Great SUmmer Reads 2022: Start Here

It is one of the best historical fiction books I have read in a while. A great quick escape (and I am a really slow reader). I could not put it down and kicked myself that I did not visit the museum in New York this fall when I was there after reading the book!

-Christine Bowman, Dean of Admission and Enrollment Services

"Amanda Kloots bravely reflects on love, loss, and life with her husband, Broadway star and Tony Award nominee Nick Cordero, whose public battle with COVID-19 and tragic death made headlines around the world."

Not that we need to read more about COVID-19 during this time, but this book, despite being tragic, is also uplighting and inspiring. I followed Amanda on Instagram while she documented her husband's fight with COVID (before they knew too much about it), and so reading the book, after watching her fight, was so special. You also get a window into their beautiful love story within this story of the last months of his life.

-Christian Erben, Admission Counselor

After a traffic stop turns violent at the hands of the police, a young Black teen grapples with racism—and what it means for his future. Critically acclaimed author Nic Stone boldly tackles America’s troubled history with race relations in her gripping debut novel. It is written as a reaction to the murder of Jordan Davis.

-Malissa Sanon, Director of Student Inclusion and Diversity

This book is not a novel, but a collection of whimsical, surreal short stories. From warlike bunnies in the front yard to zombie gas stations, the narratives are both ridiculous and all too real. For those with eyes to see and ears to hear, these short stories offer a glimpse into the world of magical surrealism that will inspire deep connections to fantasy in your own daily life!

-Cheyenne Ryals, Institutional Effectiveness Analyst

This book is the much-needed hug you should give yourself the next time you're looking for something good to read. We only get one body in this life; unfortunately, systems of oppression thrive off our inability to see past the skewed expectations our culture insists are the only truth about bodies. You ARE a marvelous creature worthy of love, care, and yes, even celebration!

-Theresa Zelasko, Librarian

Translated from Japanese, this work of fiction offers a wonderful, whimsical look at why books are to be respected and preserved, told from the view of the green eyed talking cat "Tiger the Tabby." Four adventures take you down the labyrinth with Rintaro, only grandson to his beloved Grandfather, who owned a secondhand bookshop, and his friendship with his unusual talking cat. While the book is telling you why it is important to save books, it is also saying " every book has a soul, the soul of the person who wrote it and the soul of those who read it and dream about it." The author won the Shogakukan Fiction Pirze and received second place at the Japan Bookseller Awards. The book sold over 1.5 million copies and was adapted into a hit film in Japan.

-Joan Parks, Librarian

I read this on Dr. Rebecca Evans's suggestion and consumed the whole trilogy so fast! I recommend reading it without looking at the blurb because I did and it was such a wonderful surprise - you find yourself just as lost and discovering things anew like Lilith Iyapo, the badass main character. It's fantasy, sci-fi, and is guaranteed to make you think about what it means to be human, for better or for worse.

-Carin Perilloux, Associate Professor of Psychology

Three stories intertwine: in 1012, young Mayan rulers face dynasty-toppling danger; in 2012, an American teenager travels to Belize in search of family roots and personal purpose; in 3012, after a climate apocalypse and a total social realignment founded on the gospel of (surprise!) Saint Leah, leaders struggle over what the future can hold. This is an almost impossibly ambitious novel, but the brilliant insights that it offers—on sexuality and gender and social possibility and cosmology (and I could go on)—somehow never feel forced. It's just three damn good stories, all rendered in lush, engaging prose, connected by reality-bending miracles and a penchant for sexy interludes (bonus!).

-Rebecca Evans, Assistant Professor of English

This is a novel by a first time author. It is written in such a way that the story moves along quickly and makes the reader feel they are part of the story. it takes place in a small town and illustrates the goodness of people. I found it to be the perfect book to read at this time when life seems to be so uncertain.

-Mary Feldott Switchboard operator

Oluo offers a contemporary, accessible take on the racial landscape in America, addressing head-on such issues as privilege, police brutality, intersectionality, micro-aggressions, the Black Lives Matter movement, and the "N" word. Perfectly positioned to bridge the gap between people of color and white Americans struggling with race complexities, Oluo answers the questions listeners don't dare ask and explains the concepts that continue to elude everyday Americans.

-Malissa Sanon, Director of Student Inclusion and Diversity

Usually, I like books where I try to figure out what is going to happen at the end, but the title doesn't leave a lot of room for speculation! Even though you know what's coming, you witness some great character development, realize people's lives are more intertwined than they seem, and learn what it would be like to navigate a world where you know your exact death-date.

-Jennifer R. Frias, Professional Academic Advisor

Once Upon a Broken Heart is a highly detailed immersive story that has intriguing characters and surprising plot twists. It's a dark and modern fairy tale.

-Megan Firestone, Head of Special Collections & Archives