Title Blood Sisters: The Women Behind the Wars of the Roses. Author Gristwood, Sarah Call Number n/a Location Other Rating Recommended Book Review I was excited to get back into my tudor/war of the roses history, and this book did a great job of bringing back those memories. It took a focus on the women of the war, and it was well written. I was glad that Interlibrary Loan allowed me to read this book! Submitted By Laura Neis Department or Major Business College Status Staff Chapman Email lneis@chapman.edu

 

Title	All Systems Red
Author	Martha Wells
Location	Other
Rating	Highly Recommended
Book Review	This was an excellent novella! I loved the action, but the real draw was the interesting characters. The main character goes through a lot of growth and figuring out exactly what its deal was is very interesting.
Submitted By	Laura Neis
Department or Major	Business College
Status	Staff
Chapman Email	lneis@chapman.edu

 

Title D.H. Lawrence Selected Poems Author Edited by Dr Jan Todd, Oxford Student Texts Call Number PR6023.A93A6 1993 Location 2nd Floor Humanities Rating Highly Recommended Book Review Lawrence is referred to as an author and a poet in multiple historic fiction novels I have read and watched on t.v. He wrote several poems about the natural world in Birds, Beasts and Flowers including snakes, hippos, and whales but the Hummingbird is the only poem where he did not write from his own personal knowledge. He crafted a prehistoric world where this bird whizzed around jabbing stems and veins. And imagined this bird was probably once big. Ending with his relief that is now not. Poetry was once described as "just like spoken song lyrics." So, I challenge myself to embrace this creative genre. Submitted By Annalisa Goode Department or Major Law School Status Staff Chapman Email agoode@chapman.edu

 

Title The Wedding People Author Alison Espach Location Other Rating Highly Recommended Book Review A propulsive story about Phoebe Stone, lost in routine as a professor, struggling with depression, and the pressures of attempting to please others before herself. Phoebe spends a week as an accepted, but uninvited wedding guest she eventually learns to craft a new outlook on her life while observing strangers, their habits and idiosyncrasies. The  author crafted this story full of humor and relatable characters. Pure enjoyment I did not want to end. Submitted By Annalisa Goode Department or Major Law School Status Staff Chapman Email agoode@chapman.edu

 

Title The Starless Sea Author Erin Morgenstern Call Number PS.3613.O74875S73 2019 Location 2nd Floor Humanities Book Review This fantasy novel follows a young man who finds himself in a story in a book from the restricted section of his library. He follows the story by opening doors when keys are presented, and opening his heart to strangers. Bees, swords and keys play a magical and significant roll in moving the fantastic story along. The reader MUST agree to submit to the ethereal language and believe in the impossible...like witnessing a staged play, stepping into the theatre you must trust and embrace the suspension of disbelief. And of course there is a masquerade, dancing, loneliness, evil, happiness, and love. Submitted By Annalisa Goode Department or Major Law School Status Staff Chapman Email agoode@chapman.edu

 

Title	In The Dream House
Author	Carmen Maria Machado
Location	Other
Rating	Highly Recommended
Book Review	Wow this book was so incredible and unlike anything I have ever read before. I don't think I have ever read a book in the second person before, and I really enjoyed it because it really drew me into the story. I listened to the audiobook, read by the author, which made it a super immersive and heartfelt experience. This book is so unique in so many ways and I highly recommend it! I also recommend checking for trigger warnings before starting this book.
Submitted By	Chloe Lehmann
Department or Major	Business Admin
Status	Alumni
Chapman Email	clehmann@chapman.edu

 

Title Girls of Fate and Fury Author Natasha Ngan Location Other Rating Somewhat Recommended Book Review So happy to have finally finished this trilogy! I loved the sapphic representation throughout the series and seeing the two main characters navigate their relationship in such a tense political environment as it is in the series. I read the first book in this trilogy for the first time in 2019, so I am very happy to have finally read the second and third books and to have finished the series! Submitted By Chloe Lehmann Department or Major Business Admin Status Alumni Chapman Email clehmann@chapman.edu

 

Title Enemy Feminisms: TERFs, Policewomen, and Girlbosses Against Liberation Author Sophie Lewis Rating Highly Recommended Book Review This is a socialist history of the most problematic people and movements within feminism. Pointing out that "they weren't *really* feminists" avoids a critical review of the ways that mainstream feminism promoted and continues to promote racist, transphobic, settler colonialist, and capitalist ideas and people from the prohibitionist and anti-vice squads of yesteryear to the CIA Girlbosses and TERFs of today. Highly recommended for anyone who wants an inclusive feminism that fights back against capitalist systems that hurt us all.   Submitted By Rachel Kadar Department or Major Academic Programs Services Status Staff Chapman Email rkadar@chapman.edu

 

Title Babel, or the Necessity of Violence Author R. F. Kuang Location Other Rating Recommended Book Review This book was quite obviously written by someone who is very intelligent, leading to some great world building in a fantastical era of colonialism. However, it does suffer a bit from being long-winded or giving overall unnecessary facts alongside the plot. If you’re willing to read a longer book, I would recommend this for someone who enjoys the worlds of books and the questioning of ethics and loyalties in nature versus nurture. Submitted By Abygail Durdella Department or Major Undeclared Status Student Chapman Email durdella@chapman.edu

 

Title	Ayiti
Author	Roxane Gay
Call Number	PS3607.A985725 A6 2018
Location	Other
Rating	Highly Recommended
Book Review	A collection of short stories, both fiction and nonfiction, as well as poetry, all focused on the Haitian diaspora experience. This book is a beautiful, short collection and is an excellent example of why I enjoy Roxane Gay's work so much.
Submitted By	Caylin Schmenk
Department or Major	Leatherby Libraries
Status	Staff
Chapman Email	schmenk@chapman.edu

 

Title Murder by Cheescake - Golden Girls Cozy Mystery Author Rachel Ekstrom Courage Location Other Rating Highly Recommended Book Review This delightful book is like watching an extended bonus episode of the show.  It was such a treat to spend time with characters I already know and love.  The author does a great job of staying true to the essence of the girls.  I could hear the actresses' voices as I was reading the dialogue and absolutely imagined them in the storyline.  If you want to go back to Miami in the 80's this is the book to bring you there! Submitted By Kim Vater Department or Major Law School Status Staff Chapman Email kvater@chapman.edu

 

Title The Son of Neptune Author Rick Riordan Book Review Continuing my Percy Jackson reread! This one wasn’t as good as some of the others, but it sets up Frank and Hazel which are some really interesting and fun characters! Submitted By Finn Nowlin Department or Major Film and Television Production Status Student Chapman Email fnowlin@chapman.edu

 

Title	Girls of Storm and Shadow
Author	Natasha Ngan
Location	Other
Rating	Somewhat Recommended
Book Review	This book really suffered from middle book syndrome for me. Not much progressed in the plot and there was so much filler that the book was kind of hard to get through. Apart from the pacing, I really enjoyed the story, especially how it discusses ideas of family legacies and internal pressures to live up to expectations. I feel like it was portrayed in a very real way.
Submitted By	Chloe Lehmann
Department or Major	Business Admin
Status	Alumni
Chapman Email	clehmann@chapman.edu