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Happy end of the semester and congratulations to everyone who managed to read a book recommended by a librarian this month in between final exams, papers, and graduation prep. Our April winner is Quoc Hung Le, who receives a Northeastern University Library READ poster featuring Paws the Husky. Below are some of the librarian-recommended titles you enjoyed this month. (Read comments may be edited for length or clarity.)

Everything is Tuberculosis: The History and Persistence of Our Deadliest Infection, John Green
Find it at Snell Library | Find it at F.W. Olin Library | Read the e-book | Listen to the audiobook

“I fell in love with John Green’s books through his YA works like The Fault in Our Stars and Looking for Alaska, so picking up Everything is Tuberculosis felt like stepping into a completely new territory. It’s a departure from his fiction, but his voice is just as compelling. He takes a disease that feels like a relic of history and reveals how present, and how devastating, it still is today. The framework he builds is brilliant, and his ability to connect one illness to the sweep of global health and human history makes this impossible to look away from.” — Erin

“I’m loving John Green’s non-fiction era! This book combined history and science with a moving human story and an inspiring call to action.” — Kimberly

The Old Man and the Sea, Ernest Hemingway
Find it at Snell Library | Find it at F.W. Olin Library

“Above all else, The Old Man and the Sea is a story about the pursuit of greatness and the cost of such a pursuit. How far are we willing to push ourselves to accomplish our dreams? Are they even worth it? And, most importantly, where do we go once we do accomplish our dreams? As an aspiring creative and writer, The Old Man and the Sea challenged me to reflect on how far I’m willing to go and whether the journey alone is enough of a struggle.” — Alex

The Thursday Murder Club, Richard Osman
Find it at Snell Library | Listen to the audiobook

“Such an instant classic! Very Agatha Christie inspired, which always means it’s a blast. As a huge fan of cozies and murder mysteries, I’d highly recommend it!” — Nobel

“A great cozy read for the recent rainy days, with lovable characters and an intriguing set of mysteries. Excited to watch the movie next!” — Alaina

Wild Dark Shore: A Novel, Charlotte McConaghy
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“What a fascinating read this was! At times you try to guess the ending but don’t always get exactly what is going to happen until it happens. I would read this again; it was interesting to see how the different narrators handled the same tragedy.” — Rose

Shadow Ticket, Thomas Pynchon
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“A dense novel that blends conspiracy, history, and surreal humor. Like much of Pynchon’s work, it challenges readers with its nonlinear structure and layered references, rewarding close attention with sharp insights into power, paranoia, and modern society.” — Sandy

What to Read in May

Next, we’re challenging you to read a book with a non-human protagonist. Your book could feature an unsung animal hero, a cast of fantasy creatures, a sentient robot, or an office printer turned unexpected romantic lead. We’ve highlighted some recommended reads below, and you can also check out all our e-book and audiobook recommendations in Libby!

Pony Confidential: A Novel, Christina Lynch
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Pony has been passed from owner to owner for longer than he can remember. Fed up, he bursts out and goes on a cross-country mission to reunite with Penny, the little girl whom he hasn’t seen in years. Penny, now an adult, is living an ordinary life when she gets a knock on her door and finds herself in handcuffs, accused of murder and whisked back to the place she grew up. Pony knows that Penny is no murderer. So, as smart and devious as he is cute, the pony must use his hard-won knowledge of human weakness and cruelty to try to clear Penny’s name and find the real killer.

Fox and I: An Uncommon Friendship, Catherine Raven
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When Catherine Raven finished her PhD in biology, she built herself a tiny cottage on an isolated plot of land in Montana. She viewed the house as a way station, a temporary rest stop where she could gather her nerves and fill out applications for what she hoped would be a real job. Then one day she realized that a mangy-looking fox was showing up on her property every afternoon at 4:15 p.m. She had never had a regular visitor before. How do you even talk to a fox? She brought out her camping chair, sat as close to him as she dared, and began reading to him from The Little Prince. From the fox, Catherine learned the single most important thing about loneliness: we are never alone when we are connected to the natural world. Friends, however, cannot save each other from the uncontained forces of nature.

