BOOKS GONE WILD
READING FOR THE FUTURE
Senior Seminar in Human Services
Northeastern University
“Common sense should tell us that reading is the ultimate weapon
destroying ignorance, poverty and despair before they can destroy
us. A nation that doesn’t read much, doesn’t know much… The
challenge, therefore, is to convince future generations of children
that carrying a book is more rewarding than carrying a gun.”
Jim Trelease
“A truly great book should be read in youth, again in maturity and
once more in old age, as a fine building should be seen by morning
light, at noon and by moonlight.”
Robertson Davies
“She is too fond of books and it has addled her brain.”
Louisa May Alcott
There is a misconception that people who read a lot remove
themselves from life. Actually, the opposite is true. People who
read often and with varied choices lead larger lives. Our wish for
you is that you can now say,
THIS BOOK HAS CHANGED MY LIFE!!
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FICTION & NONFICTION
A-Z Encyclopedia of Serial, Harold Schechter
It is a graphic tale with details of the world’s most notorious serial killers and the details
of their crimes. Most importantly it shows that more times than not, there was abuse in
their youth.
8 Ball Chicks: A Year in the Violent World of Girl Gangsters, Gini Sikes
Sikes presents an exemplarily details the engagement of girls in the gangs. She spends a
year in the ghettos following the lives of several gang members. Sikes talks about how
females are distinguished from the male gangsters including girl-gang abortion; teen
pregnancy and motherhood; endless sexual abuse and rape before, during and after
initiation; and raising their children in the same environment.
36 Children, Herbert Kohl
This book is an extraordinary account of a young teacher's year with an urban classroom
of sixth graders. Kohl highlights the administrative difficulties he encountered as we see
personal shortcomings he felt as a new teacher. The book shows that the teachers who
are the memorable ones are the ones who do reach the unreachable; they are the ones who
do the obvious and take great pains to do so.
About a Boy, Nick Hornby
Will is a 36-year-old man with no children, no job, and absolutely no responsibility; and
that’s how he likes it. That is until he meets Marcus, a 12-year-old boy with an
interesting family and social life. Throughout the novel an unexpected friendship forms
that makes Will rethink what is important in life and helps Marcus to become the person
that he wants to be?
Acceptance: A Legendary Guidance Counselor Helps Seven Kids Find the Right
Colleges- and Find Themselves, David L. Marcus
In Acceptance, author Marcus follows Gwyeth “Smitty” Smith, a veteran guidance
counselor at the local public high school of Oyster Bay in Long Island, New York. Smitty
is not your average guidance counselor; he goes beyond the role of helping his students.
He guides students and teaches his students about the college admission process by being
honest with them and their families. Although he understands the importance of scores
and data, he proclaims to students that the college application process should be a process
of personal development- where students learn about themselves and their aspirations.
All Souls: A Family Story from Southie, Michael Patrick MadDonald
All souls: A family story from Southie written by Michael MacDonald gives an account
of what it was like to grow up in South Boston in a predominately Irish Catholic
neighborhood during the 1970s. In Old Colony housing project, Michael examines the
tough upbringing of issues of drugs, violence and the welfare system that engraves the
lives of the South Boston community. His rearing was in the time of the anti busing riots
as well as a high racist society. MacDonald shares vivid accounts of his brother’s murder,
suicide and incarceration. This environment was filled with economic and social
pressures.
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Amazing Grace, Johnathan Kozol
Kozol yearlong research in NYC’s South Bronx reveals the disturbing representation of
the affects of poverty in this country. Kozol attempts to bring the lack of adequate
medical attention into the light of the otherwise oblivious reader. Although the need for
proper medical attention in Mott Haven surpasses that of any affluent neighborhood,
health care does not exist in the neighborhood. He interviews parents, kids,
social workers, religious leaders, principals and teachers. His main objective seems to be
to understand how these individuals cope.
Angela’s Ashes, Frank McCourt
McCourt paints a sad picture of his early days when there was hardly enough food on the
table, and warm clothes were a luxury. We learn about his father who was always
drinking away what little money the family had and the tragic loss of his siblings to
sickness and hunger. Banned from the good schools because of his class and teeth falling
out from malnutrition, McCourt nonetheless survives to tell us his story with compassion
and humor.
Animal, Vegetable, Miracle, Barbara Kingsolver
Growing, cooking, eating, storing and loving organic food are the central issues of this
book. Kingsolver and her family document a year of their lives spent trying to sustain
themselves on their farm in Virginia, looking only to other local producers to supplement
their diet. Intermingled with the narrative are factual briefs from agribusiness to farmer’s
markets.
Another Bullshit Night in Suck City, Nick Flynn
This book is a memoir of Nick Flynn, whose life experiences brought him to working at
the Pine Street Inn, the biggest homeless shelter in Boston. Flynn grew up with a single
mother not knowing his father. But, when he begins work at the Pine Street Inn, the
biggest homeless shelter in Boston, he learns more about his father then he ever thought
possible. Delving into love, tragedy, happiness and despair, Flynn tells a story of family
and depicts the essence of homelessness in a new and intriguing way.
Act Like a Lady.. Think Lime a Man, Steve Harvey
Act like a Lady, Think like a Man is a book written by Steve Harvey to in which he gives
the “males” view on relationships. Steve Harvey talks about the DNA of a man, what a
man wants in life, as well as why they do certain things like cheat.
Are You My Mother?, P.D. Eastman
In this book there is a baby bird that hatches while his mother has flown off to find
worms for him to eat. He falls out of his nest and begins asking everything from other
animals to things such as airplanes, are you my mother? The book is great for kids to read
between the ages of 2 and 5. The illustrations are cartoon like and help make the story to
be as comical as it is.
The Adventures of Huckleberry Finn, Mark Twain
Huckleberry Finn and his friend Tom Sawyer find a hidden treasure, which Huck’s father
finds out about and tries to take from him. After being held captive by his father for
months, Huck escapes and meets a runaway slave, Jim. Together, Huck and Jim build a
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raft and travel up the Mississippi River where they are faced with different problems that
they must overcome.
The Agony and the Ecstasy, Irving Stone
This is the fictional biography of the life of Michelangelo. While based on historical data
from the time and about the famous artist, most of the details and daily interactions are
the product of the author’s mind. This book covers everything from the tumultuous times
in which he lived with royalties and popes at war to Michelangelo’s personal grappling’s
with growing up and love affairs as well as the ever-present influence of the De’Medici
family.
The Alchemist, Paulo Coelho
The Alchemist tells the story about a boy named Santiago who begins a journey in the
hopes of finding a treasure known to be buried in the pyramids of Egypt. Santiago,
originally from Spain, has a very adventurous journey full of interesting encounters with
strangers and ultimately a sense of self-discovery.
All Souls, A Family Story from Southie, Michael Patrick McDonald
This is a memoir depicting MacDonald's upbringing in South Boston’s housing projects.
It was a time when the well-known gangster, Whitey Bulger, ruled the streets and where
the Irish-Americans heavily populated Southie. McDonald having suffered family loss
due to violence, drugs, and poverty later became an activist for the youth in South
Boston.
American Dream: 3 Women, 10 Kids, and a Nation’s Drive to End Welfare, Jason
DeParle
This Book provides the reader both a micro and macro side of why poverty exists in our
country. He follows the lives of three African American women and their families each
with unique stories. DeParle explains to the readers the history of welfare and how the
current welfare legislation and The Personal Responsibility and Work Opportunity
Reconciliation Act were made and passed by President Clinton.
And Then There Were None, Agatha Christie’s
It is a story involving ten people forming relationships while slowly losing it trust in each
other, as people start dying off. It is an incredible look at people in their most petrified
moments pondering whom they can and cannot trust in their last moments of life. It is a
true look at raw human nature and the characters that people develop, or lose rather,
when they know they will probably be the next person to die.
Angelhead, Greg Bottoms
Bottoms wrote about his older brother Michael, and the agonizing struggle that was
endured over the years when Michael developed schizophrenia. The book captures the
feelings of hopelessness and love and distributes them to anybody that reads it.
Another Country: Navigating the Emotional Terrain of our Elders, Mary Bray Pipher
An explanation of how the generation of baby boomers is finding they are unprepared to
care for those who have always cared for them. Pipher show strategies that help bridge
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the gaps that separate us from our elders. She also offers us new ways of supporting each
other-new ways of sharing our time, our energy, and our love.
The Audacity of Hope, Barack Obama
Obama discussed the “hot” issues of the day: health care, the war in Iraq, race. One can
learn a lot about both politics and Barak Obama, personally and professionally.
Autobiography of a Face, Lucy Grealy
At a very young age Grealy was diagnosed with jaw cancer. She describes how she dealt
with this terrifying tragedy and disfigurement of her face.
Babylon's Ark, Lawrence Anthony
A story of Anthony’s travels to Iraq after the war broke out to save an abandoned zoo. He
works day and night to find food, water, and adequate shelter for the dying animals he
finds. With the Iraq Zoo team and some very kind and giving American soldiers,
Anthony and his team save the zoo and give something back to the country.
Beautiful Boy, David Sheff
Addiction; not only is it hard on the person using the drug, but it is even more detrimental
on the family. Beautiful Boy is a memoir by Sheff who recounts the rollercoaster ride of
dealing with a son with a severe methamphetamine addiction. On his quest to get his
loving child full of life and potential back, David faces many struggles and hardships. He
takes his son’s story and puts a slight twist on it by telling it from his point of view. Not
only does he engage his readers by painting vivid images but he also provides advice for
other families in the same situation.
Bitch: In Praise of Difficult Women, Elizabeth Wurtzel
This book discusses women in real life situations from a different perspective. The seven
essays include, "Did I Shave my Legs for this?” which discusses the pressures on women
to be married. "Used to Love Her, but had to Kill Her" is about abusive relationships.
Black and Blue, Anna Quindlen
Fran leaves her abusive husband and relocates with her ten-year-old son. Most of the
story focuses on their new life and the difficulties of changing their identities so that they
cannot be traced. There are many flashbacks that Fran has throughout the book.
Black Holes and Time Warps, Kip Thorn
This book is part history and part physics. Besides explaining some of Einstein's
principles and how they came about, there is also biographical information. It goes
through the development of the atomic and hydrogen bombs and the competition that
exists between Russia and the U.S. Thorn proposes some interesting scenarios about time
travel that sound like science fiction, but are in fact not restricted by laws of physics.
Black College Student Survival Guide, Jawanza Kunjufu
The author speaks about the significance and need for men of color to go to college and
obtain an education. He discusses the obstacles many face going through the process.
The content is not too complex and his language use is transparent to the many issues
some college students face today.
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Black Like Me, John Howard Griffin
This is a real life story of Griffin committed to racial justice and understanding the black
experience, therefore he decides to temporarily transform himself into a black man for a
six week intense experiment. The book develops into an autobiographical journal of the
author’s experiences as a “Negro.” He vividly describes the good and bad encounters. He
shares with his readers that everywhere he went; he experienced difficulties, oppression,
exploitation, and insults.
Black White and Jewish: Autobiography of a Shifting Self, Rebecca Walker
Rebecca is the daughter of famous African American author Alice Walker and liberal
Jewish lawyer Mel Leventhal. Her parents met during the Civil Rights Movement, and
she is brought into the world unsure of her identity. Rebecca details the hardships and
confusion of growing up as a mixed race, which becomes harder when her parents’
divorce. On a search for her personal identity, feeling like an outsider, she experienced
alienation from her different cultures.
The Blind Side, Michael Lewi
The blind side refers to the quarterback as he receives the ball from the center at the start
of play. He turns his shoulders to get ready to pass and in so doing turns his back and
depends on the lineman to protect him. This is the story of Michael Oher, who was
“adopted” by a family that supported him both financially and emotionally through high
school, University of Mississippi and being drafted by the Baltimore Ravens in 2009.
Blood: Stories of Life and Death front the Civil War, Editor Peter Kadzis
This is a collection of stories in the form of diaries, love letters and narratives written by
people that lived through the Civil War. The firsthand accounts tell about life in the North
and South, thoughts and feelings that both soldiers and civilians experienced. This is an
interesting viewpoint of war that cannot be easily attained through traditional books.
Bookends, Jane Green
This is a novel about a group of friends who meet in college and continue their friendship
into their 30s. It is a light-hearted humorous book about the personal and professional
struggles in life from work to illness to death. The friends maintain their relationships
with one another as their journey to find happiness hits bumps along the way.
Born to Win, Murie James & Dorothy Jongeward
This book’s goal is to teach you to learn about yourself. It uses a psychological method
called transactional analysis to uncover the roles we unconsciously act out day after day.
The book provides exercises that help you to understand how you communicate with
others.
Born on a Blue Day, Daniel Tammet
This memoir was written by Tammet, who is an autistic savant. He has incredible
abilities when it comes to numbers and words, such as being able to recite more than
22,000 digits of Pi from memorization, and learning a language in a week. However,
growing up, he had very limited social skills and epileptic seizures, which may have
contributed to his condition. As he grew up, he slowly learned to live on his own and to
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integrate into society. His very rare ability to articulate what he is thinking and seeing has
made him invaluable to scientists, and to those working and living with other autistic
children who cannot articulate themselves clearly.
The Boy Who Loved Windows, Patricia Stacey
The book describes the life a boy who is threatened with autism. It focuses on his family
and how much they struggled to handle his autism. The story encompasses the social,
economical and emotional worries the family went through. Readers can also acquire
knowledge of autism on the basis of science.
Breaking the Surface, Greg Louganis with Eric Marcus
This book is a biography of Greg Louganis’ life, as an Olympian Gold Medalist diver.
He talked about the activities that kept him busy in his life including his family and their
relationships. This book was written with a purpose to give hope to someone else despite
their circumstances. Louganis discusses his life living as a gay and HIV positive man and
how he has persevered when times were tough.
Breath, Eyes, Memory, Edwidge Danticat
The book begins in Haiti in the early 1980s. Haiti at that time was ruled by the dictator
Jean Claude "Baby Doc" Duvalier. The story follows Sophie Caco, a twelve year old who
lives a very sheltered life in the small town. Although her family is poor agricultural
laborers, Sophie and her aunt are better off because her mother moved to Brooklyn and
sends money home every month. Sophie’s mother, Martine, moved to Brooklyn in part
to escape because at sixteen she was raped by a Tonton Macoute, guerrillas who were
allowed by the government to kill, torture, and rape anyone he wanted to. This rape
resulted in Sophie's birth. Sophie finally moves to Brooklyn where she met by her frail
mother. The book documents Sophie’s struggle as a child immigrant in New York.
Bridge Across My Sorrows, Christina Noble & Robert Coram
Noble started her life off in the slums of Ireland, moved to England, and finally to
Vietnam. As a child she goes through unimaginable incidents. As an adult she marries
twice and has three children. She had a dream of going to Vietnam and working with
homeless children, she fulfills this and moves to Vietnam and started an orphanage.
Bridge to Terabithia, Katherine Paterson
Jess and Leslie quickly become friends in their rural Virginia town. The two become
inseparable and together create the imaginary kingdom of Terabithia, which they rule.
They support each other when others may ridicule them and thrive through their shared
imagination. Tragedy strikes the pair one day and exposes the true impact that close
friendships have in each of our lives.
Bridget Jones's Diary, Helen Fielding
The book follows Jones, a 30-something single British woman trying to sort out her life.
No matter who you are or where you come from, there is bound to be something in this
book that you completely relate to. Bridget Jones’s Diary is a standby for a feel-good
read without the mushy stuff.
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Briefing for a Descent into Hell, Doris Lessing
Take a trip through the dreams of a man who has gone insane. Situations that are
unexplainable and events unimaginable happen. You follow an adventure of epic
proportions.
Bringing Down the House, Ben Mezrich
The book tells the story of a group of M.I.T students who went to Vegas and won over
millions legally from the casinos. It talks about how they went about doing this and tells
the stories of the people involved.
