He mea hoihoi - Interesting Things

It's that time of year again when many of us have more time to read and are looking for great books to download to our ereaders, paperbacks to read on the beach or on a trip, or that hardcover that we've just been waiting to curl up with.

Thanks to all who have contributed great reading suggestions for the last list before summer. Since the list is long, I'm just going to say, Happy Reading!

Shusterman, Neal. Unwind. [F Shusterman]
The setting: the United States, in a future not so distant from now. After a the violent Second Civil War, pro-life and pro-choice sides have reached a compromise. From 0-13, life is sacred. From 13-18, however, parents may retroactively abort or "unwind" undesirable minors. And why not transform societal dross into the good and useful, especially because medical science can use 100% of their bodies for organ transplants? Connor is a rebellious teen whose parents have decided, once and for all, to erase his existence. Risa, a ward of the state and once promising piano prodigy, has fallen short in her musical studies, and due to budget cuts, has been slated for termination. And Lev's devoutly religious family has groomed their youngest son his entire life as a human sacrifice for God and the greater good. Together, the three fight for survival in Neal Shusterman's dark, Swiftian dystopia. A fast-paced, discussion-provoking read, sure to engage even reluctant readers.
-Lara Cowell

Mortenson, Greg. Three Cups of Tea [371.8 M84] and Stones Into Schools [371.8 M84s].
In these two non-fiction accounts, Greg Mortensen, head of the Central Asia Institute, documents how a failed mountaineering expedition serendipitously led to his life-changing grassroots mission to educate the impoverished girls of Pakistan and Afghanistan, and in doing so, promoting peace and stability in the region. Although the pace of both books occasionally bogs down in blow-by-blow details and you'll undoubtedly find yourself reaching for a map to track the peripatetic wanderings of Mortensen and his energetic staff, the narratives are full of wonderful cross-cultural moments, at turns poignant, dramatic, and humorous. Most importantly, Mortensen's work kindles the hope that idealistic individuals can indeed change the world for the better and go where governments and armies fail to tread, one relationship at a time.
-Lara Cowell

Hoffman, Alice. Incantation. [F Hoffman]
Alice Hoffman weaves an elegant, poetic tale of love, betrayal, and secret identity, set during the Spanish Inquisition. Sixteen year old Estrella deMadrigal believes the bond between herself and best friend, Catalina, can never be severed--that is, until she kisses Andres, Catalina's betrothed, and falls in love. Their covert romance ignites a series of harrowing events which unearth the shadowy history of Estrella's family. A novella--only 166 pages long--this is a captivating story, one well-suited for teens: a simple and quick read, yet alluring: rich in passion, emotional intensity, and authorial craft.
-Lara Cowell

Adrian, Chris. The Children's Hospital. [ordered]
I loved this book so much that I almost don't want to tell anyone about it. When, as is bound to happen, someone reads it based on my rave and thinks it's so-so or worse, I probably won't be able to speak to that person again. This is one of those books that just becomes personal, like you think it was written for you. It is basically a modern re-telling of the Noah's Arc story, except that it is a Children's Hospital floating in a post-apocalyptic sea in the modern era rather than the wooden ship of Biblical times. A medical student named Gemma copes with the horrific scenes in the floating hospital, and then eventually learns she is guided and challenged by various avenging angels connected to her family's tragic history. She gains special powers, loses them, and attempts to guide the hospital to some kind of redemptive safety. The book is audacious, funny, sad, and one of the best I have read in a long time.
-Tim Dyke

Smiley, Jane. A Thousand Acres. [F Smiley].
This book from the early nineties is a modern reinterpretation of the King Lear story. A father divides his ranch up and divvies out portions to two of his daughters while alienating the third. It's clever and self-aware in a way that kind of annoyed me, but the story kept me reading.
-Tim Dyke

McCann, Colum. Let the Great World Spin. [ordered]
If you are old enough, or if you watched the movie Man On Wire, you might know that a cagey and diminutive French man danced across a wire between the two World Trade Center towers in the early 1970's. This fictional tale imagines the lives of a handful of New Yorkers, all affected in some way or another by that phenomenal event. The story itself is a kind of high wire act; the reader sees the pieces that work to keep the various stories together, and at any time it seems like those pieces will fall to the ground, but they never do. The whole effect of reading this novel is that you feel connection to a specific time, a specific place, and to a specific set of likable characters.
-Tim Dyke

Hayhurst, Dirk. The Bullpen Gospels. [ordered].
This non-fiction memoir tells the story of a young man from Ohio who struggles as a minor league, mid-relief pitcher in his quest to make the Majors. The story is absolutely hilarious as he describes all the crazy things that happen in the clubhouse, but there is real depth here; the narrator/protagonist has a lot to say about surviving an abusive family, following one's dream, and about all that happens -- good and bad -- when one gets what one wishes for.
-Tim Dyke

Doxiadis, Apostolos and Christos Papadimitriou. Logicomix: An Epic Search for Truth. [ordered]
This is a comic book (graphic novel, if you prefer) about Bertrand Russell and Ludwig Wittgenstein. It is not "Logical Philosophy for Dummies;" it is a superhero comic book story, but the superheroes are logical philosophers. The drawing is incredible, and I came to understand things about set theory that I never even knew I didn't know. I would give this to any friend who likes art, math, literature, or philosophy.
-Tim Dyke

Munoz, Manuel. Zigzagger.
This is a book of elegantly written short stories by a man who grew up in a migrant farm worker community in the Central Valley of California. Most of the stories have to do with farm workers and their families, and all of them have some connection to themes of gay male identity. One story that sticks out in my memory is about a middle aged father who shamefully calls his twenty-something son to ask for money. The son lives in San Francisco with an older, non-Mexican male lover; the father doesn't approve of this relationship, but he needs money to go visit his father (the son's grandfather) who is dying in the Mexican town the father fled twenty years ago. The stories are about the complicated connections between family when issues of culture and identity intervene.
-Tim Dyke

Tower, Wells. Everything Ravaged, Everything Burned. [ordered].
When I heard David Sedaris speak this past winter at the Blaisdell Concert Hall, he recommended this book as a good read. The stories here are funny, somewhat morose, and over-the-top crazy. The title story involves a bunch of neurotic Vikings. My favorite story in the collection might be the one about the hippies and the sea cucumber. It's a close call, though; I also liked the one about the chess playing Alzheimer's patient and the Washington Square con artist.
-Tim Dyke

Udall, Brady. The Lonely Polygamist. [ordered]
This is the story of Golden Richards (not the former Dallas Cowboy), a humble man with four wives and twenty three children. Yes, the story sounds like the TV show Big Love, and the author swears he began his novel before the television show ever aired. It doesn't really matter to me which came first. Each is its own thing. This book goes deep into the lives of the children, the wives, and title character himself including flashbacks, internal monologues, and descriptions of unpredictable yet believable family drama. The book reminded me of a cross between The Corrections and Under The Banner of Heaven with a little bit of John Updike sprinkled in.
-Tim Dyke

Niequist, Shauna. Cold Tangerines; Celebrating the Extraordinary Nature of Everyday Life.
This is a collection of short memoirs that are heartwarming, funny and well written. They are as refreshing as a cold tangerine on a hot day. They are definitely written from a Christian perspective, but not at all preachy. It is proof that good writing doesn't have to be sad or tragic to be worth reading.
-Diane Sweeney

Korelitz, Jean. Admission. [F Korelitz]
A former Princeton admissions officer tells all about the admissions process. This should be required reading of any college counselor. It is also enjoyable and informative for anyone who teaches college bound kids. Perhaps not appropriate for some students/adults who may be offended by the author's rather descriptive love life.
-Diane Sweeney

Queller, Jessica. Pretty is What Changes. [616.99 Qu3]
A memoir of a women who finds out at a very young age that she has a BRCA mutation (which raises one's probability of breast and ovarian cancer to almost certainty). It paints a picture of how too much information can be troubling and perhaps not always helpful.
-Diane Sweeney

Selfors, Suzanne. Saving Juliet. [F Selfors]
Seventeen-year-old Mimi feels trapped in a life which is not of her choosing. She comes from a long line of Shakespearean actors, and is expected to continue in the family tradition, although she wants to be a doctor. Through the strange power of magic ashes, she is transported back to the Verona of Romeo & Juliet. For Shakespeare fans, this clever fantasy is a real pageturner.
-David Del Rocco

Lili'uokalani. Hawai'i's Story, by Hawai'i's Queen. [HC B L62L2]
Originally published in 1898, the year of annexation, this is a fascinating insight into the life of the last reigning monarch of the kingdom of Hawai'i.
-David Del Rocco

Levitt, Steven and Stephen Dubner. Superfreakonomics: Global Cooling, Patriotic Prostitiutes, and Why Suicide Bombers Should Buy Life Insurance. [330 L57s]
Entertaining and provocative, this book makes you think about human behavior and economics in different ways.
-Susan Clark

