Undecided about your summer beach read? We can help you with some recommendations based on what we’ve been reading lately! Between the leisure reading collection, borrowing requests from other libraries and local community resources, the Libraries are never low on books. Here are some recent favorites from a few members of the Libraries team, whether you’re in the mood for mystery, science fiction or celebrity gossip. Happy reading!
Cher: The Memoir Part One
by Cher
This is a perfect celebrity memoir, juicy and gossipy with all the boldfaced names that Cher encountered during the first half of her busy and tumultuous life.
–Elise Ferer, Instruction and Outreach Librarian
Boy Parts
by Eliza Clark
This novel is a fun fast paced dark comedy about a woman coming apart at the seams while trying to make it as an artist. The novel is packed with nasty unpleasant queer characters doing terrible things to each other but underneath all that, it contains a thoughtful exploration of gender and sexuality. Overall, this fantastically fun and well written novel is for those looking for a dark story about queer characters having a bad time.
–Lark Wilson, Special Collections Librarian for Instruction, Reference and Engagement
The Raven Scholar
by Antonia Hodgson
The Raven Scholar kept me engaged as a reader throughout its entirety. As soon as something is revealed or resolved, there is something else that comes up that has me at the edge of my seat. There’s a competition, a mystery, court politics, and ancient animal deities to explore, plus many lovable characters. I can’t wait for book two!
–Aleshia Huber, Engineering Librarian
The Buffalo Hunter Hunter
by Stephen Graham Jones
People are tired of hearing me talk about this book. One of my favorites of 2025! A story within a story about a faculty member frantically trying to get tenure. When she discovers the journal of an ancestor, she believes it’s the key to her case. Within the pages, a 100-year-old supernatural tale of vampires and murder unfolds in Montana. Themes of indigenous sovereignty, whitewashing of history, and the legacy of American expansionism drive this horror. All of the creepy essentials of the genre are here, along with thoughtful reflection, dark humor, and copious amounts of historical research.
–Jillian Sandy, Instruction and Outreach Librarian
The Serviceberry: Abundance and Reciprocity in the Natural World
by Robin Wall Kimmerer
In my opinion, everything written by Robin Wall Kimmerer is required reading. With this new book, Kimmerer keeps it short and sweet with a lot of illustrations and examples from our daily lives. If you are not quite sure you’re ready for one of her longer works, The Serviceberry is such a great place to start. You will appreciate the gifts of nature and those who you live in community with so much more after you have finished this.
–Caitlin Holton, Digital Initiatives Assistant
The Father: Poems
by Sharon Olds
This tender and strange collection of poetry explores the death of the narrator’s father and all the complicated messy feelings that come along with it. At times, the poems are challenging but packed with a quiet lyricism that perfectly compliments the slow quiet death of the father. For those who enjoy narrative poems, complicated families, and perhaps want to explore grief, this collection is for you.
–Lark Wilson, Special Collections Librarian for Instruction, Reference and Engagement
The Thursday Murder Club
by Richard Osman
I haven’t finished it yet, but I love a good murder mystery. The main characters remind me of Miss Marple and Murder, She Wrote.
–Meghan Lenahan, Electronic Resources Librarian
Woodworking
by Emily St. James
This is a great summer read and pride month read. It is the story of two trans women, one a high school English teacher at the beginning of her transition and the other a high school student who is out in her school as trans. Taking place in 2016, this book is about their relationship and how they navigate the world of rural South Dakota.
–Elise Ferer, Instruction and Outreach Librarian
All Systems Red
by Martha Wells
I recommend the audiobook – the narrator does a really great job!
–Jess Obie, Workflow Coordinator