audiobooks

Reading Challenge Update: August Winner and September Preview

Happy fall semester, and congratulations to everyone who participated in the August Reading Challenge! Our August winner is Yeeun Han, who won a Northeastern water bottle. To be eligible for the prize drawing, make sure to read a book that fits that month’s theme and then tell us about it.

In August, we challenged you to read a book translated from another language. Here are a few of the books you read. (Comments may have been edited for length or clarity.)

What You Read in August

Cover of Heart Lamp

Heart Lamp, Banu Mushtaq (translated by Deepa Bhasthi)
Read the e-book

“Heart Lamp is a soulful collection of short stories shining light on the lives, struggles, and quiet resilience of Muslim women in southern India. Translated beautifully by Deepa Bhasthi, it blends humor, emotion, and cultural depth, making everyday moments feel both intimate and powerful.” — Abighna

Cover of Drive Your Plow Over the Bones of the Dead

Drive Your Plow Over the Bones of the Dead, Olga Tokarczuk (translated by Antonia Lloyd-Jones)
Find it at Snell Library | Find it at F.W. Olin Library | Read the e-book

“This book, first published in Polish, is the book I selected for my book club to read this month. I was drawn to the book because of the description of the eccentric recluse who is our narrator. It is set during the dark winter days in a remote location in Poland near the border of the Czech Republic. The characters are interesting, and it hooked me right away. It is unlike any book I’ve ever read. I’m not sure what my book club will say, but I enjoyed reading it.” — Meegan

Cover of Strange Beasts of China

Strange Beasts of China, Yan Ge (translated by Jeremy Tiang)
Find it at Snell Library | Find it at F.W. Olin Library

“Honestly, I picked this book because the cover looked cool, but it turned out to be way better than I expected. I thought it would just be a fun story about mythical creatures, but it’s actually about people, emotions, and the blurry line between what’s real and what’s not. Each chapter pulled me in more. The writing felt simple, but also really deep, and even though it left me with a lot of questions, that’s what made it so memorable.” — Harshith

Cover of The Hour of the Star

The Hour of the Star, Clarice Lispector (translated by Giovanni Pontiero and Benjamin Moser)
Find it at Snell Library | Find it at F.W. Olin Library

“Hour of the Star is a brief yet powerful exploration of poverty, invisibility, and the act of storytelling itself, framed through the self-conscious narrator Rodrigo S.M. The story of Macabéa, an unremarkable typist in Rio, becomes a moving reflection on the value of overlooked lives and the uncomfortable dynamics between narrator, subject, and reader.” — Sandy

Suggested Reads for September

Your September challenge is to read a book about somewhere you’d like to travel. Check out our recommended e-book and audiobook titles in Libby, or stop by the Snell Library lobby from 1 – 3 p.m. on Wednesday, September 17, and Thursday, September 18, to browse print books and pick up Reading Challenge swag!

Cover of The House of Last Resort

The House of Last Resort, Christopher Golden
Read the e-book

In rural Italy, the beautiful, crumbling hilltop town of Becchina is half empty, nearly abandoned by those who migrate to the coast or to cities. To rebuild, its mayor sells abandoned homes to anyone in the world for a single Euro, as long as the buyer promises to live there for at least five years. For American couple Tommy and Kate Puglisi, it feels like a romantic adventure. But from the moment they move in, they both feel a shadow has fallen. The place makes strange noises at night, locked doors are suddenly open, and Kate and Tommy are certain people are whispering about their house, which one neighbor refers to as The House of Last Resort. Meanwhile, down in the catacombs beneath Becchina…something stirs.

Cover of The Paris Novel

The Paris Novel, Ruth Reichl
Listen to the audiobook

When her estranged mother dies, Stella is left with an unusual inheritance: a one-way plane ticket and a note reading “Go to Paris.” Alone in a foreign city, Stella stumbles across a vintage store, where she tries on a fabulous Dior dress. The shopkeeper insists that the dress was meant for Stella and for the first time in her life, Stella does something impulsive. She buys the dress—and embarks on an adventure. A feast for the senses, this novel is a testament to living deliciously, taking chances, and finding your true home.

