Blink: The Power of Thinking Without Thinking by Malcolm Gladwell

Blurb submitted by Roderick Clancy
Blink: The Power of Thinking Without Thinking is nonfiction


Ever wonder about the secret force that helps us make split-second decisions? Why we don't always trust it and why the outcome can either help a high-risk situation or blow it out of proportion? Blink is a book written by Malcolm Gladwell to answer these mysteries. It is a series of short stories that show how subconscious judgments can either be affected by the past or by someone's experience. For instance, one story is about a tennis coach that can tell when a player is going to foul before they even serve the ball. Another story is about a shooting because of the poor judgment of a police officer in the Bronx. If you liked Outliers, then you are going to enjoy this book written by Gladwell as well.

Yes Please by Amy Poehler

Blurb submitted by Alexis Reeves
Yes Please is Nonfiction

Want a book that book highlights Amy Poehler's life and career, from Chicago's second city, the great times on SNL and the creation of Parks and Rec? Well, read Amy Poehler's memoir Yes Please! The story takes us through her childhood and into the fame she rose to. It also capitalizes some self-empowerment, while also being comedic, as Amy Poehler is known to do very well!

I enjoyed the book very much! It may not be your "typical read", however, I feel as though it grasps readers attention in a positive way. I believe it is due to the fact I enjoy Amy Poehler as a person, so reading a book based on her life and the encounters that came along wasn't hard for me.

 
This book is definitely aimed towards adults or mature readers. It involves some mature content, however, I don't think it is bad for anyone in high school or beyond. I feel like if you enjoy Amy Poehler and the shows she's acted in, you might enjoy this book because it gives a behind the scenes look into the person she is. So, go check it out!

Redshirts: A Novel with Three Codas by John Scalzi

Blurb submitted by Pavel Klochkov
Redshirts is fiction

Redshirts in a movie are minor characters who appear on the screen only to tragically die a few moments later. The audience loves fatal danger, deadly adventures, and breathtaking  tragedy. But it is a luxury for a TV show to kill the main characters, therefore, producers introduce into a plot Redshirts or cannon fodder to satisfy the dramatic appetite of the audience.

Ensign Andrew Dahl is glad to receive a new assignment: his favorite research work is waiting for him and not just anywhere, but in the laboratory of "Intrepid", the famous flagship of the Universal Union. However, soon the young xenobiologist understands that some people aboard the ship are bound by a secret that is not shared with the newcomers. Everything is suspicious: the amazing vitality of senior officers, the great mortality rate among lower ranks, and the obvious absurdity of the situation. After having accidentally discovered what "Intrepid" actually is, Dahl offers his shipmates an insanely risky path to salvation...

It's hard to write about this book without breaking into spoilers. The plot here is paramount, and its sharp turns shape the framework of the intrigue. To uncover them in advance will mean to spoil all the fun.

This is an unusual book filled with a curious mixture of humor (often black), seriousness and absurdity. Images of the characters and their world are quite standard, and this is not accidental. The main point is not to pay much attention to the scenery and settings at the beginning and not to be deceived about the entire book just by reading the first pages. The book is great and multidimensional. The epilogues (all three) are powerful, especially the third one, which can be called a great final point. Redshirts is a bright and strange novel which deservedly received a Hugo and Locus Award.

Rich Dad Poor Dad by Robert Kiyosaki

Blurb submitted by Arham Khan
Rich Dad Poor Dad is Nonfiction

Rich Dad Poor Dad might just be one of the best reads for any person with a minimal to high interest in finance or business in general! OR EVEN IF YOU LOVE MONEY! This book teaches the art of playing with money and also teaches you the way a poor man finances himself compared to an educated businessman. Life isn't always fair to everyone, but you can work hard and satisfy yourself with the thought that you worked hard to achieve what you have. The can-do attitude of his own biological father and the fearless entrepreneurship of his friend's father are what the book highly focused on  to teach the reader. This book is for YOU if you love to know the life of a poor man and a high-class rich man and the difference between the two mindsets and ways of success

I Am Malala by Malala Yousafzai

Blurb submitted by Chandler Raybon  
I Am Malala is Nonfiction

I Am Malala is about a girl's extraordinary journey from recovery to the halls of the United Nations. Supported by her family lead by her father, this novel portrays them throughout peaceful protests proving that the voice of one single person can influence and empower change throughout the world. I highly recommend this book if you like reading about true happenings of people. It is truly an awesome novel.

