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“After Mama takes a job in Chicago during World War II, Ada Ruth stays with Grandma but misses her mother who loves her more than rain and snow.” --Publisher's Summary

“Whose fault is it that the artist counts for so little in the public mind? Has it always been thus? Is there something wrong, perhaps, with the nature of the art work being created in America? Is our system of education lacking in its attitude toward the art product? Should our state and federal governments take a more positive stand toward the development of their citizens? These are some of the provocative questions which Aaron Copland raises and answers in Copland on Music, a review of the musical scene in America and Europe from the 1920s to 1950s.”--Publisher's Summary

“At once a powerful evocation of James Baldwin's early life in Harlem and a disturbing examination of the consequences of racial injustice, the book is an intensely personal and provocative document from the iconic author of If Beale Street Could Talk and Go Tell It on the Mountain. It consists of two ‘letters,’ written on the occasion of the centennial of the Emancipation Proclamation, that exhort Americans, both black and white, to attack the terrible legacy of racism. Described by The New York Times Book Review as ‘sermon, ultimatum, confession, deposition, testament, and chronicle...all presented in searing, brilliant prose,’ The Fire Next Time stands as a classic of literature.” --Publisher's Summary

“Invisible Life is the story of a young man's coming of age. Law school, girlfriends, and career choices were all part of Raymond Tyler's life, but there were other, more terrifying issues for him to confront. Being black was tough enough, but Raymond was becoming more and more conscious of sexual feelings that he knew weren't ‘right.’ He was completely committed to Sela, his longtime girlfriend, but his attraction to Kelvin, whom he had met during his last year in law school, had become more than just a friendship. No matter how much he tried to suppress them, his feelings were deeply sexual. Fleeing to New York to escape both Sela and Kelvin, Raymond finds himself more confused than ever before. New relationships--both male and female--give him enormous pleasure but keep him from finding the inner peace and lasting love he so desperately desires. The horrible illness and death of a friend force Raymond, at last, to face the truth.” --Publisher's Summary

“A dynamic and compulsive debut, Jam on the Vine chronicles the life of trailblazing African American woman journalist, Ivoe Williams, through the start of the twentieth century. In unflinching prose, we follow Ivoe and her family from the Deep South to the Midwest. Jam on the Vine is both an epic vision of the injustices that defined an era and a compelling story of a complicated history we only thought we knew.” --Publisher's Summary

“Here the most famous exponent of subjective realism discusses for Americans the concepts of art which are at the root of her own work. With all the authority of her own seminal influence, she introduces the American reader to the whole field of modern European art, which is the background of their own culture. Ranging widely throughout painting, literature, and music, she describes, in her inimitable style, the things that seem to her important for Gertrude Stein and for America.” --Publisher's Summary

“Receiving an invitation to his ex-boyfriend's wedding, Arthur, a failed novelist on the eve of his fiftieth birthday, embarks on an international journey that finds him falling in love, risking his life, reinventing himself, and making connections with the past.” --Publisher's Summary

“On Earth We're Briefly Gorgeous is a letter from a son to a mother who cannot read. Written when the speaker, Little Dog, is in his late twenties, the letter unearths a family's history that began before he was born -- a history whose epicenter is rooted in Vietnam -- and serves as a doorway into parts of his life his mother has never known, all of it leading to an unforgettable revelation. At once a witness to the fraught yet undeniable love between a single mother and her son, it is also a brutally honest exploration of race, class, and masculinity." --Publisher's Summary

“As his tale begins, Orlando is a passionate sixteen-year-old nobleman whose days are spent in rowdy revelry, filled with the colorful delights of Queen Elizabeth I’s court. By the close, three centuries have passed, and he will have transformed into a thirty-six-year-old woman in the year 1928. Orlando’s journey is also an internal one—he is an impulsive poet who learns patience in matter of the heart, and a woman who knows what it is to be a man. Virginia Woolf’s most unusual creation, Orlando is a fantastical biography as well as a funny, exuberant romp through history that examines the true nature of sexuality.” --Publisher's Summary

