The River Why / David James Duncan

I love to fly fish.  While this book is ostensibly about fly fishing, it is more about the journey of an individual to adulthood.  It follows a lot of the typical themes of this journey including rejecting parents, finding one’s way, finding love, etc.  Ultimately, it is a book about meaning and how we live our lives to pursue passions with fly fishing as the context.  If you have ever read Zen and the Art of Motorcycle Maintenance this book is for you even if you don’t like fly fishing.  If you like fishing, then the book is for you as you get start to think about those deeper questions of life beyond how do I catch that lunker. —Mr. Pyles

The Brief Wondrous Life of Oscar Wao / Junot Díaz

Of all the books on this list, this is the one I want to read again.  The main character of the novel is a Dominican immigrant in New York who never feels quite at home in either his adopted home or his native Dominican Republic.  A wonderful book about the impact of where we are from and how that shapes who we are.  A more recent book than Invisible Man but also on the list for one of the most important books of the American experience. —Mr. Pyles

Desert Solitaire / Edward Abbey

Widely considered one of Edward Abbey’s greatest books this will have you seeing the world in a different light.  Edward Abbey is one of America’s most important writers on the environment and our place in it.  He focused his writing on the desert southwest and portrays its majesty with a clear call for us to respect his grandeur and fragility. —Mr. Pyles

Invisible Man / Ralph Ellison

I read this book for the first time last year.  It is the story of an African-American with high hopes of making his place in the world only to be thwarted at every step by the social system that exists around him.  A challenging and yet necessary read for anyone who wants to understand how society, and particular the societal structure in America, shapes the possibilities that might open up for us.  It is a challenging book to read but is on almost every list as a contender for one of the greatest books about the American experience.  Even if you do not read it now, put it on your list to read at some point in your life.  I wish I had done so way earlier. —Mr. Pyles

Blood Done Sign My Name / Timothy B. Tyson

This is a very timely book given the current conversation around racial injustice in this nation.  It is a memoir from a small town in North Carolina that faced an event eerily similar to what we are experiencing today.  It is the story of a white preacher’s son and his journey to understand a racial killing and his own path on understanding his whiteness and how it shaped the southern world in which he lived.  Made into a major motion picture but the book (as they say) is way better.  Not only is a great book but it also will encourage you to think about the degree to which we have traveled or not traveled as a nation. —Mr. Pyles

Every Day / David Levithan

What if you woke up every day in a different person’s body? How would you live? What if your actions during that single day changed that person’s life in major ways? The mysterious main character (“A”) in Every Day has gotten used to this strange way of living. His/her rules? “Never get too attached. Avoid being noticed. Do not interfere.”

This is all fine, until A falls in love with a girl. A has to find a way to find Rhiannon each day and connect with her, while living in a different body each time.

The unusual set up of this YA novel allows for some really interesting challenges and it will lead you to think about the essence of human connection in a new way. Are we connecting to bodies alone, or something deeper? —Ms. Showalter

Deep River / Shusaku Endo

A group of Japanese tourists travels to India and gathers by the banks of the Ganges river in the holy city of Varanasi. The novel follows five of these tourists, their back stories and what led them to make this pilgrimage (of sorts). Endo is a master of exploring the big stories of religion—in this case Christianity, Hinduism and Buddhism—through the lives of ordinary humans. How does culture affect how we understand and experience those big stories? Deep River tells many good tales of human lives that intersect; it will help you will think about death, resurrection, redemption & devotion in new ways. —Ms. Showalter

Normal People / Sally Rooney

Sally Rooney writes beautifully. She captures the subtle dynamics of complicated human relationships in a way that makes the story sink deep in your heart.

This book is recommended for rising seniors, in part because it straddles the years of high school and college (and then beyond), and in part because it is a mature look at love. It will make you think about your friendships and love interests in a new way. Sometime it seems that our girlfriends/boyfriends will always be the same and we will always feel a particular way about them. This book will help you gain perspective on how time can affect those important human connections. Several seniors from 2019–20 read this book and loved it. —Ms. Showalter

Here is the Amazon synopsis:

Connell and Marianne grew up in the same small town, but the similarities end there. At school, Connell is popular and well liked, while Marianne is a loner. But when the two strike up a conversation—awkward but electrifying—something life changing begins.

