Nick Schenkel Book Reviews
63 episodes - English - Latest episode: over 3 years ago - ★★★★★ - 4 ratingsJoin West Lafayette Public Library Director Nick Schenkel as he reviews books from all walks of literature.
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Episodes
Book Review: Creativity
October 30, 2020 13:15 - 9 minutes - 561 BytesHave you not been given the "gift" of creativity? Wish you had more creativity? Well, John Cleese, the famous actor and writer of Monty Python, will tell you that creativity is not something you are given. Like any skill it is something you can work on, and this practical and "cheerful" guide aims to help you aquire it. West Lafayette Public Library Director Nick Schenkel has the review.
Book Review: The Growing Season
October 23, 2020 13:45 - 13 minutes - 812 BytesFrom farmer girl with a community college education to CEO of a major corporation. Sounds like an interesting memoir right? The Growing Season is one such memoir about the life of Sarah Frey and her rise out of her humble midwest beginnings. It's a classic American story. West Lafayette Library Director Nick Schenkel has the review.
Book Review: Near Dark
October 16, 2020 13:00 - 14 minutes - 890 BytesThis is your mission should you choose to accept it: A New York Times bestselling story is in distirbution at the local West Lafayette Public Library. It is an action-packed thriller featuring famous literary spy Scot Harvath. Listen to the book review by West Lafayette Public Library Director Nick Schenkel. If the book sounds interesting, rent it from the library. Good luck and remember, your nation is counting on you.
Book Review: Superman Smashes the Klan
September 25, 2020 11:00 - 8 minutes - 527 BytesWhat kind of loser reads books without pictures in them? YUCK! Luckily today's book review is a graphic novel entitled Superman Smashes the Klan. It's a tale of the classic 'Man of Steel' superhero dealing with the evil villains of "The Klan" and the racism they are spreading through Metropolis. And yes, it does have pictures in it. West Lafayette Library Director Nick Schenkel has the review.
Book Review: The Bard's Blade
September 18, 2020 11:00 - 11 minutes - 660 BytesDo you ever have fantasies? Does your fantasy involve a musician and a winemaker forced to face the dark evil forces threatening to destroy the world? Or, better yet, does your fantasy involve listening to a book review? If so, The Bard's Blade may be a written account of one of your fantasies, and you're about to live through the other fantasy as West Lafayette Library Director Nick Schenkel has the review.
Book Review: Tortured Artists
September 11, 2020 11:00 - 10 minutes - 607 BytesWhat fuels artists? What fuels their passionate works? According to Christopher Zara, emotional pain is the fuel of art. In the book Tortured Artists, Zara unveils how some of our favorite artists were fueled by inner turmoil. West Lafayette Public Library Director Nick Schenkel has the review.
Book Review: Not Afraid of the Fall
August 28, 2020 11:00 - 13 minutes - 803 BytesToday's social media culture is flooded with "world travelers" that show off the amazing views and experiences they get from traveling. It may feed our envy, but what these Instagram-ers don't show is the headaches of traveling: making your flight, packing the right things, budgeting, etc. Well, Not Afraid of the Fall takes a different approach by talking up the headaches more than the experiences. Does it make for a better read? Well...West Lafayette Public Library Director Nick Schenkel has...
Book Review: Laughing Lines
August 21, 2020 11:00 - 17 minutes - 1.04 KBSNL, It's Garry Shandling's Show , and the movie North : what is at the center of this venn diagram? If you said Alan Zweibel then you must know a lot about comedy. Laugh Lines is Zweibel's account of his life writing in the show business. Will this book give readers there own "laugh lines"? West Lafayette Public Library Director Nick Schenkel has the review.
Book Review: Becoming Wild
August 19, 2020 16:05 - 12 minutes - 773 BytesWhat makes humans separate from animals? Is it our bipedal structure? Our economic system? Or is it our love of funny looking socks? Well, according to the book Becoming Wild , the differences are not as big as we think. In this book, author Carl Safina proves how many animals deal with culture, hierarchy, and the meaning of life just as much as your average human. West Lafayette Library Director Nick Schenkel has the review.
Book Review: The King's Justice
August 07, 2020 11:00 - 16 minutes - 996 BytesThere's a serial killer terrorizing World War II London, and all evidence leads to a stolen violin. Sound like a mystery?... Well, it is! Secret Agent Maggie Hope is the only one who can solve this mystery in The King's Justice. West Lafayette Public Library Director Nick Schenkel has the review.
