suggested reading

Hub Display Celebrates Arab American Heritage Month

Ramadan Mubarak, and happy Arab American Heritage Month! This month, stop by the Hub on the first floor of Snell Library to explore a curated collection of books focused on Arab and Arab American history, culture, food, and stories. From classical works of poetry and literature to rich fantasy worlds to cookbooks full of mouth-watering recipes, there are plenty of incredible books waiting to be checked out. Here are a few recommendations:

This is How You Lose the Time War
Written jointly by Amal El-Mohtar and Max Gladstone, this Hugo Award-winning novella is written in letters between two enemies as they battle through space and time. Part romance, part spy novel, part sci-fi mini-epic, This is How You Lose the Time War is unlike anything you’ve read before.

The Other Americans
Laila Lalami’s newest novel tells the story of the accidental death—or possible murder—of a Moroccan immigrant. “At once a family saga, a murder mystery, and a love story.” —Goodreads

19 Varieties of Gazelle: Poems of the Middle East
This collection of Naomi Shihab Nye’s poetry offers an intimate glimpse into life in the West Bank.

Ms. Marvel, Volume 1: No Normal
Kamala Khan is just living her life in Jersey City when she’s suddenly granted amazing powers. Can Kamala embrace her new identity and live up to the name of Ms. Marvel? Meet the first Muslim American superhero before she makes her screen debut!

Soframiz: Vibrant Middle Eastern Recipes from Sofra Bakery and Café
If you haven’t been to Sofra Bakery and Café in Cambridge, you’re missing out. Soframiz, the owners’ cookbook, lets you in on some of the secrets behind their incredible food—but you might decide to save some time and take a trip to Cambridge instead!

The Thirty Names of Night
A closeted trans Syrian immigrant stumbles across the journal of a Syrian American artist and discovers mysterious connections to his own past.

You can check out all of these books, and many more, from the Hub on the first floor of Snell Library. And if you’re not on the Boston campus, you can still explore our collections! Check out our extensive list of Arab American Heritage Month e-books and audiobooks. Happy reading!

Hub Book Displays

If you’ve passed by The Hub in the recent weeks, you might have noticed something a little different has come to Snell: book displays! Twice a month, Snell will have a small book display that highlights our Hub materials. The Hub is home to our magazines, newspapers, Writing Center materials, and so much more. The Hub is where a lot of our new releases or popular works are, including many newly released movie titles. If you’re looking for a fun read or a new movie to watch, The Hub is the place to look. We began in January by picking fun or interesting topics to highlight our wide range of materials. In February we displayed works by or about black authors to celebrate Black History Month. In March, we’re showcasing women of color. Such works will include The Veil by Rafia Zakaria, Narrative of Sojourner Truth by Sojourner Truth, and Everything Everything by Nicola Yoon. We will have books, e-books, and movies so there’s a something for everyone’s taste. So please come on by and check out these amazing works by women of color!  

Suggested Summer Stories from Snell Staff

There are 42 days until the first day of fall semester classes.  That’s six solid weeks; more than enough time to take advantage of the rest of the summer by reading some great books! Here are some suggestions from our library staff to get you started. Click on the book title to see the record for the book in our collection. — Jen  

River of Smoke 

by Amitav Ghosh

Suggested by Will Wakeling I’m just finishing Amitav Ghosh’s River of Smoke, the 2nd volume of the historical trilogy begun with the wonderful and exotic Sea of Poppies. Everything you ever wanted to know about the early 19th century opium trade into Canton and southern China. A great way to learn the basics of Chinese Pidgin English, too – worth a “look-see.”  

Bring Up the Bodies

by Hilary Mantel

Suggested by Ethan Bren I read Bring Up the Bodies by Hilary Mantel. It’s the sequel to Wolf Hall, which won the Man Booker Prize in 2009. Both books are really terrific pieces of historical fiction that I enjoyed immensely.    

 Graceling

by Kristin Cashore

Suggested by Krishna Patel My vote would be for Graceling and its sequel, Bitterblue, and the companion as well, Fire – all of which we own!  Written by a local (squee!), it’s a beautifully crafted fantasy tale about two delightfully strong and unorthodox ladies in a Tolkien-meets-King-Arthur sort of way. I’ve been suggesting them like a crazy person to anyone who asks, and I’ve not had bad feedback yet. Take that, Twilight!  

Canada by Richard Ford

Suggested by Jamie Dendy It carries one away through a riveting plot, yet drops one on the ground from time to time to ponder issues of crime and inheritance.      

Dogma by Lars Iyer

Suggested by Karen Merguerian Lars joined us for one of our Meet the Author Talks in Spring 2012! Watch the video here.      

The Drunkard’s Walk: How Randomness Rules Our Lives by Leonard Mlodinow

Suggested by Jen Ferguson What I’m loving about it: Who knew that a book about probability could be so engaging?       Now go forth and capture some quality summer days! Soak up the weather, drink something sweet and cold, and read your book way too fast.