Cover of The Sun Sets in Singapore

The Sun Sets in Singapore, Kehinde Fadipe
Listen to the audiobook

For Dara, a workaholic lawyer from the U.K., Singapore is an opportunity. For Amaka, a sharp-tongued banker from Nigeria, Singapore is extravagance. And for Lillian, a former pianist turned “trailing spouse” from the U.S., Singapore is reinvention. But complications are looming for the women’s glamorous expat lifestyle, in the form of an enigmatic stranger whose presence exposes cracks in Singapore’s beguiling façade. In The Sun Sets in Singapore, Kehinde Fadipe captures the richness of this metropolis through the eyes of three tenacious women, who are about to learn that unfinished history can follow you anywhere, no matter how far you run from home.

Cover of Migrations

Migrations, Charlotte McConaghy
Read the e-book

Leaving behind everything but her research gear, Franny Stone arrives in Greenland with a singular purpose: to follow the last Arctic terns in the world on what might be their final migration to Antarctica. Franny talks her way onto a fishing boat, and she and the crew set sail, traveling ever further from shore and safety. But as Franny’s history begins to unspool, it becomes clear that she is chasing more than just the birds. When Franny’s dark secrets catch up with her, how much is she willing to risk for one more chance at redemption?

Cover of A City on Mars

A City on Mars: Can We Settle Space, Should We Settle Space, and Have We Really Thought This Through?, Kelly and Zach Weinersmith
Find it at Snell Library | Read the e-book

EARTH IS NOT WELL. The promise of starting life anew somewhere far, far away beckons, and settling the stars finally seems within our grasp. Or is it? Kelly and Zach Weinersmith set out to write the essential guide to a glorious future of space settlements, but after years of research, they aren’t so sure it’s a good idea. A City on Mars answers every question about space you’ve ever wondered, and many you’ve never considered: Can you make babies in space? Should corporations govern space settlements? What about space war? Are we headed for a housing crisis on the Moon’s Peaks of Eternal Light—and what happens if you’re left in the Craters of Eternal Darkness? Why do astronauts love taco sauce? Speaking of meals, what’s the legal status of cannibalism? Get in, we’re going to Mars.

Cover of Death in the Air

Death in the Air, Ram Murali
Listen to the audiobook

Ro Krishna is the American son of Indian parents, educated at the finest institutions, wealthy and erudite, but unmoored after he is dramatically forced to leave a high-profile job. He decides it’s time to check in for some much-needed R&R at Samsara, a world-class spa for the global elite nestled in the foothills of the Indian Himalayas. A person could be spiritually reborn in a place like this. But a person—or several—could also die there. As it turns out, the colorful cast of characters at Samsara harbors a murderer among them. Maybe more than one. As the death toll rises, Ro, a lawyer by training and a sleuth by circumstance, becomes embroiled in a vicious world under a gilded surface, where nothing is quite what it seems…including Ro himself.

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

Reading Challenge Update: July Winner and August Preview

Congratulations to everyone who participated in the July Reading Challenge! Our July winner is Abhigna Police, who won a Paws READ poster. To be eligible for a prize drawing, make sure to read a book that fits the month’s theme and then tell us about it.

This month, we challenged you to read a book of short stories, essays, or poetry. Here are a few of the books you read! (Comments may have been edited for length or clarity.)

What You Read in July

Cover of The Hill We Climb

The Hill We Climb: An Inaugural Poem for the Country, Amanda Gorman
Find it at Snell Library | Read the e-book

“This poem reminds me that even in the darkest times, there’s always a spark of light. Gorman’s voice is powerful but gentle, commanding attention without shouting.” — Aanshi


Cover of Bad Feminist

Bad Feminist: Essays, Roxanne Gay
Find it at Snell Library | Find it at F.W. Olin Library

“Some of the essays felt a little contradictory. I did like the book, as it gave me a new perspective, but I was hoping for more data than opinion.” — Brooke


Cover of The Serviceberry

The Serviceberry: Abundance and Reciprocity in the Natural World, Robin Wall Kimmerer
Find it at Snell Library | Find it at F.W. Olin Library | Read the e-book | Listen to the audiobook

“This is the newest of Dr. Kimmerer’s books, and I really needed the message of reciprocity, mutual flourishing, and abundance right now. Dr. Kimmerer’s writing is absolute artistry. She clearly notices and appreciates the connectedness of life. I read this right after reading Ezra Klein and Derek Thompson’s Abundance, and I really needed something that was less policy-minded and more dedicated to beauty. This was the perfect companion!” — Sam