Pink, Daniel. Drive: The Surprising Truth About What Motivates Us. [115.15 P65]
Pink examines age old theories and beliefs about motivation and dismisses the old operating system he calls Motivation 2.0 consisting of control, rewards and punishments in favor of an innovative approach- Motivation 3.0.. Assumptions about human behavior and managerial styles are debunked in the business, educational and home settings while emphasis on an updated operating system, using the elements of autonomy, mastery and purpose are encouraged.. According to the author, Motivation 3.0 closes the gap between what science knows and businesses do, by creating workplaces and schools, filled with highly motivated, creative and engaged people.
-Eileen McCool

Mantel, Hilary. Wolf Hall. [F Mantel]
The machinations behind the Anne Boleyn-Henry VIII marriage. Well written, researched and very plausible.
-Ed Moore

Lehane, Dennis. The Given Day. [ordered]
Race relations and the Boston Police strike (1918-1919) are the focus of the novel - along with Babe Ruth (still with the Red Sox). The prologue, "Babe Ruth in Ohio" is absolutely fabulous - you'll love the denouement!
-Ed Moore

Thompson, Harry. This Thing of Darkness. (maybe not available in this country)
Long listed for the Booker Prize, this novel tells the story of Robert Fitzroy, the captain of the Beagle and its voyage with its passenger, Charles Darwin. Mostly about Fitzroy. Superbly researched and written.
(Harry died from cancer just after the announcement of the Booker List. Sad, his dad is a good friend of ours)
-Ed Moore

Merry, Robert. A Country of Vast Designs. [ordered]
The story of James K. Polk's presidency, focused almost entirely on the Mexican War and all of the political and military machinations surrounding it. If you want to get a fuller understanding of Polk, the man, the politician and his presidency, do as I did and read Walter Borneman's Polk first.
-Ed Moore

Meacham, Jon. American Lion: Andrew Jackson in the White House. [B J13me]
Super biography of Andrew Jackson. Meacham also wrote Franklin and Winston which I read a few years back and loved.
-Ed Moore

Leon, Donna. A Question of Belief. [ordered]
Brunetti is back. Lovers of Leon's Brunetti mysteries set in Venice (and if you aren't a lover of them, you lose big time!) will again enjoy the food and the place as Leon captures the gestalt of Venice: the city, the people, the politics and particularly food. Just recently released is a cookbook - coffee table like, but with Leon's stories and great pictures and recipes.
-Ed Moore

George, Elizabeth. This Body of Death.
Thomas Lynley (Lord Asherton) returns to the Met. The usual plot and character twists and turns which characterize George's mysteries and with wild twists in Lynley's personal life. Much of the novel is set in Hampshire with the wild ponies and thatchers (not, however, Margaret!).
-Ed Moore

Cleeves, Anne. Raven Black, White Nights, Red Bones. [ordered]
Cleeves has written a number of mysteries set in Yorkshire. Now she turns her attention to the Shetland Islands, creating a new serial character (there is one more book to come) Jimmy Perez. Delia and I were stoked to discover this series as we spent five days in the Shetlands last summer. A good sense of the place, the people and the culture.
-Ed Moore

McEwan, Ian. Solar. [ordered]
Nobel Prize winner for science at the end of a mediocre career(he wins the prize while young) comes upon (term chosen wisely) a new and revolutionary idea. Stay tuned!
-Ed Moore

Russo, Richard. That Old Cape Magic. [ordered]
He is the author of such GREAT works as Straight Man, Nobody's Fool, Bridge of Sighs, Empire Falls (others that I haven't read). Complicated marital, familial and extra-marital relationships.
-Ed Moore

Kidder, Tracy. Mountains Beyond Mountains. [610.9 K53]
Primarily the story of Dr. Paul Farmer and his work in Haiti to curb TB. Unlike other of Kidder's books, he is in this one as he traveled with Farmer.
-Ed Moore

Greene, Graham. The Comedians. [ordered]
Not one of Greene's best (so say I who am a Greene fan. Read The Power and the Glory, Brighton Rock, The End of the Affair, The Heart of the Matter, or The Quiet American if you want
Greene's best serious stuff). But this is a nice pairing with Kidder's book. The Comedians is set in Haiti during the Papa Doc Duvalier days.
-Ed Moore

Posted by Debra Peterson at 9:29 AM | Permalink | Comments (0)

Stork, Francisco. Marcelo in the Real World. [F Stork]
I recently read the book Marcelo in the Real World by Francisco Stork. The story is narrated by Marcelo Sandoval, a seventeen-year-old boy on the higher functioning end of the autistic spectrum. He is looking forward to his summer job working with horses and not having much interaction with people when his father insists that he needs to have more exposure to the "real world" and arranges for Marcelo to work in his law firm's mailroom.

Marcelo finds a picture in a file of a girl with half a face that he can't erase from his memory. He starts to investigate the girl's case and finds himself having to make very difficult decisions in a potentially dangerous situation. Written from the perspective of a young man coping with Asperger's Syndrome, this is a thought-provoking book.

Haddon, Mark. The Curious Incident of the Dog in the Night-Time. [F Haddon]
As I was reading Marcelo in the Real World, I couldn't help comparing it to another book written from the perspective of a young man with autism. The Curious Incident of the Dog in the Night-Time by Mark Haddon is about Christopher, a mathematically gifted, autistic, fifteen-year-old boy who decides to investigate the murder of a neighbor's dog and finds information about his mother.

Comment: I actually read one of the books on your list - "The Curious Incident of the Dog..." - and loved it, too. I think they should make a movie out of it. If they did it right, I think it could be a great movie. This is the one book that I've read recently that stuck with me because it was so different, surprising and, in it's own way, really heartbreaking. I hope people see it on your list and read it, too. Thanks for the information on all these great books!
-Sandra Hayashida

Both books would appeal to young adults but also are great reads for adults.

I'd like to thank those that took time out of their very busy schedules to send recommendations to add to the blog. You might also notice that I have been working on a very "librarian" type activity and have indexed all the books recommended in the last four years. It was getting hard to remember what books I had already blogged about. Two of the indexes, by author and by title, have been posted. I am still finishing up the index arranged by reviewer. It will be available soon. To access the indexes, there is a new category, Indexes, under Categories on the right hand side of the page.

Here are the recommendations from other Punahou faculty and staff.

Stepp, Laura Sessions. Our Last Best Shot: Guiding Our Children Through Early Adolescence
[305.23 St4]
I found this book through my Chinaberry catalog, which at one point I found to be a good source of book recommendations and reviews. Although I read this book a while ago, I still remember how encouraged and reassured I felt after reading the case-study stories of adolescents meeting various life challenges and opportunities with varying degrees of accomplishment. I selected this book out of good intentions, and found the material to be as entertaining and instructive as a well-done PBS special.
-Malia Ogoshi

Saramago, Jose. Blindness.
This is a parable told as if the events of the fable are really happening in credible, realistic fashion. Blindness spreads through Spain as if it were an infectious plague. Only one woman is spared the affliction, and the story follows her as she and her husband are exiled to live in an abandoned hospital. Escape, redemption, and insight ensue.
-Tim Dyke

Williams, John. Stoner.
I will confess that when I first heard about a book called "Stoner" published in 1965, I assumed it was a drug memoir. It isn't. This novel tells the story of William Stoner who leaves his family's midwestern farm in 1914 to study agriculture at the University of Missouri. Almost against his will he is struck by a deep and unrequited love of literature; he abandons his plans to return to the family farm and embarks on the life of an English professor. What a great book this is for people who love books. What a great book this is for people who wonder how they became the people they've become.
-Tim Dyke

Comment: Tim's recommendation on John William's Stoner is right on. I read it years ago. For one thing it relates the great reticence prevalent among many mid-westerners. It's that silence that, sometimes, seems so unsettling, if not disturbing. Well, Stoner's wife seems a little disturbed. My favorite part (which I quoted in a National Writing Project speech) is when Stoner, for the first time,ignores/ discards his lecture notes and waxes eloquent--springs a gusher of words--expressing his love of literature. It's magical moment that most of us have experienced ourselves in our own way.
-Joe Tsujimoto

Haslett, Adam. Union Atlantic.
Perhaps you read Haslett's award winning and arresting book of short stories, You Are Not A Stranger Here. This is his long awaited follow-up, his first novel. It didn't quite shake and discomfort me like the book of stories, but Union Atlantic kept me turning pages and gave me good insight into how America may have gotten itself into the financial mess that our country finds itself in now. The story follows the life of a man who came of age during the first Iraq War and who grows to be a leading investment banker at Union Atlantic, one of the nation's largest banks. He moves into a palatial estate next to a long-time resident of a sleepy town in Connecticut. This neighbor is a retired history teacher who is losing her mind. She thinks her dogs are the reincarnations of Cotton Mather and Malcolm X. Each of these characters fights to destroy one another using a tragically confused seventeen year old boy as a weapon. The story is simultaneously intimate and sweeping; it aims to tell the story of three complex and personal lives while also attempting to tell the story of post-9/11 America. In my opinion it almost succeeds in making the list of potential first great 21st century American novels, and even its missteps are interesting.
-Tim Dyke

Bray, Libba. Going Bovine. [F Bray]
What do you get when you cross Cervantes with The Catcher in the Rye, and toss in the deadly Creutzfeldt-Jakob pathogen, a pink-haired angel in combat boots, a talking yard gnome, physics, a time-traveling Inuit rock band, and kitschy snow globes? In her latest novel, Going Bovine, winner of the Michael L. Printz Award for young adult literature, Libba Bray delivers a hallucinogenic mix of social satire peppered with allusions from literature, mythology, and pop culture. This dark, brilliantly crafted page-turner is, by turns, laugh-out-loud hysterical, sublimely surreal, and poignantly philosophic.

