For this month’s library staff book club meeting, we decided to take a break from what we normally do and have everyone read a book of their choice. Book club members shared the books they read and their general thoughts and feelings about it. Check out the books they read below and feel free to add any to your “To Be Read” list!
Sarah Blevins, Circulation Associate: I read The Nightingale by Kristin Hannah. This isn’t my usual type of read, but I’m still glad I read it in an effort to branch out. I liked the dynamic between the two sisters, even though their relationship became strained in some parts of the novel. It was also interesting to read a book from the point of view of women in continental Europe during World War II. Content warning: the book does deal with a lot of heavy themes and includes some scenes of violence and assault.
Rachel Bloomingburg, Circulation Manager: I read The Tale of Despereaux by Kate DiCamillo. If you’re looking for a feel-good story, this may be the book for you. It is broken into four shorter stories within the longer story. Despereaux is smaller than the average mouse, but the size of his heart makes up the difference. He shows bravery and kindness, despite the difficulties in his life. Throughout the story, it speaks to you as the reader, and it encourages you to focus on and look for the light in your life. This was one of those books that filled me with joy and helped me remember the power of a story. There were a couple of characters that I hoped would have a few more good things happen to them, but it didn’t take away from my overall enjoyment of the book.
Esperanza Gonzalez, Director of Disability Services, Student Life: I read The 5AM Club: Own Your Morning, Elevate Your Life by Robin Sharma. It’s a fiction story about 4 main characters who learn the secrets to success through good habits. The book teaches us that ordinary people can accomplish extraordinary things once we create a routine of building good habits and getting out of our comfort zone. Human beings embrace comfort, so getting out of the comfort zone by becoming an early riser is a good way to begin building extraordinarily good habits. “Everyone dreams of being a legend until it comes time to do the work that legends do.”
*Students, faculty, and staff can get The 5AM Club through Interlibrary Loan.
Sara Hand, Circulation Associate and Administrative Secretary: I read Sorcery of Thorns by Margaret Rogerson. It’s a stand-alone young adult fantasy novel about a 16-year-old girl named Elisabeth who has grown up as an orphan in one of the Great Libraries of Austermeer. The libraries contain the tools of sorcery, such as grimoires that speak and have unique personalities. Elisabeth has been taught her whole life that sorcery is dangerous, and she should stay away from it. But when the library where she lives is attacked by a sorcerer, she must reluctantly partner with another sorcerer named Nathaniel Thorn, and his demon servant to save the other Great Libraries of Austermeer. Sorcery of Thorns is full of humor, action, and a smattering of romance. Parts of it reminded me of Harry Potter, Aladdin, and Beauty and the Beast.
Melissa Moore, Library Director: I read two books…
Hummingbird by Natalie Lloyd
12-year-old Olive Martin has been homeschooled her whole life in Wildwood, Tennessee, which has allowed her to pursue her love of birding, writing poetry and plays, spending time with her eclectic family, and healing when needed – for Olive has osteogenesis imperfecta (aka brittle bone disease) and spends most of her time in a wheelchair. But she doesn’t want OI to define her, and she really, really wants to go to Macklemore Middle School and find her BFF. Successfully convincing her parents to let her try middle school, Olive quickly enters the ups and downs of 6th grade, makes a few friends, discovers the theater, and gets caught up in the excitement around the legend of The Hummingbird, which really becomes the center of the novel. The magical hummingbird is supposed to return to Wildwood on May Day, and those it chooses will have their wish granted if they can figure out the riddle. Humming with magic and wonder, this novel is beautiful and honest, exploring themes of friendship, self-discovery, and confronting one’s fears. Just stellar.
