Category: books & popular reading

Bentley Library Top 10 Books, DVDs & Audiobooks for 2015/16

Lisa

If it’s May, it’s time for the Bentley Library Top 10!

top10-2015-2016At the end of every academic year we query the library’s circulation system to rank the library’s most popular books, audiobooks, DVDs and OverDrive downloadable books based on the number of times they have been borrowed. (Course reserves are excluded from the reports.)

This year the Bentley community favored Kristin Hannah’s The Nightingale and John Grisham’s Rogue Lawyer, both of which made appearances on the book, audiobook and OverDrive lists. Remarkably, writer Michael Lewis had three different books in the rankings – Liar’s Poker, Flash Boys and The Big Short – and as an added bonus the movie adaptation of The Big Short scored a spot on the top DVDs list. The only other author to match Lewis’ popularity was the prolific James Patterson, although Patterson didn’t do it all on his own… Two of the three Patterson titles that appear below were co-authored – The Murder House (with David Ellis) and 14th Deadly Sin (with Maxine Paetro).

This is the 7th year that we have compiled our library’s “bestsellers” lists. We hope you enjoy this glimpse into the reading and viewing habits of the Bentley community as much as we do.

Browse the BENTLEY LIBRARY TOP 10 lists for academic year 2015-2016 in the categories of Popular Reading, Stacks (regular book collection), Audiobooks, Popular DVDs, OverDrive Downloadable eBooks and OverDrive Downloadable Audiobooks. With so many ties in this year’s rankings, you have even more to choose from!

Top 10 Most Circulated Books from the Popular Reading Collection

Top 10 Most Circulated Books from the Stacks

  • 1. GETTING TO YES: NEGOTIATING AGREEMENT WITHOUT GIVING IN
  • by Roger Fisher and William Ury [check availability]
  • 2. LIAR’S POKER: RISING THROUGH THE WRECKAGE ON WALL STREET
  • by Michael Lewis [check availability]
  • 3. (tie) HOW TO WIN FRIENDS AND INFLUENCE PEOPLE by Dale Carneige
  • [check availability]
  • 3. (tie) THE CATCHER IN THE RYE by J. D. Salinger [check availability]
  • 3. (tie) THE BIG SHORT: INSIDE THE DOOMSDAY MACHINE by Michael Lewis
  • [check availability]
  • 6. (tie) AN INTRODUCTION TO STATISTICAL LEARNING: WITH APPLICATIONS IN R
  • by Gareth James, Daniela Witten, Trevor Hastie & Robert Tibshirani
  • [check availability]
  • 6. (tie) OUTLIERS: THE STORY OF SUCCESS by Malcolm Gladwell [check availability]
  • 8. (tie) TIME SERIES ANALYSIS: WITH APPLICATIONS IN R by Jonathan D. Cryer &
  • Kung-Sik Chan [check availability]
  • 8. (tie) FLASH BOYS: A WALL STREET REVOLT by Michael Lewis [check availability]
  • 8. (tie) RICH DAD, POOR DAD: WHAT THE RICH TEACH THEIR KIDS ABOUT MONEY
  • – THAT THE POOR AND MIDDLE CLASS DO NOT by Robert T. Kiyosaki
  • [check availability]

Top 10 Most Circulated Audiobooks [Compact Disc]

Top 10 Most Circulated DVDs from the Popular DVD Collection

Top 10 Downloaded eBooks (OverDrive)

Top 10 Downloaded Audiobooks (OverDrive)

View previous Bentley Library Top 10 lists:

Enjoy!

On Display: Presidential Biographies

Kimberly

whitehouseOn display at the Bentley Library (May 17 – June 27) is a selection of presidential biographies. Before the image of dusty dense tomes is brought to mind, please be aware that we’ve left those titles in the stacks!

There are a plethora of presidential biographies published, so choosing a small selection was the challenge. We’ve looked at Pulitzer Prize and National Book Award listings, book review sources, best presidential biography lists, and solicited faculty recommendations to prepare this display. We’ve tried to include at least two titles for each president.

When browsing the display shelves, you’ll notice that some of the titles include a “Bentley Pick” bookmark.

benteypickThese bookmarks indicate titles recommended by your fellow Bentley readers including Professors Gary Donato, Clifford Putney and Chris Beneke and President Gloria Larson. If you would like to recommend a title from this display, just fill out a bookmark at the Reference Desk or send your suggestion to refdesk@bentley.edu and we’ll include a bookmark in your choice.

