This post was guest authored by Leslie Boydstun, Course Reserves Library Specialist
For as long as I can remember, my favorite thing to talk about has been books. I love to find out what people are reading, why they love the genres and writers they love, and what sparked their love of reading in the first place. For a time, I parlayed this compulsion into a career as an English teacher. It brought me such joy to expose my students to authors and genres they wouldn’t normally approach and to see them connect with those texts. However, when I began working at USF, that desire to encourage people to read had nowhere to go until I began working on our monthly book displays.
I try to make sure that the display each month is fresh, topical, and contains a variety of media from our collections. I trawl articles & journals (and pick the minds of my colleagues) for ideas about which specific books & movies should be included. Sometimes, my colleagues have excellent recommendations that simply don’t fit into any of the display themes. Thus, the “Staff Favorites” display was born.
In April 2024, I sent out a survey to my colleagues at all USF Libraries locations and collected a list of some of their favorite books and movies. If you are looking for something new to read or watch, I hope that this list may provide some inspiration. Take a look, the choices may surprise you!
BOOKS
Midwich Cuckoos by John Wyndham
Recommended by Carol Ann Borchert
“This is a fast and easy read, but it also has some meat to it. Written in 1957, the book has some really interesting themes about what being human means, and it has some sociological implications about how the women reacted–and were treated–in this situation (given the time period it was written) and why.”
Bucking the Tiger: A novel by Bruce Olds
Recommended by LeEtta Schmidt
“It uses poetry, reconstituted news reports, and embellishment to fill in the historical gaps at the same time as contributing to the myth-making of a legend of the ‘wild west.’”
The Dance of Genghis Cohn by Romain Gary
Recommended by LeEtta Schmidt
“It uses humor, fiction, and satire to examine the post WWII relationship between a former SS officer and the Jewish man he killed.”
Christie Classics: The Murder of Roger Ackroyd, And Then There Were None, The Witness for the Prosecution, Philomel Cottage [and] Three Blind Mice by Agatha Christie
Recommended by Matthew Schubert
“Agatha Christie is an absolute master of mystery! This collection of five stories includes my favorite “And Then There Were None”. Will keep you guessing until the very end!”
I Must Betray You by Ruta Sepetys
Recommended by Ann Abney
“I love a good historical novel and this one is a great thriller set in 1989 at the fall of Nicolae Ceausescu’s Romania. Romania had a strong informer network so it’s a lot of “Who do I trust?” for simple things like sharing a Coke behind a building. I raced through it and it remains my favorite of Ruta Sepetys’ writing.”
The Rainbow Fish by Marcus Pfister
Recommended by Virginia Gates-Fowler
“I spend the majority of my time reading children’s books to my cousins, nieces and nephews, etc. The book has a beautiful cover and an interesting, meaningful story (about sharing). I read this book so many times to my kids when they were little. They enjoyed it tremendously. I can’t think of any adult book right now that interests me. But I can check out this book and share it with the kids in my family. YAY!”
Gorillas in the Mist by Dian Fossey
Recommended by Sarah Swiger
“The incredible account of Dian Fossey’s scientific study of mountain gorillas. If there’s any book that will get you excited about the natural world, conservation, and one of our closest living relatives, it’s this one.”
The Hobbit by JRR Tolkien
Recommended by Leslie Boydstun
“A classic example of high fantasy and the hero’s journey. This is the book that broke open the fantasy genre for me. It is timeless, engaging, and this particular version (F T649h 1977) has illustrations from the 1977 animated movie which are really fun.”
Harriet the Spy by Louise Fitzhugh
Recommended by Rebekah Nault
“I read and reread this book every year of my childhood. I loved it. I wanted to be a spy.”
The Conduct of Life, Nature, & Other Essays by Ralph Waldo Emerson
Recommended by Rebekah Nault
“My favorite English teacher had us study Emerson my freshman year of high school. I fell in love with him and would refer back to his book of essays often throughout high school and young adulthood.”
