Nothing is better than kicking back with a good read over the summer, so some of our staff at Snell Library have compiled a list of summer reading recommendations that are sure to fit a wide range of tastes. Enjoy and happy reading!
The Collected Stories of Lydia Davis
“Extraordinary miniatures, very original, take your breath away at first reading (and the second, third…)”
Recommended by Will Wakeling, Dean of University Libraries
Find it at Snell Library
Southern Reach Trilogy, by Jeff Vandermeer
“These are nicely written in a creepy, weird fiction style, so they have overtones of science fiction and Southern Gothic. The unfolding mystery plot is fascinating so far, with very good, evocative writing.”
Recommended by Amanda Rust, Assistant Head of Research and Instruction
Find it at Snell Library: Annihilation & Authority
Life After Life, by Kate Atkinson
“Clever author Atkinson proposes alternative lives (and deaths) for a child born during a snowstorm in 1910.”
Recommended by Julie Jersyk, Research and Instruction Librarian Find it at Snell Library
The Unlikely Pilgrimage of Harold Fry, by Rachel Joyce
“Retiree Harold Fry embarks on a cross-country journey on foot to hand-deliver a letter to a dying acquaintance… ‘Harold could no longer pass a stranger without acknowledging the truth that everyone was the same, and also unique; and that this was the dilemma of being human.’”
Recommended by Ernesto Valencia, Systems Librarian
The Alchemist, by Paulo Coelho
“A magical and inspiring story about navigating through life’s challenges, following your heart, and accomplishing your dreams.”
Recommended by Nina Shah, Library Development Officer
A Discovery of Witches and Shadow of Night, both by Deborah Harkness
“The first book is wonderful—so much fun—a mystery set in academia with witches and vampires and other creatures of the night! The story is fast-paced and well-executed and ends far too quickly. The second book is at least as good as the first! Great books for the beach or a long flight to some place fun!”
Recommended by Janet Morrow, Head, Resource and Discovery Services
Cloud Atlas, by David Mitchell
“This fascinating book is composed of long segments in the voices of six individual characters from different time periods, in totally different writing styles. Mitchell truly inhabits the main characters in each of the six segments, making them sound and feel authentic, and very different from one another. There are plenty of little overlaps and connections among the stories, too, which make for another level of enjoyment as you try to find those along the way.”
Recommended by Rebecca Bailey, Research and Instruction Librarian
Find it at Snell Library
What the Dog Saw, by Malcolm Gladwell
“Journalist Malcolm Gladwell has pieced together a collection of essays about human psychology and social behavior, many of them about sort of weird or unexpected phenomena.”
Recommended by Karen Merguerian, User Engagement and Assessment Librarian
Chain of Change: Struggles for Black Community Development, by Mel King
“Published in 1981, Chain of Change traces the story of the Black Community of Boston from the 1950s to the 1970s through the eyes of one of the South End’s most vocal residents, former Massachusetts State Representative Mel King. It also proposes a strategy for the future (the 1980s): a Community Development Plan that included decentralization, education, and coalition building.”
Recommended by Giordana Mecagni, Head of Archives and Special Collections
Find it at Snell Library and other NU locations