Running the Books: the Adventures of an Accidental Prison Librarian by Avi Steinberg
Recommended by Jeff in Technical Services…
Jeff’s synopsis:
The author, Avi Steinberg answers an ad for a prison librarian and he gets the job. This is his story. He gets the job and spends two years working at the Boston prison getting to know the inmates, the officers, and the various assortments of con men, pimps, prostitutes, and other prisoners that come in to use the library.
He says:
You don’t really hear too many people talking about their dream to become a prison librarian just as you don’t hear too many people talking about their dream to be a prisoner. But it happens, sometimes accidentally and both stories are very interesting. I like how the author shares the stories of these prisoners’ struggles and dreams as well as his own struggles trying to figure out the purpose of the prison library and the role he plays in that setting.
Mennonite in a Little Black Dress : A Memoir of Going Home by Rhoda Janzen
Recommended by Tuki in Adult Services…
Tuki’s Synopsis:
This is a story of Rhoda Janzen, who was raised a Mennonite but went on to marry outside her community. It would appear Rhoda was leading the perfect life; she had a fulfilling job, a beautiful lakeside home, and a brilliant husband. But just as she turns forty her life turns upside down. Her husband announces he’s leaving her for another man, someone he’d met on Gay.com. As the author relates her difficult story her humor alleviates some of the pain and you are left with this extremely moving memoir.
She says:
A hilarious and moving memoir about a woman who returns home to her close-knit Mennonite family after a personal crisis. Learning the ways of the Mennonite community was an extra bonus for me.
Einstein’s God by Krista Tippett
Recommended by Asra in Adult Services…
Asra’s synopsis:
Krista Tippett, host of NPR’s Speaking of Faith, sits down with some of today’s most reputable thinkers to discuss the relationship between science and spirituality. Her conversations are not so much a dialogue than a series of question-and-answer sessions. Interviews are conducted with figures such as the ever popular Mehmet Oz, John Polkinghorne, and other luminaries.
She says:
In today’s times, science and religion are presumed to be mutually exclusive. Tippett offers a fresh alternative to the strict dichotomy. Through interviews, she presents respectful, nuanced conversation about the overlap and intertwining of science and religion. An atheist, holding firmly to her beliefs, offers that it is difficult to disprove the existence of God, while a devout Christian views evolution as having a part in the Creation Story. The culmination of interviews reveals mysteries inherent both in science and religion, providing common ground between the two. If nothing else, John Polkinghorne’s discourse on the nature of light and the role of quarks, as applied to religious paradigms, makes the book a worthy read.
A Hope in the Unseen by Ron Suskind
Recommended by Colleen in Outreach Services…
Colleen’s synopsis:
The true story of an inner-city black youth who dreams of attending an Ivy League college and actually does.
She says:
I found this book both fascinating and insightful. Ron Suskind had written a magazine piece on this young man which is the basis for this book. It gives a glimpse into the world of a truly poor and under-served but gifted student who is trying to better himself and succeed in a world that is totally alien to the world he knows.
Iron Heart by Brian Boyle
Recommended by Tuki in Adult Services…
Tuki’s synopsis:
This is an amazing story about the indomitable human spirit and the resilience and inner strength of one young man. Brian Boyle, a star athlete had just graduated high school on his way to college when tragedy stuck. He was involved in a head on collision with a dump truck that should have killed him. Instead it left him in a vegetative state with severe injuries. This book is about his determination to fight back and take control of his life and come back strong. He not only survives his ordeal but three and a half years later crosses the finish line at the Ironman Triathlon in Kona, Hawaii.
She says:
Amazingly inspirational and makes you marvel at the strength of the human spirit.
