A collection of library staff recommendations. See what we're reading, and maybe find a new favorite book!
Want to recommend a book? Submissions can be made by filling out the form here.
I loved this well-written glimpse into twentieth century abstract painting, focusing on five major female pioneers of the art world. I thought it provided a wonderful account of their experiences and passions, their struggles and breaking of pre-established social codes, and what this meant for modern art.
- Lierin S.
This is one of the most engrossing books I've ever read. I still think about it often!
- Sara M.
I love the atmosphere of this book! Dark academic, twisty, full of friendships and close ties, but questions around how they disintegrate. Not light reading necessarily, but if you want mystery and liberal arts vibes, this might be it.
- Leea S.
Following this group of college students as they descend into morally ambiguous behavior and eventually evil, makes this book compelling and addictive read.
- Paul B.
Check, please! follows a freshman hockey player as he navigates friendship, romance, and college life. A cozy and wholesome read.
- Clark G.
I love seeing how people use academic knowledge to be creative! Plus I'm generally interested in how Klingon, Interlingua, and other created languages came to be.
- Elizabeth P.
Winchester, who is always fun to read, celebrates knowledge (and highlights the role of libraries).
- Enid K.
It had some decent twists and turns and the location descriptions gave the book great atmosphere.
- Cindy F.
A story about language, colonialism, revolution, and power. It's a chunky book but it's unique and engaging. One of my favorite books I've read this year.
- Cat R.C.
It is a really interesting exploration of linguistics, culture, and how the two develop over time together in order to build empires, uphold social structures & dynamics, and what it takes to disrupt those structures in the name of justice & humanity. It is a story that explores how systems of rule are supported, how it effects those not born into those systems, & what it take to cause a revolution.
- Jocelyn F.
The Border is a book about Russia without its author ever entering Russia itself. Erika Fatland gets to the heart of what it has meant to be the neighbor of that mighty, expanding empire throughout history. As we follow the author on her journey, we experience the colorful, exciting, tragic and often unbelievable histories of these bordering nations along with their cultures, their people, their landscapes.
- Katya V.S.
Batuman is a fantastic writer and I'd truthfully be happy to read anything she writes. In "The Idiot," Batuman immerses readers in the mid-90s world of Selin who is navigating her freshman year at Harvard. The book is funny, touching, and full of insights.
- Erin Kate S.
Belle da Costa Greene was the personal librarian of J. P. Morgan, the first director of the Pierpont Morgan Library, and a black woman who passed as white for almost her entire life. Ardizzone's biography is a compelling portrait of a trailblazing woman and the complexities of race and class in early twentieth-century America.
- Nicole K.
Set during the iconic student movement of 1960s Tokyo, Norwegian Wood is equal parts nostalgic and devastating. I'm biased as a longtime fan of Murakami, but for those unfamiliar with his writing it's a great book to try out since it's more subdued than his other works. Also, named for one of the greatest autumnal songs of all time.
- Georgia M.
Book subtitle: "How Higher Education Has Failed Democracy and Impoverished the Souls of Today's Students"
- Lopa W.
Tana French has such a gift for atmospheric, character-driven mysteries and this is one of my favorites of hers. It follows a detective as she joins a group of codependent doctoral students to solve the murder of one of the group's members. If you liked The Secret History or If We Were Villains, you'll probably enjoy this book too!
- Hilary C.
A wonderful classic in the natural sciences. When reading in the fall, start with the essays on September.
- Aidan O.
An incredible book from the daughter of Carl Sagan and Ann Druyan about how her upbringing in a scientific, areligious household has made her more appreciative of religion, tradition, human connections, the world, and family.
- Ali S.
A nod to Agatha Christie's classic 'And Then There Were None' in a modern setting, this eerie book juggles two different times masterfully; the present, and the characters' college days. Goodman lets you think you might know what's going on as you collect clues along with the protagonist, only to take you by surprise at the end!
- Kellyn J.
This is set over the course of a first year at college and the main character writes fan fiction as a hobby. I loved the characters and the plot balances character development and romance perfectly. If you love it, there is a spin off series called "Carry On."
- Sophie L.
Auerbach explores how vampires are shaped by the societies that create them. She provides a fascinating take on the roles of gender, sexuality, and other social phenomena in defining what we fear most. A perfect spooky season read!
- Eleanor F.
In the title novela, a newly-retired teacher of an elite prep school remembers two students from decades earlier -- a serial cheater who got all the glory and the hardworking scholarship student who never complained. Dr. Canin writes with such insight.
- Karen B.
The story of a boy from a poor family who begins his journey in academia as a young man: “William Stoner knew of the world in a way that few of his younger colleagues could understand. Deep in him, beneath his memory, was the knowledge of hardship and hunger and endurance and pain.” If you're in the mood for something bleak, yet eye-opening & somehow soothing, then this is for you!
- Shannon R.
