Good Reads - Nonfiction
You Saw the Movie, Now Read the Book: The Sequel
331.4133 BIN
Class Action: The Story of Lois Jenson and the Landmark Case That Changed Sexual Harassment Law by Clara Bingham
Movie: North Country - The story of the case Jenson vs. Eveleth Mines, this is a tale of intrigue, injustice, and sacrifice that permanently changed our country’s legal landscape.
362.1968 BAU
The Diving Bell and the Butterfly by Jean-Dominique Bauby
Movie: The Diving Bell and the Butterfly - An engaging and inspiring read about the 45-year-old author who must adjust to living in a lifeless body after a stroke left him feeling weighed down like a diving bell yet with thoughts that soar like a butterfly.
364.1523 CAP
In Cold Blood: A True Account of a Multiple Murder and Its Consequences by Truman Capote
Movie: In Cold Blood - Combining painstaking research with a compelling narrative feel, Capote has produced one of the most spellbinding crime stories ever told.
364.163 ABA
Catch Me If You Can: The Amazing True Story of the Most Extra-ordinary Liar in the History of Fun and Profit by Frank Abagnale
Movie: Catch Me If You Can - A hilarious and stranger-than-fiction account of the criminal career of Frank Abagnale, one of the most daring con men, forgers, imposters, and escape artists in history.
364.172 MEZ
Bringing Down the House: The Inside Story of Six MIT Students Who Took Vegas for Millions by Ben Mezrich
Movie: 21 - A master storyteller takes the reader to the world of audacious MIT math geniuses who legally took the Vegas casinos for over three million dollars while still finding time for college keg parties, football, and final exams.
364.973 BUR
Public Enemies: America’s Greatest Crime Wave and the Birth of the FBI, 1933–34 by Bryan Burrough
Movie: Public Enemies - This is the sensational story of the outlaws whose exploits became folklore and the savage, myth-making response of the lawmen who hunted them down.
635.9344 ORL
Orchid Thief by Susan Orlean
Movie: Adaptation - The delicate beauty of exotic blossoms inspires eccentric collectors and swamp-smart suppliers in this true-life South Florida adventure.
636.7527 GRO
Marley and Me: Life and Love with the World’s Worst Dog by John Grogan
Movie: Marley and Me - Marley’s tale is the heartwarming and unforgettable story of a family in the making and the neurotic but devoted dog who was steadfast through all the ups and downs life brings.
641.5 POW
Julie and Julia: 365 Days, 524 Recipes, 1 Tiny Apartment Kitchen: How One Girl Risked Her Marriage, Her Job and Her Sanity to Master the Art of Living by Julie Powell
Movie: Julie and Julia - This coming-of-age-in-the-kitchen story follows a thirty-something woman’s year cooking the recipes from Julia Child’s famous French cookbook. The film intertwines this story with the story of Julia Child’s early culinary career as told in her memoir My Life in France.
787.2 LOP
The Soloist: A Lost Dream, an Unlikely Friendship, and the Redemptive Power of Music by Steve Lopez
Movie: The Soloist - Following the author’s journey as he tries to help a former Julliard student, now homeless and schizophrenic, Lopez tells an inspiring story of heartbreak and hope.
796.332 BIS
Friday Night Lights: A Town, a Team, and a Dream by H.G. Bissinger
Movie: Friday Night Lights - Odessa, Texas’ hopes and dreams rode on a football team as they took the field. The story follows the ups and downs of a magical 1988 season and how it impacted the team and the town.
796.83 SCH
Cinderella Man: James J. Braddock, Max Baer, and the Greatest Upset in Boxing History by Jeremy Schaap
Movie: Cinderella Man - A ten-to-one underdog, James Braddock carried the hopes and dreams of America’s working class in this thrilling boxing story and snapshot of life in the Great Depression.
798.4 HIL
Seabiscuit: An American Legend by Laura Hillenbrand
Movie: Seabiscuit - In this thrilling American story, the great racehorse Seabiscuit won the hearts and lifted the spirits of millions during the dark years of the Great Depression.
917.98 KRA
Into the Wild by Jon Krakauer
Movie: Into the Wild - In this riveting story, Krakauer probes the mystery of Christopher McCandless’ death in the Alaskan woods, and the forces that drive people to drop out of society and test themselves to the limit.
940.5426 BRA
Flags of Our Fathers by James Bradley
Movie: Flags of Our Fathers - This unforgettable chronicle of the World War II Battle of Iwo Jima gives a you-are-there depiction of that conflict’s horrible arenas. It is a moving homage to the men fate brought there.
945.5 MAY
Under the Tuscan Sun: At Home in Italy by Frances Mayes
Movie: Under the Tuscan Sun - In this memoir of buying and renovating an abandoned villa in Tuscany, the author reveals the many joys found living in rural Italy.
956.70442 SWO
Jarhead: A Marine’s Chronicle of the Gulf War and Other Battles by Anthony Swofford
Movie: Jarhead - This is a searing and unforgettable narrative of the first Gulf War told by a frontline military marine.
958.104 CRI
Charlie Wilson’s War: The Extraordinary Story of the Largest Covert Operation in History by George Crile
Movie: Charlie Wilson’s War - This is the unbelievable-yet-true story of the covert CIA operation to support Afghan rebels against the Soviets in the 1980s, and the Texas congressman whose guile and determination made the undertaking a reality.
967.73 BOW
Black Hawk Down: A Story of Modern War by Mark Bowden
Movie: Black Hawk Down - Military writing at its breathless best, this gripping account by journalist Bowden details the 1993 nightmare operation in Mogadishu.
Biography Gardner, C.P.
The Pursuit of Happyness by Chris Gardner
Movie: Pursuit of Happyness - Gardner shares an astounding rags-to-riches saga of a homeless father who raised and cared for his son on the mean streets of Sans Francisco and went on to become a crown prince of Wall Street.
Biography Marie Antoinette
Marie Antoinette: The Journey by Antonia Fraser
Movie: Marie Antoinette - Best-selling biography and history writer Fraser portrays the life of France’s most unfortunate queen with fluent storytelling, vivid characterization and evocative historical background.
Biography Nash, J.F.
A Beautiful Mind: A Biography of John Forbes Nash, Jr., Winner of the Nobel Prize in Economics, 1994 by Sylvia Nasar
Movie: A Beautiful Mind - This powerful biography re-creates the life of a mathematical genius whose career was cut short by schizophrenia, but who miraculously emerged from his madness to win world acclaim.
Prepared by Janet Cole, September 2009 |