American Government by Marc Landy

Blurb submitted by Camille Brown
American Government is Nonfiction

Government is a funny thing that is sometimes hard to understand. The foundations are the most confusing thing, but the more you understand it, the more you feel like you have a say. In America, you sometimes feel under-heard or like your opinion doesn't even matter. This book helps you get a feel for how things are run and really helps you get a hold on how your voice is heard. Some don't like government and how it's run but some love it and fully support it. Find out if you agree with how the government is run and how your say is used. Don't just live in America, be a part of America.

Of Mice and Men by John Steinbeck

Blurb submitted by Tucker Hendrix
Of Mice and Men is Fiction

At the beginning of reading the John Steinbeck book, Of Mice and Men, I was weary that it would spark an interest. But finishing the book I learned many lessons from George and Lennie's struggles being migrant farm workers. George is Lennie's care taker and is by his side throughout the whole story, Lennie has special needs and tends to, accidentally, get himself into a lot of trouble which is the reason he and George go from town to town looking for new work. Lennie gets the two into many sticky situations but George always finds a way to make for the best outcome. By the end of the story George has to make an important decision that could completely alter his companions life, what will he choose?

All But My Life by Gerda Weissmann Klein

Blurb submitted by Hannah Dickinson
All But My Life is Nonfiction

If you are wanting an all in one kind of book, then this is the one you've been looking for! No matter what kind of reader you are and what your interests are, you will fall in love with this book the same way I did. The main character, Gerda, is Jewish and during this time Jewish people were not well liked or well-treated, especially by Nazi Germany. We all know who Hitler was and the kind of Germany that he created and led. This book shows a different side of the story because it shows the impact that Hitler had in the life of a young girl named Gerda who survived the war and lived to tell her story. What I like and "don’t like" about this book is that Gerda leaves nothing out when she tells her story. She tells both the good and the bad. Some of the bad is so horrible it is hard to believe that things like that really happened, but you will have to read the book to see the horror for yourself. In spite of all of the evil, what is really great about the book is how she is able to pull you into the book and make you feel like you were right next to her. It also makes me hope that as a planet we never experience these kinds of horrors again.

The Blind Side by Michael Lewis

Blurb submitted by Omari Brown
The Blind Side is nonfiction

It is funny how you could be at the right place at the right time. If you don't agree, there is a young individual who would. A teenager named Michael would . He was a very big teenager. The life he lived was not what a typical teenager lived. Michael's mom was a drug addict too strung out to  provide anything to his life. Also, He really never went home so he slept and ate on the streets. Michael was from a very rough neighborhood, so when he did go home there was nothing positive going for him. But one day a special woman came into his life, and him being in the right place at the right time, his whole life was changed instantly. One lady brought a kid from shooting dice in the hood to having college coaches at his front door. I feel like the way God wanted to better Micheal was to send him that particular lady to send him the right way.  The book will have a positive influence on you, trust me. Also, the book will keep you on the edge of your seat . Make yourself a better person and give this book a try.

When Breathe Becomes Air by Paul Kalanithi

Blurb submitted by Cierra Jemison
When Breathe Becomes Air is nonfiction

When Breathe Becomes Air by Paul Kalanithi is truly a beautiful and motivating book. Paul, who is the main character, is battling stage 4 lung cancer. He is a neurosurgeon at Stanford working on the brain and also working with other cancer patients.The main questions he asks himself throughout the book are "what makes life worth living in the face of death?" and  "What does it mean to have a child, to nurture a new life as another fades away?" These questions will be answered in the book. So check it out and see what happens at the end.

The Catcher in the Rye by J.D. Salinger

Blurb submitted by Khalil Williamson
The Catcher in the Rye is fiction

As a kid, did you ever want to know what it was like to be a grown up? Do grown up things in the big world? Well, that wasn't an issue for Holden Caulfield. This book is relevant for all ages if you want to get a good laugh. This story is told by a seventeen year old boy named Holden Caulfield who has been kicked out of four different private schools because of his grades. Holden has a bland way of expressing himself. Holden thinks that everybody in the world are phonies and that they don't live up to a certain standard like him. Holden has an adult mindset that nothing is too grown up for him in the big city of New York. This book is all about expressing what it's like for a kid to be grown in a seventeen year old boy's eyes overcoming obstacles in the real world at a young age. Full of laughter and full of cursing but it's the way that Holden sees from a personal viewpoint. Reading this book will take you on a journey through the obstacles of a teenage boy in the big world.