A year later, they’re both studying at Trinity College in Dublin. Marianne has found her feet in a new social world while Connell hangs at the sidelines, shy and uncertain. Throughout their years at university, Marianne and Connell circle one another, straying toward other people and possibilities but always magnetically, irresistibly drawn back together. And as she veers into self-destruction and he begins to search for meaning elsewhere, each must confront how far they are willing to go to save the other.

Normal People is the story of mutual fascination, friendship and love. It takes us from that first conversation to the years beyond, in the company of two people who try to stay apart but find that they can’t.

Where’d You Go Bernadette? / Maria Semple

This is a funny and quick read (and I’m a slow reader!). There’s a movie out now, but I bet it’s not as funny as the book. The characters are interesting, the relationships are real and the struggles are crazy, but rooted in the ones many people face. There’s a focus on the mother/daughter relationship, and coming to terms with one’s identity. Like I said, if you like it, it will go by quickly! —Ms. Brumfield

Animal, Vegetable, Miracle: A Year of Food Life / Barbara Kingsolver

At a time when a lot of us are feeling stuck at home with our families, and some of our parents are suddenly gardening like mad, it seems like a good time to read or reread this book about the author and her family abandoning the food industry and basically growing everything themselves or buying or trading with their neighbors. At a time when we want to limit our time in grocery stores and restaurants are closed, it’s more realistic than ever to think about what you would be willing to give up for a year and to envision the hard work it would take to do it with your own family. Bonus is that there are some good recipes throughout the book! —Ms. Brumfield

The Displaced: Refugee Writers on Refugee Lives / Viet Thanh Nguyen

This book is featured on the 2020 Chautauqua Literary and Scientific Circle, and it immediately made it to my summer reading list! —Ms. McNeill

In this collection of 17 essays (one consisting of cartoons) by writers who were forced to leave their homes, Viet Thanh Nguyen, a Pulitzer-winning novelist and himself a Vietnamese refugee to America, begins to assemble one. In so doing he gives ordinary Westerners a heart-wrenching insight into the uprooted lives led in their midst…the collection succeeds in demonstrating that this dispersed community in some ways resembles other nations. It has its founding myths, but its citizens all have their own tragedies, victories and pain—and each has a story to tell.

— The Economist

The Secret Chord / Geraldine Brooks

I discovered this book when it made the Chautauqua Literary and Scientific Circle in 2017 and recommend this book to anyone interested in historical/biblical fiction. —Ms. McNeill

The Secret Chord—a thundering, gritty, emotionally devastating reconsideration of the story of King David—makes a masterly case for the generative power of retelling…some of the magic here has to do with setting and time—for sensory dramatics, it’s hard to compete with the Iron Age Middle East…but Brooks’ real accomplishment is that she also enables readers to feel the spirit of the place.

—The New York Times

Rain of Gold / Victor Villasenor

This is an all-time personal favorite. I first listened to Rain of Gold as an audiobook in middle school and loved it! This book tells a true-life saga of love, family and destiny that pulses with bold vitality, sweeping from the war-ravaged Mexican mountains of Pancho Villa’s revolution to the days of Prohibition in California. —Ms. McNeill

[Available on Learning Ally]

The Man Who Planted Trees: A Story of Lost Groves, the Science of Trees, and a Plan to Save the Planet / Jim Robbins

This is an inspiring story of a man who is trying to clone the largest trees of each species. He started this mission to save the DNA of the best examples of each tree species after a near death experience. A great companion to the Pulitzer Prize winning novel, The Overstory by Richard Powers—and I liked The Man Who Planted Trees better! —Mr. Carey

I Contain Multitudes: The Microbes Within Us and a Grander View of Life / Ed Yong

I was blown away when I read this book last fall, but now it seems even more appropriate. It makes you look at every space and surface differently. You will gain a new appreciation for life on this planet. It is the microbes’ world. We just live in it. —Mr. Carey

Beyond Colorblind / Sarah Shin

Shin outlines a process by which we might consider how to move forward as a country when the work of racial reconciliation is so desperately needed.

