What We Are Reading: Recreational Reading

Genre: Mystery
Recommended by an anonymous student.

Recommended by our Library Director, Joy Matteson who writes: "It’s beautiful, and the audio is really engaging."

A sweeping epic novel set in 20th century India from 1900 to 1977, the tale of a family beset with a strange affliction: almost every generation has one person who drowns or has a fear of water. Clocking in at 700 pages, this is an intensely beautiful novel for the ages that looks closely at fear, addiction, and familial relationships.

Recommended by an anonymous student

Recommended by a Benedictine Librarian

Genre: Graphic Novel
Recommended by a Benedictine Librarian

Recommended by Benedictine Librarian, Joan Hopkins.
Discovered this book about a librarian in rural Ireland while looking for something fun to read around St. Patrick's day. It is the first book in a series, so more opportunities to roam the Irish countryside in the bookmobile.
Available online with Libby through your public library.

Recommended by Dr. Pat Somers, M.S. Program in Clinical Psychology who says the voice actors on the audiobook are great. An engaging book with wonderful character development.

Recommended by Benedictine Librarian, Joan Hopkins.
The inspirational story of a remarkable Catholic educator who recently passed away.

Genre: Fantasy.
Recommended by a Benedictine Librarian

Genre: Young Adult Fiction
Recommended by a Benedictine Librarian

Genre: Historical/Anthropological Nonfiction
Recommended by Health Science student, Meer Qadri.

Genre: Young Adult Fantasy Fiction
Recommended by student, Jeannie Fulkerson.

Genre: Suspense.
Recommended by an anonymous student.

Recommended by librarian Swati Wagh.
The New York Times bestselling, groundbreaking investigation of how the global elite's efforts to "change the world" preserve the status quo and obscure their role in causing the problems they later seek to solve. An essential read for understanding some of the egregious abuses of power that dominate today’s news. Former New York Times columnist Anand Giridharadas takes us into the inner sanctums of a new gilded age, where the rich and powerful fight for equality and justice any way they can--except ways that threaten the social order and their position atop it. We see how they rebrand themselves as saviors of the poor; how they lavishly reward "thought leaders" who redefine "change" in winner-friendly ways; and how they constantly seek to do more good, but never less harm.

Recommended by Benedictine Librarian Swati Wagh.
"It is about being stranded on an island in the Galapagos of this New Yorker and her fight for survival. This was supposed to be a holiday for her and her fiancé and was on their bucket list to trace Darwin's adventures there. And what happened totally changed their life trajectory as the fiancé who is a doctor had to cancel all holiday plans and tend to patients with Covid in New York city. I am enjoying reading it and was impressed with true to life description of the island."

"An epic novel that spans generations, Homecoming asks what we would do for those we love, and how we protect the lies we tell. It explores the power of motherhood, the corrosive effects of tightly held secrets, and the healing nature of truth. Above all, it is a beguiling and immensely satisfying novel from one of the finest writers working today."

"From the #1 New York Times bestselling author of Killers of the Flower Moon, a page-turning story of shipwreck, survival, and savagery, culminating in a court martial that reveals a shocking truth. The powerful narrative reveals the deeper meaning of the events on the Wager, showing that it was not only the captain and crew who ended up on trial, but the very idea of empire."