Community of Readers Title Good People Author Patmeena Sabit Call Number NA [read Orange Public Library copy] Location Other Rating Highly Recommended Book Review An enjoyable novel including immigration experiences [Afghanistan -> Virginia], cultural difference, parents and children, crime (perhaps] and justice, a death, and the role of time, place, and circumstance in who are perceived as "good people" and who are not.  Author Sabit is herself an immigrant, and invites readers to fill in the many blanks, then to wonder if they have been overly hasty. Submitted By Art Blaser Department or Major Peace Studies/Political Science Status Community Member Chapman Email blaser@chapman.edu

 

Community of Readers Title Time's Echo: Music, Memory, and the Second World War Author Jeremy Eichler Call Number N/A Location Other Rating Recommended Book Review "Time's Echo" is a cultural and public historical (and archival) examination of WWII and the Holocaust from the perspective of writers and early 20th-century classical composers, mostly the latter. It's a critical look into the "living memory" of those events through the musical lens of famous works by Arnold Schoenberg, Richard Strauss, Dmitri Shostakovich, and Benjamin Britten -- all shaped by their experiences. The book is a great example of how music is a narrative of the past. Submitted By Carl Privette Department or Major Leatherby Libraries Status Staff Chapman Email privette@chapman.edu

 

Community of Readers Title Alchemised Author SenLinYu Location Other Rating Highly Recommended Book Review Broke my heart and left me staring at the wall for an hour after I finished it. Very long and a big commitment, but the story is so worth it. There's some romance, but it mainly focused on the horrors of war. Many heavy themes so read the disclaimer and warnings before picking it up if you might be sensitive to that. 5/5 Submitted By Amanda Snow Department or Major Business College Status Staff Chapman Email hasnow@chapman.edu

 

Community of Readers Title The Unicorn Hunters Author Katherine Arden Call Number N/A Location Other Rating Recommended Book Review This book re-imagines Anne of Brittany's story in a reality where faeries are real. I've read and enjoyed Arden's books before, and the writing does have a dreamy quality. No unicorns were harmed in the reading of this book. Submitted By Amy Telarico Department or Major Leatherby Libraries Status Staff Chapman Email telarico@chapman.edu

 

Community of Readers Title Paradise Lost Author John Milton Call Number n/a Location Other Rating Somewhat Recommended Book Review This book is a classic for a reason, and some of the lines absolutely sing. It was interesting to read. But it is possibly the most misogynistic book I have ever read. Submitted By Laura Neis Department or Major Business College Status Staff Chapman Email lneis@chapman.edu

 

Community of Readers Title Atmosphere A Love Story Author Taylor Jenkins Reid Call Number other Location Other Rating Recommended Book Review An excellent story full of deeply complex people. It takes place in 1980s NASA Space Shuttle program. The author keeps it real with historic events. After successful training, these women were to become some of the first female astronauts. This story centers around the  romance between Joan and Vanessa, working to break through the mail-dominated  program and must also keep their romance a secret. The double standard is quite apparent. Loved all the space talk, and the romance was beautifully written. Submitted By Annalisa Goode Department or Major Law School Status Staff Chapman Email agoode@chapman.edu

 

Community of Readers

Title Star Wars: Invincible Author Troy Denning Call Number N/A Location Other Rating Recommended Book Review Book 9 of 9 of the series. Overall impression of the series: recommended. Of the 3 authors who wrote the series, Denning's books were the most impactful, contained less fluff and exposition, and advanced the overarching plot, including this book series finale. Between this series and Disney's sequel trilogy (Episodes 7-9), I unequivocally, 100% choose the former, because the film trilogy is essentially a VERY lackluster adaptation of the book series. And honestly, in hindsight, Disney didn't really do a good job hiding that they took the idea and character arcs from this book series. (I can go on, but I'm over the character limit.) Submitted By Carl Privette Department or Major Leatherby Libraries Status Staff Chapman Email privette@chapman.edu

 

Community of Readers

Title Her Right Foot Author Dave Eggers Call Number other Location Other Rating Highly Recommended Book Review Good stuff you never knew about the Statue of Liberty. Did you know the 7 spikes on her headband represent the 7 continents? And her exterior is as thick as two pennies placed together? It was built in France and dismantled and built again on US Soil? And much, much more.  This was a fun and educational read. Submitted By Annalisa Goode Department or Major Law School Status Staff Chapman Email agoode@chapman.edu

 

Community of Readers Title A book of ghosts Author Sabine Baring-Gould Call Number n/a Location Other Rating Somewhat Recommended Book Review A fun collection of ghost stories from 1904, there are some very good stories in here, told in an engaging fashion. But there is no rhyme or reason to what is included, and no introduction explaining the selection criteria. This made it hard for me to know where certain stories came from, which interests me. Some of the stories were also very boring, quite divorced from horror (or not even including a ghost at all!) Submitted By Laura Neis Department or Major Business College Status Staff Chapman Email lneis@chapman.edu

 

Community of Readers

Title The Piano Teacher Author Janice Lee Call Number other Location Other Rating Highly Recommended Book Review Set at the start of WWII when Japan invaded Hong Kong, this story describes life, detention centers, relationships, class, society, bigotry and internment camps. Woven inside was a story line spanning 10 years describing events in 1942 then zooming to 1952 where a newly married British couple, Clair and Martin move to Hong Kong to live and work. The characters are lively and well crafted. Clair slowly realizing the past was not so long ago. She has an affair with another expat, who was formerly interned by the Japanese. Secrets are revealed while shame and humiliation run rampant. Submitted By Annalisa Goode Department or Major Law School Status Staff Chapman Email agoode@chapman.edu

 

Community of Readers

Title Connie: A Memoir Author Connie Chung Call Number N/A Location Other Rating Highly Recommended Book Review Connie Chung was a monolith to little Asian girls everywhere who grew up Gen X and Millennial. She was the first major news network Asian American woman and paved the way for journalists like Lisa Ling. It was fascinating to read about her parents' immigration story an family's life back in China. She was unapologetic about her career ambitions and still managed to make time for her son and her husband, Maury Povich. Yes, that Maury, who actually was a reputable journalist and news anchor in his own right before he went into his TV hosting career. Submitted By Annie Tang Department or Major Library Status Staff Chapman Email awtang@chapman.edu

 

Community of Readers Title As You Wish: Inconceivable Tales from the Making of The Princess Bride Author Cary Elwes Call Number N/A Location Other Rating Highly Recommended Book Review If you're a huge Princess Bride fan, this book is for you. I highly recommend listening to the audio version, as Elwes got the majority of the cast to speak their anecdotal memories in the book. Elwes is also a master at impersonations and does justice for those who couldn't record. Even Rob Reiner, may he rest in peace, spoke in the audiobook. Submitted By Annie Tang Department or Major Library Status Staff Chapman Email awtang@chapman.edu

 

Community of Readers Title Oh, William! Author Elizabeth Strout Call Number other Location Other Rating Highly Recommended Book Review Strout writes wonderfully compelling characters, readers want to reach in and be of service to them. Guilt, love, betrayal, grief....she writes situations for these and many more emotional interactions, not in a vacuum, but with purpose. William is one of many flawed characters in this story who love too much, ignore too much, whine too much in his love life, work life, and his home life. Alone again after two wives left him, he is gifted an account with Ancestry.com and finds he has a sister in Maine. It does not go well. I enjoyed this story and the deep human ties linking the characters together and of course the resolutions. Submitted By Annalisa Goode Department or Major Law School Status Staff Chapman Email agoode@chapman.edu