Research Guides: NGL Subject Librarians: Dianna Kim

Assistant Professor & Research/Instruction Librarian

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About Dianna

I am an Assistant Professor and Research and Instruction Librarian supporting the Criminal Justice and Criminology, Security Studies, and Victim Studies departments in the College of Criminal Justice. Visit my Research Guides on Criminal Justice and Legal Research to learn more about NGL resources available.

Prior to joining SHSU in 2013, I was a prosecuting attorney in Minnesota. I earned my BS in Political Science from Illinois State University, my MLS from the University of North Texas, and my JD from William Mitchell College of Law in St. Paul, Minnesota. In my free time I enjoy being outdoors, attending sporting events, and spending time with my family.

Dianna's Top 5 Books

The Killer of Little Shepherds: A True Crime Story and the Birth of Forensic Science by Douglas Starr
ISBN: 0307279081
Publication Date: 2011-11-01
A fascinating true crime story that details the rise of modern forensics and the development of modern criminal investigation. At the end of the nineteenth century, serial murderer Joseph Vacher terrorized the French countryside, eluding authorities for years, and murdering twice as many victims as Jack The Ripper. Here, Douglas Starr revisits Vacher's infamous crime wave, interweaving the story of the two men who eventually stopped him--prosecutor Emile Fourquet and Dr. Alexandre Lacassagne, the era's most renowned criminologist. In dramatic detail, Starr shows how Lacassagne and his colleagues were developing forensic science as we know it. Building to a gripping courtroom denouement, The Killer of Little Shepherds is a riveting contribution to the history of criminal justice.

Lincoln's Melancholy: How Depression Challenged a President and Fueled His Greatness by Joshua Wolf Shenk
ISBN: 0618551166
Publication Date: 2005-09-27
A dramatic reassessment of the life and era of Abraham Lincoln argues that America's sixteenth president suffered from depression and explains how Lincoln used the ailment and the coping strategies he had developed to deal with the crises of the Civil War and personal tragedy.

A Hard Day's Write: The Stories Behind Every Beatles Song by Steve Turner
ISBN: 0062736981
Publication Date: 1999-11-01
A lavishly illustrated, rollicking account of the real people and events that inspired the Beatles' lyrics. Who was "just seventeen" and made Paul's heart go "boom"? Was there really an Eleanor Rigby? Where's Penny Lane? In "A Hard Day's Write," music journalist Steve Turner shatters many well-worn myths and adds a new dimension to the Fab Four's rich legacy by investigating for the first time the ordinary people and events immortalized in the Beatles' music and now occupying a special niche in popular culture's collective imagination. Arranged chronologically by album, the book breaks new ground by exploring how private incidents influenced the group's writing and how their music evolved. Turner reveals that Lucy in the Sky with Diamonds was really a drawing by Julian Lennon of his childhood friend; Bungalow Bill was an all-American tiger hunter; Doctor Robert was a New York 'speech doctor'; and much more. A longtime Beatles admirer, Turner tracked down and interviewed the real-life subjects of the,songs, probed public records and newspaper archives, and spoke in depth to the people closet to the Beatles to unearth tales that have never before been made public. The result is a book that chronicles an untold story of the Beatles themselves.

The Innocent Man by John Grisham
ISBN: 9781846050381
Publication Date: 2007
John Grisham's first non-fiction book explores cases of innocent people sentenced for crimes they did not commit.

Here We Go Again: My Life in Television by Betty White
ISBN: 1451613695
Publication Date: 2010-10-12
Betty White first appeared on television in 1949 and went on to have one of the most amazing careers in TV history, starring in shows such as The Mary Tyler Moore Show and The Golden Girls, among many others. She was one of the hardest-working actresses of any era, and her sense of humor and perennial optimism carried her through decades of industry changes and delighted millions of fans. Here We Go Again is a behind-the-scenes look at Betty's career from her start on radio to her first show, Hollywood on Television, to several iterations of The Betty White Show and much, much more. Packed with wonderful anecdotes about famous personalities and friendships, stories of Betty's off-screen life, and the comedienne's trademark humor, this deliciously entertaining book will give readers an entrée into Betty's fascinating life, confirming yet again why this funny lady was one of the most memorable and beloved actresses of all time.