Randall Library Patron Picks

The reminiscences of a New York lawyer, Jim Burden, about his boyhood in Nebraska, particularly a young Bohemian girl named Antonia Shimerda, are set against the backdrop of the American assimilation immigrants. "Willa Cather's My Ántonia is considered one of the most significant American novels of the twentieth century. Set during the great migration west to settle the plains of the North American continent, the narrative follows Antonia Shimerda,...

"In this must-read book for anyone striving to succeed, pioneering psychologist Angela Duckworth shows parents, educators, athletes, students, and business people--both seasoned and new--that the secret to outstanding achievement is not talent but a focused persistence called "grit." Why do some people succeed and others fail? Sharing new insights from her landmark research on grit, MacArthur "genius" Angela Duckworth explains why talent is hardly...

John Kerry tells the story of his remarkable American life -- from son of a diplomat to decorated Vietnam veteran, five-term United States senator, 2004 Democratic presidential nominee and secretary of state. A Yale graduate, Kerry enlisted in the U.S. Navy in 1966 and served in Vietnam. He returned home highly decorated but disillusioned, and testified powerfully before Congress as a young veteran opposed to the war. Kerry served as a prosecutor...

"From her place in the store that sells artificial friends, Klara--an artificial friend with outstanding observational qualities--watches carefully the behavior of those who come in to browse, and of those who pass in the street outside. She remains hopeful a customer will soon choose her, but when the possibility emerges that her circumstances may change forever, Klara she is warned not to invest too much in the promises of humans. In this luminous...

2030. China's one-child policy and its cultural preference for male heirs have created a society overrun by forty million unmarriageable men. Wei-guo has finally saved up the dowry required to enter matchmaking talks at the lowest rung as a third husband-- the maximum allowed by law. Only a single family shows interest, yet with May-ling and her two husbands Wei-guo feels seen, heard, and connected to like never before. As the State seeks to glorify...

Mirjana Dragičević Soldo was only sixteen years old when she and five other children saw a mysterious woman on a hillside near the village of Medugorje, ex-Yugoslavia. The woman--who possessed an extraordinary beauty and grace--identified herself as the Virgin Mary. The events that began on that summer afternoon in 1981 dramatically changed Mirjana's life and brought intense suffering at the hands of the communist authorities. The author tells the...

"Speaker and Bible teacher Jennie Allen hears all the time from women who feel stuck in patterns of frustration and defeat. In her search for a solution, she's learned that the greatest spiritual battle of our generation is taking place between our ears. How we think shapes how we live. So it's crucial that we learn how to stop our spinning thoughts and refuse to be victims of toxic thinking patterns like victimhood, anxiety, and distraction. In this...

"A story about being your truest self--and trusting your truest friends. Cliques. Crushes. Comics. Middle school. Ever since Tyler started getting into art and hanging out with Emmie, his friends and teammates have been giving him a hard time. He wonders why can't he nerd out on drawing and play ball? Emmie is psyched that she gets to work on a comics project with her crush, Tyler. But she gets the feeling that his friends don't think she's cool enough....

Escaping from an arranged and abusive marriage, seventeen-year-old Lakshmi makes her way alone from her 1950s rural village to the vibrant pink city of Jaipur. There she becomes the henna artist - and confidante - most in demand to the wealthy women of the upper class. But trusted with the secrets of the wealthy, she can never reveal her own... Known for her original designs and sage advice, Lakshmi must tread carefully to avoid the jealous gossips...

""A practical and compassionate guide to physically, emotionally, and spiritually caring for the dying"--