The basic premise:
When alienated 16 year old slacker, Cameron Smith, is diagnosed with mad-cow disease, he and his "Sancho Panza", a hypochondriac, video-gaming dwarf, Gonzo, embark on a wild road trip to find a cure, with stops in Mardi Gras New Orleans, the Church of Everlasting Satisfaction and Snack-n-Bowl, the Ya! Party House in Daytona, and Disney World. Yet their long, strange journey is a metaphoric one, as well: one of self-examination, discovery, and love.

Don't hurt your happiness. Borrow this addictive book now.
-Lara Cowell

I have to add my recommendation to Lara's. It's hard to believe that Lara is not exaggerating and that it all works together but rest assured that the author, Libba Bray, makes it all work. I'm already ordering additional copies to try to meet student requests.
-Deb Peterson

Atwood, Margaret.The Year of the Flood. 2009.
I enjoyed this suspenseful story, with moments of offbeat humor, of two women who
have survived the end of the world as we know it (along with a few other nice people and assorted bad guys). Plot relates to her book Oryx and Crake, but not necessary to read that first.
-Susan Clark

Kingsolver, Barbara. Lacuna. 2009.
Epic and enjoyable historical novel, centering on a young man who works briefly as an assistant to Diego Rivera, meets Frida Kahlo and Leon Trotsky, and later is called in front of the House Committee on Un-American Activities.
-Susan Clark

Kirn, Walter. Up in the Air. 2001.
I read this before I saw the movie, but even if you've seen the movie it's worth going back to the book if you can take the dark humor and cynicism. Important elements are different from the movie.
-Susan Clark

McCorkle, Jill. Going Away Shoes. 2009.
Touching and funny short stories.
-Susan Clark

Heilemann, John and Mark Halperin. Game Change: Obama and the Clintons, McCain and Palin, and the Race of a Lifetime
Political junkies, this one's for you. Gripping, behind-the-scenes drama of the 2008 presidential election. Game Change details the twists and turns of the race and casts new light on the divergent personalities that drove those fateful decisions. It's an eyeopener, even if you think you know the story.
-Carlyn Tani

Munro, Alice. Too Much Happiness
I love Alice Munro and this is a terrific short-story collection. Beneath the precise, lucid prose, Munro's fierce intelligence and imagination shine through, leading to singular characters and dramatic trajectories that are often small yet devastating in impact.
-Carlyn Tani

Posted by Debra Peterson at 10:08 AM | Permalink | Comments (0)

Absinence Teacher by Tom Perrotta.
March 2008: Spring Break Reads (2008 picks)

Admission by Jean Hanff Korelitz. [F Korelitz]
January 2010: February 2010 - Good Reads Galore
May 2010: Summer 2010

Alchemist by Paulo Coelho. [F Coelho]
October 2006: Too good to miss

Alexander Hamilton by Ron Chernow.
May 2009: Summer is here again?

All the Pretty Horses by Cormac McCarthy [F McCarthy]
March 2006: Spring Break Reads

Am I Blue?: Coming Out From the Silence. Edited by Marion Dane Bauer. [F Am]
May 2009: Summer is here again?

Amber Spyglass by Philip Pullman. [F Pullman]
March 2008: Spring Break Reads (2008 picks)

American Born Chinese by Gene Yang [F Yang]
October 2009: Fall 2009 faculty and staff picks

American Lion: Andrew Jackson in the White House by Jon Meacham. [B J13me]
May 2010: Summer 2010

Another Roadside Attraction by Tom Robbins. [F Robbins]
March 2008: Spring Break Reads (2008 picks)

Appeal by John Grisham [F Grisham]
March 2006: Spring Break Reads

Audacity of Hope by Barak Obama [PUN 973 Ob1]
May 2007: Summer - Ready, Set, Read

Await Your Reply by Dan Chaon.
January 2010: February 2010 - Good Reads Galore

Axemaker's Gift by James Burke. [306.4 B91]
December 2006: Christmas Wish List - Item 1 - Time to read!

Barry Does Japan by Dave Barry.
June 2008: Just in Time for Summer Reading

Beasts of No Nation by Uzodinma Iweala. [F Iweala]
April 2006: Summer Reading Suggestions

Bite of the Mango by Mariatu with Susan McClelland [B K123]
October 2009: Fall 2009 faculty and staff picks.

Blind Assassin by Margaret Atwood [F Atwood]
May 2009: Summer is here again?

Book of Lost Things by John Connolly.
January 2010: February 2010 - Good Reads Galore

Book Thief by Marcus Zusak [F Zusak]
December 2008: What can I read over Winter Break?

Bookseller of Kabul by Asne Seierstad [958.1 Se4]
April 2006: Summer Reading Suggestions

Born to Run by Christopher McDougall. [796.4 M14]
October 2009: Fall 2009 faculty and staff reads

Botany of Desire by Michael Pollen [306.4 P76]
May 2007: Summer - Ready, Set, Read

Brief Wondrous Life of Oscar Wao by Junot Diaz [F Diaz]
March 2008: Spring Break Reads (2008 picks)
December 2008: What can I read over Winter Break.

Bullpen Gospels by Dirk Hayhurst. [ordered]
May 2010: Summer 2010

By the River Piedra by Paul Coelho.
October 2007: Summer Picks

Changed Man by Francine Prose. [F Prose]
March 2008: Spring Break Reads (2008 picks)

Children's Book by A. S. Byatt.
January 2010: February 2010 - Good Reads Galore

Children's Hospital by Chris Adrian. [ordered]
May 2010: Summer 2010

City of Thieves by David Benioff [F Benioff]
January 2010: February 2010 - Good Reads Galore

Cold Tangerines: Celebrating the Extraordinary Nature of Everyday Life by Shauna Niequist.
May 2010: Summer 2010

Come Back to Afghanistan: A California Teenager's Story by Said Hyder Akbar and Susan Burton [958.1 Ak2]
June 2008: Just in Time for Summer Reading.

Comedians by Graham Greene. [ordered]
May 2010: Summer 2010

Companies We Keep by Bob Sigall. [HC 338.7 Si2]
December 2006: Christmas Wish List - Item 1 - Time to read!

Country of Vast Designs by Robert Merry. [ordered]
May 2010: Summer 2010

Crescent by Diana Abu-Jaber [F Abu-Jaber]
June 2008: Just in Time for Summer Reading

Curse Dark As Gold by Elizabeth Bunce [F Bunce]
October 2009: Fall 2009 faculty and staff picks

Deep Down Things: The Breathtaking Beauty of Particle Physics by Bruce A. Schumm [539.7 Sch8]
June 2008: Just in Time for Summer Reading

Delights & Shadows by Ted Kooser. [811 K833]
May 2007: Summer - Ready, Set, Read

Descendants by Kaui Hart Hemmings [HC F Hemmings]
June 2008: Just in Time for Summer Reading

Devil and Miss Prym by Paul Coelho [F Coelho]
October 2007: Summer Picks

Devil in the White City by Erik Larson. [364.1 L32d]
March 2006: Spring Break Reads

Diaries of Paul Klee, 1898-1918 by Paul Klee.
May 2009: Summer is here again?

Die Trying by Lee Child. [F Child]
June 2008: Just in Time for Summer Reading

Don't Stop the Carnival by Herman Wouk.
October 2007: Summer Picks

Downtown Owl by Chuck Klosterman. [F Klosterman]
December 2008: What can I read over Winter Break?

Dreams From My Father by Barak Obama [305.8 Ob1]
October 2007: Summer Picks

Drive by Daniel Pink. [115.15 P65]
May 2010: Summer 2010

East Wind, Rain by Caroline Paul [HC F Paul]
May 2009: Summer is here again?

Elegance of the Hedgehog by Muriel Barbery [F Barbery]
December 2008: What can I read over Winter Break.

Elegant Gathering of White Snows by Kris Radish.
May 2009: Summer is here again?

Enchantress of Florence by Salman Rushdie [F Rushdie]
May 2009: Summer is here again?