The Broke Diaries, Angela Nissel
This is Nissel’s memoir of being a poor college student. Outrageous in some parts and
highly relatable, this book is an easy read written in diary format.
The Broken Cord, Michael Dorris
Unaware that his adoptive son suffers from Fetal Alcohol Syndrome (FAS), this father
struggles to understand his son's illness. No one, including the medical community knows
why Adam has seizures and does not function at an appropriate level. Eventually, he
discovers that Adam's mother drank throughout her pregnancy. Dorris discusses his
personal journey through pain, frustration, and joy of watching his son grow.
Brown Sugar, Carol Taylor
These stories ranged from fantasy love affairs to abusive relationships; including the
abuse we put ourselves through, when in love. I would recommend this book to anyone
who is interested in understanding the importance of loving yourself and recognizing the
intensity that is involved in a "black love" relationship.
The Bully, The Bullied, and the Bystander, Barbara Colorosso
An exploration of the roots of bullying; potential causes include: family systems, lack of
family systems, and lack of school programming. The role and definition of the bully, the
bullied and the bystander are thoroughly explored, and parents and teachers are offered
an abundant amount ways to prevent the cycle of violence.
The Burn Journals, Brent Runyon
This is a memoir written by Brent telling the story of when he was 14 years old and tried
to commit suicide. He doused a bathrobe in gasoline, put it on, and lit a match but at the
exact second the bathrobe went up in flames he then decided he did not want to die. An
emotional wreck with burns over 85% of his body the story goes on in detail to explain
his fight to survive and his recovery both mentally, emotionally, and physically from this
life-altering event.
Catch-22, Joseph Heller
Captain John Yossarian, a bombardier in WWII, sees the illogic in dying for his country,
and does his best to get out of there alive. Unfortunately, according to Doc Daneeka, the
man with the power to let him go, he has to be crazy to get out, but no man who wants to
leave the war is crazy…therefore, he is sane, and can’t leave. This is one of many
“Catch-22s” in the book, all preventing Yossarian from escaping the war.
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Candide (Optimism), Voltaire
Candide travels to find his love with two companions, Dr. Pangloss, an optimist, and
Martin, a pessimist. This book explores Candide’s travels throughout Europe and south
Asia during the 16th century French Revolution.
The Cathedral Within: Transforming Your Life By Giving Something Back, Bill Shore
Shore, a CEO for a non-profit that fights hunger in the U.S., Looks at his experiences
with his agency and his family, as well as the experiences of the people and organizations
highlighted in the book as he develops the idea of devoting one's life to service through
the metaphor of building a cathedral.
Caucasia, Danzy Senna
This novel is about a Boston interracial family growing up in the early seventies. The
family: the father, a former black panther, the mother, a former rich white woman from
Cambridge and their two girls. It is an extraordinary story of a family’s mission to teach
their children they are not different, but in reality teach the opposite.
The Catcher in the Rye, J.D. Salinger
Many people can, at some level, connect with the feelings of alienation and witty
criticism of society that the Holden Caulfield expresses. This novel captures an image of
adolescence that we can all relate to, whether we knew someone like Holden or was he.
Che Guevara: A Revolutionary Life, Jon Lee Anderson
This biography is a comprehensive documentation of the often mysterious life of the
famous Latin American revolutionary. Anderson exemplified the struggle that is
necessary in men and women to free people from oppression and the bonds of poverty.
A Child Called It, David Peltzer
This short book is an autobiographical account of Dave’s maltreatment as a child by his
alcoholic mother, who singles him out from her other children as an object of abuse.
Dave’s story is truly an unforgettable account of one of the most severe child abuse cases
in California history’.
Chocolat, Joanne Harris
Set in France in the 1950's, a woman who comes to town and opens a chocolate shop.
People who were once sad and depressed are getting joy from this little shop. The priest
from a nearby church is not too thrilled and thinks she is somewhat sinful.
The Choice, Nicholas Sparks
This book, much like other by Nicholas Sparks, is a unconventional love story of two
neighbors. Travis seems to have everything he ever wanted until Gabby moved next
door, and from there, his life was never the same. It is a story of up’s and down’s and a
book that you always wonder what is going to happen next, a must read.
Choice Theory, William Glasser
The author provides an explanation to why in our societies is so much crime, violence,
illness, and why people in any relationships are sometimes unhappy. Then, he offers a
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new way of thinking and taking action, which will lead to a healthier way to live and to
get along with all people around us.
Choice: True Stories of Birth, Contraception, Infertility, Adoption, Single Parenthood, &
Abortion, Karen E. Bender and Nina De Gramont
Choice gives an in depth look at the choices that women have to make about their
reproductive health every single day. It gives stories of women who chose to have an
abortion, women who did not, and those who have had to adopt. Not one story is like
another. Choice offers a lot of insight on a subject that we as a society often like to
generalize about. This book has made it clear to me that each woman’s story is unique
and different, and that we can never assume anything about her reproductive decisions.
Clan of the Cave Bear, Jean Auel
This is the story of a remarkable woman growing up in prehistoric Europe. Five-year-old
Ayla, orphaned by an earthquake, is discovered, unconscious and badly mauled, by a clan
of Neanderthals, who save her life and adopts her. The members of the Neanderthal clan,
ruled by traditions and taboos, find themselves challenged by this outsider. As Ayla
begins to grow and mature, her natural tendencies emerge, putting her in the middle of a
brutal and dangerous power struggle.
Code of the Street, Elijah Anderson
Sociologist Elijah Anderson takes us into the neighborhoods of Philadelphia to uncover
inner city black culture and violence and how it is regulated through an informal ‘code of
the street’. Anderson shows us that the code is in response to lack of jobs that pay a
living wage, the stigma of race, drug issues as well as the feeling of hopelessness and
alienation from the rest of the world.
The Coldest Winter Ever, Sister Souljah
This book illustrates a true story of a young girl, Winter Santiaga, who grows up in
Brooklyn. This story exhibits the overcoming of teen pregnancy, fatherless households,
drug use, and violence, which are all too common in the African-American dominated
inner city. It shows how greed, drugs, and violence devalue the lives of urban youth.
Through the struggles of the heroine, the book touches upon the issues of race, poverty,
and battle for survival.
The Collector, John Fowles
This is a story of Frederick who abducts Miranda and holds her captive in a wellfurnished cellar of an old country house. He seems to be a man of virtually no
conscience, though he has moments of generosity and appears to be in love with Miranda.
The Color of Water, James McBride
This is the tale of a Jewish mother who raised a black family living Brooklyn. McBride's
mother sacrificed so much to raise her family what she believed to be the "right way".
The Color Purple, Alice Walker
This novel traces Celie’s life through letters to and from her. The life she is forced to into
leading is tragic and shocking. As the novel progresses Celie changes and develops as a
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person, the relationships in her life change as well. It is an uplifting story about how
much people can and are willing to do for each other when they take the time.
Comeback, Claire Fontaine and Mia Fontaine
Comeback is a very powerful story written by a mother and her daughter and the
challenges they face together. As a young girl Mia experiences a specific incident with
her father, which causes Mia to turn towards several alternative methods of treatment to
help her cope with her emotions towards her parents. Both Mia and her mother Claire tell
the story. Claire tells her story of fear and pain in a very detailed and moving manner.
The journeys of their lives through the hardest times are explained beautifully in this
novel.
A Confederacy of Dunces, John Kennedy Toole
Ignatius is a gluttonous yet funny tragic hero. Ignatius is forced to get his first job, a
hotdog salesman on the streets of New Orleans in the early 20th century. As Ignatius
makes his way around town with hotdog cart he meets many strange characters. Ignatius,
though a series of events, is eventually able to put a halt on the town’s seedy business
dealings.
Confessions of a Shopaholic, Sophie Kinsella
This book is about a young, single, woman with quirky mannerisms named Becky
Bloomwood who has a serious addiction to shopping and spending money. It is nearly
impossible for her to pass by a store and not go in and buy something. As the story
unfolds, Becky realizes that reality has hit her and is bombarded with bank and credit
card notices, and not good ones.
Corelli’s Mandolin, Louis De Bernieres
This is a story of a young woman, Pelagia, daughter of a well-known doctor, growing up
on the island of Cephalonia during World War II. Combining tragedy, comedy, passion,
love, history, politics, and religion each chapter holds a different style. This is a book of
love torn apart by war, a father and a daughter, and deals with homosexuality in the
Italian Army.
Cowboy and Wills: A Love Story, Monica Holloway
This is a story of a young autistic boy who could barely interact with people, but comes
out of his shell with the help of a dog. The story focused on the family, raising an autistic
child. This book highlights the healing power that animals can have over people.
Cradle to Cradle, William McDonough and Michael Braungart
This book introduces the fusion of environmentalism and industrialism. It discusses a
new philosophy of creating materials and using energy with the idea that all industrial
activities and products will be able to be recycled and reused without the loss of quality.
By incorporating historical examples from the industrial revolution and modern day
successes the authors lead the reader to innovative design thinking. They describe how
our natural earth can act as a role model for our industrial world allowing for diversity,
sustainability, and global prosperity.
The Curious Incident of the Dog in the Nighttime, Mark Haddon
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This is a firsthand account of a murder-mystery through the eyes of a boy with highfunctioning autism spectrum disorder (ASD). When Christopher finds that his neighbor’s
poodle has been murdered, he sets out to solve the mystery, revealing many interesting
facts about the nature of his disorder along the way. In his investigation, Christopher
comes across a family secret that has been hidden from him, and decides to take his first
journey into the city by himself to get to the bottom of things.
The Da Vinci Code, Dan Brown
This thriller leads you to the vast museums of France and the under cloth of the church.
In this book the search for the Holy Grail, becomes a life or death adventure. A rich
combination of adventure and history this novel follows a pair of newfound friends in
their search for the truth.
This Day in the Life, Joni B. Cole, Rebecca Jaffrey, & B.K. Rakhra, 2005.
This book is a compilation of diary entries from a variety of female Americans. All the
entries are from personal journals on June 29, 2004. There are stories of women serving
in Iraq, suburban housewives, famous musicians, strippers etc. The book shows just how
diversified our lives are; yet we still go through many of the same struggles and
emotions.
Dead Souls, Nikolai Gogol
A shrewd but likable Russian, Chichikov, travels around a region of Russia purchasing
"dead souls", the property rights of deceased serfs, with plans of mortgaging them for a
profit.
Deaf Daughter, Hearing Father, Richard Medugno
Richard shares his emotional outlook on life after receiving news that his daughter,
Miranda was born profoundly deaf. Having no prior experience with deafness, his book
takes the reader along on his journey to learn ASL, find the best education for his
daughter, and become involved with the Deaf community.
The Devil Wears Prada, Lauren Weisberger
Andrea Sachs, from a small town, lands a job a million girls would die for right out of
college, the assistant of the high profile editor of Runway Magazine, Miranda Priestly.
Andrea begins a world of lavish things, beautiful men, expensive clothing, glamorous
parties but Andrea soon realizes that it is not all it’s cracked up to be.
The Discipline of Hope, Herbert Kohl
This teacher has taught kindergarteners to graduate school students in every imaginable
setting. The story focuses on the importance of the teacherstudent relationship.
The Divine Secrets of the Ya Ya Sisterhood, Rebecca Wells
Siddalee grows up in the South and becomes an up and coming director. She upsets her
mother in an interview for the NY Times and as a result disowns her. Her mother’s 3
best friends help Siddalee to understand who her mother is.
The Diving Bell and the Butterfly, Jean-Dominique Bauby
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This is the story of 43 year old editor of the French magazine, Elle, who suffered a
massive stroke that left him permanently paralyzed and suffering from “locked in
syndrome,” where he can only communicate by blinking his left eye. The miracle was
that he was able to write his memoir.
Don't Play in the Sun: One Woman's Journey through the Color Complex, Marita Golden
This an intimate self-portrait of the author’s life as a dark-complexioned black woman
and invites readers to take a behind the scenes look at the twisted and emotionally
charged path of color-based discrimination that began when she was warned not to play
in the sun. She succinctly details how the mentality that lighter skin is better has
permeated the African Diaspora, its invasion of black institutions and how it sits just
below the radar.
Don’t Sweat the Small Stuff, Richard Carlson
This a book that is meant to show you how to keep from letting little things in your life
drive you crazy. It tries to help you put things into perspective by suggesting advice on
how to keep things from bothering you.
Dreams From My Father; Barack Obama
This memoir by America’s new president-elect was written while he was still practicing
law in Chicago, Illinois. He was asked to write the book after he was elected the first
black editor of the Harvard Law Review. The book was written before his political career
and reflects candor and honesty. The book details his struggle throughout childhood and
young adulthood with his own racial identity as a biracial, multicultural man in America.
Dress Your Family in Corduroy and Denim, David Sedaris
This book comically portrays Sedaris’ time growing up. He reflects back on days
throughout his childhood to more recent events that outline his strange relationship with
his family. He focuses on being raised in North Carolina and his feelings of being an
outcast due to his homosexuality. Sedaris’ way of writing is refreshing as each chapter
reflects on a random sequence of events.
Dry. A Memoir, Augusten Burroughs
This is a tale of a man and his struggle with alcoholism and sobriety. From denial to
detox to rehab to AA meetings and group therapy to relapse and back again, this book
features the emotional and psychological struggle to become and stay sober.
Dude, Where’s My Country, Michael Moore
Moore’s style of writing is very unique; he defines the problems of “our” country. The
book informs the reader about the War in Iraq as well as September 11 and addresses the
issue of the fast food industry.
Easy Answers to Life's Hard Questions, Lynne Ames
This book is a guide on how to make life worth living. It tells us what to do when we are
confronted with a problem. This book can help people learn that whenever we are faced
with situations that we think that we can't handle, there is always a solution for it.
Eat, Pray, Love, Elizabeth Gilbert
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A brilliant memoir about Gilbert’s goes through divorce and depression, and battles with
herself, trying to fix herself while over thinking everything, and it was really inspirational
to discover how she finally finds peace, balance and satisfaction in her life. Each section
is interesting in its own way. In Italy Gilbert finds happiness by studying Italian, meeting
people, eating and drinking. In Indonesia she finds a balance between studying with a
medicine man, friends and love. In India she stays in a sacred ashram where she learns to
meditate and learns to still her churning mind. Through meditation and prayer, Gilbert
learns to forgive herself and find happiness.
Einstein’s Dream, Alan Lightman
This is a collection of short chapters that apply some of Einstein’s theories to an
imaginary village. Each dream about the village and its citizens, describes life under the
laws of a particular model of time or space. Some of these models include: accelerated
time, counter-clockwise time, and frozen time.
Eleven Seconds, Travis Roy
Roy, a freshman hockey player at Boston University, is paralyzed within the first eleven
seconds of his first college game. Through obstacles and pain, Ray prevails. This book is
a great way to evaluate what is important to you and if your life is worth fighting for.
Enrique’s Journey, Sonia Nazario
Enrique took a great risk, traveling to the United States, when he turned 14. On many of
his attempts in riding on top of the trains he would get beaten and robbed by gangs,
bandits, or border patrol police. He came to the United States to be reunited with his
mother.
Emma's War, Deborah Scoggins
A British relief worker, Emma, chooses to go help refugees in Sudan, in the early 1990's,
before the crisis was recognized. The book discusses Emma's motivation for being a
relief worker, her interactions in Sudan and how she ends up becoming one of the wives
of the rebel group leader. This book shows the reader the cultural conflicts, which occur
when Western relief workers go into third world countries, and it evaluates people's
different motives for actually going.
Equino's Travel: The Interesting Narrative of the Life of Olaudah Equino or Gustavus
Vassa, The African, Editor Paul Edwards
The narrator and author of this tale, Equino was born in the Kingdom of Benin in 1745.
Born into the lbo tribe, he lived a high cultured society in which defined and permanent
roles were established. Until he was captured, kidnapped and transported from his
homeland of Africa to a world unknown. He was sold from one master to another. Thus
portraying his complex transformation from a slave to a free man to the final stage of
becoming a successful merchant.
