Summer Reads From Arts and Sciences
From page-turning fiction to practical advice, faculty and staff share their summer picks.
Looking for your next summer read? Faculty and staff from Dartmouth's School of Arts and Sciences have you covered—with recommendations ranging from gripping novels to thoughtful life advice. While you're adding to your list, check out our Faculty Bookshelf, with recent titles including The Given-Up Girl, the debut novel by writing lecturer Ellen Rockmore, and a powerful new volume edited by anthropology professor Sergei Kan, showcasing photographs by Elbridge Merrill, who spent 30 years capturing life in Sitka, Alaska.
Recommended by Colleen Boggs, associate dean for the arts and humanities and Parents Distinguished Research Professor in the Humanities:
Demon Copperhead by Barbara Kingsolver and James by Percival Everett
"I like reading 'big' books in the summer, the kind that one can return to day after day and spend the longer daylight hours absorbing," says Boggs. "Often, that means I dive into 19th-century novels, but this year, I would recommend two books that rethink those works: Demon Copperhead by Barbara Kingsolver, which reinvents Charles Dickens' David Copperfield for the contemporary United States; and James by Percival Everett, which grapples with Mark Twain's Adventures of Huckleberry Finn. Both take old texts and reveal new meanings while also crafting characters and storylines that stand on their own."
Recommended by Joe Catrino, executive director of the Center for Career Design:
Designing Your Life: How to Build a Well-Lived Joyful Life by Bill Burnett and Dave Evans and Talking to Strangers: What We Should Know About the People We Don't Know by Malcolm Gladwell
"Designing Your Life offers practical tools and exercises to help readers create a fulfilling and purposeful life by applying design thinking principles," Catrino says. "The book is an inspiring guide that empowers individuals to navigate uncertainty and make intentional choices for their personal and professional growth."
"Talking to Strangers reveals the common misunderstandings and biases that occur when we interact with people we don't know," Catrino explains. "The book encourages critical thinking about communication, trust, and judgment in everyday encounters, making it essential for better navigating a diverse world."
Recommended by Alexander Chee, professor of English and creative writing:
The Payback by Kashana Cauley
"Cauley is a Daily Show alum, who has written what I might call a speculative fiction Ocean's 11 heist set in the near future, but it's a smaller crew: three work friends at a store much like Spencer's Gifts at the mall, determined to pull off a long shot heist big enough to pay back their student loans," says Chee. "This novel is laugh-out-loud funny—the kind of book other people ask about because of how you behave while you read it. Addictive, smart fun."
Recommended by Jay Davis '90, director of the First-Generation Office:
The Privileged Poor: How Elite Colleges Are Failing Disadvantaged Students by Anthony Jack
"Based on years of doctoral interviews that Jack conducted with low-income students at an Ivy college, the book gives rare insight into the challenges, and particular rewards, that first-generation and low-income students experience," says Davis.