Non-Fiction Summer Reading

In the Garden of Beasts: Love, Terror, and an American Family in Hitler’s Berlin
by Erik Larson

If you prefer your summer reading to include some non-fiction try Larson’s In the Garden of Beasts. While not a “light” subject to be sure, Larson’s narrative keeps the book moving and readers will be drawn into this true story of an American father and his family, including his promiscuous grown daughter, living in Berlin as the Nazi’s took power. Giving readers a more personal account of what it was like to live in one of the worst regimes in history, it will help us to understand how terrible things can happen and that the study of history relates to people, not just dates and facts.  Written with the help of many first and second person accounts this book presents a detailed picture of what it was like as an outsider in Nazi Germany. 
This book was also selected for the Friends of the UNCG Libraries discussion group. Dr. Karl Schelunes, history, will lead the discussion on March 18, 2013. For details, see the FOL blog.

if you like it, try:

The devil in the white city: murder, magic, and madness at the fair that changed America 

by Erik Larson

Blood done sign my name: a true story by Timothy Tyson

Under the Banner of heaven: a story of violent faith by Jon Krakauer

Reading Recommendations:

Ready Player One 

by Earnest Cline

Do you love the 80’s? Wade Watts, the main character in Ready Player One, does. Not because of any association he has with them, he lives in the year 2044. While the real world is overcrowded and unpleasant, most people don’t mind as long as they can plug into the virtual world of OASIS. The reason for the 1980’s obsession has to do with the creator of OASIS, a man who has died and left puzzles (most having to do with his pop culture 80’s obsession) within his virtual world that can lead to a huge fortune and power over the entire OASIS.  This book is full of 80’s movie, video game, and pop culture trivia as well as futuristic technologies and battles. A fun book that's lets you live in the past and future.

if you like it try:

 A Visit from the Goon Squad by Jennifer Egan

Girl in Landscape by Jonathan Lethem

Neuromancer by William Gibson

Summer Reading Recommendations!

Pure 

by Julianna Baggot

If you liked Hunger Games or The Passage, try Pure.  A post-apocalyptic novel written by UNCG alumni Julianna Baggott. When the world ends with a bang there are two groups of survivors, those in the regular destroyed world and those who are safety encased in the government Dome. Those outside the Dome have become disfigured, merging with whatever was around them at the time of the Detonations, be it object, animal or the land they stood on.  Those who live inside the dome, without disfigurement and sickness, are known as pure. The book centers around, Pressia, a 16 year old girl living outside of the dome and her adventures with other survivors as well as one boy who has lived his entire life within the authoritarian dome and suspects his mother may have survived outside of the Dome. Part-horror, part sci-fi, part coming of age, this first book in a planned trilogy will certainly engage many readers.

If you enjoy it, also try:

The Dispossessed: an ambiguous Utopia by Ursala K Le Guin

The Forest of Hands and Teeth by Carrie Ryan (another North Carolina writer)

The knife of never letting go by Patrick Ness

Reading is fun, no really!

Hello UNCG Students, Staff, Faculty and Friends!

Irma here! You know the last summer session is winding down and fall semester classes won’t be starting up until late August. Do you simply have too much free time on your hands? Don’t worry Irma Minerva, your resident library friend, is here to help. I am working on a list of great
“summer reads”, stay tuned for some suggestions!

Love,

Irma

Green Leak: Recycling at UNCG - Construction Waste

Construction - it's everywhere.

With all of the construction going on at the university, you are probably wondering what happens to all of the debris and construction waste.

This Green Leak of the week highlights sustainability efforts in construction and renovation projects at UNCG, including the recent renovation projects in Jackson Library.

Ben Kunka of OWRR discusses the topic of recycling construction waste in the 7th podcast in our series about recycling and waste reduction at UNCG.




Transcript (pdf)

Watch the previous podcasts:

• Introduction


• Plastics


• Comingled paper


• Office Paper


• Electronic Waste


• Dining Services

Green Leak: Recycling at UNCG - Dining Services

This Green Leak of the week highlights sustainability efforts in Dining Services at UNCG, including composting of food waste and compostable plates, cups, and utensils.

Kevin Deans of Dining Services and Ben Kunka of OWRR discuss this topic in the 6th podcast in our series about recycling and waste reduction at UNCG.



Transcript (pdf)

Watch the previous podcasts:

• Introduction


• Plastics


• Comingled paper


• Office Paper


• Electronic Waste

Meet Jimmy Humphrey - Winner of 2012 Undergraduate Research Award

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This year's winner researched and wrote a paper on missionary work politics, culture, and ethical globalization for Professor Roberto Campo’s international global studies senior seminar. Learn more about this topic, the research involved and background on our winner in this podcast, when Kimberly Lutz interviews Jimmy Humphrey, the 2012 Winner of University Libraries Undergraduate Research Award for his IGS 400 paper "Missionary Work, Politics, Culture, and Ethical Globalization."

The University Libraries Undergraduate Research Award is given in recognition of an outstanding undergraduate research project by an individual or a group that best demonstrates the ability to locate, select, and synthesize information form library resources and uses those resources in the creation of an original research project in any media. The winning entry wins a cash prize of $500 funded by the university libraries. This year it was awarded on April 16th 2012 at the undergraduate honors convocation.

Hosts: Irma Minerva, Jimmy Humphrey, & Kimberly Lutz

Time:8:41 | Size: 5.97 MB |  Download .mp3 | transcript
Music: "ants........................" by Anchor Méjans (intro)

Links:

• Click here for detail on how to apply for the University Libraries Undergraduate Research Award.
• Jimmy's research paper will soon be available in the UNCG Institutional Repository, NCDOCKS
• Check out the International Global Studies Program
• Contact a library subject specialist in your area!