True Notebooks: A Writer’s Year at Juvenile Hall, by Mark Salzman

This is such an interesting book. It’s the story of a writer who ends up teaching writing classes to teenage boys in a juvenile detention center, all of whom have committed murder. This is why they’re there and awaiting trial.  Salzman writes about this from his own perspective, but made the wise choice to include essays written by the boys themselves.  It’s a poignant read about writing, teaching, volunteering and rehabilitation.

This is the story about the relationship between the author and a homeless man he meets on the streets of Los Angeles. Lopez, a columnist for the Los Angeles Times, met Nathaniel Ayers in February 2005 and wrote the first of a series of articles about him in May 2005. That series of articles received much acclaim from the public and eventually evolved into The Soloist. It’s a riveting story about mental illness, homelessness, the healing power of music and the burgeoning friendship between Ayers and Lopez.

Come hear Lopez speak at this year’s Freshman Convocation on Thursday, September 3rd at 6pm on the Oviatt Lawn.

– Susanna

Are you and your friends too hot to do anything? Then have an afternoon tea party! (Don’t worry, you can make iced tea.) Having Tea presents an engaging history of the afternoon tea along with our modern interpretations. When it comes to hosting one yourself, Foley has done the work for you by planning several different tea parties, complete with menus, table decorations, and settings. Her recipes are truly outstanding, and the accompanying photography is both lush and winsome. We may not have the perfect English rose garden or antebellum porch to host our tea parties at here in L.A., but we can at least bake a batch of Foley’s delectable cream scones or create a sherried English trifle. You and your friends will be glad you checked out this book from the Oviatt!

Danielle Ste. Just

I picked up this book on a recommendation from a friend and I’m glad I did. Clary is a normal girl living in NYC, when one night she thinks she witnesses a murder at a nightclub. She soon discovers that all is not as it seems when she meets three “shadowhunters”  - warriors who are sworn to rid the world of demons. Disbelieving at first, Clary learns it’s all too real and that there is a very real connection between herself, her mother and this world she (and most people) never knew existed. It’s a fun fantasy novel, a quick read, and I’m looking forward to getting my hands on the next two installments in the series.

– Susanna

Tales of a Drama Queen, by Lee Nichols

This is the epitome of a summer beach reading type of book. It’s easy to read, funny, and doesn’t make you think too hard. It’s the story of Elle, who’s returned to her hometown of Santa Barbara after a failed relationship. She’s got no money, and few marketable skills, but that’s not about to stop her on her quest for the perfect job, the perfect apartment and the perfect man. Just what the doctor ordered on a warm summer’s day.

– Susanna

This is one of finest books I’ve ever read. It is a fictionalized account of the last survivor’s experience with the horrible 1911 Triangle Shirtwaist Fire in New York City. That alone would be interesting, except the survivor (Esther) changes her story as the narrative unfolds, and is being informally investigated by her granddaughter and friend. The current investigation is offered with Esther’s memories of working in the factory with her sister, and what it meant to work in New York as a woman before labor rights.

If this is your first introduction to the Triangle Shirtwaist fire, I recommend checking out some of our other books, like Triangle: the fire that changed America.

-Lindsay

Do You Speak American? By Robert MacNeil
Have you ever wondered why the English language varies so much across our country? Where different expressions come from? How our language has deviated so much from the British counterpart? Check out this book!

I read this in one sitting, since I had to keep myself occupied at airports from Portland to LA, via San Francisco. It’s super engaging and it’s very easy to understand. I think it helps that the authors are NOT linguists. If you are at all interested in American English, I would recommend it, especially if you’ve tried to read books on the history of English before and been overwhelmed by linguistic terms.

This book is the print companion to the PBS film series, which we have available in Music & Media.

-Lindsay

The absolutely true diary of a part-time Indian, by Sherman Alexie

I read this last year when it was a finalist for the Freshman Common Reading Program. It’s the story of Junior, a Native American boy growing up on the Spokane Indian Reservation. He leaves the school on the reservation to attend a nearby all white high school, where he is the only Native American. He has aspirations of being a cartoonist and the book is interspersed with amazing drawings capturing his experiences. At times hilarious and at times heartbreaking, this book will stay with me for a long time.