Shark Heart: A Love Story, Emily Habeck
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For Lewis and Wren, their first year of marriage is also their last. A few weeks after their wedding, Lewis receives a rare diagnosis. He will retain most of his consciousness, memories, and intellect, but his physical body will gradually turn into a great white shark. As Lewis develops the features and impulses of one of the world’s most predatory creatures in the ocean, his complicated artist’s heart struggles to make peace with his unfulfilled dreams. A sweeping love story that is at once lyrical and funny, airy and visceral, Shark Heart is an unforgettable, gorgeous novel about life’s perennial questions, the fragility of memories, finding joy amidst grief, and creating a meaningful life.

Annie Bot: A Novel, Sierra Greer
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Annie Bot, a custom AI girlfriend, was created to be the perfect companion for her human owner Doug. Designed to satisfy his emotional and physical needs, she has dinner ready for him every night, wears the outfits he orders for her, and adjusts her libido to suit his moods. Doug says he loves that Annie’s AI makes her seem more like a real woman, so Annie explores human traits such as curiosity, secrecy, and longing. But becoming more human also means becoming less perfect, and Annie starts to wonder: Does Doug really desire what he says he wants? And in such an impossible paradox, what does Annie owe herself?

I Got Abducted By Aliens and Now I’m Trapped in a Rom-Com, Kimberly Lemming
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Dorothy Valentine is close to getting her PhD in wildlife biology when she’s attacked by a lion. On the bright side, she’s saved! On the not-so-bright-side, it’s because they’re abducted by aliens. In her scramble to escape, Dorothy and the lion commandeer an escape pod and crash-land on an alien planet. Dory and her new lion bestie, Toto, are saved in the nick of time by a mysterious and sexy alien, Sol. On their new adventure, they team up with the equally hot, equally dangerous Lok, who may or may not be a war criminal. As this ragtag group of misfits explore their new planet, Dory learns more about how and why they’ve all ended up together, battles more prehistoric creatures than she imagined, and questions if she even wants to go back home to Earth in this hilarious and steamy alien romance adventure comedy romp.

Remember: whatever you read, make sure to tell us about it to enter the prize drawing!

Congratulations to everyone who completed the third month of the 2026 Reading Challenge! Our March winner is Sandy Chi, who wins a pen and notebook set in honor of the month’s theme: a book written in letters or diary entries. Here are a few of the books you read this month. (Reader comments may be edited for length and clarity.)

84, Charing Cross Road, Helen Hanff
Find it at Snell Library | Find it at F.W. Olin Library

“This book had been on my list for a few years and I’m so glad the epistolary prompt for March finally put it at the top of my list! It’s a calm and very pleasant post-war period correspondence between a New York woman and English booksellers, all of whom are chock full of personality. The people in this book will stay with me. This is a very quick read but it gave me an enormous reading list to follow Helene’s explorations of English literature.” — Alaina

The Murder of Roger Ackroyd, Agatha Christie
Find it at F.W. Olin Library | Read the e-book

“I’m a huge Christie fan, so this book hit all the sweet spots for me! One of her most famous endings and deservedly so. Everything about this book is cleverly constructed, and the diary formatting works to structure the mystery in a super interesting way. Plus, lots of great Poirot moments!” — Nobel

“I picked up this book thinking it would be a normal mystery, but Agatha Christie really fooled me in the cleanest way. The story feels simple at first, but every person in that village is acting a little weird, so you keep guessing and second-guessing yourself. And then the ending…bro, I literally closed the book and sat there like WHAT. HOW. HOWWW. I even re-read the last pages because my brain refused to accept it. Honestly, after finishing it, I kept thinking back to early chapters and realizing she hinted so many times and I still missed it.” — Sonali

The Perks of Being a Wallflower, Stephen Chbosky
Find it at Snell Library | Find it at F.W. Olin Library | Read the e-book | Listen to the audiobook

“The Perks of Being a Wallflower has moments that genuinely hit. Charlie’s loneliness feels real and the tenderness is hard to shake. But somewhere along the way, it started feeling more like a mood than a story, and I never quite fully connected with it the way I wanted to.” — Sandy

“This was another great read. It touches on a lot of sensitive topics in a very natural way that makes me use my brain to put it together.” — Masha

The Diary of a Young Girl, Anne Frank
Find it at Snell Library | Find it at F.W. Olin Library

“What makes it remarkable isn’t just the historical context. It’s the interior life on display. A teenager rigorously interrogating her own identity, relationships, and sense of self under conditions of extreme external constraint. It’s one of the most intimate documents we have of consciousness trying to remain intact when the outside world is systematically trying to erase it.” — Fresnel