“When it was first produced in 1959, A Raisin in the Sun was awarded the New York Drama Critics Circle Award for that season and hailed as a watershed in American drama. A pioneering work by an African American playwright, the play was a radically new representation of black life. ‘A play that changed American theater forever.’” --Publisher's Summary

“In The Temple of My Familiar, Celie and Shug from The Color Purple subtly shadow the lives of dozens of characters, all dealing in some way with the legacy of the African experience in America. From recent African immigrants, to a woman who grew up in the mixed-race rainforest communities of South America, to Celie’s own granddaughter living in modern-day San Francisco, all must come to understand the brutal stories of their ancestors to come to terms with their own troubled lives." --Publisher's Summary

“Tiny Alice begins with a venomous exchange between a lawyer and a cardinal whose contempt for each other careens back to their school days. Eventually, the lawyer offers the cardinal $100 million a year at the request of Miss Alice, the world's richest woman. Julian, the cardinal's secretary, is to come to Miss Alice's castle to complete the details, but while there, Julian falls prey to Miss Alice as she contrives to make him her lover.” --Publisher's Summary

Recommended by Michael Vogt, Business. Publisher's summary: “One of the most inspiring and impactful books ever written, The 7 Habits of Highly Effective People has captivated readers for nearly three decades. It has transformed the lives of presidents and CEOs, educators and parents--millions of people of all ages and occupations. Now, this 30th anniversary edition of the timeless classic commemorates the wisdom of the 7 habits with modern additions from Sean Covey. The 7 habits have become famous and are integrated into everyday thinking by millions and millions of people. Why? Because they work! With Sean Covey's added takeaways on how the habits can be used in our modern age, the wisdom of the 7 habits will be refreshed for a new generation of leaders."

Recommended by Buffy Barkley, English. Publisher's summary: “In 180 More, Collins continues his ambitious mission of exposing readers of all ages to the best of today's poetry. Here are another 180 hospitable, engaging, reader-friendly poems, offering surprise and delight in a wide range of literary voices—comic, melancholy, reflective, irreverent. If poetry is the original travel literature, this anthology contains 180 vehicles ready to carry you away to unexpected places.”

Recommended by Megan Dinnesen, Education. Publisher's summary: “All Along You Were Blooming is a dynamic collection of illustrated poetry and prose inspiring you to live boundlessly right where you are. With every turn of the page, Instagram poet Morgan Harper Nichols invites you into a life of hope, trusting there is purpose in every moment and new mercy every morning.”

Recommended by Mary Brigham, Learning Center. Publisher's summary: “Success depends on the ability to think critically. Training and practice turn this ability into a powerful skill. Becoming a Critical Thinker gives students the opportunity to develop this skill in a classroom environment while stressing its application to daily life. Students learn to solve everyday problems, maintain successful relationships, make career choices, and interpret the messages of advertising in a variety of media. Exercises throughout the text encourage them to practice what they read and to apply it to their own lives. Becoming a Critical Thinker breaks up critical thinking into a series of cumulative activities, a unique approach that has made this text a staple of many critical thinking courses.”

Recommended by Ginny Taylor, Registrar’s Office. Publisher's summary: “A step-by-step guide to writing and managing the writer's life covers each portion of a written project, addresses such concerns as writer's block and getting published, and offers awareness and survival tips. For a quarter century, more than a million readers—scribes and scribblers of all ages and abilities—have been inspired by Anne Lamott’s hilarious, big-hearted, homespun advice. An essential volume for generations of writers young and old, Bird by Bird is a modern classic.”

