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

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

Friends of the UNCG Libraries Book Discussion Group: The Innocent Man

In this podcast, we interview UNCG Sociology Department Associate Professor Saundra Westervelt who is leading the Friends of the University Libraries book discussion of The Innocent Man by John Grisham. Dr. Westervelt has specialties in criminology, specifically the sociology of law, miscarriages of justice and family violence. In her research she is conducting interviews with individuals who have been wrongfully convicted and exonerated. One of these exonerees, Greg Wilhoit, was a major source for Grisham's book.

Join us at 7 p.m. on Monday, September 21, in the Hodges Reading Room, Jackson Library for discussion of The Innocent Man. Registration for the discussion is online at http://library.uncg.edu/fol/register/.

Hosts: Hannah Winkler and Saundra Westervelt

Time: 14:44 |Size: 13,829 MB | Download .mp3 | Transcript Coming Soon

Music/Sounds: "ants........................" by Anchor Méjans (intro)

Link: http://uncgfol.blogspot.com/