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January 13, 2026
Brianna Limas
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New Year, New Reads: Exploring recently additions to the University Library collection

Posted in Collections, and outreach

With the new year upon us, you might be looking for new books to start out 2026. This blog post contains recently published books that are available both in print and digitally. Check out these recommendations, and scroll to the end of the post for tips on finding or requesting books in the CSUN library.

New Fiction and Poetry

The true true story of Raja the Gullible (and his mother) by Rabih Alameddine

Where to find it: Learning Commons Bestsellers ; PS3551.L215 T78 2025

Summary: “In a tiny Beirut apartment, sixty-three-year-old Raja and his mother live side by side. A beloved high school philosophy teacher and ‘the neighborhood homosexual,’ Raja relishes books, meditative walks, order, and solitude. Zalfa, his octogenarian mother, views her son’s desire for privacy as a personal affront. She demands to know every detail of Raja’s work life and love life, boundaries be damned. When Raja receives an invite to an all-expenses-paid writing residency in America, the timing couldn’t be better. It arrives on the heels of a series of personal and national disasters that have left Raja longing for peace and quiet away from his mother and the heartache of Lebanon. But what at first seems a stroke of good fortune soon leads Raja to recount and relive the very disasters and past betrayals he wishes to forget.” Winner of the 2025 National Book Award for Fiction.

Helen of Troy, 1993 : Poems by Maria Zoccola

Where to find it: Gohstand Reading Room ; PS3626.O28 H45 2025

Summary: “Part myth retelling, part character study, this debut poetry collection reimagines the mythic beauty from Homer’s “Iliad” as a disgruntled housewife in 1990s Tennessee. Zoccola explores Helen’s isolation and rebellion as her expansive personality clashes with the social rigidity of a small town: she marries the wrong man, gives birth to a child she is not ready to parent, and begins an affair that throws her life into chaos, but she never surrenders ownership of her story or her choices.”

“Oh, Mary!”(Play) by Cole Escola

Where to find it: Floor4 ; PS3605.S365 O3 2025
Summary: Mary Todd Lincoln is tired of Washington, DC. The nation’s capital is so boring; she would much rather be onstage, where she belongs, starring in a cabaret. And if she can’t do that, she might as well drink. Or push her chaperone down the stairs. Or drink. The entire White House is fed up with Mary’s antics, most of all her bore of a husband, who can’t focus on anything except his silly Civil War. To get her out of his hair, Abe hires a handsome, up-and-coming actor to give Mary acting lessons, hoping to keep her busy and out of trouble, but the distraction ends up working a little too well. A riotous, campy, outrageous comedy that dares to ask: What won’t Mary Todd Lincoln do to be a star?

The El by Theodore Van Alst

Where to find it: Floor4 ; PS3622.A5567 E4 2025

Summary: “An ordinary day in August 1979 dawns hot and humid in Chicago. Teenager Teddy is living with his dad after being kicked out of his mom’s house due to his gang activity. But Teddy has thrived in the Simon City Royals, and today, he’ll be helping to lead a posse of the group’s younger members south across the city to Roosevelt High School to attend a gathering of gangs forming “the Nation”–a bold new attempt at joining forces across racial lines. This holds particular importance for Teddy, as his branch’s only Indigenous member. But when the meeting breaks up in gunshots and police sirens, Teddy must guide the Royals back across hostile territory, along secret routes and back alleys, and stop by stop on the thundering tracks of the El. In the face of violence from rival gangs and a secret Judas in the Royals’ ranks, Teddy is armed only with a potent combination of book smarts and street smarts, and by the guiding spirit of Coyote, who has granted him the power to glimpse a future only he may survive to see. Immersed in the sights, sounds, and smells of the author’s beloved city, The El will transport you to that singular sun- and blood-soaked day in Chicago. It is a love letter to another time, to a city, and to a group of friends trying to find their place and make their way in a world that doesn’t want them.”

 

What we can know : a novel by Ian McEwan

Where to find it: 

Summary: “2014 : At a dinner for close friends and colleagues, renowned poet Francis Blundy honors his wife’s birthday by reading aloud a new poem dedicated to her, ‘A Corona for Vivien’. Much wine is drunk as the guests listen, and a delicious meal consumed. Little does anyone gathered around the candlelit table know that for generations to come people will speculate about the message of this poem, a copy of which has never been found, and which remains an enduring mystery. 2119 : Just over one hundred years in the future, much of the western world has been submerged by rising seas following a catastrophic nuclear accident. Those who survive are haunted by the richness of the world that has been lost. In the water-logged south of what used to be England, Thomas Metcalfe, a lonely scholar and researcher, longs for the early twenty-first century as he chases the ghost of one poem, ‘A Corona for Vivian’. How wild and full of risk their lives were, thinks Thomas, as he pores over the archives of that distant era, captivated by the freedoms and possibilities of human life at its zenith. When he stumbles across a clue that may lead to the elusive poem’s discovery, a story is revealed of entangled loves and a brutal crime that destroy his assumptions about people he thought he knew intimately well. What We Can Know is a masterpiece, a fictional tour de force, a love story about both people and the words they leave behind, a literary detective story which reclaims the present from our sense of looming catastrophe and imagines a future world where all is not quite lost.”

