3rd Annual Gift Book List

Holiday Gift Book Ideas for 2008:

Great Books to Give As Well As to Receive
Gail M. Staines, Ph.D., Assistant Provost, University Libraries,
Saint Louis University

This is the third annual Saint Louis University Holiday Gift Book ideas list. Titles have been suggested by SLU faculty librarians and library staff. Some are best sellers, but most are lesser known super reads!!

Adiga, Aravind. The White Tiger: A Novel. New York: Free Press, 2008.
Winner of the Man Booker Prize, The White Tiger is this author’s first published novel. Set in India, Adiga’s debut novel is about Balram, a chauffeur who happens to kill his employer then tries to justify this murder because he sees himself as a social entrepreneur. An engaging read for those who like dark comedy.

Alam, Saher. The Groom to Have Been. New York: Spiegel and Grau, 2008.
Alam’s debut novel is rich with custom, tradition, and challenging historical practices. Follow the story of Nasr, post-9/11, as he journeys towards a marriage arranged by his mother. If you enjoyed reading The Age of Innocence by Edith Wharton, you will enjoy this story.

Bernikow, Louise. Dreaming in Libro: How A Good Dog Tamed A Bad Woman. Cambridge: Da Capo Press, 2007.
The sequel to Bernikow’s first book, Bark If You Love Me, the author continues the story of her life with Libro, the boxer who was rescued by police. Without giving the ending away, this is a touching story of a close relationship between human and canine. For dog lover’s everywhere.

DeMille, Nelson. The Gate House. NY: Grand Central Publishing, 2008.
If you are a DeMille fan and/or you read his 1990 novel Gold Coast, then you are sure to enjoy his latest venture The Gate House. Picking up where Gold Coast left off, the story begins with John Sutter’s return from London and a three year sail around the world. A super book for the winter doldrums.

Diaz, Junot. The Brief Wondrous Life of Oscar Wao. New York: Riverhead Trade, 2008.
This is Diaz’ second work and it doesn’t disappoint. The Dominican-American writer’s spins a fascinating tale of a family curse that affects all family members except for Sister Lola. Over 200 reviewers on Amazon.com gave this book 5-stars!! Young adults on up will enjoy the contemporary context within this work is set.

Fennel, Jan. The Dog Listener. New York: Quill, 2004.
If you love dogs, then this book is definitely a must-read for you! Fennel provides readers with a different approach to understanding and communicating with man’s best friend. Using techniques of horse whisperer Monty Roberts, Fennel works with the animal’s natural behaviors.

Ford, Anna Morgan. Beyond the Track: Retraining the Thoroughbred from Racehorse to Riding Horse. N. Pomfret, VT: Trafalgar Square, 2008.
For horse enthusiasts of all kinds! Ford, program director for the New Vocations Racehorse Adoption Program, has trained and/or placed over 1000 racehorses. Gorgeous color photographs, chapters cover such topics as how Thoroughbreds are trained for running at the track, common health issues, and the reality of slaughter. Most of the book is dedicated to practical advice on how to train a racehorse to be a riding horse. A list of horse adoption websites is included. A portion of the proceeds of the sale of this book go to support the New Vocations program.

Freedman, Paul. Food: The History of Taste. Berkeley, CA: Univ. of California Press, 2007.
This is a great survey of the history of food from pre-history to the modern day, written by authoritative scholars in an accessible and engaging style, and profusely illustrated. If you give a thought or two of what you are eating at your holiday feast this year, this will give you much more to ponder while you recover.

Gladwell, Malcolm. Outliers: The Story of Success. New York: Little, Brown, and Company, 2008.
This is just one of the books that will promote discussion over the dinner table. Through his research, Gladwell posits that very successful individuals, such as Bill Gates and The Beatles, are ambitious and talented, but also were at “the right time and the right place” to rise to their full potential. A very interesting read!

Marsalis, Wynton with Geoffrey C. Ward. Moving to Higher Ground: How Jazz Can Change Your Life. New York: Random House, 2008.
Amy Pennington, Catalog Librarian, suggested this new music title. “Those new to jazz and jazz aficionados alike will appreciate Marsalis’s insights and explorations into the world of jazz.”

Myron, Vicki. Dewey: The Small-Town Library Cat Who Touched the World. New York: Grand Central Publishing, 2008.
A very touching story about a kitten that was abandoned in the book return of a small public library in Iowa. The recently announced movie based on the story will star Meryl Streep. Definitely a story that will melt your heart.

Rogers, Lucy. It’s ONLY Rocket Science: An Introduction in Plain English. New York: Springer, 2008.
For the future astronauts in your family. An easy-to-read book on sometimes a very difficult topic to understand. Rogers presents information about rocket science, space craft, space debris and other related information in an engaging way.

Stein, Mark. How the States Got Their Shapes. New York: HarperCollins, 2008.
Ever wonder how the states that make up the United States got their shape? Stein meshes the political history with tidbits of interesting information about how state boundaries were established. A fun and very interesting read!

Strunk, William, Jr., E.B.White, illustrated by Maira Kalman. Elements of Style Illustrated. NY: Penguin, 2007.
Like dictionaries, encyclopedias, and thesauri before it, this text is a must reference that should be in everyone’s home library. For over 80 years, this book has been the place to go to for basic rules of English, grammar, and usage. The new illustrated edition in paperback is a delight and makes the contents approachable and even fun!

