A Library Spotify Wrapped

Spotify released its annual Wrapped in late November—personalized listening data from the year compiled into a sharable, dynamic format. Getting to see social media stories of friends’ eclectic listening habits and going through my own “Top Songs of 2023” playlist made me (Sarah) think about how one’s reading habits can be just as wide-ranging as one’s taste in music. So, why not link the two? I’ve asked the social media team to join in and pair a song, album, or artist they’ve had “on repeat” this year with a book they also enjoy.

Amber Owrey, Instruction Librarian: “Long Haul” by Ian Munsick was our first dance song at our wedding, which is why I chose it. The song talks about staying with someone for the long haul, not just for the short infatuation/romance at the beginning of the relationship.

The idea of the long haul and the nature descriptions in the song made me think of Where the Crawdads Sing by Delia Owens. Although I wouldn’t necessarily say I approved of all the relationships in the book, Kya is very into nature, biology, and ecology. The book takes place in the marshes, and Owens describes the scenery well. Tate and Kya have a long relationship, with Tate teaching her to learn to read and eventually falling in love. (Again, not condoning the actions throughout the book of either character, but Tate is in it for the long haul with Kya).

Darius Mullin, Evening Circulation Supervisor: My most listened-to album of 2023 was With Love From Rob & Jay by Rob & Jay, a duo from right here in Jackson, Tennessee. Another writer from Jackson whose work I’ve enjoyed recently is Union University’s very own Bobby C. Rogers, whose excellent collection of poems, Shift Work, was published last year.

Rachel Bloomingburg, Circulation Manager: The main time I’m listening to music is when I’m in my car, and I will often have K-Love playing. Listening to this can help to put me in a better mindset and to think of ways to actively live my faith. When I think of putting faith into action, I can’t help but think of Love Does by Bob Goff. Taking the time to listen to others and being there for them can make a big impact. While music is not a major part of my daily routine, my mom will have a song to sing no matter what situation we’re in.  The songs “You are My Sunshine” and “Skidamarink A Dink A Dink” are ones that are special to me because they’re ones that my mom would sing to me. Having a strong mother daughter relationship is something I cherish, and it makes me think of books like Ramona and Her Mother, Her Mother’s Hope, and Little Women.

Sarah Blevins, Circulation Associate: Like many, my top artist this year was Taylor Swift. With so many songs in her ever-growing repertoire, it’s hard to pick just one or two to pair with a book. However, I think that “The Archer” from Swift’s 2019 album, Lover, fits the twist on a fairytale romance found in Once Upon a Broken Heart by Stephanie Garber. Staying in the vein of pairing Swift’s music and Garber’s books, “Wonderland (Taylor’s Version)” from the recently released 1989 (Taylor’s Version) encapsulates the fanciful, yet dangerous feeling of the game of Caraval.

Reading List: Union Authors

Did you know your Union professors are not only great professors? They are also authors. You can find books by Union authors in the library by looking for the red Union Author sticker on the spine. You can also locate a list of books by Union authors using the Find Materials drop-down menu on the library’s homepage. These lists cover books written by Union authors over the years, but here is a reading list of some recently published books by Union authors.

*Book descriptions provided by the publisher c/o the library website.

Protecting Your Children from Internet Pornography by John D. Foubert, Dean of the College of Education

Dr. John Foubert’s ability to write about complex concepts in practical terms will help you understand issues like how pornography affects the brain, how pornography is a recipe for sexual violence, and why you should take measures to protect your children and those you love.  

Shift Work: Poemsby Bobby C. Rogers, Professor of English

In rolling lines as expansive and hard for the page to hold as Walt Whitman’s or the psalmists’, these poems give body and voice to teachers and sanitation workers, to laborers on production lines sewing shirts and making shoes when manufacturing still meant made by hand, to weekend tree surgeons, nurse’s aides, and professional wrestlers-all of them ‘being bent by their work like leather on a last.’

Calculus Set Free: Infinitesimals to the Rescue by Bryan Dawson, Professor of Mathematics

Calculus Set Free: Infinitesimals to the Rescue is a single-variable calculus textbook that incorporates the use of infinitesimal methods. The procedures used throughout make many of the calculations simpler and the concepts clearer for undergraduate students, heightening success and easing a significant burden of entry into STEM disciplines.

Know. Be. Live. A 360 Degree Approach to Discipleship in a Post-Christian Era contributions by Hunter Baker, Dean of the College of Arts and Sciences, and Jacob Shatzer, Associate Dean of the School of Theology & Missions

Over the last few years, the literature on Generation Z has grown rapidly. However, there is little that directly addresses the destructive cultural challenges to proactive disciple-making in this generation. Know. Be. Live. offers a holistic 360-degree approach to discipleship in a post-Christian era. It combines expert thought on faith and culture to equip Christ-following parents of teenagers, college students, campus ministers, and pastors.

The Making of C. S. Lewis: From Atheist to Apologist, 1918-1945by Harry Lee Poe, Professor of Faith & Culture, Theology & Missions

Tracing C. S. Lewis’s transformation from a young atheist studying at Oxford to an avowed Christian apologist defending the faith, Harry Lee Poe brings to life one of the most prolific Christian voices of the twentieth century.

Mainstreaming Fundamentalism: John R. Rice and Fundamentalism’s Public Reemergenceby Keith Bates, Professor of History

In Mainstreaming Fundamentalism: John R. Rice and Fundamentalism’s Public Reemergence, Keith Bates embarks on a thematic and chronological exploration of twentieth-century Baptist fundamentalism in postwar America, sharing the story of a man whose career intersected with many other leading fundamentalists of the twentieth century, such as J. Frank Norris, Bob Jones Sr., Bob Jones Jr., and Jerry Falwell.

The 13^th Spring by Aaron Hardin, Professor of Communication Arts

The 13th Spring was made between 2014-2016 after Hardin discovered that his wife was unexpectedly pregnant for the first time. The birth was a medical miracle with their daughter’s new life being both a joy and a tragedy. While she is his greatest love, he mourns the pain his daughter will inevitably face in this world.