Reading Challenge Update: February Winner and March Preview

Congratulations to everyone who participated in the second month of the 2025 Reading Challenge! The February challenge was to read a book about a city where Northeastern has a campus. Geneva Palmer has won a Northeastern travel mug, perfect for staying hydrated while visiting all of our global campuses.

To be eligible for a prize drawing, make sure to read a book that fits the theme and then tell us about it. Here are some of the books readers enjoyed this month. (Comments may have been edited for length or clarity.)

What You Read in February

Cover of The Kiss Quotient

The Kiss Quotient, Helen Hoang
Find it at Snell Library | Listen to the audiobook

“The Kiss Quotient is a charming, unconventional romance that challenges typical love story tropes. It’s a must-read for fans of contemporary romance who appreciate strong character development and diverse representation.” — Mahnaz

Cover of Sea of Tranquility

Sea of Tranquility, Emily St. John Mandel
Find it at F.W. Olin Library | Read the e-book

“Set in Vancouver, B.C., Sea of Tranquility features a compelling story of multiple protagonists, time travel, and as always with this author, the human condition. Emily St. John Mandel has a unique talent in engaging readers with different perspectives, and then masterfully blending them together into one pensive story.” — Caroline

Cover of A Little Life

A Little Life, Hanya Yanagihara
Find it at Snell Library | Find it at F.W. Olin Library

“I liked how A Little Life starts off feeling like a story about friendship, but quickly transforms into a much darker and more intense journey. The author slowly reveals the main character’s traumatic past bit by bit. It was interested to see how his childhood abuse had lingering effects on his adult relationships. It was both heartbreaking and eye-opening.” — Griffin

Cover of The Woman in the Library

The Woman in the Library, Sulari Gentill
Read the e-book

“As someone who’s new to Boston, it was refreshing to explore new places through the protagonist’s lens. I found myself relating to the protagonist’s impressions of the Boston Public Library and the streets of Boston, and taking notes of places I want to visit soon, like a donut shop mentioned in Copley. It was impressive how the author managed to create a multifaceted narrative.” — Shreeti

Cover of The Fragile Threads of Power

The Fragile Threads of Power, V.E. Schwab
Read the e-book

“I liked this book’s fantasy elements and plot, and although I thought it was missing some needed elements, I overall enjoyed it. I look forward to the next books in the series when they’re released, and I might go back and read the prequel!” — Nina


Suggested Reads for March

Your March challenge is to read a book that has won or been shortlisted for a major award. This can be a general literary award or a genre-specific award, including (but not limited to) the Nobel Prize, Pulitzer Prize, Booker Prize, Newbery Medal, Women’s Prize, Hugo Award, Orwell Prize, and Edgar Award.

Need more reading inspiration? Check out our list of suggested e-books and audiobooks in Libby. You can also stop by the Snell Library lobby from 1 – 3 p.m. on March 12 and March 13 to browse print books and pick up Reading Challenge swag. Finally, join us for our final Reading Party of the semester on March 19, from 4 – 7 p.m. in the Research & Teaching Hub (Snell Library 215), to enjoy tea, snacks, and dedicated time to read.

Cover of Orbital

Orbital, Samantha Harvey
Find it at Snell Library | Read the e-book

Winner of the Booker Prize and the Hawthornden Prize
Shortlisted for the Orwell Prize for Political Fiction and the Ursula K. Le Guin Prize for Imaginative Fiction

Six astronauts from different countries are serving on their final space station mission before the program ends. Orbital captures every single day of their lives in space.

Cover of James

James, Percival Everett
Find it at Snell Library | Find it at F.W. Olin | Listen to the audiobook

Winner of the National Book Award and Carnegie Medal for Fiction
Shortlisted for the Booker Prize

James tells a familiar story: Huckleberry Finn and the slave Jim, adrift on a raft down the Mississippi. But this version of The Adventures of Huckleberry Finn is told from the perspective of “Jim”—aka James—with “electrifying humor and lacerating observations.”

Cover of My Friends

My Friends, Hisham Matar
Find it at Snell Library | Find it at F.W. Olin Library | Read the e-book

Winner of the Orwell Prize for Political Fiction
Finalist for the National Book Award and National Book Critics Circle Award

Three Libyan men living in London are isolated from their families and country by fear of the Qaddafi regime. My Friends is an exploration of the reality of exile, the bonds of friendship, and disparate meanings of home.