The Tryout by Christina Soontornvat and Joanna Cacao
Christina has started middle school (7th grade), and while she has her friend Megan to hang with at lunch and every weekend, she feels the stress of adjustment. She is aware of her father’s Thai heritage and deals with some bullying from classmates related to her ethnicity. Everyone seems to be into sports, so she and Megan decide to try out for the cheerleading squad. But what if only one of them makes the squad? Will it ruin their friendship? This heartfelt graphic novel gets everything right – new friends, social stressors, the thrill of competition, and the reality of life – while avoiding easy answers. This graphic novel is rooted in the author’s (A Wish in the Dark, All Thirteen) own experiences in Texas as a middle schooler. I am not a huge fan of graphic novels, but this one is spot on.
Darius Mullin, Evening Circulation Supervisor: I read Rembrandt is in the Wind: Learning to Love Art Through the Eyes of Faith by Russ Ramsey.
Rembrandt is in the Wind is a series of art history essays written by a pastor whose storytelling and thoughts on art, community, and the artistic process are extremely engaging. The publisher describes the book as “part art history, part biblical study, part philosophy, and part analysis of the human experience; but it’s all story.” I had heard a few lectures by Russ Ramsey on The Hutchmoot Podcast that were fantastic, so when I found out he was writing a whole book I knew I would want to read it. I wasn’t disappointed. Ramsey’s writing is not only great storytelling and art history, but also prompts the reader to think more deeply on the importance of beauty, the ways God works in the lives of believers, the role of community, brokenness, calling, relationships, technological innovation, and even race. The titular chapter is a good example of Ramsey’s storytelling prowess, weaving together Rembrandt’s The Storm on the Sea of Galilee, the biblical account of that storm, a Boston art museum and its founder, the story of the widow of Nain, and an unsolved art heist into a moving and thought-provoking commentary on the nature of this broken world.
Because Rembrandt is in the Wind is written as a series of roughly chronological essays, a reader could plausibly jump in with whichever chapter sounds most interesting to them (although I would certainly recommend reading the book in its entirety). The book also includes several full-color prints of the pieces being discussed, as well as helpful appendices such as “How to Visit an Art Museum” and “How to Look at a Work of Art.” As someone who has long been wanting to appreciate visual art more deeply, I enjoyed this book immensely. Perhaps you will too!
Micah Rhodes, Cataloging Associate: A Wizard of Earthsea by Ursula K. Le Guin is a familiar yet refreshing telling of a coming-of-age hero’s journey. Whereas many of these stories are set in a great conflict of good-versus-evil, A Wizard of Earthsea takes a more introspective, intimate approach. The protagonist, Ged, is a young man with a particular affinity for the magical arts. While studying to become a great wizard, he attempts to demonstrate his ability to a rival but ends up unleashing a dark entity that proceeds to pursue him. Ged must reclaim his confidence and his honor by finding a way to dispel this dark specter. His travels take him across a fantastic world of isolated islands, oceanic travel, and a defined magic system more akin to the Taoist-inspired Force in Star Wars than the whimsy of Harry Potter. I found A Wizard of Earthsea to be a thoughtful, wholesome, and quick read, suited to any age.
Amber Wessies, Instruction Librarian: I read two books…
The Hiding Place by Corrie Ten Boom
I don’t think I have a negative thing to say about this book. The Hiding Place is the biography of Corrie Ten Boom, a Dutch watchmaker who helped Jews during WWII. The book starts when she was a child and follows her through her experiences in concentration camps until after her release. Corrie and her sister, Betsy’s, faith is so encouraging and convicting. They trusted and praised God even in the horrible conditions. They were thankful for every little thing, including fleas, and they continually shared the gospel with the other prisoners during their time.
The Spirit Catches You and You Fall Down by Anne Fadiman
This book is about Lia Lee, a Hmong girl with epilepsy, and the experiences her parents had with Western medicine. The parents feel the doctors are making Lia worse by giving her too much medicine and the doctors think the parents are making her worse by not giving her the medicine as prescribed. Lia’s life is an example of cultural differences and the need to understand differences in order to be successful. Fadiman also weaves in the history of the Hmong people that is most likely not widely known.
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