2024 Reading Challenge

2024 Reading Challenge Update: November Winner and What You Read This Month

Congratulations to Manju Selvakumaran, our November winner, who won a finals week care package!

With only December left to go, the 2024 Reading Challenge is almost over! Congratulations to everyone who has participated this year. If you’d still like to join us, make sure to read a book in December and tell us about it! For more chances to win, make sure to track your reading with the Massachusetts Center for the Book, too.

The November theme was “a relaxing or soul-soothing book.” Here are some of the books you enjoyed:

What You Read in November

Cover of Anne of Green Gables

Anne of Green Gables, Lucy Maud Montgomery
Find it at Snell Library | Find it at F.W. Olin Library

“Anne of Green Gables is one of those rare books that captures your heart from the very first page and refuses to let go. I was so engrossed in Anne’s world, her vivid imagination, and her journey in Avonlea that I couldn’t put the book down — I finished it all in a single day! This book isn’t just a story — it’s an experience that leaves you feeling uplifted and grateful for life’s simple joys. If you’re looking for a novel that’s full of charm, humor, and heart, I can’t recommend Anne of Green Gables enough. It’s a journey you won’t forget!” — Lavanya

“This was my first time reading this classic novel, and it was certainly soul-soothing. What better way to spend a weekend than in the gorgeous gardens of Anne’s friends in Avonlea?” — Bianca

Cover of Legends and Lattes


Legends & Lattes: A Novel of High Fantasy and Low Stakes, Travis Baldree
Find it at F.W. Olin Library | Read the e-book

“It was just the most charming little story about a coffee shop and friendship and coffee.” — Sahil


Cover of The Soul of an Octopus

The Soul of an Octopus: A Surprising Exploration into the Wonder of Consciousness, Sy Montgomery
Find it at Snell Library

“Something I would not normally read that I picked up in Cape Cod. Did you know it is octopuses, not octopi?” — Eva


Cover of The Stranger


The Stranger, Albert Camus
Find it at Snell Library | Find it at F.W. Olin Library

“Soul soothing because this is my favorite book. I reread it every time I need to reset myself. After midterms, I was stressed and needed to calm down, so I reached back to this.” — Svetlana

And What to Read in December

December’s theme challenges readers to explore new frontiers: “read a well-reviewed book in your least favorite genre.” Is it finally time to pick up that classic fantasy or sci-fi, or find out what all those romance fans are talking about? Here are some suggestions from the library.

If your least favorite genre is…

MEMOIR

Cover of Dirtbag Massachusetts

Dirtbag, Massachusetts: A Confessional, Isaac Fitzgerald
Find it at Snell Library | Read the e-book

“An endearing and tattered catalog of one man’s transgressions and the ways in which it is our sins, far more than our virtues, that make us who we are.” — New York Times

“It takes a great deal of trust to commit one’s shames — and more than that, the shames of others — to the page with honesty. Messily, lovingly, Fitzgerald lays it bare.” — L.A. Review of Books

ROMANCE

Cover of Romantic Comedy

Romantic Comedy, Curtis Sittenfeld
Read the e-book

“While Sittenfeld knows the dramatic value of putting obstacles in the path of characters you’re rooting for, she also isn’t above giving readers what they want — and that’s exactly what she does in this affable, intelligently crafted tale of work and love.” — Guardian

“Sittenfeld deftly toggles between deconstructing a well-worn genre and leaning into its most predictable beats.” — The Atlantic

SCIENCE FICTION

Cover of the Three-Body Problem

The Three-Body Problem, Cixin Liu, translated by Ken Liu
Find it at Snell Library | Find it at F.W. Olin Library | Listen to the audiobook

“If The Three-Body Problem […] helps bridge the gap between Eastern and Western SF (science fiction), it will have performed a great duty for the literary world. But as a science-fiction epic of the most profound kind, it’s already won. — NPR