Beloved by Toni Morrison

Blurb submitted by Chelsey Cooley
Beloved is fiction

Rememory is the strangest, scariest, and  most haunting thing you can ever feel. Unlike memory, rememory is a thing that hunts you down.  It takes you back to the past and recreates it. The more you run from it, the more powerful it becomes. This is the story the of an ex-slave named Sethe and her daughter Dever who live at 124 Bluestone Road, where Beloved was born. We have all heard the term your past will haunt you, but in this book the past becomes a real creation. Beloved is a rememory of Sethe's past daughter, who Sethe killed. As Sethe ignores her past, Beloved becomes more anxious to come out of the walls (ghost). As Sethe ignores these issues from the past, they manifest into something inhuman like.

The Winners Manual: For the Game of Life by Jim Tressel

Blurb submitted by Chris Wheaton
The Winners Manual: For the Game of Life is nonfiction


Sports take a lot of work. The coach for the Ohio State Buckeyes, Jim Tressel, found that out throughout his football coaching career. Jim Tressel was an amazing coach who brought the Ohio State Buckeyes to a national championship and had five national championships in his coaching career. Throughout the story, the coach talks about the struggles he went through to lead his team to victory. Jim said in the story that success isn't given, it is earned. The coach also talked about the ups and downs his team faced, such as injured starters and diversity. Throughout Jim's career, he brought many teams to the national championship and won, but all through hard work. I recommend this book to football players because it not only tells the story of winning but hard work as well.

Beneath the Surface by Michael Phelps

Blurb submitted by Chris Wheaton
Beneath the Surface is nonfiction

Success is difficult for everyone, but mainly for professional athletes. Like Micheal Phelps, success doesn't come easily, no matter how great you are. Through all the wins Micheal Phelps has had, he has lost as well. Micheal Phelps is known as one of the greatest Olympic swimmers of all time, due to his 28 medal count. This book is very interesting because it's not just a biography, it's a lesson. Throughout the story, Phelps tells lessons that he went through to succeed, and his ups and downs. The story is also very interesting because it teaches you how to be a better sport when playing and how to succeed at any sport just by practicing. If you are an athlete, you should read this book because of how inspiring it is. I recommend this book to any athlete, boy or girl, because of the fact that the book tells the story of how Phelps dealt with rough times through hard times, including him using drugs, which slowed him down while practicing for the Olympics, as well as the inspiring focus on the great athlete himself telling the story himself of his great accolades and his great skills that took major practice.

The Career Playbook

Blurb submitted by Crayton Patterson
(The Career Playbook is nonfiction)

Now that we are getting ready to graduate high school it is time to get serious about the steps that we will take to become successful people. Do you want to have an achieving career or just get by? The Career Playbook will give you the essential advice for not only having an achieving career but become someone of executive importance. In this day and age, the competition for great jobs is at an all-time high. There are so many people that are working hard to become something great. By reading this book you are setting yourself ahead of the pack. This book gives advice from the beginning of your career to when you are an established professional. From networking to landing a perfect interview to becoming a CEO. This book gives first-person advice from college graduates and young professionals which gives a level of perspective that relates to students. The Career Playbook is written by James M. Citrin, the leader of Spencer Stuart's CEO practice and a member of the firm's worldwide board of directors; a perfect candidate to take career advice from. So if you want to get a head start on what you need to do to become an exceptional professional in whatever career you decide to pursue, reading The Career Playbook is a must.

The Blind Side by Michael Lewis

Blurb submitted by Trent Crider
The Blindside is Nonfiction


The Blind Side is a nonfiction book written about a football player who went from poor to pro. This book gives really great detail on what it's like to not live under a roof or to transition from nothing to having more than needed. Michael Lewis shares the struggles that a boy named Michael Oher went through early on in life. Lewis writes about the challenges Michael faced when he started school for the first time and how he had to transition from no real family to a loving family. Lewis writes about Michael's struggles to get to where he is today, an NFL Superstar. Lewis does a great job of sharing the life of Michael Oher and to find out all of the struggles and failures he faced and overcame you would have to read the book yourself.