Cover of Bright Young Women

Bright Young Women, Jessica Knoll
Find it at Snell Library | Read the e-book | Listen to the audiobook

Finalist for the Edgar Award for Fiction

In 1978, a murderer descends on a sorority house in Florida. The sorority president survives, but her life will never be the same. Seeking justice and answers, she joins forces with another woman who believes that her missing friend is another victim of the killer.

Cover of The Adventures of Amina Al-Sirafi

The Adventures of Amina Al-Sirafi, Shannon Chakraborty
Find it at Snell Library | Read the e-book

Finalist for the Hugo Award for Best Novel

Amina Al-Sirafi is a retired pirate who just wants peace and quiet. But, of course, there’s always one last job, and Amina is hired (at an exorbitant sun) to track down a kidnapped girl. The job should be easy enough—but the deeper Amina dives, the more tangled the web becomes.

Whatever you read, make sure to tell us about it to enter the March prize drawing. Good luck, and happy reading!

Boston Campus Screen of “Dukakis: Recipe for Democracy”

Michael Dukakis is not only the former governor of Massachusetts, but he is also a well-known and beloved professor emeritus of political science in the College of Social Sciences and Humanities. In 2024, he became the subject of the documentary Dukakis: Recipe for Democracy.

Northeastern University will be hosting a screening on Tuesday, March 11.

Michael Dukakis and his wife standing and waving from the back of a train. The train is decorated with American flags, bunting, and "The Duke Express"
Michael Dukakis and his wife Kitty wave from the Duke Express during his presidential campaign. Michael S. Dukakis Presidential Campaign records, Northeastern University Archive and Special Collections

The Northeastern University Archives and Special Collections (NUASC) had the pleasure of providing archival resources for the film. The documentary features selections from Michael Dukakis’ Presidential Campaign records held at NUASC. The Dukakis collection spans from administrative campaign records to memorabilia like bumper stickers. Archives staff parsed through the collection’s correspondence on the hunt for information about the use of Neil Diamond’s “America” as the Dukakis campaign song and photos of Dukakis from his schoolboy days in Brookline.

Black and white image of Michael Dukakis, taken from above, speaking into a microphone. He is surrounded by people both in front of him and standing in a balcony around him. A large sign reads "Rally Round Dukakis for President 2/8/88"
Michael Dukakis speaks at a rally in 1988. Michael S. Dukakis Presidential Campaign records, Northeastern University Archives and Special Collections

Final selections for use in the documentary include a photo of Dukakis and his wife Kitty on the back of a train called “The Duke Express,” and a photo of a rally in support of Dukakis’ presidential bid. Though these photos portray Dukakis with the essence of celebrity, the letters in the collection reflect an approachability that remains today, as evidenced in the film. The correspondence files are filled with letters from constituents and citizens outside of Massachusetts, wishing Dukakis good luck, bringing up issues they want to know about, and asking him to visit their hometowns.

The film premiered in October 2024 at the Coolidge Corner Theater in Dukakis’ hometown of Brookline.

The Northeastern University campus screening will take place on Tuesday, March 11, at 5 p.m., in the School of Public Policy and Urban Affairs (310 Renaissance Park). Those interested in attending can register for the event with their Northeastern email ahead of time. Other screenings are listed on the film’s website.

If you’re interested in learning more about Michael Dukakis’ presidential campaign, the collection has been partially digitized and added to the Digital Repository Service. You can also contact the NUASC at archives@northeastern.edu to schedule an appointment or consultation.

Ready to Research: Roxbury Tenants of Harvard records (Jeane Neville) and Ken Kruckemeyer papers

Two recently processed collections document the organizing power of everyday Bostonians who fought development proposals that would have negatively impacted their neighborhoods.

Roxbury Tenants of Harvard records (Jeane Neville)

The Tenants' View newsletter of the Roxbury Tenants (of Harvard) Association: May 7, 1970. Headline is "Harvard Agrees to Basics of Our Housing Plan!" and includes an article, map, and announcement for an upcoming Neighborhood meeting
The Tenants’ View newsletter, May 7, 1970. Roxbury Tenants of Harvard (Jeane Neville) records, Northeastern University Archives and Special Collections

The Roxbury Tenants of Harvard (RTH) formed in 1969 to oppose Harvard University’s proposed expansion into the Mission Hill neighborhood, which would have displaced residents. RTH was successful in pressuring Harvard to build a relocation housing development instead of a teaching hospital complex.