Book Review: Not Becoming My Mother
August 03, 2020 22:32 - 13 minutes - 801 BytesThe boundaries of generational differences can be intense fences between family members. No book may describe this better than Not Becoming My Mother . Author Ruth Reichl investigates her mother, and begins to see her in ways Reichl had never understood before. West Lafayette Public Library Director Nick Schenkel has the review.
Book Review: Sand Talk
July 10, 2020 22:15 - 11 minutes - 672 BytesDo you ever feel confused about the world? Fed up with the inescapable vastness of the universe and our lack of understanding about our place in it? Author Tyson Yunkaporta has a simple solution: draw symbols on the ground! Joking aside, his book Sand Talk is a book like no other that gives views on just about everything through an "indigenous perspective." West Lafayette Library Director Nick Schenkel has the review.
Book Review: Officer Clemmons
July 03, 2020 18:00 - 14 minutes - 862 BytesTomorrow is the birthday of our nation, and it is a perfect day to talk and read about unsung American Heroes. Officer Clemmons, the recurring character of the Mister Rogers TV Show, is one unsung hero. Officer Clemmons: A Memoir gives the autobiographical account of the amazing story behind this man. Dr. Clemmons encapsulates Mister Rogers' good nature in a time where we all might need some. West Lafayette Library Director Nick Schenkel has the review.
Book Review: The Longest Line
June 26, 2020 11:00 - 12 minutes - 746 BytesA great man or woman once said, "The shortest distance between two points is a line." This had to be the intial thought process behind the building of the Pan-American Highway, right? It being the longest road covering the Americas and all. Well, in the book The Longest Line on the Map, author Eric Rutkow gives us the complete history on this fascinating road. So, next time you are trying to drive from north Alaska to southern Chile, you'll know who to thank. West Lafayette Library Director N...
Book Review: What Set Me Free
June 19, 2020 16:30 - 10 minutes - 620 BytesBrian Banks is a former NFL Linebacker for the Atlanta Falcons. He could easily be an overlooked player, but he has a story like no one else. Banks was an unfortunate victim of falsely accused rape as a black man. The odds were against him. What Set Me Free shares this autobiographical story of how he was able to handle this false accusation and a six year prison sentence that crushed his dreams. West Lafayette Library Director Nick Schenkel has the review.
See You in the Piazza
June 12, 2020 12:00 - 12 minutes - 777 BytesThe country of Italy has been facing plenty of sad news recently, but West Lafayette Library Director Nick Schenkel reminds us of the beauty of Italy through his review of See You at the Piazza. Author Frances Mayes takes readers on a journey through the hidden secrets of one of the most visually and culturally appealing countries in the world.
Book Review: The American Story
June 05, 2020 16:00 - 10 minutes - 626 BytesAt a time that seems so significant in our American history, perhaps it is good to see the path that led us here. The American Story is a collection of dialogues with some of the best U.S. historians. The professional interviewer David Rubenstein leads these discussions, capturing fresh insight on pivotal moments in the story of America. West Lafayette Public Library Director Nick Schenkel has the review.
Book Review: The Expectations
May 29, 2020 15:00 - 13 minutes - 794 BytesLife has plenty of expectations. In our teenage years, these expectations can build pressure, ego, frustration, and plenty of other feelings. Expectations by Alexander Tilney is an exploration of this theme. A young freshman named Ben is enrolled at a New Hampshire boarding school. There he is faced with the expectations of his family, his roommate, and his other classmates. While navigating these expectations of himself, Ben will also have to come to terms with his own expectations in this w...
Book Review: The Mechanical Horse
May 22, 2020 11:00 - 14 minutes - 841 BytesThere are many names for the bicycle: Bike, cycle, two-wheeler, Bichael (its full name given by the internet), the penny farthing, etc. This fascinating nonfiction book uses the nickname The Mechanical Horse. West Lafayette Library Director Nick Schenkel has the review.
Book Review: The Wives
May 15, 2020 11:00 - 9 minutes - 569 BytesMonogamy is a practice observed by many, but not all, relationships. The Wives by Tarryn Fisher is a fictional thriller that takes a polygamous relationship down a path of mystery and drama. The woman narrating the story is a wife to a husband with two other wives she has never met. After purposely bumping into one of her husband's other wives, our protagonist finds that her husband may be an abuser, and hiding more secrets than she believed. West Lafayette Library Director Nick Schenkel has ...
