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.

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.