The RTH collection captures the unfolding of events, and the negotiations between RTH and Harvard University, over the course of the 1960s and ’70s through meeting minutes and agendas, notes, reports, flyers, canvas sheets, writings, correspondence, and media coverage. Jeane Neville, a Radcliffe student in the late ’60s, became involved in organizing the Mission Hill residents; these records were retained by her and donated to the Northeastern University Archives and Special Collections by her brother Padraic Neville after her death.

To learn more about the Roxbury Tenants of Harvard (Jeane Neville) records, explore the finding aid.

Ken Kruckemeyer papers

Hand-drawn map of proposed highways in Boston, outlined with snakes. Title reads "Caution! Highly Poisonous" with a skull and crossbones. Bottom left corner reads "Cuidado bastante peligroso!"
Cover illustration by D. Chandler Jr. of bilingual “Stop Turnpikes Over People” informational resource, undated. Ken Kruckemeyer papers, Northeastern University Archives and Special Collections

An architect by training, Ken Kruckemeyer began organizing around issues such as transit and housing in the 1960s after moving to the South End. He soon became involved in the local anti-highway movement of that period. His papers document anti-highway activism, as well as activism around Tent City and Melnea Cass Boulevard. They also document the planning, environmental impact studies, and construction of the Southwest Corridor Project, for which Kruckemeyer served as project manager.

Explore meeting materials, reports, studies, notes, correspondence, newsletters, flyers, and more in Kruckemeyer’s papers. To learn more about what’s in the collection, check out the finding aid.

To access the Roxbury Tenants of Harvard (Jeane Neville) records or the Ken Kruckemeyer papers, email Northeastern University Archives and Special Collections at archives@northeastern.edu.

Reading Challenge Update: January’s Winner and February Preview

The first month of the 2025 Reading Challenge is complete! A big thank you and congratulations to everyone who read a book and told us about it. Our January winner is Maya Kamenir, who takes home a Northeastern tote bag. Congratulations, Maya! The 2025 Challenge has just begun, so there are plenty more chances to win.

What You Read in January

January’s challenge was to read a memoir or autobiography. Here are some of the stories that captivated readers this month. (Comments may have been edited for length or clarity.)

Cover of Born a Crime

Born a Crime: Stories from a South African Childhood, Trevor Noah
Find it at Snell Library | Find it at F.W. Olin Library | Read the e-book

“An absolutely hilarious take on a serious upbringing and journey, by one of my favorite comedians.” — Eva

“Born a Crime is a unique perspective on day-to-day life in apartheid and post-apartheid South Africa from someone whose very existence was proof of a crime — a relationship between a Black woman and a white man. The book gives insight into the history and life of South Africa in the 1990s, as well as a glimpse into what made Trevor Noah the social justice-aware comedian he is today. It is also a touching ode to his strong and devoted mother.” — Kerri

Cover of The House of My Mother


The House of My Mother: A Daughter’s Quest for Freedom, Shari Franke
Listen to the audiobook

“Shari Franke writes about her experiences with family vlogging and child exploitation and her path to acceptance and overcoming her childhood. This book was heart wrenching and inspiring.” — Ceci

Cover of Rental Person Who Does Nothing

Rental Person Who Does Nothing, Shoji Morimoto
Read the e-book

“The concept…is so intriguing! The idea of someone just renting themselves out to simply ‘be there’ without doing or contributing anything is both minimalist and deeply reflective of modern loneliness, societal pressures, and the value of presence. There is something just so peaceful, so calming about the simplicity of…just having someone be there without any expectations or judgement. It is a gentle reminder that presence alone can be enough.” — Navya

Cover of Educated

Educated: A Memoir, Tara Westover
Find it at Snell Library | Find it at F.W. Olin Library | Read the e-book | Listen to the audiobook

“Remarkable memoir about a woman’s struggle to separate herself from her abusive rural Mormon upbringing. The title comes from her path of education; as a child, her homeschooling was all but nonexistent, but the story spans all the way to her Ph.D. I found Westover’s narration incredible, and an important reminder of the privilege of higher education.” — Caroline

“It was really good! I highly recommend it.” — Emma

Cover of Me Talk Pretty One Day

Me Talk Pretty One Day, David Sedaris
Find it at Snell Library

“This book was recommended at the Snell Library book stand! Each chapter is filled with the author’s coming-of-age stories: growing up in North Carolina, moving to New York, moving to France with his partner, and learning French. Overall, it is a great book and I absolutely enjoyed it.” — Mariam