Enrique's Journey by Sonia Nazario. [305.23 N23]
May 2007: Summer - Ready, Set, Read
June 2008: Just in Time for Summer Reading

Escape From Slavery: The True Story of My Ten Years in Captivity - and My Journey to Freedom in America by Francis Bok [305.5 B63]
October 2009: Fall 2009 faculty and staff picks.

Everyman by Philip Roth. [F Roth]
October 2006: Too good to miss

Everything Ravaged, Everything Burned by Wells Tower. [ordered]
May 2010: Summer 2010

Eye of the Albatross: Visions of Hope and Survival by Carl Safing [HC 598.4 Sa1]
June 2008: Just in Time for Summer Reading

Fall of the Dynasties: The Collapse of the Old Order, 1905-1922 by Edmund Taylor. [940.2 T21]
October 2006: Too good to miss

Field Notes from a Catastrophe: Man, Nature, and Climate Change by Elizabeth Kolbert. [363.7 K83]
October 2007: Summer Picks

First They Killed My Father: A Daughter of Cambodia Remembers by Loung Ung [959.6 Un3]
October 2009: Fall 2009 faculty and staff picks.

Flight by Sherman Alexie. [F Alexie]
October 2009: Fall 2009 faculty and staff picks.

Florist's Daughter by Patricia Hampl.
October 2009: Fall 2009 faculty and staff picks.

Food of Paradise: Exploring Hawai'i's Culinary Heritage by Rachel Daudan [HC 641.5 L36]
December 2008: What can I read over Winter Break?

for one more day by Mitch Albom. [F Albom]
May 2007: Summer - Ready, Set, Read

Fortune Cookie Chronicles by Jennifer 8 Lee.
October 2009: Fall 2009 faculty and staff picks.

Fortune's Rocks by Anita Shreve [F Shreve]
March 2006: Spring Break Reads

Full Tilt: Ireland to India with a Bicycle by Dervia Murphy.
May 2009: Summer is here again?

Gatsby's Girl by Caroline Preston.
December 2006: Christmas Wish List - Item 1 - Time to read!

Gesture Life by Chang-rae Lee. [F Lee]
May 2007: Summer - Ready, Set, Read

Ghosts of War: The True Story of a 19-Year-Old GI by Ryan Smithson. [956.7 Sm62]
January 2010: February 2010 - Good Reads Galore

Gilead by Marilynne Robinson. [F Robinson]
October 2006: Too good to miss
December 2006: Christmas Wish List - Item 1 - Time to read!

The Girl Who Played With Fire by Stieg Larsson.
October 2009: Fall 2009 faculty and staff picks.

The Girl With the Dragon Tattoo by Stieg Larrson.
May 2009: Summer is here again?

Given Day by Dennis Lehane. [ordered]
May 2010: Summer 2010

Glass Castle by Jeanette Walls [362.82 W15]
May 2007: Summer - Ready, Set, Read
October 2009: Fall 2009 faculty and staff picks.

Golden Compass by Philip Pullman. [F Pullman]
March 2008: Spring Break Reads (2008 picks)

Gone Tomorrow by Lee Child [F Child]
May 2009: Summer is here again?

Good Soldiers by David Finkel.
January 2010: February 2010 - Good Reads Galore

Hawai'i's Story, by Hawai'i's Queen by Lili'uokalani. [HC B L62L2]
May 2010: Summer 2010

Heat (An Amateur's Adventures as Kitchen Slave, Line Cook, Past-Maker, and Apprentice to a Dante-Quoting Butcher in Tuscany) by Bill Buford. [641.594 B86]
December 2006: Christmas Wish List - Item 1 - Time to read!

Help by Kathryn Stockett [F Stockett]
January 2010: February 2010 - Good Reads Galore

Highest Tide by Jim Lynch [F Lynch]
March 2008: Spring Break Reads (2008 picks)

Historian by Elizabeth Kostova. [F Kostova]
December 2008: What can I read over Winter Break?

Hour I First Believed by Wally Lamb.
December 2008: What can I read over Winter Break?

House of Many Gods by Kiana Davenport. [HC F Davenport]
December 2008: What can I read over Winter Break

Hunger Games by Suzanne Collins [F Collins]
May 2009: Summer is here again?

Hunting and Gathering by Anna Gavalda. [F Gavalda]
December 2008: What can I read over Winter Break?

I'm a Stranger Here Myself by Bill Bryson.
May 2007: Summer - Ready, Set, Read

Immortality by Milan Kundera.
May 2009: Summer is here again?

Imperfect Lens by Anne Roiphe. [F Roiphe]
December 2006: Christmas Wish List - Item 1 - Time to read!

In Other Rooms, Other Wonders by Daniyal Mueenuddin.
May 2009: Summer is here again?

In Search of Small Gods by Jim Harrison.
May 2009: Summer is here again?

In the Woods by Tana French.
May 2009: Summer is here again?

Incantation by Alice Hoffman. [F Hoffman]
May 2010: Summer 2010

Infidel by Ayaan Hirsi Ali. [B H613]
March 2006: Spring Break Reads

Interpreter of Maladies by Jhumpa Lahiri. [F Lahiri]
December 2008: What can I read over Winter Break?

John Adams by David McCullough. [B Ad12m]
December 2008: What can I read over Winter Break?

John James Audubon: The Making of an American by Richard Rhodes. [B Au2r]
October 2006: Too good to miss

Kabul Beauty School by Debbie Rodriguez. [305.4 R61]
October 2009: Fall 2009 faculty and staff reads.

Kepler's Witch: an Astronomer's Discovery of Cosmic Order amid Religious War, Political Intrigue, and the Heresy Trial of his Mother by James Connor. [B K44co]
May 2007: Summer - Ready, Set, Read

Killing Floor by Lee Child. [F Child]
June 2008: Just in Time for Summer Reading

Kimchi and Calamari by Rose Kent [BLC - Kent, Rose]
October 2009: Fall 2009 faculty and staff picks

Kite Runner by Khaled Hosseini. [F Hossein]
March 2006: Spring Break Reads
October 2006: Too good to miss
May 2007: Summer - Ready, Set, Read

Known World by Edward P. Jones [F Jones]
October 2007: Summer Picks

Last Great Flight by Joe Layden.
June 2008: Just in Time for Summer Reading

Later, At the Bar by Rebecca Barry.
October 2007: Summer Picks

The Left Hand of Darkness by Ursula LeGuin [F LeGuin]
June 2008: Just in Time for Summer Reading

Left to Tell by Immaculee Ilibagiza.
May 2007: Summer - Ready, Set, Read

Let the Great World Spin by Colum McCann. [ordered]
May 2010: Summer 2010

Liberty by Garrison Keillor.
January 2010: February 2010 - Good Reads Galore

Life of Pi by Yann Martel. [F Martel]
December 2006: Christmas Wish List - Item 1 - Time to read!

Logicomix: An Epic Search for Truth by Apostolos Doxiadis and Christos Papadimitriou.. [ordered]
May 2010: Summer 2010

Lonely Polygamist by Brady Udall. [ordered]
May 2010: Summer 2010

Looking for Alaska by John Green [F Green]
October 2007: Summer Picks

Lost City Radio by Daniel Alarcon. [F Alarcon]
March 2008: Spring Break Reads (2008 picks)

Lottery by Patricia Wood [F Wood]
December 2008: What can I read over Winter Break?

Love is a Mix Tape by Rob Sheffield [781.6 Sh3]
May 2007: Summer - Ready, Set, Read

Man in the High Castle by Philip Dick.
October 2007: Summer Picks

Mariette in Ecstasy by Ron Hansen.
January 2010: February 2010 - Good Reads Galore

Memory Keeper's Daughter by Kim Edwards [F Edwards]
October 2007: Summer Picks

Mermaid Chair by Sue Monk Kidd. [F Kidd]
December 2006: Christmas Wish List - Item 1 - Time to read!

Morningside Heights: New York Stories by Joe Tsujimoto. [F Tsujimoto]
December 2008: What can I read over Winter Break.

Mountains Beyond Mountains by Tracy Kidder. [610.9 K53]
May 2010: Summer 2010

Nixonland by Rick Perlstein [973.924 P42]
June 2008: Just in Time for Summer Reading

Nudge: Improving Decisions About Health, Wealth, and Happiness by Richard A. Thaler and Cass R. Sunstein.
May 2009: Summer is here again?

# 1 Ladies' Detective Agency series by Alexander McCall Smith.
October 2006: Too good to miss

Olive Kitteridge by Elizabeth Strout. [F Strout]
October 2009: Fall 2009 faculty and staff picks.

Ooga Booga by Frederick Seidel.
May 2009: Summer is here again?

Other by David Guterson [F Guterson]
December 2008: What can I read over Winter Break?

Out of the Past: Gay and Lesbian History from 1869 to the Present by Neil Miller.
December 2008: What can I read over Winter Break.

Outliers: The Story of Success by Malcolm Gladwell [302 G450]
May 2009: Summer is here again?

