Recreational 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
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“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!

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

Heart Lamp, Banu Mushtaq (translated by Deepa Bhasthi)
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“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

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

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

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!

The House of Last Resort, Christopher Golden
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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.

The Paris Novel, Ruth Reichl
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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.

The Sun Sets in Singapore, Kehinde Fadipe
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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.

Migrations, Charlotte McConaghy
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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?

A City on Mars: Can We Settle Space, Should We Settle Space, and Have We Really Thought This Through?, Kelly and Zach Weinersmith
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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.

Death in the Air, Ram Murali
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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!

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

The Hill We Climb: An Inaugural Poem for the Country, Amanda Gorman
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“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

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

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

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

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!

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?

The Café with No Name, Robert Seethaler (translated by Katy Derbyshire)
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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.

The Empusium: A Health Resort Horror Story, Olga Tokarczuk (translated by Antonia Lloyd-Jones)
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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.

My Name is Emilia del Valle, Isabel Allende (translated by Frances Riddle)
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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.

The Morning Star, Karl Ove Knausgaard (translated by Martin Aitkin)
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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!

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

Before the Coffee Gets Cold, Toshikazu Kawaguchi
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“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

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

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

Gwen & Art Are Not in Love, Lex Croucher
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“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…

Rough Sleepers, Tracy Kidder
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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.

If you’re from mainland China…

Wild Swans: Three Daughters of China, Jung Chang
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Jung Chang traces her life, her mother’s life, and her grandmother’s life in this true family epic spanning a century in China.

If you’re from New York City…

Mutual Interest, Olivia Wolfgang-Smith
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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.

If you’re from Northern California…

Palo Alto: A History of California, Capitalism, and the World, Malcolm Harris
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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.

If you’re from Mumbai, India…

The Museum of Failures, Thrity Umrigar
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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.

If you’re from New Hampshire…

Mad Honey, Jodi Picoult and Jennifer Finney Boylan
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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.

If you’re from Los Angeles…

Bad City: Peril and Power in the City of Angels, Paul Pringle
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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!