The Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy by Douglas Adams

This classic novel is a hilarious read for any science fiction fan. There are very many memorable, quotable lines and moments in this book filled with strange, intriguing characters and fantastical situations.

Leatherby Libraries Call Number: PR 6051. D3352 H5 1980, 2nd Floor Humanities
Review submitted by Christina Diep, Brandman Library Assistant, Leatherby Libraries

Rating: Recommended

Coraline: A Graphic Novel by Neil Gaiman

This graphic novel is a beautifully illustrated version of Neil Gaiman's children's book that is whimsical, funny and enjoyable to read through. Coraline is a dark but imaginative story for both kids and adults, and I highly recommend it!

Leatherby Libraries Call Number: PN 6727 .R85 C67 2008, 1st Floor, Graphic Novels Collection
Review submitted by Christina Diep, Brandman Library Assistant, Leatherby Libraries

Rating: Highly Recommended

Mockingjay by Suzanne Colling

Katniss survived the Quarter Quell only to find herself a pawn in the rebellion against the Capitol. Will she survive yet another battle and fulfill her wish to kill President Snow? The suspense builds in this last book of The Hunger Games series.

Leatherby Libraries Call Number: PS3603.O4558 M63 2010, 3rd Floor Muth Library of Children's Literature (Education)
Review submitted by Cathy Elliott, Law Library

Rating: Recommended

Lullaby by Chuck Palahniuk

Lullaby is one of the creepier of Chucks books I've read. Throughout the entire read you are following Carl Streator and Helen Hoover Boyle as they try to destroy all copies of the book of poems that contains the culling song that when read kills the person who hears it. I couldn’t put the book down! I was disappointed in the way the book ends, it seemed a little too quick of a tie up and I wasn’t thrilled with the direction he went, but otherwise a definite must read!

Leatherby Libraries Call Number: PS 3566 .A42 L86 2003 , 2nd Floor Humanities
Review submitted by Jami McCoy, University Advancement

Rating: Recommended

After Dark by Haruki Murakami

Taking place over the course of one night, between the hours of midnight and dawn, in a somewhat disreputable section of Tokyo, this story blurs the line between the dream and waking worlds as it follows a young college student and her interactions with various people in the city. There are aspects of this book that I surely do not completely understand (or probably do not even begin to understand), but I appreciate its depth, observation of details, and expressions of loneliness and alienation as well as the beauty of the human spirit and people caring about other people. I also like Murakami's writing style and the way he makes the reader's perception change with the chapters, some of which are longer and full of action or dialogue and are interspersed with shorter, more descriptive, surreal ones.

Leatherby Libraries Call Number: PL 856 .U673 A6613 2008 , 2nd Floor Humanities
Review submitted by Andrew Tessandori, Cataloging Assistant, Leatherby Libraries

Rating: Recommended

The Ritual: The Greatest Story Never Told by Leon Davin

Presents a Christian interpretation of Freemasonry ritual. Has a slight British bent to it and knowledge of Holy Royal Arch chapter is helpful to understanding the author's viewpoint which can be a little bit of a stretch at some points. May be an interesting read to some (it was to me) but not recommended for a light afternoon adventure.

Leatherby Libraries Call Number: HS 495 .D38 2003, 2nd Floor Social Sciences
Review submitted by Brett Fisher, Chair of Library Systems and Technology 

Rating: Somewhat Recommended

Where the Sidewalk Ends by Shel Silverstein

Fun, thoughtful, and pithy describes the poems in this book. Want to learn how to dress a hippopotamus for lunch or eat a whale? Read this book!

Leatherby Libraries Call Number: PS 3569 .I47224 W48 2004,3td Floor Muth Library of Children's Literature (Education)
Review submitted by Lisa Pope, Circulation Technician, Law Library
Rating: Highly Recommended

Dune by Frank Herbert 

A captivating story of two royal houses fighting over limited resources on the planet Dune. Readers will enjoy the assassination plots, power struggles, and quest for revenge this novel has to offer. I believe that readers will appreciate the resource that we have on Earth and strive toward ecological sustainability after reading Dune.

Leatherby Libraries Call Number: PS 3558 .E63 D8 2007, 2nd Floor Humanities
Review submitted by James Taylor, Credential Specialist
Rating: Somewhat Recommended

The Silmarillion by J.R.R. Tolkien

This was definitely not my favorite Tolkien book (I found it slow and hard to get through), but I'm glad I stuck with it. There is certainly some interesting history for the more popular Lord of the Rings books here. I was most impressed with how a single person created an entire mythology for the world of Middle Earth -- really amazing.

