company. Mix in some “hobbits” and the result is a fun and fast paced story.

Leatherby Libraries Call Number: McNaughton
1st Floor McNaughton Collection
Review submitted by: Cathy Elliott, Law Library
Rating: Recommended

Shadow Zone by Iris Johansen & Roy Johansen

2010-08-12T16:10:00.000-07:00

Shadow Zone (2010) by Iris Johansen and (her son) Roy Johansen. I have read many of her books, primarily the Eve Duncan forensics series and found them to be quick, entertaining reads a little short on character development. Shadow Zone is the sequel to the Johansens' Silent Thunder (2008), which I have not yet read. Shadow Zone is sort of a downer where expected things more often than not happen: the main character, Hannah Bryson, world-class submarine designer, is reunited with previous love-interest, the enigmatic Russian assassin Nicholas Kirov, each bringing an assortment of baggage which is not particularly intriguing in terms of the plot. There's a lost ancient city of Marinth, submerged in a massive tsunami 4,000 years ago in the Atlantic Ocean and still holding the promise of a secret treasure - well, it's really more like a potential secret weapon. Greedy bad guys and gals; loyal friends and family; and some persistent dolphins round out the cast with a lot of the action taking place under water.

Leatherby Libraries Call Number: McNaughton
1st Floor McNaughton Collection
Review submitted by: Cheryl Highsmith, Coordinator of Electronic Resources & Serials, Leatherby Libraries
Rating: Somewhat Recommended

Mr. Incoul's Misadventure by Edgar Saltus

2010-08-12T16:03:00.000-07:00

Edgar Allan Poe meets Edith Wharton in this suspenseful novel of wealthy world-traveling New Yorkers. Is Mr. Incoul a good guy or a bad guy? Is Mrs. Incoul innocent? And what about Lenox Leigh? The description of a Spanish bullfight is especially interesting.

Leatherby Libraries Call Number: PS 2752 .M7 2010
2nd Floor Humanities Library
Review submitted by: Nancy Stenerson Gonzales, Cataloger, Leatherby Libraries
Rating: Recommended

Cold Mountain by Charles Frazier

2010-08-12T15:57:00.000-07:00

I have been meaning to read Charles Frazier's Cold Mountain since viewing the 2003 film adaptation by Anthony Minghella. I absolutely loved the film, and the novel is even better. Cold Mountain is the beautifully written tale of Inman, a civil war soldier fighting to stay alive so that he can return home, and his love, Ada, and her friend, Ruby, who are desperately fighting their own war trying to keep the farm afloat.

Leatherby Libraries Call Number: PS3556.R3599 C6 1998
2nd Floor Humanities Library
Review submitted by: Lisa Champ, Gift Recorder, University Advancement
Rating: Highly Recommended

Breaking Dawn by Stephanie Meyer

2010-08-12T15:50:00.000-07:00

The current pop-culture vampire story comes to a close in this novel, finally answering, in the wake of realizing how deeply she feels about the shape-shifter Jacob Black, whether Isabella Swan actually “goes vampire”' or not. The story captivates the reader sensorially but especially visually. It also brings to a conclusion not only Edward Cullen's and Jacob Black's relationship with Bella, but also sheds light on a reluctantly formed relationship between Edward and Jacob, due to a new character in the story.

Leatherby Libraries Call Number: PS3613.E979 B74 2008
3rd Floor Education Muth Library
Review submitted by: Serena Pascual, Music Library Assistant, Leatherby Libraries
Rating: Recommended

8 Minutes in the Morning by Jorge Cruise

2010-08-12T15:39:00.000-07:00

“A simple way to shed up to 2 pounds a week GUARANTEED” cites the subtitle, which seems a little far-fetched to me, but I thought I'd investigate anyway. If you've never worked-out or haven't for years and are looking to shed extra pounds, the guidance this book lends is a good place to start.

Leatherby Libraries Call Number: RA781 .C78 2003
3rd Floor Science & Technology Library
Review submitted by: Serena Pascual, Music Library Assistant, Leatherby Libraries
Rating: Recommended

Temples of Sound by Jim Cogan

2010-08-12T15:36:00.000-07:00

If you like pictures in your books, this is definitely a good read! The book ushers you through a geographical journey into some of the most notorious recording studios from roughly the late 1930s to the 1970s, during some historically noteworthy sessions and pictorial moments. It brings to light the great recording engineers of those days whose names were rarely cited, if at all, in the credits on the end product.

Leatherby Libraries Call Number: ML3790 .C64 2003
3rd Floor Music Library
Review submitted by: Serena Pascual, Music Library Assistant, Leatherby Libraries
Rating: Highly Recommended

Ethan Frome by Edith Wharton

2010-08-12T15:30:00.000-07:00

This is a marvelous compilation of Edith Wharton's personal correspondences regarding Ethan Frome; the text itself dotted with footnotes that explain term derivations and inspirations; articles on female hysteria and the hardships of working women in early 20th century Boston, and criticisms of the story then and now. Many critics found the author cruel, and the story morbidly somber. I, nevertheless, felt sufficiently removed from the story’s miseries by the narrator, an outsider who evokes empathy with compassion rather than with the sources of its requirement. This left me plenty of space to be mesmerized by the moving descriptions of winter’s wonderland, and the contrast of characters who play across it.