Escape Fire, Donald Berwick
In his book, Berwick shares his most memorable speeches about healthcare reform. His
beliefs and understandings about healthcare revolutionize the way the delivery of the
healthcare system and the quality of patient care.
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Every Second Counts, Lance Armstrong
This book is about Armstrong’s personal account of overcoming cancer and being on the
brink of dying and how he got through it. He overcomes personal adversity and
ultimately is one of the greatest athletes to this very day.
Expecting Adam, Martha Beck
The book recounts the true events that happened to the author, Martha Beck, while she
was pregnant with her second child. Martha and her husband were earning their PhDs
from Harvard when Martha discovered she was pregnant. Her intense studies coupled
with a difficult pregnancy and her husband’s travels for business made this period in her
life nearly unbearable. But these hardships were nothing compared to the devastation of
discovering her unborn baby had Downs Syndrome. The book chronicles her struggles
with her pregnancy, her baby’s diagnosis, and the negative reactions from her family and
friends when she decided not to terminate her pregnancy.
Fall on Your Knees, AnnMarie MacDonald
This family is drenched with secrets, sin, guilt, surprises, and mystery. Despite the
disturbing elements of their lives, the reader begins to see the sisters grow, develop, and
form an incredible bond. No matter what happens in a family, the bonds that they have
and the love that they have for one another is still strong.
Family Outing, Chastity Bono
The daughter of Sonny and Cher looks at the difficulties and triumph involved in a
closeted homosexual's life and the slow process of coming out. The book is very
educational for those who are gay, have family and friends who are gay, or want to learn
more about the struggle of being gay.
Fahrenheit 451, Ray Bradbury
This futuristic novel that focuses on the affects of television on the role that literature is
plays in the world. Guy Montag finds himself facing quite a quandary as he questions his
life and his ideals as he works as a book-burning fireman in an American city where
people are consumed by an ultramodern radio. He is ultimately forced to decide his fate
in the world, either as a book-burning fireman or a rebellious renegade.
Father Arseny, 1893-1973: Priest, Prisoner and Spiritual Father, Alexander translated by
Vera Bouteneff
Father Arseny was a Russian priest during the time of Stalin and he was kept in one of
the strictest prison camps for a number of years. While under the same pressure as the
rest of the prisoners, he refused to be beaten by everything he saw around him and
instead chose to help the other prisoners and perform small acts of kindness, by doing this
he gave people a reason to hope.
Fast Food Nation, Eric Schlosser
The book goes above and beyond pointing out the obvious poor dietary aspects of eating
fast food. Schlosser delves into the socio-economical, legal, political, cultural, and ethical
issues of supporting fast food chains. Details of the plight of the exploited adolescent
workforce, and the uneducated immigrant population is an eye-opening read to those who
are unaware about who is really serving them, and how that staff is mistreated.
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Fiela's Child, Darlene Matthee
This story is about the challenges and struggles of two families living in rural South
Africa of different races in their search for the identity of a young boy.
A Fighter's Heart: One Man's Journey Through the World of Fighting, Sam Sheridan
The author wants to better understand what causes people to engage in physical combat.
His approach is not to interview individuals who fight on the street or in bar rooms, but
rather to seek out experts in each respective aspect of fighting. He travels to Thailand and
trains Muay Thai (traditional Thai kick boxing), then learns jiu-jitsu (submission
wrestling) by traveling to where it was created in Brazil. His journey also carries him
across the nation to Atlanta where he trains with an Olympic boxer, New York to learn
Tai-Chi as well as to Iowa where he puts everything together through MMA (mixed
martial arts) at one of the most respected gyms in the game. After he lives every aspect of
the fight game, he realizes something that each respective elite fighter have in common. It
is a sense of their self awareness and an aura of humility that comes with it.
A Fine Balance, Rohinton Mistry
The story is based in 1975 in a city near the sea in India, which is riddled with poverty
and teeming with beggars. Dina, 40-ish, a poor widower, Maneck; the son of friend of
Dina's, who has been sent to college; and two tailors Ishvar and his nephew Om, who
have left their village in an effort to escape the repressive caste system.
First Person Plural, Cameron West
West, a successful businessman, happily married, and the father of a young son, finds his
life shattering as he deals with Multiple Personality Disorder (MPD). West was
diagnosed with MPD in his early thirties. From that moment on, the book is a record of
how he deals with his work, family and his disorder. He includes excerpts of his different
personalities and how they manage to communicate with one another.
The First Third, Neil Cassidy
This book includes short stories, letters, and a partial autobiography. Cassidy, a major
figure of the beat movement, was the inspiration for On the Road. The autobiography
starts describing his family and where they came from. Included are letters were written
to Kerouac and to poets such as Ginsberg. This is the only book that was published under
his name. It provides an interesting look at that time period in American history.
The Five Love Languages for Singles, Gary Chapman
This book discusses every person’s need for intimacy. It explains how everyone receives
and shows love in different ways, called “languages.” The five languages are physical
touch, gifts, encouragement, words of affirmation, and acts of service.
The Five People You Meet in Heaven, Mitch Albom
The story begins with the introduction of Eddie, an 83 year old man who lives alone as a
maintenance man at his town amusement park, on the day of his death. The reader
accompanies Eddie in his journey through heaven as he meets 5 people whom have
already passed that have had a significant impact on his life, and him in theirs. It is a
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heartfelt story with themes of acceptance, forgiveness, and of course, love. This short,
quick read is sure to leave anyone reevaluating their outlook on life.
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Flesh and Blood, Michael Cunningham
Mary and Constantine get married and have 3 children, Susan, Billy and Zoe. The book
follows this family as they age and encounter different life challenges. Flesh and Blood
keeps follows the members of the Stassos family as they all come of age, and learn how
to cope with the difficult situations that life often serves us.
Fortune’s Rocks, Anita Shreve
This book is a coming of age story of a fifteen year-old girl set in the year 1899. The
setting is her family’s summer home in New Hampshire, Fortune’s Rocks. The main
character, Olympia, tests out the limits of her life and family by becoming romantically
involved with one of her father’s colleagues.
The Four Agreements, Don Miguel Ruiz
The Four Agreements is a powerful book whose ideas come from the ancient Toltec
wisdom of the native people of Southern Mexico. It takes the combination of science and
spirit to create agreements to guide one’s life. Ruiz summarizes the agreements as: Be
impeccable with your word, don’t take anything personally, don’t make assumptions, and
Always do your best.
Freakonomics: A Rouge Economist Explores the Hidden Side of Everything, Steven D.
Levitt and Steven J. Dubner
Freakonomics simply states that economics is not a science that those with degrees can be
a part of understanding. The main point of the book is that the guy writing it is an
economist and has a different hidden way of looking at everything
Free Women of Spain, Martha Ackelsberg
This book describes appalling situations for workers, peasants, and especially women in
Spain in the 1930’s. This leads the way for the creation of strong anarchist groups and
unions. These women succeeded in making vast improvements in the lot for women both
in general society and in revolutionary theory.
The Freedom Writers Diary, The Freedom Writers with Erin Gruwelll
This book is a compilation of journal entries from Wilson High School in Long Beach,
California. Gruwell entered as a first-year English teacher assigned to the “unteachable”
students. When she asked if the students knew what the Holocaust was, no one could tell
her. She started to use Anne Frank: The Diary of a Young Girl and Zlata’s Diary: A
Child’s Life in Sarajevo in order to make connections about racism and intolerance in her
student’s lives. The students started to keep their own diaries and realized that their lives
were similar. The students soon became passionate about spreading the need for
tolerance and sharing their stories and experiences with the world. The Freedom Writers
became an inspiration by sharing their stories and passion with the world.
Friday Night Lights, H.G.Bissinger
This story takes place in Permian High School, Odessa, Texas and is about their high
school football program. The author spends a year in Odessa meeting the people of the
town and following the lives of the varsity football team players. We learn from reading
the book the inside story of this high school legacy and how important high school
football is to the area.
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From Basketball to the Beatles, Ben Mardell
This book is a detailed guide of the bizarre curriculum used by a teacher in his prekindergarten classroom, which turned out to be extremely effective. One segment is
called, "Begin by studying what's around: Squirrels." Mardell explains how he
successfully turned a frozen squirrel that he found, into a classroom unit on the inside of
animals' bodies.
From Binge to Blackout, Chris Volkmann and Toren Volkmann
Alcohol is the number one drug of choice among our youth today and a mother and son
share their stories about their struggle with alcohol addiction with two different
viewpoints. Their story shows us that the most “perfect family” can overlook and deny
something as serious as alcohol abuse and as it slowly unravels their family they show us
how to deal and offer great advice for other parents who have teenagers of their own.
From the Mixed-up Files of Mrs. Basil E. Frankweiler, E.L. Konigsburg
A story about a young girl named Claudia and her adventures with her younger brother,
Jamie at the Metropolitan Museum of Art in New York City. As the oldest child and
only girl, Claudia felt subjected to injustice by her parents so she came up with a plan to
run away and hide out in the museum. She invited her brother Jamie with her, mostly
because he had money. Claudia found a statue at the museum so beautiful that she
couldn’t go home until she discovered whom its maker was and in order to do this she
needed help from the former owner of the statue, Mrs. Basil E. Frankweiler.
Gang Leader for a Day: a Rogue Sociologist Takes to the Streets, Sudhir Venkatesh
Venkatesh first became involved with Chicago’s Black Kings as a naïve and inquisitive
first year doctoral student; he began to spend time with leaders, establishing a strong and
quick bond with JT. For the next seven years Venkatesh, immersed himself in a world
unfamiliar to most. He learned about the unique and complicated role of gangs in this
culture of poverty and tried to fit his own perception of leadership and the law into that
structure. It is a gripping story of human connection, informal economy, and a complex
social and hierarchical structure.
The Gatekeepers: Inside the Admissions Process of a Premier College, Jacques Steinburg
Ralph is an admissions advisor at Wesleyan University and this book travels with him
around the country as he meets 7 top students interested in attending one of the top
schools in the country. Each student has a completely different profile from each other
which goes to show what the admissions process is when it comes to accepting these
students.
Get me out of here: My Recovery from Borderline Personality Disorder, Rachel Reiland
Reiland chronicles one woman’s journey from the depths of mental illness to recovery.
The journey begins when Rachel comes to terms with her need to receive treatment, the
process of being diagnosed with Borderline Personality, as well as her recovery and
termination from therapy. It also explores her journey in coming to terms with her mental
illness, how she decides to seek help, and the development of her therapeutic relationship
with her psychoanalyst. It is a highly intimate account of her experience as someone
diagnosed with a very difficult illness, usually viewed by the psychology community as
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untreatable. A great deal of the book explores her own inner dialogue, her perceptions of
her illness, therapy, relationships, and how these perceptions change over time as she
recovers and forgives.
Get out of My Life, but first could you drive me and Cheryl to the mall, Anothony E.
Wolf, Ph.D.
An insight to the mind of the American teenager and the effective and ineffective ways
that parents handle them. He recognizes the differences from children throughout the
generation and brings to life the specific similarities and differences between the ages.
He proposes how to adjust to the changes and also indicated ways in which their parents,
or guardians, can make modifications in order to be a more effective parent and role
model.
Girl, Interrupted, Susanna Kaysen
Susanna Kaysen was hospitalized at 18 years old after taking 50 aspirins. Her visit to a
psychiatrist resulted in an immediate ride in a taxicab to McLean hospital where she
underwent treatment for “borderline personality disorder.” Her vivid account of
institution life brings you inside what was her reality during her two-year stay at the
hospital.
The Giver, Lois Lowry
Jonas lives in a futuristic society and is selected to inherit the position of "Receiver of
Memory," the person who stores all the memories of the time before Sameness, in case
they are ever needed. As Jonas receives the memories from his predecessor—the Giver—
he discovers how shallow his community's life has become.
The Giving Tree, Shell Silverstein
The simply written and illustrated children's story teaches that there is no greater gift in
this world than the gift of giving. The book also reminds us to remember those who
sacrificed on our behalf and helped make us who we are today. The book provides an
entertaining read for children of any ages, but like many children's books I have found
that the story invokes deeper questions and feeling about life and love when re-read as an
adult.
The Glass Castle, Jeanette Walls
An Autobiography Walls’ recalls life moving frequently with an alcoholic father, a
mother who is frequently depressed, and family values based on the idea of fending for
yourself, it would be no surprise if Walls expressed harsh words towards them. Instead,
she is sure to also show how they filled her life with creativity, imagination, and
knowledge to last her a lifetime. Eventually settling in West Virginia life seems to get
worse for them. Eventually Walls makes her break and lives with the struggle of being
successful while knowing her parents choose a life on the streets.
Go Ask Alice, Anonymous
Go Ask Alice is a book of diary entries written by a fifteen year old girl who was a heavy
drug user. The diary reveals her drug abuse, promiscuous behavior and the thoughts and
emotions she felt through her short journey of life.
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Goat: A Memoir, Brad Land
This is a memoir of a boy, who is brutally attacked one night after a party. On the road to
recovery, Brad decides to follow his brother to Clemson University where he struggles to
fit in. In an effort to belong Brad attempts to pledge the fraternity. The book follows
Brad through the traitorous and trying process of pledging a fraternity filled with
emotional and physical pain.
God Don’t Like Ugly, Mary Monroe
This is a story recounted by a young, shy, overweight, dark-skinned girl named Annette.
After moving to Florida in the 1950s, in an effort of trying to make ends meet, Annette's
mother moves in Mr. Boatwright, a border. In the second year of boarding with Annette
and her mother, Boatwright starts sexually abusing the 7 year, this abuse continued for 10
years. After moving to a new house, Annette meets and befriends Rhoda Nelson, the
beautiful daughter of the black undertaker. Rhoda is what Annette longed to be confident,
and smart. This book follows their friendship through the trials and tribulations of the
1960s and 70s.
God Made Me Beauty-Full, Terri McFadden
McFadden, a former songwriter for Motown, Grammy Award winner, and minister,
founded a program to help families experiencing personal crisis and speaks at
conferences, churches, and prisons across the country.
God of Small Things, Arundathai Roy
This is a tale of twins and a life-changing incident that occurs during their young lives in
a small rural town in India. Roy’s vivid, magical descriptions must be read to understand
her brilliance and talent.
Gone Baby, Gone, Dennis Lehane
Lehane does a fantastic job of bringing the streets of Boston to life. In this installment of
his 5 book series revolving around private investigator Patrick Kenzie and his partner
Angie Gennaro, there has been a little girl abducted from her Dorchester home in the
middle of the night.
Gone With The Wind, Margaret Mitchell
The book is a tale of the South during the Civil War, has a little bit of something for
everyone: action, romance, tragedy, history, and endurance. The story centers on Scarlett
O’Hara, who is tested time and time again and comes out of each situation stronger.
The Good-Bye Window, Harriet J. Brown
This story about a day care center called the Red Caboose, in Milwaukee, Wisconsin, one
of the oldest private centers. The center serves a very diverse population, and many
children were from low socio-economic community. The story explains the difficulty a
day care center faces when they serve a large population of low-income families who
need their service the most.
Good In Bed, Jennifer Weiner
This book written with wit and sarcasm is about a woman, Candice, in her late 20s who is
a reporter for a paper in Philadelphia. This book focuses on Candice’s obsession with her
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weight and men. Candice also has to deal with her dysfunctional family, who has been
falling apart since her father left the picture.
The 7 Habits of Highly Effective People, Stephen R.Covey
Stephen Covey introduces readers with different approaches for one to take when solving
problems. He stresses that we should live with fairness, integrity, service, and human
dignity. A good book to read when dealing with different obstacles in life let it at work
school or at home. Stephen Covey helps one get back on track and wanting to set
reachable goals.
