Books newly acquired by the NHFPL in October.
NHFPL Collection Manager Rachael Sherwood.
How did Ruth J. Simmons rise from a childhood in segregated 1940s Texas to become the head of an Ivy League university?
The answer to that question lies in one of 10 new librarian-recommended books recently acquired by the New Haven Free Public Library.
Simmons recounts her story, as the 12th child of poor sharecroppers in the South who worked her way to become the president of Smith College and then Brown University, in her new book, Up Home: One Girl’s Journey.
Simmons’ memoir is one of 10 books newly purchased by the city’s public library system during the month of October and that library Collection Manager Rachael Sherwood has singled out for recommendation as part of the Independent’s and NHFPL’s latest entry in the “What’s on the Shelf” monthly series.
These 10 books aren’t the only titles the public library acquired in October. According to library staff, that full list reaches into the hundreds. Keep an eye out in next month’s “What’s on the Shelf” entry for a more complete list of what the library acquires in November.
For this month’s entry, see below for a writeup by Sherwood about 10 books newly acquired by the NHFPL in October that she recommends New Haveners check out and read, including Simmons’ memoir Up Home.
Click here to read the first entry in this series about books acquired by the city’s public library system in September.
If you have any suggestions as to which books, new or old, you’d like to see the public library add to its collection, fill out this form on the library’s website. If you want to shout out a local library-borrowed book you’ve recently enjoyed, please leave a comment at the bottom of this article.
NHFPL New Acquisitions, October 2023
NONFICTION:
Up Home: One Girl’s Journey by Ruth J. Simmons
Available in: Print | e‑book | e‑audiobook
Country of the Blind: A Memoir at the End of Sight by Andre Leland
Available in: Print
Everything I Learned, I Learned in a Chinese Restaurant: A Memoir by Curtis Chin
Available in: Print
Opinions: A Decade of Arguments, Criticism, and Minding Other People’s Business by Roxane Gay
Available in: Print
Build the Life You Want by Arthur C. Brooks, Oprah Winfrey
Available in: Print | e‑book
FICTION:
Family Lore by Elizabeth Acevedo
Available in: Print | e‑book | e‑audiobook
Hangman by Maya Binyam
Available in: Print
Brooklyn Crime Novel by Jonathan Lethem
Available in: Print | e‑book
Death Valley: a novel by Melissa Broder
Available in: Print
Family Meal by Bryan Washington
Available in: Print | e‑book | e‑audiobook
Rachael Sherwood Recommends
As Collection Manager at NHFPL, I am in the lucky position of getting to see, first-hand, all the new shipments arriving weekly. Unboxing new arrivals is one of my favorite parts of my job. We have a team of book selectors throughout our library system who place orders after reviewing best seller lists, book review publications, and patron recommendations. We love to hear about what you would love to read and you can provide input by completing a recommendation form online or in-person at the library.
Our goal, always, is to make sure that the New Haven community has a diverse collection of high-quality informational material and literature, as well as popular best sellers and books of interest locally. I have selected some titles to highlight that are either new to our shelves, or soon to be appearing. Here are some suggestions for your consideration – what will you be reading next?
Up Home: One Girl’s Journey by Ruth J. Simmons is a riveting memoir and one of my favorites this month that came on my radar when I heard the author interviewed on the Read with Jenna podcast. The author tells the story of her trajectory from growing up in a sharecropper family in the South to becoming president of Smith College and Brown University. Her story is truly remarkable and inspirational! Available also on Overdrive as an e‑book and e‑audiobook here.
If you would like book suggestions on any genre or topic, our librarians offer Reader’s Advisory services. We can always help you find a book to match your interest! You can also search our NoveList database for reading recommendations tailored specifically for you! Happy Reading!