Grit: The Power of Passion and Perseverance by Angela Duckworth

Blurb submitted by Amy K.
Grit: The Power of Passion and Perseverance is nonfiction

The book's author, Angela Duckworth, argues that there is one distinct quality found in all successful people: grit. Grit is the will to keep moving forward even when you run into an obstacle. Grit surpasses innate qualities such as talent and intelligence. Duckworth supports her claim using evidence she acquired from interviews and research she had done on successful people. Thomas Edison, for example, had conducted hundreds of experiments to create the light bulb but had failed hundreds of time. If he had given up back then, we would not have light bulb today. Duckworth emphasizes the importance of passion and perseverance in success. All successful people had passion in their profession, whether it was art, business, or sports, and had the perseverance to keep going even if they failed.

I really enjoyed the book. This book encouraged me to keep doing what I am doing without comparing myself to others. This book also made me realize that passion is what is important. I was so focused on talent that I could not see the most important quality. I would recommend this book to anyone who feels discouraged or hopeless in what they are currently doing.

When Breath Becomes Air by Paul Kalanithi

Blurb submitted by Tucker H.
When Breath Becomes Air is nonfiction

The self-written story of dying doctor Paul Kalanithi, titled When Breath Becomes Air, was a way for Kalanithi to say goodbye to this loved ones because he knew he didn't have much time left. Newly married and with a young child, saying goodbye was the hardest thing to do once he was diagnosed with stage IV metastatic lung cancer, so he decided that leaving a book behind as his legacy would be the best idea. The story of Paul Kalanithi’s life was a very heartwarming one and until the very end. The reader is rooting on Kalanithi to overcome his death sentence. I highly recommend this book to anyone looking for an amazing story of an amazing person whose life ended too soon.

Younger Than That Now: The Collected Interviews with Bob Dylan by Jim Ellison (Editor)

Blurb submitted by Camille B.
Younger Than That Now: The Collected Interviews with Bob Dylan is nonfiction

Over five generations of music and changing times, there's one name that always seems to stay relevant: Bob Dylan. A man of wisdom and someone who doesn't just notice problems but speaks out too. He has inspired millions with his music and his activism in the world.  You may think you know Dylan now, but see him a way that's never been seen before. See how much he did for the music industry and the world. See a new side. See a new world, all changed by one man: Bob Dylan.

The Storm and the Tide by Lars Anderson

Blurb submitted by Blake B.
The Storm and the Tide is nonfiction

Have you ever heard about the tornadoes of April 27, 2011? That day, there were hundreds of tornadoes that ripped through central and northern Alabama, causing lots and lots of damage. There was even a mile-wide tornado that went through the city of Tuscaloosa, home of the University of Alabama and the Alabama Crimson Tide football team, the defending national champions. Now, a tragedy like this should most definitely affect a team, but in what way? How would a team like this respond to having most of what they know destroyed, and even some guys losing their friends to the tornado? This book will show the resiliency of Nick Saban and the Alabama Crimson Tide, including their leaders, quarterback AJ McCarron and linebacker CJ Mosley. It will show the fight that they went through to rebuild their campus that was so special to them, all while working on the football field to try to repeat as national champions.

Belichick and Brady: Two Men, the Patriots, and How They Revolutionized Football by Michael Holley

Blurb submitted by O'Mari B.
Belichick and Brady: Two Men, the Patriots, and How They Revolutionized Football is nonfiction

Would you ever think a skinny, non-athletic kid from the University of Michigan would succeed in the NFL? Most people would never think something like that could come true. This one skinny, tall guy was at the bottom of the depth chart and made it to the top. Not only did he make it to the top, he knew the playbook as well as the man who designed it. The head coach of the Patriots saw a lot of potential in this skinny kid, This skinny kid was Tom Brady. Tom Brady is the definition of determination. I say that because he went from the bottom of the depth chart to division titles. That shows me dedication and a little hard work takes you a long way so this would be a great book for many people, not only athletes, to read.

From the Browder File: 22 Essays on the African American Experience by Anthony T. Browder

Blurb submitted by Khalil W.
From the Browder File: 22 Essays on the African American Experience is nonfiction

Black culture has been around for thousands of years. Most of my ancestors were the ones who built this world from the bottom up. In the times of the Egyptians, they knew how to read, write, build architecture like The Pyramids of Giza, build and fly helicopters (yes, there is evidence of flying machines on ancient Egyptian pyramid walls), and so much more. A lot of the things that we have today had already been discovered or built thousands of years ago. This book exposes you to the areas of culture, slavery, education, racism, money, and others that affect black families today. It also includes sayings from powerful speakers and groups like Martin Luther King Jr, Black Panthers, Malcolm X, and other black activists that can reflect on what it meant to be black. This book has 22 essays on different topics about the black culture. I would highly recommend this book to the people that want to go more in depth about black culture. The main point of the book is to provide evidence of African-American contributions to history and to be more conscious of black culture and heritage.

Moneyball by Michael Lewis

Blurb submitted by Trent Crider
Moneyball is nonfiction

Success is a strange thing. Many have success because of money, but some have success because of a plan. Moneyball is a book about a baseball manager who worked with the poorest team and still made it far. Billy Bean was a high school standout ball player who went to the majors. He did nothing with his career in the majors but afterward, he became the manager of the Oakland A’s. The Oakland A’s where one of the poorest baseball teams and only had ⅓ of some players paychecks to spend on their whole team. Billy Bean had a plan to take what he could get and make it great. With Billy’s plan, the Oakland A’s were able to go to the playoffs 3 straight years and had two 90 win seasons.