Stately and Plump: Happy Bloomsday!

Some fun links for Bloomsday:

Slán agus beannacht leat! [slawn ogg-us ban-ocked lyat, “Goodbye and blessings with you” in Connacht Irish]

Student-Run Publications Keep NU Informed, Entertained, and Impressed

It’s pretty common for universities to have a student-run newspaper and a yearbook, and ours, of course, are excellent. But until I started compiling this list, I didn’t realize what a wide variety of other student publications we have on campus. They showcase student research, journalism, literary and artistic talent, and more. (And they’re practically indistinguishable from professionally produced magazines that have much bigger budgets and staffs that aren’t also going to school full-time.) ⇒ The Cauldron http://www.cauldron.neu.edu/ Back issues available online through the Internet Archive! Publishing frequency: Annual Established in: 1917 About: Northeastern University Yearbook ⇒ ECONPress http://www.econpress.org/index.php/econpress Publishing frequency: Twice a year Established in: 2010 About: “ECONPress is a student-run undergraduate research publication that is published twice a year at the beginning of each fall and spring semesters. Each issue features the best economic research of undergraduate students in the local Boston area. ECONPress provides a forum for the economic undergraduate community to engage in active discussion and debate about the topics, theories, and applications they’ve learned in the classroom. Students may submit within three different categories: articles, essays, and research papers. In addition to the publication, ECONPress hosts a biannual conference where authors will have a chance to present their research to the local economic community. Invited authors featured in ECONPress will have the opportunity to present their findings as part of an itinerary that includes a prominent economist. At ECONPress we hope to assist in the preparation of the next generation of economists by providing current undergraduate students a resource to experience and engage in a significant part of the professional research field.” ⇒ The Huntington News http://huntnewsnu.com/ Publishing frequency: Weekly during fall and spring semesters; biweekly during summer Established in: 1926 About: “For 82 years, The Northeastern News was a major source of news at Northeastern University. Now known as The Huntington News, the paper went independent from the university and relocated its office to a leased space at 295 Huntington Avenue in the summer of 2008. In the new space, undergraduate students work alongside Northeastern alumni to maintain the high standard of quality the community has come to expect from its student newspaper.The News is published on Thursdays during the fall and spring semesters with more than 50 students contributing to its production. During the summer semesters, it is published every other Wednesday. The News is the most frequently published and well-read publication on campus. It features news, sports, entertainment and editorial sections, as well as a rotating special section with alternating subject matter.” ⇒ Northeastern University Political Review http://www.nupoliticalreview.com/ Publishing frequency: Quarterly in print with more frequent web updates Established in: 2009 About: “The Northeastern University Political Review seeks to be a nonpartisan platform for students to publish essays and articles of the highest possible caliber on contemporary domestic and international politics, as well as critical reviews of political media. The Political Review aspires to foster a culture of intelligent political discourse among interested individuals while promoting awareness of political issues in the campus community. The organization envisions itself as a place where students with a common interest in politics and world affairs may come together to discuss and develop their views and refine their opinions. The Political Review hopes to reflect the diversity of thought and spirit at Northeastern, including the dual ethic of academic and experiential education our school embodies.” ⇒ NUScience http://www.facebook.com/pages/Nu-Science-Magazine/ Publishing frequency: Twice a semester Established in: 2009 About: “NU Science is Northeastern University’s first ever on-campus science magazine. We are a student-formed and student-run group that meets every Wednesday to discuss scientific events and create a product that educates and enlightens the NU community.” ⇒ Spectrum, Northeastern’s Literary Arts Magazine http://www.spectrum.neu.edu/ Publishing frequency: Three times a year Established in: 1965 About: “Spectrum Literary Arts Magazine is dedicated to showcasing the unique and extraordinary talents of the Northeastern University community. Each issue includes a wide variety of original material submitted by students and faculty. Spectrum’s editors and members work to publish the magazine three times per year: an issue at the end of both the Fall and Spring semesters, and a calendar issue at the beginning of the school year. With the continued efforts of its editors, members, and generous submitters, Spectrum tries to spread the appreciation of literary and visual art.” ⇒ Tastemakers http://tastemakersmag.com/ Publishing frequency: Bimonthly Established in: 2007 About: “tastemakers magazine provides northeastern university students with the opportunity to comment on and interact with the music industry. we print a bi-monthly magazine, publish on the web, produce the tastemakers presents concert series, and host a podcast on iTunes, tastemakers radio. our goal is to bring honest, informed opinions to our readers and help our members develop their craft.” Other student publications that have existed in recent years include The Onyx Informer, The NU Patriot, and Times New Roman, but I was unable to find up-to-date information about them. If you are involved in any of these publications and know that they are still actively publishing, please leave a comment and I’ll update the post. Or, if there are student-run publications (either print or online) that aren’t in this post at all, leave a comment about that, too!