JULIA YOUNG (Founder / Executive Director)
1. Middlesex
by Jeffrey Eugenides
Spanning across three generations of Greek immigrants – and one heartbreaking adolescence – Middlesex is the story of Cal, “born twice” as a hermaphrodite growing up in 1970’s Detroit. With an unexpected mythic tone, this book is at once graphic and beautiful.
2. Ahab's Wife
by Sena Naslund
The author takes up the grand tale of Una, Captain Ahab’s young wife and her courageous life on the unforgiving shores of 19th century Nantucket. Sections of Melville’s story are patched into this dreamy tale about the other half of the obsessed captain.
3. The Story of Edgar Sawtelle
by David Wroblewski
A beautiful coming of age story and a nod to Shakespeare’s Hamlet, the story is set on a dog farm in Middle America and features a mute boy who avenges his father’s mysterious death. The intricacies of the story’s dog breeding techniques are reason enough to pick up this book.
4. The Phantom Tollbooth
by Norton Juster
A classic children’s adventure novel and modern fairy tale about a bored young boy who uses a magic tollbooth to enter the Kingdom of Wisdom. The book is full of literary puns that kids will remember for years to come. I certainly did!
5. Bud, Not Buddy
by Christopher Paul Curtis
A lovely and gritty story about a scrappy, ten-year-old orphan Bud––"not Buddy"––Caldwell, who’s on the run in search of his unknown father who he believes to be a bass player in a depression-era jazz band. A fun and raucous adventure story a la Huck Finn.
RYAN RIVAS (Programs Director)
1. The Wind-Up Bird Chronicle
by Haruki Murakami
A tale of a man in search of himself, his wife, and his cat. Sometimes surreal, sometimes hard-boiled, this epic is mostly about humanity, violence, love, loss, and forgiveness on the grand and small scale.
2. The Mysteries of Pittsburgh
by Michael Chabon
The sexually confused protagonist of Chabon's first novel explains what it’s like when your father is a gangster, how to cope with your immoral friends, and the dangers of meeting a girl perhaps a bit too enthusiastic about French literature.
3. The Third Policeman
by Flann O'Brien
The plot of this novel is strange, but not hard to follow. If you like dry humor regarding imaginary scientists in footnote form, policemen who speak in malapropisms, and bicycles, then you will enjoy this truly unique morality tale.
4. Monster
by Walter Dean Myers
The story of a boy churned through the wheels and cogs of the criminal justice system. Yeah, yeah but is he guilty? Innocent? Victim? Perpetrator? Well, you'll just have to read it.
5. Diary of a Wimpy Kid
by Jeff Kinney
This hilarious book, told through text and illustrations in the narrator's diary––uh, I mean, journal––perfectly captures the big nothing that is middle school. Does anyone actually remember middle school beyond feeling that awkward pang in your side? Well, this book will help bring back the memories.
CRIS PHILLIPS-GEORG (Grant Writer & Consultant)
1. The Winter of Our Discontent
by John Steinbeck
One of Steinbeck’s most compelling novels about the moral compromises we make in times of trouble and the justifications we offer to cover our own transgressions, even while passing judgment on the failings of others.
2. The History of Love
Nicole Krauss
The poetic tale about the steps one elderly man and one teenage girl each take to ease loneliness, to feel “seen”, and to hold on to love. A beautiful novel.
3. The Lost Choice
by Andy Andrews
An uncomplicated motivational read about how one choice can alter the course of the world (and how not making a choice is a choice as well).
4. Walk Two Moons
by Sharon Creech
The story of a young girl on a cross-country journey to unravel the truth behind why her mother left her. A surprisingly profound read.
5. Zel
by Donna Jo Napoli
An amazing re-telling of the story of Rapunzel presented from the viewpoints of Zel, the captive daughter who longs for more; Count Konrad, the boy who loves her; and the Witch, Zel’s mother who would rather keep her daughter captive than let her grow up.
JANA WARING (Volunteer Extraordinaire)
1. The Book Thief
by Markus Zusak
A haunting young adult fiction book about a German girl living in the midst of the horrors of Nazi Germany. Narrated by Death himself, this book will stay with people of all ages for years to come.
2. Remember Me
by Christopher Pike
What does life look like when you mysteriously wake up in a hospital three years down the road? Romantic, entertaining and a fast read––perfect for the holidays.
3. Tender Is the Night
by F. Scott Fitzgerald
A tender and poetic portrait of an American expatriate couple and their sad, yet fascinating spiral to its inevitable end. A haunting classic as only Fitzgerald can create.
4. The Beach
by Alex Garland
Dark, sarcastic and deliciously hedonistic, this is this story of a twenty-something backpacker looking for the “perfect” beach in remote Thailand. The movie cannot begin to touch the depth and fascination of this novel.
5. Dry
by Augusten Burroughs
The journey to sobriety as told by my favorite author. Fierce, witty, and hilarious. The perfect Burroughs novel.
BRUCE HARRIS (Urban Think! Foundation Chairman)
1. A Supposedly Fun Thing I’ll Never Do Again
by David Foster Wallace
A brilliant and entertaining collection of essays ranging from David Lynch to the Illinois State Fair. Wallace's microscopic eye for detail and hilarious observations will have you thinking and laughing all at once.
2. The Sweetness at the Bottom of the Pie
by Alan Bradley
At the age of eleven, a precocious, aspiring scientist circumvents local authorities to try and solve a murder in her small English village. They, apparently, did not have summer school in 1950.
3. The Underneath
by Kathi Appelt
Three fable-like tales of talking animals intertwined amid a Southern gothic setting, this story appeals to all ages.
4. Abba’s Child
by Brennan Manning
A wonderful book about authenticity and the love of a father for his children.
5. Olive Kitteridge
by Elizabeth Strout
A novel-in-stories (thirteen to be exact) about ordinary people in Maine. Strained marriages, family crises, and all sorts of depressions exist in this world, but not without glimmers of humor and hope.
CRAIG USTLER (Urban Think! Foundation Board Member)
1. Who’s Your City?
by Richard Florida
Choosing a city to call home is important. This books illustrates that importance and explains what your city says about you, highlighting New York as a place for retirees, San Fran a place for singles, and more.
2. Accidental Billionaires: The Founding of Facebook
by Ben Mezrich
Not so much a business history or technological primer. More a look at the tawdry details of Facebook's founders. The book does exactly what Facebook does without apology: entertains.
3. The Art of the Bookstore
by Gibbs M. Smith
Three fable-like tales of talking animals intertwined amid a Southern gothic setting, this story appeals to all ages.
4. Make Way for Ducklings
by Robert McCloskey
Follow the Mallard family through Boston as they search for the perfect home.
5. The House of Dimon
by Patricia Crisafulli
Find out how Jamie Dimon, of JP Morgan, rose to the top of the financial world.
