Category Archives: Read Great Things Challenge 2018

What We’re Reading: Children of Blood and Bone

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children of blood and bone by tomi adeyemi book cover

Available at the Main and Orange County Campus Libraries on the new books shelf

This book was read by Courtney Bippley, Reference Librarian at the Main Campus, and Meredith Lewis, Orange County Campus Librarian.

Genre: Fantasy, YA

#ReadGreatThings2018 Category: A book with a supernatural creature [yup], occurrence [yup], or event [yup]

Find out more about the Read Great Things Challenge here.

Why did you choose to read this book?

Courtney: It has been getting a lot of really good press. And, Meredith told me to read it, so it meets the ‘recommended by a Librarian’ item on the Read Great Things Challenge.

Meredith: I love a good fantasy world and this one, where those with magic have been all-but-enslaved by those without (though the story turns out much more complex than that), is tops. I love some good world-building, and this is some of the best and clearest I’ve read in a while. 

What did you like about it?

Courtney: I enjoyed the relationship between the main character and her brother. It felt real to me because it wasn’t all sunshine and happiness, but it was commitment and family.

Meredith: I loved that at its core it was about what our obligation to other human beings is and how, despite how family loyalty is a big theme in this story, sometimes we have to come to terms with things our family members have done that are wrong. And how we can move to effect positive (though difficult) change. Plus, again– the world-building and mythologies were really lovely. 

Did it remind you of any other book, or a movie?

Courtney: It reminded me a little bit of Beasts Made of Night by Tochi Onyebuchi because the magic in both revolved around death, and they are both set in magical, fictional, African countries. However, I’ll say that Children of Blood and Bone is much better than Beasts Made of Night on every level (plotting, character development, magic systems, world building…) so you can just read this one.

Meredith: The world-building reminded me of Leigh Bardugo’s Grishaverse. I also really liked that, although it had some romance and romantic tension, that wasn’t the primary focus of the story. They have a world to save, folks!  

Was there anything noteworthy about the book?

Courtney: It’s going to be a movie!

Meredith: Lionaires. (One of many awesome things about the book, but I don’t want to spoil it for you.) Honestly, though, it’s cool that it takes a non-Western (African, specifically West African) approach to the underlying mythology of the world. 

What feeling did the book leave you with?

Courtney: This book left me feeling like I wanted to read the next one. Typical of most first books in a trilogy, the end set up an interesting premise for the next book.

Meredith: I’ll admit this book left me a little stressed out. Like Courtney, I’m eagerly awaiting the second book, especially since lots of heavy stuff went down towards the end of the first book and I’m worried about some of the characters. 

Who would you recommend the book to?

Courtney & Meredith: Anyone who enjoys young adult fantasy books, or just fantasy books [with great world-building] in general.

What would you pair this book with?

Courtney: This book would pair well with a self-defense class. I’d like to learn how to fight with a stick.

Meredith: Binti by Nnedi Okorafor or The Fifth Season by N. K. Jemisin [available at the Orange County Campus Library].

What We’re Reading: Monstress (Vol. 1 & 2)

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monstress vol 1 by Marjorie Liu and illustrated by Sana Takeda book cover
Available at the Orange County Campus, volumes 1-4 (PN 6728 .M6548 L48 2019)
monstress vol 2 by Marjorie Liu and illustrated by Sana Takeda book cover
Available on the new book shelf at the OCC Library

This series was read by Meredith Lewis, Orange County Campus Librarian.

Genre: Graphic Novel/Comic Book

#ReadGreatThings2018 Category: A book that contains a supernatural creature [loads], occurrence [more than one], or event [very much yes]

Find out more about the Read Great Things Challenge here.

Why did you choose to read this book?

I picked up Monstress Vol. 1 a year or so ago in an effort to check out some new graphic novels. The graphics were beautiful and there was a weird multi-tailed cat in one of the preview images. I’m a simple person–I may have chosen it for both the positive reviews and the cats. It’s also really beautifully illustrated (and terribly bloody and twisted). 

