FEB 15 2022
Looking for a new 2022 read? As we begin a new chapter😉 as a staff and a community, we wanted to share a fun compilation of book recommendations directly from the shelves of our staff.
This list includes some of our team’s all-time favorite books. We hope you’ll find something you’ll love, a new perspective to learn from, and something to share with your friends and family. We’ve separated our list into Fiction & Historical Fiction, Memoir & Nonfiction, Young Adult & Children’s, and a collection of other genres found in “Other” which include a cookbook, poetry books, and more. We’ve also added a few notes directly from our staff! Check out our 2022 Canopy Staff Picks below.
Fiction & Historical Fiction
Americahah by Chimamanda Ngozi Adichie
Suggested by: Stella Ndauwa
Ifemelu and Obinze are young and in love when they depart military-ruled Nigeria for the West. Beautiful, self-assured Ifemelu heads for America, where despite her academic success, she is forced to grapple with what it means to be black for the first time. Quiet, thoughtful Obinze had hoped to join her, but with post-9/11 America closed to him, he instead plunges into a dangerous, undocumented life in London. Fifteen years later, they reunite in a newly democratic Nigeria, and reignite their passion—for each other and for their homeland.
The Book Thief by Markus Zusak
Suggested by: Stella Ndauwa
It is 1939. Nazi Germany. The country is holding its breath. Death has never been busier, and will be busier still. By her brother’s graveside, Liesel’s life is changed when she picks up a single object, partially hidden in the snow. It is The Gravedigger’s Handbook, left behind there by accident, and it is her first act of book thievery. So begins a love affair with books and words, as Liesel, with the help of her accordian-playing foster father, learns to read.
“…when Liesel’s foster family hides a Jew in their basement, Liesel’s world is both opened up, and closed down.” – Stella Ndauwa
Composite Creatures by Caroline Hardaker
Suggested by: Hannah Lee
In a society where self-preservation is as much an art as a science, Norah and Arthur are learning how to co-exist in their new little world…. But survival in this world is a tricky thing, the air is thicker every day and illness creeps fast through the body. And the earth is becoming increasingly hostile to live in. Fortunately, Easton Grove is here for that in the form of a perfect little bundle to take home and harvest. You can live for as long as you keep it—or her—close.
“I just finished this incredibly weird and brilliant book. A critique of what we define as valuable & human.” Hannah Lee
The Overstory by Richard Powers
Suggested by: Ana Hurley
“The Overstory, winner of the Pulitzer Prize in Fiction, is a sweeping, impassioned work of activism and resistance that is also a stunning evocation of—and paean to—the natural world….Richard Powers’s twelfth novel unfolds in concentric rings of interlocking fables that range from antebellum New York to the late twentieth-century Timber Wars of the Pacific Northwest and beyond. There is a world alongside ours—vast, slow, interconnected, resourceful, magnificently inventive, and almost invisible to us. This is the story of a handful of people who learn how to see that world and who are drawn up into its unfolding catastrophe.
Silence by Shusaku Endo
Suggested by: Hannah Lee
In a perfect fusion of treatment and theme, this powerful novel tells the story of a seventeenth-century Portuguese priest in Japan at the height of the fearful persecution of the small Christian community.
“My favorite book of all time. A serious novel that unfolds beautifully with perfect pacing. The most nuanced critique of religion, culture, and the people in between.” – Hannah Lee
The Sympathizer by Viet Thanh Nguyen
Suggested by: Lyna Ninkham
“The story of the South Vietnamese Government in 1975 and subsequent events in American exile in Los Angeles, through the eyes of a half-Vietnamese, half-French undercover communist agent.” Lyna Ninkham
A gripping spy novel, an astute exploration of extreme politics, and a moving love story, The Sympathizer explores a life between two worlds and examines the legacy of the Vietnam War in literature, film, and the wars we fight today.
A Thousand Splendid Suns by Khaled Hosseini
Suggested by: Danielle Bennett
A Thousand Splendid Suns is a breathtaking story set against the volatile events of Afghanistan’s last thirty years – from the Soviet invasion to the reign of the Taliban to post-Taliban rebuilding – that puts the violence, fear, hope, and faith of this country in intimate, human terms. It is a tale of two generations of characters brought jarringly together by the tragic sweep of war, where personal lives – the struggle to survive, raise a family, find happiness – are inextricable from the history playing out around them.