“Remarkable, revelatory and not to be missed.” — Kirkus Reviews

HISTORICAL FICTION

Cover of The Covenant of Water

The Covenant of Water, Abraham Verghese
Find it at Snell Library | Read the e-book | Listen to the audiobook

“I would happily spend months on end with [this book] and I cried when it was done. While I don’t entirely believe in Verghese’s characters, I am moved by how much he loves them and, in so doing, makes the reader love them. It is a better world for having a book in it that chronicles so many tragedies in a tone that never deviates from hope.” — New York Times

“Verghese’s compassion for his ensemble, which subtly multiplies, infuses every page. […] Writerly strokes may occasionally feel broad, but like animate oil paintings, their effect is rich and reverberant. The further into the novel readers sink, the more power it accrues.” — Washington Post

SELF HELP

Cover of Wintering

Wintering: The Power of Rest and Retreat in Difficult Times, Katherine May
Listen to the audiobook

“There is so much to treasure here…I love the surprises of the book. Most of all, it is about the comforts of language. Reading is like slipping into a fur coat. May could protectively convince us of anything — the pleasures of cold weather, slow days, dusty libraries. They all start to seem like prizes and her sensual connoisseurship is a joy.” — Guardian

“Wintering does us the great service of reminding us that we are not alone in feeling undone. And although May’s book doesn’t offer a neat, easy ending in which she miraculously feels better, she does offer hope, an antidote to her tendency to ‘feel like a negative presence in the world.'” — New York Times

THRILLER

Cover of Our Missing Hearts

Our Missing Hearts, Celeste Ng
Find it at Snell Library | Listen to the audiobook

“I won’t give away the splendid conclusion of Ng’s book: suffice it to say, the climax deals with the power of words, the power of stories and the persistence of memory.” — New York Times

“Our Missing Hearts is saddled by grief. But it is also propelled by hope, less a grim prognosis of the future than an impassioned call for a full reckoning with the past.” — NPR

“Taut and terrifying, Ng’s cautionary tale transports us into an American tomorrow that is all too easy to imagine — and persuasively posits that the antidotes to fear and suspicion are empathy and love.” — Kirkus Reviews

If you need more inspiration and are on the Boston campus, visit our table December 10th and 11th to check out books and get librarian recommendations.

Make sure to tell us about your book before the end of the month for a chance to win the prize drawing. For additional chances to win, log your reading with the Massachusetts Center for the Book, too!

As always, happy reading and good luck in the December Reading Challenge!

2024 Reading Challenge Update: October Winner and What You Read This Month

This month’s Reading Challenge winner is Berke Maltepe, who will be enjoying a digital gift card to Trident Booksellers & Café! Trident is an independent bookstore and a beloved institution on Newbury Street in Boston, where it’s celebrating its 40th anniversary. Congratulations, Berke!

Big congratulations, as well, to everyone who read a book this month and told us about it. There are two months left in the 2024 Reading Challenge, so keep reading! Hint: for more chances to win, make sure to track your reading with the Massachusetts Center for the Book, too.

The October theme was “a book about a time in history that you’d like to know more about.” Here are some of the history and historical fiction books that readers listed this month:

What You Read in October

Cover of I Must Betray You

I Must Betray You, Ruta Sepetys
Find it at Snell Library

“Ruta Sepetys writes historical novels that illuminate historical events that might not be so familiar to some readers. I Must Betray You is set in Romania in 1989 at the time when Communism was being overthrown in eastern Europe. A 17-year-old student named Cristian struggles to do the right thing when he is coerced into becoming an informant for the secret police just as the dictatorship that has oppressed his country for decades begins to fall. Like many of the author’s grim stories, this gripping novel ends on a hopeful note.” — Linda

Cover of Last Night at the Telegraph Club

Last Night at the Telegraph Club, Malinda Lo
Find it at Snell Library | Find it at F. W. Olin Library