“Reading Anne Frank’s diary felt different than any other book I’ve read. It’s so honest and so normal in some parts that you forget she’s writing all this while hiding for her life. And then suddenly it hits you again, and the whole thing becomes heavy in your chest. By the time I finished it, I felt this strange mix of sadness and respect. She writes with so much hope, and knowing what happens to her later makes every line feel heavier. I closed the book feeling quiet, like I needed a minute to just sit with it. It stays with you in a way that’s not dramatic, just painfully real.” — Sonali

What to Read in April

In celebration of National Library Week (April 6-12), we’re challenging you to read a book recommended by a librarian in April. You can find a few recommended reads below, and we’ve assembled a big list of recommendations from the Northeastern Library staff, all of which are available in print, e-book, or audiobook format from the library.

Make sure to stop by the Snell Library lobby on Wednesday, April 15, and Thursday, April 16, to browse recommended books from the print collection. It’s also your last chance to pick up Reading Challenge swag this semester. Remember: whatever you read, make sure to tell us about it to enter the prize drawing!

Atmosphere: A Love Story, Taylor Jenkins Reid
Find it at Snell Library | Find it at F.W. Olin Library | Listen to the audiobook

Recommended by: Bahare Sanaie-Movahed, Geospatial & GIS Specialist
Bahare says: “A compelling and emotional read that blends personal journeys with broader themes, making it both engaging and thought-provoking.”

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

Recommended by: Karen Merguerian, Head of Arts, Social Sciences, and Humanities
Karen says: “Trevor Noah’s story of growing up in South Africa describes apartheid from a child’s perspective, but at the same time, Noah brings his adult sensibility and his appreciation for humor and absurdity.”

With a Vengeance, Riley Sager
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Recommended by: Tamara Uhaze, First Year Experience Librarian
Tamara says: “This is a quick mystery/thriller set on an antique passenger train in post-WWII America. As Anna, the protagonist, looks for answers about the downfall of her family, she realizes she is trapped on the train with a murderer. You spend time getting to know each of the suspects and their role in Anna’s life, building toward the reveal of a grand conspiracy. This was an enjoyable read without too much time commitment.”

Shuggie Bain, Douglas Stuart
Find it at Snell Library | Find it at F.W. Olin Library | Read the e-book

Recommended by: Irene Gates, Processing Archivist
Irene says: “A beautifully compassionate portrait of alcoholism, queer adolescence, and working class life amidst high unemployment in 1980s Scotland. A deeply moving book that will make your heart ache.”

The Reformatory: A Novel, Tananarive Due
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Recommended by: Kerri Vautour, Marketing and Communications Manager
Kerri says: “In 1950, a 12-year-old Black boy is sent to a segregated reform school after hitting a white boy who was harassing his sister. Robbie experiences the violence of the reformatory himself, but his ability to see ghosts shows him just how horrifying the history of the place is. The true monsters aren’t the ghosts of the dead; it’s the violence and racism perpetrated by the living.”

The Thursday Murder Club: A Novel, Richard Osman
Find it at Snell Library | Listen to the audiobook

Recommended by: Amanda Calabrese, Integrated Systems Librarian
Amanda says: “This is the funniest cozy murder mystery I’ve ever read (no surprise — author Richard Osman is a British comedian). A group of true crime fans in a retirement community gets involved in solving actual cases, and the characters are so lovable. Ibrahim is my favorite. If you like this one, there are currently four more in the series. They also made a Netflix movie, but if you didn’t like that, the book is way better.”

Happy reading!

In October, we celebrated Banned Books Week and the freedom to read by asking you to read a book that has been banned or challenged. Our winning reader is Fresnel Fabian, who takes home a Northeastern University Library READ 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.

Congratulations to everyone who participated in the Reading Challenge this month. Here are a few of the books you read. (Comments may have been edited for length or clarity.)