Cover of I, Robot

I, Robot, Isaac Asimov
Find it at F.W. Olin Library

“I had a really fun time reading I, Robot. It explores technology and ethics through fun little machine stories. One of my favorites was about a robot named Cutie, who decides that humans couldn’t have built him, and instead creates his own belief system centered around a greater power. As someone in tech and engineering, these stories really made me think about robots and how they can reflect human nature.” — Shree

Cover of Unaccustomed Earth

Unaccustomed Earth, Jhumpa Lahiri
Find it at F.W. Olin Library

“I typically don’t enjoy short stories, but I will read anything by Jhumpa Lahiri, and this book made me consider reading more short stories. Lahiri is a master storyteller and keeps culture at the forefront of it all.” — Rachel


Suggested Reads for August

Your August challenge is to read a book translated from another language. Check out our recommended e-book and audiobook titles in Libby, or stop by the Snell Library lobby from 1 – 3 p.m. on Wednesday, August 20, and Thursday, August 21, to browse print books and pick up Reading Challenge swag!

Cover of Butter

Butter: A Novel of Food and Murder, Asako Yukuzi (translated by Polly Barton)
Find it at Snell Library | Read the e-book

Gourmet cook Manako Kajii sits in the Tokyo Detention House convicted of the serial murders of lonely businessmen. The case has captured the nation’s imagination, but Kajii refuses to speak with the press, entertaining no visitors. That is until journalist Rika Machida writes a letter asking for her recipe for beef stew, and Kajii can’t resist writing back. As visits unfold between Rika and the steely Kajii, Rika begins to wonder: do she and Kajii have more in common than she once thought?

Cover of The Café with No Name

The Café with No Name, Robert Seethaler (translated by Katy Derbyshire)
Listen to the audiobook

Summer 1966. Raised in a home for war orphans, Robert Simon has grown into a warm-hearted, hard-working, and determined man. When the former owners of the corner café in Vienna’s Carmelite market square shutter the business, Robert sees that the chance to realize his dream has arrived. The place, dark and dilapidated, is in a poor neighborhood of the Austrian capital, but the air is filled with a desire for renewal. Robert refurbishes the café and customers arrive. Some are in search of company, others long for love, and some seek a place where they can feel understood. As the city is transformed, Robert’s café becomes at once a place of refuge and one from which to observe, mourn, and rejoice.

Cover of The Empusium

The Empusium: A Health Resort Horror Story, Olga Tokarczuk (translated by Antonia Lloyd-Jones)
Find it at Snell Library | Find it at F.W. Olin Library | Listen to the audiobook

September 1913. A young Pole suffering from tuberculosis arrives at Wilhelm Opitz’s Guesthouse for Gentlemen in the village of Görbersdorf, a health resort in the Silesian mountains. Every evening, the residents gather in imbibe the hallucinogenic local liqueur and debate the great issues of the day. Meanwhile, disturbing things are happening in the guesthouse and the surrounding hills. Someone—or something— seems to be watching, attempting to infiltrate this cloistered world. Little does the newcomer realize, as he tries to unravel both the truths within himself and the mystery of the sinister forces beyond, that they have already chosen their next target.

Cover of My Name is Emilia del Valle

My Name is Emilia del Valle, Isabel Allende (translated by Frances Riddle)
Listen to the audiobook

In San Francisco in 1866, an Irish nun, abandoned following a torrid relationship with a Chilean aristocrat, gives birth to a daughter named Emilia del Valle. Raised by a loving stepfather, Emilia grows into an independent thinker and a self-sufficient young woman. As an adult, Emilia becomes a journalist, convincing an editor at The Daily Examiner to hire her. When an opportunity arises to cover a brewing civil war in Chile, she seizes it, and as the war escalates, Emilia finds herself in extreme danger, fearing for her life and questioning her identity and her destiny.

Cover of The Morning Star

The Morning Star, Karl Ove Knausgaard (translated by Martin Aitkin)
Read the e-book

One long night in August, Arne and Tove are staying with their children in their summer house in southern Norway. Their friend Egil has his own place nearby. Kathrine, a priest, is flying home from a Bible seminar, questioning her marriage. Journalist Jostein is out drinking for the night, while his wife Turid, a nurse at a psychiatric care unit, is on a night shift when one of her patients escapes. Above them all, a huge star suddenly appears blazing in the sky. It brings with it a mysterious sense of foreboding. Strange things start to happen as nine lives come together under the star.