“Last Night at the Telegraph Club by Malinda Lo is a coming-of-age story in 1950s San Francisco, set against the backdrop of the Red Scare. Lily Hu is a Chinese American girl who is starting to question her sexuality after she reads a dime-store novel. She goes to a mysterious club, based on real bars in San Francisco, called the Telegraph Club.” — Galen

Cover of Doomsday Book

Doomsday Book, Connie Willis
Find it at Snell Library | Read the e-book

“The story follows Kivrin, a history student at Oxford who travels back in time to study life in the 14th century. However, due to some miscalculation, she arrives during the time of the plague, which is a period of devastation and mayhem in European history. Willis has written the book with detailed research and emotional depth. The Doomsday Book examines the resilience of humans when we come in contact with a catastrophic event, which makes time-travel both an adventure and also a poignant reflection on how we survive.” — Navya

Cover of The Book Thief

The Book Thief, Markus Zusak
Find it at Snell Library | Find it at F. W. Olin

“What I liked most about the book is that it’s written from the perspective of Death. It gives great insight into the atmosphere in WWII, but is still heartwarming, as it mainly describes the situation of a little girl. It also highlights how people risked their lives to uphold humanity in this time of hatred and injustice. It’s a book that really goes to the heart and is so well written—it’s a bit like art.” — Mirjam

Cover of My Brilliant Friend


My Brilliant Friend, Elena Ferrante
Find it at Snell Library | Find it at F. W. Olin

“Absolutely loved it!.” — Nicole



And What to Read in November

November is a time to relax, with “a relaxing or soul-soothing book.” Here are some soothing suggestions. Need more ideas? Check out Northeastern’s curated selections of e-books and audiobooks! And if you’re in Boston, you can stop by the Snell Library lobby in person on November 19th and 20th for Reading Challenge stickers, bookmarks, and books to check out, and friendly librarians who love talking about books!

Covers of Legends and Lattes, What You Are Looking for is in the Library, Rest is Resistance, and The Psalm of the Wild-Built

Legends & Lattes, Travis Baldree
Find it at F. W. Olin Library | Read the e-book
Legends & Lattes is a cozy fantasy novella following Viv, an orc who has decided to set aside the barbarian lifestyle in favor of opening a coffee shop in a bustling magical city.

What You Are Looking for is in the Library, Michiko Aoyama (translated by Alison Watts)
Find it at F. W. Olin | Read the e-book
Tokyo librarian Sayuri Komachi has a gift: her book recommendations are able to provide readers with exactly what they need. What You Are Looking for is in the Library is a relaxing love letter to libraries, books, and readers.

Rest is Resistance: A Manifesto, Tricia Hersey
Find it at Snell Library | Find it at F. W. Olin Library | Read the e-book
While it may not be a relaxing read, Rest is Resistance is an ode to rest and the transformative power of opting out of grind culture. Author Tricia Hersey connects our current obsession with productivity to systemized patterns of racism, misogyny, and anti-humanism.

A Psalm for the Wild-Built, Becky Chambers
Find it at Snell Library | Find it at F. W. Olin Library | Listen to the audiobook
A self-aware robot meets a space monk, and together they set off on a journey to answer the question: what do people need?

As always, happy reading and good luck in the November Reading Challenge! Make sure to tell us about your book before the end of the month for a chance to win the prize drawing. And for additional chances to win, log your reading with the Massachusetts Center for the Book, too!

2024 Reading Challenge Update: September Winner and What You Read This Month!

We’re one month into the fall semester, and the weather is starting to turn cool in Boston. It’s a great time to pick up a good book!

This month, Kim Kennedy is the lucky winner of the prize drawing. Kim will receive a digital gift card to Frugal Bookstore in Roxbury, Mass. Frugal Bookstore is a Black-owned community bookstore that emphasizes BIPOC authors and stories.

Big congratulations, as well, to everyone who read a book this month and told us about it. There are three months left in the 2024 Reading Challenge, so keep reading! Hint: for more chances to win, make sure to track your reading with the Massachusetts Center for the Book, too.