Bliss Montage by Ling Ma
Recommended by Emily Norton
“I love each of the short stories in this collection, partly because of how weird and unnerving they are. Just when you think you’re reading about a familiar situation or setting, Ma subverts your expectations and assumptions with her surreal and subversive narratives.”
Heir to the Empire (Star Wars) by Timothy Zahn
Recommended by Carol Ann Borchert
“I don’t know if this storyline still falls into “new canon” for Star Wars, but this was the first appearance of Grand Admiral Thrawn, one of the most interesting characters on the Empire’s side. Zahn is a fantastic author; I’ve read all of his Star Wars novels, and they never fail to impress (and many of his other works explore Thrawn’s history and exploits).”
The Things They Carried by Tim O’Brien
Recommended by Leslie Boydstun
“This book is a series of short stories about the Vietnam War that blur the lines between reality and fiction. It is heartbreaking and hopeful, horrifying and hilarious. O’Brien will make you fall in love with the men (boys) of Alpha Company, and then use their experiences to hold a mirror up to the some of the darkest parts of human nature. I would highly recommend this book, but maybe keep a box of tissues nearby.”
The Information: A history, a theory, a flood by James Gleick
Recommended by Andrew Beman Cavallaro
“The work illustrates the dynamic and impactful history of humanity’s conceptual understanding, and deployment, of information. [A] epistemological, technical, and sociological approach to the nature of information.”
The Handmaid’s Tale by Margaret Atwood
Recommended by Tina Pierson
“This book does not leave you feeling happy and joyful or even a fun read. However, it is very relevant in today’s’ society.”
The Making of Robert E. Lee by Michael Fellman
Recommended by Aaron Lewis
“I first read this book while a PhD student in the USF History Department. It does a fantastic job using primary sources to argue for a new look at one of the United States’ most misunderstood generals. Fellman does an excellent job using Lee’s letters, diaries, and other primary sources to show that Lee is a much more complicated historical figure than has typically been portrayed, far from the angelic, southern gentleman that has characterized him since the end of the Civil War. It was one of the inspirations for my dissertation which also sought to re-examine Lee’s memory throughout the nineteenth and early twentieth centuries.”
Introduction to the study of dinosaurs by Anthony J. Martin
Recommended by Loryn Ragsdale
“All things dino!”
Paper Towns by John Green
Recommended by Serena Davis
“I love and appreciate John Green as a writer and enjoy the books he has written. He was a popular author during the time I was growing up.”
Love’s Executioner and Other Tales of Psychotherapy by Irvin Yalom
Recommended by Susan Ariew
“Yalom is a wonderful author who gives a great deal of insight into humanity. His specialty is helping patients who are dying and he does help a great deal with death anxiety and figuring out how to make one’s life meaningful. His novels are also delightful, combining psychology with philosophy and how those impact human struggles.”
The Rapture of Canaan by Sheri Reynolds
Recommended by Donna Kahelin
“The stark reality of human imperfection through the eyes of an innocent girl coming of age and understanding as her world rapidly collapses and expands simultaneously.”
No Language but a Cry by Bert Kruger Smith
Recommended by Beverlyn Harris-Johnson
“emotional, heartbreaking”
The Once and Future King by T.H. White
Recommended by Kasey Coton
“This is a classic retelling of the famous Arthurian legend, with lively and fascinating characterizations of Arthur, Merlin, Lancelot, and Guinevere. The story goes from lighthearted and humorous to quite tragic in the end, but it is such a fun read throughout and I really recommend it.”
The Rings of Saturn by W.G. Sebald
Recommended by Terry Eagan
“Often described as haunting, Sebald’s quasi-travelogue centers on a journey through East-Anglia and meditations on themes of loss, destruction and interconnectedness. Sebald weaves together personal anecdotes, historical events and philosophical musings to reflect on the inexorable passage of time.”