I chose to continue the series because it’s dark and fascinating. The main character, Maika Halfwolf, is scarred emotionally from a war between entities in her world that left a huge number of beings dead and many more brutalized, but her physical scarring comes from a terrifying (and very hungry) monster that she shares her body with. She reluctantly takes on a half-fox and two-tailed necromancing talking cat as sidekicks. Look, it’s really weird (as I say out loud frequently while reading it), but really interesting. And it’s not as whimsical as the animals make it seem.

What did you like about it?

Maika’s exploration of where she ends and the monster begins is really fascinating, especially since they can see into each others’ memories. The second volume starts to clear up some of the mysteries introduced in the first volume, but I still have more questions! (Volume 3 comes out later this year, so I’ll just have to wait unless I want to buy individual issues of the comic.) 

Did it remind you of any other book, or a movie?

The second one reminds me ever so slightly of Pirates of the Carribean… but that’s only because there’s a ship and a terrifying island and ghosts.They do not share a similar tone AT ALL. 

Was there anything noteworthy about the book?

If you’re into awards, this (along with My Favorite Thing is Monsters, also available at the OCC Library) was nominated for a 2018 Eisner Award and Vol. 1 won a Hugo Award last year. 

Who would you recommend the book to?

If you’re into dark fantasy and beautiful art and weird stories with anthropomorphic animals and half animals and monsters, this is probably going to be your jam. All the trigger warnings, though. 

I found this Hollywood Reporter article interesting, too, for more information: ‘Monstress’: Inside The Fantasy Comic About Race, Feminism And The Monster Within

What We’re Reading: Educated

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educated a memoir by tara westover book cover

Available at the Main Campus Library on the New Book Shelf (CT 3262 .I2 W47 2018)

Educated by Tara Westover was read by Susan Baker, a Reference Librarian at the Main Campus, and Meredith Lewis, the Orange County Campus Librarian.

Genre: Memoir

#ReadGreatThings2018 Category: A biography, autobiography, memoir, or a fictionalized account of a real person’s life AND A book you chose for the cover [seriously, look at those layers]

Find out more about the Read Great Things Challenge here, and check out other beautiful and interesting book covers in the Main Campus library’s front window display to find your next great read.

Why did you choose to read this book?

Susan: I work with students in a community college. I have a son in elementary school.  So I think about education—how does it work?  What makes it good?—a lot. The combination of the title and the cool pencil graphic that is so much more if you look closely drew me to the shelf. I picked it, scanned the prologue—hmmm, this is good writing, and I want to know what happens….I was hooked.

Meredith: As usual (eye roll directed towards myself), I’d read some reviews on it and it seemed interesting– a story of not-quite-actually-home-schooled to PhD. I’m always interested in how people get from one place to another in their lives, especially in their education journeys, but this book was so much more than just that. 

 

Continue Reading →

#ReadGreatThings2018: Summer Reading Time!

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With the spring semester over and done*, summer reading is upon us!

Looking for some light structure to your summer reading? Why not try the Durham Tech Library’s Read Great Things Challenge?

Durham Tech Library's Read Great Things 2018 Challenge

What is the Read Great Things Challenge?

The Read Great Things Challenge is a reading challenge sponsored by the Durham Tech Library throughout 2018 that encourages folks to diversify or increase their reading goals by completing books that fit into at least 10 of the following 12 categories:

  • A book being turned into a movie or tv show in 2018
  • A biography, autobiography, memoir, or a fictionalized account of a real person’s life
  • A book about or that features sports
  • A book of poetry or a book written in verse
  • A book you previously started or were assigned and never finished
  • A book that takes place in a country or place you’d like to visit
  • A book you chose for the cover
  • A book that takes place during or is about a historical event 50 years or more in the past [1968 or before]
  • A popular science book [nonfiction books that talk about scientific topics from a non-textbook point-of-view]
  • A book with a supernatural creature, occurrence, or event
  • A book about cooking or food
  • A book suggested by a Durham Tech librarian either in-person or on the Durham Tech Library Blog

We’re highlighting different genres throughout the year and on the blog through individual book posts, but you can always ask a librarian for recommendations if you can’t think of a book to read for a certain category (which conveniently fills that final awesome category).

How do I participate in the Read Great Things Challenge?

It’s pretty simple –just start reading! You don’t have to sign up and you can start at any point in the year. You’ll need to choose books that fit into at least 10 of the 12 categories by the end of Fall Semester (December 2018) to complete the challenge.