Her experience of discussing race in American comes from the perspective of an Asian-American. It’s important for me when looking at “hot-button” issues to find an analogous examples that doesn’t carry the immediate emotional heaviness. I know how the death of George Floyd and others has impacted my heart this summer—Shin offers a real, viable path for how we might move forward, together. —Fr. Scott

The Age of Entitlement: America Since the Sixties / Christopher Caldwell

When I was in high school, we didn’t get to anything after the Vietnam War in my US History class. This book traces the history of America from the Civil Rights Acts (1964) up until the election of President Trump. He has a pretty outlandish thesis—but it’s worth the read and consideration. —Fr. Scott

How to Be an Antiracist / Ibram X. Kendi

Kendi’s work on race in America is fantastic (his other book, Stamped from the Beginning, is an amazing history). This book is great because Kendi himself is vulnerable and acknowledges times in his life where he has held a racist mentality. He offers grace, and a way forward. —Fr. Scott

Sins in Blue / Brian Kaufman

A great read…about music, entitlement, dreams, sadness and how true friendship bridges race, class, and grief. —Mr. Parsons

Aftertaste: A Novel in Five Courses / Meredith Mileti

Tasty. Insightful. Family. Living and Loving. —Mr. Parsons

Will’s Words: How William Shakespeare Changed the Way You Talk / Jane Sutcliffe

A clever, fun, and engaging (if short) read about just how much the “words” of Shakespeare influenced our language, the way we think, and the way we express ourselves. —Mr. Parsons

The Art of Is: Improvising as a Way of Life / Stephen Nachmonovitch

A musical and philosophical meditation on living fully and in the present. Inspiring and moving. —Mr. Parsons

Talk Like TED: The 9 Public-Speaking Secrets of the World’s Top Minds / Carmine Gallo

This is an accessible, easy read. It provides some great insight into how competent and confident speaking is a skill and competency that everyone should have. It is useful for every student. —Mr. Parsons

Deep: Freediving, Renegade Science, and What the Ocean Tells Us About Ourselves / James Nestor

The ocean is a crazy scary place. Did you know that hammerheads cross the Atlantic in packs hundreds strong and do so at depths of over six thousand feet, where water is permanently black and just a fraction of a degree above freezing? I, too, was unaware. —Mr. Viser

The Road / Cormac McCarthy

An uplifting break from all the negativity and pessimism of the day! —Mr. Viser

[Editor’s note: this review is sarcastic.]

The Dyslexic Advantage: Unlocking the Hidden Potential of the Dyslexic Brain / Brock L. Eide et. al.

While dyslexics typically struggle to decode the written word, they often also excel in areas such as mechanical reasoning (required for architects and surgeons); interconnected reasoning (artists and inventors); narrative reasoning (novelists and lawyers); and dynamic reasoning (scientists and business pioneers). With much-needed prescriptive advice for parents, educators, and dyslexics, The Dyslexic Advantage provides the first complete portrait of dyslexia. Supporting their claims with groundbreaking science and interviews with successful dyslexics and innovative teachers, the authors of this essential book show how the unique strengths of dyslexia can be captured for success at home, at school, and at work.

—Amazon

This book is available on Learning Ally

—Ms. McNeill

What Are People For? / Wendell Berry

Anyone going to school at or working for Christchurch School should read more Wendell Berry. In this collection of essays, Berry writes about the ills facing America in a tone that is simultaneously somber and hopeful.

This book is available on Learning Ally

—Ms. McNeill

La isla bajo el mar / Isabel Allende

Cada año intento leer al menos un libro en español y este año escogí este libro escrito por Isabel Allende.

Aquí hay una crítica del libro: “Esta novela histórica hace lo que uno espera que este tip de libro haga: transportar al lector a un nuevo mundo, abrir la historia y darle vida, y hacer que los lectores se olviden del paso del tiempo en ese mundo que el autor ha construido con tanto cuidado y cariño”

—Los Angeles Times

Este libro está disponible por Learning Ally (en Español).

—Ms. McNeill

The Person You Mean to Be: How Good People Fight Bias / Dolly Chugh

I read this book last summer as part of a mindfulness course for educators, and I have been recommending this book ever since.

Many of us believe in equality, diversity, and inclusion. But how do we stand up for those values in our turbulent world? The Person You Mean to Be is the smart, “semi-bold” person’s guide to fighting for what you believe in.

Dolly reveals the surprising causes of inequality, grounded in the “psychology of good people.” Using her research findings in unconscious bias as well as work across psychology, sociology, economics, political science, and other disciplines, she offers practical tools to respectfully and effectively talk politics with family, to be a better colleague to people who don’t look like you, and to avoid being a well-intentioned barrier to equality. Being the person we mean to be starts with a look at ourselves.