Jewish Literature Events Coming to Pius Library

This American Library Association and Nextbook-sponsored book discussion series returns to Pius Library for the second straight year.  Lets Talk About It: Jewish Literature will feature 5 book discussions on this year’s theme Between Two Worlds: Stories of Estrangement and Homecoming.  The events are as follows:

Jan. 27, 2009   Book Discussion
When:  10:00 a.m. – 11:30 a.m.
Where:  Knights Room, Pius XII Library
Description:  “Let’s Talk About It: Jewish Literature” discussion of Exodus: The Second
  Book of Moses led by Dr. Julia Lieberman, Associate Professor of Spanish
Language and Literature, Sephardic Studies and Israeli Culture, Saint
Louis University.  Free books, parking, and refreshments and open to the
public.  Please RSVP to Pat Gregory at gregorypl@slu.edu or
314-977-3107.

Feb. 10, 2009  Book Discussion
When:  10:00 a.m. – 11:30 a.m.
Where:  Knights Room, Pius XII Library
Description:  “Let’s Talk About It: Jewish Literature” discussion of Lost in Translation
  by Eva Hoffman, led by Dr. Julia Lieberman, Associate Professor of
  Spanish Language and Literature, Sephardic Studies and Israeli Culture,
  Saint Louis University.  Free books, parking, and refreshments and open
to the public.  Please RSVP to Pat Gregory at gregorypl@slu.edu or
314-977-3107.

Feb. 24, 2009  Book Discussion
When:  10:00 a.m. – 11:30 a.m.
Where:  Knights Room, Pius XII Library
Description:  “Let’s Talk About It: Jewish Literature” discussion of Centaur in the
Garden by Moacyr Scliar, led by Dr. Julia Lieberman, Associate Professor of  Spanish Language and Literature, Sephardic Studies and Israeli Culture, Saint Louis University.  Free books, parking, and refreshments and open to the public.  Please RSVP to Pat Gregory at gregorypl@slu.edu or 314-977-3107.

March 10, 2009  Book Discussion
When:  10:00 a.m. – 11:30 a.m.
Where:  Knights Room, Pius XII Library
Description:  “Let’s Talk About It: Jewish Literature” discussion of Kaaterskill Falls by
Allegra Goodman, led by Dr. Julia Lieberman, Associate Professor of  Spanish Language and Literature, Sephardic Studies and Israeli Culture, Saint Louis University.  Free books, parking, and refreshments and open to the public.  Please RSVP to Pat Gregory at gregorypl@slu.edu or 314-977-3107.

March 24, 2009  Book Discussion
When:  10:00 a.m. – 11:30 a.m.
Where:  Knights Room, Pius XII Library
Description:  “Let’s Talk About It: Jewish Literature” discussion of Out of Egypt by
Andre Aciman, led by Dr. Julia Lieberman, Associate Professor of  Spanish Language and Literature, Sephardic Studies and Israeli Culture, Saint Louis University.  Free books, parking, and refreshments and open to the public.  Please RSVP to Pat Gregory at gregorypl@slu.edu or 314-977-3107.

Sweetness Preserved: The Story of the Crown Candy Kitchen

On Thursday, December 4th, from 2:00pm – 3:00pm, author John Oldani will present “Sweetness Preserved: The Story of the Crown Candy Kitchen.”  Oldani will also be available to sign his book. This event will be held on the second floor of Pius XII Memorial Library, and is sponsored by the Saint Louis University Bookstore – a service of Barnes & Noble College Booksellers.  Copies of the book will be available for sale at the event for $24.83 (including tax).

The SEED Forum: Sustainable & Ethical Enterprise Development

On Thursday, Nov. 20th, the University Libraries, along with the John Cook School of Business, is offering “The SEED Forum: Sustainable & Ethical Enterprise Development” in the Anheuser Busch Auditorium located in Cook Hall (lower level). A panel of experts will discuss the world’s water crisis. A reception is from 5:00pm – 5:30pm, the event is from 6:00pm – 7:30pm. This event is made possible by a grant from the American Library Association and PBS/FRONTLINE. (Event is free, but RSVP is required. Please RSVP at http://jcsb.slu.edu/ethics.)

“Reading the Body in Medieval Manuscripts,” Lecture

On Thursday, Nov. 20th, from 3:30pm – 5:00pm, in the Knights Room of Pius Library, Susan L’Engle, Assistant Director of the Vatican Film Library, will speak on Reading the Body in Medieval Manuscripts. This lecture expands upon the themes explored by the exhibition “What a Piece of Work is a Man? – Reading the Body in Medieval Manuscripts,” currently on display in the Atrium of Pius Library.  L’Engle will discuss the ways in which bodies, human or otherwise, provide pictorial definitions of gender, class, etiquette, occupation, religion, metaphor and humor.  This event is sponsored by the Saint Louis University Bookstore – a service of Barnes and Noble College Booksellers.

November Issue of University Libraries Newsletter Online

The latest issue of the University Libraries newsletter is now online for your reading pleasure.  This issue features articles about the 41st Saint Louis Literary Award presented to E.L. Doctorow, tips on conducting research on the current economic crisis, and instructions on Pius Library’s self-service Electronic Reserves, among many other items.