Rose's Pick: Charles and Emma: The Darwins' Leap of Faith

Her deep faith encompassed her being. His agnostic leanings created tensions and polarized the world as his “Theory of Evolution” raged, yet their love for each other remained steadfast. Enter the world of Charles and Emma: The Darwins' Leap of Faith. 

Rose's Pick: Anahita's Woven Riddle

Beautiful, young Anahita is appalled when her marriage is arranged. Determined to have a say, she informs her father that she‘ll marry only the one who successfully guesses the riddle woven into her marriage rug. Enter the nomadic world of early 19th century Persia. Who will solve Anahita’s Woven Riddle?
 

Rose's Pick: The Immortal Life of Henrietta Lacks

A courageous African-American forever changed medical history. In 1951 Henrietta Lacks’ cells were harvested without her consent. These became the first human cells to be grown in a culture. The Immortal Life of Henrietta Lacks offers a window into the vast arena of medical ethics, cancer, racism, and crippling poverty.

Rose's Pick: Almost Astronauts

Buckle your seatbelts and prepare to blast off with Almost Astronauts: 13 Women Who Dared to Dream. Discover how their example paved the way for women of the future to take their place piloting jets and commanding space capsules.

Rose's Pick: The House at the End of the Road

A young couple chose to live openly in Alabama in 1914 even though state laws prohibited interracial marriages. Step over the threshold at The House at the End of the Road and follow Ralph Eubanks, grandson of that union, in his quest to reshape his thinking about race and identity.

Rose's Pick: How Starbucks Saved My Life

Michael Gill, a downsized corporate executive, unexpectedly becomes a member of the minority – the only older white guy working with a team of African-Americans who are half his age. Grab a latte and enter Gill’s world of How Starbucks Saved My Life: A Son of Privilege Learns to Live Like Everyone Else.

Rose's Pick: The Wedding

An affluent family gathers on Martha’s Vineyard for The Wedding of their daughter to a white jazz musician.  Why is she marrying someone who is clearly beneath her?  Curl up in your favorite beach chair and enter Dorothy West’s world of the black bourgeoisie who have ruled African-American "society” for decades.

Rose's Pick: Crashing Through

Throughout his life, Mike May refused to allow the complexities of his blindness to stymie his joy of living. Could an experimental stem cell procedure restore his vision?  If your forte is nonfiction that reads like fiction, add Crashing Through by Robert Kurson to your “Must Read” list.

Rose's Pick: Letter to My Daughter

Maya Angelou dedicates her latest book to “all of the daughters that she never had.” Filled with her insightful wisdom and rich stories, Letter to My Daughter is an evocative work that will refresh the spirit and feed the soul.

Rose's Pick: Little Brother

Techno-savvy, Marcus is a notorious hacker; however, his world begins unraveling after a terrorist attack on San Francisco.  As the city morphs into a police state, rumors spread of a “Gitmo” by the Bay.  Filled with adventure and political intrigue, Cory Doctorow’s Little Brother is an engaging and compelling read.