She argues that the only way to be on the right side of history is to be a good-ish—rather than good—person. Good-ish people are always growing. Second, she helps you find your “ordinary privilege”—the part of your everyday identity you take for granted, such as race for a white person, sexual orientation for a straight person, gender for a man, or education for a college graduate. This part of your identity may bring blind spots, but it is your best tool for influencing change. Third, Dolly introduces the psychological reasons that make it hard for us to see the bias in and around us. She leads you from willful ignorance to willful awareness. Finally, she guides you on how, when, and whom, to engage (and not engage) in your workplaces, homes, and communities. Her science-based approach is a method any of us can put to use in all parts of our life.

—Amazon

—Ms. McNeill

Late Bloomers: The Power of Patience in a World Obsessed with Early Achievement / Rich Karlgaard

I heard about this book last year, but it was recently recommended by an LSP parent, and it immediately made it to my summer reading list.

There is a scientific explanation for why so many of us bloom later in life. The executive function of our brains doesn’t mature until age 25—and later for some. In fact, our brain’s capabilities peak at different ages. We actually enjoy multiple periods of blooming in our lives.

Based on several years of research, personal experience, and interviews with neuroscientists and psychologists and countless people at different stages of their careers, Late Bloomers reveals how and when we achieve our full potential—and why today’s focus on early success is so misguided and even harmful.

—Amazon

—Ms. McNeill

The Nature Fix: Why Nature Makes Us Happier, Healthier, and More Creative / Florence Williams

This book has been on my list for a few years, and during the summer of 2020, the LSP team has invited the LSP community (parents and students) to read this book as a common read, and we will be host a book talk in the fall.

Florence Williams sets out to uncover the science behind nature’s positive effects on the brain. From forest trails in Korea to islands in Finland to groves of eucalyptus in California, Williams investigates the science at the confluence of environment, mood, health, and creativity. Delving into completely new research, she uncovers the powers of the natural world to improve health, promote reflection and innovation, and ultimately strengthen our relationships. As our modern lives shift dramatically indoors, these ideas – and the answers they yield – are more urgent than ever.

—Amazon

—Ms. McNeill

Hope and Other Dangerous Pursuits / Laila Lalami

I read this book a few years ago before traveling to Morocco. The book depicts the lives of four Moroccans who illegally cross the Strait of Gibraltar in an inflatable boat headed for Spain. The story reveals what drove these immigrants to risk their lives in search for a new life. Throughout the story, the characters wrestle with religious, moral, familiar, and economic conflicts as they build new lives in Spain as illegal Moroccan immigrants. This is a perfect summer book as it is written in a short story style. —Ms. McNeill

La Casa de los Espiritus / The House of the Spirits / Isabel Allende

I find this book culturally and politically timely yet whimsical at the same time. Reading this story could draw some connections to our current political climate as Allende writes about the turmoil that swept through an unnamed South American country (Chile) as liberal and conservative ideology collided. Allende is an excellent story teller and incorporates magical realism with paranormal elements which makes for a fun, through provoking, and exciting read! —Ms. McNeill

(The English language version of this book is available on Learning Ally.)

American Dirt / Jeanine Cummins

It is a tough book to start, the opening sequence is rough, but it is a page-turner that I couldn’t put down. It is a human story that needs to be told, and heard. —Mrs. Kiland

American Dirt is a quick and thrilling read that is both enjoyable and enlightening as the book seeks to heighten awareness of who is crossing over to the United States and why. Additionally, there is a lot of public criticism around the story and author. I urge anyone interested in engaging with a good story, a story that extends beyond the book and into our public discourse around immigration and privilege, to pick up this book over the summer. —Ms. McNeill

(Not available on Learning Ally, but the audiobook would be a great addition to any summer road trip!)

The Princess Bride / William Goldman

Because the book is better than the movie, and the movie was AWESOME. —Mr. Nick Smith

Blood and Thunder / Hampton Sides

Kit Carson was Davy Crockett and Wild Bill Hickok rolled into one. This tale tells the story of American expansion through the life of the man who blazed the trail. America followed its Manifest Destiny into the West. Only problem was, there were already people there. —Mr. Nick Smith

Presumed Innocent / Scott Turow

Scott Turow wrote two great books involving the law. One was his true story of the 1st year of law school at Harvard. Presumed Innocent was his thriller about the prosecution of a murder. Law professors assigned the courtroom scenes as examples of good practice by trial lawyers, because Turow wrote them so well. —Mr. Nick Smith