What You Read in October

The Immortal Life of Henrietta Lacks, Rebecca Skloot
Find it at Snell Library | Find it at F.W. Olin Library | Read the e-book | Listen to the audiobook

“It was so good! As a bio major, this is a must-read because it dives into the person behind so many of the discoveries you will learn about in classes. This book shares the human side of the story of HeLa cells and honestly made me teary-eyed at parts. The book is so eye-opening and it’s definitely going to change the way I think about healthcare for the rest of my life.” — Rhea

Animal Farm, George Orwell
Find it at Snell Library | Find it at F.W. Olin Library

“The way in which the author uses the animals and their characteristics to explain a society that is embracing an idea that promises to liberate that society, which leads to the enslavement of the society, is insightful. It points out the hypocrisy of the leaders who become corrupted as soon as they get a taste of power. The author tells us a cautionary tale about the pitfalls of the revolution.” — Fresnel

The Fire Next Time, James Baldwin
Find it at Snell Library | Find it at F.W. Olin Library | Read the e-book

“I thought that the book was extremely intelligently written. I’m glad I picked this up and am very intrigued by a new perspective on the state of racial tension and conflict in 1960s America.” — Nikolas

The Hitchhiker’s Guide to the Galaxy, Douglas Adams
Find it at Snell Library | Find it at F.W. Olin Library | Read the e-book | Listen to the audiobook

“I’ve been really into space and science fiction recently and this book is extremely well-written and humorous. My favorite thing about this book is that it’s really unpredictable, especially certain characters that would say out-of-pocket and bizarre comments that seem really silly on the surface level but are actually quite meaningful and deep after you think about it.” — Hannah

1984, George Orwell
Find it at F.W. Olin Library | Read the e-book | Listen to the audiobook

“1984 hit me harder than I expected. It’s eerie how Orwell’s world of control and twisted truth mirrors parts of our reality today. It’s not just a story about surveillance; it’s a reflection on how fragile freedom and individuality really are. The book lingers in your mind, quietly reminding you to stay awake to the world around you.” — Om

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

“The Song of Achilles is a beautifully written retelling of the Trojan War from Patroclus’s perspective, offering a fresh and emotional look at his relationship with Achilles. The characters felt deeply human, and their bond is developed with sincerity and nuance. Overall, it’s a heartfelt and memorable take on a classic myth.” — Alison

Suggested Reads for November

As we get closer to the end of the semester, we’re challenging you to read a book about your major or the field you’re studying. 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, November 12, and Thursday, November 13, to browse print books, get recommendations from librarians, and pick up Reading Challenge swag.

If you’re studying engineering or entrepreneurship…

More Everything Forever: AI Overlords, Space Empires, and Silicon Valley’s Crusade to Control the Fate of Humanity, Adam Becker
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Tech billionaires have decided that they should determine our futures for us. According to Elon Musk, Jeff Bezos, Sam Altman, and more, the only good future for humanity is one powered by technology. In More Everything Forever, science journalist Adam Becker investigates these wildly implausible and often profoundly immoral visions of tomorrow. The giants of Silicon Valley claim that their ideas are based on science, but the reality is darker: they come from a jumbled mix of shallow futurism and racist pseudoscience. More Everything Forever exposes the powerful and sinister ideas that dominate Silicon Valley, challenging us to see how foolish, and dangerous, these visions of the future are.

If you’re studying English literature or writing…

Dear Writer: Pep Talks & Practical Advice for the Creative Life, Maggie Smith
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Drawing from her 20 years of teaching experience and her bestselling Substack newsletter, For Dear Life, Maggie Smith breaks down creativity into 10 essential elements: attention, wonder, vision, play, surprise, vulnerability, restlessness, tenacity, connection, and hope. Each element is explored through short, inspiring, and craft-focused essays, followed by generative writing prompts. Dear Writer provides tools that artists of all experience levels can apply to their own creative practices and carry with them into all genres and all areas of life.

If you’re studying health sciences or behavioral neuroscience…

The Mind Electric: A Neurologist on the Strangeness and Wonder of Our Brains, Pria Anand
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A girl believes she has been struck blind for stealing a kiss. A mother watches helplessly as each of her children is replaced by a changeling. A woman is haunted each month by the same four chords of a single song. In neurology, illness is inextricably linked with narrative, the clues to unraveling these mysteries hidden in both the details of a patient’s story and the tells of their body. In The Mind Electric, neurologist Pria Anand reveals all that the medical establishment has overlooked: the complexity and wonder of brains, and the vast gray area between sanity and insanity, doctor and patient, and illness and wellness, each separated from the next by the thin veneer of a different story.