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

Reading Challenge Update: May Winner and June Preview

The May Reading Challenge winner is Bianca Gallagher! Congratulations to Bianca and to everyone else who read a Reading Challenge book in May.

To be eligible for a prize drawing, make sure to read a book that fits the month’s theme and then tell us about it. In May, we asked you to read a book about your hometown or local area. Here are some of the books you read this month! (Comments may have been edited for length or clarity.)

What You Read in May

Cover of Dark Tide

Dark Tide: The Great Boston Molasses Flood of 1919, Stephen Puleo
Find it at Snell Library

“Since there are no books about my tiny hometown in Central Mass., I read one about Boston. I have always been fascinated by the Boston molasses flood but didn’t know much about it. This book provided a thoroughly researched account of what led up to the event, the flood itself, and the aftermath as they tried to figure out who was at fault. In a city teeming with history, the flood is often overlooked or joked about but it was tragedy that took place at a pivotal moment of time in Boston and the country.” — Kerri

Cover of American Pastoral

American Pastoral, Philip Roth
Find it at Snell Library | Find it at F.W. Olin Library

“The New Jersey town name dropping was delightful, and the book was thought-provoking for sure. Wish I’d read an American lit seminar, then maybe I’d understand exactly what he was trying to say about the life and death of the American ideal.” — Jodi


Cover of Exciting Times

Exciting Times: A Novel, Naoise Dolan
Buy it at Bookshop.org

“Set in Hong Kong, which is my hometown! It’s the first book I ever read set there and it was a lot of fun seeing my childhood spaces represented on the page!” — Nobel



Cover of North Woods

North Woods: A Novel, Daniel Mason
Find it at Snell Library | Read the e-book

“LOVED LOVED LOVED. Reminded me of The Overstory. Made me happy and I wanted to read it. Helped me appreciate and connect with nature. A little technical at times (I had to Google words a lot) but 10/10 recommend.” — Geneva


Suggested Reads for June

In celebration of Pride Month, your June challenge is to read a book that tells a story of resistance. Check out our recommended e-book and audiobook titles in Libby or stop by the Snell Library lobby from 1 – 3 p.m. on June 11 and 12 to browse print books and pick up Reading Challenge swag.

Cover of The Other Olympians

The Other Olympians: Fascism, Queerness, and the Making of Modern Sports, Michael Waters
Find it at F.W. Olin Library | Listen to the audiobook

In December 1935, Zdeněk Koubek, one of the most famous sprinters in European women’s sports, declared he was now living as a man. Around the same time, the celebrated British field athlete Mark Weston, also assigned female at birth, announced that he, too, was a man. Periodicals and radio programs across the world carried the news; both became global celebrities. A few decades later, they were all but forgotten. In The Other Olympians, Michael Waters uncovers, for the first time, the gripping true stories of pioneering trans and intersex athletes. “This riveting audiobook brings all the facts and showcases why we need to acknowledge try history in today’s social climate.” — Book Riot

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

At the start of WWII, the U.S. found itself in desperate need of an intelligence agency. The Office of Strategic Services (OSS) was quickly formed—and in an effort to fill its ranks with experts, the OSS turned to academia for recruits. Suddenly, literature professors, librarians, and historians were training to perform undercover operations and investigative work—and these surprising spies would go on to profoundly shape both the course of the war and our cultural institutions. Book and Dagger is an inspiring and gripping true story about a group of academics who helped beat the Nazis—a tale that reveals the incredible power of the humanities to change the world.

Cover of By the Fire We Carry

By the Fire We Carry: The Generations-Long Fight for Justice on Native Land, Rebecca Nagle
Listen to the audiobook

Before 2020, American Indian reservations made up roughly 55 million acres of land in the United States. In the 1830s, Muscogee people were rounded up by the U.S. military at gunpoint and forced to exile halfway across the continent. At the time, they were promised this new land would be theirs for as long as the grass grew and the waters ran. But that promise was not kept. Rebecca Nagle recounts the generations-long fight for tribal land and sovereignty in eastern Oklahoma. By chronicling both the contemporary legal battle and historic acts of Indigenous resistance, By the Fire We Carry stands as a landmark work of American history.