Book Review: The Best American Short Stories 2018
May 08, 2020 14:53 - 15 minutes - 934 BytesIn her introduction to Tbe Best American Short Stories 2018, writer Roxanne Gay says, " I am looking for the artful way any given story is conveyed, but I also love when a story has a powerful message, when a story teaches me something about the world." This famous collection of short stories has famous literary icon Roxanne Gay take the wheel, with stories that do indeed convey powerful, important messages. West Lafayette Library Public Director Nick Schenkel has the review.
Book Review: How To
May 06, 2020 13:38 - 11 minutes - 662 BytesScience can answer many questions about our natural world, but can it solve some of our mundane problems? Problems such as moving, trying to charge your phone, taking a selfie, and other human foils of this day and age? The book How To: Absurd Scientific Advice for Common Real-World Problems gives unexpected scientific answers to these questions and more. West Lafayette Library Director Nick Schenkel is back with another review from his own home.
Book Review: Call Upon the Water
April 17, 2020 11:00 - 15 minutes - 912 BytesWorking for an engineering university, we are more than aware of the steretoypical engineer lacking romanticism. Breaking these stereotypes, Call Upon the Water is one of the few novels that tells a beautiful story of romance with an engineer as its protagonist. And don't worry there aren't any corny mathematics pick-up lines in its pages. West Lafayette Libaray Director Nick Schenkel has the review. P.S. The derivative of my love for you is 0, because my love for you is constant
Book Review: Slime
April 10, 2020 11:00 - 9 minutes - 544 BytesWhen you happen to see algae in your daily life are you one to say "yuck!" at its appearance? Well, after reading this book you might be inclined to say "thanks" or "don't hurt me." The book Slime: How Algae Created Us, Plague Us, and Just Might Save Us by Ruth Kassinger gives complex insight into a seemingly simple organism. West Lafayette Library Director Nick Schenkel is back again with another review from his own home.
Book Review: Let's Make Ramen!
March 27, 2020 11:00 - 9 minutes - 588 BytesRain or shine or pandemic, no matter, West Lafayette Library Director Nick Schenkel is back with another book review recorded from his own home! Are you in need of some comfort food in these strange times? Let's Make Ramen! A Comic Book Cookbook gives a comedic take on a classic food that you may already have stocked in your pantry. Nick Schenkel has the review. P.S. The physical library may be closed, but the virtual one is open for business. Go to to find this book and many other wonderful ...
Book Review: Things My Son Needs to Know about the World
March 13, 2020 11:00 - 14 minutes - 856 BytesWhat is love? What is masculinity? What is IKEA? These are the questions husbands face when raising a son, and these are the main topics of the non-fiction book Things My Son Needs to Know About the World by Fredrik Backman. The book offers life advice for Backman’s son, but the lessons shared are universal to anyone who is still growing up. West Lafayette Library Director Nick Schenkel has the review.
Book Review: Elements of Family Style
March 06, 2020 14:15 - 11 minutes - 712 BytesKids are messy. If you have a child you are probably quite familiar with the woes of mud stains, lego blocks, and spaghetti dinners. How can anyone have time for parenting while keeping a clean, stylish living space at the same time? Elements of Family Style by Erin Gates attempts to accomplish this goal. Through her experience as a family blogger/instagram-er, she has seen the gamut of messes. Does it hold up? West Lafayette Public Library Director Nick Schenkel has the review.
Book Review: A Piece of the World
February 29, 2020 23:00 - 15 minutes - 935 BytesOne of the most famous paintings in the world by Andrew Wyeth portrays a young, frail woman in a field looking towards a farmhouse. It's called "Christina's World", and if you've ever seen this painting and wondered "Who is this woman and what is she thinking," then the novel A Piece of the World by Christina Baker Kline will satiate your curiosity. It's a fictional historical memoir following the stubborn nature of Christina, the woman in the painting, and her romantic history with Wyeth. We...
Book Review: One Good Deed
February 14, 2020 19:44 - 16 minutes - 1004 BytesIt's Valentine's Day and there is no better way to celebrate this day of love than by curling up and reading a "fast-paced historical thriller." One Good Deed by David Baldacci is one such book. A war vet named Archer is released from Prison into a 1949 Southwest American town. Suspicions and intrigue rise as a mystery murder unfolds which Archer must solve. West Lafayette Public Library Director Nick Schenkel has the review.
Book Review: Rap-Notes, Shakespeare's Greatest Hits
February 07, 2020 19:54 - 14 minutes - 847 BytesLove hip-hop, but despise English class and/or older literature? Rap-Notes: Shakespeare's Greatest Hits promises to bridge the gap between old english and funky rhymes. Does it hold up? West Lafayette Public Library Director Nick Schenkel has the review. P.S. be prepared for some Schenkel beats in this review.