There’s also a joinable Sakai site (listed under Membership on your Sakai home page once you sign in) that we’ll be using if you want to discuss books you’re reading and recommend some of your own great reads. Email Meredith Lewis (OCC Librarian) or the library for more information. 

What kind of book counts as a “great thing”?

All books count–hardcover, paperback, ebooks, audiobooks, graphic novels, comic books, library books, books you own, books you’ve borrowed… If it fits into one (or two) of the categories and you’ve read it/want to read it, that counts.

Can I count a book for multiple categories?

One book can count for up to two categories.

How do I win the challenge? (What do I win?)

To win and complete the challenge, you should finish books that fit into at least 10 of the 12 listed categories. In late November or early December, we’ll have bookish prizes available for those who bring their completed book list to the library or fill out the completion form.

You’ll also get a personal sense of satisfaction and bragging rights. (And who doesn’t love those?)

Do the books have to be from the Durham Tech Library?

Nope, but we’re glad to point you in the direction of one already in our collection. We have some great books just waiting to make it on your list.

Download a pdf of the checklist and challenge guidelines here: Read Great Things Challenge 2018

*Technically, the semester will be “over and done” tomorrow, you know, for accuracy’s sake.

What We’re Reading: Woolly

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woolly the true story of the quest to revive one of history's most iconic extinct creatures by ben mezrich book cover

Available at the OCC Library on new books shelf (QE 882 .P8 M49 2017)

This book was read by Meredith Lewis, the Orange County Campus librarian.

Genre: Narrative Scientific Nonfiction [the author is telling a true story, but re-creates some of the dialogue and events as though he were there]

#ReadGreatThings2018 Categor(ies): A popular science book

Find out more about the Read Great Things Challenge here.

What is this book about? 

This book is about genetic engineering and its potential, ideas on how to help stop the greenhouse gases trapped in the Siberian permafrost, and MAMMOTHS. Though this book tells the story of the convergence of the Pleistocene Park in Siberia and Harvard University’s Woolly Mammoth Revival Project, it brings up some really interesting questions about science, specifically the field of genetics: Just because we can [maybe, probably?] do something, should we do it, and how do we weigh the consequences. As the author says after a particularly interesting misunderstanding between the scientists and the press, “[G]enetics [i]s a powerful tool, but also an ethical minefield” (157).

 

Why did you choose to read this book?

Well, woolly mammoths are cool. I started another book about mammoths last year and never finished it* and then this book came along and here we are. 

Did it remind you of any other book, or a movie?

The obvious connection is Jurassic Park, either the book  or one of the movies (available in the Durham Tech Library), right? The book mentions it and I even learned that the reason that it isn’t possible to extract dinosaur DNA from something like amber is that over time DNA degrades and no longer actually exists in that thing that is preserved in the amber.

Side note: Woolly actually has been optioned for a movie. So that’s probably happening next year or so. Prepare yourself.

What would you pair this book with?

A healthy sense of skepticism, all accompanied with a sense of fascination with the world of science and its potential.

*An opportunity for another check box for me on the #ReadGreatThings2018 Challenge: A book you previously started and never finished

What We’re Reading: The Three-Body Problem

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The Three-Body Problem book coverTitle: The Three-Body Problem

Author: Cixin Liu

Genre: science fiction

Why did you choose to read this book?

I am participating in Book Riot’s 2018 Read Harder Challenge. Having read The Three-Body Problem allows me to check off the category “A book of genre fiction in translation.” Also, the book has been on display on the Special Collections area of the main campus library and I’ve walked by it many times. The cover jumped out at me; this qualifies it for the library’s Read Great Things Challenge, category: A book you chose for the cover.

What did you like about it?

It is difficult to describe this book without giving anything away. Continue Reading →

Celebrate National Poetry Month in April

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The library has many new books by diverse poets.  You can find these on a table at the back of the library on the upper level and on a display rack on the lower level.  To learn more about National Poetry month events and to sign up to receive poems in your email inbox, visit the Academy of American Poets.

