BOOKS TO KNOW – Top 10 List – October 2014

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OCT 2014 BOOKS TO KNOW HEADERBooks To Know – Top 10 List – October 2014

 

1.“What I know for sure”

by Oprah Winfrey, September, 2014

Organized by theme—joy, resilience, connection, gratitude, possibility, awe, clarity, and power—these essays offer a rare, powerful and intimate glimpse into the heart and mind of one of the world’s most extraordinary women—while providing readers a guide to becoming their best selves. Candid, moving, exhilarating, uplifting, and frequently humorous, the words Oprah shares in What I Know For Sure shimmer with the sort of truth that readers will turn to again and again.

2. In the Kingdom of Ice: The Grand and Terrible Polar Voyage of the USS Jeannette

by Hampton Sides, August, 2014

The story of the USS Jeannette that sailed in an attempt to explore the North Pole.  The ship sailed into uncharted seas, but soon was trapped in pack ice. Two years into the harrowing voyage, the hull was breached. Amid the rush of water and the shrieks of breaking wooden boards, the crew abandoned the ship. Less than an hour later, the Jeannette sank to the bottom, and the men found themselves marooned a thousand miles north of Siberia with only the barest supplies. Thus began their long march across the endless ice—a frozen hell in the most lonesome corner of the world. Facing everything from snow blindness and polar bears to ferocious storms and frosty labyrinths, the expedition battled madness and starvation as they desperately strove for survival.

3. Unbroken: A World War II Story of Survival, Resilience, and Redemption

by Laura Hillenbrand, July, 2014

The Story of Lieutenant Louis Zamperini who was the lone survivor when his bomber crashed.  Ahead of Zamperini lay thousands of miles of open ocean, leaping sharks, a foundering raft, thirst and starvation, enemy aircraft, and, beyond, a trial even greater. Driven to the limits of endurance, Zamperini would answer desperation with ingenuity; suffering with hope, resolve, and humor; brutality with rebellion. His fate, whether triumph or tragedy, would be suspended on the fraying wire of his will.  From the author of Seabiscuit.

4. Colorless Tsukuru Tazaki and His Years of Pilgrimage: A novel

by Haruki Murakami, August, 2014

Here he gives us the remarkable story of Tsukuru Tazaki, a young man haunted by a great loss; of dreams and nightmares that have unintended consequences for the world around us; and of a journey into the past that is necessary to mend the present. It is a story of love, friendship, and heartbreak for the ages.

A major book about the future of the world, blending intellectual and natural history and field reporting into a powerful account of the mass extinction unfolding before our eyes.  Over the last half a billion years, there have been five mass extinctions, when the diversity of life on earth suddenly and dramatically contracted. Scientists around the world are currently monitoring the sixth extinction, predicted to be the most devastating extinction event since the asteroid impact that wiped out the dinosaurs. 5. The Sixth Extinction (Sigma Force) by James Rollins

5.  The Secret Police (Dublin Murder Squad)

By Tana French, August, 2014

The Secret Place is a powerful, haunting exploration of friendship and loyalty, and a gripping addition to the Dublin Murder Squad series.  Detective Stephen Moran has been waiting for his chance to get a foot in the door of Dublin’s Murder Squad—and one morning, sixteen-year-old Holly Mackey brings him this photo. “The Secret Place,” a board where the girls at St. Kilda’s School can pin up their secrets anonymously, is normally a mishmash of gossip and covert cruelty, but today someone has used it to reignite the stalled investigation into the murder of handsome, popular Chris Harper. Stephen joins forces with the abrasive Detective Antoinette Conway to find out who and why.

6. Four: A Divergent Collection

by Veronica Roth, July, 2014

Readers first encountered Tobias as “Four” in Divergent. His voice is an integral part of Allegiant. Readers will find more of this charismatic character’s backstory told from his own perspective in Four: A Divergent Collection. When read together, these long narrative pieces illuminate the defining moments in Tobias’s life. The first three pieces in this volume—”The Transfer,” “The Initiate,” and “The Son”—follow Tobias’s transfer from Abnegation to Dauntless, his Dauntless initiation, and the first clues that a foul plan is brewing in the leadership of two factions. The fourth story, “The Traitor,” runs parallel with the events of Divergent, giving readers a glimpse into the decisions of loyalty—and love—that Tobias makes in the weeks after he meets Tris Prior.

7. The Heist: A Novel (Gabriel Allon)

by Daniel Silva, July, 2014

Gabriel Allon, art restorer and occasional spy, searches for a stolen masterpiece by Caravaggio in #1 New York Times bestselling author Daniel Silva’s latest action-packed tale of high stakes international intrigue.  From the author of The English Girl.

8. The Best Yes: Making Wise Decisions in the Midst of Endless Demands

by Lysa TerKeurst, August 2014

Lysa TerKeurst is learning that there is a big difference between saying yes to everyone and saying yes to God.

9. One Nation: What We Can All Do to Save America’s Future

by Ben Carson M.D., May, 2014

In this call to action, Carson admonishes politicians, particularly because of the growing national debt and Obamacare, and encourages Americans to take more individual responsibility for themselves. Highlighting the causes of disunity and decline in the nation, Carson takes aim at political correctness and its impact on curbing honest speech on critical issues. He goes on to outline solutions to the nation’s woes in health care, education, and tax policy, generally relying on capitalism rather than big government.

10. “The Alchemist:  25th Anniversary Edition”

by Paulo Coelho, September, 2014

Paulo Coelho’s masterpiece tells the mystical story of Santiago, an Andalusian shepherd boy who yearns to travel in search of a worldly treasure. His quest will lead him to riches far different—and far more satisfying—than he ever imagined. Santiago’s journey teaches us about the essential wisdom of listening to our hearts, of recognizing opportunity and learning to read the omens strewn along life’s path, and, most importantly, to follow our dreams.


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