Cannery Row by John Steinbeck
Recommended by Natalie Kazmin
“John Steinbeck is my favorite author, and Cannery Row is one of the first books I read of his — it’s a fun, short romp driven by compelling and always interpersonal characters and, like many of his works, is firmly rooted in their sense of place. I like keeping a book like this in my back pocket for beaches or particularly slow baseball games.”
No Country for Old Men by Cormac McCarthy
Recommended by Shawn Douglas
“No Country for Old Men is a fantastic novel that is violent and very bleak, but also is a study of the philosophical reflections of humanity. I love this book because it’s more of a thematic journey than it is a plot-driven journey, which is interesting and makes you really think!”
As You Like It by William Shakespeare
Recommended by Draper Harris
“At the beginning of every April, Rosalind’s perennial words spring to mind: “Men are April when they woo, and December when they marry” (4.1.154). She reminds me of what the fourth month of the year really is. April is warm and pleasant. April is budding. April is romantic. April is (…maybe she knew…) our birth month – the Bard and I – that is. Perhaps even maybe she knew somehow this April is the opening of As You Like It in USF Theatre 2. …maybe not. But, nevertheless, April is just like reading As You Like It. It is the perfect chance to escape from the constraints of the mundane and find inspiration amidst the wonder of nature – just as I like it.”
1,000 Signs of Life: Basic ASL for everyday conversation edited by Gallaudet University Press
Recommended by Marie Camacho-Vargas
“😊.” [Marie is a student in the sign language interpreting program and strongly believes that everyone should have a basic understanding of ASL]
Diary of a Wimpy Kid: The last straw by Jeff Kinney
Recommended by Jason Jimenez
“It is part of a great series. In addition to that there are some movies on it but not as good as the books. Recommend for anyone looking for a casual read.”
FILMS
Secondhand Lions (2003) directed by Tim McCanlies
Recommended by Carol Ann Borchert
“This is a sweet, hilarious story about a boy and his two great-uncles who don’t even know how much they need each other at first. I laugh, I cry, and I thoroughly enjoy it every time I watch it. One of my favorite scenes is actually in the deleted scenes when he catches one of his uncles filling out mail responses.”
Bedazzled (2000) directed by Harold Ramis
Recommended by Carol Ann Borchert
“Have you ever wanted to be the perfect person for your crush? Brendan Frazer’s character makes a deal with the devil and gets that chance–several times–always with a bit of a twist. This is a fun, light-hearted movie, with a small twist at the end for a happy ever after.”
How to Train Your Dragon (2010) directed by Dean DeBlois, books by Cressida Cowell
Recommended by Courtney Lofgren
“It’s one of my happy movies that I have watched for years. It has sarcasm and jokes, and it just brings me joy.”
Pan’s Labyrinth (2006) directed by Guillermo Del Toro
Recommended by Zibby Wilder
“EVERYTHING: The beauty, the ugliness, the hope, the despair, the reality, the mysticism, the brutality, and the transcendence. It breaks your heart and brings you joy at the same time. It’s an incredible work of art.”
Rear Window (1954) directed by Alfred Hitchcock
Recommended by Jessica Szempruch
“‘Rear Window’ is a noted cinematography classic, with a thriller storyline that will grip even viewers who are not typically into classic films. Grace Kelly (Princess Grace of Monaco!) and Jimmy Stewart are magical together on screen. If you’re new to Alfred Hitchcock’s work, this is a great place to start.”
The Dark Crystal (1982) directed by Jim Henson
Recommended by Loryn Ragsdale
“A glimpse into the wonder and whimsy of Jim Henderson’s brilliant brain. This tale of balance, healing, and growth follows heroes and villains as they journey to bring peace and light to a dark world.”
The Matrix (1999) directed by the Wachowski siblings
Recommended by Andre Holmes
“The MATRIX is one of my favorite movies, I’ve re-watched it countless times. It influenced the visuals and action sequences of so many action flicks that followed it. Beyond the cool outfits, techno soundtrack and wire-fu fight scenes, it’s the storyline for me. I initially enjoyed seeing “the hero’s journey” but appreciated the deeper themes after repeated viewings. But just the first one!”