Leatherby Libraries Call Number: PR 6039 .O32 S5 1977, 2nd Floor Humanities
Review submitted by Jason Keller, Biology Professor

Rating: Somewhat Recommended

The Immortal Life of Henrietta Lacks by Rebecca Skloot

What an incredible book. It was hard to put it down. The story explores a family who's close relative's malignant cells were able to help science but at the same time almost destroyed the family in the process.

Leatherby Libraries Call Number: RC 265.6 .L24 S55 2010, 3rd Floor Science and Technology
Review submitted by James McCulloch, Facilities

Rating: Highly Recommended

Cutting for Stone by Abraham Verghese

Written by a physician, this story caused me to gasp out loud many times by the sheer twists and turns of the journey from birth to adulthood of an Ethiopian-Indian twin born in Addis Ababa. It describes the world of doctors saving lives, the political turmoil during the reign of Halie Selassie, human emotion from compassion to hatred - all written in the most detailed and fascinating story that you could ever imagine. Wildly beautiful.

Leatherby Libraries Call Number: PS 3622 .E744 C87 2010, 2nd Floor Humanities
Review submitted by Jeanne Walker, Counseling Services (SPCS)

Rating: Highly Recommended

Charlie and the Great Glass Elevator by Roald Dahl

This book is the continuing adventure of Charlie, Grandpa Joe, Mr. Willy Wonka, and Charlie's family as they leave the Chocolate Factory and travel about in the Great Glass Elevator. Find out about their adventures with Vermicious Knids and Gnoolies. And especially, what happens when you take Wonka-Vite.

Leatherby Libraries Call Number: PR 6054.A35 C44 1972, 3rd Floor Muth Library of Children's Literature (Eucation)
Review submitted by Lisa Pope, Law Library

Rating: Recommended

Safe Haven by Nicholas Sparks

With the film adaptation in production, I decided to give this a go. Safe Haven is an emotional journey about Katie who is running away from her dark past but must be able to face it directly for there to be hope for a promising future with the man she is falling in love with. This book was a quick read and is one of the best books I've read from Nicholas Sparks since The Notebook.

Leatherby Libraries Call Number: McNaughton, 1st Floor McNaughton
Review submitted by Christinan Diep, Brandman Library Assistant, Leatherby Libraries

Rating: Recommended

The Adventures of Sock Monkey by Tony Millionaire

This was a fun, whimsical and imaginative graphic novel about the lovable sock monkey. He goes on adventures with his pal, Mr. Crow and gets into all sorts of shenanigans.

Leatherby Libraries Call Number: Graphic PN 6727. M565 A38 2000, 1st Floor Graphic Novels.
Review submitted by Christina Diep, Brandman Library Assistant, Leatherby Libraries

Rating: Somewhat Recommended

Mr. Lincoln's Wars by Adam Braver

This is a very dark historical fiction novel in thirteen stories written from different Civil War character's perspectives. Though usually romanticized in fiction, Braver gives us a nefarious view of the Civil War and the infamous people involved in it, including John Wilkes Booth and Abraham Lincoln. I would recommend this book to people who enjoy historical fiction with a dark twist.

Leatherby Libraries Call Number: PS 3602 .R39 M7 2004, 2nd Floor Humanities
Review submitted by Jessica Bower, Interlibrary Loan - Leatherby Libraries

Rating: Somewhat Recommended

Rescue by Anita Shreve

"Rescue" is a quick read that engages the reader instantly and keeps that hold the whole book. It is the story of an EMT in a small Vermont town who falls in love with a dangerous woman he rescues from a drunk driving accident. The plot follows the disastrous path of their lives and creates characters who feel true to life.

Leatherby Libraries Call Number: McNaughton, 1st Floor McNaughton
Review submitted by Ashley Kemp, Special Events

Rating: Recommended  

Holidays on Ice by David Sedaris

David Sedaris is one of my favorite all time authors. He's hilarious, biting, sarcastic, shocking and so much more. Holidays on Ice is no different than his other books, focusing this time holidays. From the outrageously hilarious tale of being a Macy's elf to meeting a real life whore, this book had me laughing out loud as I always seem to find myself doing when reading one of his books! 

Leatherby Libraries Call Number: PS3569.E314 H65 1998 , 2nd Floor Humanities
Review submitted by Jami McCoy, University Advancment

Rating: Highly Recommended  

Home by Toni Morrison

Home is a place in your heart as much as a destination. Toni Morrison takes us on such a journey in this story about Frank Money and his sister Cee, who are lucky enough to travel, physically and spiritually, back home.