Cover of Marsha

Marsha: The Joy and Defiance of Marsha P. Johnson, Tourmaline
Listen to the audiobook

Rumor has it that after Marsha P. Johnson threw the first brick in the 1969 Stonewall Uprising, she picked up a shard of broken mirror to fix her makeup. Marsha, a legendary Black transgender activist, embodied both the beauty and the struggle of the early gay rights movement. She performed with RuPaul and with the internationally renowned drag troupe The Hot Peaches. She was a muse to countless artists, from Andy Warhol to the band Earth, Wind & Fire. And she continues to inspire people today. Marsha didn’t want to be freed; she declared herself free and told the world to catch up.

Cover of Chain-Gang All-Stars

Chain-Gang All-Stars: A Novel, Nana Kwame Adjei-Brenyah
Find it at Snell Library | Find it at F.W. Olin Library | Listen to the audiobook

Loretta Thurwar and Hamara “Hurricane Staxxx” Stacker are the stars of the Chain-Gang All-Stars, the cornerstone of CAPE, or Criminal Action Penal Entertainment, a highly popular, highly controversial profit-raising program in America’s increasingly dominant private prison industry. It’s the return of the gladiators, and prisoners are competing for the ultimate prize: their freedom. But CAPE’s corporate owners will stop at nothing to protect their status quo. Chain-Gang All-Stars is a kaleidoscopic, excoriating look at the American prison system’s unholy alliance of systemic racism, unchecked capitalism, and mass incarceration.

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

Reading Challenge Update: April Winner and May Preview

Paws, the Northeastern husky mascot, sits on a yellow couch in Snell Library holding a copy of Ready Player One and giving a thumb's up

Happy May! Spring has sprung in Boston, and students are gearing up to leave campus for the summer. Congratulations to the Class of 2025 as they celebrate commencement, and congratulations to everyone who participated in the April Reading Challenge! Our winner this month is Kayla Bolling, who takes home a custom Northeastern University Library poster.

To be eligible for the prize drawing, make sure to read a book that fits the month’s theme and then tell us about it. In April, we asked you to read a book recommended by a librarian. Here are some of the librarian-approved titles readers enjoyed this month! (Comments may have been edited for length or clarity.)

What You Read in April

Cover of Before the Coffee Gets Cold

Before the Coffee Gets Cold, Toshikazu Kawaguchi
Read the e-book

“This was recommended to me by a librarian at Seattle Public Library in the ‘healing fiction’ category, a genre that first emerged in Korea and Japan. It’s set in a tiny Tokyo café where people sit in a chair that can travel back in time, but only for the time it takes for a cup of coffee to turn cold. This book is a deeply immersive journey into the desire to hold on to the past.” — Jyoti

Cover of Parable of the Sower

Parable of the Sower, Octavia E. Butler
Find it at Snell Library | Find it at F.W. Olin Library | Read the e-book | Listen to the audiobook

“Really interesting and topical. It’s amazing how much prescience Butler had. Lauren’s religion of Earthseed has a lot of great values I think people should internalize nowadays. Essential read in a lot of ways, particularly in a climate-challenged world.” — Nobel

Cover of Legendborn

Legendborn, Tracy Deonn
Find it at Snell Library | Find it at F.W. Olin Library

“I was blown away by how this book handles complex topics like America’s history with slavery, intergenerational trauma, and the erasure of Black people’s stories all while exploring its supernatural elements. I recommend this book to anyone who loves modern takes on old legends. I’m currently reading through the sequel, Bloodmarked, and I’m excited to finish the trilogy!” — Nina

Cover of Gwen & Art are Not in Love

Gwen & Art Are Not in Love, Lex Croucher
Find it at Snell Library | Listen to the audiobook

“Gwen & Art Are Not in Love by Lex Croucher is a charming tale that artfully combines queer romance, the warmth of found family, political intrigue, and a healthy dose of humor. Overall, Gwen & Art Are Not in Love is about accepting yourself, fighting for happiness, and discovering that real love is worth pursuing. I recommend it to anyone who enjoys medieval settings, found family stories, or queer romance. And last but not least, anyone who believes that self-love is truly worth it will find this book rewarding.” — Ankita

Suggested Reads for April

In honor of those readers who may be heading home for the summer break, your May challenge is to read a book about your hometown or local area. This can be your actual hometown, an adopted hometown, or wherever you’re spending your summer!