Owl in Love by Patrice Kindl [F Kindl]
October 2009: Fall 2009 faculty and staff picks

Painting by Nina Schuyler. [F Schuyler]
October 2006: Too good to miss

Peace Like a River by Leif Enger [F Enger]
March 2006: Spring Break Reads

Pillars of the Earth by Ken Follett [F Follett]
June 2008: Just in Time for Summer Reading

Portofino by Frank Shaeffer.
May 2009: Summer is here again?

Predictably Irrational: The Hidden forces that Shape Our Decisions by Dan Ariely [153.8 Ar4]
May 2009: Summer is here again?

Pretty Birds by Scott Simon [F Simon]
March 2006: Spring Break Reads

Pretty is What Changes by Jessica Queller. [616.99 Qu3]
May 2010: Summer 2010

Professor and the Madman by Simon Winchester. [423 W72]
March 2006: Spring Break Reads

Question of Belief by Donna Leon. [ordered]
May 2010: Summer 2010

Rain in the Trees: Poems by W. S. Merwin by W. S. Merwin. [811 M553r]
October 2006: Too good to miss

Raven Black by Anne Cleeves. [ordered]
May 2010: Summer 2010

Ravens by George Dawes Green.
January 2010: February 2010 - Good Reads Galore

Reading Lolita in Tehran by Azar Nafisi. [B N13]
October 2006: Too good to miss

Red Bones by Anne Cleeves. [ordered]
May 2010: Summer 2010

Rest is Noise: Listening to the Twentieth Century by Alex Ross. [780.9 R31]
March 2008: Spring Break Reads (2008 picks)

Road by Cormac McCarthy. [F McCarthy]
October 2006: Too good to miss

Rough Country by John Sandford
January 2010: February 2010 - Good Reads Galore

Running Blind by Lee Child. [F Child]
June 2008: Just in Time for Summer Reading

Saving Juliet by Suzanne Selfors. [F Selfors]
May 2010: Summer 2010

Schulz and Peanuts by David Michaelis. [B Sch82m]
June 2008: Just in Time for Summer Reading

Shadow of the Wind by Carlos Ruiz Zafon [F Ruiz Zafon]
April 2006: Summer Reading Suggestions

Shop Class As Soulcraft: An Inquiry Into the Value of Work by Matthew Crawford [331 C85]
October 2009: Fall 2009 faculty and staff picks.

Shutter Island by Dennis Lehand. [F Lehane]
October 2009: Fall 2009 faculty and staff picks

Six Wives of Henry VIII by Alison Weir [942.05 W43]
May 2009: Summer is here again?

Solar by Ian McEwan. [ordered]
May 2010: Summer 2010

Spark: The Revolutionary New Science of Exercise and the Brain by John Ratey. [612.7 R18]
January 2010: February 2010 - Good Reads Galore

Sparrow by Mary Doria Russell. [F Russell]
May 2007: Summer - Ready, Set, Read

Spiral Jetta by Erin Hogan.
October 2009: Fall 2009 faculty and staff picks

Spirit of Hula: Photos and Stories From Around the World by Sheri 'Iolani Floyd Berinobis. [HC 793.3 B45]
December 2008: What can I read over Winter Break?

Spirit of the Harvest: North American Indian Cooking by Beverly Cox and Martin Jacobs. [BLC 641.59 C83]
May 2009: Summer is here again?

St. Lucy's Home For Girls Raised by Wolves by Karen Russell [F Russell]
December 2008: What can I read over Winter Break?

Stand by Stephen King. [F King]
March 2008: Spring Break Reads (2008 picks)

Starbucked: A Double Tall Tale of Caffeine, Commerce, and Culture by Taylor Clark.
January 2010: February 2010 - Good Reads Galore

Stones Into Schools by Greg Mortenson. [371.8 M84s]
May 2010: Summer 2010

Story of Edgar Sawtelle by David Wroblewski. [F Wroblewski]
December 2008: What can I read over Winter Break?

Straight Man by Richard Russo. [F Russo]
December 2006: Christmas Wish List - Item 1 - Time to read!

Subtle Knife by Philip Pullman. [F Pullman]
March 2008: Spring Break Reads (2008 picks)

Superfreakonomics: Global Cooling, Patriotic Prostitutes, and Why Suicide Bombers Should Buy Life Insurance by Steven Levitt and Stephen Dubner. [330 L57s]
May 2010: Summer 2010

Surrendered by Chang-rae Lee.
January 2010: February 2010 - Good Reads Galore

Swimming to Antarctica by Lynne Cox. [797.2 C832]
October 2006: Too good to miss

Tallgrass by Sandra Dallas. [F Dallas]
March 2006: Spring Break Reads

Teacher Man by Frank McCourt. [B M135t]
December 2006: Christmas Wish List - Item 1 - Time to read!

Team of Rivals: The Political Genius of Abraham Lincoln by Doris Kearns-Goodwin. [BL63go]
March 2008: Spring Break Reads (2008 picks)

That Old Cape Magic by Richard Russo. [F Russo]
May 2010: Summer 2010

Thirteen Moons by Charles Frazier.
October 2007: Summer Picks

Thirteen Reasons Why by Jay Asher [F Asher]
May 2009: Summer is here again?

Thirteenth Tale by Diane Setterfield. [F Setterfield]
December 2008: What can I read over Winter Break?

This Body of Death by Elizabeth George.
May 2010: Summer 2010

This Is Where I Leave You by Jonathan Tropper.
October 2009: Fall 2009 faculty and staff picks

This Thing of Darkness by Harry Thompson.
May 2010: Summer 2010

Three Cups of Tea: One Man's Mission to Fight Terrorism and Build Nations - One School at a Time by Greg Mortenson and David Oliver Relin. [371.8 M84]
March 2006: Spring Break Reads
May 2010: Summer 2010

Thousand Acres by Jane Smiley. [F Smiley]
May 2010: Summer 2010

Trent's Last Case by E. C. Bently. [F Bentley]
December 2006: Christmas Wish List - Item 1 - Time to read!

Truth and Beauty by Ann Patchett. [616.99 P27]
March 2008: Spring Break Reads (2008 picks)

Two Truths and a Lie by Katrina Kittle.
March 2008: Spring Break Reads (2008 picks)

Unaccustomed Earth by Jhumpa Lahiri. [F Lahiri]
December 2008: What can I read over Winter Break?

Under the Dome by Stephen King [F King]
January 2010: February 2010 - Good Reads Galore

Unwind by Neal Shusterman. [F Shusterman]
May 2010: Summer 2010

Veronika Decides to Die by Paul Coelho.
October 2007: Summer Picks

Watchmen by Alan Moore [F Moore]
December 2008: What can I read over Winter Break?

Water for Elephants by Sara Gruen [F Gruen]
March 2006: Spring Break Reads
October 2007: Summer Picks
December 2008: What can I read over Winter Break?

Way Home by George Pelecanos.
May 2009: Summer is here again?

West with the Night by Beryl Markham. [B M34]
October 2006: Too good to miss

What is the What by Dave Eggers. [F Eggers]
December 2006: Christmas Wish List - Item 1 - Time to read!

When the Elephants Dance by Tess Uriza Holthe. [F Holthe]
June 2008: Just in Time for Summer Reading.

Where Men Win Glory by Jon Krakauer. [B T462]
October 2009: Fall 2009 faculty and staff picks

White Nights by Anne Cleeves. [ordered]
May 2010: Summer 2010

Wild Trees: A Story of Passion and Daring by Richard Preston. [649.9 P92]
October 2009: Fall 2009 faculty and staff picks

Wolf Hall by Hilary Mantel. [F Mantel]
May 2010: Summer 2010

World is Flat by Thomas L. Friedman. [303.4 F91]
October 2006: Too good to miss

World Without End by Ken Follett. [F Follett]
March 2008: Spring Break Reads (2008 picks)

World Without Us by Alan Weisman. [304.2 W43]
March 2006: Spring Break Reads

Worst Hard Time by Timothy Egan. [338.1 Eg1]
December 2006: Christmas Wish List - Item 1 - Time to read!

The Year of Magical Thinking by Joan Didion. [B D563]
April 2006: Summer Reading Suggestions
May 2007: Summer - Ready, Set, Read

Zigzagger by Manuel Munoz.
May 2010: Summer 2010

Posted by Debra Peterson at 11:44 AM | Permalink | Comments (0)

Abu-Jaber, Diana. Crescent. [F Abu-Jaber]
June 2008: Just in Time for Summer Reading

Adrian, Chris. The Children's Hospital. [ordered]
June 2010: Summer 2010

Akbar, Said Hyder and Susan Burton. Come Back to Afghanistan: A California
Teenager's Story. [958.1 Ak2]
June 2008: Just in Time for Summer Reading

Alarcon, Daniel. Lost City Radio. [F Alarcon]
March 2008: Spring Break Reads (2008 picks)

Alexie, Sherman. Flight. [F Alexie]
October 2009: Fall 2009 faculty and staff picks

Albom, Mitch. for one more day. [F Albom]
May 2007: Summer - Ready, Set, Read

Am I Blue?: Coming Out From the Silence. Edited by Marion Dane Bauer. [F Am]
May 2009: Summer is here again?