The September theme was “a debut book by a Massachusetts author.” Here are some of the books you enjoyed:

What You Read in September

Cover of The Song of Achilles

The Song of Achilles, Madeline Miller
Find it at Snell Library | Find it at F. W. Olin Library | Read the e-book

“I don’t normally gravitate towards myth retellings, but this one hooked me from the first page. Lyrical and beautiful!” — Bianca

“A book that left me with no words. I was happy and sad towards the end, bawling my eyes out. Finally they were together.” — Suchita

Cover of The House of Seven Gables

The House of the Seven Gables, Nathanial Hawthorne
Find it at Snell Library | Find it at F. W. Olin Library | Read the e-book

“I had visited the House of Seven Gables [in Salem, Mass.] about 5 years ago, but only now did I get the chance to read the book by Nathanial Hawthorne. Many of the physical places and things I remember from my visit were mentioned in the book and well done! You would not have to visit the place to get a full picture as Hawthorne describes it so well!” — Michael

Cover of The Namesake

The Namesake, Jhumpa Lahiri
Find it at Snell Library | Find it at F. W. Olin Library | Read the e-book

“This is a beautifully written story of the struggle to belong in a different culture than your own. I learned a bunch about Bengali culture and hope to read Lahiri’s short story collection too.” — Courtney

Cover of The Midcoast

The Midcoast, Adam White
Listen to the audiobook

“My grandparents are year-rounders in Damariscotta, Maine, so I grew up spending the summer there! It was so cool to read a book that I could really understand the niche and I loved this book!” — Sam

“Great story about local issues in Maine, family intrigue, social and economical status structures, and the lobster trade (spoiler alert — not lucrative!)” — Michal

Cover of Rules of Civility

Rules of Civility, Amor Towles
Find it at F. W. Olin Library

“Who knew Amor Towles was born and raised in the Boston area? Not me. It felt a little against the theme because this book is so clearly a love song to New York City, but I wanted to read it, so I read it and, like his other books, really, really enjoyed it. Five stars!” — Jodi

And What to Read in October

October offers a chance to pick up that historical fiction or history book you’ve been wanting to read: “a book about a time in history you’d like to know more about.” Here are some suggestions! Need more ideas? Check out this list of titles from the Massachusetts Center for the Book and Northeastern’s own curated selection of e-books and audiobooks!

Cover of By Hands Now Known

By Hands Now Known: Jim Crow’s Legal Executioners, Margaret A. Burnham
Find it at Snell Library | Find it at F. W. Olin Library | Listen to the audiobook

Northeastern’s own Margaret A. Burnham, Distinguished Law Professor at the Northeastern University School of Law and founder of the Civil Rights and Restorative Justice Project, brings the Jim Crow era to life in all its horrifying, heartbreaking detail. By Hands Now Known traces the history of the Southern legal system, and its failure to protect Black citizens, from 1920-1960.

Cover of Year of Wonders

Year of Wonders: A Novel of the Plague, Geraldine Brooks
Find it at Snell Library | Find it at F. W. Olin Library | Read the e-book

Set in rural England in 1666, Year of Wonders bills itself as “a novel of the plague,” which probably explains why it saw a resurgence in popularity in 2020. But it’s also a novel about loss, love, community and humanity, and the levels of heroism to which everyday people can aspire when faced with extraordinary circumstances.

Cover of When Crack was King

When Crack was King: A People’s History of a Misunderstood Era, Donovan X. Ramsey
Find it at Snell Library | Listen to the audiobook

The crack cocaine epidemic of the 1980s and 1990s, and the accompanying “war on drugs,” is, as author Donovan X. Ramsey points out, a deeply misunderstood and vilified era. Ramsey takes readers beyond the fear-mongering headlines of the Reagan era and uplifts the voices and stories of the people caught in the grip of the drug trade. When Crack was King was nominated for 2023 National Book Award.