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

Rating: Highly Recommended  

The Buddha in the Attic by Julie Otsuka
 
The writing in this slim novel is astounding. With precise and spare details, Julie Otsuka traces the lives of Japanese women who sailed to San Francisco as "picture brides" and the paths their lives took until WW II internment put them all back in the same boat, so to speak. While it won the 2012 PEN/Faulkner Award for Fiction, Buddha in the Attic is not universally loved. There is no traditional plot line, narrative is nil and Otsuka uses the plural first person throughout. But I thought that the plural first person was poetic and had the effect of connecting the women's stories, rather than stripping them of their individualism. After reading this book, I immediately reread several passages, trying to see how the author did so much in so few pages.

Leatherby Libraries Call Number: McNaughton, 1st Floor McNaughton 

Review submitted by Dawn Bonker, Public relations writer Rating: Highly Recommended

The Barbarian Nurseries by Hector Tobar


First off -- one of the characters in this book is a Chapman Law alum. But no spoiler me, so that's all I'm going to say about that. If you like TC Boyle and Arrested Development, you'll enjoy Tobar's latest novel. This mashup of real estate opera, marriage crisis and race drama is not so tragic as Tortilla Curtain or absurdist as Arrested Development. The result is that it hits oh-so-close to the realism mark on the lives and foibles of communities we know and, perhaps, may even call home. My only complaint was that it was a tad overwritten and sometimes the painterly scenes of suburban life were a bit cliched. But overall, a fun read.

Leatherby Libraries Call Number: PS 3570 .O22 B37 2011 , 2nd Floor Humanities
Review submitted by Dawn Bonker, Public relations writer

Rating: Recommended

Ishi's Brain: In Search of America's Last "Wild" Indian by Orin Starn


In the Golden State, fourth grade is the year of California history. The missions get the lion's share of textbook love and locals of a certain age can bore you with stories of sticky sugar-cube replica missions falling to vicious ant attack. But two other historic events also sparked our imaginations -- the Donner Party and Ishi, the famous "last wild Indian" who was captured in the Sierra foothills in 1911. About the former we knew little and so naturally we grafted on a bit of whispered playground exaggeration -- Really? They did? As for Ishi, we thought we knew it all, thanks to early accounts and books that romanticized Ishi as a Western Last of the Mohicans. But author Orin Starn reveals a different story, history and set of facts about the man archaeologists named Ishi and presumed to be the last Yahi. He chronicles an intellectual mystery with many players, including the tribes, the Spanish, the forty niners and all the ranchers and farmers that followed. Ultimately the story grows to become the tale of how Ishi's brain would finally leave the Smithsonian and be repatriated to the canyon believed to have been his last tribal home. Along the way the reader learns much of California's history, from a peek at the beginning of the University of California to a candid look at casino and reservation life today. There is some bizarre and sad history here, too, giving credence to the adage that truth is stranger than fiction. If only we had known that in the fourth grade.

Leatherby Libraries Call Number: E 99 .Y23 I785 2004, 2nd Floor Humanities
Review submitted by Dawn Bonker, Public relations writer

Rating: Recommended

Bridget Jones's diary: a novel by Helen Fielding

If you've watched the movie but didn't know it was originally a novel...well then, surprise! Written in the form of a personal diary, this book is filled with witty fun and relatable nuances that make it an enjoyable read. It's like catching up on the life story of an old friend.

Leatherby Libraries Call Number: PR 6056 .I4588 B75 1999, 2nd Floor Humanities
Review submitted by Christina Diep, Brandman Library Assistant, Leatherby Libraries

Rating: Recommended

Are You My Mother? by Alison Bechdel

With her second graphic memoir, Bechdel attempts to understand her relationship with her mother. Instead, she gives the reader 200 pages of an intro to psychoanalysis class, complete with highlighted sections from notable authors. If her whiney sessions with a therapist don't turn you off, her desperation to be called successful will.

Leatherby Libraries Call Number: Mcnaughton, 1st Floor Mcnaughton
Review submitted by Allison Lujan, Student

Rating: Somewhat Recommended

The Walking Dead: Book One by Robert Kirkman

The beginning of the amazing Walking Dead series, Book one collects issues 1-12. The story follows Officer Rick Grimes as he wakes up from a coma and tries to find his family in a world now overrun by corpses. In the fast-paced opening issues, Rick must make decisions he never thought of just to keep himself alive. "In a world ruled by the dead, we are forced to finally start living."