Recommended by Tim Lynch, History. Special note: The chapter entitled “College of Mount St. Joseph” is written by MSJ history professor Kimberly J.M. Wilson!
Publisher's summary: “Because of its early history of westward expansion and its diverse population, Ohio is home to many independent institutions of higher education. They range from prestigious and richly endowed colleges and universities to local and regional ones that have well served their student populace over the decades.Cradles of Conscience is a collection of essays that relate the circumstances of the founding of 40 of these independent colleges and universities, recounts the history of each since its inception, and discusses how each has coped with modernization and how the pressures of the past 25 years have forced them to publicly evaluate and reassess their identities and missions.”

Recommended by Pete Robinson, History. Special note: The chapter entitled “’The Charity of Christ Urges Us’: Women, War, and the Four Freedoms at the College of Mount St. Joseph” is authored by MSJ history professor Pete Robinson!" Publisher's summary: “This book examines how World War II affected denominational colleges who faced a national crisis in relationship to their Christian tenets and particular religious communities and student bodies. With denominational positions ranging from justifying the war in light of the existential threat that the United States faced to maintaining long-held beliefs of nonviolence, the multitude of institutional positions taken during World War II speaks to the scope of religious diversity within Christian higher education and the central issues of faith and service to God and country. Ultimately, Laukitis provides a particular lens to analyze the history of higher education during World War II through an examination of denominational institutions. The relationship between higher education, faith, and war offers depth to understanding the role of denominational colleges in articulating theological interpretations of war and their sense of responsibility as Christian liberal arts institutions in the United States.”

Recommended by Mary Mazuk, Academic Advising. Publisher's note: “Among the first female reporters at The Wall Street Journal, Joann S. Lublin faced a number of uphill battles in her career. She became deputy bureau chief of the Journal's important London bureau, its first run by women. Now, she and dozens of other women who successfully navigated the corporate battlefield share their valuable leadership lessons…Leaders like Carly Fiorina, former CEO of Hewlett-Packard, as well as Mary Barra, CEO of General Motors, and Brenda Barnes, former CEO of Sara Lee, were the first women to run their huge employers. Earning It reveals obstacles such women faced as they fought to make their mark, choices they made, and battles they won and lost. Lublin chronicles the major milestones and dilemmas of the work world unique to women, providing candid advice and practical inspiration for women of all ages and at every stage of their careers. The extraordinary women we meet in the pages of Earning It and the hard-won lessons they share provide a compelling career compass that will help all women reach their highest potential without losing a meaningful personal life.”

Recommended by Mary Mazuk, Academic Advising. Publisher's summary: “An authoritative guide shares practical advice designed to help readers overcome self-defeating behaviors—including procrastination, obsession, self-pity, rebellion, and guilt—to effectively cope with the challenges and difficulties of life.”

Recommended by Corey Watt, Career Center. Publisher's summary: “For generations, we have focused on the individual drivers of success: passion, hard work, talent, and luck. But in today’s dramatically reconfigured world, success is increasingly dependent on how we interact with others. In Give and Take, Adam Grant, an award-winning researcher and Wharton’s highest-rated professor, examines the surprising forces that shape why some people rise to the top of the success ladder while others sink to the bottom. Praised by social scientists, business theorists, and corporate leaders, Give and Take opens up an approach to work, interactions, and productivity that is nothing short of revolutionary.”

Recommended by Mary Brigham, Learning Center. Publisher's summary: “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 a guarantor of success. Rather, other factors can be even more crucial such as identifying our passions and following through on our commitments. Drawing on her own powerful story as the daughter of a scientist who frequently bemoaned her lack of smarts, Duckworth describes her winding path through teaching, business consulting, and neuroscience, which led to the hypothesis that what really drives success is not 'genius' but a special blend of passion and long-term perseverance."

