Title Crown of Midnight Author Sarah J Maas Rating Highly Recommended Book Review One thing about Sarah J Mass is she knows how to write a second book. It feels like the first two books of this series were all background and almost act as a prequel for the true story that is going to unfold in the next book. The foreshadowing throughout the series has been excellent so far, so many things are hinted at without giving anything away until the final reveal. The main character is so complex and hides things from both herself and by proxy the readers. She is someone that is easy to root for even if her methods are not always the best. I could not put this book down and was sad when it was over. So far a super detailed fantasy series and I am excited to see more!! Submitted By Alyssa Castanon Department or Major Leatherby Libraries Status Staff Chapman Email alycastanon@chapman.edu

 

Title Drowning: The Rescue of Flight 1421 Author T.J. Newman Location Other Rating Recommended Book Review This thrilling novel takes place at the bottom of the Pacific Ocean near the uninhabited island of Molakai after a tragic plane crashed six minutes after take off. There was no single cause mentioned  for the crash so readers were quickly focused on the survivors and the professionals working to plan their escape. The mission had ceased being an attempt at an air craft passenger rescue and too soon became a submarine rescue attempt which entailed a different set of skills, deep water divers, and hi tech machinery. Submitted By Annalisa Goode Department or Major Law Status Staff Chapman Email agoode@chapman.edu

 

Title Borderlands/La Frontera: The New Mestiza Author Gloria Anzaldua Call Number PS3551.N95 B6 2007   Location 2nd Floor Humanities Rating Highly Recommended Book Review Great foundational book for any Chicana or Latina who grows up on the borders of two different cultures and has the difficult job of navigating between both worlds, both culturas, both languages, both histories to create a distinct journey for herself. Submitted By Anna Carpintero Department or Major Leatherby Libraries. Status Staff Chapman Email carpintero@chapman.edu

 

Title Becoming: Michelle Obama Author Michelle Obama Call Number E909.O24 A3 2018   Location 2nd Floor Humanities Rating Highly Recommended Book Review Great autobiography by Michelle Obama who shared a very intimate look into her life which included all the ups and downs of being a successful, inspiring leader inside her home and outside with the community, first local and then nationwide. It was great to read her life story including her time as the First Lady during our nation's historical moment of having our 1st African American President - Barack Obama. Submitted By Anna Carpintero Department or Major Leatherby Libraries Status Staff Chapman Email carpintero@chapman.edu

 

Title Ink Blood Sister Scribe Author Emma Torzs Call Number N/A Location Other Rating Recommended Book Review In this world, there are rare and ancient books that can allow the reader to perform magic. Sisters Esther and Joanna's family are responsible for guarding these books. Due to a series of events, the sisters find out there is a lot they don't know about these books and their family.   This book is a blend of Practical Magic, and Inkheart, with a splash of Harry Potter books 6 and 7. I enjoyed the way it was written, but a bit predictable at times. Even though this is supposed to be a stand-alone novel, there is a lot more the author could do with this world. Submitted By Caylin Schmenk Department or Major Leatherby Libraries Status Staff Chapman Email schmenk@chapman.edu

 

Title Breath: The New Science of a Lost Art Author James Nestor Location Other Rating Highly Recommended Book Review This book took my breath away (sorry for the pun!). Journalist James Nestor explores the culture, science, history and spirituality of breathing -- and how we've been doing it wrong.  It's a detailed yet accessible peek into the world of "pulmonauts" - people who use their breath as a tool for exploration and transformation.  I was inspired to try a few techniques - including taping my mouth shut at night (Nestor devotes many pages to the evils of mouth breathing including dental issues, headache, fatigue). Strange at first but it does get easier! Submitted By Ashley Bloomfield Department or Major Rodgers Center Status Staff Chapman Email ambloom@chapman.edu

 

Title The House on Mango Street Author Sandra Cisneros Call Number PS3553.I78H6 Location 2nd Floor Humanities Rating Highly Recommended Book Review A classic, The House on Mango Street is a place of contradictions and a place to be from, ugly, bad, joyful and sad, according to Cisneros. Told in a series of vignettes, Esperanza's life and family and surroundings are described including poverty, family violence, and abandonment as some of the many themes through out the stories. Submitted By Annalisa Goode Department or Major Law Status Staff Chapman Email agoode@chapman.edu

 