Cover of The Enchanters

The Enchanters, James Ellroy
Read the e-book

Set in Los Angeles in 1962, The Enchanters is a classic pulp fiction, capturing the grime and glamor of 1960s Hollywood. Disgraced former cop turned private eye Freddy Otash is tasked with solving a mysterious puzzle involving a kidnapped starlet, the Kennedy brothers, and Marilyn Monroe. The Enchanters was named a 2023 NPR Best Book of the Year.

Cover of Book and Dagger

Book and Dagger: How Scholars and Librarians Became the Unlikely Spies of World War II, Elyse Graham
Listen to the audiobook

Before the CIA, there was America’s Office of Strategic Services, an organization set up on the brink of World War II. Rather than career spies or political actors, the OSS was staffed by academics: literature professors, historians, librarians, and other scholars who suddenly found themselves spying on Nazis and infiltrating enemy territory.

For readers in Boston who need more book recommendations, you can stop by the Snell Library lobby in person on October 15 and 16 for Reading Challenge stickers, bookmarks, and books to check out, and friendly librarians who love talking about books!

As always, happy reading and good luck in the October Reading Challenge! Make sure to tell us about your book before the end of the month for a chance to win the prize drawing. And for additional chances to win, log your reading with the Massachusetts Center for the Book, too!

2024 Reading Challenge Update: August Winner and What You Read This Month!

Happy fall semester! Can you believe classes are already starting?

Courtney Mazzei is the August Reading Challenge winner! Congrats to Courtney, who won a gift card to Moments Cooperative and Community Space in Oakland, Calif. Moments is a volunteer-led not-for-profit bookstore and community center that lifts the voices of authors and Oakland community members who identify as queer, trans, Black, Indigenous, and/or People of Color.

And congratulations to everyone who read a book this month and told us about it. There are four months left in the 2024 Reading Challenge, so keep reading! Hint: for more chances to win, make sure you track your reading with the Massachusetts Center for the Book, too!

August’s theme was “a book with a title that begins with the same letter as your birthday month.”

What You Read This Month

Collage of Book Covers

The Old Man and the Sea, Ernest Hemingway
Find it at Snell | Find it at F. W. Olin
“Inspiring to say the least. Read the book and realized that while the fruits of labor may not show the effort, the process in fact changes the man, and brings out the better in him.” — Anshuman

Ninth House, Leigh Bardugo
Find it at F. W. Olin | Read the e-book
“Ninth House is certainly a wild ride through the darkest aspects of Dark Academia. In this contemporary dark fantasy, Bardugo juxtaposes biting criticism of the abuses perpetrated by the elite and privileged with a deep love for her alma mater, Yale University.” — Bianca

Malibu Rising, Taylor Jenkins Reid
Read the e-book
“Disappointing after some of her other books. One of the themes is supposed to be about a young woman breaking the cycle of taking back unfaithful men, which she eventually does but it took ~10 hours of illustrating the men’s extremely sexist, entitled, neglectful behaviors to get there. She tried to do too much in too little time and space.” — Jodi

Sure, I’ll Join Your Cult, Maria Bamford
“It’s hard to believe a book that is honest about mental health issues could also be so funny, but Maria Bamford is a unique talent.” — Melissa

Maame, Jessica George
Find it at Snell | Listen to the audiobook
“Wonderfully written and deeply moving!” — Michal

And What to Read Next Month

September’s theme highlights authors local to Northeastern’s Boston campus: “A debut book by a Massachusetts author.” Here are some suggested reads!

Cover of Madness


Madness: Race and Insanity in a Jim Crow Asylum, Antonia Hylton
Listen to the audiobook
Award-winning journalist, Bostonian, and Harvard alum Antonia Hylton offers an intimate, heartbreaking history of Crownsville Hospital, a segregated asylum in Maryland that operated for nearly a century.

Cover of Everything I Never Told You


Everything I Never Told You, Celeste Ng
Find it at Snell | Find it at F. W. Olin | Listen to the audiobook | Read the e-book
Celeste Ng’s debut novel tells the story of the Lees, the only Chinese American family living in their rural Ohio town in the 1970s. When the body of daughter Lydia is found in a local lake, the family must confront the many secrets they’ve been keeping.