Book Review: The Perfect Season
January 31, 2020 12:00 - 13 minutes - 793 BytesIn 2018, the West Lafayette High School football team had a fifteen to nothing season wining the state championship. The Perfect Season by Thomas Speaker recounts this triumphant year for the Red Devils with interviews from the team and more. Get out your foam fingers 'cuz West Lafayette Public Library Director Nick Schenkel has the review.
Book Review: Occasional Magic
January 24, 2020 12:00 - 15 minutes - 939 BytesYou may have listened to WBAA's weekend program entitled The Moth Radio Hour featuring some of the Moth's favorite oral storytellings. Well, there is also a collection of books that relay some of the most famous stories from The Moth. This one, called Occasional Magic , features Meg Wolitzer, Adam Gopnik, Krista Tippett, Andrew Solomon, Rosanne Cash, Ophira Eisenberg, Wang Ping, and more. West Lafayette Public Library Direct or Nick Schenkel has the review.
Book Review: Purdue at 150
January 17, 2020 12:00 - 13 minutes - 801 BytesThink you know enough about Purdue student history? Well, with 150 years under Purdue's belt there is sure to be some stuff you probably missed out on. The new book Purdue at 150: A Visual History of Student Life gives a coffee-table/scrapbook type look at the rich traditions, pranks, and notable moments for students. To answer your question no, there aren't any photos of the nude Olympics in the book. West Lafayette Public Library Director Nick Schenkel has the review.
Book Review: The Siren and The Specter
January 10, 2020 12:00 - 17 minutes - 1.01 KBSchool will be back in session starting next week for Purdue. The Siren and The Spectre might be the perfect horror book for students as the main character is - pause for dramatic effect - a Purdue professor! AHH! Written by West Lafayette High-School Teacher Jonathan Janz, this book is sure to scare you and not just with the presence/existence of the Purdue professor. West Lafayette Library Director Nick Schenkel has the review.
Book Review: The Spotted Dog
January 04, 2020 00:36 - 18 minutes - 1.07 KBAre you a fan of detective mysteries, food recipes, and dogs? Believe it or not, there is a book for you. The Spotted Dog is the seventh book in a mystery/foodie series by Kerry Greenwood. The novel follows private eye and baker Corina Chapman uncovering mysteries and serving deliciously baked goods. Featuring recipes for all the foods mentioned in the story, this book will have your tummy rumbling and your mind puzzled. West Lafayette Public Library Director Nick Schenkel has the review.
Book Review: Call Sign Chaos
December 29, 2019 16:43 - 15 minutes - 923 BytesJim Mattis is a major proponent of reading to better yourself. Perhaps that is why he has co-written a memoir that is filled with leadership advice. Call Sign Chaos shares this former Secretary of State's unique story and the things he has learned. West Lafayette Public Library Director Nick Schenkel has the review.
Book Review
December 20, 2019 18:25 - 12 minutes - 742 BytesIt's the holiday season, which means it is time for family, fun, gift-giving, and more. However, in the darker portions of America's history, it wasn't the case that everyone got to celebrate the same way. Yuletide in Dixie by former Purdue Professor Robert E. May looks at how enslaved African Americans in the Old South celebrated Christmas. While many slave owners at the time claimed the holidays to be a time of rest for those enslaved, the reality may be more troubling. West Lafayette Publi...
Book Review: Because Internet
December 13, 2019 12:00 - 13 minutes - 839 BytesLol this book is str8 vibin. Havin trouble understandin internet lingo? Want 2 c an academic view of interweb terms? Look @ Because Internet by Gretchen McCulloch. It might hav u roflol! West Laffayette Library Director Nick Schenkel has the review :)
Book Review: The Odyssey (Emily Wilson)
December 06, 2019 13:00 - 16 minutes - 1012 BytesHas your doctor been telling you to eat a more Mediterranean diet? Has it been difficult? Perhaps reading the classic Greek tale The Odyssey will get you in the right mood. The praised translation by Emily Wilson is this years "Big Read" in Greater Lafayette. So, not only could this book help inspire a new diet it could help foster your reading chops in the community! West Lafayette Public Library Director Nick Schenkel has the review. P.S. As mentioned in this episode, Emily Wilson will visi...
Book Review: Five Windows
November 22, 2019 12:00 - 16 minutes - 967 BytesA work-at-home book publisher witnesses three nearby houses burn down in his suburban San Francisco neighborhood. A mystery unravels as this main character becomes more concerned with the events surrounding him. This is the Hitchcockian story of Five Windows by Jon Roemer. West Lafayette Public Library Director Nick Schenkel has the review.