Ariely, Dan. Predictably Irrational: The Hidden forces that Shape Our Decisions. [153.8 Ar4]
May 2009: Summer is here again?

Asher, Jay. Thirteen Reasons Why. [F Asher]
May 2009: Summer is here again?

Atwood, Margaret. Blind Assassin. [F Atwood]
May 2009: Summer is here again?

Barbery, Muriel. The Elegance of the Hedgehog. [F Barbery]
December 2008: What can I read over Winter Break?

Barry, Dave. Barry Does Japan.
June 2008: Just in Time for Summer Reading

Barry, Rebecca. Later, At the Bar.
October 2007: Summer Picks

Benioff, David. City of Thieves. [F Benioff]
January 2010: February 2010 - Good Reads Galore

Bently, E. C. Trent's Last Case. [F Bentley]
December 2006: Christmas Wish List - Item 1 - Time to read!

Berinobis, Sheri 'Iolani Floyd. The Spirit of Hula: Photos and Stories From Around the World. [HC 793.3 B45]
December 2008: What can I read over Winter Break?

Bok, Francis. Escape From Slavery: The True Story of My Ten Years in Captivity - and My Journey to Freedom in America. [305.5 B63]
October 2009: Fall 2009 faculty and staff picks

Bryson, Bill. I'm a Stranger Here Myself.
May 2007: Summer - Ready, Set, Read

Buford, Bill. Heat (An Amateur's Adventures as Kitchen Slave, Line Cook, Past-Maker, and Apprentice to a Dante-Quoting Butcher in Tuscany). [641.594 B86]
December 2006: Christmas Wish List - Item 1 - Time to read!

Bunce, Elizabeth. A Curse Dark As Gold. [F Bunce]
October 2009: Fall 2009 faculty and staff picks

Burke, James. Axemaker's Gift. [306.4 B91]
December 2006: Christmas Wish List - Item 1 - Time to read!

Byatt, A.S. The Children's Book.
January 2010: February 2010 - Good Reads Galore

Chaon, Dan. Await Your Reply.
January 2010: February 2010 - Good Reads Galore

Chernow, Ron. Alexander Hamilton.
May 2009: Summer is here again?

Child, Lee. Gone Tomorrow. [F Child]
May 2009: Summer is here again?

Child, Lee. Jack Reacher series.
October 2007: Summer Picks
June 2008: Just in Time for Summer Reading

Clark, Taylor. Starbucked: A Double Tall Tale of Caffeine, Commerce, and Culture.
January 2010: February 2010 - Good Reads Galore

Cleeves, Anne. Red Bones. [ordered]
June 2010: Summer 2010

Cleeves, Anne. Raven Black. [ordered]
June 2010: Summer 2010

Cleeves, Anne. White Nights. [ordered]
June 2010: Summer 2010

Coelho, Paul. Alchemist. [F Coelho]
October 2006: Too good to miss

Coelho, Paul. By the River Piedra.
October 2007: Summer Picks

Coelho, Paul. The Devil and Miss Prym. [F Coelho]
October 2007: Summer Picks

Coelho, Paul. Veronika Decides to Die.
October 2007: Summer Picks

Collins, Suzanne. Hunger Games. [F Collins]
May 2009: Summer is Here Again?

Connolly, John. The Book of Lost Things.
January 2010: February 2010 - Good Reads Galore

Connor, James. Kepler's Witch: an Astronomer's Discovery of Cosmic Order amid Religious War, Political Intrigue, and the Heresy Trial of his Mother. [B K44co]
May 2007: Summer - Ready, Set, Read

Cox, Beverly and Martin Jacobs. Spirit of the Harvest: North American Indian Cooking. [BLC 641.59 C83]
May 2009: Summer is here again?

Cox, Lynne. Swimming to Antarctica. [797.2 C832]
October 2006: Too good to miss

Crawford, Matthew. Shop Class As Soulcraft: An Inquiry Into the Value of Work. [331 C85]
October 2009: Fall 2009 faculty and staff picks.

Dallas, Sandra. Tallgrass. [F Dallas]
March 2006: Spring Break Reads

Davenport, Kiana. House of Many Gods. [HC F Davenport]
December 2008: What can I read over Winter Break

Diaz, Junot. Brief Wondrous Life of Oscar Wao. [F Diaz]
March 2008: Spring Break Reads (2008 picks)
December 2008: What can I read over Winter Break.

Dick, Philip. The Man in the High Castle.
October 2007: Summer Picks

Didion, Joan. The Year of Magical Thinking. [B D563]
April 2006: Summer Reading Suggestions
May 2007: Summer - Ready, Set, Read

Doxiadis, Apostolos and Christos Papadimitriou. Logicomix: An Epic Search for Truth. [ordered]
June 2010: Summer 2010

Edwards, Kim. Memory Keeper's Daughter. [F Edwards]
October 2007: Summer Picks

Egan, Timothy. Worst Hard Time. [338.1 Eg1]
December 2006: Christmas Wish List - Item 1 - Time to read!

Eggers, Dave. What is the What. [F Eggers]
December 2006: Christmas Wish List - Item 1 - Time to read!

Enger, Leif. Peace Like a River. [F Enger]
March 2006: Spring Break Reads

Finkel, David. The Good Soldiers.
January 2010: February 2010 - Good Reads Galore

Follett, Ken. The Pillars of the Earth. [F Follett]
June 2008: Just in Time for Summer Reading

Follett, Ken. World Without End [F Follett]
March 2008: Spring Break Reads (2008 picks)

Frazier, Charles. Thirteen Moons.
October 2007: Summer Picks

French, Tana. In the Woods.
May 2009: Summer is here again?

Friedman, Thomas L. World is Flat. [303.4 F91]
October 2006: Too good to miss

Gavalda, Anna. Hunting and Gathering [F Gavalda]
December 2008: What can I read over Winter Break?

George, Elizabeth. This Body of Death.
June 2010: Summer 2010

Gladwell, Malcolm. Outliers: The Story of Success. [302 G450]
March 2009: Summer is here again?

Green, George Dawes. Ravens.
January 2010: February - Good Ready Galore

Green, John. Looking for Alaska. [F Green]
October 2007: Summer Picks

Greene, Graham. The Comedians. [ordered]
June 2010: Summer 2010

Grisham, John. The Appeal. [F Grisham]
March 2006: Spring Break Reads

Gruen, Sara. Water for Elephants. [F Gruen]
March 2006: Spring Break Reads
October 2007: Summer Picks
December 2008: What can I read over Winter Break?

Guterson, David. The Other. [F Guterson]
December 2008: What can I read over Winter Break?

Hampl, Patricia. The Florist's Daughter.
October 2009: Fall 2009 faculty and staff picks

Hansen, Ron. Mariette in Ecstasy.
January 2010: February 2010 - Good Reads Galore

Harrison, Jim. In Search of Small Gods.
May 2009: Summer is Here Again?

Hayhurst, Dirk. The Bullpen Gospels. [ordered]
June 2010: Summer 2010

Hemmings, Kaui Hart. The Descendants. [HC F Hemmings]
June 2008: Just in Time for Summer

Hirsi Ali, Ayaan. Infidel.[B H613]
March 2008: Spring Break Reads (2008 picks)

Hoffman, Alice. Incantation. [F Hoffman]
June 2010: Summer 2010

Hogan, Erin. Spiral Jetta.
October 2009: Fall 2009 faculty and staff picks

Holthe, Tess Uriza. When the Elephants Dance. [F Holthe]
June 2008: Just in Time for Summer Reading.

Hosseini, Khaled. Kite Runner. [F Hosseini]
March 2006: Spring Break Reads
October 2006: Too good to miss
May 2007: Summer - Ready, Set, Read

Ilibagiza, Immaculee. Left to Tell.
May 2007: Summer - Ready, Set, Read

Iweala, Uzodinma. Beasts of No Nation. [F Iweala]
April 2006: Summer Reading Suggestions

Jones, Edward P. Known World. [F Jones]
October 2007: Summer Picks

Kamara, Mariatu with Susan McClelland. The Bite of the Mango. [B K123]
October 2009: Fall 2009 faculty and staff picks.

Keillor, Garrison. Liberty.
January 2010: February 2010 - Good Reads Galore

Kent, Rose. Kimchi and Calamari. [BLC - Kent, Rose]
October 2009:Fall 2009 faculty and staff picks

Kearns-Goodwin, Doris. Team of Rivals: The Political Genius of Abraham Lincoln. [BL63go]
Spring Break Reads (2008 picks)

Kidd, Sue Monk. Mermaid Chair. [F Kidd]
December 2006: Christmas Wish List - Item 1 - Time to read!

