All results / Stories / Terri Schlichenmeyer
“Lab Rats: How Silicon Valley Made Work Miserable for the Rest of Us” by Dan Lyons c.2018, Hachette
Round and round and round. That’s how your week goes. Monday morning up, breakfast, work, home, dinner, fall into bed, sleep, do it again ‘til Friday, like a five-day circle. If you’re lucky, those days feel like minutes. If not, well, read the new book “Lab Rats” by Dan Lyons, and you’ll know why they call it the Rat Race.
“Right Beside You” by Mary Monroe
You’re going to just be quiet now. You have things to say, but you’re not going to say them. Nope, not opening your mouth. Not a peep. Not a word. It’s not your time to talk, and even if it was, you’ll keep your thoughts to yourself. Although, as in the new novel “Right Beside You” by Mary Monroe, staying quiet might mean staying alone.
"The First, The Few, The Only: How Women of Color Can Redefine Power in Corporate America" by Deepa Purushothaman
There's no one like you. For most of your life, you've been told how unique you are, how wonderful, how important, all true. You're one of a kind, singular, you're like no one else on Earth. And in the new book, "The First, The Few, The Only" by Deepa Purushothaman, that probably goes at work, too.
"I Am Debra Lee: A Memoir" by Debra Lee
Everybody's looking at you. They're wondering what you're going to do next, because you often surprise them. They don't know what you're about to say because you're never predictable. So stand up, throw your shoulders back, let them watch and learn a thing or two. As in the new memoir, "I Am Debra Lee" by Debra Lee, represent.
“You Can’t Go Wrong Doing Right: How a Child of Poverty Rose to the White House and Helped Change the World” by Robert J. Brown
Do unto others. Three words that are a shorthand reminder to be nice and treat people in the manner that you’d want to be treated. Do unto others and make life smoother. Be good, and be of service because, as Robert J. Brown reminds readers, “You Can’t Do Wrong Doing Right.”
"The Compton Cowboys: The New Generation of Cowboys in America's Urban Heartland" by Walter Thompson-Hernández
The guy with the white hat has a nice horse.
“Be Free or Die” by Cate Lineberry
It was a Sure Thing. A can’t-miss, a safe bet that you couldn’t possibly fail – or could you? Isn’t there always a danger of losing in a gamble, or at least not winning? What kind of odds would make you take a risky bet? As in the new book “Be Free or Die” by Cate Lineberry, would you put your family’s lives on the line?
"Thank You for Voting: The Maddening, Enlightening, Inspiring Truth about Voting in America" by Erin Geiger Smith
The checkmarks marched down the columns like hand-holding toddlers on a daycare outing.
“American Prison: A Reporter’s Undercover Journey into the Business of Punishment” by Shane Bauer
You cannot escape. You’re stuck where you are and, though you’ll rail and squirm, resist and rant, you decide in the end that there’s little you can do but wait the situation out. Whether it’s in mind or in body, welcome to confinement. As you’ll see in “American Prison” by Shane Bauer, you’d best hope you’re on the right side of the bars.
“Time for Kids: Heroes of Black History” by Editors at Time for Kids Magazine
Who is the person you most want to be like when you grow up? The one you go to when you need advice, a kind word, or new direction? Is it a parent who puts your head on straight? Or a teacher that always knows what to say? Do you look up to someone close to you now or, as in “Time for Kids: Heroes of Black History,” is it someone much bigger than that?
“The Sun Does Shine: How I Found Life and Freedom on Death Row” by Anthony Ray Hardin with Lara Love Hardin
You always keep your eyes on the prize. You’ve given yourself no other options and your steadfastness is your compass. What you believe will happen. What you know is truth. Say it enough, and everybody else will know, too – especially when, as in the new book “The Sun Does Shine” by Anthony Ray Hinton with Lara Love Hardin, the truth is one of innocence.
“The God Groove: A Blues Journey to Faith” by David Ritz
One thing leads to another. Isn’t that how it goes? You start somewhere and a door is opened. You enter that door and see a window. The window takes you elsewhere and each new place teaches you something different. Isn’t that the way life is – and in the new book “The God Groove” by David Ritz, isn’t that the way faith is?
“Surrounded by Idiots” by Thomas Erikson
Every day of the week, you want to pound your head against your desk.
“Superfandom: How Our Obsessions Are Changing What We Buy and Who We"
Collect them all. Those three words put a smile on every marketer’s face and fear in every parent’s heart. “Collect them all,” as you may remember, was kid-code for “bug your parents until they buy stuff,” making you the envy of everyone in third grade. Your goal now: to capture that buyer’s obsession at the level you’ll see in “Superfandom” by Zoe Fraade-Blanar & Aaron M. Glazer. Star Wars is just a movie.
“Crown: An Ode to the Fresh Cut” by Derrick Barnes, illustrated by Gordon C. James
“Lookin’ great, man!” Those three words can make you feel ten feet tall. You want to strut when someone says you’re fly because it’s true. You are, and in “Crown: An Ode to the Fresh Cut” by Derrick Barnes, illustrated by Gordon C. James, you’ll see it happen.
“Black Klansman: A Memoir” by Ron Stallworth
You want no part of that. In fact, the farther away you are from whatever-it-is, the happier you’ll be. Nope, some things are not your friend. Some things are not good for you at all. And as you’ll see in the new book “Black Klansman: A Memoir” by Ron Stallworth, some people can’t resist some things like that.
“The Weekend Effect” by Katrina Onstad
Zzzzzzzzzip. That was the sound of your last weekend as it passed by, but it probably doesn’t matter anyhow: it was packed with work, To-Dos and obligations, kid’s sports, and more work. Sometimes, you wonder why you even bother. You might as well just go to the office – but first, read “The Weekend Effect” by Katrina Onstad before you zip out Friday afternoon.
“Count Me In” by Varsha Bajaj
There are a few kids in your class that you usually try to ignore. That’s because they’re kinda mean. They call others names, knock books out of their hands, and say racist or hurtful things. They’re bullies, and you avoid them as much as possible, but as in the new book “Count Me In” by Varsha Bajaj, could there be something you don’t know?
“The Boss” by Aya De León
Leading by committee may seem equal, right? Everybody should have a voice, but there has to be a head honcho in the mix somewhere. Somebody has to make decisions and stand up, to lead with a big heart, a cool head, an open mind and, in “The Boss” by Aya de León, a solid backbone.


