Bibliophiles, unite! National Book Lover’s Day is today, Aug. 9—a day that encourages people to limit technology and immerse themselves in the literary world.
Whether you’re a fan of science fiction, romance, action and adventure, fantasy, or another genre, take some time to dive into a good book and recognize the importance of reading.
If you’re looking to add new reads to your library, the Case Western Reserve community has you covered. From classic novels and children’s books to poetry and self-help guides, faculty and staff members across the university have published countless books. The Daily compiled some options, including Honor by Thrity Umrigar, featured earlier this year as Reese Witherspoon’s January book club pick.
Book descriptions are pulled from each publication’s promotional materials and have been lightly edited.
Featured Reads
Honor by Thrity Umrigar, Professor of English, College of Arts and Sciences
Indian American journalist Smita has returned to India to cover a story, but reluctantly: long ago she and her family left the country with no intention of ever coming back. As she follows the case of Meena—a Hindu woman attacked by members of her village and her own family for marrying a Muslim man—Smita comes face to face with a society where tradition carries more weight than one’s own heart and a story that threatens to unearth the painful secrets of Smita’s own past.
I’m Single, So What: A Woman’s Journey to Spiritual Contentment by Heather Burton, Associate Vice President, Office for Inclusion, Diversity and Equal Opportunity
I’m Single, So What: A Woman’s Journey to Spiritual Contentment is an invitation for single, Christian women everywhere to search within and discover what’s preventing them from embracing solitude and finding gratification in a Christ-centered season of singleness.
Burton is also the author of the fiction novel Crimson Heights: A Woman’s Spiritual Passage through Celibacy, Intimacy, and Sex.
Galactic Hellcats by Marie Vibbert, Programmer, Client Platform Services, College of Arts and Sciences
Ki is a petty thief. Margot is a military vet at loose ends. Ki enlists Ratanese local Zuleikah, a bored rich girl who can think of no stupider, and therefore better, way to spend her time than busting someone out of jail. If they can learn to trust each other, and if the repo men, cops, and three different galactic governments don’t catch them, the Galactic Hellcats might just use their solo-fliers to carve a place for themselves among the stars.
Vibbert is also the author of the forthcoming science fiction novel The Gods Awoke, set to publish Sept. 1.
Weather by David Lucas, Lecturer, College of Arts and Sciences
In this debut poetry collection, Dave Lucas turns and returns to Cleveland, where he was raised. The weather of these poems arises from both the lush light of the natural world and the hard rain of industry. Poem by poem, the book surveys the majesty and ruin of landscape and lakefront, paying tribute to the shifting seasons of a city, of a terrain, and of those who dwell there.
Luminaries of the Past: Stories of Fifty Extraordinary Nurses by Joyce J. Fitzpatrick, Elizabeth Brooks Ford Professor of Nursing, Frances Payne Bolton School of Nursing
Nurses work in hospitals, clinics, and schools. They work on cruise ships and at summer camps, and they debate in the United States Congress. They are scientists, inventors, and authors. They care for newborns when they take their first breath and the dying when they take their last. Nurses work everywhere, yet much of their work is unknown to the public. Learn about 50 remarkable nurses who changed the world and saved lives through this children’s book written by Joyce J. Fitzpatrick and Mary Beth Modic.
Jammie Claus: The Tradition of Unconditional Giving by Megan Holmes, Co Director, The Center on Trauma and Adversity, Jack, Joseph and Morton Mandel School of Applied Social Sciences
The story of Mrs. Claus—a Christmas book about the woman that everyone knows but knows nothing about. Did you know that she spreads unconditional love and kindness throughout the world by delivering pajamas on Christmas Eve? Mrs. Claus, or better known as Jammie Claus, charts the path for Santa and fills the Jammie Claus Bag with Christmas Pajamas as a sign that Santa is on his way. A great alternative to the elf!
Holmes was featured for her work on this book in a 5 Questions article with The Daily in 2019.
Ready to pick one of these books up, or find a new one yourself? Case Western Reserve is surrounded by several independent bookstores—you need only take your pick.