Suggested Reads for February

February’s challenge is to read a book about (or set in) a city where Northeastern has a campus. There are a lot of options! Here are some books that fit the bill:

Cover of If I Survive You

If I Survive You, Jonathan Escoffery
Listen to the audiobook

Where it takes place: Miami, Florida
What it’s about: In the 1970s, Topper and Sanya flee to Miami as political violence consumes their native Kingstown. But America, as the couple and their two children learn, is far from the promised land. Even as things fall apart, the family remains motivated, often to its own detriment, by what their younger son Trelawny calls “the exquisite, racking compulsion to survive.”

Cover of Five Little Indians

Five Little Indians: A Novel, Michelle Good
Read the ebook

Where it takes place: Vancouver, British Columbia
What it’s about: Taken from their families when they are very small and sent to a remote, church-run residential school, Kenny, Lucy, Clara, Howie, and Maisie are barely out of childhood when they are finally released after years of detention and find their way to the seedy and foreign world of Downtown Eastside Vancouver. With compassion and insight, Five Little Indians chronicles the desperate quest of these residential school survivors to come to terms with their past and, ultimately, find a way forward.

Cover of the Dante Club

The Dante Club, Matthew Pearl
Find it at Snell Library | Find it at F.W. Olin Library | Listen to the audiobook

Where it takes place: Boston, Massachusetts
What it’s about: In 1865 Boston, the members of the Dante Club — poets and Harvard professors Henry Wadsworth Longfellow, Dr. Oliver Wendell Holmes, and James Russell Lowell, along with publisher J.T. Fields — are finishing with America’s first translation of The Divine Comedy. The powerful Boston Brahmins at Harvard College are fighting to keep Dante in obscurity, believing that the text will prove as corrupting as the immigrants living in Boston Harbor. Then a serial killer unleashes his terror on the city. Only the scholars realize that the gruesome murders are modeled on the descriptions from Dante’s Inferno and its account of Hell’s torturous punishments. The Dante Club must find the killer before the authorities discover their secret.

Cover of The Woman Who Knew Everyone

The Woman Who Knew Everyone: The Power of Perle Mesta, Washington’s Most Famous Hostess, Meryl Gordon
Listen to the audiobook

Where it takes place: Washington, D.C.
What it’s about: Perle Mesta was a force to be reckoned with. Renowned for her world-class parties featuring politicians and celebrities, she was very close to three presidents — Harry Truman, Dwight Eisenhower, and Lyndon Johnson. A pioneering supporter of the Equal Rights Amendment, she was a prodigious Democratic fundraiser and rescued Harry Truman’s financially flailing 1948 campaign. In this intensely researched biography, author Meryl Gordon chronicles Perle’s lavish life and society adventures in Newport, Manhattan, and Washington, while highlighting her important but nearly forgotten contribution to American politics and the feminist movement.

Cover of Exit Interview

Exit Interview: The Life and Death of My Ambitious Career, Kristi Coulter
Read the e-book

Where it takes place: Seattle, Washington
What it’s about: In 2006, Kristi Coulter left her cozy but dull job for a promising new position at the fast-growing Amazon.com, but she never expected the soul-crushing pressure that would come with it. In no time, she found the challenge and excitement she’d been craving — along with seven-day workweeks, lifeboat exercises, widespread burnout, and a culture driven largely by fear. But the chase, the visibility, and the stock options proved intoxicating, and so, for 12 years, she stayed — until she no longer recognized the face in the mirror or the mission she’d signed up for.

Cover of Shut Up This is Serious

Shut Up, This is Serious, Carolina Ixta
Find it at F.W. Olin Library | Read the e-book

Where it takes place: Oakland, California
What it’s about: Belén Dolores Itzel del Toro wants the normal stuff: to experience love or maybe to have a boyfriend or at least just lose her virginity. But nothing is normal is East Oakland. Her father left. She might not graduate. And Leti, her best friend, is pregnant—by the boyfriend she hasn’t told her parents about because he’s Black and her parents are racist. Weighed by a depression she can’t seem to shake, Belén soon realizes that distractions are only temporary. Leti is becoming a mother. Classmates are getting ready for college. But what about Belén? What future is there for girls like her?