Leatherby Libraries Call Number: PN 6728 .W267 K57 2010 , 2nd Floor Humanities
Review submitted by Allison Lujan, Student

Rating: Recommended 

Approaches to Linguistic Methodology ; edited by Irmengard Rauch and Charles T. Scott

If you don’t know a phoneme from a morpheme, you’ll probably, like me, feel like a stranger in a strange land …or many strange lands, in the pages of this book. But if, like me, you love strange lands and wandering into the unknown; this book of 13 articles is a bit of an adventure into the depths of French, Chinese, Arabic, German, Pennsylvania German (who knew there was such a thing?) Sanskrit, Swahili, and the stranger regions of English.

Leatherby Libraries Call Number: P 121 .R38 1967, 2nd Floor Humanities
Review submitted by Tracie Hall, Serials & Acquisitions Librarian--Law Library

Rating: Somewhat Recommended  

The Last Temptation of Christ by Nikos Kazantzakis

A fantastic and engaging account of the life of Christ, the novel depicts Jesus as a man torn apart and tortured by his divinity and very human desires and urges. Kazantzakis received aggressive criticism from the conservative Christian community when this work was released, but the skill with which he weaves this story cannot be denied.

Leatherby Libraries Call Number: PA 5610 .K39 T45 1960, 2nd Floor Humanities
Review submitted by Atalia Lopez, Student

Rating: Highly Recommended  

Extra Virginity: The Sublime and Scandalous World of Olive Oil by Tom Mueller

 

If you had any doubts about your extra virgin olive oil this is the book for you. Great historical facts and up to date information on the oil industry. A good read for food enthusiasts.

Leatherby Libraries Call Number: InterLibrary Loan (review submitted for information only--ILL books are not eligible for prizes)
Review submitted by James McCulloch, Facilities

Rating: Recommended 

Luka and the Fire of Life by Salman Rushdie

A non-dependent sequel to Rushdie's Haroun and the Sea of Stories, younger brother Luka sets off on his own adventure to save his father from endless sleep. Along with his dog named Bear and bear named Dog, Luka battles enemies and finds new friends in his father's world of stories. Rushdie updates his catalogue of fairytales to current videogames and pop culture to create an interesting tale of fantasy forcing itself into reality.

Leatherby Libraries Call Number: McNaughton, 1st Floor McNaughton
Review submitted by Allison Lujan, Student

Rating: Highly Recommended  

Invisible Monsters by Chuck Palahniuk

Chuck Palahniuk takes you on a wild, fast paced ride with Brandy Alexander Queen Supreme, a man with multiple names and told from the viewpoint of a model in veils to hide her damaged face. The twists that come hit you like a punch to the gut. The story takes an intense look at vanity, beauty and life. Loved it!

Leatherby Libraries Call Number: PS3566.A4554 I58 1999 , 2nd Floor Humanities
Review submitted by Jami McCoy, University Advancment

Rating: Recommended  

 Intensity by Dean Koontz

The book starts out a bit slow but picks up quickly and takes you on quite a ride. The main gal (Chyna Shepherd) takes it upon herself to vindicate her friends’ killer and vows to save a young captive he has. What creeps me out the most is the killer, Vess, could be anyone because he's just this average guy. Couldn’t put it down!

Leatherby Libraries Call Number: PS3561.O55 I58 1996 , 2nd Floor Humanities
Review submitted by Jami McCoy, University Advancment

Rating: Recommended  

When You Are Engulfed in Flames by David Sedaris

This particular David Sedaris gem seems to tackle the more difficult situations he dealt with, such as quitting smoking, a child molesting neighbor, death etch. I have read almost all of his books and he is truly one of my favorite authors. This one did not disappoint and had me laughing at loud at some very dark moments.

Leatherby Libraries Call Number: PS 3569 .E314 W48 2008 , 2nd Floor Humanities
Review submitted by Jami McCoy, University Advancment

Rating: Highly Recommended  

The Annotated Sherlock Holmes by Arthur Conan Doyle; William S. Baring-Gould, ed. 

