Mark Massey, retired teacher/coach in Clinton, Iowa
Lessons in Chemistry by Bonnie Garmus Frustrated chemist finds herself at the helm of cooking show in the 1960’s. She is hellbent to overturn the status quo.
Bear Town by Frederick Backman Based on a conflict created by a junior hockey team in a small community, which impacts an entire community.
The Boys in the Boat by Daniel Brown Nine Americans quest to get a gold medal in the 1936 Olympics.
Ordinary Grace by William Kruegor Boy thrown into manhood as a teen after multiple tragedies.
Small World by Jonathon Evison Historical fiction tracing multiple generations during settling of America.
Mr. Mercedes by Stephen King Unsolved murder of a man driving a Mercedes.
Dr. Gary O’Malley, retired school administrator in Iowa
LOOK FOR ME THERE by Luke Russert. This memoir speaks of the loss of a father and the struggles of a son as he faces loss, uncertainty, and self-discovery.
NECESSARY TROUBLE by Drew Gilpin Faust. Memoir of a lady growing up in the South witnessing inequalities of race and gender.
HIS LOVELY WIFE is a memoir written by Connie Schultz, wife of Ohio senator Sherrod Brown. Connie is a Pulitzer Prize- winning journalist who writes about political campaigning and its impact on her family.
COMPOSED by Rosanne Cash. A memoir of the life and times of a musician, writer, wife, mother, and daughter.
Jay Hatch, Teacher/Coach at Riverdale HS, Port Byron, IL
Hidden Potential - Adam Grant This is one of the best books I have read in a long time. I read it twice in 2 months. Some key takeaways
“Growth is not about the genius you possess – it’s about the character you develop.”
“The true measure of your potential is not the height of the peak you’ve reached, but how far you’ve climbed to get there.”
The Way of the Champion – Paul Rabil A fairly easy read by one of the greatest lacrosse players ever. The author points out what needs to be done to achieve your highest potential. The author talked with seemingly everyone who is great at something – for example he spoke with Bill Belichick about how to prepare, Steph Curry about how to practice, Sue Bird about how to develop resilience. The list goes on and on
The Real Hoosiers – Jack McCallum (author of the Dream Team) This book is about Oscar Robertson and his Crispus Attucks (Indianapolis) High School basketball team. I learned a great deal about the Big O from this book. Side note, I also learned more about the team that Hoosiers was based on as well.
Magic – Roland Lazenby I have enjoyed every book written by this author that I have read. I thought I knew a great deal about Magic Johnson but discovered there was much I did not know. Great book.
When the Game Was War – Rich Cohen The premise of this book is the idea that the 1987 NBA season was the greatest season in the history of basketball. The author looks at the season through four teams: Celtics, Lakers, Bulls, and Pistons. You will enjoy this book
Jean Trumpy, Cousin, retired librarian in Wisconsin
The Women by Kristen Hannah Story of a nurse in Vietnam, and her life after she came home
The Unfinished Love Story; A Personal History of the 60’s by Doris Kearns Goodwin As she and her husband go through the roughly 300 boxes he had saved from his time as a speech writer with JFK, LBJ and RFK they both reminisce about what was happening in their lives
Hello Beautiful by Ann Napolitano The story of a young man who meets 4 sisters while a student in college. His life is changed forever. It’s the story of a closely knit family, of secrets of love and loss. Hello Beautiful also covers depression, and what some refer to as a bossy person. I call it control issues…
Libby Derry, Public Relations, Bradley University
The Silent Patient by Jonathon Kellerman Psychologist-detective is back to work.
Sharp Objects by Gillian Flynn Reporter covering the murder of two pre-teens.
The Nightengale by Kristen Hannah WW2 France when a husband leaves for war, the NAZI’s take over the town, and the mother of the family has to figure out how to have her family survive.
The Green Mile by Stephen King Story of Cold Mountain Prison.
Pieces of Her by Karin Slaughter The relationship of a mother-daughter is disrupted when daughter sees a different side of the mother.
Jay Barshinger, retired teacher/coach, Galesburg HS
Devil in the White City - Erik Larson A mass murderer and the 1893 world’s fair in Chicago. The fair featured the first Ferris Wheel invented by George Washington Gale Ferris.