I’ve heard many interesting comments from patrons and colleagues in preparation for this display. Many roadblocks/perceptions that stop patrons from enjoying these titles include:

  1. They are too weighty/heavy!

Many of these titles are available in a handy paperback format and some are available through OverDrive and can be borrowed through an e-reader. See curated online display

  1. I don’t have the time to slog through the text!

Many of these titles are available as audiobooks on CD format and through OverDrive. Just listen while in the car, walking your 10,000 steps or relaxing on the beach : )

  1. They are too dry and boring!

Many of these titles have won awards, are best sellers, and some, according to the reviews, even read like thrillers.

Why not make a goal of reading a biography for every president? This is a challenge that many readers have taken on. For example, My Journey Through the Best Presidential Biographies is a blog by avid American history fan, Stephen Floyd, about his experience reading through the presidents. Why not read and join in the conversation? If you’d like a complete listing of all the titles recommended to keep after the display comes down, just send an e-mail request to refdesk@bentley.edu and we’ll send you the list for your own records.

We hope that you enjoy this selection and maybe check one out for your next “beach read”. Start your journey today!

Bibliography

April Arrivals! Check Out Something New to Read, Watch or Listen To.

Lisa

The new acquisitions lists for April have been posted! Go to the New Books & DVDs page to browse the 400+ new book, DVD and audiobook arrivals by subject or format . When you see something you want, click the “Request” button to place a hold on it.

Click to browse the new acquisitions lists.
Click to browse the new acquisitions lists.

If you prefer to do your reading and listening on a mobile device or computer, visit OverDrive, the library’s downloadable books collection. For help using OverDrive view their Getting Started page or visit the Reference Desk for personal assistance.

Click to browse OverDrive ebooks and audiobooks to download or stream online.
Click to browse OverDrive ebooks and audiobooks to download or stream online.

New Bestsellers, Books, DVDs & Audiobooks Added in March

Lisa

More than 400 new books, DVDs, audiobooks and OverDrive digital books were added to the library’s collection in March. Visit the New Books & DVDs page to browse all of the new titles.  When you see something you want, use the “request it” link to place a hold on an item.

 

Access the new acquisitions lists.
Click to browse the new acquisitions lists.

If you prefer to do your reading and listening on a mobile device or computer, visit OverDrive, the library’s downloadable books collection. For help using OverDrive, access their Getting Started page or contact the Reference Desk for personal assistance.

Access OverDrive ebooks and audiobooks.
Click to browse OverDrive ebooks and audiobooks to download or stream online.

What We’re Reading and Watching

Lisa

Inquiring minds want to know – what are library staff reading and watching?  

I asked my colleagues to share what they have been reading and watching recently.  Here are a few of their responses….

My Brilliant Friend by Elena Ferrante

Dominque, Reference Department

I have been reading My Brilliant Friend by Elena Ferrante. Very good! –Dom

Jaimie, Project Archivist

Here are two books that I really love – I checked both out from the Bentley Library but soon found that I wanted to buy my own copies so I could keep them on my bookshelves forever.

The first is Connie Willis’ To Say Nothing of the Dog – a light sci-fi/fantasy time travel mystery novel! This was published in 1998 but the wit, plot, and tone are as relevant as ever. If you like Doctor Who, Douglas Adams, or mysteries by the likes of Dorothy Sayers, give this a shot. One of the few books I’ve read in recent memory to make me laugh out loud. Wolf in White Van by John Darnielle (Note: this book is not available in the library’s collection, but it can be requested via Interlibrary Loan).

The second, which was released last year, is Wolf in White Van by John Darnielle (also known as the singer/songwriter for the Mountain Goats). orphan-blackWhile this is *not* sci-fi/fantasy, it’s perhaps an even trippier read. The story moves back and forth between a young man who has suffered a horrible injury, and the people playing a text-based game he created. Powerful, haunting writing is about all I can say without spoiling anything.