Memoir
Crying in H Mart by Michelle Zauner
Suggested by: Lyna Ninkham
An unflinching, powerful memoir about growing up Korean American, losing her mother, and forging her own identity.
In this exquisite story of family, food, grief, and endurance, Michelle Zauner proves herself far more than a dazzling singer, songwriter, and guitarist. With humor and heart, she tells of growing up one of the few Asian American kids at her school in Eugene, Oregon; of struggling with her mother’s particular, high expectations of her; of a painful adolescence; of treasured months spent in her grandmother’s tiny apartment in Seoul, where she and her mother would bond, late at night, over heaping plates of food.
House of Stone by Anthony Shadid
Suggested by: Khalid Ahmadzai
In spring 2011, Anthony Shadid was one of four New York Times reporters captured in Libya, cuffed and beaten, as that country was seized by revolution. When he was freed, he went home. Not to Boston or Beirut—where he lives— or to Oklahoma City, where his Lebanese-American family had settled and where he was raised. Instead, he returned to his great-grandfather’s estate, a house that, over three years earlier, Shadid had begun to rebuild.
An excerpt from the book: “The Arabic language evolved slowly across the millennia, leaving little undefined, no nuance shaded. Bayt translates literally as house, but its connotations resonate beyond rooms and walls, summoning longings gathered about family and home. In the Middle East, bayt is sacred. Empires fall. Nations topple. Borders may shift or be realigned. Old loyalties may dissolve or, without warning, be altered. Home, whether it be structure or familiar ground, is, finally, the identity that does not fade.”
Petit Pays by Gaël Faye
Suggested by: Ariana Aguilar
Life in his comfortable expatriate neighborhood of Bujumbura with his French father, Rwandan mother and little sister Ana, is something close to paradise. These are carefree days of laughter and adventure – sneaking Supermatch cigarettes and gorging on stolen mangoes – as he and his mischievous gang of friends transform their tiny cul-de-sac into their kingdom. But dark clouds are gathering over this small country, and soon their peaceful existence will shatter when Burundi, and neighboring Rwanda, are brutally hit by civil war and genocide. A novel of extraordinary power and beauty, Small Country describes an end of innocence as seen through the eyes of a child caught in the maelstrom of history. Shot through with shadows and light, tragedy and humor, it is a stirring tribute not only to a dark chapter in Africa’s past, but also to the bright days that preceded it.
The Ungrateful Refugee by Dina Nayeri
Suggested by: Hannah Lee
What is it like to be a refugee? It is a question many of us do not give much thought to, and yet there are more than 25 million refugees in the world. To be a refugee is to grapple with your place in society, attempting to reconcile the life you have known with a new, unfamiliar home. All this while bearing the burden of gratitude in your host nation: the expectation that you should be forever thankful for the space you have been allowed.
“An eye opening narrative that challenges the idea of the “grateful refugee” who, above all, is thankful to be here in the US. Nayeri’s account is raw, layered and insightful, and will capsize oft held inherent beliefs surrounding refugees and gratitude.” – Hannah Lee
We Are Displaced: My Journey and Stories from Refugee Girls Around the World by Malala Yousafzai
Suggested by: Danielle Bennett
Author Malala Yousafzai introduces some of the people behind the statistics and news stories we read or hear every day about the millions of people displaced worldwide.
Malala’s experiences visiting refugee camps caused her to reconsider her own displacement – first as an Internally Displaced Person when she was a young child in Pakistan, and then as an international activist who could travel anywhere in the world except to the home she loved.
Nonfiction
I’m Still Here by Austin Channing Brown
Suggested by: Hannah Lee
Austin Channing Brown’s first encounter with a racialized America came at age 7, when she discovered her parents named her Austin to deceive future employers into thinking she was a white man. Growing up in majority-white schools, organizations, and churches, Austin writes, “I had to learn what it means to love blackness,” a journey that led to a lifetime spent navigating America’s racial divide as a writer, speaker and expert who helps organizations practice genuine inclusion.
“A dear friend left this book on my couch accidentally. I picked it up and read the entire book in 1 sitting. Brown is a beautifully eloquent yet down to earth writer. Alternately funny and heartbreaking. I truly believe this is a must read!” – Hannah Lee
The Innovation Delusion– Lee Vinsel and Andrew L. Russel
Suggested by: Gabe Martin
Innovation is the hottest buzzword in business. But what if its benefits has been exaggerated, and our obsession with finding the next big thing has distracted us from the work that matters most?
