Cheap Cabernet: A Friendship by Cathie Beck (MEngl’92) is a memoir about an unlikely friendship between Beck and a vibrant, savvy, unpredictable woman who quickly becomes her best friend, Denise Katz. The book traces Beck’s life from a young, single and lonely “empty nester” to the changed woman that she is today.
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Paul Bacon’s (Jour’90) memoir Bad Cop: New York’s Least Likely Police Officer Tells All humorously explains his four years as a New York City Police Officer. The book delves into his reasons for leaving his at-home online job to become a cop and follows his brief stint as a city protector.
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The motivational Dancing on the Edge of an Endangered Planet by John Mattson (ArchEngr’88) is a book of short adventure stories that span worldwide and describe the author’s experience of transforming from a poor farm boy to living a life of extreme adventure. The book highlights his time involved in kayaking, skiing, climbing, rodeo and working in a gold mine.
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In Sunsets and Shattered Glass, Mike Tolerico (Jour’00) writes on how one can find God in all aspects of life. The book is intended to spark spiritual conversations and encourage readers to observe the beauty and truth of life. Tolerico gives an honest account that challenges readers to question their life’s purpose and to look on the world with a new and uplifting perspective.
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In Ursula Maria Mandel’s (Engl’81, MA’83, PhD’87) second novel Dairy of a Naïve, the importance of self-worth is highlighted. The book is centered on Kate Hamilton, who was once strong, creative, and vibrant. Over the course of 20 years, she slowly loses her sense of self and falls into a lackluster marriage and a discontented lifestyle. On a quest to find happiness, Kate decides to chronicle her life as a way to determine how she changed from the determined girl she used to be.
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After September 11, 2001, Muslim Americans became subject to alarming amounts of backlash violence. Behind the Backlash: Muslim Americans after 9/11 presents accounts from 140 Muslim Americans describing their experiences encountering prejudice, discrimination, exclusion and harassment both pre- and post- 9/11. The book seeks to explain the reasons that blame is so prevalent after catastrophes, using Muslim Americans as the prime example.
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Old Abe, Eagle Hero: The Civil War’s Most Famous Mascot by R.L. Young, Jr. (PolSci’60) is a children’s picture book about the eagle “Old Abe,” the bird present at several Civil War battles that is said to have inspired troops during combat while also squawking at the opposing army. The book contains bright and dazzling watercolor and ink illustrations. Old Abe, Eagle Hero is intended for children aged 6-9.

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In They Only Eat Their Husbands: A Memoir of Alaskan Love, World Travel, and the Power of Running Away, Cara Lopez Lee (Jour’88) portrays her life-altering journey from feeling broken and self-destructed due to several abusive relationships to a renewed life after a solo trip across the world. Lee passionately writes about the benefits she gained from running away from her tumultuous life and into the state of recovery and reconstruction.
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