If you’re studying business administration or computer sciences…

Enshittification: Why Everything Suddenly Got Worse and What to Do About It, Cory Doctorow
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We’re living through the Enshittocene, the Great Enshittening, a time in which the services that matter to us, that we rely on, are turning into giant piles of shit. When Cory Doctorow coined the term “enshittification,” he was not just finding a funner way tot say “things are getting worse.” He was making a specific diagnosis about the state of the digital world and how it is affecting all of our lives (and not for the better). Here, now, in Enshittification the book, Doctorow moves the conversation beyond the overwhelming sense of our inevitably enshittified fate. He shows us the specific decisions that led us here, who made them, and — most important — how they can be undone.

If you’re studying music or psychology…

Musicophilia: Tales of Music and the Brain, Oliver Sacks
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Neurologist Oliver Sacks explores the place music occupies in the brain and how it affects the human condition. In Musicophilia, he shows us a variety of what he calls “musical misalignments.” Among them: a man struck by lightning who suddenly desires to become a pianist at the age of 42; an entire group of children with Williams syndrome, who are hypermusical from birth; people with “amusia,” to whom a symphony sounds like the clattering of pots and pans; and a man whose memory spans only seven seconds — for everything but music.

If you’re studying economics, public policy, or women’s, gender, and sexuality studies…

Who Cooked Adam Smith’s Dinner? A Story of Women and Economics, Katrin Marçal
Find it at Snell Library | Find it at F.W. Olin Library | Read the e-book

How do you get your dinner? That is the basic question of economics. When economist and philosopher Adam Smith proclaimed that all our actions were motivated by self-interest, he used the example of the baker and the butcher as he laid the foundations for “economic man,” arguing that the baker and butcher didn’t give food out of the goodness of their hearts. It’s an ironic point of view coming from a bachelor who lived with his mother for most of his life — a woman who cooked his dinner every night. Such a viewpoint disregards the unpaid work of mothering, caring, cleaning, and cooking. It insists that if women are paid less, then that’s because their labor is worth less. Who Cooked Adam Smith’s Dinner? charts the myth of economic man in a witty and courageous dismantling of one of the biggest myth of our time.

If you’re studying biology, history, or anthropology…

Braiding Sweetgrass: Indigenous Women, Scientific Knowledge, and the Teachings of Plants, Robin Wall Kimmerer
Find it at Snell Library | Find it at F.W. Olin Library | Read the e-book | Listen to the audiobook

As a botanist and professor of plant ecology, Robin Wall Kimmerer has spent a career learning how to ask questions of nature using the tools of science. As a Potawatomi woman, she learned from elders, family, and history that the Potawatomi consider plans and animals to be our oldest teachers. In Braiding Sweetgrass, Kimmerer brings these two lenses of knowing together to reveal what it means to see humans as “the younger brothers of creation.” As she explores these themes, she circles toward a central argument: The awakening of a wider ecological consciousness requires the acknowledgement and celebration of our reciprocal relationship with the world.

If you’re studying sociology, linguistics, or communication studies…

Like: A History of the World’s Most Hated (and, like, Misunderstood) Word, Megan C. Reynolds
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Few words in the English language are as misunderstood as “like.” Indeed, excessive use of this word is a surefire way to make those who pride themselves on propriety, both grammatical and otherwise, feel compelled to issue correctives. But what the detractors of the word fail to understand is its true function and versatility — as an exclamation, a filler of space, a means of subtle emphasis, and more. In this book, culture writer Megan C. Reynolds takes us through the unique etymology and usage of this oft-reviled word, highlighting how it is often used to undermine people who are traditionally seen as having less status in society — women, younger people, people from specific subcultures — and how, if thought about differently, it might open up a new way of communication and validation.

If you’re studying journalism, law, or urban studies…

Bad City: Peril and Power in the City of Angels, Paul Pringle
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On a cool, overcast afternoon in April 2016, a salacious tip arrived at the L.A. Times that reporter Paul Pringle thought should have taken, at most, a few weeks to check out: a drug overdose at a fancy hotel involving one of the University of Southern California’s shiniest stars — Dr. Carmen Puliafito, the head of the prestigious medical school. Pringle knew that reporting the story wouldn’t be a walk in the park. USC is the largest private employer in the city of Los Angeles, and it casts a long shadow. But what he couldn’t have foreseen was that this tip would lead to the unveiling of not one major scandal at USC but two, wrapped in a web of crimes and cover-ups. The rot rooted out by Pringle and his colleagues at The Times would creep closer to home than they could have imagined — spilling into their own newsroom. This is LA at its darkest and investigative journalism at its brightest.

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