Kidder, Tracy. Mountains Beyond Mountains. [610.9 K53]
June 2010: Summer 2010

Kindl, Patrice. Owl in Love. [F Kindl]
October 2009: Fall 2009 faculty and staff picks

King, Stephen. The Stand. [F King]
March 2008: Spring Break Reads (2008 picks)

King, Stephen. Under the Dome. [F King]
January 2010: February 2010 - Good Reads Galore

Kittle, Katrina. Two Truths and a Lie.
March 2008: Spring Break Reads (2008 picks)

Klee, Paul. Diaries of Paul Klee, 1898-1918.
May 2009: Summer is here again?

Klosterman, Chuck. Downtown Owl. [F Klosterman]
December 2008: What can I read over Winter Break?

Kolbert, Elizabeth. Field Notes from a Catastrophe: Man, Nature, and Climate Change. [363.7 K83]
October 2007: Summer Picks

Kooser, Ted. Delights & Shadows. [811 K833]
May 2007: Summer - Ready, Set, Read

Korelitz, Jean Hanff. Admission. [F Korelitz]
February 2010 - Good Reads Galore
June 2010: Summer 2010

Kostova, Elizabeth. The Historian. [F Kostova]
December 2008: What can I read over Winter Break?

Krakauer, Jon. Where Men Win Glory. [B T462]
October 2009: Fall 2009 faculty and staff picks

Kundera, Milan. Immortality.
May 2009: Summer is here again?

Lahiri, Jhumpa. Interpreter of Maladies. [F Lahiri]
December 2008: What can I read over Winter Break?

Lahiri, Jhumpa. Unaccustomed Earth. [F Lahiri]
December 2008: What can I read over Winter Break?

Lamb, Wally. The Hour I First Believed.
December 2008: What can I read over Winter Break?

Larson, Erik. Devil in the White City. [364.1 L32d]
March 2006: Spring Break Reads

Larsson, Stieg. The Girl Who Played With Fire.
October 2009: Fall 2009 faculty and staff picks.

Larsson, Stieg. The Girl With the Dragon Tattoo.
May 2009: Summer is here again?

Laudan, Rachel. The Food of Paradise: Exploring Hawai'i's Culinary Heritage. [HC 641.5 L36]
December 2008: What can I read over Winter Break?

Layden, Joe. The Last Great Flight.
June 2008: Just in Time for Summer Reading

Lee, Chang-rae. A Gesture Life. [F Lee]
May 2007: Summer-Ready, Set, Read

Lee, Chang-rae. The Surrendered.
February 2010 - Good Reads Galore

Lee, Jennifer 8. The Fortune Cookie Chronicles. [641.595 L512]
Fall 2009 faculty and staff picks

LeGuin, Ursula. The Left Hand of Darkness. [F LeGuin]
June 2008: Just in Time for Summer Reading

Lehane, Dennis. The Given Day. [ordered]
June 2010: Summer 2010

Lehane, Dennis. Shutter Island. [F Lehane]
October 2009: Fall 2009 faculty and staff picks

Leon, Donna. A Question of Belief. [ordered]
June 2010: Summer 2010

Levitt, Steven and Stephen Dubner. Superfreakonomics: Global Cooling, Patriotic Prostitutes, and Why Suicide Bombers Should Buy Life Insurance. [330 L57s]
June 2010: Summer 2010

Lili'uokalani. Hawai'i's Story, by Hawai'i's Queen. [HC B L62L2]
June 2010: Summer 2010

Lynch, Jim. The Highest Tide. [F Lynch]
March 2008: Spring Break Reads (2008 picks)

Mantel, Hilary. Wolf Hall. [F Mantel]
June 2010: Summer 2010

Markham, Beryl. West with the Night. [B M34]
October 2006: Too good to miss

Martel, Yann. Life of Pi. [F Martel]
December 2006: Christmas Wish List - Item 1 - Time to read!

McCann, Colum. Let the Great World Spin. [ordered]
June 2010: Summer 2010

McCarthy, Cormac. All the Pretty Horses. [F McCarthy]
March 2008: Spring Break Reads (2008 picks)

McCarthy, Cormac. Road. [F McCarthy]
October 2006: Too good to miss

McCourt, Frank. Teacher Man. [B M135t]
December 2006: Christmas Wish List - Item 1 - Time to read!

McCullough, David. John Adams. [B Ad12m]
December 2008: What can I read over Winter Break?

McDougall, Christopher. Born to Run. [796.4 M14]
October 2009: Fall 2009 faculty and staff reads

McEwan, Ian. Solar. [ordered]
June 2010: Summer 2010

Meacham, Jon. American Lion: Andrew Jackson in the White House. [B J13me]
June 2010: Summer 2010

Merry, Robert. A Country of Vast Designs. [ordered]
June 2010: Summer 2010

Merwin, W. S. Rain in the Trees: Poems by W. S. Merwin. [811 M553r]
October 2006: Too good to miss

Michaelis, David. Schulz and Peanuts. [B Sch82m]
June 2008: Just in Time for Summer Reading

Miller, Neil. Out of the Past: Gay and Lesbian History from 1869 to the Present.
December 2008: What can I read over Winter Break.

Munoz, Manuel. Zigzagger.
June 2010: Summer 2010

Moore, Alan. Watchmen. [F Moore]
December 2008: What can I read over Winter Break?

Mortenson, Greg. Stones into Schools. [371.8 M84s]
June 2010: Summer 2010

Mortenson, Greg and David Oliver Relin. Three Cups of Tea: One Man's Mission to Fight Terrorism and Build Nations - One School at a Time. [371.8 M84]
March 2008: Spring Break Reads (2008 picks)
June 2010: Summer 2010

Mueenuddin, Daniyal. In Other Rooms, Other Wonders.
May 2009: Summer is here again?

Murphy, Dervia. Full Tilt: Ireland to India with a Bicycle.
May 2009: Summer is here again?

Nafisi, Azar. Reading Lolita in Tehran. [B N13]
October 2006: Too good to miss

Nazario, Sonia. Enrique's Journey. [305.23 N23]
May 2007: Summer - Ready, Set, Read
June 2008: Just in Time for Summer

Niequist, Shauna. Cold Tangerines; Celebrating the Extraordinary Nature of Everyday Life.
June 2010: Summer 2010

Obama, Barak. The Audacity of Hope. [PUN 973 Ob1]
May 2007: Summer - Ready, Set, Read

Obama, Barak. Dreams From My Father. [305.8 Ob1]
October 2007: Summer Picks

Obrian, Patrick. Aubrey-Martin series
October 2007: Summer Picks

Patchett, Ann. Truth and Beauty. [616.99 P27]
March 2008: Spring Break Reads (2008 picks)

Paul, Caroline. East Wind, Rain. [HC F Paul]
May 2009: Summer is here again?

Pelecanos, George. The Way Home.
May 2009: Summer is here again?

Perlstein, Rick. Nixonland. [973.924 P42]
June 2008: Just in Time for Summer Reading

Perrotta, Tom. The Absinence Teacher.
March 2008: Spring Break Reads (2008 picks)

Pink, Daniel. Drive: The Surprising Truth About What Motivates Us. [115.15 P65]
June 2010: Summer 2010

Pollen, Michael. The Botany of Desire. [306.4 P76]
May 2007: Summer - Ready, Set, Read

Preston, Caroline. Gatsby's Girl.
December 2006: Christmas Wish List - Item 1 - Time to read!

Preston, Richard. Wild Trees: A Story of Passion and Daring. [649.9 P92]
October 2009: Fall 2009 faculty and staff picks

Prose, Francine. A Changed Man. [F Prose]
March 2008: Spring Break Reads (2008 picks)

Pullman, Philip. Golden Compass, Subtle Knife, Amber Spyglass. [F Pullman]
March 2008: Spring Break Reads (2008 picks)

Queller, Jessica. Pretty is What Changes. [616.99 Qu3]
June 2010: Summer 2010

Radish, Kris. The Elegant Gathering of White Snows.
May 2009: Summer is here again?

Ratey, John. Spark: The Revolutionary New Science of Exercise and the Brain. [612.7 R18]
January 2010: February 2010 - Good Reads Galore

Rhodes, Richard. John James Audubon: The Making of an American. [B Au2r]
October 2006: Too good to miss

Robbins, Tom. Another Roadside Attraction. [F Robbins]
March 2008: Spring Break Reads (2008 picks)

Robinson, Marilynne. Gilead. [F Robinson]
October 2006: Too good to miss
December 2006: Christmas Wish List - Item 1 - Time to read!

Rodriguez, Debbie. Kabul Beauty School. [305.4 R61]
October 2009: Fall 2009 faculty and staff picks

Roiphe, Anne. Imperfect Lens. [F Roiphe]
December 2006: Christmas Wish List - Item 1 - Time to read!

