Nov. 19, 2025 – The Cedar Rapids Public Library is made possible by our incredible staff. And we are staffed by book lovers. To celebrate the people who keep our library running, we're highlighting different staff members and books they love.
Patron Services Specialist Sampurna G. started at the library in 2019. Patron Services Specialists greet you when you come in, help you sign up for library cards, use the computers, find the books you’re looking for, and more.
"(I enjoy) meeting people, making connections, understanding their requirements and offering customized solutions by navigating information/resources at hand to set them up for success," Sampurna said. "No two days are the same in my job! Every patron interaction is an active service life cycle. I absolutely love my work, and I love that kindness is not a choice but a job requirement here."
Sampurna shared five books she's loved reading this year. Browse her recommendations below, and put books on hold in our catalog by clicking on their covers.
"Dream Count" by Chimamanda Ngozi Adichie (2025)
I am a big fan of the author Chimamanda Ngozi Adichie. I like her style of layered writing. This book interweaves story of four immigrant women and their struggles for longing and acceptance. The story is set against the backdrop of the very relatable COVID lockdown. As one peels off the layers of the story, one realizes it's a story of grief, but one of introspection and self-discovery, too. An 'un-putdownable' book!
"My Beloved Life" by Amitava Kumar (2024)
Being born and raised in India and having lived there for the first 25 years of my life, I am always curious to read about India's transition and transformation and its effects on people's lives. Kumar writes a wonderful novel based on his father's experience in that transformation. He documents memories and happenings across generations in the historical backdrop of a changing world. It is a master class in storytelling.
"James" by Percival Everett (2024)
I wanted to read this book for the Huckleberry Finn connection. Reading "Adventures of Huckleberry Finn" by Mark Twain was one of my most absorbing childhood reading experiences. "James" did not disappoint! The vivid action-oriented descriptions and dialogues made it dynamic reading. I love it when the story line and narrative make you feel like you are watching a black and white or sepia toned movie of yesteryear! There is nostalgia and history. "James" had that.
"The Loneliness of Sonia and Sunny" by Kiran Desai (2025)
Author Kiran Desai is again one of my favorite authors. I was waiting to read this book much before it was shortlisted for the Booker prize for 2025. It's a lovely parallel storytelling of two young lives. The plot crisscrosses generations and continents and successfully builds a very relatable story of longing and loneliness and an urgency to belong. It did seem too stretched at times, though!
"And Housing for All: The Fight to End Homelessness in America" by Maria Foscarinis (2025)
My one and only non-fiction entry to this list. I picked up this book while shelf-reading new nonfiction books at the Downtown Library. Written by the founder of the National Homelessness Law Center, Maria Foscarinis, this book is a hard-hitting eye opener. Foscarinis shares compelling stories of individuals and families impacted by homelessness and highlighted their resilience in this vicious cycle. The book revealed how deliberate decisions have fueled the crisis and how public narratives have sustained it. This book leaves a sad and frustrating aftertaste but stokes the reader's empathy and kindness.
And for old times' sake, I always read/re-read a book from one of my favorite authors. Currently, I am reading "Beloved" by Toni Morrison (1987).