Library Newsletter - May 2022
Summer Job Toolkit
As the sun sets on another semester, you may be looking for a summer job. Not sure where to start? We have books on exploring careers and job search strategies. Come in to browse books on resumes, applications, and interview skills that can help you apply. Need some one-on-one help? Schedule an appointment with the CCC Career Resource Center.
Asian American & Pacific Islander Heritage Month
Since 1990, the United States has observed Asian American and Pacific Islander Heritage Month in May to "pay tribute to the contributions [that] generations of Asian/Pacific Americans have made to American history, society and culture" (Library of Congress).
The library is celebrating the heritage and contributions of Asian Americans and Pacific Islanders with a display of cookbooks to check out, an online research guide that gives a little more history, and relevant books highlighted online in a OneSearch Collection.
Technology is Due Soon!
We know you're very busy with papers and planning your summer vacation, but don’t forget that all technology items are due by May 25, 2022. This includes but is not limited to Laptops, Calculators, Hotspots, Webcams, and Headphones. All technology items must be returned at the front desk in the library. (Books may be returned in the book drop or inside.) Taking a summer class? No problem – we will renew tech for you. If you're not taking a summer class, you must return all tech you have checked out by May 25th even if you are taking classes in the fall. For more information check out the How to Renew or Return Items page on our website.
New Books
The Book of Form and Emptiness: A Novel
by Ruth Ozeki
narrated by Kerry Shale
After his father’s death, 14-year-old Benny Oh begins to hear voices coming from objects. Overwhelmed, he escapes to a public library where the objects have learned to whisper, and there he discovers a strange new world.
A Boy Named Isamu: A Story of Isamu Noguchi
by James Yang
Author James Yang puts himself in the shoes of Japanese American artist, Isamu Noguchi. Yang imagines what it would be like for young Isamu and his creativity to wander through an outdoor market, a forest, and finally by the ocean.
The Comfort Book
by Matt Haig
Haig spent years collecting and writing warm and reassuring reminders to his future self- reminders that things are not as bad as they may seem. Citing history, science, and his own experiences, Haig offers his uplifting notes, lists, and stories for anyone needing encouragement, meaning, or hope.
Notes on Grief
by Chimamanda Ngozi Adichie
Written in the wake of the death of Adichie’s father in the summer of 2020, Adichie writes with devastating detail about being one of the millions of people grieving. She takes her feelings of loneliness and anger and weaves them with her father’s life story while connecting to readers by sharing this painful universal human experience.
My Year Abroad: A Novel
by Chang-Rae Lee
Meet Tiller, an average American college student with minimal aspirations. Tiller meets Chinese American Pong Lou, a wildly creative entrepreneur who lives larger-than-life and who takes him under his wing on a wild trip across Asia. Lee’s newest book about transformation comments on capitalism, mental health, attitudes, and stereotypes between East and West.
An Ordinary Age: Finding Your Way in a World that Expects Exceptional
by Rainesford Stauffer
narrated by Jaime Lamchick
In this timely book, Rainesford examines the pressure to live one’s best life-including traveling, having impressive job titles, and doing anything social media worthy - and posits that this compulsion towards the narrowly defined #bestlife is unattainable. Rainesford suggests ordinary, meaningful experiences may be the foundation for a fulfilled life but explores why that may be difficult in today’s world.
A Queer Dharma: Yoga and Meditations for Liberation
by Jacoby Ballard
Ballard is a trans social justice educator and yoga teacher known for his playfulness, heart-opening approach, and commitment to change from the inside out. He provides an empowering and affirming guide to embodied healing through yoga and the dharma that is grounded in the brilliance, resilience, and lived experiences of queer folks. Not for the novice but open to all, this book brings yoga back to its roots.
The Republic of False Truths: A Novel
by Alaa Al Aswany
Banned in Aswany’s home country, this fictional story set during the 2011 Egyptian Revolution details the corruption within Egyptian society that caused civil unrest and revolution. A central character leads a counterattack (including news media manipulation) on the groups that toppled Hosni Mubarak’s regime though his own daughter is among the protesters. This novel reaffirms that whoever controls the narrative, controls the outcome.
Strange Beasts of China: A Novel
by Yan Ge
narrated by Emily Woo Zeller
Set in the fictional Chinese city of Yong’an, an amateur cryptozoologist is tasked with uncovering the stories of the city’s fabled beasts that live alongside humans. As our unnamed narrator documents each beast, she delves deeper into a mystery that brings about existential questions related to identity, humanity, love, and morality.
Thank you, Mr Nixon: Stories
by Gish Jen
In Jen’s collection of short stories, the reader discovers how people make and are made by history. The first story sets the tone with a cheery letter from a Chinese girl in heaven penned to Mr. Nixon in hell. Throughout the book, Jen assembles five decades of cultural collision, confusion, and collaboration between the U.S. and China into 11 comedic and heartbreaking stories culminating in a big picture.
Zen and the Art of Dealing with Difficult People
by Mark Westmoquette
This is a unique guide to coping with challenging people using practical Zen and mindfulness tools. It helps readers explore their reactions and see if these people may in fact prove to be useful teachers in life – “troublesome Buddhas.” Perhaps there's a pattern to your behavior in relation to them that often causes you a great deal of pain. This book is for everyone, religious or not, who has difficult people in their lives, and offers a healthier way of handling adversity.
Light From Uncommon Stars: A Novel
by Ryka Aoki
narrated by Cindy Kay
Shizuka Satomi made a deal with the devil: she must deliver seven other violin prodigies to a similar Faustian bargain to lift the curse. With six down, Shizuka is almost free when she crosses paths with Katrina Nguyen, a transgender runaway and possible seventh soul. Further complicating her mission, Shizuka meets Lan Tran-a retired starship captain, interstellar refugee, mother, and love interest. Aoki’s novel is a joyful, queer, radical ballad about music, found family, and identity.
We Are the Land: A History of Native California
by Damon B. Akins
This masterful history is an exploration of California through the perspective and experience of California’s native inhabitants. The narrative throughout centers on their understanding of their origins, their experiences of encounters with non-natives, and the attempt to recover land and to maintain integrity as native Californians. This is a must-read for anyone living in California.