 

Sky full of elephants by Cebo Campbell

Where to find it: Gohstand Reading Room ; PS3603.A4692 S59 2024

Summary: “One day, a cataclysmic event occurs: all of the white people in America walk into the nearest body of water. A year later, Charles Brunton is a Black man living in an entirely new world. Having served time in prison for a wrongful conviction, he’s now a professor of electric and solar power systems at Howard University when he receives a call from someone he wasn’t even sure existed: his daughter Sidney, a nineteen-year-old who watched her white mother and step-family drown themselves in the lake behind their house. Traumatized by the event, and terrified of the outside world, Sidney has spent a year in isolation in Wisconsin. Desperate for help, she turns to the father she never met, a man she has always resented. Sidney and Charlie meet for the first time as they embark on a journey across America headed for Alabama, where Sidney believes she may still have some family left. But neither Sidney or Charlie is prepared for this new world and how they see themselves in it. When they enter the Kingdom of Alabama, everything Charlie and Sidney thought they knew about themselves, and the world, will be turned upside down.”

 

New Memoirs and Biographies

 

Nothing more of this land : community, power, and the search for Indigenous identity by Joseph Lee

Where to find it: Floor3 ; E99.W2 L44 2025

Summary: “A sweeping, personal exploration of Indigenous identity and the challenges facing indigenous people around the world. Before Martha’s Vineyard became one of the most iconic vacation destinations in the country, it was home to the Wampanoag people. Today, as tourists flock to the idyllic beaches, the island has become increasingly unaffordable for tribal members, with nearly three-quarters now living off-island. Growing up Aquinnah Wampanoag, Joseph Lee grappled with what this situation meant for his tribe, how the community can continue to grow, and more broadly, what it means to be Indigenous. In Nothing More of This Land, Lee weaves his own story and that of his family into a panoramic narrative of Indigenous life around the world. He takes us from the beaches of Martha’s Vineyard to the Alaskan tundra, the smoky forests of Northern California to the halls of the United Nations, and beyond. “

That’s a great question, I’d love to tell you by Elyse Myers

Where to find it: Learning Commons Bestsellers ; PN1992.9236.M94 A3 2025

Summary: “Elyse Myers is known to her twelve million followers as ‘The Internet’s Best Friend,’ sharing her relatable stories and comedic sketches and serving as an advocate for topics such as neurodivergence, impostor syndrome, body image, and more. Whether she’s making people laugh with tales of disastrous dates or giving a voice to that awkward internal monologue many of us have, she has three simple goals behind everything she makes: To make people feel known, loved, and like they belong. In ‘That’s a great question, I’d love to tell you,’ Elyse delivers a debut collection of deeply personal stories and hand-drawn illustrations, offering even more intimate reflections beyond what fans have seen on her social media”

Positive obsession : the life and times of Octavia E. Butler by Susana M. Morris

Where to find it: Gohstand Reading Room ; PS3552.U827 Z79 2025

Summary: “As the first Black woman to consistently publish in the field of science fiction, Octavia Butler was a trailblazer. With her deft pen, she created stories speculating about the devolution of the American empire, using it as an apt metaphor for the best and worst of humanity — our innovation and ingenuity, our naked greed and ambition, our propensity for violence and hierarchy. Her fiction charts the rise and fall of the American project — the nation’s transformation from a provincial backwater to a capitalist juggernaut, made possible by chattel slavery, to a bloated imperialist superpower on the verge of implosion. In this outstanding work, Susana M. Morris places Butler’s story firmly within the cultural, social, and historical context that shaped her life: the civil rights movement, Black Power, Black feminism, and Reaganomics. Morris reveals how these influences profoundly impacted Butler’s personal and intellectual trajectory, and shaped the ideas central to her writing. Her cautionary tales warn us about succumbing to fascism, gender-based violence, and climate chaos while offering alternate paradigms for religion, family, and understanding our relationships to ourselves. Butler envisioned futures with Black women at the center and raised our awareness of how those who are often dismissed have the knowledge to shift the landscape of our world. Morris explains what drove Butler: She wrote because she felt she must. “Positive obsession is about not being able to stop just because you’re afraid and full of doubts. Positive obsession is dangerous. It’s about not being able to stop at all.”

