January 12, 2023
UO Alumni and friend authors to add to your 2023 reading list
Business Books
By Chris Panagiotu, BS ’13 (business administration)
Panagiotu’s new manual is an invitation to a new mindset for financial decisions. Through CAPitalize Your Finances, gain a new framework around finances, no matter your age, life stage, or financial trajectory.
by Marcus Chan, BA ’07 (Chinese, business administration)
One of the world’s leading sales experts, Marcus Chan brings you Six-Figure Sales Secrets, a proven framework for taking your sales to the next level. Chan’s book will show you how to earn an additional $50k to $100k in commissions this year without working 60+ hours per week or making cold calls — even if you don’t have any experience.
Children's Books
by Anne Marquard, BA ’70 (romance languages)
A story about friendship, overcoming fears, and acceptance, Messy Robot and the Sneaky Cat introduces young readers to a world where Hyperion, a robot, realizes that he is not perfect. A new friend, Ricky, guides Hyperion and teaches him that it is possible to be imperfect and still be loved. Marquard’s book dives into self-awareness, motivation, and empathy, teaching children the importance of striving to be your best and self-acceptance.
by Steve Scher, BS ’77 (journalism)
In The Moon Bear, Gwen, an adventurous young girl, wakes up in the middle of the night to find a giant bear climbing up the tree outside her bedroom window. An unlikely friendship forms between Gwen and Moon Bear, and the two discover the owners of the night. Scher, a Seattle public radio personality, now writes on Whidbey Island.
Nonfiction
by Kari Loya
Travel with Kari and Merv Loya, former UO Law School assistant dean and director of career services. Through Kari’s book, follow the father-son duo on their 73-day, 4,600-mile journey on the TransAmerica Bike Trail. The two trekked the cross-country trail in 2015, after Merv was diagnosed with early-stage Alzheimer’s. Their adventure is a heartwarming example of listening and discovery in the face of uncertainty.
by Russell Meeuf, MA ’05, PhD ’09 (English)
Russell Meeuf reveals how radical, political commentary in horror films produced during the Obama-era gave rise to the Trump presidency and the Make America Great Again movement. White Terror explores how motifs of home invasion, exorcism, possession, and hauntings mirror cultural debates around white masculinity, class, religion, socioeconomics, and more.
Poetry
by Joseph Vranas, MMus ’19 (music composition, music performance)
A collection of experimental poetry, 63 Poems of the Pacific Northwest explores the magic of the region through the lens of a transplanted Texas musician. Inspired by moments of introspection and observation, Vranas's poetry explores the connections between the soul of modern man and ancient earth.
by Denise M. Wallace, BA ’89 (telecommunication and film)
Wallace’s poetry explores the impact and evolution of lived experiences and perspective of the world. Exploring themes of desire and gratitude, as well as disappointment and loss, the focus rests upon honesty and authenticity.
Young Adult
by Michael Govier, BS ’00 (theatre arts) and Will McCormack
Based on the Academy Award-winning short film of the same title, Govier and McCormack’s book is a graphic novel retelling of the animated short. The young adult graphic novel follows two parents as they reckon with the loss of their young daughter, Rose, in a school shooting. If Anything Happens I Love You is a story of loss, the complexities of grief and pain, and the fight for human connection, love, and acceptance.
by Chloe Spencer, BA ’17 (journalism)
Chloe Spencer’s debut young adult sci-fi horror novel, Monstersona, focuses on 16-year-old Riley Grishin and her life in Little Brook, Maine, a small town that serves as the headquarters for an international tech laboratory. On the night of her high school homecoming game, Riley wakes up to her town on fire, terrorized by a monster. Follow Riley’s adventure as she escapes Little Brook with her dog and the only other survivor of the tragedy: Aspen. Monstersona is available for pre-order.
Other books by alumni to check out:
- A Backyard Prairie: The Hidden Beauty of Tallgrass and Wildflowers by Fred Delcomyn, PhD ’69 (biology) and James L. Ellis
- All for the Union: The Saga of One Northern Family Fighting the Civil War by John Simpson, PhD ’87 (history)
- Bully Ben Makes New Friends by Nancy “Marriott” Meacham-Cole, BS ’69 (curriculum and instruction)
- Education for All: Tales from the Classroom and the Pursuit of Equitable Reform by Mitchell Green, BA ’83 (German)
- If Gold is our Destiny: How a Team of Mavericks Came Together for Olympic Glory by Sean P. Murray, MBA ’99 (general business)
- Pushed Out: Contested Development and Rural Gentrification in the US West by Ryanne Pilgeram, MS ’07, PhD ’10 (sociology)
- Still Hungry: Tales from the Shadows by Bob Reiss, MFA ’76 (creative writing)
- Wilderness Strangers: Adventures in Shangri-La by J.C. Mitchell, BS ’77 (journalism)
- The Life Worth Living: Disability, Pain, and Morality by Joel Michael Reynolds, BA ’09 (philosophy)