Nick Schenkel Book Reviews

It is a new year and the world may be changing, but the book reviews are the "same as it ever was." Today's book is an artistic retelling of the Broadway musical American Utopia . Now you may be asking "qu'est-ce que c'est?" Well, American Utopia is a musical by David Byrne who is perhaps most famous for being another Talking Head. He created this musical and, under the direction of Spike Lee, released an HBO recording of a performance. If you are hungry for more David Byrne content, "This [book] Must Be the Place." West Lafayette Public Library Director Nick Schenkel has the review.

It's the holiday season! You may be wondering, how can I celebrate? Well maybe you could read a 19th century mystery set in London! Does the book have anything to do with the holiday season? No! But that can just be our little secret ;). West Lafayette Public Library Director Nick Schenkel has the review.

Millenials are a hot topic. You might hate them, you might empathize with them, or you might read books about them. Can't Even is an exploration on why millenials feel burnout from modern life. Should we blame millenials for their own misfortunes? What can we do moving forward? Self-proclaimed "Boomer" and West Lafayette Public Library Director Nick Schenkel has the review.

Is water wet? Are hot dogs sandwiches? What about tacos? If these questions haunt your mind then maybe you should read some philosophy. And what better way to start reading this genre than with The Socrates Express by Eric Weiner. While it may not answer the hot dog sandwich inquiry, the book does offer practical and spiritual lessons for today based upon past philosophers. West Lafayette Public Library Director Nick Schenkel has the review.

Happy Black Friday! What's better than buying cheap TVs and other gadgets on sale today? Well, reading a romance novel! If you love The Crown on Netflix or are just a fan of Victorian England, then you will love this one. A Rogue of One's Own is a witty romance with tons of historical detail, great banter, and romance (did I mention it has romance?). West Lafayette Public Library Director Nick Schenkel has the review.

Harriet Tubman has a life story like no other. She was an American Abolitionist, Union army spy, leading suffragist, and more. The resume of this American hero is impressive. She Came to Slay gives an in-depth look at Tubman's story through an expansive timeline, illustrations, photos, data, and more. West Lafayette Public Library Director Nick Schenkel has the review.

Have you not been given the "gift" of creativity? Wish you had more creativity? Well, John Cleese, the famous actor and writer of Monty Python, will tell you that creativity is not something you are given. Like any skill it is something you can work on, and this practical and "cheerful" guide aims to help you aquire it. West Lafayette Public Library Director Nick Schenkel has the review.

From farmer girl with a community college education to CEO of a major corporation. Sounds like an interesting memoir right? The Growing Season is one such memoir about the life of Sarah Frey and her rise out of her humble midwest beginnings. It's a classic American story. West Lafayette Library Director Nick Schenkel has the review.

This is your mission should you choose to accept it: A New York Times bestselling story is in distirbution at the local West Lafayette Public Library. It is an action-packed thriller featuring famous literary spy Scot Harvath. Listen to the book review by West Lafayette Public Library Director Nick Schenkel. If the book sounds interesting, rent it from the library. Good luck and remember, your nation is counting on you.

What kind of loser reads books without pictures in them? YUCK! Luckily today's book review is a graphic novel entitled Superman Smashes the Klan. It's a tale of the classic 'Man of Steel' superhero dealing with the evil villains of "The Klan" and the racism they are spreading through Metropolis. And yes, it does have pictures in it. West Lafayette Library Director Nick Schenkel has the review.

Do you ever have fantasies? Does your fantasy involve a musician and a winemaker forced to face the dark evil forces threatening to destroy the world? Or, better yet, does your fantasy involve listening to a book review? If so, The Bard's Blade may be a written account of one of your fantasies, and you're about to live through the other fantasy as West Lafayette Library Director Nick Schenkel has the review.

What fuels artists? What fuels their passionate works? According to Christopher Zara, emotional pain is the fuel of art. In the book Tortured Artists, Zara unveils how some of our favorite artists were fueled by inner turmoil. West Lafayette Public Library Director Nick Schenkel has the review.

Today's social media culture is flooded with "world travelers" that show off the amazing views and experiences they get from traveling. It may feed our envy, but what these Instagram-ers don't show is the headaches of traveling: making your flight, packing the right things, budgeting, etc. Well, Not Afraid of the Fall takes a different approach by talking up the headaches more than the experiences. Does it make for a better read? Well...West Lafayette Public Library Director Nick Schenkel has the review.

SNL, It's Garry Shandling's Show , and the movie North : what is at the center of this venn diagram? If you said Alan Zweibel then you must know a lot about comedy. Laugh Lines is Zweibel's account of his life writing in the show business. Will this book give readers there own "laugh lines"? West Lafayette Public Library Director Nick Schenkel has the review.

What makes humans separate from animals? Is it our bipedal structure? Our economic system? Or is it our love of funny looking socks? Well, according to the book Becoming Wild , the differences are not as big as we think. In this book, author Carl Safina proves how many animals deal with culture, hierarchy, and the meaning of life just as much as your average human. West Lafayette Library Director Nick Schenkel has the review.

There's a serial killer terrorizing World War II London, and all evidence leads to a stolen violin. Sound like a mystery?... Well, it is! Secret Agent Maggie Hope is the only one who can solve this mystery in The King's Justice. West Lafayette Public Library Director Nick Schenkel has the review.

The boundaries of generational differences can be intense fences between family members. No book may describe this better than Not Becoming My Mother . Author Ruth Reichl investigates her mother, and begins to see her in ways Reichl had never understood before. West Lafayette Public Library Director Nick Schenkel has the review.

Do you ever feel confused about the world? Fed up with the inescapable vastness of the universe and our lack of understanding about our place in it? Author Tyson Yunkaporta has a simple solution: draw symbols on the ground! Joking aside, his book Sand Talk is a book like no other that gives views on just about everything through an "indigenous perspective." West Lafayette Library Director Nick Schenkel has the review.

Tomorrow is the birthday of our nation, and it is a perfect day to talk and read about unsung American Heroes. Officer Clemmons, the recurring character of the Mister Rogers TV Show, is one unsung hero. Officer Clemmons: A Memoir gives the autobiographical account of the amazing story behind this man. Dr. Clemmons encapsulates Mister Rogers' good nature in a time where we all might need some. West Lafayette Library Director Nick Schenkel has the review.

A great man or woman once said, "The shortest distance between two points is a line." This had to be the intial thought process behind the building of the Pan-American Highway, right? It being the longest road covering the Americas and all. Well, in the book The Longest Line on the Map, author Eric Rutkow gives us the complete history on this fascinating road. So, next time you are trying to drive from north Alaska to southern Chile, you'll know who to thank. West Lafayette Library Director Nick Schenkel has the review.