Half the Sky, Nicholas D. Kristof and Sheryl WuDunn
Half the Sky is an inspirational and educational read that is perfect for anyone interested
in Human Services and/or International Affairs. The authors do a wonderful job of
portraying women from around the world who have struggled, fought, succeeded, and
strived for a better life. Not only does the book give you a firsthand look into the lives of
the women, it helps you understand the issues that they struggle with everyday. Half the
Sky will inspire you to make change in the world around you through the stories it offers.
Be advised that the true stories of these women’s lives are very honest, and sometimes
graphic, but are what’s needed to encourage international development and
empowerment of women.
The Handmaid's Tale, Margaret Atwood
This is a story of a woman who remembers a time when she was happily married with a
child, educated, had a job, and money. Society shifted and she became what they called a
handmaid where women were no longer allowed to read and her value is only in her
ability to produce children for the Commander and when she does, the child gets handed
over to the Commander’s wife.
Harry Potter and the Sorcerer’s Stone, J.K. Rowling
This is about a boy who is faced with the sudden realization that he is a wizard. His
parents were killed when was a baby, so lived with his Uncle, Aunt, and Cousin. As a
student at Hogwarts, Harry and his best friends, Ron and Hermione, must not only battle
off the evil wizard who killed his parents, but he also must do his homework, practice
Quidditch, and suffer through the growing pains common to every boy.
The Hatchet, Gary Paulsen
The Hatcher is about a young boy whose plane goes down in Canada after the pilot has a
heart attack. He was on his way to meet his father who lived away from him and his
mother after a divorce. The book describes his journey and struggles to stay alive in the
forest. He takes shelter by a lake and finds out just how useful his Hatchet in these
conditions. It is the only way he is able to stay alive.
Have a Little Faith, Mitch Albom
This is a story about a man, who through his interactions with two religious men, one a
Christian pastor and the other a Jewish Rabbi, came to find his faith that he believed to
be long gone. It shows how faith is a common denominator in overcoming life’s
setbacks.
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Healthy Disclosure: Solving Communication Quandaries in Congregations, Kibbie
Simmons Ruth & Karen A. McClintock
This book is a production of the Alban Institute, a consulting firm and publication think
tank that provides support to church congregations. It is a dynamic guide on information
management for clergy and lay leaders in churches, and how the healthy release of
information in a church congregation’s results in churches that are productive, healthy,
and mission oriented.
Healing and Preventing Autism: A Complete Guide, Jenny McCarthy and Jerry
Kartzinel, M.D.
This book goes into detail into the possible causes of autism, from the environment,
chemicals, food, vaccines etc. It also dives into alternative medicine that has been shown
to “recover” children with Autism. It is defiantly a good read for parents as well as
people interested in the field of autism and autism awareness.
Healing the Inner City Child: Creative Arts Therapies with At-Risk Youth, V. A.
Camilleri
This book provides an introduction and fuller understanding of the field of art therapy
and its application with a specific population: at-risk urban youth. The book provides a
theoretical framework of specific risk and protective factors facing inner-city youth and
their families, and uses this framework to introduce and justify the basic tenets and
benefits of art therapy as an effective intervention tool. The majority of the book is a
collection of case studies of various therapeutic interventions using music, visual arts,
drama, and play conducted with youth in school and community settings. Written by
various practitioners, most of them licensed art therapists, these case studies highlight the
adaptability of the arts as a tool to enable youth to deal with trauma, loss, abuse, as well
as the challenges and successes of the interventions. This book is a great resource for
those wanting to learn more about the field of art therapy and its applications, as well as
for youth workers working in urban areas.
A Heartbreaking Work of Staggering Genius, Dave Eggers
The main character in the book is around 21 years old when his parents die, leaving him
to care for his eight-year-old brother. They move to California where they form an
unusual relationship, leading to endless moments of love, frustration, loneliness, and
loyalty.
High Fidelity, Nick Hornby
The book’s hero, Rob, owns a record shop and charts all of his past relationships in the
same manner that he organizes the records in his store. The book opens with him and a
long-term girlfriend break up. He proceeds through memory lane, trying to find out what
went wrong in each of his relationships.
High School Confidential: Secrets of an Undercover Student, Jeremy Iversen
The author disguises himself as an 18-year-old senior in high school and befriends
students from different social groups. The high school is in southern California and has a
predominately middle class population. The variety of issues addressed is amazing and
brings a new light as to what’s going on in today’s schools.
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The History of Love, Nicole Krauss
Leo Gursky, a peculiar elderly Jew from Poland living in Manhattan, spends his time
thinking of Alma Mereminski, the love of his childhood who inspired him to write a book
sixty years ago. Nearby in Brooklyn, 14-year-old, Alma Singer, attempts to find
connection to her mother by reading The History of Love, the book her deceased father
gave to her mother when they first met. Alma decides to track down its author, and as her
search comes to fruition we are able to see that her actions have incredibly far-reaching
effects on the lives of strangers.
Holler if You Hear Me, Gregory Michie
The book goes through the author’s journey of the pressures internally and externally of
teaching at an inner city school. Michie speaks of his student’s experiences and how they
ultimately begin to shape his teaching style and him as a person.
Honkey, Dalton Conley
The central issue discussed in the book were race relations and class distinctions. The
author describes his upbringing in New York City and experiences he lived through that
required him to navigate both racial and class barriers. This book is about Dalton, and his
family, the only white family living in a housing project. Conley is currently a professor
of Sociology at NYU.
A Hope in the Unseen, Ron Suskind
Cedric Jennings, a high school student, grew up in Washington, D.C. He describes how
he is going to leave the inner city and attend MIT and what it is like to be a young
African American with little support, money and hope.
The House on Mango Street, Sandra Cisneros
The book is about a young Hispanic girl, Esperanza who grew up in the ghettos of
Chicago. Esperanza wants to live in a house that she can be proud of. Esperanza waited
impatiently to move out of this house and neighborhood. The author makes it clear that
even though the area she lived in was in the ghetto, Mango Street was still home.
How Stella Got Her Groove Back, Terry McMillan
The book is about a 40 year old, Stella Payne, who like every woman in America needs a
break from everyday living. Her best friend, Delilah, invites her to accompany her on a
trip to Jamaica. At a lovely hotel, Stella meets a 20 year old, Winston Shakespeare, with
whom she instantly falls in love. Winston teaches Stella how to enjoy the things in life
that are usually taken for granted and to learn how to live in a peaceful manner.
How to Win Friends & Influence People, Dale Carnegie
This book is seen as an amazing asset to anyone and everyone because we all have
personal or professional relationships to cultivate. The book discusses ways of relating to
people, effective conversation, how to adequately argue a point, how to see from
another’s point of view, how to become a leader, as well as many other important lessons.
If I am Missing or Dead: A Sister’s Story of Love, Murder and Liberation, Janine Latus,
Latus examines how she and her sister ended up in both physically and emotionally
abusive relationships. She begins to examine their relationship with their father, Amy’s
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marriage and her own experiences with men to find how they ended up domestic violence
victims. Janine is able to find liberation through her sister’s murder and give the reader
insight into the mind of a domestic violence survivor.
I Know This Much is True, Wally Lamb
This book is a story of twin brothers, one who develops schizophrenia, while the other
goes through the trials and tribulations of dealing with his brother's illness. It takes an
intellectual and wellresearched attempt to portray the illness and its effects on family
members.
I Know Why the Caged Bird Sings, Maya Angelou
In this autobiography, Angelou describes her life growing up and having to overcome
tremendous burdens. It is a very powerful book that allows its readers to get a sense of
what it feels to be sexually abused, to have to struggle with a life of solitude and
uncertainly, and also to experience racism.
I was #87: A Deaf Woman’s Ordeal of Misdiagnosis, Institutionalization, and Abuse,
Anne Bolander & Adair Renning
This book was about a deaf woman’s life, her heartache and struggle to find a place
where she belongs. It took her family and teachers a long time to learn that she was deaf.
Illusions, Richard Bach
Bach is a biplane pilot in the Midwest. He loves his life, but at times is extremely lonely.
During one of his new hay field searches he spots another airplane and decides to land.
He meets Donald Shimoda, a retired Messiah. Through their summer of flying together
Shimoda teaches Bach about the power that lies within.
In a Dark Time, Susannah Sheffer and Dwight Harrison
A former inmate gets released into society, and goes on a journey to explore the events
that lead up to his incarceration. Issues include, effects of divorce on children, sexual
abuse and emotional abuse, violent crime, substance abuse and prison.
In Cold Blood, Truman Capote
This work is a true account of the quadruple-murder of the Clutter family that happened
in Holcomb, Kansas in 1959. The family was left dead without any apparent motive or
clues. Capote reconstructs the days leading up to the murder, followed by the
investigation and trial.
Indefensible, David Feige
Indefensible takes the reader through a day in the life of a Bronx County Public
Defender. David Feige uses the experiences he’s gathered through over ten years as a
Public Defense Attorney to compile vivid images of the souls that find their way to the
defendants’ chair without money for dinner, let alone an attorney. He brings compassion
and humor to those about to embark on what can be the most damning experience of a
life, and shows us how those dooming days are just another of the same day for the
tireless ones that count themselves as Public Defenders.
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Inequality Matters: The Growing Economic Divide in America and Its Poisonous
Consequences
Inequality Matters is a collection of 22 essays by different authors about the growing gap
between the rich of America and the rest of us.
In Her Shoes, Jennifer Weiner
From sisterly fights to the everlasting bond that only sisters can share, this book captures
everything between two sisters. It always happens that one sister has a less structured life
(Maggie) and needs that bond and support you can only get from a sister (in this case,
older sister Rose). It’s an array of emotions from funny to sad, and undoubtedly defines
the bond of sisterhood.
In the Meantime: Finding Yourself and the Love You Want, Iyanla Vanzant
The book chronicles a number of different individuals and uses the experiences of these
characters to make the reader think a little deeper about their own relationships. This
book also offers alternative ways of thought in which to potentially alleviate future
relationship struggles and stresses.
In the Time of the Butterflies, Julia Alvarez
The Mirabal sisters lived in the Dominican Republic during the time of Trujillo, believed
in freedom and fought for it. The sisters were opposed to his dictatorship and the way he
treated his people and placed them in constant fear. As opponents of the dictatorship they
created underground movements and used the name Las Mariposas- “The Butterflies”.
Invisible Monsters, Chuck Palahniuk
This book is about a supermodel that comes from a very torn family and gets most of her
face shot-off while driving on the freeway. She then has to completely change her
lifestyle and ends up traveling around with a drag queen.
Ishmael, Daniel Quinn
This book takes you on “an adventure of the mind and spirit.” The reader learns the
concepts and ideas presented through a teacher and a student’s conversations and stories.
The book is a history, a policymaking and an environmental lesson all in an amazing
story that captivates the reader.
Island of the Blue Dolphins, Scott O'Dell
This is a story about Karana and how she deals with loss. She lives on an island with
others but a boat of outsiders comes and takes them away, leaving her behind. She spends
"many moons" alone, befriending the animals and learning about survival. She learns to
do many things that she would not have learned to do if she had been by herself and
becomes strong.
It Happened to Nancy, by an Anonymous Teenager
The book is made up of an anonymous girl’s diary entries. Nancy is a teenage girl who is
completely in love with a man she has been seeing for a short time. He rapes her and she
struggles with the guilt and depression and anger that that event brings her. Shortly after
she gets sick, and realizes that she has HIV/AIDS. The entries book deal with her
struggle to stay healthy, both physically and mentally.
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It’s Not About the Bike: My Journey Back to Life, Lance Armstrong
A fairly arrogant young man from Texas decided he was going to be a bicycle racer.
Although he worked hard, he was a natural and traveled all over the world racing until he
came down with cancer at age 28. He came back to win the Tour de France, a grueling
weeklong bike race. This is a story of strength, humility, and gratitude.
I Wish There Was Something That I Could Quit, Aaron Cometbus
The narrator lives in a parked bus in his friend’s back yard and tells about their small but
often complex world. Both the author and his friend spend their days discussing politics,
and just dealing with life. They and all the people they meet have extraordinary
personalities in very ordinary circumstances. We learn a lot about each character as we
watch them grow, interact and love through the eyes of our narrator.
Japanland, Karin Muller
This book teaches a lot about life in an older, more traditional Japanese family. It is the
story of a 35 year old woman who give up her day job in Washington, DC to move to
Tokyo, to live with a host family and study Judo in hopes of discovering Wa. Wa
loosely translates into finding inner peace. Muller discusses her response to the struggles
of immersing herself in another culture.
Jemima J, Jane Green
Jane Green is a comical fiction writer who bases her stories out of England. Jemima J is
about a woman who is obsessed with her weight and looks. In hopes of finding a man to
love her for her without discriminating against her weight, she decides to look online.
After meeting a man on the internet, he demands to meet her in person. Along with
dealing with the cattiness of her roommates, and the crush that she has at work, Jemima J
must overcome her addictions and find her true self, in order to find her true love.
Johnny Got His Gun, Dalton Trumbo
A story about a man who fought in WWII who got was injured and is now is a man with
no arms, legs, ears, etc. You are inside his head as he talks about the atrocities of war.
Joy Luck Club, Amy Tan
This books is about four Chinese women, drawn together by the shadow of their past.
They call their gathering the “Joy Luck Club”. It is a reflection of the past of the four
women and how their past reflects on their relationship with their own daughters. It is a
colorful book filled with Chinese culture and history yet the relationship of the women
and their daughters is universal.
Julia's Mother: Life Lessons in the Pediatric E.R, William Bonadio, M.D.
Bonadio shares his triumphs, heartbreaks, and difficult moments. Each chapter is another
story, ranging from a story about dissecting a corpse in medical school to one about a
severely handicapped child and his mother's fierce battle to keep him alive. His writing
brings you into the story, making you feel the joy and sadness of the patients, parents, or
nurses.
Just Enough Light for the Step I’m On, Stormie Omartian
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This book shares with readers Omartian’s difficult childhood where she was abused.
Because of the trauma she went through when young, she fell into depression. She brings
into focus that her faith in God was the climax of her healing and of her new life.
The Kite Runner, Khaled Hosseini
In this fictional story, we see Amir living in the U.S. but recounting his life in
Afghanistan as a young boy. We follow his struggles, especially the guilt that haunts him
of betraying his childhood friend. Amir later returns to Afghanistan to learn about his
past; and works to save the orphaned son of his childhood friend whom h pushed out of
his life years ago.
The Last Chance in Texas, John Hubner
This is a true story about The Giddings State School in Texas which is a Juvenile
Institution for violent offenders. This is a “gut wrenching” account of these students’
crime stories and how the school tries to reform the prisoners. This is a unique school,
with a program that is not offered anywhere else in the country. They devise a special
program where they first focus on their childhood and what led them to their crimes, and
what the root of the anger was (poor parenting, abandonment, abuse); then it focuses on
the crime that they committed.
The Last Lecture, Randy Pausch with Jeffrey Zaslow
Randy Pausch was a successful professor at Carnegie Mellon as well as a loving husband
and father, when he was diagnosed with a terminal illness. Pausch decided to perform this
“last lecture”, along with publish this book, an explanation of all of the stories he told
during it, for his children. He wanted them to have as much knowledge of their father
when he was gone, as they could.
The Last Time I Wore A Dress, Daphne Scholinski and Jane Meredith Adams
At the age of fifteen, Daphne Scholinski was put into a mental hospital after her
psychiatrist found her unable to “indentify as a sexual female”. Instead of having a
normal life as a teenager, Daphne traveled from one mental hospital to the next as a
number mental health professional attempted to “fix” her Gender Identity Disorder. She
was forced to wear dresses, makeup and form intimate relationships with young males. In
her memoir Scholinski takes you on a journey from her younger years as she suffers both
physical and mental abuse from her parents, to what life was like inside the walls of the
hospital until she is able to leave at age eighteen.