Recommended by Megan Dinnesen, Education. Publisher's summary: “How Far You Have Come is an exquisite collection of poetry and essays from bestselling artist and writer Morgan Harper Nichols. In the midst of the hurt and the mundane, the questions and the not yets, we can forget just how far we have come. Morgan weaves together personal reflections with her signature poems to share her journey to reclaim moments of brokenness, division, and pain and re-envision them as experiences of reconciliation, unity, and hope. The stories in How Far You Have Come are organized around a familiar path Morgan has traveled all her life, along the southern border of the United States. As Morgan reflects on the moments that shaped her, she invites us to: Awaken our hearts and recognize how our own histories have made us who we are today. Have a deeper understanding of pressing on and pressing in, of transformation and surrender, of meaning in the losses and wild anticipation for the splendor ahead. Reclaim moments of brokenness, division, and pain and re-envision them as experiences of reconciliation, unity, and hope. Become who we are in the moment you hold right now.”

Recommended by Scott Lloyd, Library. Publisher's summary: “The first practical guide of its kind that helps students transition smoothly from high school to college. The transition from high school--and home--to college can be stressful. Students and parents often arrive on campus unprepared for what college is really like. Academic standards and expectations are different from high school; families aren't present to serve as 'scaffolding' for students; and first-years have to do what they call 'adulting.' Nothing in the college admissions process prepares students for these new realities. How to College is here to help. Professors Andrea Malkin Brenner and Lara Schwartz guide first-year students and their families through the transition process, during the summer after high school graduation and throughout the school year, preparing students to succeed and thrive as they transition and adapt to college. The book draws on the authors' experience teaching, writing curriculum, and designing programs for thousands of first-year college students over decades.”

Recommended by Mary Brigham, Learning Center. Publisher's summary: “Procrastination is especially tough for young adults. Getting started is overwhelming, it's hard to get motivated, not knowing how long things take messes up planning, and distractions are everywhere. We are all wired to put things off, but we can learn tools and techniques to kick this habit. This book is a user-friendly guide to help teens get their tasks done. Simple, straightforward, and with a touch of humor, it's packed with practical solutions and easily digestible tips to stay on top of homework, develop a sense of time, manage digital distractions, create easy-to-follow routines, and get unstuck. In her breezy, witty style, internationally recognized academic and parenting coach Leslie Josel opens the door to a student's view of procrastination, dives deep into what that really looks like, and offers up her Triple Ts―tips, tools and techniques―to teach students how to get stuff done...now.”

Recommended by Mary Mazuk, Academic Advising. Publisher's note: “The classic, inspirational personal development guide provides an authoritative program for developing the basic and essential people skills that readers need to achieve maximum lifetime success. Dale Carnegie’s rock-solid, time-tested advice has carried countless people up the ladder of success in their business and personal lives.”

Recommended by Michelle Arnold, Mission Integration. Publisher's summary: “Just This is a collection of brief and evocative meditations and practices that invite us to cultivate the gift of waking up to the beauty of reality in all its glorious ordinariness. With his signature blend of contemplation, theology, and pastoral sensitivity, Fr. Richard Rohr creates a spaciousness for the soul to grow into a kind of seeing that goes far beyond merely looking to recognizing and thus appreciating.”

Recommended by Megan Dinnesen, Education. Publisher's summary: “Every day, your school, your teachers, and even your peers draw lines to measure and standardize intelligence. They decide what criteria make one person smart and another person stupid. They decide who will succeed and who will just get by. Perhaps you find yourself outside the norm, because you learn differently; but, unlike your classmates, you have no system in place that consistently supports your ability and desire to learn. Simply put, you are considered lazy and stupid. You are expected to fail. Learning Outside the Lines is written by two such “academic failures”; that is, two academic failures who graduated from Brown University at the top of their class. Jonathan Mooney and David Cole teach you how to take control of your education and find true success; and they offer all the reasons why you should persevere. Witty, bold, and disarmingly honest, Learning Outside the Lines takes you on a journey toward personal empowerment and profound educational change, proving once again that rules sometimes need to be broken.”