Lonesome Dove / Larry McMurty

Maybe the best voyage story ever told. This time, it’s not Odysseus, it’s Gus and Call, two Texas Rangers turned cattlemen. —Mr. Nick Smith

Lost Horizon / James Hilton

This book gave rise to the popular concept of Shangri-La. A Western author’s idea of Eastern mysticism. The tale is well-told. The story raises an interesting question: What is it worth to live forever? —Mr. Nick Smith

Friday Night Lights / H.G. Bissinger

Football. Texas. Oil. —Mr. Nick Smith

In the Heart of the Sea: The Tragedy of the Whaleship Essex / Nathaniel Philbrick

Shackleton became a world-wide hero for his feat of navigation from the Antarctic to South Georgia Island. These guys, however, went a LOT farther. There are many interesting topics in this book: why do some men survive when others don’t; what role did race (and racial inequality aboard ship) play in selecting who survived; how do we make decisions in crisis; what does it take to eat another person? —Mr. Nick Smith

All the King’s Men / Robert Penn Warren

Robert Penn Warren’s classic tale of political intrigue and class struggle. A classic from the start, it still rings true today. —Mr. Nick Smith

A Passage to India / E.M. Forster

E.M. Forster’s tale is rich with topics for thought, including Muslim v. Hindu v. Christian conflicts, the role of Britain in the Raj, the end of colonial rule, racism, sexism, feminism, and religionism. Did Forster get it right? —Mr. Nick Smith

The Wind in the Willows / Kenneth Grahame

A funny, heart-warming tale of Mole, Water Rat, Badger, Toad, and a bevy of other animals. Told to generations of children, this book rivals Winnie-The-Pooh as the seminal work of children’s fiction from its era. Check it out just to understand who the Piper at the Gates of Dawn is. —Mr. Nick Smith

The Man with the Golden Gun / Ian Fleming

James Bond meets “The Most Dangerous Game.” Ian Fleming’s James Bond takes on a dangerous assassin in the killer’s private hunting ground. This is the last Bond book written by Ian Fleming, published after his death. —Mr. Nick Smith

The Iron Tower Trilogy / Dennis L. McKiernan

featuring the following three books:

The Dark Tide

Shadow of Doom

The Darkest Day

If you like Tolkien’ Lord of the Rings, this trilogy might be for you. The author wrote the trilogy in an attempt to follow up on Tolkien’s tale. Tolkien’s publishers rejected the work, so hobbits changed to warrows, and Sauron changed to Gyphon. The work is not the most original, but, the story is fast-paced, and the tale is well-told. —Mr. Nick Smith

Catch-22 / Joseph Heller

This is a hilarious, but poignant look at the absurdity of the military bureaucracy, and the tragedy of war. The characters are vivid representations of everything that is wrong, and what is right with the military. Yossarian, the main character, is caught by Catch-22, and that is some catch, that Catch-22. —Mr. Nick Smith

The absurdity of the events in the story is on the level of the humor in “The Office,” though with a literary subtlety and set in World War II, if that helps you decide whether or not to give this one a shot. —Mr. Kempe

Devil in the White City / Erik Larson

A riveting true story about The 1893 Chicago World’s Columbian Exposition and the serial killer who used the fair as an opportunity to hunt his victims. This is not a novel, but it is a nonfiction work written in the style of a novel. This book is exciting history. —Mr. Nick Smith

The Hate U Give / Angie Thomas

A contemporary look at the question of justice and equality in America. A moving story about loss, friendship, family, and love told from the perspective of a girl torn between her inner-city home and the privileged, white school life she tries to keep separate. —Mr. Nick Smith

Here’s Looking at Euclid / Alex Bellos

What the heck are numbers, why do they exist? Do we humans have a natural sense of quantifying things, or are we all simply conditioned to the Arabic number system used around the world? Math is a language the whole world utilizes, and this book explores many aspects of this language in a fun and story telling manner —if you love math, you will of course love this book. But, If you HATE math you will also LOVE this book, as it will allow you to see the simplicity, beauty, and meaning of this language. —Mr. Schaefer