Tequila wars : José Cuervo and the bloody struggle for the spirit of Mexico by Ted Genoways

Where to find it: Gohstand Reading Room ; HD9394.6.M6 G46 2025

Summary: “A revelatory history of the vast tequila empire born from the fires of the Mexican Revolution. At the dawn of the twentieth century, José Cuervo inherited his family’s humble distillery, La Rojeña, in the Tequila Valley. Within a decade, he had transformed it into a complex national enterprise that would become Mexico’s leading producer of tequila. Cuervo grew his kingdom of agave by acquiring thousands of acres of estates throughout the valley; he brought electricity and a railroad line to Tequila, so he could reach drinkers across the country. But when the Mexican Revolution erupted, a charge of treason and a death threat against him by Pancho Villa forced Cuervo to flee. His disappearance turned him into an obscure, shadowy historical figure–despite having one of the most famous names in Mexican history.” 

Albert Einstein – His Life and Science : A Dramatized Biography by Ken K. Chin

Where to find it: eBook available online

Summary: “This book is part biographical account, part novel, and part popular science. The basic facts are historically true, but many episodes have additionally been dramatized with plausible content that brings the personal story to life in the style of a novel or movie script. This genre of a “dramatized biography” of scientists was first created by the author 45 years ago and became a great success selling over half a million copies in China, where it has been in particular demand for teaching. But this is not the whole story: In addition, the book explains, in a serious yet accessible manner, the basics of Einstein’s scientific work, especially its impact on contemporary cosmology, astronomy, and physics. As an experienced teacher of relativity and astronomy for high-school and university students, the author knows how to make profound scientific subjects accessible, and his presentation is as fascinating as a detective story. Readers will learn not only about the historical setting but also about the challenges and frustrations faced by Einstein, about his breakthroughs and triumphs, as well as the far-reaching significance of his theory of relativity, quantum mechanics, and other scientific achievements. The reader will come to understand why, of all the billions of people living in the twentieth century, Albert Einstein was singled out as the “Person of the Century.”

 

New Non-Fiction and Informational Works

 

Women in science now : stories and strategies for achieving equity by Lisa M.P. Munoz

Where to find it: Floor4 ; Q130 .M86 2025

Summary: “Women working in the sciences face obstacles at virtually every step along their career paths. From subtle slights to blatant biases, deep systemic problems block women from advancing or push them out of science and technology entirely. Women in Science Now examines solutions to this persistent gender gap, offering new perspectives on how to make science more equitable and inclusive for all. This book shares stories and insights of women from a range of backgrounds working in various disciplines, illustrating the journeys that brought them to the sciences, the challenges they faced along the way, and the important contributions they have made to their fields

The kindest garden : a practical guide to regenerative gardening by Marian Boswall

Where to find it: Floor4 ; SB454.3.E53 B67 2025

Summary: “Change the world from your back garden. Leading landscape designer Marian Boswall has worked on some of the UK’s most ambitious and innovative regenerative landscape projects, and now she shares her wisdom in this trail-blazing guide. A step-up from sustainable gardening, which focuses on minimising our impact on the earth, regenerative gardening is about making an active contribution to the health of the planet: improving and replenishing biodiversity through our gardens. Whether you have a shady patio, a large plot of land or a windowsill – you can make an impact. Drawing on lessons from forward-thinking farmers, foresters, re-wilders and nature itself, The Kindest Garden shows you how to create a garden that is both a beautiful sanctuary for yourself and also a place where nature can thrive. Come to understand the key elements of your garden (soil, water, ecosystems, materials, energy and planting) on a deeper level and discover how to harness each one for a garden that makes a positive impact. Apply new-found knowledge to practical projects, and plan your planting to nourish the soil. With beautifully-written text, clear explanations and practical takeaways – as well as planting advice, tools, useful diagrams and informative charts – The Kindest Garden is perfect for eco-conscious gardeners who want to make a real difference”

The conjuring of America : mojos, mermaids, medicine, and 400 years of Black women’s magic by Lindsay Stewart

Where to find it: Floor3 ; BF1622.A34 S74 2025

Summary: “Emerging first on plantations in the American South, enslaved conjure women used their magic to treat illnesses. These women combined their ancestral spiritual beliefs from West Africa with local herbal rituals and therapeutic remedies to create conjure, forging a secret well of health and power hidden to their oppressors and many of the modern-day staples we still enjoy. … Black feminist philosopher Lindsey Stewart exposes this vital contour of American history. In the face of slavery, Negro mammies fashioned a legacy of magic that begat herbal experts, fearsome water bearers, and powerful mojos–roles and traditions that for centuries have been passed down to respond to Black struggles in real time. And when Jim Crow was born, Granny Midwives and textile weavers leveled their techniques to protect our civil and reproductive rights, while Candy Ladies fed a generation of freedom crusaders. … Above all, The Conjuring of America is a love letter to the magic Black women used to sow messages of rebellion, freedom, and hope