Cover of Station Eleven

Station Eleven: A Novel, Emily St. John Mandel
Find it at Snell Library | Find it at F.W. Olin Library | Read the e-book

Where it takes place: Toronto, Ontario
What it’s about: It is 15 years after a flu pandemic wiped out most of the world’s population. Kirsten is an actress with the Traveling Symphony, a small troupe moving over the gutted landscape, performing Shakespeare and music for scattered communities of survivors. But when they arrive in outpost of St. Deborah by the Water, they encounter a violent prophet who digs graves for anyone who dares to leave. Spanning decades, moving back and forth in time, and vividly depicting life before and after the disaster that brought everyone here, this suspenseful, elegiac novel is rife with beauty, telling a story about the relationships that sustain us.

Cover of Bad Blood

Bad Blood: Secrets and Lies in a Silicon Valley Startup, John Carreyrou
Find it at F.W. Olin Library | Read the e-book

Where it takes place: Silicon Valley, California
What it’s about: In 2014, Theranos founder and CEO Elizabeth Holmes was widely seen as the female Steve Jobs: a brilliant Stanford dropout whose startup “unicorn” promised to revolutionize the medical industry with a machine that would make blood tests significantly faster and easier. There was just one problem: the technology didn’t work. Here is the riveting story of the biggest corporate fraud since Enron, a disturbing cautionary tale set amid the bold promises and gold-rush frenzy of Silicon Valley.

Cover of Maame

Maame: A Novel, Jessica George
Find it at Snell Library | Listen to the audiobook

Where it takes place: London, United Kingdom
What it’s about: It’s fair to say that Maddie’s life in London is far from rewarding. With a mother who spends most of her time in Ghana, Maddie is the primary caretaker of her father. At work, her boss is a nightmare and Maddie is tired of always being the only Black person in every meeting. When her mum returns from her latest trip, Maddie leaps at the chance to get out of the family home and finally start living. But it’s not long before tragedy strikes, forcing Maddie to face the true nature of her unconventional family, and the perils — and rewards — of putting her life on the line.

February Events

Need more reading inspiration? Stop by the Reading Challenge Pop-Up Table in Snell Library between 1 and 3 p.m. on Wednesday, February 19, and Thursday, February 20, to browse print books, get recommendations from librarians, and pick up Reading Challenge swag. You can also join us for a cozy reading party (with snacks!) on Wednesday, February 19, from 4 to 7 p.m. Bring your own book, or borrow one of ours!

As always, happy reading!

Fellowships Available to Support Archival Research

Three people look over archival materials on a table in the Northeastern University Archives and Special Collections

Several exciting opportunities are available in 2025 for those who want to use the Northeastern University Archives and Special Collections (NUASC) records to aid their research and storytelling.

The New England Regional Fellowship Consortium’s (NERFC) fellowship program is designed to promote research across the 30-member consortium of institutions and repositories in metropolitan areas throughout New England, including NUASC. NERFC grants two dozen awards every year and fellows receive a stipend of $5,000 with the requirement that they conduct their research in at least three of the participating institutions for periods of two weeks each. Applications are due February 1, 2025, and can be submitted through NERFC’s page on the Massachusetts Historical Society website.

The Reckonings Project invites applications for artist(s)-in-residence to engage with hidden histories of Boston and/or the New England region. The artist or team of artists selected will co-design interactions with Reckonings and community partners and archives—and, as feasible, with local community arts organizations or libraries. Selected artists will receive $10,000 for individuals and $12,000 for a team. Artists have the option to submit a budget of up to $5,000. NUASC will provide archival support and collaboration for artists working with Reckonings. Applications are due February 24, 2025, and can be submitted on the Reckonings website.

The Boston Public Library (BPL) is offering a new four-week fellowship in collaboration with NUASC this year. The “Telling Boston Stories Fellowship” is intended to support research projects that focus on the Boston people and communities often left out of the historical narrative. This fellowship can support many types of projects, both academic and artistic. Fellows will receive a $4,500 stipend and will be expected to spend four weeks working with collections, primarily at the BPL and Northeastern University, though trips to other Boston cultural heritage institutions or research centers may be included. The weeks do not have to be consecutive. Applications are due March 3, 2025. For more information and to apply, visit the BPL’s fellowship page.

For any questions about these fellowships, using our collections, or what other types of collaborations and research projects are possible, email Molly Brown at mo.brown@northeastern.edu.