SprawlBall / Kirk Goldsberry

Do you enjoy the sports and big data in the NBA? Do you wonder why everyone in the NBA is shooting so many 3’s? This book shows how big data and analytics have forever changed the NBA. The ideas and graphs shown and described by author Kirk Goldsberry (has worked for ESPN, Team USA, and San Antonio Spurs) explain clearly how the numbers changed how coaches looked at the game… from here the Sloan Analytics Conference has formed and is using Big Data to make decisions that have creeped into many aspects of the modern world (also see the website called Five Thirty-Eight). —Mr. Schaefer

Waking Up White / Debby Irving

Rare but necessary perspective on race, power and relationships from a white person’s perspective. —Mr. Nick Smith

The Orphan Master’s Son / Adam Johnson

An amazing story of survival and intrigue in the oppressive environment of North Korea. —Mr. Goodrich

This is a tricky, complex, deeply satisfying story. I only kind of liked it the first time I read it, but after reading it a second time I began to understand the complex way everything fit together. Reading this novel is probably the most fun way to understand what life is like in North Korea for regular citizens, and how life there connects to the world beyond. If you’re ready for a challenge, this book is really good, and really tricky. Be warned. —Mr. Kempe

Segregation / Robert Penn Warren

A collection of fascinating interviews of Southerners (both black and white) pondering the peculiar institution of segregation in the American South. Written in the ’50s, so before Jim Crow began to crumble. Warren’s analysis is brilliant too. Easy to read! —Mr. Goodrich

1491: New Revalations of the Americas Before Columbus

How much do you know about anything that happened in the entire western hemisphere before Columbus landed in “the New World,” only five hundred years ago?

This book explores the pre-Columbian cultures of the Americas. Not only did this book completely change my perception of what life was like here before European contact, it did so through a fun-to-read journalistic style. —Mr. Viser

Unaccustomed Earth / Jhumpa Lahiri

Beautiful short story collection by Jhumpa Lahiri. Focuses on the experience of Indians living in America. If you’ve been on the India trip, I think you’ll find an especially meaningful connection to this book. —Mr. Viser

Grit / Angela Duckworth

If a person who is in charge of doing really tough things every day recommends this to 300 other people who have to do really hard stuff every day, I figure it is a good idea to learn how to use grit to get through hard stuff. —Mr. Homer

Being a Beast / Charles Foster

If you love animals, this is a fascinating look at a human trying to imagine he is one—and it’s beautifully written. —Dr. Heath

A Gentleman in Moscow / Amor Towles

I fell in love with the main character of this book immediately. Add in his adorable “niece” and all of their shenanigans, and you’ve got yourself a lovable and interesting read. —Ms. Fisher

Dear Martin / Nic Stone

The main character in this book is headed to the Ivy League school of his choice—a top student and the captain of the debate team. None of this matters to the police officer who arrests him, as he attempts to help his drunk ex-girlfriend get home one night. Justyce is haunted by the memories of this and looks to MLK Jr. for answers and insight. If your skin color has allowed you to never be in such a situation, then you should consider yourself privileged. For some of the students on our campus, Justyce’s story is a reality in their world. As we work towards a better Christchurch, this is a powerful MUST READ. —Ms. Fisher

Underground Airlines / Ben H. Winters

The best-selling book that asks the question:

What would present-day America look like if the Civil War never happened?

This is a work of “fiction” that is not really fiction, maybe closer to a world than we would like to admit. It really pushes the bounds of what we think or believe about our society and history. You will find that this book keeps you enthralled, racing to the VERY END, but leaving you wanting more. —Ms. Fisher

Fiction book that is very relevant to the world we live in today. The author paints an amazing image that keeps the reader on the edge of his or her seat. —Mr. Cole

Eva Luna / Isabel Allende

Or The House of Spirits, or Of Love and Shadows…in English or in Spanish, my favorite author of all time (and the partial namesake of my daughter!), Isabel Allende is an amazing storyteller who weaves South American culture, history and points of conflict (!) into her beautifully woven stories and incredibly human characters. —Mrs. Kiland

Ancillary Justice / Ann Leckie

“On a remote, icy planet, the soldier known as Breq is drawing closer to completing her quest.

“Once, she was the Justice of Toren—a colossal starship with an artificial intelligence linking thousands of soldiers in the service of the Radch, the empire that conquered the galaxy.