Title	Nine Perfect Strangers
Author	Liane Moriarty
Location	Other
Rating	Highly Recommended
Book Review	This thriller about nine perfect strangers took place in a remote resort where wealthy folks booked retreats for many types of reasons, including weight loss, habit changes, etc., Through various fasts, therapy, non verbal meditations and exercise they all agreed to do what they were told, including giving up all their electronic devices, and consuming drug laced smoothies without their knowledge.  They continue their therapy sessions and find themselves participating in a communal meditation they learn they have been drugged with LSD without their knowledge and things go down hill quickly. Panic, excitement, and a life and death situation transpires, all while being locked up together. I enjoyed the story and learning about what happens to each "stranger" at the end of the book. The story was well crafted and kept the reader guessing about how the guests behaved and reacted and how they befriended each other out of comfort and need.
Submitted By	Annalisa Goode
Department or Major	Law
Status	Staff
Chapman Email	agoode@chapman.edu

 

Title Cutting for Stone Author Abraham Verghese Call Number PS3622.E744C872010 Location 2nd Floor Humanities Rating Highly Recommended Book Review A book of chance meetings, chance births, abandonment, guerrilla war fare, romance, tropical diseases, undying love, and doctoring under the most difficult of conditions. This skilled doctor of words, descriptor of place, and a master of character development, Abraham Verghese created another fabulous story I did not want to end. I hope you pick up one of his stories from the Leathery stacks. Submitted By Annalisa Goode Department or Major Law Status Staff Chapman Email agoode@chapman.edu

 

Title Throne of Glass Author Sarah J Maas Location Other Rating Highly Recommended Book Review I have been looking forward to starting the Throne of Glass series for some time now, and this first book did not disappoint. It was slow in the beginning, but once I hit page 70, time flew by. The world-building is super intricate, and a bigger plot unfolds in the background as we get to know the characters. All the characters introduced so far have deep personalities and are already showing signs of development. Celaena is such a complex main character, and I am so excited to see where her story goes. I can already see a big plot being set up for her, and I cannot wait to read the rest of the series. There is so much left to be discovered about the world and all of the characters. I feel like I have gotten breadcrumbs so far, and it has left me wanting more. I hope the rest of the series stays as strong as the beginning. I would say that if you are into YA fantasy, I recommend this first book! I'm working on all 7, so I'll update as I go! Submitted By Alyssa Castanon Department or Major Leatherby Libraries Status Staff Chapman Email alycastanon@chapman.edu

 

Title Ninetails Author Sally Wen Mao Call Number N/A Location Other Rating Somewhat Recommended Book Review Ninetails: Nine Tales is composed of 9 short stories, with 1 overarching short story. All stories are supposed to re-imagine the fox spirit from Asian folklore and intertwine them with the women who are the focal point of each story. There were some stories I enjoyed, and others I didn't. Not every story really involved the fox spirit (sometimes felt thrown in), so I felt cheated. Submitted By Caylin Schmenk Department or Major Leatherby Libraries Status Staff Chapman Email schmenk@chapman.edu

 

Title On Death and Dying Author Elisabeth Kubler-Ross Call Number BF789.D4 K8 1993 Location 2nd Floor Social Sciences Rating Recommended Book Review This book is Kubler-Ross's study on the terminally ill and explores the five stages of death through interviews and conversations with these patients. Conducted in the 60s, a lot of points and findings are still valid today. It gave a great understanding of how death and staying in the hospital affect patients, nurses, and families. Submitted By Caylin Schmenk Department or Major Leatherby Libraries Status Staff Chapman Email schmenk@chapman.edu

 

Title Hamnet: A Novel of the Plague Author Maggie O'Farrell Location Other Rating Highly Recommended Book Review For readers who want to learn more about the non fiction "Pestilence" in a fiction genre, this novel is an excellent choice. The plague was an epidemic for most of the 1500s spreading to several countries, and felt acutely in England, where this novel is set. The author imagines the life of a young and naive William Shakespeare his marriage to a country girl, him becoming a father and his only son Hamnet, dying at age 11, him writing and performing Hamlet a tragedy about a king, revenge, and a ghost. O'Farrell blends her characters with actual historical figures from Shakespeare's family and finishes them with  folklore and superstitions of the time. It was an inventive story, and would like to have read more the family unit. Submitted By Annalisa Goode Department or Major Law Status Staff Chapman Email agoode@chapman.edu