Ross, Alex. The Rest is Noise: Listening to the Twentieth Century. [780.9 R31]
March 2008: Spring Break Reads (2008 picks)

Roth, Philip. Everyman. [F Roth]
October 2006: Too good to miss

Ruiz Zafon, Carlos. The Shadow of the Wind. [F Ruiz Zafon]
April 2006: Summer Reading Suggestions

Rushdie, Salman. Enchantress of Florence. [F Rushdie]
May 2009: Summer is here again?

Russell, Karen. St. Lucy's Home For Girls Raised by Wolves. [F Russell]
December 2008: What can I read over Winter Break?

Russell, Mary Doria. The Sparrow. [F Russell]
May 2007: Summer - Ready, Set, Read

Russo, Richard. Straight Man. [F Russo]
December 2006: Christmas Wish List - Item 1 - Time to read!

Russo, Richard. That Old Cape Magic. [ordered]
June 2010: Summer 2010

Safina, Carl. Eye of the Albatross: Visions of Hope and Survival [HC 598.4 Sa1]
June 2008: Just in Time for Summer Reading

Sandford, John. Rough Country.
February 2010 - Good Reads Galore

Schumm, Bruce A. Deep Down Things: The Breathtaking Beauty of Particle Physics. [539.7 Sch8]
June 2008: Just in Time for Summer Reading

Schuyler, Nina. Painting. [F Schuyler]
October 2006: Too good to miss

Seidel, Frederick. Ooga Booga.
May 2009: Summer is here again?

Seierstad, Asne. The Bookseller of Kabul. [958.1 Se4]
April 2006: Summer Reading Suggestions

Selfors, Suzanne. Saving Juliet. [F Selfors]
June 2010: Summer 2010

Setterfield, Diane. Thirteenth Tale. [F Setterfield]
December 2008: What can I read over Winter Break?

Shaeffer, Frank. Portofino.
May 2009: Summer is here again?

Sheffield, Rob. Love is a Mix Tape. [781.6 Sh3]
May 2007: Summer - Ready, Set, Read

Shreve, Anita. Fortune's Rocks. [F Shreve]
March 2006: Spring Break Reads

Shusterman, Neal. Unwind. [F Shusterman]
June 2010: Summer 2010

Sigall, Bob. Companies We Keep. [HC 338.7 Si2]
December 2006: Christmas Wish List - Item 1 - Time to read!

Simon, Scott. Pretty Birds. [F Simon]
March 2006: Spring Break Reads

Smiley, Jane. A Thousand Acres. [F Smiley]
June 2010: Summer 2010

Smith, Alexander McCall. # 1 Ladies' Detective Agency.
October 2006: Too good to miss

Smithson, Ryan. Ghosts of War: The True Story of a 19-Year-Old GI. [956.7 Sm62]
January 2010: February 2010 - Good Reads Galore

Stockett, Kathryn. The Help. [F Stockett]
January 2010: February 2010 - Good Reads Galore

Strout, Elizabeth. Olive Kitteridge. [F Strout]
October 2009: Fall 2009 faculty and staff picks.

Taylor, Edmund. Fall of the Dynasties: The Collapse of the Old Order, 1905-1922. [940.2 T21]
October 2006: Too good to miss

Thaler, Richard A. and Cass R. Sunstein. Nudge: Improving Decisions About Health, Wealth, and Happiness.
May 2009: Summer is here again?

Thompson, Harry. This Thing of Darkness.
June 2010: Summer 2010

Tower, Wells. Everything Ravaged, Everything Burned. [ordered]
June 2010: Summer 2010

Tropper, Jonathan. This Is Where I Leave You.
October 2009: Fall 2009 faculty and staff picks

Tsujimoto, Joe. Morningside Heights: New York Stories. [F Tsujimoto]
December 2008: What can I read over Winter Break.

Udall, Brady. The Lonely Polygamist. [ordered]
June 2010: Summer 2010

Ung. Loung. First They Killed My Father: A Daughter of Cambodia Remembers. [959.6 Un3]
October 2009: Fall 2009 faculty and staff picks

Walls, Jeanette. The Glass Castle. [362.82 W15]
May 2007: Summer - Ready, Set, Read
October 2009: Fall 2009 faculty and staff picks

Weir, Alison. The Six Wives of Henry VIII [942.05 W43]
May 2009: Summer is here again?

Weisman, Alan. The World Without Us. [304.2 W43]
March 2006: Spring Break Reads

Winchester, Simon. The Professor and the Madman. [423 W72]
March 2006: Spring Break Reads

Wood, Patricia. Lottery [F Wood]
December 2008: What can I read over Winter Break?

Wouk, Herman. Don't Stop the Carnival.
October 2007: Summer Picks

Wroblewski, David. The Story of Edgar Sawtelle. [F Wroblewski]
December 2008: What can I read over Winter Break?

Yang, Gene. American Born Chinese. [F Yang]
October 2009: Fall 2009 faculty and staff picks

Zusak, Marcus. Book Thief [F Zusak]
December 2008: What can I read over Winter Break?

Posted by Debra Peterson at 1:34 PM | Permalink | Comments (0)

Stockett, Kathryn. The Help. [on order]
Just before Winter Break, I started seeing a lot of references to the book The Help by Kathryn Stockett. I had also finished the last audio book that I had downloaded to my iPod for "reading" as I ran. So I went to audible.com and downloaded The Help. I loved the audio version with the three narrators all represented by a different reader. The story was interesting as Skeeter, a budding writer who is white, decides to write a book about the African American maids that work for her society friends. In Jackson, Mississippi in 1962, this needs to remain secret and is very dangerous for the maids that are telling their stories. Great book. Since returning from break, I have heard others that have enjoyed the print version. Cooke Library has copies on order but if you are interested, you can put your name on the hold list.

This year, I discovered Goodreads (http://www.goodreads.com) which is a social networking site for readers. According to their website, it is "a place for casual readers and bona-fide bookworms alike, Goodreads members recommend books, compare what they are reading, keep track of what they've read and would like to read, form book clubs and much more." Your comments can be private or shared. Check it out.

Thank you to everybody that contributed to this posting.

Continue reading "February 2010 - Good Reads Galore!" »

Posted by Debra Peterson at 3:01 PM | Permalink | Comments (0)

I was drawing a blank when I was trying to think of my own book choices for this entry. Then I had a request from a teacher for recommendations for free-choice reading for her students with the theme of identity or "who am I". That request combined with the fact that I just read a riveting book (The Bite of the Mango) reminded me of the following biographies of individuals that have been shaped by their experiences in war-torn countries. The subject is grim but they all show the resilience and courage shown by individuals facing difficult situations.

Kamara, Mariatu with Susan McClelland. The Bite of the Mango. 2008. [B K123]
Mariatu is 12 and living in Sierra Leone when her village is attacked by heavily armed rebel soldiers. She is kidnapped and tortured and then child soldiers are ordered to cut off both her hands before leaving her. Be forewarned - I read this book in one sitting. For a fiction book from the point of view of a boy soldier, read Uzodinma Iweala's Beasts of No Nation. [Fic Iweala]

Ung, Loung. First They Killed My Father: A Daughter of Cambodia Remembers. 2000. [959.6 Un3]
Loung was the child of a high-ranking government official in Phnom Penh. When she was five, her family fled Pol Pot's Khmer Rouge army in April of 1975. They moved from village to village hiding their former life of privilege. Loung's story of survival still haunts me long after I read the book.

Bok, Francis. Escape From Slavery: The True Story of My Ten Years in Captivity - and My Journey to Freedom in America. 2003. [305.5 B63]
Seven-year-old Francis was captured by Arab raiders in southern Sudan. For ten years, he lived as a slave until he finally escaped after two other aborted escape attempts. He persevered through prison and refugee camps until finally being granted passage to America. What is the What by Dave Eggers is a novel that tells a similar story of a refugee from the Sudanese Civil War. [F Eggers]

Read on for recommendations from other faculty and staff - hopefully not all grim!
-Deb Peterson

Continue reading "Fall 2009 faculty and staff picks" »

Posted by Debra Peterson at 8:48 AM | Permalink | Comments (0)

Collins, Suzanne. Hunger Games. [F Collins]

I normally limit my own suggestions to adult fiction for this blog but I have to break the mold this time and suggest a Young Adult fiction title. Good YA fiction also makes great reads for adults. I recently finished reading Hunger Games by Suzanne Collins and could not put it down. Imagine a combination of The Lottery by Shirley Jackson, The Giver by Lois Lowry, and Survivor reality series and you will have a taste of Hunger Games. Katniss lives in a future North America where the rulers of Panem have organized a competition between the twelve districts. Everyone between the ages of 12 and 18 must be entered in a lottery and each district draws two names, a boy and a girl, to be entered into a televised competition where the winner is declared after a battle to the death. Katniss impulsively volunteers after her younger sister's name is drawn. Grim topic but gripping. It's the first part of a promised trilogy so I'm anxiously awaiting number two.

Read on for recommendations from others.

Continue reading "Summer is here again!?" »

Posted by Debra Peterson at 7:31 AM | Permalink | Comments (0)