“Now, an act of treachery has ripped it all away, leaving her with one fragile human body, unanswered questions, and a burning desire for vengeance.” (Amazon.com) —Mr. Carey

438 Days : An Extraordinary True Story of Survival at Sea / Jonathan Franklin

He survived! 438 days! Drifting in a small open boat! On the Pacific Ocean! FOR 438 DAYS!!! —Mr. Carey

Matterhorn / Karl Marlantes

A gripping epic novel about a company of Marines during the Vietnam War. Recommended if you like the movies “Full Metal Jacket,” “Apocalypse Now,” “Platoon,” etc. —Mr. Carey

My Side of The Mountain / Jean Craighead George

Fun read about a boy coming of age with a peregrine falcon, the wilderness and society. —Mr. Cola

The Righteous Mind: Why Good People Are Divided by Politics and Religion / Jonathan Haidt

This is an incredible book! I am 100% convinced EVERYONE should read this. Ever wondered why you thought someone was a nice, reasonable person — only to find out they were either a crack-pot conservative or bleeding-heart liberal? Well this book gives insight as to why both types of people might actually both be good people (even though they disagree). —Father Scott

Survivor Cafe / Elizabeth Rosner

This book talks about how traumatic events of life are inherited by children and grandchildren. The author uses her own experience of being the child of a holocaust “survivor” to explore how her own life has been affected by something she never experienced.

I picked this book up to try and expand my understanding about the children/grandchildren/great-grandchildren of those who lived through slavery in the American south and/or the civil rights movement. —Father Scott

Instant Reply: The Green Bay Diary of Jerry Kramer / Jerry Kramer and Dick Schaap

The first real book I ever read. I have never once forgotten the quote: “No one works as hard as we do. And no one wins as often either.” —or I guess that is paraphrasing, but you get the picture. —Mr. Homer

Night / Elie Wiesel

This is a short but very powerful story. First person is so real in this case. We all need to read this one at least once. In the 21st century, we cannot forget what hyper-nationalism can lead to —Mr. Homer

The Godfather / Mario Puzo

The 1972 classic film, The Godfather is undoubtedly a cinematic masterpiece. It’s such a beautiful and well-made movie, you would think that there is no way the book could be as good as the movie in the timeless book versus movie argument. You would be wrong. They are both masterpieces of the highest quality.

Puzo’s novel, written in 1969, will have you hooked from the beginning, even if you have seen the movie and know the story. The characters are incredibly deep and well-created, the plot is excellent.

Just like the movie, this novel is near perfection. —Ms. Wheelock

Brave New World / Aldous Huxley

Without a doubt, my favorite book that I read in a high school English class. When it comes to dystopian novels that politicians, intellectuals, and pundits like to talk about that predict future society, Nineteen Eighty-Four by George Orwell gets a lot of love. And it should.Nineteen Eighty-Four is incredible. For so many reasons, I think Huxley’s Brave New World is more prescient than Nineteen Eighty-Four, and I encourage you to read it and find out why. In addition to his prescience, Huxley creates a dystopian future that is hilariously scary, sarcastic, and vividly dream-like. From babies made in tubes and citizens afraid to use the word “parent” to characters taking soma in fast-moving jets, Brave New World is striking in its vivid and fascinating imagery and in its accuracy into our global consumerist society of today. —Ms. Wheelock

The Book: On the Taboo Against Knowing Who You Are / Alan Watts

I think this quote from the book sums it up: “The universe is the game of the self, which plays hide and seek forever and ever.” Not a long read, but certainly a deep dive into a unique perspective on the meaning of life. Recommended to me by former student Evan Pausic. —Mr. Schaefer

At the root of human conflict is our fundamental misunderstanding of who we are. The illusion that we are isolated beings, unconnected to the rest of the universe, has led us to view the “outside” world with hostility, and has fueled our misuse of technology and our violent and hostile subjugation of the natural world. To help us understand that the self is in fact the root and ground of the universe, Watts has crafted a revelatory primer on what it means to be human—and a mind-opening manual of initiation into the central mystery of existence. —Amazon

Purple Hibiscus / Chimamanda Ngozi Adichie

Purple Hibiscus is a beautifully written novel set in Nigeria, that gets deep into your soul! You can really feel the tension between love and oppression in this family, as you follow them through tumultuous times as they deal with change. It is both insightful and thought-provoking. —Mrs. Heath

And according to Amazon:

Fifteen-year-old Kambili and her older brother Jaja lead a privileged life in Enugu, Nigeria. They live in a beautiful house, with a caring family, and attend an exclusive missionary school. They’re completely shielded from the troubles of the world. Yet, as Kambili reveals in her tender-voiced account, things are less perfect than they appear. Although her Papa is generous and well respected, he is fanatically religious and tyrannical at home—a home that is silent and suffocating.