All right, so I'm a little bit obsessed with Sherlock Holmes at the moment, but it's really an old passion (it started in high school) recently inflamed by the RDJ movies. (I like the "modern" BBC series too, but not as much; so sue me. I like big smart movies with lots of things exploding, and I cannot lie...) So you may be reading a lot of reviews of Holmes books from me this summer as I study the canon (the original Holmes stories and novels by Sir Arthur Conan Doyle), scholarly and popular works about the canon, and pastiches (stories and novels about Holmes written by other authors). Baring-Gould's annotated canon is one of the great classic works that any Holmes aficionado should have -- he was a renowned Sherlockian scholar, and this, his magnum opus, was published in 1967. This two-volume set presents the complete text of the canon plus copious helpful and just plain interesting annotation, as well as a ton of illustrations and graphics. The current heir to Baring-Gould is Leslie Klinger, probably the greatest Holmes expert now living, who will be appearing at Chapman's Big Orange Book Festival this September! I'll be tackling Mr. Klinger's own massive two-volume annotated Holmes next, to see how his more modern scholarship compares to Baring-Gould's 1967 work. Should be fascinating, as the Great Detective himself might say...!

Leatherby Libraries Call Number: PR 4620 .A5 B3 1971, 2nd Floor Humanities
Review submitted by Mary Platt , Public Relations

Rating: Highly Recommended

The Guns of August by Barbara Tuchman

Tuchman's classic nonfiction account of the first month of World War I has been as compelling as reading a novel. Truly one of the finest history books I have ever had the pleasure of reading - I can't believe I waited so long! WWI has rather become the "forgotten war," as WWII grabs all the glamor and most of the movies, but Tuchman makes clear the tragic circumstances (and in many cases sheer human pigheaded stupidity) that led up to the "Great War" -- the first "industrial-strength" war, where machine guns finally came into their own (mowing down glorious cavalry charges), where aerial bombardment of civilian populations first began, and where many other sad hallmarks of "modern" warfare got their start. The "War to End All Wars" was not, of course - and in fact led directly to WWII. But that's another book and many other stories. Tuchman's book covers just one month -- fateful August 1914 -- in colorful detail and with one of the most fascinating casts of characters you're ever likely to meet. And all of it, alas, was very, very real.

Leatherby Libraries Call Number: D 530.T8 1962, 2nd Floor Humanities
Review submitted by Mary Platt , Public Relations

Rating: Highly Recommended

Elegy for Eddie by Jacqueline Winspear

llegy for Eddie is the latest in Winspear's series of Maisie Dobbs, a private investigator in 1930's London. The story is alright if one is looking for an easy, summertime read, but didn't provide quite the intrigue I had expected from a murder mystery novel.

Leatherby Libraries Call Number: McNaughton, 1st Floor McNaughton
Review submitted by Ashley Kemp, Special Events

Rating: Somewhat Recommended

How It All Began by Penelope Lively

The story is interesting in that examines the far-reaching effects of a single incident, or the "butterfly effect." A light, summer read that is somewhat engaging with a cast of likeable characters and true-to-life scenarios.

Leatherby Libraries Call Number: McNaughton, 1st Floor McNaughton
Review submitted by Ashley Kemp, Special Events

Rating: Somewhat Recommended

Lamb: The Gospel According to Biff, Christ's Child by Christopher Moore

Christopher Moore is one of my all time favorites and this has got to be the best book by far. The book is narrated by Biff who is cunning, hilarious and your typical teenage boy. It's honestly exactly how I can picture Joshua (Jesus) and his pals growing up as teens and all what you explore as teenagers!

Leatherby Libraries Call Number: PS3563.O594 L36 2003, 2nd Floor Humanities
Review submitted by Jami McCoy, University Advancment

Rating: Highly Recommended  

Cleopatra: A Life by Stacy Schiff

While slightly difficult to get through at first, Schiff's biography of Cleopatra picks up about a quarter of the way through and delves into even the tiniest details of the most famous queen of Egypt's world. It was amazing to learn about the politics, culture and traditions of those times, and I was left with a much deeper knowledge of not only Cleopatra but of ancient Rome as well. The myth of Cleopatra as a wicked seductress is shattered and replaced with a picture of an incredibly intelligent, strategic and adored empress who ruled her kingdom with skill and passion.

Leatherby Libraries Call Number: McNaughton, 1st Floor McNaughton
Review submitted by Ashley Kemp, Special Events

Rating: Recommended  

"What Do You Care What Other People Think?" by Richard Feynman 

This autobiography is several stories in Richard P. Feynman's life. He was on the commission to investigate the space shuttle Challenger disaster. It was very informative and interesting read.

Leatherby Libraries Call Number: QC16.F49 A3 1988  3rd Floor Science & Technology Library
Review submitted by James McCulloch, Facilities

Rating: Highly Recommended 

Lots of Candles, Plenty of Cake by Anna Quindlen

In this memoir, Anna Quindlen, writes about life, family, love, children, girlfriends, retirement and mortality. As always, she is upbeat and positive and gives us new insight into, not only her life, but ours as well.

  

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

Rating: Highly Recommended