| Board Member |
Book |
Because... |
| Liz Ackley |
The Greatest Generation (Tom Brokaw) |
This book includes heart breaking and heartwarming stories of family, love and war. This book provides insight into the way of life earlier generations experienced, including women beginning to work outside of the home and fathers, brothers and husbands away for years at a time at war. It describes the sacrifices each family made in the nation's time of need and the way families adapted and progressed after the war. |
| |
Mightier Than the Sword () |
This series of stories detail how jouranlism helped shape American history in covering fourteen significant events. Historical events include, but is not limited to, coverage of the Muckrakers, Edward R Murrow vs General McCarthy, the Spanish American War and the impact of radio media on the Republican party in the 1990's. The author describes how the American press covereage influenced the the publics' perception and how journalists have helped set the agenda the American people, various political parties and personify significant issues in American life such as tyranny, racism and corruption. |
| |
Natural Born Charmer (Susan Elizabeth Phillips) |
This is light hearted read that with plent of laughs and provides witty banter between the main characters. It is a story of true love and an underlying story of family and redemption. |
| Brittany Weiler |
Into Thin Air (Jon Krakauer) |
I usually reserve suspense/thriller/action for movies but after subscribing to National Geographic's Adventure magazine there was an article on the K2 summit that referenced this book about Mt. Everest. I did some hunting and found a well-worn paperback to read along my commute to and from work. Before I knew it, I couldn't put the book down! I was stealing away breaks at work and staying up later than usual intrigued by the preparation it takes to prepare for a summit, the teamwork required amongst strangers, the natural and raw beauty so clearly described and the danger that came with every hour and second. I don't have any plans for a climb myself, but I definitely have a newfound respect for those that do! |
| |
Suite Francaise (Irene Nemirovsky) |
I wouldn't call myself a history buff, but I do have an affinity for period-pieces - especially anything surrounding the world wars and European life. This novel depicts an escape from Paris to evade the Germans and all the while fictional, feels very much like a story based on actual events. What awed me most was reading the background of the author after finishing the book. This woman's work went unnoticed for decades, only to be uncovered and compiled into something so beautiful. |
| |
Things The Grandchildren Should Know (Mark Oliver Everett) |
This is an autobiography of the Eels front-man Mark Oliver Everett. I've never actually been much into their music, but after a recommendation from a dear friend that loves all things music - I gave it a shot. I love it because it felt like reading the diary of an artist and finding out just how ordinary life can be for a profession that is generally glamorized. |
| |
Three Cups Of Tea (Greg Mortenson) |
This book is by far my absolute favorite! It is truly inspiring and really struck a chord with me - a little bit, really can go a very long way. Greg Mortenson's personal account and physical labor to building one school that eventually became something much more is awe-inspiring. I love this book because of the hope it brings to a community across the world. |
| Dipak Patel |
White Teeth (Zadie Smith) |
A story of various immigrant families trying to assimiliate living in England during the 70s/80s and their children who were born in England and having trouble seeing exactly where they fit into this world as first-generation kids. It is a great book that captures many feelings that I had growing up in England and then also when I moved to the states. |
| |
The Dice Man (Luke Rhineheart) |
I will describe the book by providing the inscription that my friend wrote to me on the inside cover of this book "This book really had a great influence on the way to live my life, it taught me that in life when faced with a tough decision it's better to regret something you have done than to regret something you haven't." Not sure if the book will have the same affect on you but it might. |
| |
Kitchen Confidential (Anthony Bourdain) |
All I can say there is no chef out there who is as honest as Anthony - he does not hold back. Find out where his love of food comes from and all the crazy stores along the way. |
| Monica Bhatt |
The Brief and Wondrous Life of Oscar Wao (Junot Diaz) |
There is simply no other novel like this one. Diaz employs a language all his own borrowing from Spanglish street slang to Shakespeare. The story of Oscar Wao, told through the eyes of Yunior and other characters, spans multiple countries and time periods comfortably, while revealing simultaneously the ugly and beautiful truth of first-generation Americans and the influences of their heritage on their present lives. |
| |
Pride And Prejudice (Jane Austen) |
It may seem like a cliché, but this is a true favorite book in that I love picking it up and reading passages every now and then. Set in 18th century England, the dilemmas Elizabeth Bennett and her sisters face in finding suitable husbands are still relevant today. Jane Austen’s sarcastic portrayal of English good society is delightful and the modern-day heroine we find in Elizabeth is refreshing. Plus, who can resist Mr. Darcy? |
| |
Unaccustomed Earth (Jhumpa Lahiri) |
Jhumpa Lahiri’s latest book of short stories continues the author’s trend of using immigrant and first-generation south asian characters to explore very fundamental emotions and circumstances that are universally relevant and appealing. The crown jewel of the book is the final novella in three parts. A comforting read if you want to experience an emotional catharsis of joy, sorrow, anger, suspicion, and sympathy all at once. |
| Meg Cockrell |
The Help (Kathryn Stockett) |
This is a recent read for me, but it's a touching historical fiction that highlights charisma and strength of women who are unlikely friends despite the racial tension of the early 1960's south. |
| |
The Time Traveler's Wife (Audrey Niffenegger) |
An unique love story about the endurance of feelings, based in Chicago which makes it a fun read.. we've been the same places as these characters, in fact I live down the street from where one of the characters supposedly lived. |
