Library Blog - Book Reviews

It's winter in Sokcho, a tourist town on the border between South and North Korea. The cold slows everything down. A young French Korean woman works as a receptionist in a tired guesthouse. One evening, an unexpected guest arrives: a French cartoonist determined to find inspiration in this desolate landscape. She agrees to accompany him on trips to discover an "authentic" Korea, [b]ut he takes no interest in the Sokcho she knows. As she's pulled into his vision and taken in by his drawings, she

In a place that was once the center of the voting rights movement, another struggle faces Lowndes County, Alabama--basic sanitation. Catherine Coleman Flowers examines the class, racial, and geographic conditions that lead to many people not having an affordable way of disposing of sewage. --paraphrased from publisher's summary Title: Waste: One Woman’s Fight Against America’s Dirty Secret Author: Catherine Coleman Flowers Genre: Memoir; Nonfiction Read Great Things 2023 Categories: A book about

So far we've highlighted Black History Month on the blog with Black Visual Artists, Black History, and Black Musicians and Poets. We've got one left in queue for next week--Activists and Advocates--, but we'd like to finish the month by sharing a list of your favorite books by Black authors. Share your favorite 1-2 books by Black American authors. They can be fiction or nonfiction, classic or contemporary, any reading level (kids, middle grades, YA, or adult), any topic or genre, and they do not

Title: Persepolis Author: Marjane Satrapi Genres: memoir, history, graphic novel 2022 Read Great Things Categor(ies): A book about travel; An Artsy Book; A book about community Political protests in Iran have been in the headlines over the past two weeks, with numerous demonstrations in the country propelled by the death of Mahsa Amini, a young woman who died while in police custody. Today I'm highlighting an accessible and personal history of conflict within and surrounding Iran from the

Title: The Nineties: A Book Author: Chuck Klosterman Genres: history, essays 2022 Read Great Things Category(ies): A book with a number in the title; Blast from the past: A book of short stories or essays (2020); Our favorite category--A book on the Durham Tech Library Blog This book was read by Main Campus Reference Librarian Stephen Brooks, who is still a playful, discouraged idealist. As such, this What We're Reading blog is less a review or summary of the book and more of a personal journey

A.J. Fikry owns a bookstore, which he and his late wife Nic started on a vacationers' island in New England. The story begins with A.J. the widower wallowing in his grief each night with frozen dinners and red wine. As he works through his grief and begins to let people into his life, he finds meaning. Title: The Storied Life of A.J. Fikry Author: Gabrielle Zevin Genre: contemporary fiction Read Great Things 2022 Categories: A happy or hopeful book; A book about community; Blast from the past: A

Have you read a book that changed your perspective and that you think would be valuable for your peers or colleagues to read? Let us know by filling out our form: You Should Read This Book! [the form] Answers will be shared anonymously in a future blog post and will be used for consideration in an upcoming library group read initiative.

Emotional intelligence is HARD, but being able to identify where your emotions are coming from and actually having the language to identify those emotions (and the differences between them) can help. This book was read via audiobook by Meredith Lewis, the (mostly) Orange County Campus Librarian. Title: Atlas of the Heart: Mapping Meaningful Connection and the Language of Human Experience Author and Narrator: Brené Brown Genre: Psychology, Social Science, Self-Help/Awareness/Mindfulness Read

Ever notice an RV parked by Walmart at midnight? Ever wonder where your Amazon packages came from? Do you imagine that life on the road embodies the American dream? Find out! This book was read by Susan Baker, Main Campus Reference Librarian. T itle: Nomadland: Surviving America in the Twenty-First Century Author: Jessica Bruder Genre: Travel...sociology...retirement...economics...poverty? Nonfiction works, too. Read Great Things 2021 categories: A book about social justice or equity, A

Josiah and Deja work at the Pumpkin Patch, a seasonal fair with food, animals, and a corn maze. It's their last night of the season and next year they'll be at college unable to work at The Patch. Will Josiah finally talk to the girl he's been pining over for years? Deja is going to make sure of it! A cute fall romance with tons of atmosphere and adorable illustrations. This book was read by Courtney Bippley, Main Campus Reference Librarian. Title: Pumpkinheads Author: Rainbow Rowell and