This Land was Their Land, Leo Simmons
This is about the rape of Southwest land and the Native Americans who have lost it. This
loss of land, leads to the current debates of Native Americans rights particularly casino
and gaming practices, which has become their only means of money making.
Le Prisonnier (The Prisoner), Malika Oufkir
This story takes place in Morocco. Malika is the oldest daughter of General Oufkir a
man who tried to overthrow the government by trying to assassinate the king of Morocco.
When he failed, the King executed the General and sent the rest of the family to jail.
Malika and her family survived 20 years in jail until Malika and two brothers escape and
seek help.
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Let Me Hear Your Voice: A Family’s Triumph Over Autism, Catherine Maurice
This is a story of one mothers struggle to save her infant son from a life of struggling
with autism. Experimenting with various therapies Maurice finally settles on a mix of
behavior modification therapy, and fights to defend her choice. After years of arduous
work to pull her son back from the impending darkness of autism, there is a breakthrough
and her son show remarkable progress, stunning medical professionals.
Letters for Emily, Camron Wright
The story details the final legacy of a grandfather as he struggles with Alzheimer’s
disease, and passes on his spirit through a collection of writings to his granddaughter,
Emily. A book that will certainly hit home with anyone that has ever watched a love one
struggle with the trails of growing old, or that has lost a loved one.
Life Of Pi, Yann Martel
An extraordinary story about animals, faith, and one's will for survival. The story begins
in India but takes the reader far across the seas to where the journey comes to an end.
Light in August, William Faulkner
A young, pregnant girl is in search of her baby’s father. She is unaware that the man she
is looking for is involved in a serious crime. The Southern town she reaches also has a
deep history. Faulkner explores issues of racism, love, religion, duty, and destiny in the
early 1900s.
Like Water for Chocolate, Laura Esquivel
It is part love story, part fantasy that delves into the lives of a Mexican family during the
Mexican Revolution. Tita cannot marry and is subject to a life of taking care of her
mother until the day she dies, but is desperately in love with Pedro. Pedro ends up
marrying Tita's older sister in order to stay close to Tita.
Lioness Rampant, Tamora Pierce
Alanna is the main character in this story. This is the fourth book about a young woman
who dreams of being a knight (fantasy novel). Her twin brother Thom, is supposed to be
sent to the castle to learn how to become a knight while she is meant to go to the convent
and learn how to become a marriageable woman. Motherless, and neglected by their
father, the two of them resemble each other enough to switch places. Alanna goes to the
castle and Thom goes to the convent, not as a woman but as a boy practicing to become a
magician.
Lipstick Jungle, Candace Bushnell
This book chronicles 3 women in their 40s in non-traditional roles living in NYC. One is
a single fashion designer, one is an editor of a magazine, and one is a movie producer.
They are all friends and the book shows life in the 21st century for powerful woman but
they still have stereotypes to defy, and are somewhat dissatisfied with an aspect of their
life.
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The Lion, the Witch, and the Wardrobe, C.S. Lewis
This novel, the first in a series, describes 4 children who live in a big mansion with their
rich grandfather. Before they know it they are engulfed in a magical fantasy world and
must adapt to the crazy situations they come upon.
The Little Prince, Antoine de Saint-Exupery
This is an amazing children’s book that tells the tale of a prestigious middle aged aviator
who crashes in the desert and while there encounters a boy dressed like a prince from a
distant planet. While the aviator fixes his engine, his ears are open as the little prince tells
him stories of his far off adventures to seek out something “better” than what exists on
his asteroid sized planet. Although it is considered a children’s book, it is filled with
themes and values that one can only appreciate as an adult wanting to hold onto those
ideas of childhood.
A Long Way Down, Nick Hornby
The story of four people on New Year’s Eve in London who all meet on the top of a
building and are ready to jump off. Each person tells their personal tale of how each other
person saved them from their death. The book starts on New Year’s Eve and you follow
the four people’s lives until years later. They discuss how each person had a lasting
impact on the others and the friendship that cam out of that night.
A Long Way Gone: Memoirs of a Boy Soilder, Ishmael Beah
Beah grew up in Sierra Leone in the 1990’s. At age thirteen, after years spent fleeing war,
he was made to serve in the army. After watching his community, friends, and family
members meet violent ends, his vulnerable state made it easy for military officials to
convert him from a kind hearted child to a one who could kill. Beah describes his flight
from his native village, gruesome tales of his time spent in battle, rehabilitation after an
intervention on behalf of UNICEF, and trip to New York City as a refugee, all occurring
before the age of seventeen.
Losing My Faculties, Brendan Halpin
This book is about the journey of a beginning teacher, Brendan Halpin, and all the
obstacles that he experiences during his first years of teaching. It focuses on the
educational system, the difficulties that teachers experience, and the administrators that
are in charge of the system. Shortly after graduating, Brendan heads to Taiwan to teach
English. Halpin explores his struggles with teaching and describes the difficulties of
being a first year teacher.
Looking for Alaska, John Green
Quirky Miles transfers his junior year of high school looking to find new meaning in his
life, what he refers to as the “Great Perhaps”. However Miles gets caught up in smoking,
alcohol, and his obsession with fellow classmate Alaska Young. As Miles and his friends
plan the largest prank the school has ever seen, a tragic event causes everyone at Culver
Creek to reconsider their own “Great Perhaps” and nothing at the school will ever be the
same.
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Looking for Mr. Goodbar, Judith Rossner
Looking for Mr. Goodbar details the life of Terry Dunn her history with men is profiled
beginning with her married college writing instructor and ending with her murder in her
very own bedroom.
Look Me In The Eye, John Elder Robinson
Look Me in the Eye is a unique memoir written by John Elder Robinson. When
Robinson was 40 years old he was diagnosed with Asperger’s Syndrome. This was after
he had toured with KISS as a pyrotechnic and sound engineer, managed multiple projects
at an advanced game designing company, opened his own luxury car repair shop, got
married, and had a baby boy. Robinson, from as far back as his very first memory, knew
he was different than his peers, but it wasn’t until 40 years later than he knew he wasn’t
alone in his different, and often strange social behaviors. Look Me in the Eye takes you
through the complicated, confusing, and often frustrating life that John Robinson
managed to weave into an inspirational adventure.
The Lord of the Flies, William Golding
A tale of a group of boys who survive a plane crash and land on a deserted island, the
children, who range from ages 7 to 15, must now come together in an effort to survive.
As the idea of being rescued fades, the children must now accept a new reality. The
morals and values of each will ultimately be tested.
Losing My Faculties, Brendan Halpin
This book is about the journey of a beginning teacher, Brendan Halpin, and all the
obstacles that he experiences during his first nine years of teaching. Shortly after
graduating, Brendan heads to Taiwan to teach English. No clue of what he wants to do
with his life, working abroad sounds like something cool for Brendan. Brendan is very
passionate about teaching in urban settings, and has many struggles along the way.
Love Always, Petra, Petra Nemcova
Nemcova was caught in Sri Lanka's tsunami and lost the love of her life, Simon Atlee. In
this book she shares her modeling experiences, the love she found along the way and the
morning of the tsunami and the excruciating pain she went through for eight hours,
waiting to be rescued. Although she experienced something so horrendous, she found a
way to write with love and a positive outlook on life.
The Lovely Bones, Alice Sebold
This is a beautifully written story about the tragedy of a fourteen-year-old, Susie Salmon.
Susie is raped and murdered by her neighbor in December of 1973, and it is told from her
point of view in heaven. Susie watches her family grieve as her father becomes
determined to find her killer and her mother breaks down.
Lucky, Alice Sebold
This book documents the account of Sebold’s rape at Syracuse University in 1981. The
story is focused around Sebold’s struggle to understand and accept what happened to her
and of her efforts not to have her life defined by her sexual victimization. She is able to
finish out her first year of college and discovers that writing has becomes a coping
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method in dealing with her victimization. Sebold also explores the effect the attack had
on her friends and family and their personal struggles to support her.
Lullaby, Chuck Palahniuk
It is based on the discovery of an ancient lullaby that is lethal if spoken or thought in a
person's direction. The main character initially uses it as a weapon against those who
enrage or annoy him but he quickly becomes overwhelmed and horrified by the
consequences of the lullaby.
Lust for Life, Irving Stone
This book is about the life of a famous artist Vincent Van Gogh. Stone writes to engage
the reader to emotionally follow the traumatic and often sad journey that is Van Gogh’s
life. The book describes Van Gogh as an eccentric artist who was mentally ill and even
spent some time in a mental hospital.
Madness: A Bipolar Life, Marya Hornbacher
Madness is the follow-up memoir to Hornbacher’s first book, Wasted: A Memoir of
Anorexia and Bulimia. Madness details Hornbacher’s life from childhood into the
present, including the years that she wrote about in Wasted. However, Madness takes a
different approach to her early experiences and attributes her eating disorders, selfmutilation, drug use, and sexually promiscuous behavior to an extreme case of
undiagnosed bipolar disorder. Madness explores Hornbacher’s two marriages, successful
literary career and her numerous mental hospital stays through her rapid cycles of mania
and depression.
Marley and Me, John Grogan
Marley, a yellow lab, is brought into the Grogan home as just a small adorable pup,
which does not last long. As Marley grows larger so does his personality; he is full of
life and energy, wrecking everything and anything in his way. Shortly after Marley’s
arrival, the Grogan’s start to have children all while this loveable disaster of a dog seems
to tear the family into shambles.
Memoirs of a Geisha, Arthur S. Golden
Chiyo overcomes multiple adversities such as unexpectedly being sold into geisha
training by her father, death of her ill mother, separation from her sister, cruel and
spiteful treatment by a veteran geisha, loss of friendship, as well as the sale of her
virginity. She endures cruelty, jealousy misery and a whole new way of life and
eventually comes to accept it, excel in it and even embrace it in route of becoming the
first class geisha.
Message in a Bottle, Nicholas Sparks
This story takes place in North Carolina, where a man has lost his wife and fills his time
sailing and fixing his boats. He sends his wife several messages in bottles and a Boston
reporter finds one. The reporter is determined to find the individual who had written this
letter and their romance takes off from there.
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Middlesex, Jeffrey Eugenides
Calliope follows a mutated gene as it travels through three generations, from Greece to
America, before finally reaching her in 1970’s Michigan. Born a female, Cal begins to
lives as a man once the mutation is identified. Cal and Calliope narrate this story,
switching between Cal's present struggles entering a relationship with a woman in
Germany and Calliopes self-discovery. Tracing the gene through three generations
allows the reader to understand the science behind Cal’s transformation, while the
narration provides emotion.
A Million Little Pieces, James Frey
After years of abusing drugs, Frey found himself on a place with a multitude of injuries.
He had no recollection of events leading up to his departure, nor did he know where the
plane’s final destination was. He is greeted at the airport by his parents and taken to a
treatment facility; the story is a journey of sobriety. We follow him through the mental
and physical withdrawals he goes through in order to get, and remain, clean.
Milkrun, Sarah Mlynowski
Jackie has just been left by her boyfriend and has now set off to find herself. The
situations Jackie gets into are hilarious and the ending is wonderfully happy. A story that
depicts the trials and tribulations of dating.
The Mole People, Jennifer Toth
Issues such as drugs, poverty, race and class all contribute to and perpetuate the life that
the people in the book choose for themselves. Homeless, they retreat to the subway
tunnels where they find an area to call their own. Toth was careful to observe that for
some living underground was a choice and for some it was a necessity of survival.
Mona in the Promised Land, Gish Jen
Mona is a first generation Chinese American teenage girl who tries to find her own
identity being Chinese in a predominantly Jewish community. Mona, like other girls her
age is embarrassed by her family and the things that they do differently in comparison to
other families.
Monster: The Autobiography of an L.A. Gang Member, Kody Scott
Scott was born in 1963 and grew up in South Central Los Angeles. At 11 years old only
in 6th grade, he joins the Crips and is introduced to life on the streets. This book depicts
the despair and decay of America's inner cities and gives eloquent voice to the black
experience today.
More, Now, Again: A Memoir of Addiction, Elizabeth Wurtzel
Elizabeth Wurtzel, the author of the book-turned-movie Prozac Nation, was prescribed
Ritalin while writing her second book in order to help her concentrate on her writing. She
begins to abuse the medication, under the impression that it is a “safe drug” and this
abuse eventually leads to a dangerous combination of cocaine addiction, self-mutilation,
and depression. Wurtzel eventually employs a number of different treatment methods,
including in-patient rehab, halfway houses, and out-patient individual and group therapy.
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Mountains beyond Mountains, Tracy Kidder
Tracy Kidder’s Pulitzer Prize winning book, Mountains Beyond Mountains, chronicles
Doctor Paul Farmer in his quest to eradicate certain infectious diseases from the world’s
poorest populations. Kidder effectively takes readers on Farmer’s journey, fighting one
struggle and the next as the title and Haitian proverb suggest, beyond mountains there are
mountains. Operating on the belief that the cost of healthcare should not affect who gets
treated and who does not, we see Farmer literally build cities for medical refugees
seeking asylum from their own bodies. Farmer starts in Haiti then expands to Peru and
then Russian prisons soon thereafter, with the aid of his comrade Jim Kim, and his oncelover Ophelia. The threesome develops new practices for treatment, and standards by
which new international norms have been set. They sought out to rehash established
medical practices on the belief that if the world’s poorest populations are allowed to
subsist in disease ridden existence, then it is inevitable that said diseases will eventually
reach the middle and upper classes, of even the most advanced nations, in pandemic
form.. With a glimpse into the impoverished world, this story leaves readers
reconsidering how much they are doing to alleviate poverty and inspiring them to do
more.
My Brother, My Sister, and I, Yoko Kawashima Watkins
This is a captivating story about three siblings who are separated after WWII Japan.
They lived in poverty, hungry not knowing where their next meal will come from. On
their journey as orphans the brother, Hideyo, is accused of murder and the sister Ko is
injured. With their honesty and strength they persevere.
My Friend Leonard, James Frey
In this sequel, Frey reunites with Leonard, a king pin in both the facility as well as the
organized crime world. Leonard takes James under his wing to get him started on
building his life as a sober man. We follow James through new challenges and triumphs
as he attempts to stay sober upon his release. However, Leonard suddenly disappears.
When the reasons behind his mysterious absence are revealed, the book opens up in
unexpected emotional ways.
My Sister’s Keeper, Jodi Picoult
This is a story about two sisters; one is extremely sick, and the other has had more
surgeries than she can remember. Anna is convinced the only reason she was born was to
keep her older sister alive. She has donated marrow and had blood transfusions all so her
sister can fight her leukemia. Anna decides she has had enough and takes the step to
become emancipated from her parents.
Mystic River, Dennis Lehane
Set in Boston’s Southie the book follows Sean, Jimmy, and Dave. It starts out in 1970’s
but then jumps to the year 2000 when they are adults. The three men who were once
friends are brought back together after a tragic event.
The Nanny Diaries, Emma McLaughlin & Nicola Kraus
This is the story of a young woman putting herself through graduate school at NYU by
nannying. She was hired by a family with a 4-year-old son and gets tangled up in the
family’s life. The book basically pokes fun at the New York City elite, and shows us how
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our society’s over-privileged people take advantage of people just trying to do the right
thing.
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Native Son, Richard Wright
This book provides an insightful cultural commentary as to the state of racism in America
in the 1930’s. Bigger Thomas is a young man who is livid with the state of inequality in
America. After accepting a job working as a driver for a wealthy white man, a spiral of
hate, resentment, and fear leads Bigger to accidentally kill the man’s daughter. Bigger’s
emotions, and the terror of what could happen to him if he is caught, lead him to become
further entangled in a web of deceit. Wright presents a powerful depiction of the impact
oppression and isolation have upon the course of action Bigger feels he must take to
survive in the world he lives in.
