Lost in the Stacks

Rodin's Lover is a biographical novel about Camille Claudel, an amazingly talented female sculptor in late 19th century Paris. She becomes the lover of Auguste Rodin and inspires his work, but her frustration at his inability to commit to her leads her to break off the relationship. After their breakup, she creates some of her most innovative work.

March is Women’s History Month and to celebrate the Shapiro Lobby display highlights books written by, and about, women of color activists!

February is Black History Month. It's been awhile since I've done a rec post, so I decided to cover some classic black authors that you should check out this month. This is far from a complete list of all the authors and books I could have included. So without further ado, here are some recommendations of books written by black authors about black experiences.

Tracy Chevalier, author of Girl with A Pearl Earring, tells the story of two children in 1790s London, country boy Jem, who has recently moved to London when his father finds work with Astley's Circus, and streetwise city girl Maggie, and their friendship with poet and engraver William Blake. The children become the inspiration for Blake's most famous books of poetry. Chevalier paints a vivid portrait of life in London at the time of the French Revolution.

The library has access to a vast amount of materials online, making it easy for things to get “lost” in a sea of electronic resources. Today I want to highlight access your library privileges give you to a variety of online test prep materials.

Celebrate the work of African-American writers during Black History month. Books on display in the Shapiro Library highlight both fiction and non-fiction works by contemporary African-American authors.

The Stranger Diaries is a contemporary gothic novel of suspense set at a high school in rural England. Clare Cassidy is an English teacher researching a Victorian novelist who used to live in one of the school buildings. There is a legend that he murdered his wife and that her ghost haunts the school. When two members of the English department are murdered and their bodies found with a line from a story by the Victorian novelist, and Clare finds that a stranger has written in her diary, she realizes the murderer must be someone she knows. Will she be the next victim? Or is the murderer trying to protect her by killing off her enemies?

The Blue is a historical thriller of industrial espionage in the world of 18th century porcelain manufacture. The heroine is a talented artist who wishes to become a serious painter, but, as a woman, that path is blocked to her in England. In Venice it would be a different story, but she doesn't have the money to go there. An unscrupulous nobleman offers to finance her journey to Venice if she accepts a job at a porcelain factory and steals the formula for a stunning new shade of blue. But the stakes are higher than she ever expected.

Welcome back! Dive into the new year by checking out some books for the Winter 2020 LSA Great Lakes Theme Semester. January books on display in the Shapiro Lobby highlight the history, culture, ecology, and more of the Great Lakes region!

In this detailed biography of Napoleon, Polish historian Adam Zamoyski gives us a balanced view of his character: not a hero, but not a villain, either. Zamoyski focuses on Napoleon's formative years and personal life, not so much on the battles, although that is covered as well.