Hilda C. Landers Library & Archives

Learning about the neurobiology of Parkinson’s disease (P.D.) in one of my graduate classes—coupled with my re-discovery of the Back to the Future trilogy—compelled me to pick up Michael J. Fox’s memoir Lucky Man at the library. The book begins with Fox emerging from a hangover (a common occurrence) when he notices his left pinkie trembling uncontrollably. He tries shutting it in a drawer; it stops for a few seconds, then commences beating against the wood. This “resting tremor,” one of the first signs of P.D., already marks 70% of disease progression. The book goes back to Fox’s childhood up until the time of his writing (late ’90s), detailing the peak of his career, his self-described downfall, where P.D. fit into his timeline—and how it actually “saved” him, in a way. Michael J. Fox’s writing is excellent, and he had a fascinating story to tell. I recommend this book for Fox fans, those curious about P.D., or anyone who’s interested in reading good writing (that should cover about all the bases)!

Availability: USMAI
Review Submitted by: Jordan Gaines, Alum ’11
Rating:  Highly recommended

This is hands down the best book I have ever read about writing. Lamott writes with clarity, humor, and style–I laughed out loud on every page, and also came away feeling better about my writing, the writing process, and being a writer generally. A must read for any English major, or really anyone who thinks of themselves as someone who is or would like to be a writer.

Availability: SMCM Library
Review Submitted by: Tiko Mason, Class of 2013
Rating:  Must Read

This play by David Henry Hwang (author of M. Butterfly) grapples with the issues of racial performativity, mistaken identity, community, and American culture. Hwang writes himself into this play as a character and engages with events from his personal life as well as fictional representations and characters in order to question the Asian American identity in the United States. A quick read that will leave you thinking about its implications long after the curtain falls.

Availability: USMAI
Review Submitted by: Tiko Mason, Class of 2013
Rating:  Highly Recommended

Julie Otsuka’s The Buddha in the Attic explores the Japanese-American experience from the perspective of Issei ‘picture brides’ who came to this country in the early 20th century. Their stories are beautifully interwoven and evocatively portray the experience of both cultural assimilation and ultimately Japanese internment during World War 2. The entire book is written from the perspective of “we” which makes the reading more literarily engaging although the reader has less of a relationship with a single protagonist.

Availability: SMCM Library
Review Submitted by: Tiko Mason, Class of 2013
Rating:  Highly recommended

Jennifer Crusie’s Faking It is a delightful read on a hot summer’s day. The story revolves around a family of art forgers called the Goodnights. The youngest daughter Matilda goes through a great to clear her family’s name and to hide their deep dark secret.

This book has something for everyone; romance, suspense, unrequited love and so much more. If you are a fan of Danielle Steele or Nora Roberts, then you will enjoy Faking It.

Availability: COSMOS Catalog
Review Submitted by: Lisa Zimmerman
Rating: Recommended

Women of the Long March by Lily Xiao Hong Lee and Sue Wiles is a biography that focuses on the stories of three women who completed the Long March as part of the Communist Party of China from 1934-1935. The women themselves are interesting, but the way their stories are told leaves something to be desired. The authors attempt to balance interviews with the women at the end of their lives with official Communist biographies and writings of Western journalists from the 1930s. The end product is mixed, and the book probably would have worked better as a historical novel that tried to fill in the gaps in these women’s lives.

Availability: USMAI
Review Submitted by: Rebecca Thayer
Rating:  Recommended

I absolutely love this book. This novel is narrated by eighteen year old Mary Katherine, the younger sister of Constance and mentally unsteady. The sisters are shunned by their town who blames Constance for the murder of her family six years ago. Though acquitted, Constance, Mary Katherine, and Uncle Jullian, their only surviving relative, remove themselves from society and live a life of seclusion and isolation. Through Jackson’s prose, which is eloquent in its simplicity, the reader is exposed to unbearable cruelty of society and the ramifications of that cruelty. There is a constant air of mystery in this book and a haunting creepiness that promises to keep this story on your mind long after the last page. This book is a must read for any Shirley Jackson fans (author of “The Lottery” and The Haunting of Hill House) and is an excellent first experience to Jackson’s style, themes, and brilliance.

Availability: SMCM Library
Review Submitted by: Lauren Grey (SMCM Alumn ’11)
Rating:  Must Read

After reading the first Hunger Games book I couldn’t wait to start the second and I wasn’t disappointed. It was another fast read but not without action and adventure. I am really growing attached to the characters and am starting to root for them and their plight. The book is well written and the descriptions given by Ms. Collins allow the reader to vividly picture the scenes and the costumes. I can’t wait to start the next one!

Availability: SMCM Library and COSMOS
Review Submitted by: Mandy Reinig
Rating: Must Read

Surprisingly, this was my first experience reading anything by Rudyard Kipling–I say surprising because (a) I majored in English and probably should have come across him in four years, but more importantly (b) his writing style reflects everything that I love about language. Kipling is constant character himself in these stories.* I was surprised that this book is actually a collection of short stories which all relate to animal characters in India (I am guilty of basing my initial opinion off of the Disney movie). Kipling is an active narrator in these stories, giving comments on Mowgli’s actions or thoughts, or to mention the bird who relayed the story he is telling of the current animal. In, “Her Majesty’s Servants,” my favorite story in the collection, the Kipling/narrator is relaying a conversation that he directly overheard from the animals used in the army. Anyone who has ever read A.A. Milne’s Winnie the Pooh collection will feel a kindred spirit in the self-aware stories of The Jungle Book.

Kipling’s writing style is also just beautifully lyrical. His language flows with a whimsicalness that often made me think of T.S Eliot’s “The Love Song of J. Alfred Prufrock.” Reading these stories I felt that Kipling appreciated the sound of language as much as it’s ability to convey a message.

I recognize that this is a children’s book and will not be exactly what everyone is looking for. But, I highly recommend this book to anyone looking for a nice summer read that will make you feel like a kid again.

*I should note that I cannot know that the narrator’s voice is supposed to be that of Kipling. I recognize completely that the narrator may be another character that simply uses first person narration. I suggest. however, that the narrator’s voice is, at the very least, based on Kipling’s own voice. The way the narrator expresses his thoughts is consistent with the tones of the stories without any mention of the “I” narrator. I have also started Kipling’s Just-So Stories (stay tuned for that review) which have a similar narrative style.

Availability: USMAI
Review Submitted by: Lauren Grey (SMCM Alumn ’11)
Rating:  Highly Recommended

A must read, Never Fall Down: A Boy Soldier’s Story of Survival, the biography of Arn Chorn takes you on a journey of heart-wrenching tragedy and inspirational up-liftment. During the Cambodian genocide most of his family was murdered. Enslaved in a work camp he witnesses the starvation and the brutal murders of others. When the North Vietnamese soldiers invaded Cambodia, he was forced to become a Khmer Rouge soldier. Arn Chorn survived his horrific ordeal and devotes his life as a human rights activist and rebuilding Cambodia culture. Whether you are looking for a first-hand account of atrocity, for a good read, or for a hero, this book will not fail to disappoint you.

Availability: SMCM Library
Review Submitted by: Cheryl Colson
Rating:  Must Read