Nickel and Dimed: On (not) Getting by in America, Barbara Ehrenreich
Ehrenreich’s mission started with working anonymously in minimum wage jobs and
reporting about it. She became an advocate for the friends she mad and people’s lives she
was trying to assimilate. This book looks at the trials and travails of low-income workers
in America. Ehrenreich captures the desperation, fear, and all-too-frequent fatalism of
minimum-wage employees, their demanding and often hypocritical managers, and the
indifferent, affluent society that surrounds them.
Nights in Rodanthe, Nicholas Sparks
This book is about two middle-aged people who meet briefly in passing at low points in
both of their lives. The story is about the weekend they met, and the years that followed.
Mostly it is a conversation between 2 people about life, and about finding new journeys
in life’s second act. It is in many ways a love story, but more than that, it is a story of
self-discovery and the strength that can be derived from others.
Night, Elie Wiesel
In Wiesel's memoir Night, a religious teenager is filled with guilt for having survived the
Holocaust and the genocidal campaign that took the lives of his community and his entire
family. Throughout his memories, he questions: how can the God he once passionately
believed in allow these gruesome acts? In 1944, in Romania, 12 year old Wiesel spent
much time and passion on Jewish religious studies
Normal Girl, Molly Jong-Fast
Miranda is in her late teens that grew up in a family that was “well off”. Her parents
expected her to do well in school and never thought she would run into problems. Her
connections to the hottest clubs and reputation as “party queen” eventually lead to drug
and alcohol problems.
No Such Thing As a Bad Kid – Understanding and Responding to the Challenging
Behavior of Troubled Children and Youth, Charles D. Applestein, MSW
This is a compelling portrayal of life as someone working with troubled youth.
Applestein decodes behavior and provides plenty of examples – with helpful solutions –
for success in the social work realm. Whether you’re considering a life as a foster parent,
social worker, behavior specialist, or counselor, this book is the book to read. It’s a
handbook for life in the Human Services world, providing readers with pointers, ideas,
and even support when you’re at a loss. Beneficial to read at any point in one’s career,
this book addresses not only the population receiving services, but those providing them,
and in the most appropriate ways.
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The Notebook, Nicholas Sparks
It is a story of an enduring love through the ages, starting out when they were just young
teenagers in love and extending to their old age when they are living in a nursing home
and how their love surprises everyone, overcoming the woman’s Alzheimer’s disease.
Notes from the Underground, Fyodor Dostoyevsky
Practice and challenge your empathic talents by exploring the tirades of one of the great
antiheroes of Russian Literature. Thought to be the first existential novel this is a story of
a retired civil servant who as reached a point of ennui. By the end, you will love to
cringe at his consciously self-destructive lack of interpersonal skills.
Notes Left Behind, Brooke & Keith Desserich
A book that follows the life of Elena Desserich during her fight with terminal cancer. The
reader is brought to the hospital in where Elena gets her chemo and treatment. We follow
her home where she attempts to play with her younger sister Gracie. Readers are also
there when she starts losing her ability to speak, eyesight, and when she wakes up one
morning paralyzed.
No Woman No Cry, Rita Marley
Rita, Bob Marley’s wife, chronicles her childhood and her whole relationship with Bob
Marley up until his death. Not only does the book shed light on Bob Marley's
personality, but it also covers social issues such as the machismo that exists in Jamaican
culture, the class and money gaps, and the violence in Jamaica. Rita is a very strong
woman and expresses it beautifully in her book.
A Nurse’s Story, Tilda Shalof
Although this book was a detailed account of the life of a critical care nurse in hospital’s
intensive care unit, the writing was both personable and sentimental. Shalof identified
misconceptions about nurses, revealing her own self-doubts, insecurities and daily stress.
It includes many patient stories, allowing the reader a holistic look at nursing.
Odd Girl Out, Rachel Simmons
This book is about the "hidden culture” of aggression in girls. Simmons focuses on
isolation, manipulation, and backstabbing as a means of bullying. She describes the
interactions between girls and provides language for the indirect aggression that runs
through the lives and friendships of girls. These exchanges of aggression among young
girls take place within intimate circles where the importance of friends and the fear of
losing them. Without a legitimate way to express their anger or to resolve their conflicts,
girls express their aggression in stealthy but damaging ways. Every generation of women
can tell stories of being bullied, but Odd Girl Out explores and explains these experiences
for the first time.
Of Mice and Men, John Steinbeck
This story describes the hard times of labor workers in the Great Depression. It shows the
bond of two men and what they will do for each other. This story shows true friendship
and where a dream and a lot of determination can take you. The story involves mistakes,
comedy, love, death, and compassion.
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Oh, The Places You’ll Go, Dr. Seuss
This is a children’s story that is just as meaningful for most adults. Looking past the
whimsical rhyming and simple style, the message of this book is applicable to everyone.
It is especially perfect for recent or soon-to-be college graduates, who may be
discouraged or intimidated, and need a reminder that they have their whole lives ahead of
them to do anything they put their minds to.
The Okinawa Program, Bradley J. Willcox, Craig Willcox, & Makoto Suzuki
This book explains how the traditions and lifestyles of those living on Okinawa make
them the longest living people in the world. The simplicity by which these people live
their lives, and the daily activities that consume their time, produces an everlasting calm.
The 25year old study proves how the people of Okinawa combine the right kinds of
foods, with a certain kind of exercise to age them past there hundreds.
Omnivore's Dilemma, Michael Pollan
This book illustrates how the food chain works and where the food that most Americans
eat comes from and how it is produced. This book is highly focused on health and
environmental factors of the food system in the United States. Pollan takes an unbiased
view and presents the facts about food.
On Their Own: What Happens to Kids when they Age Out of the Foster Care
System, Martha Shirk and Gary Stangler
Many children in foster care face many struggles and hardships. This book follows ten
teenagers as they enter their final years in foster care and through the aging out process. It
details what services they were provided with and includes a brief history of their lives as
well as the outcome of their story (to the year 2004). These ten clients have very different
stories, worked with various caseworkers and were served at many agencies.
On the Road, Jack Kerouac
This book tells the true tale of Sal Paradise’s adventures on a road trip across the country
and his exploration of personal freedom through travel. This book was written in 1958,
which was during the beat era, a period of time that America as going through the early
stages of the massive social movement.
On Their Own: What happens to kids when they age out of the foster care system?
Martha Shirk & Gary Strangler
For the most part, children in the foster care system have already experienced significant
trauma or abuse. As they grown older they are faced with even more difficult problemsfrom every day necessities to long term stability- whether they will become adopted, have
a roof over their heads, have the guidance and support that every youth is in need of, to
when will their next meal be. Each specific youth has a different experience within the
foster care system, some positive while others not so much. On Their Own provides a
unique perspective on the foster care system and the services and lack of services that it
offers or fails to offer foster kids with emphasis of when these kids reach adulthood- or
‘age out’ of foster care. Authors Shirk and Strangler examined several youth from
different states to see if whether or not the foster system provided the foster kids with
enough preparation and guidance to be successful in the world on their own.
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Only Love is Real, Brian Weiss, M. D.
This is a beautiful and fascinating story about two soul mates that have reconnected
through the passage of time. It is written by a psychiatrist who was able to piece together
and establish relationships the past lives of some of his patients through hypnosis.
Ophelia Speaks, Sara Shandler
This book is a compilation of stories written by young women from all walks of life.
Reading the book is like listening to the voices of adolescent women from across all
cultures, races, and socioeconomic status. There are stories about love, parents,
boyfriends, lesbians, eating disorders, abuse, and every other topic imaginable. This is a
great insight into the varying lives and experiments of young women.
Orphans of the Living, Jennifer Toth
Orphans of the Living takes the stories of children located in four parts of the country and
open the reader’s eyes to their worlds. Everyone has heard the horror stories of children
growing up in the system, but this book allows the reader to see the system through the
eyes of the children who have experienced it first-hand. The reader is able to find
her/himself feeling compassion towards the children mentioned in the book as they begin
to understand why they act the way they do. Toth provides not only pertinent
information on the faults of the system but challenges those who read it to be the ones
who try to make effective change.
Other People’s Children: Cultural Conflict in the Classroom, Lisa Delpit
Delpit goes into depth speaking about appreciating linguistic diversity in the classroom.
She continues to explain that not all students have access to the form of English taught in
schools, which she dubs as “Standard English”. Because of the cultural barrier that
separates those from those with Standard English and a child’s own cultural English
dialect, she provides a comprehensive solution where both realities can be embraced.
Outsider, S. E. Hinton
In Ponyboy’s point of view, greasers and socs are only two kinds of people in the world.
Greasers are always struggling for their lives, they have to watch their back, so they can
survive. However, socs are rich and can get almost anything they want. He belongs to
greasers’. These groups hate each other so much, resulting in fight in which two greasers
and one socs die. After losing his friends, Ponyboy wants revenge, however, after a trial a
judge concludes that he does not do anything.
The Pact, Jodi Picoult
A story about two families who experience love and tragedy. The Golds and the Hartes
are best friends from the parents to the children. Emily and Chris grew up together and
have been in love since they were children. But, when Emily is found dead in Chris’s
arms, the family’s relationship proves to change drastically. While one family suffers
through the biggest tragedy they’ll ever experience, the other struggles to save their child
from a lifetime in prison. What happens when youth are confused and alone but no one
notices? This is a story and a mystery of great love and despair.
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Player Piano, Scribner
Paul Proteus is living in an over industrialized society and works as a manager of the
Ilium Works plant’s industrial output and energy production. Paul, an engineer, feels the
misgiving about this new society because by the machines taking over the world’s
economy created a bigger underclass where people are left with no other choice by to
become ‘second rate machines themselves’. Paul joins Finnerty, who runs a rebel
underground society, that trying to rebel against the system.
Playing for Pizza, John Grisham
This is a true underdog story about a young man, Rick Dockery who was a backup
quarterback in the NFL, and was the scapegoat for the Cleveland Browns during a
playoff game loss. Rick gets his second chance in a professional league in Italy where he
is paid a very small salary. This is a story about playing for the love of the game.
The Poisonwood Bible, Barbara Kingsolver
This story follows a family of Baptist missionaries as they attempt to civilize a small
Congo village. The four daughters take turns telling the story about how their father tries
to overpower the village and his family. The family has entered the Congo at the start of
the revolution and as the country is pulled apart so is this family. Kingsolver’s descriptive
and poetic writing style keeps you drawn to this novel.
The Polar Express, Van Allsburg
The book tells the story of a boy, who, on Christmas Eve, boards a train outside his house
and travels to the North Pole with many of children his age. Once there, Santa chooses
the boy to receive the first gift of Christmas. Instead of asking for any number of toys or
presents, the boy only asks for one of the bells from Santa’s sleigh. Santa smiles, and
grants the boy’s wish, but when the boy goes to show off his present to his friends on the
train, he discovers a hole in his pocket where the bell used to be. Disappointed, the boy
returns home and awakens the next morning to open all of his gifts. The very last box
under the tree contained the boy’s bell and a note from Santa. The very last page of the
book explains that as people grow up, the sound of the bell is lost to them, and can only
be heard by those who “truly believe.”
A Prayer for Owen Meany, John Irving
This story set in 1950's in a small town and is about the friendship between John
Wheelwright and Owen Meany. Owen is a very strange character who is exceptionally
small in size and has an extremely high-pitched voice who believes he is "an instrument
of God." John is the illegitimate son of one of the wealthiest families in town.
Prince of Tides, Pat Conroy
Savannah is experiencing serious mental illness. Her brother meets regularly with her
therapist to discuss her life, his life and the future, a moving story of family.
Princess, Jean Sasson
This book is an autobiography of a Saudi Arabian Princess growing up in a country
where woman have no rights at all. It is her story of oppression as well as the incredible
human rights violations she suffered through. It is also a story of courage and inspiration
as she struggles to find the strength to hold on to her spirit.
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The Princess Bride, William Goldman
A high-class girl falls in love with a farm boy. After the farm boy disappears the princess
is engaged to marry a pompous prince. The prince makes an attempt to get rid of the
competition. The farm boy does not run away crying but instead puts together a team to
help him defeat the prince.
Prodigal Summer, Barbara Kingsolver
Kingsolver takes the reader to another world in this book. The lives of very different
people are woven together in a beautiful poetic story about the power of nature and the
long lasting impact of important relationships.
Prozac Diary, Lauren Slater
This is a true story of a woman and her love affair with Prozac. Slater is an individual
with OCD (Obsessive Compulsive Disorder), and she describes her battle between living
the life she has always known, and the socalled "normal" life she is able to lead while
taking Prozac.
Prozac Nation, Elizabeth Wurtzel
This book describes mental breakdowns and how lives and relationships are altered
because of the pain faced. This story is useful since many teens and adults suffer from
depression and I believe this allows the reader to go into the author’s head and
understand why a person with depression acts and thinks the way they do. It also gives
hope for those who are suffering; the author lives a normal life despite the problems she
had growing up with depression.
The Pursuit of Happiness, Chris Gardner with Quincy Troupe
Gardner faced tough times before deciding to change his life and joined the Navy. He
eventually became a very important part of the Navy working as a medic and a lab
technician. The book details the hardships and obstacles Gardner endured as he vowed to
always be there for his son.
Push, Sapphire
In this captivating story, set in Harlem, the main character, Precious, is verbally abused
by her mother and sexually abused by her father. This book lets the reader in on the harsh
realities that some have to overcome. The author chooses to use very descriptive
language, which sets the tone for the book.
The Quiet Room: A Journey Out of the Torment of Madness, Lori Schiller & Amanda
Bennett
This book describes Schiller's personal account with schizophrenia, suicide attempts,
hospitalizations, relapses and utter despair she felt until she ultimately found the right
medicine. It begins with her perfect childhood, growing up wealthy. She explains her
first experience with the voices in her head, and goes on to provide how the system deals
with her disease. She not only tells of the anguish, but of the rebirth of her life and how
she got there.
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Rachel and her Children, Jonathan Kozol
Kozol does a great job portraying various homeless individuals ranging from single
mothers to children and the conditions they live under. It is a book that reminds you to be
compassionate and non-judgmental for those who are low-income and that homelessness
can occur to almost anyone. This book offers documentation of several homeless
individuals and allows the reader to make their own judgments and observations.
The Rainbabies, Laura Krauss Melmed
This story is one of the best stories for any child and parent. It defiantly provides a
bonding moment between child and parent each and every time the story is read. It is
about a husband and wife who have been blessed with rainbabies, and their story of
taking care of these tiny gifts. The ending is very surprising and may bring a tear to your
eye.
Reading Lolita in Tehran, Azar Nafisi
This memoir is written by a woman who has lived in both the US and Iran, and teaches
literature. Nafisi describes her life experiences living in Iran before, during and after the
rule of the Ayatollah. She gracefully depicts the individuals close to her by describing
each individual female student who meets with her every Sunday for an intense literature
discussion group.
Real Boys: Rescuing Our Sons from the Myths of Boyhood, Dr. William Pollack, Ph. D.
Dr. Pollack uses the knowledge gleaned from his study ‘Listening to Boys’ Voices’ to
inform us of the challenges that boys of today are facing. Pollack uses terms like ‘gender
straitjacket’, ‘boy code’ and ‘the mask’ in order to describe the unique and impossible
standards set by society for our boys. Family life, sports, school, and adolescence are all
discussed as means of maintaining this ‘boy code’ and the reader is asked to challenge his
or her own stereotypes of what it means to be a boy in today’s world.
The Red Tent, Anita Diamant
This book tells the story of Dinah, daughter of the Jacob and Leah. In the Book of
Genesis, Dinah’s tale is a short, horrific detour in the familiar narrative of Jacob and
Joseph. This book describes the challenges of Jewish woman in biblical times through
the eyes of a successful midwife. It is a story of female tradition and strength.
Rescuing Jeffery, Richard Galli
On the 4th of July, Jeffery was in an accident at a friend’s swimming pool. Jeffery’s
father, Richard, rescues Jeffery from death, to find out that he would be paralyzed from
his neck down. Realizing that Jeffery would never be able to ‘live’ his life, Richard
battles with his desire to ‘rescue’ his only son from his own hollow life.