Book Review: Real Talk About LGBTQIAP
November 15, 2019 12:00 - 11 minutes - 695 BytesWe have all had our secret questions on the nature of human sexuality, gender identity, and biological sex in this day in age. The book entitled Real Talk About LGBTQIAP is a written conversation aiming to answer your concerns and curiosities. From bathroom laws to freedom of speech, this book covers everything you could think of with anecdotal and academic research. West Lafayette Public Library Director Nick Schenkel has the review.
Book Review: Turned On
November 08, 2019 12:00 - 10 minutes - 646 BytesIt seems that most humans greatly fear the rise of machines. From Elon Musk's fears of Artificial Intelligence to presidential candidate Andrew Yang's fear of automation of American jobs. However, Turned On: Science, Sex, and Robots by Kate Devlin looks at a less bleak, potential benefit of robots. West Lafayette Library Director Nick Schenkel has the review.
Book Review: Movie Guides
November 01, 2019 12:00 - 11 minutes - 690 BytesWe have all had the moment in our lives where we cannot decide on what movie to watch. If you are the type to be browsing the internet all night looking at movie reviews, perhaps consider one of these film books. Leonard Maltin's Classic Movie Guide and New Kings of the World: Dispatches from Bollywood, Dizi and K-Pop are two very different, but knowledgable, movie guides. So grab your popcorn as West Lafayette Public Library Director Nick Schenkel has the review.
Book Review: Proof!
October 25, 2019 12:00 - 13 minutes - 829 BytesYou may remember the days of taking geometry in high school. You may have even considered the discipline as "useless" while in fury at your hard homework. Proof! by Amir Alexander gives readers the historical proof that geometry matters more than we think. West Lafayette Public Library Director Nick Schenkel has the review.
Book Review: A Beginner's Guide to Japan
October 18, 2019 11:00 - 13 minutes - 822 BytesYou walk into a room and flip the light switch down to turn the lights on . Each member of your family has a different street address despite you all living in the same home. What kind of crazy place is this? A Beginner's Guide to Japan shows these are just a few of the peculiarities of this fascinating country. West Lafayette Public Library Director Nick Schenkel has the review.
Book Review: The Ultimate Tool Book
October 11, 2019 12:00 - 10 minutes - 618 BytesAre you the type to install your own cabinets, build furniture, and considered the "handyman?" If so, this book may be a necessary addition to the bookshelf you made. The Ultimate Tool Book: Every Tool You Need to Own , written by the Popular Mechanics magazine, is an in-depth analysis of tools you may have never thought to use. West Lafayette Public Library Director Nick Schenkel has the review.
Book Review: Tapestry
October 04, 2019 12:00 - 10 minutes - 654 BytesA huntsmen stumbles upon a mute girl lost in the woods and unfamiliar with her past. After taking her in, they slowly put together the fragments of the former life she has forgotten. The first of an epic fantasy series, this is the story of Tapestry: Strands of Yellow and Blue by Cady Elizabeth Arnold. West Lafayette Library Director Nick Schenkel has the review.
Book Review: Humans, A Brief History of How We F***ed It All Up
September 27, 2019 12:00 - 11 minutes - 671 BytesIt all started with a mistake. The earliest known human, Lucy, fell from a tree and died. It doesn't get much better from there in Humans: A Brief History of How We F***ed It All Up by Tom Phillips. This comedically thought provoking book looks at the messy mistakes caused by our human nature. West Lafayette Public Library Director Nick Schenkel has the review.
Book Review: Agrippina
September 20, 2019 12:00 - 12 minutes - 727 BytesIn the limited amount of ancient history we have, many women have been swept under the rug. It's difficult for historians to really know much about ancient women, as little could be written about them. In the book Agrippina: The Most Extraordinary Woman of the Roman World , author Emma Southon looks at one of the few Ancient Roman women that was written about. A mother of an emperor and eventual empress, Southen argues that historians may have it wrong about Agrippina. West Lafayette Public L...
Book Review: Middle-Earth
September 13, 2019 12:00 - 9 minutes - 544 BytesWhat mythical beings eat six meals a day, live in underground homes, and are about two or four feet tall? If you instantly knew the answer was Hobbits then the coffee book Middle Earth: Journeys in Myth and Legend by Donato Giancola may be the perfect read for you. West Lafayette Public Library Director Nick Schenkel has the review.