Recommended by Buffy Barkley, English. Publisher's summary: “A 180-degree turn implies a turning back—in this case, to poetry. A collection of 180 poems by the most exciting poets at work today, Poetry 180 represents the richness and diversity of the form, and is designed to beckon readers with a selection of poems that are impossible not to love at first glance. Open the anthology to any page and discover a new poem to cherish, or savor all the poems, one at a time, to feel the full measure of contemporary poetry's vibrance and abundance.”

Recommended by Mary Mazuk, Academic Advising. Publisher's summary: The Power of Letting Go brings together a number of key principles that come up for anyone who is on the journey of self-enquiry and development. At some point, the choice becomes clear, whether to hold on or let go. For some, it's easy…For many others, there are multiple layers and obstacles that have built up through one's life so far. Expectations, fear of uncertainty, well-worn inhibitive thought patterns, lack of trust, lack of acceptance, old trauma and hurt. Despite all this, there is a spark, a glimmer of hope that brightens at the thought of letting go and going with the flow, at following one's instincts and intuition rather than constantly second-guessing the outcome, at letting go of expectations and enjoying what is. This book combines both the why and the how to let go, with excellent practices that help convert the desire into action.”

Recommended by Michelle Arnold, Mission Integration. Publisher's summary: “Maybe you love color. Maybe you are a visual or kinesthetic learner, a distractible or impatient soul, or a word-weary pray-er. Perhaps you struggle with a short attention span, a restless body, or a tendency to live in your head. Maybe you hunger to know God better. The prayer practice Praying in Color was born when Sybil's desperation to pray for family and friends intersected with her love of color and doodling. Praying in Color invites the whole body into prayer and gives you a new way to be with God.”

Recommended by Michelle Arnold, Mission Integration. Publisher's summary: “This book is for anyone who wants a more integrated and reconciled approach to prayer. It proposes a way of prayer that, depending on your level of readiness, could influence both our interior and daily life. Its meditations and reflections connect readers to their deepest needs to be with the Beloved, to be reassured of the divine presence in our midst. They address hunger and longing for true happiness, for freedom from fear, and for deep peace.”

Recommended by Michael Vogt, Business. Publisher's summary: “How do individuals and organizations survive and thrive amid tremendous change? Why are efforts to improve organizations failing despite the millions of dollars in time, capital, and human effort being spent on them? How do we unleash creativity, talent, and energy within ourselves—and others—in the midst of pressure? Is it realistic to believe that balance among personal, family, and professional life is possible? Stephen R. Covey demonstrates that the answer to these and other dilemmas is principle-centered leadership, a long-term, inside-out approach to developing people and organizations. The key to dealing with the challenges that face us today is to develop a principle-centered core within both ourselves and our organizations. Dr. Covey offers insights and guidelines that can help you apply these principles both at work and at home—leading not just to a new understanding of how to increase quality and productivity, but also to a new appreciation of the importance of building personal and professional relationships. The result is a more balanced, more rewarding, and more effective life.”

Recommended by Andrew Hoelmer, Office of Admission. Publisher's summary: “Doing well with money isn't necessarily about what you know. It's about how you behave. And behavior is hard to teach, even to really smart people. Money—investing, personal finance, and business decisions—is typically taught as a math-based field, where data and formulas tell us exactly what to do. But in the real world people don't make financial decisions on a spreadsheet. They make them at the dinner table, or in a meeting room, where personal history, your own unique view of the world, ego, pride, marketing, and odd incentives are scrambled together. In The Psychology of Money, award-winning author Morgan Housel shares 19 short stories exploring the strange ways people think about money and teaches you how to make better sense of one of life's most important topics.”