Reviving Ophelia: Saving the Selves of Adolescent Girls, Mary Piphern
Reviving Ophelia: Saving the Selves of Adolescent Girls is about Mary Pipher’s
experiences as a therapist working with adolescent girls. She describes, through case
studies, how therapy functions to uncover issues girls are facing and strategies to
facilitate positive change in their lives. She was inspired to write this book because of the
drastic increase of attempted suicides, eating disorders, sexual relations, and selfmutilation she was encountering with her clients. Her observations provide valuable
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insight into the reasons why many confident, well-adjusted girls suddenly become sad
and angry. Dr. Pipher uses her years of experience in teaching and counseling young
women in order to show how each girl is uniquely affected by the changes that take place
in their lives. This book was extremely informative about how societal and family
relations affect the development of girls.
Riding the Bus with My Sister: A True Life Journey, Rachel Simon
Beth, a woman with mental retardation makes a request to her writer sister, Rachel. She
asks her to spend one year with her as she rides the city bus. Beth, a bus regular, has
made friends with the bus drivers and sits on the bus talking to anyone who will talk with
her. When bus riders speak up on their personal thoughts of Beth she has no problem
holding her own. Beth lives a relatively normal life; she lives on her own and has a
boyfriend.
Rise and Walk: The Trial and Triumph of Dennis Byrd, Dennis Byrd, Michael D’Orso
Byrd, a defensive lineman for the New York Jets, was paralyzed from the neck down in a
collision during a game in November 1992. The book provides a full account of Byrd’s
treatment, including its a graphic, arresting description of the physical and emotional
devastation he experienced from the moment of impact to the present time. Byrd defied
all predictions and reasonable hopes and began walking again.
Rising Sun, Michael Crichton
The book is a murder mystery. It first starts out at a major Japanese company and a
woman is found dead. The police bring in two detectives that are familiar with the
Japanese language and culture. The detectives try to find the killer before the story of the
murder goes public.
Rule of the Bone, Russell Banks
A young boy abused by his stepfather and alienated by his mother runs away from home
and the problem he finds out there. Life on the street is challenging and along the way he
meets a homeless Rastafarian who teaches him the ways of his religion. His travels lead
him to many places and in and out of trouble with the law as he grows and attempts to
find himself.
Running with Scissors, Augusten Burroughs
Burroughs walks you through some unbelievable episodes he experienced throughout his
life. It was not easy being raised by homicidal parents who underwent a messy divorce.
After that, one would think things would take a turn for the better when all they did was
become more surreal. Due to the development of his mother’s illness, at 12 year old
Burroughs is forced to live with her outrageously narcissistic psychiatrist. It centers on
Burroughs’ teenage years spent in an uncontrolled household.
Savage Inequalities: Children in America's Schools, Jonathan Kozol
This is a heartwrenching story about several inner city public schools in America. This
book is a must read for anyone who has ever wanted to be a teacher, Kozol takes his
audience into some of the most deprived, poorly funded schools in the nation and clearly
illustrates the horror these students face day in and day out. He then compares these
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schools to some of the wealthiest public schools this nation has to offer. It is amazing and
sickening to realize the vast difference between these school systems.
Save Karyn, Karyn Bosnak
A true story of a woman who accrued $20,000 in debt. Determined to keep this
knowledge hidden from her parents, she cut back on all of her luxuries, started to sell her
more expensive purchases back on e-bay, and created a website in order to ask others to
help her defeat her debt.
Secret Games, Wendy Ewald
This book is a powerfully magnificent photography collection of 30 years of works by
both Ewald and children she has educated around the world. This collaborative book is a
view into the realities and dreams of children in countries as diverse as the United States,
Colombia, India, and South Africa. As an educational and empowerment experience for
Ewald and the children, this unusual approach to documentary photography lets viewers
discover the world through children’s eyes exploring cultural issues such as language,
race, violence, and gender.
Shantaram, Gregory David Roberts
Shantaram is the name granted Gregory by his slum dwelling friends in India.
Imprisoned in a maximum security prison due to armed robberies committed to support
his heroin addiction, Shantaram managed to escape. As he struggles with his past
wrongdoings, Shantaram is given the chance to restart his life on a new foot and learns
much about Indian culture. Unfortunately, yet fascinatingly, he is introduced to the
Indian mob, who supplies him with more medication and resources for his clinic.
Sippy Cups are Not for Chardonnay: and Other Things I Had to Learn as a New Mom,
Stephanie Wilder-Tayler
This book is a comical parenting guide that offers common sense advice and assurance to
new mothers. The author explores everything from how to handle playground cliques to
what to say when given unwarranted parenting advice at Starbucks. Unlike most baby
books that condemn parents for the true emotions they experience in the first year, this
book assures mothers that they are still good mothers even if they do need a glass of wine
to forgive their baby for keeping them up all night.
A Star Called Henry, Roddy Doyle
Born in the Dublin slums, Henry learns to grow up fast. Still a young boy, he fights in the
Easter Rebellion of 1916 as a soldier of the Irish Citizen Army. This is a story of a boy
becoming a man and realizing that the world is not always what it seems.
Straight Man, Richard Russo
This is a novel about Hank, a professor who works in the English Department at a
‘second-rate’ West Central Pennsylvania University. It’s told from Hank's point of view
and gets his take on everything going on around him and why he never moved onto
something greater.
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A Streetcar Named Desire, Tennesse Williams
The play A Streetcar Named Desire, by playwright Tennesse Williams, was first
published in 1947 by New Directions. This well-known tragedy, taking place in New
Orleans in the late 1940’s, tells the story of the relationship between Stanley Kowalski
and his pregnant wife Stella when Stella’s fragile and insecure sister Blanche DuBois
unexpectedly arrives at their home to stay for an indeterminate amount of time.
Seinfeld: The Totally Unauthorized Tribute, David Wild
What could be lighter than a book about nothing? Jerry, George, Elaine and Kramer are
characters that we can all relate to on some level. More than anything they allow us to
forget about our daily struggles and laugh at the way we take our selves too seriously.
Sex, Drugs, and Cocoa Puffs, Chuck Klosterman
This book is set up in a series of short essays, each with a pop culture topic of its own.
The topics vary from the Lakers-Celtics rivalry, Billy Joel, and Saved by the Bell.
Through his own analysis of pop culture Klosterman provokes questions in the reader.
Klosterman includes his own memories that reflect the pop culture topic that he is
discussing at the time causing the book to read much like a memoir.
She's Come Undone, Wally Lamb
This is an amazing story of a young woman’s journey in life. She experiences the
dependency of food to feed her emotions and make her feel whole. She faces so many
extreme emotions, yet somehow the author manages to include humor to lighten the
emotional load.
A Shining Affliction, Annie Rodgers
Rodgers counsels abused children in a residential home while on the way to her PhD. As
she begins to work with Ben she begins to have flashbacks and eventually has a nervous
breakdown. Through her own therapy she learns that she was abused as a child. She
eventually goes back to work with him and is able to help herself and her client.
Sickened: The Memoir of a Munchausen by Proxy Childhood, Julie Gregory
Julie’s mother, who suffered from Munchausen by Proxy, was abused as a child and than
in turn, abused Julie; however this was not typical abuse. When Julie was very young,
her mother started to notice how “sickly” her child was and sought help from doctors.
Julie spent much of her childhood worrying she would not live too much longer. Then
once she was able to escape from her mother’s abusive care, Julie had to rebuild her
esteem and mind frame to recover from the abuse.
Sickened: The True Story of a Lost Childhood, Julie Gregory
The author describes child abuse, mental illness, and how children interpret their world.
Munchausen by Proxy is a rare form of child abuse, where the parent harms the child so
that s/he then may “save” the child by taking him or her for medical help. Gregory
experienced this syndrome as a child. Her mother, the perpetrator, was also abused as a
child. She wrote about the abuse in an attempt to break the cycle of abuse for others.
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Smashed: a Story of Drunken Childhood, Koren Zailckas
This memoir provides a true-life experience of Koren’s dependency of alcohol starting
when she is just finishing eighth grade. Koren explains the different factors in her life
and people’s reaction to her alcohol problem, which allowed her to remain an alcoholic
for years. Since Koren is narrating her own life addiction, she expresses many of her
thought processes behind her drinking and the circumstance where her vulnerability to
drink increased.
Somebody, Somewhere, Donna Williams
This is an autobiography of an autistic woman and her struggle to make sense of her life.
It is brilliantly written and offers insight into the mind of an autistic individual and how
they perceive the world. This is the sequel of her book Nobody, Nowhere, which explains
her experiences as a child and young adult struggling to understand her world.
The Soul of Politics Beyond “Religious Right” and “Secular Left,” Jim Wallis
This book focuses on social problems such as violence, racism, poverty, oppression of
women, and environmental destruction and how the existing political system has failed at
solving these problems. Wallis uses accounts of first-hand and second-hand experiences
to explain the social structures that have created these problems and the current social
structures that are keeping them in place. He uses examples form both left and right wing
politics and their failures to right these social wrongs are chronicled. Wallis calls for a
new approach based on social justice and personal responsibility.
The Spenser Novels, Robert B. Parker
After Spenser’s boxing career was over, he becomes a cop. He hated playing by other
people’s rules, so he quit the force and became a detective. With the help of Hawk,
Spenser must solve everything from mafia crimes to missing persons. Spenser’s boxing
skills, intuition, and police and mob connections always come in handy.
The Spirit Catches You and You Fall Down: A Hmong Child, Her American Doctors,
and the Collision of Two Cultures, Anne Fadiman
Anne Fadiman chronicles the tragic case of Lia Lee, a young Hmong girl who gets caught
between her culture and the American medical system. Lia is diagnosed with severe
epilepsy and her family and her doctors have very different ideas about what needs to be
done to care for her. Fadiman paints a picture of Hmong culture and helps the reader to
understand the difficulties experienced by Hmong people who are trying to acclimate to
American society.
A Stranger Beside Me, Ann Rule
Ted Bundy was a smart and charming man Rule met while working for a crisis hotline.
The book details Bundy's heinous crimes, many victims, and illustrates his double life.
Stupid White Men…and Other Sorry Excuses for the State of the Nation!, Michael
Moore
The book is a political satire about the Bush administration and the various key players.
Even though there is a large amount of satire and sarcasm it does make one think about
current conditions of the country. Moore has information that gives support to his
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criticisms and the book is not just liberal ranting rather it gives the full view of this
country and shows the faults not only the administration but also the people.
Succulent Wild Women: Dancing with Your Wonderful Self, Sark
Sark gives so many fun and interesting ways to be more creative and independent. She
writes with markers and crayons. She draws a lot of little pictures to illustrate her many
adventures and things you can do to make your life more interesting. She promotes
woman-centered thought and exploration.
Summer Sisters, Judy Blume
Summer Sisters, Blume’s latest adult novel, depicts the coming-of-age story of Victoria
Leonard and her friend Caitlin Somers. The two girls become best friends after spending
summer after summer together in Martha’s Vineyard. However, after one summer of
betrayal, their friendship will never be the same. Years later, Victoria and Caitlin have
the opportunity for one more summer together. Will they become summer sisters once
again or will the betrayal persist through adulthood?
Sushi for Beginners, Marian Keyes
This book is about the lives of 3 different women. Lisa is a hard working boss at a
magazine. Clodagh is married and quits working when she has children. Ashling, who is
single and is living on her own. This book deals with how different persons are searching
for happiness in different ways.
Suzanne’s Diary for Nicholas, James Patterson
A moving story which is full of interesting twists and turns as it follows around a woman
in her search for happiness and love. This tale is filled with love, hope, and tragedy; it is
definitely a story that will make you laugh and cry. The author makes it next to
impossible not to fall in love with the characters.
Talking to Heaven: A Medium’s Message of Life after Death, James Van Praagh
Praagh is a spiritual medium that is able to connect with the deceased and relay messages
to family and friends who have lost a loved one. His book relates some of his captivating
experiences of connecting with deceased people and passing on messages to their loved
ones.
Terror At Beslan: A Russian Tragedy with Lessons for America’s Schools, John Giduck
John Giduck walks the reader through an extremely graphic, methodical and important
look into one of the worst terrorist attacks in the world. In 2004 there was a three day
massacre and hostage situation in the town Beslan, Russian beginning on their first day of
school. This detailed description of events and responding forces demonstrates how badly
the situation got, and what could have been done to deescalate the situation. Soldiers who
responded to the incident were not prepared for the carnage of the attack and were not
able to respond appropriately due to lack of training and planning. By learning from
tragic mistakes, Giduck helps readers prepare, plan, practice, and prevent the next major
a tragedy that could easily happen in one of this country’s schools.
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Their Eyes Were Watching God, Zora Neale Hurston
The story describes Janie’s life; growing up living with her grandmother, three marriages,
a relationship with a younger man, and much tragedy throughout her life. The imagery is
unbelievable and the characters, particularly Janie, are multidimensional.
There Are No Children Here, Alex Kotlowitz
Kotlowitz follows the lives of brothers Pharaoh and Lafayette Rivers living life in
Chicago’s housing projects. Through these to two boys, one is able to learn the hardships
of growing up in urban poverty. This book also shows the effects of poverty in relation to
violence, racism, and family. This book opens your eyes to what reality is in the "other"
America.
There Are No Shortcuts, Rafe Esquith
Thisis a book about passion and dedication. Rafe is a 5th grade elementary school
teacher in a high-need school in Los Angeles, California. He has written this book to
include reflective biographical stories from his eighteen years of experience, while also
including plenty of advice for new teachers and parents. He explains certain classroom
and teaching techniques that have worked for him, including his classroom economic
system where the students must work and pay rent for their selected seat. Rafe also
explains some red tape struggles that he’s faced over the years in a high-need public
school. The saying, “There Are No Shortcuts” is Rafe’s classroom motto he uses to teach
his students that they must work through a problem to accomplish great success!
A Thousand Splendid Suns, Khaled Hosseini
At the age of 15, Mariam is married to a 30-year-old man, Rasheed, who abuses her
physically, emotionally and mentally when she has repeated miscarriages and is unable to
give him a son when Leila marries Rasheed, for protection and gives birth to a girl an
unlikely friendship develops. This friendship develops between the two as they endure
abuse at the hands of their husband until they decide to do something about it. This tragic
and heart-breaking story opened my eyes to the background of Afghanistan’s recent
history and the violence and threat that some Afghan women have to face every day.
Three Comrades, Erich Maria Remarque
The novel is set in Germany after World War I when poverty and violence is everywhere.
Three friends are trying to make a living by fixing and selling cars. All they have is each
other’s friendship, which keeps them sane in the chaos around them. One of the friends
falls in love with a woman. The three friends are willing to give anything to help each
other.
Three Cups of Tea, Greg Mortenson & David Oliver Relin
This powerful story shares the journey of Mortenson, a mountaineer who lost his way
during a climb, but ended up finding his life path. When he accidentally ended up in a
small, impoverished village in Pakistan, he saw their need and promised to come back
and build them a school. Not only did he keep this promise, but has built more than 50
schools in Pakistan and Afghanistan, many of them for girls. He has also built women’s
community centers, and founded the Central Asian Institute.
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Three Weeks with My Brother, Nicholas Sparks
This book takes us inside Sparks’ family, all the while flashing forward to a three week
long trip around the world that he takes with his brother. Throughout their journey
around the world, the brothers come to terms with what the past has given them and
reflect on how their lives have shaped them into the people they are today.
Tick, Tock, Dean Koontz
This is a novel about a man who is of Vietnamese decent and his family is very much into
old customs, he on the other hand does not believe is old superstition. One night, he
leaves his house thinking that he is going out for a quiet dinner by himself, but is
interrupted by what he believes is a demon trying to kill him. It is a book that combines
horror, mystery and love.