Outliers by Malcolm Gladwell

Blurb submitted by Chris Wells
Outliers is Nonfiction

I believe this would be a good book to read and learn about the success people have done over the years. Success doesn't come easy or get handed to you. It's something you have to work for and grind for each day. Outliers is a book that tell us the story about how people became so rich and got to make their dream come true. People in this society will doubt you and not even give you a chance. They might say you are too small or not too smart.  I think of success as if you believe in yourself than your dream will come true one day, but if you doubt yourself and look down on yourself you won't get anywhere with that type of attitude. So if you've been talked down to before or have no confidence, I think this would be a great book for you to read and learn how people made their dream come true. Anything is possible.

A Memoir on Writing by Stephen King

Blurb submitted by Camille Brown
A Memoir on Writing is Nonfiction



Writing is an art. Art should be expressed throughout life and Stephen King tells us how writing impacted him. He lives a very sad and hard life but he confines his feelings through the art. The secrets of writing are told and shown withing the time span of a life. This book shows how to take advantage of natural born talent and how to shape the gift you were born with. Everyone has a gift, it just depends if you shape it into greatness. Read more to find out how Stephen King made a living off his talent and how writing made him successful through books and in life.

The Fifth Wave by Rick Yauncy

Blurb submitted by Bailey Smith
The Fifth Wave is Fiction

The Fifth Wave by Rick Yauncy is the best thrilling fiction book you could ever read. The main character is Cassie Sullivan. Cassie was just a normal  sixteen-year-old crushing on a boy in her class named Ben Parish when her world turns upside down. Cassie loses her brother in the midst of all the brainwashing that "The Others" were doing to get the humans to switch over to their side.Now she is racing through time trying to get to her brother Sammy. They were split up by " The Others''. These creatures have taken over the humans world and way of living.There are five waves of havoc that these "Others" create. These waves are killing thousands of innocent humans. It will take all the humans left to fight "The Others" and get back their city and save lives without killing themselves first. This book is filled with action that you cannot give up. Want to know what happens in the end? Does Cassie get Sammy? Read the book and you'll find out.

The Fault in Our Stars by John Green

Blurb submitted by Chandler Raybon
The Fault in Our Stars is Fiction

This is one of the best books I've read. It is the sixth novel published by John Green. It is about a teenage girl who has been diagnosed with lung cancer at a very young age and attends a support group.Hazel Grace Lancaster is 16 years old and is hesitant to go to the support group. But only admits it as a good thing when she meets a guy her age named Augustus Waters who also starts attending the support group regularly. I highly recommend this book if you like reading about trials of young love. It's a really eye-opening novel.

Sybil by Rheta Schreiber

Blurb submitted by Nesha Griffin

Sybil is Nonfiction

The Book Sybil is about a young lady with multiple personality disorder. It started off with Sybil Isabel Dorsett not knowing where she is. She's on a dark road during the winter time with no lights or anything. When she was trying to figure out where she was, she found a key with numbers on it which lead her to her hotel room she had forgotten about. The book describes all of the personalities. The book is about how Sybil started off scared and shy and now she kinda finds herself as she continues to undergo her treatments. During her childhood, she was physically abused, and its hard to understand where she comes from. During different times throughout the book, you could kinda tell when her personalities would change. Most people that would read the book would think that Sybil is crazy. The book really isn't about just her being abused as a child during blackouts. You would have to piece together what it's like to be Sybil and how she suffers from a lot of things as an adult.

Hatchet by Gary Paulsen

Blurb submitted by Savannah Garcia
Hatchet is Fiction

If you're looking for a good book to read I would suggest Hatchet. It’s great for young teens and adults to just to have fun and enjoy reading. It has thrills and suspense, so it makes you want to turn to the next page and keep reading. The book is about a 13-year-old boy named Brian. He is flying a small plane to go see his dad for the summer. The pilot gives him a very brief flying lesson in which Brian has control of the plane for a few minutes. The pilot seems to be experiencing increasing pain in his shoulder, arm, and stomach. At first, Brian does not think it is very serious, but as the pilot begins jerking in his seat it becomes clear that he is having a heart attack. The attack stops and the pilot is dead. Brian is forced to take over the controls. After a harrowing descent, the plane crashes into a lake in the Canadian woods, where Brian is stranded. He has to learn how to survive, as in, how to find food, how to find or make shelter, and protect himself. He has his obstacles and his challenges but that doesn’t stop him. This book is great if you like young adult fiction. Hatchet is a great book to dive into.