Recommended by Mary Brigham, Learning Center. Publisher's summary: “Are you among the 22 million students now enrolled in college? Or a high school student thinking of joining them shortly? Or perhaps a parent of a college-bound junior or senior? Then this book is just for you. Written by college professors and successfully used by tens of thousands of students, The Secrets of College Success combines easy-to-use tips, techniques, and strategies with insider information that few professors are willing to reveal. The over 800 tips in this book will show you how to: pick courses and choose a major; manage your time and develop college-level study skills; get good grades and manage the ‘core’ requirements; get motivated and avoid stress; interact effectively with the professor or TA; and prepare for a productive and lucrative career.”

Recommended by Michelle Arnold, Mission Integration. Publisher's summary: “By tapping into the spiritual practices revealed in scripture and throughout Christian tradition, we come to embrace what God the Gardener is doing in our lives and, in turn, to share God's grace with the world. The healthier our spiritual lives, the more abundant will be the fruits of our love, hope, joy, and kindness. This book is for seekers of all ages and walks of life; college students, parents, professionals, the lapsed and the weary, as well as seasoned saints who wish to deepen their faith in small but meaningful ways…”

Recommended by Andrew Hoelmer, Office of Admission. Publisher's summary: "The author shares his personal techniques, insights and experiences regarding saving money and investing, drawn from his blog posts (jlcollinsnh.com) as well as a series of letters to his teenage daughter, both dealing with money management."

Recommended by Pete Robinson, History. Publisher's summary: The involvement of the Sisters of Charity of Cincinnati as nurses during the Civil War was the continuation of a long tradition of caring and service. They were first summoned to Camp Denison near Cincinnati to help care for sick troops just two months after war was declared in April 1861, and throughout the course of the war went to hospitals in other parts of Ohio, Virginia, and Maryland, where they ministered to the sick, wounded, and dying. This volume uses journal entries, newspaper articles, and letters to tell the amazing story of the Sisters’ involvement in the war effort, who often went unpaid and unrecognized for their ministry. Editor Judith Metz, SC, is a Mount alum (’66), and the community historian for the Sisters of Charity of Cincinnati.

Recommended by Megan Dinnesen, Education. Publisher's summary: “Master time management and you will master college. Thirty percent of college freshman dropout after their first year! And surprisingly, only around half of the students who enroll in college end up graduating with a bachelor's degree! The fact is college is taking longer and longer to get through with less than 60 percent of students who enter four-year schools finish within six years. Your student doesn't have to be one of these statistics! It's not their fault! Students and parents just don't realize the challenges faced in transitioning from high school to college. The skills students learned in high school don't transfer well to the unstructured college environment... Inside the pages of this book, are valuable insights for students to learn how to schedule their time efficiently, how to stop procrastinating, and how to manage their studies, work, and their personal life.”

Recommended by Mary Brigham, Learning Center. Publisher's summary: “Every year, almost 4,000,000 students begin their freshman year at colleges and universities nationwide. Most of them will sleep less and stress out a whole lot more. By the end of the year, 30% of those freshmen will have dropped out. For many, the unforeseen demands of college life are so overwhelming that ‘the best four years of your life’ can start to feel like the worst. Enter Daniel Lerner and Dr. Alan Schlechter, ready to teach students how to not only survive college, but flourish in it. Filled with fascinating science, real-life stories, and tips for building positive lifelong habits, U Thrive addresses the opportunities and challenges every undergrad will face—from finding a passion to dealing with nightmarish roommates and surviving finals week. Engaging and hilarious, U Thrive will help students grow into the happy, successful alums they all deserve to be.”

Recommended by Corey Watt, Career Center. Publisher's summary: “In today's challenging job-market, as recent grads face a shifting economic landscape and seek work that pays and inspires, as workers are laid off mid-career, and as people search for an inspiring work-life change, the time-tested advice of What Color Is Your Parachute? is needed more than ever. This new edition has been fully revised for 2021 by Vanderbilt University Career Center Director Katharine Brooks, EdD, with modern advice on the job hunt strategies that are working today, such as building an online resume, making the most of social media tools, and acing Skype interviews as well as information that addresses the effect that COVID-19 has had on the job market.”