The Tipping Point, Malcolm Gladwell
Gladwell describes how small things contribute to radical change within society through
various vehicles and individuals. Gladwell includes a myriad of examples ranging from
Sesame Street to graffiti on the NYC subway and how small parts of society become
epidemics or can be resolved through small actions.
The Torn Skirt, Rebecca Godfrey
This book is the story of a 16-year-old girl named Sara who is abandoned and forced to
fend for herself. Sara ends up getting involved with the wrong people and finds herself in
trouble with the police, drugs, sex, and has psychological problems that send her in and
out of institutions and homes.
A Tree Grows in Brooklyn, Betty Smith
This book follows the Nolan family living in Williamsburg, Brooklyn in 1912. Mom,
Katie, is the breadwinner, and dad is an aspiring singer. The novel covers so many
aspects of life, it is as if it changes with you as you grow and truly makes you appreciate
the world in which we live. Touching upon being young, growing old, and family,
economic, and relationship issues, this story is relevant to all of us.
A Tribe Apart: A Journey into the Heart of American Adolescence, Patricia Hersch
Journalist Hersch spends 3 years immersed in the high school environment of 8 students.
Instead of following high risk teens she chooses “regular kids” to prove the point that this
could be anyone’s child in any area of the country. This book is the real life account of 8
students in high school dealing with personal issues of self-growth, relationships, sexual
interactions, peer pressure, schoolwork and family issues.
The Tough Work of Turning Around a Team, Bill Parcells
In this book Parcells offers business leaders three rules for reversing the fortunes of a
losing team. He contends that the keys to motivating people are much the same whether
they're playing on a football field or working in an office.
Tuesdays With Morrie, Mitch Alblom
Tuesdays with Morrie is about an old college professor that Mitch had back in his
undergrad. The book is basically about Mitch and his Tuesdays meeting with Morrie and
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all that he learns from his great mentor and friend. Mitch interviews Morrie because he is
dying of a terminal disease and tries to learn as much as he can from him in his last days
Twilight, Stephanie Meyer
This book is about a clan of vampires, a pack of werewolves, and the human girl that they
love. This is about getting along and forging alliances with enemies, understanding true
love and the meaning of true friendship.
Under the Eye of the Clock, Christopher Nolan
This memoir depicts clearly the challenges of a quadriplegic. This autobiography will
surely present you with a clear image of Nolan’s life and place the reader in the story as if
you were in Nolan's home, school, and daily surroundings of everyday life.
An Unquiet Mind: A Memoir of Moods and Madness, Kay Redfield Jamison
This book is the memoir of a psychiatrist who suffers from manic depression. It captures
every aspect of her life as she learned to live with her illness, both happy and sad. This
changes the way she approaches her illness, thinking she can battle it on her own, that she
is an exception to the needs of medication and therapy. Through her highs and lows, she
opens up so honestly and simply so the reader is able to relate on either a professional or
personal level.
The Usual Rules, Joyce Maynard
A thirteen year old, Wendy, loses her mother in the September 11th plane crash and her
world gets turned upside down. Her stepfather couldn’t handle the loss of his wife and
taking care of both kids, so she is forced to move in with her father that she hadn’t seen in
years. The worst part for Wendy is that her little brother stayed behind in Brooklyn with
her stepfather. The book tells the story of her dealing with the loss of her mother, being a
teenager, and being in a new place.
The Vagina Monologues, Eve Ensler
The book is a celebration of female sexuality in all its complexity and mystery. The book
is composed of interviews Ensler has had with females of all ages who have entrusted her
with their most intimate experiences and thoughts. Those who read the book are
guaranteed never to look at the female body, or think about sex in quite the same way.
The View from Saturday, E.L. Konigsburg
These groups of brilliant 12-year-old students represent their school in the state academic
bowl that ends up going to the state finals. You will follow all their emotions and
struggles that occur during the contest.
Waiter Rant: Thanks for the tip- confessions of a cynical waiter, Steve Dublanica
The author, and waiter, Steve takes you through his experiences of waiting tables. The
book starts off where he did, out of college and not planning on waiting tables. Once he
starts in on his serving career, the book takes you through his ups and downs and gives an
inside look as to what the life of a server can be like.
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Walking in the Garden of Souls, George Anderson & Andrew Barone
This book is about life after death and how these two men have experienced encounters
by souls of dead people. I chose this book because it really helped me to believe that
when I die I will not be alone and that the people I lost in my life are really watching over
me and know that I am thinking of them.
A Walking Piece, Nathan Landers
This is a story about a young man who finding his way in life from becoming a foster
child, adopted by an abusive family, abandoned, left homeless, living from home to
home, and raped. Landers over comes life obstacles and in this he establishes career,
finds religion and most importantly his identity along with his biological mother.
Walking with the Wind: A Memoir of the Civil Rights Movement, John Robert Lewis
This is a perfect book for anyone who has ever been swept up by something larger than
themselves, whether it is an emotion, religion, social movement, or a hunger for change.
Lewis described his upbringing in the South and his transition out of his humble
beginning into college and the civil rights movement. He was an integral member of
SNCC, the student run faction of the civil rights movement.
A Walk to Remember, Nicholas Sparks
In a small coastal town in North Carolina in the 1950's, Landon Carter, a high school
senior, meets Jamie. Landon is a part of the "in crowd." He changes when he is coerced
into doing a Christmas play with Jamie. She shows him what it means to care about
people and what true love can feel like.
Walk Two Moons, Sharon Creech
This is an amazing story of a young girl on a cross-country trip with her grandparents to
track down her mother. The grandparents are very young at heart and ask her to keep
them entertained throughout the trip with a story. The story that she tells is one of her
friend whose mother left her and through telling the story, the main character can see
many of the harmful ways that she used tried to deal with her mother’s absence just as
her friend did.
Wasted: A Memoir of Anorexia and Bulimia, Marya Hornbacher
Wasted is Marya Hornbacher’s account of her long struggle with anorexia and bulimia
that began when she was just nine years old. Hornbacher, a talented young writer
attending a private performing arts school, eventually succumbs to the physical effects of
her disorders and her drug abuse and is forced to enter an eating disorder treatment
center. Over the ten year period that the book covers, Hornbacher enters numerous
treatment centers and mental hospitals.
Way of the Peaceful Warrior Dan Millman
This book is about the author, Dan Millman, and his experiences and meetings with a gas
station attendant named Socrates. Socrates eventually becomes Millman’s mentor,
showing him the way to be a peaceful warrior. Millman is a junior in college, and is an
advanced gymnast, but still has not found peace in his life.
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Welcome to my Country: A Therapist Memoir of Madness, Lauren Slater
A Boston psychologist, Slater examines mental illness specifically schizophrenia from
both an insider and an outsider perspective. It was a journey through her work in different
clinical settings and her willingness to explore deviant therapeutic techniques; and
becoming one with her patients. I enjoyed and appreciate that she points out her flaws
and fantasies as she seems to be heading in the path and sometimes confronting her past
and how it haunts her in conjunction to how the illness haunts her patients.
Welcome to the Urban Revolution: How Cities Are Changing The World, Jeb Brugmann
Jeb Brugmann the author of Welcome to the Urban Revolution is a well renowned
international urban strategist who focuses on environmental and economically sustainable
initiatives. The book begins with a look at the evolving shape and character of our cities
today and the new populations that inhabit them. With these major changes come not
only a new culture, but also vulnerabilities and crises. By using prime examples of some
of the most affected cities and their coping strategies, Brugmann highlights methods for
innovative urban landscape design. In an era of limited resources and changing climate,
Brugmann provides examples of city systems that intertwine green and profitable
designs.
Westies, Eric Schneider
This novel is based on the “Hell’s Kitchen” neighborhood of NYC. The story is about
the poor Irish growing up in poverty and then becoming gangsters of the 50’s, 60’s and,
70’s. The book talks about stereotypes and alcoholism and lots of depression. The
stories end with sad results of jail, disappointment and discrimination practices.
We Were the Mulvaneys, Joyce Carol Oates
This book is about a small town family and how their lives are changed completely by
one event. Each person in the family is affected differently. It shows the devastation a
family can encounter and the positive and negative ways they deal with it.
Whatever Happened to Daddy’s Little Girl? The Impact of Fatherlessness on Black
Women, Jonetta Rose Barras
This book explores the impact of fatherlessness on black women from a thoughtful and
highly personal perspective. Jonetta Rose Barras interweaves her own experience of the
"fatherless woman syndrome" with those of other fatherless black women, observations
by psychologists and sociologists, and research findings.
Whatever it Takes, Paul Tough
The book I read was about one man’s vision of trying to change the lives of poor children
by providing them with all the necessary resources to succeed. The author, Paul Tough,
documents the first five years of Geoffrey Canada’s creation of the Harlem Children’s
Zone. Tough specifically focuses on Canada’s “conveyor belt” model for combating
poverty in Harlem. Throughout the book, Tough fully reports the ups and downs Canada
encountered with trying to raise the test scores of his students in the Promise Academy
middle school and changing the culture of Harlem. The book also provides a solid history
of poverty in America and the different strategies people have taken to solve it. Tough
ends his book with the celebration of newly elected President, Barak Obama and his
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comments on replicating the model Canada has created in Harlem in order to help
children in poor communities succeed, academically and economically.
What Remains, Carole Radizwill.
What Remains is the story of Carole Radizwill, her husband Anthony Radizwill, and their
cousins’ John Kennedy and Carolyn Bassette. Carole replays her husband’s horrific
battle with stomach cancer, life with a prestigious family name, and what existence
remained after losing her best friend Carolyn and her husband’s cousin John Kennedy in
a fluke airplane crash. Although What Remains is solemn, her courage and the families’
power of love and friendship out-shine the harsh realities that occurred in Carole’s life.
What to Eat?, Marion Nestle
This is an amazing book detailing all about what foods are healthy to eat. She takes you
into grocery stores and explains the regulations on food and expiration dates and how the
government system with food works.
Wheel of Life, Elizabeth Kubler-Ross, MD
Dr. Ross grew up a triplet, in Switzerland. She decided early on to distinguish herself
and managed to proclaim her uniqueness through her life. Throughout her journey she
had contact with concentration camps, HIV/AIDS, death and other diversity. Dr. Ross
explains the meaning of life through the meaning of death.
When Bad Things Happen to Good People, Harold Kushner
Kushner, a Jewish Rabbi, faces his own pain and suffering regarding his child’s fatal
illness. In doing so, he guides the reader through the inadequacies of the traditional
answers to the issue of evil through sharing many relevant “real life” scenarios. Kushner
provides practical and compassionate guidance that appeals to many diverse ages,
backgrounds and faiths.
When Dad Hurts Mom: Helping Your Children Heal the Wounds of Witnessing Abuse,
Lundy Bancroft
This book was written for victims of domestic violence with children, but can prove very
useful for those working in a DV shelter or with this population as well. It discusses how
a child interprets seeing their parent get abused and seeing the other parent as the abuser.
Bancroft explains the reactions that can take place in children such as acting out, low
performance in school and regressive behavior. After each section of the book, there are
ways in which the parent can help the child. The book makes sure to convey that the
parent victim can be the most influential and important player in helping a child recover
from this experience.
When Food is Love: Exploring the Relationship Between Eating and Intimacy, Geneen
Roth
“When Food is Love: Exploring the Relationship Between Eating and Intimacy” is a
personal account of Geneen Roth’s lifelong struggle with food, honesty, and
relationships. Through stories about her most meaningful and challenging relationships
(particularly with her mother and husband) Roth described her return from the trap of
compulsive eating behaviors. For years, instead of facing her feelings, Roth diverted her
troubles with relationships to food and thus, battled a demon that she could never truly
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suppress. Roth’s openness allowed the reader to develop an understanding of their
feelings about food; from there, they could build trust in the idea of change and truth in
various aspects of their lives, to make living more about life than about dieting.
Where the Heart Is, Billie Letts
This book is about the struggles of a girl abandoned and pregnant left to live in a
WalMart.
Where the Wild Things Are, Sendak
It tells the tale of Max, who after being punished for misbehaving, enters into a fantasy
world of his imagination. On his journey, Max travels through a mysterious forest and
encounters many “wild things.” After taming the creatures, Max becomes their leader and
brings them on wild adventures. Max has a grand time in the magical land, but eventually
grows to miss his home and his mother. He decides to leave his new friends and sail back
to his bedroom.
White Fang, Jack London
This book is about a “wolf” dog White Fang, told through his eyes. White Fang was
found as a pup and raised as a fighting dog. His masters brought out the wild dog in him
through taunting and beatings. He is eventually saved by a good man, broken of his “wild
spirit” and settles down into family life.
White Oleander, Janet Fitch
This is a story of Astrid Magnussen who’s mother Ingrid who is sentenced to life in
prison. Astrid is bounced from foster home to foster home as she learns how beautiful
and how painful the world can be. Astrid shows what a strong person she is and what can
happen if you maintain your determination in life.
White Tiger, Aravind Adiga
Through seven nights worth of letters written to the Premier of China, Balram Halwai,
son of a poor rickshaw-puller in India, tells us his entrepreneurial life story of becoming
successful in a society that is so corrupt. Part of the self-proclaimed, “Darkness in India”
Balram gets a lucky break when a rich man hires him as a Driver and Servant, taking him
to live in Delhi. Through his story Balram exposes the caste system and political
corruption in modern India.
Why Are All the Black Kids Sitting Together in the Cafeteria?: And Other Conversations
About Race, Beverly Daniel Tatum, PhD
Tatum explores issues such as culture and how people find comfort in interactions with
people of the same or similar ethnic and racial backgrounds. Tatum explores the notion of
white privilege and what it means to be a white American or a black American. The
author speaks on how people identify with race as early as childhood and talks about how
society has contributed to stereotypes. This book is about racism and social change.
Why We Can't Wait, Martin Luther King, Jr.
This is a book about the struggles and triumphs of Martin Luther King, Jr. The stories
may be from the 1960's, but everything that MLK writes about can be related to today.
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Wicked: The Life and Times of the Wicked Witch of the West, Gregory Maguire
This book is the biography of Elphaba, the Wicked Witch of the West. Elphaba is born a
green skinned infant to poor parents. Discriminated against by society, she eventually
grows up to be bitter about her appearance. At boarding school, Elphaba, her sister
Glinda, the “Good Witch” and another classmate are offered positions of power to guard
each end of Oz. This fantasy story is easy to read and a nice break from the reality of
school work. But, it is also very political, historically analytical and full of symbolism. It
is a reminder that every story has two sides.
The Winners Manual, Jim Tressel
I chose this book because I was interested in how Coach Tressesl (Ohio State Football
Coach) approaches the game of football and how he instills his values and knowledge
into his players. This book describes the manual that he gives to his players and the work
that came with it to make it what it is. While not an exact manual of what he gives his
players Coach Tressel outlines what is in it. He talks about how the book can apply to
anyone to help improve their lives, mentally, physically, spiritually and emotionally.
Wizard’s First Rule, Terry Goodkind
This is the first book of a magical series and follows the journey of several characters and
their adventures. One of the characters is attempting to take over the world. Another is
out to save her country and sets off on an adventure with a companion to stop the
conqueror. Along the way, they find out more about themselves and about the nature of
the conflict.
The Yellow Wallpaper, Charlotte Perkins Gilman
The story of a woman diagnosed with "nervous depression" by her physician husband.
He isolates her in a home in the woods to make sure she gets plenty of rest, but she
experiences only captivity. She starts to visualize a woman behind the yellow wallpaper.
The Zookeepers Wife, Diane Ackerman
The Zookeeper’s wife is a true story based on a husband and wife, Jan and Antonia
Zabinski, caretakers of the Warsaw Zoo during World War II. When Hitler's move into
Poland began the Zabinskis, who were long time friends with the many Jews who lived
around them, devised clever ways to turn the zoo and their own villa into a safe haven for
their friends who happened to be Jewish. The book tells the story about how the couple
maintained a calm atmosphere and safe haven for over 300 Jews in the animal cages or as
guests in the house.
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