| |
The Red Tent (Anita Diamant) |
An amazing story of Dinah, the unknown sister of the sons of Jacob because it retold a story, adding an entirely new character and perspective, as it focused on Dinah and her relationship to her siblings and her place in the tribe, but it's a deep read. It also highlights the often unknown powerful roles of women in history. |
| Arshiya Khan |
Mistress of Spices (Chitra Benarjee Divakaruni) |
The story of an immortal Indian woman is told using lyrical prose. Tilo, the main character, is the owner of a spice shop and has the power to manipulate the spices in her store to help others. It is a story of choices, sacrifices and love told beautifully through a number of intriguing characters. It is mythical and romantic book with beautiful imagery and wonderful main character. I love this book for not only the way it is written but also for Tilo herself, her struggles and her determination to help others. |
| |
Life Of Pi (Yann Martel) |
I love this story about a 16-year-old boy who must make it across the Pacific Ocean on a boat with a wounded zebra, a spotted hyena, a seasick orangutan and a 450-pound Bengal tiger named Richard Parker. The book is incredibly imaginative and colorful. It's a story about storytelling and the listener of the story. I love this book because it really made me think about how one hears a story and how one takes a leap of faith to believe in what they want to believe in. |
| |
Night (Elie Wiesel) |
This is a memoir of a teenage boy having survived the Holocaust and the terror that took his family. It is a haunting and tragic story that reads surprisingly quickly. The story is as inspiring as it is emotional and moving. To survive such a horrific and tragic event and to be able to write about it proves the strength in Wiesel's character. |
| Alison Romer |
The House On Mango Street (Sandra Cisneros) |
|
| |
The Stand (Stephen King) |
|
| |
Americana ( Don DeLillo) |
|
| Abigail Szymonik |
Love Walked In/Belong to Me (Marisa de los Santos) |
When a charming man walks into Cornelia's life, she has no idea the profound affect their brief relationship will have on her life. de los Santos has delivered two beautifully written novels about what truly makes people family to each other, and its no wonder her words are so eloquent - her writings to date have mostly been poetry. Enchantingly written, heartfelt with no cliches, and such a sincere and honest portrayal of each character that one book simply was not enough. |
| |
The Russian Concubine/The Girl from Junchow (Kate Furnivall) |
The minute I opened The Russian Concubine, I couldn't put it down. Part historical fiction, part chick lit, the story is so vivid - the landscape, the political turmoil, the passion of first love - and all are so colorfully described, you actually feel like you are in the story. Young Lydia and Chang's persistance and will to survive are inspiring and real. When the book ends, you are left wanting to know more, and mercifully Kate Furnivall gives us The Girl from Junchow so we aren't left hanging. |
| |
The Walsh Sisters series: Watermelon, Angels, Rachel's Holiday, and Anybody Out There (Marian Keyes) |
I love everything Marian Keyes writes. Literally - everything. The Irish chic lit author transcends her genre by creating incredibly flawed characters with real problems, but treats them with such wit and care that you see past the flaws and begin to care and accept the characters. There's no better introduction to Keyes' writing than the novels about the Walsh sisters (a family reminiscent of the Bennetts in Jane Austen's Pride and Prejudice) beginning with Watermelon. Each novel focuses on one sister, starting with the oldest and working towards the youngest. And unlike most chick lit, where the biggest problem is a looming credit card debt, these sisters have real problems - heartache, drug addiction, grief, etc. Rachel's Holiday is my personal favorite so far, but the latest installment, Anybody Out There?, will leave you breathless half way through and haunt you through the last page and long after. Needless to say, I can't wait for the final novel about the youngest, and most volatile, sister Helen. |
| Paul Brenzel |
Clockers (Richard Price) |
A crime novel about drug dealers working in the projects of a Northern New Jersey city. I like this book because it takes inside the lives of a part of American society that many of us don't have exposure to. The book explores different levels of urban society but still manages to portray many fully rounded characters. |
| |
A Canticle for Leibowitz (Walter M. Miller) |
A post-apocalyptic science fiction novel in which the clergy of the Catholic Church are the last protectors of human civilization. This is one of the best books of its kind and shows that no matter what disasters may affect the human race there is always a small group of people who will preserve our culture. The setting of this book is very grim but still manages to leave the reader with a feeling of hope. |
| |
The Inheritors (William Golding) |
A prehistoric novel about the last surviving Neanderthals and the rise of Homo sapiens. I like this book because it portrays characters that no one has ever encountered but does so in a way that makes them fully rounded and sympathetic. There is an inevitably sad conclusion to the novel and readers will find themselves surprised at how much compassion they feel for the main characters |
| Jon Thomas |
Nine Stories (J.D. Salinger) |
Because who doesn't love short stories with abrupt endings? |
| |
Tao Of Physics(Fritjof Capra) |
Maybe all those test questions you got wrong in high science class might have been right all along. |
| Elisa Miller |
Catch-22 ( Joseph Heller) |
One of my favorite books. Satirical, funny, and told from several different points of view. It's an American classic that deals with life, war, and bureaucracy. |
| |
Me Talk Pretty One Day (David Sedaris) |
David Sedaris is laugh out loud funny. His stories about growing up in North Carolina and later life in New York and France are so pointed and dead-on. The descriptions of his younger brother "The Rooster" and his days as a performance artist will stick with you. |
| |
The Blind Assassin (Margaret Atwood) |
Atwood sucks you in with her writing. She delves deeply into her characters in a book within a book format. Plenty of intrigue and plot twists as the story navigates from small town Ontario to Toronto and back again. |