Pedagogy of the Oppressed by Paulo Freire
Suggested by: Gabe Martin
The methodology of the late Paulo Freire has helped to empower countless impoverished and illiterate people throughout the world. Freire’s work has taken on especial urgency in the United States and Western Europe, where the creation of a permanent underclass among the underprivileged and minorities in cities and urban centers is increasingly accepted as the norm. With a substantive new introduction on Freire’s life and the remarkable impact of this book by writer and Freire confidant and authority Donaldo Macedo, this anniversary edition of Pedagogy of the Oppressed will inspire a new generation of educators, students, and general readers for years to come.
The Return of the Prodigal Son by Henri Nouwen
Suggested by: Khalid Ahmadzai
A chance encounter with a reproduction of Rembrandt’s painting, The Return of the Prodigal Son, catapulted Henri Nouwen into a long spiritual adventure. In his highly-acclaimed book of the same title, he shares the deeply personal meditation that led him to discover the place within which God has chosen to dwell. This Lent course, which has been adapted from the book, helps us to reflect on the meaning of the parable for our own lives.
The Second Mountain by David Brooks
Suggested by: Khalid Ahmadzai
David Brooks explores the four commitments that define a life of meaning and purpose: to a spouse and family, to a vocation, to a philosophy or faith, and to a community. Our personal fulfillment depends on how well we choose and execute these commitments.
See Poverty – Be The Difference by Dr. Donna M. Beegle
Suggested by: Lisa McCullough
[This book] provides an opportunity for gaining a foundation, rooted in lived experience and research, for understanding poverty and addressing its impacts.
“I do not know if it is the book or Dr. Beegle herself but I credit her and this book to literally changing my entire perspective on life. I likely would not be a part of this wonderful team or have the circle of amazing friends I have now if I had not met Dr. Beegle and then read this book.” Lisa McCullough
Think Again: The Power of Knowing What You Don’t Know by Adam Grant
Suggested by: Lisa McCullough
Think Again is a book about the benefit of doubt, and about how we can get better at embracing the unknown and the joy of being wrong. Evidence has shown that creative geniuses are not attached to one identity, but constantly willing to rethink their stances and that leaders who admit they don’t know something and seek critical feedback lead more productive and innovative teams.
“Think Again reveals that we don’t have to believe everything we think or internalize everything we feel. It’s an invitation to let go of views that are no longer serving us well and prize mental flexibility, humility and curiosity over foolish consistency. If knowledge is power, knowing what we don’t know is wisdom.” – Lisa McCullough
Together: The Healing Power of Human Connection in a Sometimes Lonely World by Vivek H. Murthy, MD
Suggested by: Lisa McCullough
Murthy argues that loneliness is the underpinning to the current crisis in mental wellness and is responsible for the upsurge in suicide, the opioid epidemic, the overuse of psych meds, the over-diagnosing and pathologizing of emotional and psychological struggle. The good news is that social connection is innate and a cure for loneliness.
“I have a lot of issues that I am passionate about but at the root of each one is the idea of belonging. Dr. Murthy, the former Surgeon General, views loneliness as a public health concern and “makes a powerful and convincing argument for why we can and must build a more connected world.” I believe this speaks directly to the wonderfully diverse community we are privileged to be a part of.” Lisa McCullough
Young Adult & Children’s
Fauja Singh Keeps Going by Simran Jeet Singh
Suggested by: Ana Hurley
The true story of Fauja Singh, who broke world records to become the first one hundred-year-old to run a marathon, shares valuable lessons on the source of his grit, determination to overcome obstacles, and commitment to positive representation of the Sikh community.
Piece by Piece: The Story of Nisrin’s Hijab by Priya Huq
Suggested by: Aubrey Skopp
In this middle-grade graphic novel, Nisrin will have to rely on faith, friends, and family to help her recover after she is the target of a hate crime. Nisrin is a 13-year-old Bangladeshi-American girl living in Milwaukie, Oregon, in 2002. As she nears the end of eighth grade, she gives a presentation for World Culture Day about Bangladesh while wearing a traditional cultural dress. On her way home, she is the victim of a hate crime when a man violently attacks her for wearing a headscarf.