We’ve put together a selection of titles in Libby focused on some of the (many!) geographic regions represented at Northeastern. You can also stop by the Snell Library lobby from 1 – 3 p.m. on May 14 and May 15 to browse print books and pick up Reading Challenge swag.

If you’re from the Boston area…

Cover of Rough Sleepers

Rough Sleepers, Tracy Kidder
Find it at Snell Library | Read the e-book | Listen to the audiobook

Harvard Medical School graduate and Massachusetts General Hospital resident Jim O’Connell is asked to spend a year developing a program to provide free healthcare to homeless Bostonians. The work changes the course of Jim’s life.


Cover of Wild Swans

If you’re from mainland China…

Wild Swans: Three Daughters of China, Jung Chang
Find it at F.W. Olin Library | Read the e-book

Jung Chang traces her life, her mother’s life, and her grandmother’s life in this true family epic spanning a century in China.

Cover of Mutual Interest

If you’re from New York City…

Mutual Interest, Olivia Wolfgang-Smith
Read the e-book | Listen to the audiobook

In the early 20th century, desperate to escape their stifling hometown and live as authentically as their time period allows, a lesbian and a gay man form a marriage of convenience. In New York City, Oscar and Vivian find love and success — but their secrets may not be as safe as they hope.

Cover of Palo Alto

If you’re from Northern California…

Palo Alto: A History of California, Capitalism, and the World, Malcolm Harris
Find it at F.W. Olin Library | Read the e-book

Malcolm Harris dives into the history and mythology of Silicon Valley and the Bay Area, dating from the first white settlers to the outsize — and disastrous — grip of Silicon Valley and its corporate denizens on global industry, economy, and politics.

Cover of The Museum of Failures

If you’re from Mumbai, India…

The Museum of Failures, Thrity Umrigar
Listen to the audiobook

Successful mid-30s executive Remy Wadia has returned to India, specifically Bombay, for the first time since he left to attend college in the United States. He’s there to adopt a baby, but he’s also reunited with the mother he’s resented for years, who is now gravely ill. Remy’s homecoming will dig up long-buried family secrets.

Cover of Mad Honey

If you’re from New Hampshire…

Mad Honey, Jodi Picoult and Jennifer Finney Boylan
Read the e-book

Olivia thought she had escaped her small New Hampshire hometown forever, but a rift in her marriage sends her and her teenage son back to her childhood home. When a local teen, who was new to town, is found dead, and Olivia’s son Asher is the prime suspect, Olivia is forced to realize that she may not know her own child as well as she thought.

Cover of Bad City

If you’re from Los Angeles…

Bad City: Peril and Power in the City of Angels, Paul Pringle
Listen to the audiobook

In 2016, Los Angeles Times reporter Paul Pringle receives a tip about a drug overdose at a posh hotel and expects it to be a quick investigation. Instead he uncovers a deep web of secrets, conspiracies, and cover-ups implicating not just the University of Southern California, but the newsroom of the Los Angeles Times itself.

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

Reading Challenge Update: March Winner and April Preview

Happy spring! The end of the semester is in sight and we’re heading into the fourth month of the 2025 Reading Challenge.

Congratulations to Caroline Nicolai, who won the March prize drawing! Caroline wins one of the library’s coveted stocked study rooms: a four-hour reservation for a study room at Snell Library in Boston, which will be filled with snacks and treats for Caroline and friends to enjoy, during Finals Week. Happy reading and good luck on your finals, Caroline!

To be eligible for the prize drawing, make sure to read a book that fits the theme and then tell us about it.

What You Read in March

The March theme was a book that has won or been shortlisted for a major award. Here are some of the award-winners that readers enjoyed this month. (Comments may have been edited for length or clarity.)