Sum it Up – Pat Summit A memoir about Pat Summit from her youth to coaching at Tennessee to her Alzheimers diagnosis. It is amazing how she became so successful from such humble beginnings and how she courageously dealt with Alzheimers.
A Walk in the Woods – Bill Bryson One man’s adventure walking the Appalachian Trail. Good insight to how difficult it is to hike the Appalachian Trail, along with many humorous anecdotes. This book was made into a movie starring Robert Redford. The movie is good, the book is better (as usual!).
Hamilton – Ron Chernow The book that inspired Lin-Manuel Miranda to create the Broadway musical. Incredible account of one of our founding fathers.
Chop Wood Carry Water – Joshua Medcalf Recommended to me by one of the Purdue Assistant Coaches. A quick read that reminds people to take responsibility for themselves
American Midnight: The Great War, a Violent Peace, and Democracy’s Forgotten Crisis - Adam Hochschild – Describes America during WWI when racism, nationalism, and anti-migrant sentiments were rampant.
Kathy Callison, retired Librarian, Galesburg HS
THE FROZEN RIVER by Ariel Lawhon Part murder mystery, part historical fiction, this book is based on the life and diary of Martha Ballard, an 18th century midwife whose continuing fight for justice is inspiring. Don’t fail to read the author’s note at the end. You will want to know more about Martha!!
GO AS A RIVER by Shelley Read The only female in a house of troubled men, Victoria cooks and cleans and dreams of a better life. A chance encounter with a young native man brings love, tragic loss and a life of regret and shame. Set in Colorado this book will pull you in, break your heart and stay with you for a very long time!
BANYON MOON by Thao Thai Mother-daughter relationships can be complex. This is the story of three generations of Vietnamese American women each living their own life and surviving in their own way…….amid desires , betrayal, pride, love, grief, trauma….but mostly love. A wonderful multigenerational story.
SOUTHERN MAN by Greg Iles Southern Man is a novel that explores the current political situation in our country and the prejudices and hatred that helped get us where we are today. At over 900 pages some may find this daunting but Iles knows the South and his book is full of history, political opinions and human vice. He is one of my favorite authors and I could not put his down!
MARY JANE by Jessica Blau Shy, bookish and quiet, 14 year old Mary Jane lands a summer job as a nanny for a local doctor in town. The family seems respectable but things are not what they seem! A wonderful coming of age story!! A bit “lighter” than my previous recommendations!!
Bill Allison, retired teacher/coach, Galesburg HS
Camino Island by John Grisham The first in a series of mysteries set on an island off the coast of Florida. Grisham’s mysteries are great.
Sooley by John Grisham The story of a young man who leaves war torn South Sudan to come to America to pursue a career in basketball. Grisham also writes great books about sports.
Doctor Sleep by Stephen King It is a sequel to “The Shining”. It is one of the better sequels I have read.
Billy Summers by Stephen King It follows a character who is a killer for hire and who only goes after really bad people. It shows Kings ability to write a novel of suspense.
The Longmire Defense by Craig Johnson It is a recent release in Craig Johnson’s series about sheriff Walt Longmire. It continues to be a great series of books that Netflix has brought to life.
Evan Massey, Sadly a "limited reader"
Toughness by Jay Bilas Describes the quality of toughness and how it applies to reactions to many situations.
Hard Labor by Sam Smith Eye opening look at the conditions of NBA players in the league’s infancy and the cost to individual players for being involved in efforts to unionize.
Bleachers by John Grisham Story of a small town that loves their HS football team. The old coach dies and players return to reminisce and to analyze their relationships with teammates, the community, and their coach.
The Energy Bus by Jon Gordon Uplifting book that tells a story about one individual changing others.
Why The Best Are the Best by Kevin Eastman Pro coach analyzes what he believes has produced success in players who has watched and worked with.
Andie Allison-Leibach, Teacher in Knoxville, IL (Mother of three young children- these are their favorite books)
Giraffes Can't Dance by Giles Andreae and Guy Parker-Rees
Dragons Love Tacos by Adam Rubin
The Kissing Hand by Audrey Penn
Goodnight Moon by Margaret Wise Brown
The Magic Tree House series by Mary Pop Osborne
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