– Susanna.

Under the Banner of Heaven, by Jon Krakauer

This is not a light read, as it opens with a graphic description of Utah murders in the 1980s. However, Krakauer has painstakingly researched Mormonism and Latter Day Saints to provide a context and historical background for the religion and culture. He includes more contemporary cases, like the kidnapping of Elizabeth Smart (and resulting Stockhausen Syndrome) juxtaposed with detailed accounts of Brigham Young’s travels.

If you are even moderately interested in the history of Utah and Mormonism, I strongly recommend this book. Once you’ve tackled this one, you can check out the other resources we have on Mormonism and religion at the Oviatt.

–Lindsay

I’m going to go out on a limb and just admit that I love Tori Spelling. From her days as virginal Donna Martin on the original 90210, to her awesomely titled made for tv movies (”Mother May I Sleep with Danger?”, “Coed Call Girl” etc), and even her silly reality show, I’ve always been a fan. And more so now, after reading her first book, in which she bares her soul and writes about what we all want to know. (For the record, yes she did have plastic surgery, and Shannen Doherty sounds crazy.) She writes about her ridiculously opulent childhood, her days on 90210, somehow blowing through all her money, her marriages and divorces and of course her well publicized, disfunctional relationship with her mother, and manages to do so with humor and grace.

– Susanna

This is absolutely the book you’d expect from Chelsea Handler, if you’re at all familiar with her background as a comedian. It’s a bawdy and laugh out loud selective memoir, and often borders on the absurd. What the stories are about (her entrepreneurial spirit as a babysitter, her time in jail, her family and friends) is beside the point. When you read this book, just go along for the ride and enjoy the wit and humor dripping from the pages.

– Susanna

One of my favorite books in our library is ‘Jack Oakie’s Oakridge’. It is a pictorial stroll through the longtime Northridge home of comedian Jack Oakie and his wife Victoria. The Oakies bought their property, near Devonshire and Reseda, from another Hollywood luminary, Barbara Stanwyck, around 1940.

The home itself was designed by noted architect Paul Williams. It still stands today, although most people are completely unaware of it, perched on a small hill in a grove of trees next to a Chevrolet dealership. The property was bequeathed to USC upon Mrs. Oakie’s death in 2003.

The book – much like the home it lovingly documents – is an overlooked gem. Do “check it out” when you have a moment!

-Kate

The pillars of the earth AND World without end, by Ken Follett

These are actually two books. Pillars of the Earth is the first and World without end is the sequel. They are really dense and meaty, so I would not call them light summer reads. But if you are looking for something a little more substantial (both run about 1000 pages), I would so recommend these two books. I couldn’t put them down, especially the first one. The books chronicle the building of a cathedral in 12th century England and the people and families involved in the project and in the generations following. They are definitely what you would call sweeping epic novels, since combined they cover a couple of hundreds of years. They really have everything: adventure, romance, history, travel, religion, political intrigue. Highly recommended.

-Kimberly

The classic Regency romance, uh, zombie novel. In this mashup of Austen’s book, a “plague” of zombies rise up and terrorize England. As in the original, Elizabeth Bennet and Mr. Darcy battle each other with words and wit but also battle zombies with really big swords and knives. Grahame-Smith has cleverly kept 85% of the original novel and incorporated unmentionables, ninjas, and zombie attacks during fancy parties. This is a fun beach read, whether you have read the original or not. Because it is widely known that “It is a truth universally acknowledged that a zombie in possession of brains must be in want of more brains.” Next up for this author? Abraham Lincoln, vampire hunter. I cannot wait!

Kimberly

Sarah Dessen is a very prolific author in the YA (Young Adult) genre. I’ve enjoyed many of her books, and this one is no different. I needed some light reading for the weekend and am happy that I picked it up. It’s the story of Annabel, a teenager with a secret. She seems to be living a charmed life with a perfect family and friends, and an early career as a model. But she spent the summer alone, harboring a secret and starts the new school year ostracized from everyone, an outcast. She befriends Owen, another loner, who tries to teach her how to be honest with everyone, including herself, and also learns she’s not the only one keeping secrets. It’s a short read, but worth it. If you like this one, do check out her other books as well.

–Susanna