(As an added bonus, if you have even a vague interest in either of these reads you should absolutely watch BBC America’s Orphan Black – one of the best shows on television if you like action, science, futurism, feminism, mystery, or comedy. The new season starts soon but you still have time to binge-watch!)  –Jaimie

Lisa, Reference Department

Orphan Train by Christina Baker KlineLast month my book club read The Orphan Train by Christina Baker Kline, which intertwines the stories of two women from different eras, each persevering through extremely difficult circumstances. Although I found the outcome of the story a bit predictable, I enjoyed the author’s descriptive writing and it was fascinating to learn about the orphan trains of the 1900s.

I also recently completed The Night Sister by Jennifer McMahon and I am almost finished with Michael Koryta’s Last Words.  I would describe both as psychological mystery/suspense with shades of the supernatural. Neither book blew me away, but both are entertaining and held my interest until the end.

I am looking forward to reading the YA novel Challenger Deep by Neal Shusterman and Bonnie Jo Campbell’s collection of short stories, Mothers, Tell Your Daughters. –Lisa

Kim, Reference Department

Sherlock Holmes: A Baker Street Dozen audiobook

We are listening to the Sherlock Holmes: A Baker Street Dozen by Sir Arthur Conan Doyle. My 11 year old and I are listening to it in the car. We are both getting a huge kick out of it. It is the original radio program and it is performed not just read so sometimes the performer fades out and it can be hard to understand what when he is mumbling, but it is a different experience than most of the audiobooks we’ve listened to lately. We are on the last disc so it will be coming back to the library’s collection soon. We will continue our adventure with The Adventures of Sherlock Holmes which we can borrow and listen to through the Overdrive app on my iPhone.

I also listened to Unstoppable by Bill Nye recently and enjoyed that for different reasons entirely, but would recommend it as another family-friendly and thought-provoking, although sometimes alarming, audiobook to listen to. –Kim

Do you have a book or DVD recommendation?  Share it with us in the comments!  If you would like to suggest that the library purchase a title for our collection, please submit a request via the Suggest a Purchase form.

February Acquisitions: New Books, DVDs and Audiobooks

Lisa

Visit the New Books & DVDs page to browse the new books, DVDs, audiobooks and OverDrive downloadable books added to the library’s collection in February.  When you see something you want, use the “request it” link to place a hold on an item.

Access the new acquisitions lists.
Click to browse the new acquisitions lists.

If you prefer to do your reading and listening on a mobile device or computer, visit OverDrive, the library’s downloadable books collection. For help using OverDrive, access their Getting Started page or contact the Reference Desk for personal assistance.

Access OverDrive ebooks and audiobooks.
Click to browse OverDrive ebooks and audiobooks to download or stream online.

Books, DVDs & Audiobooks Acquired in January

Lisa

The new acquisitions lists for January have been posted! More than 250 new books, movies, TV shows and audiobooks were added to the library’s collection last month. Go to the  New Books & DVDs page to browse. When you see something you want, click the “Request” button to place a hold on it.

Click to browse the new acquisitions lists.
Click to browse the new acquisitions lists.

If you prefer to do your reading and listening on a mobile device or computer, visit OverDrive, the library’s downloadable books collection. For help using OverDrive view their Getting Started page or visit the Reference Desk for personal assistance.

Click to browse OverDrive ebooks and audiobooks to download or stream online.
Click to browse OverDrive ebooks and audiobooks to download or stream online.

On Display: The Best Books of 2015

Lisa

blue ribbonHappy New Year and welcome to the library’s 7th annual best books display! This year we have combed through eighteen* year-end “best books” lists to bring you the Best Books of 2015.

The display features fiction and nonfiction titles that have spent weeks on the bestseller lists, and also highlights critically claimed books that have not garnered as much mainstream attention. Intrigued? Stop by the library’s lobby to browse the selections or click here to view a list of the titles on display. Many of these books are also available as downloadable and streaming eBooks and audiobooks via the library’s OverDrive digital collection.A few selections from the Best Books of 2015 display

More than 150 books and audiobooks are currently on display. More titles being added as they are acquired and returned, so keep checking back!

Please visit the Reference Desk if you need help finding a book or would like to learn more about downloading eBooks and audiobooks from OverDrive.

*Sources consulted: Amazon.com; Bloomberg; Booklist; The Boston Globe; CHOICE: Current Reviews for Academic Libraries; The Economist; Entertainment Weekly; Financial Times; Forbes; Inc. Magazine; Kirkus Reviews; Library Journal; The New York Times; NPR; Publishers Weekly; strategy+business; The Wall Street Journal and The Washington Post.