Summertime, and the livin' is literary at UF

 

As befits an institution of higher learning, many of the UF faculty and staff are spending some time on “light” reading this summer. Several have contributed their selections, which have resulted in the first-ever “UF Recommended Reads List”:
“A Tale of Two Cities,” by Charles Dickens – Deb Berlekamp, RPh, PharmD (wins a gift card just for being this ambitious. Deb said she’s taken to carrying the paperback around in her purse.)
“Spirit Rising – Tapping into the Power of the Holy Spirit,” by Jim Cymbala with Jennifer Schuchmann – Sean Boley, transfer admissions counselor/adviser, wrote that this book combines biblical insights with stunning stories of the Holy Spirit’s work to help you experience God’s power in a new way. According to Sean, “If you want more excitement and joy, come discover a deeper understanding of how the Holy Spirit moves – and how you can join him.”
“Predator,” by Patricia Cornwell – Jennifer Branson, administrative assistant, diagnostic services department, is an avid reader with eclectic tastes. She also submitted the following titles: “The Carrot Principle: How the Best Managers Use Recognition to Engage Their People, Retain Talent, and Accelerate Performance,” by Adrian Gostick and Chester Elton; “Nothing’s Sacred,” by Lewis Black; “The Five People You Meet in Heaven,” by Mitch Albom; “Winning Every Day,” by Lou Holtz; “Schindler’s List,” by Thomas Keneally; “Wisdom from the Four Agreements,” by Don Migel Ruiz; and “The Art of Happiness,” by the Dalai Lama. Whew!
“Leadership Foundations,” by Oedekoven, Robbins, Lavrenz, Dillon, Warne and “Waterloo,” by Bernard Cornwell – recommended by Jeremy Cripps, professor of accounting.
“The Crossroads of Should and Must: Find and Follow Your Passion,” by Elle Luna – Amy DePuy, marketing specialist, calls this a “very inspirational and quick read.” According to Amazon, the book gives “every reader permission to embrace the fact that we get to choose between should and must. It’s about the difference between jobs, careers and callings.”
“The Gospel of Winter,” by Brendan Kiely and “Roundabout Directions to Lincoln Center,” by Renee Nicholson – David Essinger, associate professor of English, is plugging these works by authors who are judging the “Slippery Elm” submissions this fall. Kiely has been published in eight languages and was selected as one of the American Library Association’s Top Ten Best Fiction for Young Adults 2015. He also wrote “All American Boys,” and has a forthcoming novel, “The Last True Love Story” (Fall 2016).
Nicholson, assistant professor in the multidisciplinary studies program at West Virginia University, splits her time between writing and dance. “Roundabout Directions to Lincoln Center,” her collection of poems, was published in 2014 in the Crossroads Poetry Series at Urban Farmhouse Press.
Check out information on the next edition of “Slippery Elm.”
“The 21 Indisputable Laws of Leadership,” (Revised Edition) and “Good Leaders Ask Great Questions,” both by John Maxwell and recommended by Scott Freehafer, associate professor of business.
“Killing Patton,” by Bill O’Reilly & Martin Dugard and “Hitler’s Last Days,” by Bill O’Reilly – Greg Gilbert, assistant athletic director, his wife and son, are all Bill O’Reilly fans. They highly recommend both books.
“Me Before You,” by Jojo Moyes and “Big Little Lies,” by Liane Moriarty – Rebecca Jenkins, director of marketing and communication, said these are great vacation books! She added that, “‘Me Before You’ is well written and thought provoking. It is one of those books that stays with you a long time after you finish it.” Regarding “Big Little Lies,” not as thought provoking, but a fun summer read. We all know people like the characters in this book.
“The Wright Brothers,” by David McCullough – Terri LaRocco, assistant professor of English, described this as a “detailed history on the ‘boys’ from Dayton. Goes way beyond Kitty Hawk.”
“The Road to Character,” by David Brooks – Barb Lockard, reading list compiler extraordinaire, said if reading this book doesn’t make you a better person, at least you’ll know a better person when you meet one! Brooks is an op-ed columnist for “The New York Times,” a professor at Yale University and appears frequently on NBC’s “Meet the Press.”
“The Mended Heart,” by Suzanne Eller, is a tremendous read, according to Carole Luke, administrative assistant, Physicians Assistant Program.
“The Good Soldier,” by L.T. Ryan – A “good mystery thriller,” according to Kathleen Mangas, administrative assistant, physical plant.  She’s currently reading “Rules of Murder,” by Julianna Deering which promises to be a good book, also.
“All the Light We Cannot See,” by Anthony Doerr and “Missoula: Rape and the Justice System in a College Town,“ by Jon Krakauer. Jaclyn Schalk, director of gift planning, combines fiction and non-fiction on her summer recommended reading list.
“When You Are Engulfed in Flames,” by David Sedaris – Joy Shaw, media relations coordinator, wins the Lemons to Lemonade Award for her humorous reading selection. Joy reported, “This summer my in-laws are living on our driveway in their dilapidated RV, tapped into our utilities and enjoying free meals and showers. Again. Therefore, the only logical literary escape is rereading Sedaris, with his tales about Guinea worms, messy morgue moments and hunting in the bushes for a nasty neighbor’s false teeth. Classic, irreverent, inappropriate and hilarious, Sedaris always hits the spot, no matter what the season.”
“The Fault in our Stars,” by John Green – Nicole Thungen, director of the English riding program, bought this book because she saw half of the movie and “wanted to know the whole story of these young kids.”
“The Public Work of Rhetoric: Citizen Scholars and Civic Engagement,” by John Ackerman and David J. Coogan; “Immunity to Change: How to Overcome it and Unlock Potential in Yourself and Your Organization,” by Robert Kegan and Lisa Lakow Lahey, and “The Power of Habit: Why Do What We Do in Life and Business,” by Charles Duhigg. Ron Tulley, dean, College of Liberal Arts, apparently takes his summer reading on the heavier side! (We know there’s a Zane Grey paperback hidden in there somewhere!)
“Choosing Civility,” by P.M. Forni and “unspun: Finding Facts in a World of Disinformation,” by Kathleen Hall Jamieson – Chris Ward, associate professor of business, says that she ramps up her reading during the summer. She’s recently ordered these titles, so stay tuned for an update!

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