Not sure what to choose for your next summer read, whether traveling or staying put? We can help you with some recommendations based on our own recent reads! Between the leisure reading collection, borrowing requests from other libraries and local community resources, the Libraries are never low on books. Here are some favorites from a few members of the Libraries team, whether you’re in the mood for travels across the globe, in time, or to another world altogether. Happy reading!
Chasing Beauty: The Life of Isabella Stewart Gardner
by Natalie Dykstra
A really well researched and beautifully written biography of a fascinating art collector.
–Jeremy Dibbell, Special Collections Librarian
What the River Knows
by Isabel Ibañez
It’s a historical fantasy adventure set in 1800s Egypt with some real history woven in. The protagonist Inez is a strong young woman determined to solve the mystery of what happened to her parents, who went missing out on an archeological expedition. It kept me guessing!
–Aleshia Huber, Engineering Librarian
Black Woods, Blue Sky
by Eowyn Ivey
Set in the Alaska wilderness, it’s a hauntingly dark tale about love, motherhood, being free and finding oneself. So beautifully written with unforgettable characters that will stretch your imagination and stay with you.
–Mien Wong, Preservation Specialist
Wild Dark Shore
by Charlotte McConaghy
It’s about an island with a seed bank. As a co-founder of the Sustainability Hub’s Seed Library, obviously I like it! Really good but emotional story.
–Neyda Gilman, Assistant Head of Sustainability & STEM Engagement
The Sicilian Inheritance
by Jo Piazza
This is a great beach/pool read. A bit of a thriller set in Sicily in which a woman tries to uncover the truth behind her great grandmother’s death in the early 1900s. Fun, intrigue, a little romance, and a lot of delicious Italian food.
–Elise Ferer, Instruction and Outreach Librarian
River of Bones and Other Stories
by Rebecca Roanhorse
This short story collection includes a novella set in Roanhorse’s Sixth World, her first work to return to this series in 7 years! The series follows Maggie, a Navajo monster hunter in a world largely destroyed by an apocalyptic flood. It’s fun to revisit the series, though the novella is too short, doesn’t resolve the major cliffhanger from the previous book, and is narrated by Kai–a lovely character, but not as cool as Maggie (sorry, Kai). I secretly hope this means Roanhorse has another Sixth World book in the making, though she has previously indicated she’s done with the series.
–Jillian Sandy, Instruction and Outreach Librarian
Embroideries
by Marjane Satrapi
Embroideries explores the private lives and loves of Iranian women through a series of candid, humorous, and often outrageous stories shared over afternoon tea. This graphic novel is the lesser known accompaniment to Persepolis with a familiar familial cast and more focus on the Grandmother. Rest in peace to the legend Marjane Satrapi. My sincere thanks for inviting us readers over for tea and gossip. I so enjoyed your storytelling.
–Samantha Lauth, Support Associate for Access Services
The Spirit Bears Its Teeth
by Andrew Joseph White
Trigger warnings: sexual assault, ableism, extreme sexism, medical torture, abortion
This book is so well written, just like all of Andrew Joseph White’s books. He’s an expert at writing fantasy horror where the horror mirrors real life so much that the true horror becomes how close to reality it is. In the Spirit Bears Its Teeth, gender, bodily autonomy, and reproductive rights are right at the forefront of the horror, with gut wrenching and devastatingly detailed and emotional scenes showing the desperation of the women in the story. The book is narrated by an autistic and trans man who has studied extensively to be a surgeon, and his clinical and medical perspective is both chilling and deeply engaging. His struggles with his gender are so real, and he is such a complex and compelling character that it’s impossible not to feel submersed in his world. The book also features an adorable T-for-T relationship, and despite numerous graphic scenes, has a happy-ish ending, which is really nice. Overall, this book is incredibly well written, provides deep insights into the topics of gender, disability, and bodily autonomy through a fantasy world, and is full of amazing characters. Andrew Joseph White truly excelled.
–Elliot Morelli-Wolfe, Support Associate for Storage and Delivery