Read It and Keep: Juniata Faculty and Staff Recommend... The Tsar of Love and Techno, by Anthony Marra Marra’s collection of linked stories follow objects and families from Stalinist Russia to the chaos of the post-Soviet oligarch economy to a culminating point somewhere beyond the earth’s orbit. The details of the lives and tragedies accumulating around a modest dacha create one of the most moving works of fiction I have read in many years.—Gabe Welsch, vice president of advancement and marketing
Station Eleven, by Emily St. John Mandel It tells the story of a traveling troupe of Shakespearean actors and musicians as they travel from settlement to settlement keeping the arts alive after an apocalypse. This isn’t about survival in the immediate aftermath of a disaster, but about how culture returns to the world once basic needs are met.—Matt Powell, associate professor of geology
The Gypsy Goddess, by Meena Kandasamy This a novel about a novel about communism in rural India. It blends historical fiction, cultural analysis, and commentary about the craft of writing. Kandasamy is a rising star among India’s Dalit writers.—Neil Pelkey, professor of environmental science
The Best Place To Work, by Ron Friedman This book helps the reader to understand the psychology behind working environments and the trends in creating great places to work. It’s filled with relatable stories and concrete ideas.—Anne Wood, assistant vice president and chief information officer
A Mother’s Reckoning: Living in the Aftermath of Tragedy, by Susan Klebold
The mother of Dylan Klebold, one of the two Columbine High School shooters, shares the family’s life long before and long after Columbine, as well as her reflections and responses in the immediate aftermath of the tragedy. Her story is a reminder to all of us that despite intentions to be “good parents,” we cannot and do not have the ultimate control over our children’s choices. —Sarah DeHaas, Martin G. Brumbaugh Professor of Education
Baa Baa Black Sheep, by Col. Gregory “Pappy” Boyington, USMC The book deals with his air group VMF-214, “the Blacksheep” as they were called, and its adventures in the Solomon Islands during WWII. They flew the awesome Chance-Vought F4U-1 Corsair fighter plane (nicknamed “whistling death”). It was an awesome ride. —Hal McLaughlin, general manager, Sodexo
The Devil in the White City, by Erik Larson It is about the 1893 World's Fair and details the fair's implementation of the Ferris Wheel, Shredded Wheat, Electricity—even Disneyland emerged from it. The notion of the white city propelled forward many city beautification efforts. I found the book compelling.—Anne Echols, associate professor of business
Song of Solomon, by Toni Morrison The story is an adventure in self-discovery set between the ’30s and ’60s. The Deads are a privileged well to do African-American family prospering in a small town. Macon Dead grows from a carefree, self-centered boy to someone willing to stand on his own ability and realizes there is more to life than impressing the next woman.—DeLane Crutcher, associate dean of admission
The Island of the Colorblind, by Oliver Sacks Sacks weaves together a story of epidemiology, etiology of rare diseases, the natural history of islands of the South Pacific, and colonialism and imperialism, all while reflecting on his role as a Western medical practitioner.—Dan Dries, assistant professor of chemistry