The Fault in Our Stars by John Green

Blurb submitted by Tucker Hendrix
The Fault in Our Stars is Fiction

This book features sickness, health, love, and loss. The story is told through the eyes of Hazel Grace Lancaster, a 16-year-old cancer patient who, at the beginning of the book, was in a sort of depression when her world got turned upside down by Gus Waters. Gus was a boy Hazel met in a cancer support group and they immediately hit it off. The two were inseparable and fell in love very fast. They bonded over reading and talking about Hazel's favorite book and author, An Imperial Affliction by Peter Van Houten. Eventually, the story takes a turn and heartbreak and loss find their way into the story, tearing the couple apart and breaking the hearts of every reader out there. The story is beautifully written and a great love story. If you haven't already read the book, I would highly recommend, but don't get too far from the tissues because it is a serious tear jerker towards the conclusion.

When Breath Becomes Air by Paul Kalanithi

Blurb submitted by Arham Khan
When Breathe Becomes Air is Nonfiction

When Breath Becomes Air by Paul Kalanithi is a great read for sure! It is one of the best books to teach a life long lesson. It talks about how short life is and what in the end it all comes down to -- not the result you expected. Mr. Kalanithi worked all his life to attain the title of Neurosurgeon; yet, after all that, he was diagnosed with stage IV Lung cancer that ended up taking his life. Long story short, his life plans such as developing a happy family with his wife, traveling, and just small happy moments were ended by the sad news of him being diagnosed. All that he had accomplished until now had seemed like it was all going to waste. He felt as though his kids' future would be devastated considering they wouldn't have a fatherly figure around them. Overall, The book taught me the value of every moment spent in life and the people in it -- the closed ones and the ones we don't talk to at all. Life is so short so enjoy it and live it as if you have no time to live life.

The Things They Carried by Tim O'Brien

Blurb submitted by Kemberlee Jordan
(The Things They Carried is Fiction)

The Things They Carried is a book that is full of stories or chapters. The stories or chapters are told by a character named Tim O'Brien who narrates a majority of the stories. The characters in the book were sent to the Vietnam War to fight. Each soldier had some type of good that was comforting to that was necessary for their survival, along with personal items. The Characters were Lieutenant Jimmy Cross, Norman Bowker, Rat Kiley, Henry Dobbins, and Tim O'Brien. LT Jimmy Cross  carries letters and pictures from his friend Martha, who he also moons over. Norman Bowker carries the thumb of a Vietnamese boy for good luck. Rat Kiley carried comic books and he is also a pretty good storyteller. Henry Dobbins carries extra portions of desserts. There are other characters in the book like Curt Lemon, Azar, Kiowa, Mitchell Sanders, and several others. Even though almost all of the characters have brought something from back home that helped keep them comfort, a majority of them were scared or trying to brave enough for the sake of the other soldiers. LT Jimmy Cross was in charge of everyone fighting in Vietnam. The stories themselves are interesting and this is a really good book to read, especially if you like war books.

I Am Number Four by Pittacus Lore

Blurb submitted by Colten Frank
(I Am Number Four is Fiction)

Have you ever wondered whether the conspiracies of aliens walking the earth along with us are true or simply just a hoax made up by someone seeking attention? Well, the conspiracies are in fact true. Aliens do walk the earth. And not only do they walk the earth, but they walk the earth disguised as humans. Though not all of them are bad, they are simply trying to survive extinction in a world where they are hunted by an alien of another species. Once the ten remaining come into full power of their own abilities they will be able to unite as one and save their race but, since they started their journey on earth, warriors one, two, and three have been executed and the remaining seven are running out of time. Luckily the bad species have to kill the warriors in order, so as long as number four can survive so will the rest of their race. The story being told from Number Four's perspective shows the difficult and agonizing tasks that he must endure in order to keep the others alive. Will the race survive or will they continue to be diminished until they are extinct? In his book, I am Number Four, Pittacus Lore keeps you at the edge of your seat until the very end where most of your questions are answered and some are left to the imagination. The roller coaster of excitement is most definitely worth it in the end and I would thoroughly suggest this book to anyone wanting to have fun with a book and just read for fun.