Available at the Main Campus (PZ 7 .E715 Bra 2017)

Reading a book of poetry or a book written in verse qualifies for Durham Tech’s Reading Challenge:

#ReadGreatThings2018

 

 

What We’re Reading: The Secret Game

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the secret game: a basketball story in black and white by scott ellsworth book cover

Available at the Main Campus Library (GV 885.72 .N8 E45 2015)

This book was read by Charles Farrow, a Library Technician at the Main Campus Library.

Genre: Historical Nonfiction

#ReadGreatThings2018 Categor(ies): A book about or that features sports AND A book that takes place during or is about a historical event 50 years or more in the past

What is this book about? 

Sunday, March 12, 1944 at 11:00am. The Secret Game.

In this book, Scott Ellsworth writes about a day and time in Durham, North Carolina during the Jim Crow era when two teams from opposite sides of the tracks–Duke and NC Central– ignored Jim Crow laws and decided to play a game that was never supposed to happen. It started out as a challenge, but ended up being more than just a game.

Why did you choose to read this book?

I chose to read this book because of a conversation I had with my son about black athletes in the Hall of Fame from HBCUs and how the historically black colleges and universities that produced them have been overlooked in sports history. We also talked about the history of black athletes at places like the University of Alabama, Duke, and the University of North Carolina and when they were allowed to participate in various sports.

What did you like about it?

I like this book because it brings to light that being an athlete is not just about playing a game. For some, it goes deeper than that. This book reveals a deeper truth that sports are not just about winning and losing. It shows that some of our greatest challenges are not from a physical opponent, but from our own system of beliefs instilled in us from childhood. I like this book because it reveals to the reader that sports transcends race, culture, nationalities and shows us how to overcome barriers and adversity by working together as a team and being a team player.

Did it remind you of any other book, or a movie?

The movie Brian’s Song

What would you pair this book with?

I’d pair this book with an archaeological dig, since that’s how much work the author had to do in order to find out about and report about this game. 

What We’re Reading: Life in Motion

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Life in Motion an unlikely ballerina by misty copeland book cover

Available at the Main Campus Library (GV 1785 .C654 A3 2014)

This book was read by Courtney Bippley, a Reference Librarian at the Main Campus Library.

Genre: Memoir
#ReadGreatThings2018 Categor(ies): A memoir & A book about or that features sports

Misty Copeland is the first African-American Principal Dancer for the American Ballet Theatre. She started dancing at 13 years old, far older than most ballerinas, and overcame all kinds of adversity to become an amazing artist and role model. 

Continue Reading →

What We’re Reading: Lincoln in the Bardo (Coming Soon!)

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lincoln in the bardo by george saunders

(Coming soon to the Durham Tech Main Campus and OCC Libraries)

This book was read by Meredith Lewis, [mostly] the Orange County Campus Librarian.

Title of book: Lincoln in the Bardo
Author: George Saunders
Genre: Literary Fiction
#ReadGreatThings2018 Categor(ies): A fictionalized account of a real person’s life & A book that contains a supernatural creature, occurrence, or event

Why did you choose to read this book?

The press surrounding this book was weird– I kept hearing about a huge number of people involved in the audiobook and wasn’t quite sure why that was a thing. (The book is made up of various accounts of different events, both real and supernatural, so each narrator gets a new voice– if you were wondering.) Aside from that, I like supernatural stories and the premise– Willie Lincoln, Abraham Lincoln’s young son dies and is stuck between moving on to the world of the dead and staying behind on earth in the bardo (to greatly oversimplify: an in-between state in Tibetan Buddhism)– was really interesting.

What did you like about it?

Lincoln in the Bardo was unlike anything I’ve read before– the way the actual history backdrop of the story unfolded and how it was written was really interesting. It was kind of like reading a play, where it takes you a second to get used to the style and then you forget it’s there.  

Did it remind you of any other book, or a movie?

When I was younger, I read Spoon River Anthology by Edgar Lee Masters and loved how weird and wonderful it was. One part of the storyline reminded me strongly of that book. 

Was there anything noteworthy about the book?

I mean, it an award and stuff (if you’re into that). 

Who would you recommend the book to?

People who like supernatural fiction and historical fiction and are looking for a well-written blend of both. It really was a great book about love and loss and regret and bravery and so much more.