Cover of Your House Will Pay

Your House Will Pay, Steph Cha
Find it at Snell Library

Winner of the California Book Award
Winner of the Los Angeles Times Book Prize

“An absolute page turner and a well written book that brings out the tension between two families of extremely different ethnicities. It reminds us of the victims and sacrifices that had to be made to achieve the peace and acceptance around us.” — Gautam

Cover of All Systems Red

All Systems Red (Murderbot #1), Martha Wells
Find it at Snell Library | Find it at F.W. Olin Library | Read the e-book | Listen to the audiobook

Winner of the Hugo Award for Best Novella
Winner of the Nebula Award for Best Novella

“The Murderbot Diaries blew me away. Wells writes with so much humor, combining thrilling sci-fi action and heartfelt emotion to explore what it means to be a sentient being. I would highly recommend this series to fans of Becky Chambers’ Wayfarers series.” — Bianca

“I love Murderbot and you might, too!” — Anaya

Cover of The Safekeep

The Safekeep, Yael Van Der Wouden
Find it at Snell Library | Read the e-book | Listen to the audiobook

Shortlisted for the 2024 Booker Prize
Winner of the National Jewish Book Award for Debut Fiction

“Strikingly unique, a story that balances family connections, identity, and a post WWII environment. There is a twist at the end, and with the protagonist’s narration placing the reader directly inside her head, one can easily feel deeply connected.” — Caroline

Cover of Martyr!

Martyr!, Kaveh Akbar
Find it at Snell Library | Find it at F.W. Olin Library | Listen to the audiobook

Shortlisted for the National Book Award

“I’m still thinking about this book. A totally unexpected trajectory, and an absolutely absorbing narrative style.” — Molly

Suggested Reads for April

To celebrated National Library Week (April 6-12), your April challenge is to read a book recommended by a librarian or library staff member. Fortunately, Northeastern’s library staff members have you covered!

Check out our list of recommended e-books and audiobooks in Libby and our full list of recommendations in all formats, and make sure to stop by the Reading Challenge table in the Snell Library lobby from 1-3 p.m. on April 9 and April 10 to browse more staff picks!

Here are some highlights:

Cover of Intermezzo

Intermezzo, Sally Rooney
Find it at Snell Library | Read the e-book

Recommended by Dan Cohen, Dean of the Library

Dan says: “You would think that a book animated by the death of a parent would be grim and difficult to read, but as in her earlier books, which I also heartily recommend, Rooney somehow explores the biggest issues through compelling characters whose casual conversations sound a lot like chatting with your best friend, or someone who is more than just a friend. Intermezzo also explores how two brothers with very different neurotypes approach that most human emotion, love.”

Cover of Gwen & Art are Not in Love

Gwen & Art Are Not in Love, Lex Croucher
Find it at Snell Library | Listen to the audiobook

Recommended by Lily Reilly, Entrepreneurship Librarian

Lily says: “This book was the most fun I’ve had reading. If you enjoy the aesthetics of medieval times plus queer shenanigans, you’ll love this book. Who says young adult fiction has to be for teens?”

Cover of Careless People

Careless People: A Cautionary Tale of Power, Greed, and Lost Idealism, Sarah Wynn-Williams
Find it at Snell Library | Find it at F.W. Olin Library | Read the e-book | Listen to the audiobook

Recommended by Jeanine Bell, Access Coordinator

Jeanine says: “Careless People is relevant — a poignant reminder of what people in power are capable of.”

Cover of Against the Loveless World

Against the Loveless World, Susan Abulhawa
Find it at Snell Library | Find it at F.W. Olin Library | Read the e-book

Recommended by Anna Ryerson, Metadata Librarian

Anna says: “An incredibly resonant and compelling novel by Susan Abulhawa, Against the Loveless World follows Nahr, a Palestinian woman caught in the turmoil of displacement and resistance. The writing is beautiful, and the story is one that has stuck with me.”

Cover of Writers & Lovers

Writers & Lovers, Lily King
Find it at Snell Library | Read the e-book

Recommended by Molly Brown, Reference & Outreach Archivist

Molly says: “Set in Cambridge and following the life of a 31-year-old woman who is grieving, in debt, and trying to finish her novel. It’s a great Boston-based book filled with complicated characters and strong narrative prose.”

Cover of MIll Town

Mill Town: Reckoning with What Remains, Kerri Arsenault
Find it at Snell Library | Find it at F.W. Olin Library | Read the e-book | Listen to the audiobook

Recommended by Lauri Fennell, Health Sciences Librarian

Lauri says: “This is so well written it is easy to read about the complex relationship of a paper mill in a rural community in Maine. The book won the Rachel Carson Environmental Award, the Maine Literary Award, and the Inge Fetrinelli Prize. The author shares fond memories of growing up in this community and the eventual cancer area designation that impacted many she knew. It is thought provoking and heartfelt.”

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