Shababz! : a graphic journey through Islamic feminism by Lana Sirri

Where to find it: eBook available online
Summary: A non-fiction comic. Join the four protagonists on an exciting journey as they dive into the most current discussions about Islam and feminism, typically reserved for academia and specialized feminists. Zahra proudly wears the hijab and challenges the widespread assumption that Islam and feminism are mutually exclusive. Hamza, on the other hand, faces various toxic stereotypes about masculinity and the roles he is expected to perform. Mariama, as a Black Muslim woman, grapples with how her world is shaped by colonialism and discrimination. And Amari finds their own path through the seemingly rigid categories of sexuality and gender. This interactive graphic novel invites readers to engage with important conversations on Islam, gender and sexuality, and shows how young people can make a difference in society.

A Street Photography Manifesto by Brian Lloyd Duckett

Where to find it: eBook available online

Summary: “Master street photography, conquer your fears, and find your unique voice. Street photography can be difficult, frustrating, and sometimes even a bit intimidating. But with the right mindset and tools, it can also be the most rewarding form of visual expression you’ll ever experience. To help you overcome the challenges of street photography, move beyond the cliche shots, and find your authentic voice, it’s critical to have the right skills and the right approach—and this book helps you develop those. This isn’t your typical how-to book on street photography. It’s a manifesto—a call to action for aspiring and seasoned street photographers alike. Street photographer, educator, and author Brian Lloyd Duckett shares all of the wisdom he’s earned from years of pounding the pavement with a camera in hand. Throughout the book, Brian challenges you to find your unique voice, confront your fears, and push beyond your comfort zone to create truly compelling images. Organized into three sections—”Preparing to Shoot, ” “Shooting the Streets, ” and “After the Shoot”—the book covers everything from gear selection and confidence-building techniques to developing your personal aesthetic and making a name for yourself in the world of street photography.”

 

Dinner with King Tut : how rogue archaeologists are re-creating the sights, sounds, smells, and tastes of lost civilizations by Sam Kean

Where to find it: Gohstand Reading Room ; CC81.5 .K43 2025

Summary: “Whether it’s the mighty pyramids of Egypt or the majestic temples of Mexico, we have a good idea of what the past looked like. But what about our other senses: The tang of Roman fish sauce and the springy crust of Egyptian sourdough? The boom of medieval cannons and the clash of Viking swords? The frenzied plays of an Aztec ballgame… and the chilling reality that the losers might also lose their lives? History often neglects the tastes, textures, sounds, and smells that were an intimate part of our ancestors’ lives, but a new generation of researchers is resurrecting those hidden details, pioneering an exciting new discipline called experimental archaeology. These are scientists gone rogue: They make human mummies. They investigate the unsolved murders of ancient bog bodies. They carve primitive spears and go hunting, then knap their own obsidian blades to skin the game. They build perilous boats and plunge out onto the open sea–all in the name of experiencing history as it was, with all its dangers, disappointments, and unexpected delights. Beloved author Sam Kean joins these experimental archaeologists on their adventures across the globe, from the Andes to the South Seas. He fires medieval catapults, tries his hand at ancient surgery and tattooing, builds Roman-style roads–and, in novelistic interludes, spins gripping tales about the lives of our ancestors with vivid imagination and his signature meticulous research. Lively, offbeat, and filled with stunning revelations about our past, Dinner with King Tut sheds light on days long gone and the intrepid experts resurrecting them today, with startling, lifelike detail and more than a few laughs along the way.”

 

Finding, Requesting, and Accessing Books at the University Library

The University Library makes it easy for CSUN students, staff, and faculty to check out books from the shelf or access e-books online.

If an e-book is available in the CSUN Library collection, you simply need to open any link “Online Access” while logged into the University Library site with your CSUN credentials.

Print books can be checked out at the Guest Services desk in the Library lobby. Tip: When using OneSearch, open the book’s information page (called the “catalog record”) and click on the “Request” link under the “In the Library” heading to choose a convenient pick-up location like the Guest Services desk (“Main Stacks”) or the library lockers.  Be sure to sign in with CSUN credentials to see this option!

If you love the thrill of finding a book on the shelves, we encourage you to explore the stacks on floors 3 and 4 of the University Library building. Tip: Look for the “Map it!” link under the “In the Library” heading on the collection record. This link will open a floor map with the book shelf for that book highlighted, so you know where to look!

For more information about using call numbers to find print books, and for how to use OneSearch to discover books in the CSUN Library collection, use this handy Library Guide for Finding Books. Tip: Use advanced search and use the drop-down menu to try searching for by subjects or genre!

OUR TOP TIP: For any help finding a book in our collection, just ask a librarian!

Happy reading in 2026!

Brianna Limas

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