Title: IQ
Author: Joe Ide
Genres: mystery, street lit
Why did you choose to read this book?
I heard an interview with the author on public radio several months ago. He sounded interesting. I hadn’t read any detective fiction in a while.
What did you like about it?
IQ is a quick, easy read: fast-paced and entertaining throughout. Continue Reading →
Title: 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 →
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.
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.
(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.
This book was read by Courtney Bippley and Meredith Lewis.
Title: Dietland
Author: Sarai Walker
Summary: Plum Kettle does her best not to be noticed, because when you’re fat, to be noticed is to be judged. Or mocked. Or worse. With her job answering fan mail for a popular teen girls’ magazine, she is biding her time until her weight-loss surgery. Only then can her true life as a thin person finally begin.
Then, when a mysterious woman starts following her, Plum finds herself falling down a rabbit hole and into an underground community of women who live life on their own terms. There Plum agrees to a series of challenges that force her to deal with her past, her doubts, and the real costs of becoming “beautiful.” At the same time, a dangerous guerrilla group called “Jennifer” begins to terrorize a world that mistreats women, and as Plum grapples with her personal struggles, she becomes entangled in a sinister plot. The consequences are explosive.
Why did you choose to read this book?
Courtney: This books is being turned into a TV show this year which checks one of the boxes in the Library’s Read Great Things Challenge 2018. And, the premise was interesting to me.
Meredith: I think I read a review of it? I’m often interested in books that explore themes surrounding how society and women view their own bodies as a part of and as an obstacle in the world.
What did you like about it?
C: I liked a lot of the themes of the book. It has a very feminist bent to it and I enjoyed reading about a character discovering a different way of looking at the world, and herself.
M: As a non-Jennifer in a sea of Jennifers in elementary school especially, I kind of loved that the vigilante lady group was called Jennifer.
What feeling did the book leave you with?
C: When I finished the book I felt like I wanted more from it. There were a lot of supporting characters that I was interesting in and who could have had their own stories told. If a sequel came out (there isn’t one as far as I know) I would definitely pick it up.
M: It made me think about how powerful society’s expectations can be on our own sense of self and what we think we deserve (and tolerate) based on that. Other stuff, too. I thought this was a great book, but (and?) it left me thinking about a lot of things.
Who would you recommend the book to?
C: Anyone who is interested in exploring feminist ideas but is not interested in reading nonfiction essays and wants something a little juicier.
M: Someone who doesn’t mind a book about women behaving “badly” (both by societal and, uh, legal standards) and maybe someone who is identifying with the feelings behind the current #metoo movement.
What would you pair this book with?
C: I would pair this book with a plate of chocolate oatmeal cookies to be eaten while driving an M113 armored personnel vehicle. Like you do.
M: I’d pair it with Roxane Gay’s Hunger. Similar themes, different genres.
In a repeating series highlighting current and recent reads around Durham Tech, here’s Durham Tech’s awesome faculty and staff’s favorite reads from all of 2017:
As always, if you’re interested in a title, check out the master list of the books below and their availability to see if you can find it at Durham Tech or if you’ll need to request it through interlibrary loan (find this request under eforms). Need help doing either of these things or don’t yet have a library card? Ask in the library.
Here’s the list of Durham Tech’s favorite reads of 2017 (and their availability) in pdf format: Durham Tech Best Reads of 2017
Is your department, club, campus, committee, or subgroup interested in participating in a What We’re Reading blog post? The goal of the What We’re Reading posts is to highlight books, professional literature, blogs, or any other things you might be currently reading or have recently finished. Contact OCC librarian Meredith Lewis for more information.
Looking for a way to challenge your reading self in 2018?
Have we got a plan for you!
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’ll be highlighting a different category on this blog each month. Your 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. As long as it’s read in 2018, you’re good to go.
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 in 2018 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
Available at the OCC Library on the New Book Shelf
Title: From Here to Eternity: Traveling the World to Find the Good Death
Author: Caitlin Doughty
Genre: Nonfiction — Essay & Travelogue
Why did you choose to read this book?
I saw it as a nominee for the Goodreads Choice Awards best nonfiction book of 2017 and it seemed interesting– I read both Mary Roach’s Spook and Stiff a few years ago and found the topic of how we as a culture think about death and the afterlife really interesting then, too. This book talks more about cultural practices and beliefs about death and bodies and is a light and engaging read (for real!).
Was there anything noteworthy about the book?
They highlighted a natural burial ground in North Carolina! I thought that was pretty cool.
Who would you recommend the book to?
Anyone interested in learning more about the topic of burial itself, but in a “morbid lite” kind of way. Also anyone interested in diverse cultural practices and beliefs– the book looks at countries from around the world (hence the travelogue part of the genre description).
Additional books mentioned in this post (because yay! books!)–
Spook: Science Tackles the Afterlife by Mary Roach is available at the Main Campus Library in the downstairs stacks (call number BL 535 .R63 2006).
Stiff: The Curious Lives of Human Cadavers by Mary Roach is available at the Orange County Campus Library on the New Books shelf (call number R 853 .H8 R635 2004).
Just a reminder that Durham Tech will be closed Thursday through Saturday, Nov. 23-25.
The Main Campus Library will close at 1:00 on Wednesday, Nov. 22.
Regular hours (library and other) resume on all campuses Monday, Nov. 27.
In a repeating series highlighting current and recent reads around Durham Tech and just in time for the season of eating, here’s Durham Tech’s awesome faculty and staff’s favorite culinary or food-related reads:
Need help finding a book in-library or requesting a book through ILL or don’t yet have a library card? Ask in the library.
Have any suggestions of books to add to the list? Email Meredith Lewis, OCC Librarian.
Is your department, club, campus, committee, or subgroup interested in participating in a What We’re Reading blog post? The goal of the What We’re Reading posts is to highlight books, professional literature, blogs, or any other things you might be currently reading or have recently finished. Contact OCC librarian Meredith Lewis for more information.