“It shows her path to recovery and making the decision on her own to wear hijab. It also talks about her journey to learning more about Islam and her family’s history. It’s written for ages 10 and up, but discusses themes of Islamophobia, violence and trauma which may need to be noted as trigger warnings.” – Aubrey Skopp
The Rainbow Fish by Marcus Pfister
Suggested by: Lyna Ninkham
Eye-catching foilstamping, glittering on every page, offers instant child-appeal, but it is the universal message at the heart of this simple story about a beautiful fish, who learns to make friends by sharing his most prized possessions, that gives the book its lasting value.
“A classic that embodies the simple, yet universal message: sharing makes us happy” – Lyna Ninkham
Esperanza Rising by Pam Muñoz Ryan
Suggested by: Ariana Aguilar
Esperanza thought she’d always live with her family on their ranch in Mexico–she’d always have fancy dresses, a beautiful home, and servants. But a sudden tragedy forces Esperanza and Mama to flee to California during the Great Depression, and to settle in a camp for Mexican farm workers. Esperanza isn’t ready for the hard labor, financial struggles, or lack of acceptance she now faces. When their new life is threatened, Esperanza must find a way to rise above her difficult circumstances–Mama’s life, and her own, depend on it.
“A story about starting over and persevering.” – Ariana Aguilar
Other
Tales of the Dervishes by Idries Shah
Suggested by: Khalid Ahmadzai
Dervish tales are more than fable, legend, or folklore. For centuries dervish masters have instructed their disciples by means of these teaching stories, which are said to increase perception and knowledge and provide a better understanding of man and the world. In wit, construction, and piquancy, they compare with the finest tales of any culture.
Parwana: Recipes and stories from an Afghan kitchen by Durkhanai Ayubi
Suggested by: Aubrey Skopp
Parwana tells one family’s story of a region long afflicted by war, but with much more at its heart. Author Durkhanai Ayubi’s parents, Zelmai and Farida Ayubi, fled Afghanistan with their young family in 1987, at the height of the Cold War. When their family-run restaurant Parwana opened its doors in Adelaide, Australia in 2009, their vision was to share an authentic piece of the Afghanistan the family had left behind—a country rich in culture, family memories infused with Afghanistan’s traditions of generosity and hospitality.
“It has lots of great recipes and the author talks about her family’s stories… The Mantu was delicious!” – Aubrey Skopp
The Prophet by Khalil Gibran
Suggested by: Ariana Aguilar
The Prophet is a collection of poetic essays that are philosophical, spiritual, and, above all, inspirational. Gibran’s musings are divided into twenty-eight chapters covering such sprawling topics as love, marriage, children, giving, eating and drinking, work, joy and sorrow, housing, clothes, buying and selling, crime and punishment, laws, freedom, reason and passion, pain, self-knowledge, teaching, friendship, talking, time, good and evil, prayer, pleasure, beauty, religion, and death.
“Encouraging poems for different phases/emotions in life.” – Ariana Aguilar
Thirst by Mary Oliver
Suggested by: Stella Ndauwa
Grappling with grief at the death of the love of her life and partner of over forty years, the remarkable photographer Molly Malone Cook, she strives to experience sorrow as a path to spiritual progress, grief as part of loving and not its end.
“Thirst is a collection of forty-three new poems from the Pulitzer Prize-winner Mary Oliver, an atheist who for the first time explores faith — while dealing with immense personal grief.” Stella Ndauwa
Women Who Run with the Wolves by Clarissa Pinkola Estes
Suggested by: Ana Hurley
“Women Who Run with the Wolves: Myths and Stories of the Wild Woman Archetype is a book by Jungian analyst, author and poet Clarissa Pinkola Estés, Ph.D. It spent 145 weeks on The New York Times Best Seller list over a three-year span, a record at the time.” Ana Hurley
Within every woman there is a wild and natural creature, a powerful force, filled with good instincts, passionate creativity, and ageless knowing. Her name is Wild Woman, but she is an endangered species.
We’re so grateful for the partners who provide access to books and other resources for the community – the Fayetteville Public Library is an incredible resource for those in our community to find the books and resources they need! Visit their amazing space right in the heart of downtown Fayetteville to find what you’re looking for. Follow along for more staff picks to come in the future!
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