Cover of The Midcoast


The Midcoast, Adam White
Listen to the audiobook
Andrew has returned to his tiny hometown in Maine where two of his former high school classmates are now a wealthy local power couple. But when Andrew discovers incriminating photographs in the couple’s home, he’s suddenly forced to reconcile his memories of their teenage years with the mounting evidence of his friends’ misdeeds.

Cover of The Dante Club


The Dante Club, Matthew Pearl
Find it at Snell | Find it at F. W. Olin | Listen to the audiobook
The Dante Club is an exclusive literary cabal in 19th century Boston, and its members are collaborating on the first American translation of Dante’s Divine Comedy. Suddenly, a serial killer strikes the city, modeling his crimes after Dante’s Inferno. Now the Dante Club must find and stop the killer before he can strike again.

Cover of Caucasia


Caucasia, Danzy Senna
Find it at Snell | Find it at F. W. Olin | Read the e-book
Mixed-race sisters Birdie and Cole are separated when their parents’ marriage ends. Light-skinned Birdie, often mistaken for white, remains with their white mother; dark-skinned Cole leaves with their Black father. But Birdie never stops missing her beloved sister, and embarks on a determined journey to recover the love and identity that was taken from her.

Need more reading recommendations? Check out our suggested e-books and audiobooks for September! If you’re in Boston, you can stop by the Snell Library lobby in person on September 17 and 18 for Reading Challenge stickers, bookmarks, and books to check out, and friendly librarians who love talking about books!

2024 Reading Challenge Update: July Winner and What You Read This Month!

Can you believe July is already over? There’s just one month left until fall classes begin!

The end of July means it’s time to announce the month’s Reading Challenge winner. Congratulations to Dina Meky, who won a digital gift card to Papercuts Bookshop! Papercuts is a women-owned independent bookstore located in Boston. Happy reading, Dina!

And congratulations to everyone who read a book and told us about it this month. There are still five months left until the end of the 2024 challenge, so keep reading and keep sharing! For more chances to win, submit your reading to the Massachusetts Center for the Book, too!

What You Read This Month

Collage of book covers

Readers went worldwide in July with the theme of “a book written by an author born outside of the United States.” Here are some of the international reads you enjoyed this month!

The Familiar, Leigh Bardugo (born in Jerusalem, Israel)
Listen to the audiobook
“Bardugo brings life to the dark, rich atmosphere of 17th century Spain, weaving in magical melodies sweet as orange blossoms and dark as onyx. I’ve never encountered a historical fantasy quite like this one.” — Bianca

Weyward, Emilia Hart (born in Sydney, Australia)
Listen to the audiobook
“I love a book with a strong female lead and this book had 3! Although the plot was dark at times, I appreciated the underlying theme of women’s empowerment and really loved the depictions of animals and nature. In short, this book was magical!” — Kelly

We Were Dreamers: An Immigrant Superhero Origin Story, Simu Liu (born in Harbin, China)
Find it at Snell
“As a foreign student and Asian, I found the book relatable and extremely funny. He was not afraid to talk openly about his family. It was a nice read for the summer!” — Shogan

Gwen & Art Are Not in Love, Lex Croucher (born in Surrey, England)
Find it at Snell | Listen to the audiobook
“I think it had a lot of potential (I love a good medieval age type of book—no matter how inaccurate it is) but didn’t really deliver on the relationships between the two pairings […] All in all I can’t be too upset, as it definitely reads toward a YA audience. I think I would’ve loved this more in high school but I think the writing just didn’t deliver!” — Jaime

And What to Read Next Month

August’s challenge is an interesting one: “read a book with a title that begins with the first letter of your birthday month.” Here are some suggestions for each month on the calendar:

Cover of Annie Bot

APRIL & AUGUST

Annie Bot, Sierra Greer
Read the e-book
Annie loves cooking and cleaning for her boyfriend Doug, and always wants exactly the same things he wants. She’s the ideal girlfriend, and she’s also a robot. Doug wants Annie to be more human, so Annie does her best to learn. But if becoming human might mean losing Doug forever, Annie has to decide: what does she really want?