Leatherby Libraries Call Number: PS3545.H16 E7 1995
2nd Floor Humanities Library
Review submitted by: Tracie Hall, Librarian, Law Library
Rating: Recommended

A Shortcut Through Time by George Johnson

2010-08-12T09:26:00.000-07:00

Quantum computing offers the scary potential of a world where our digital bits can no longer be scrambled and protected by means of cryptography (if you're shopping online, you might just as well hand your credit card to the next stranger you pass in the street). Johnson's book covers the basic concepts of quantum computing and provides accessible examples of how a quantum computer could be put to use in code breaking. Although a bit dated—the book was published in 2004—this is an excellent introduction to a revolutionary technology.

Leatherby Libraries Call Number: QA76.889 .J647 2004
3rd Floor Science & Technology Library
Review submitted by: Doug Dechow, Coordinator of Reference & Instruction Services, Leatherby Libraries
Rating: Highly Recommended

Postmodernism for Beginners by Jim Powell

2010-08-12T09:21:00.000-07:00

When all of the cool kids are sitting in the coffee house musing about "Inception", Baudrillard, and Hyperreality, is your PoMo kung-fu to weak to bring it? Here's your self-study manual to all things postmodern: from Lyotard to Baudrillard, Blade Runner to Neuromancer, Madonna to Barbie. Trippy drawings and coverage of many of the boys in the postmodern band—Foucault, Derrida, Deleuze, and Guattari are all represented—round out this entry-level introduction to postmodern critical theory.

Leatherby Libraries Call Number: B831.2 .P696 2007
2nd Floor Humanities Library
Review submitted by: Doug Dechow, Coordinator of Reference & Instruction Services, Leatherby Libraries
Rating: Recommended

Bogeywoman by Jaimy Gordon

2010-08-12T09:13:00.000-07:00

Gordon's novel is a coming of age story about a young woman named Ursula (referred to as 'Bogeywoman'), who is trying to come to terms with her lesbian identity in a world that doesn't fully embrace her. Rejection and desperation drive Bogeywoman to self injury and she winds up in a psychiatric hospital where she meets Dr. Zuk, her liberator, lover, and inspiration. Despite the serious subject matter, Gordon is able to weave in humor through her playful and imaginative use of language (e.g. "dream box mechanics" to refer to psychiatrists).

Leatherby Libraries Call Number: PS3557.O668 B64 1999
2nd Floor Humanities Library
Review submitted by: Ashley Bloomfield, Program Assistant, Rodgers Center
Rating: Recommended

The Big Short: Inside the Doomsday Machine by Michael Lewis

2010-08-10T14:03:00.000-07:00

This is an interesting book about the crash of the stock market in 2008. This book has great character development, but I felt it was a little drawn out in some areas. I wanted to see who won and lost without too many details. Nevertheless, this is an interesting read.

Leatherby Libraries Call Number: McNaughton
1st Floor McNaughton Collection
Review submitted by: James McCulloch, Carpenter, Facilities
Rating: Recommended

Clans of the Alphane Moon by Philip K. Dick

2010-08-10T13:59:00.000-07:00

Philip K. Dick's sci-fi novel "Clans of the Alphane Moon" poses an interesting query: What would happen to a colony of mentally ill individuals left to fend for themselves on a remote moon? The results are not nearly as disastrous as one might expect. While I enjoyed the first 2/3 of the novel, I found the ending forced and a bit rushed as Dick tried to wrap up numerous loose ends in the last 20 pages.

Leatherby Libraries Call Number: PS3554.I3 C5 1980
2nd Floor Humanities Library
Review submitted by: Ashley Bloomfield, Program Assistant, Rodgers Center
Rating: Somewhat Recommended

This Body of Death by Elizabeth George

2010-08-09T16:46:00.000-07:00

The latest in the Thomas Lynley mystery series doesn't disappoint! After suffering an indescribable grief, D.I. Lynley returns to solve a crime that leads him to uncover past heinous acts that threaten an uncertain present. What makes Elizabeth George a compelling novelist is her probing of character and motivation, with revelations that lead to a satisfying read.

Leatherby Libraries Call Number: McNaughton
1st Floor McNaughton Collection
Review submitted by: Julie Artman, Chair, Collection Management Division, Leatherby Libraries
Rating: Highly Recommended

Coraline by Neil Gaiman

2010-08-09T16:42:00.000-07:00

Graphic novels are always interesting to me...maybe that's why we like "picture books" so much! It's fun to read a story that has pictures. Although the story is dark (are all graphic novels like that??) everything turns out OK in the end. Reading this book was just plain fun!

Leatherby Libraries Call Number: PN6727.R85 C67 2008
1st Floor Graphic Novels Collection
Review submitted by: Kathy Wright, Executive Assistant, Office of the Executive VP & COO
Rating: Highly Recommended

Breathless by Dean Koontz

2010-08-09T16:39:00.000-07:00

I think the reason I enjoy reading 99.9% of Mr. Koontz's work is that he takes humble human beings, puts them in situations I know I can't even imagine, then gives the hero/heroine (although their deeds do not always seem "heroic" in the usual sense) the grace to turn a scary situation into something noble. And there's always the dog who loves us and is exasperated by us, by turns. Mr. Koontz is always a great read.

Leatherby Libraries Call Number: McNaughton
1st Floor McNaughton Collection
Review submitted by: Kathy Wright, Executive Assistant, Office of the Executive VP & COO
Rating: Highly Recommended