Cover of Drunkish

DECEMBER

Drunk-ish: A Memoir of Loving and Leaving Alcohol, Stefanie Wilder-Taylor
Listen to the audiobook
Stefanie Wilder-Taylor has always enjoyed alcohol…maybe a little too much. After a disastrous night, she decides that it doesn’t matter whether she’s a “real alcoholic”; she’s going to get sober if it kills her. Drunk-ish is Wilder-Taylor’s memoir of a life lived through cocktails, shots, and glasses of wine, as well as a candid, hilarious look at the pain and pleasure of saying goodbye to getting drunk-ish.

Cover of Fire Exit

FEBRUARY

Fire Exit, Morgan Talty
Listen to the audiobook
For twenty years, Charles has watched Roger and Mary raise their daughter Elizabeth on the Penobscot Reservation in Maine. But Elizabeth is actually his daughter, a secret that has kept Charles separate from his community. Now Elizabeth is missing and Charles is desperate to find her and to share her truth.

Cover of Jonathan Abernathy

JANUARY, JUNE, & JULY

Jonathan Abernathy You Are Kind, Molly McGhee
Listen to the audiobook
Jonathan Abernathy is in debt and unemployed. Then he’s offered an unusual government job: entering people’s dreams and cleansing them of objectionable material. But every too-good-to-be-true opportunity has a cost, and soon Jonathan is struggling to tell dreams from reality and good from evil.

Cover of Margo's Got Money Troubles

MARCH & MAY

Margo’s Got Money Troubles, Rufi Thorpe
Read the e-book
Twenty years old and suddenly a single mother, Margo needs money. In a truly 2020s move, she decides her best option is OnlyFans—and thanks to the wisdom of her estranged ex-pro wrestler father, she’s great at it. But is viral success worth the price of admission?

Cover of Number Go Up

NOVEMBER

Number Go Up: Inside Crypto’s Wild Rise and Staggering Fall, Zeke Faux
Listen to the audiobook
Investigative reporter Zeke Faux was fascinated when cryptocurrency went mainstream in 2021, and he also wondered what he was missing. Why were intelligent people suddenly risking their life savings for a seemingly pointless investment based on internet memes? Why were celebrities suddenly spending hundreds of thousands of dollars on bad digital art? Why were businesses and even countries suddenly willing to disregard basic economic principles in favor of what seemed like an obvious scam? Why were so many people willing to put all their faith in shady crypto bros and bad investors? Number Go Up is Faux’s investigation into the wild hype and grim reality of cryptocurrency, and it will take you places you never expected.

Cover of On Rotation

OCTOBER

On Rotation, Shirlene Obuobi
Listen to the audiobook
Angela is on track to become a successful doctor married to a successful professional man, thereby making her immigrant family’s dreams come true. Then: she flunks an important exam and her boyfriend breaks up with her, and suddenly her family and friends are nowhere to be found. Now Angie’s questioning the dream she was raised on, and wondering where her own dreams fit into the plan.

Cover of Swift River

SEPTEMBER

Swift River, Essie Chambers
Listen to the audiobook
Diamond Newberry is the only Black person in a white town. In the summer of 1987, Diamond’s mother is trying to have her missing father declared legally dead, hoping that the life insurance money will get them back on their feet. Then Diamond unexpectedly discovers a whole side of her father, and his family, that were lost to her before. Finally, she might have a place where she fits in, but how will that change the world she’s always known?

Need more reading recommendations? Check out our suggested e-books and audiobooks for August! If you’re in Boston, you can stop by the Snell Library lobby in person on August 13 and 14 for Reading Challenge stickers, bookmarks, and books to check out, and friendly librarians who love talking about books!