As the country begins to fall apart under a military coup, Kambili and Jaja are sent to their aunt, a university professor outside the city, where they discover a life beyond the confines of their father’s authority. Books cram the shelves, curry and nutmeg permeate the air, and their cousins’ laughter rings throughout the house. When they return home, tensions within the family escalate, and Kambili must find the strength to keep her loved ones together.

Motherless Brooklyn / Jonathan Lethem

This is a surprising book, a thriller featuring the unlikely hero, Lionel Essrog, a private detective with Tourette’s Syndrome. Unusual, moving, laugh-out-loud funny, you are drawn into the world of this fascinating character with his wordy outbursts! You won’t regret picking up this book! —Mrs. Heath

The Lord of the Rings / J.R.R. Tolkien

Since the movies have faded away, I have to put this classic back on people’s radar. It is without question the finest fantasy novel in English. Yes, it does not have many female characters, and yes, it is long, but it is nonetheless a great and important book, coming from a time in the 20th century when an author pointed to another way of living, one different from the industrial world. —Dr. Keesee

Sapiens: A Brief History of Humankind / Yuval Noah Harari

Absolutely fascinating history of our species and its development. —Dr. Keesee

His Majesty’s Dragon / Naomi Novik

Historical fiction about the Napoleonic Wars, very well-written, and with dragons! —Dr. Keesee

The Atrocity Archives / Charles Stross

First book in an interesting series about a secret agency that protects humans from nasty aliens. Think Men in Black with an English accent. —Dr. Keesee

A Wizard of Earthsea / Ursula LeGuin

LeGuin died this year. It’s time to read her classic fantasy by one of the first female authors in the genre. And it’s a very wise book. —Dr. Keesee

The Golden Compass / Philip Pullman

First book in a brilliant and controversial retelling of the Paradise Lost story. Mixes physics and myth and science fiction in a compelling blend. —Dr. Keesee

The Golden Compass is the first book in the trilogy by Phillip Pullman called His Dark Materials. If you enjoy trilogy-type stories (Lord of the Rings, Star Wars, and others) with characters developed over the series, and deep meaning behind the story, this is for you! The book’s story is set in another world that is very similar to earth but is another dimension of earth, where a strange thing is happening in the world—dust is being lost, but what the heck is dust? —Mr. Schaefer

Quarter Share / Nathan Lowell

The beginning of a great but very unusual Sci-Fi series that focuses not on space battles and aliens but people and relationships and human growth and vulnerability. —Dr. Keesee

The More Beautiful World our Hearts Know Is Possible / Charles Eisenstein

In these current times where things seem so bleak and unbearable at times, Charles Eisenstein offers this book of hope, while acknowledging the challenges of the modern world. He promotes a “Gift Economy” and denounces growth economy—Charles’ ideas come from a perspective that can come at odds with both the right and the left. He lives his philosophy, offering all his publications free on his website (you can of course buy a hard copy, but he would be the first to tell you to not waste the money and resources, just read it online!) —Mr. Schaefer

Fair and Tender Ladies / Lee Smith

Great choice for young women (or anyone!)…great insight into the life of a woman in early 20th century…her thoughts and her living. —Mr. Parsons

Atlas Shrugged / Ayn Rand

A great “thinking” book. Objectivism, individualism…so much more. —Mr. Parsons

Afrilachia / Frank X. Walker

Great collection of poetry; insight into the southern black experience. —Mr. Parsons

Better / Atul Gawande

Atul Gawande is a surgeon and a staff writer for The New Yorker who brought together many of his essays in this piece. While his stories are grounded in medicine, the lessons he shares in this book are about performance, resilience and failure; they apply to many different walks of life. And the tone of his writing is really easy to read—as the New York Times Book Review writes, “Gawande has the ability to deconstruct and explain the most difficult issues while preserving, even celebrating, their complexity. He applies a sly sense of humor to even the most unsettling topics. And his voice is so direct that at times it borders on painful.” —Ms. Wilbanks

The Edge of the Sea / Rachel Carson

Mr. Kempe told me that I should include some kind of environmental literature on my recommendation list, probably since one of our first conversations this year was about Rachel Carson. She has a really wonderful book called The Edge of the Sea that she wrote before Silent Spring; it’s a series of essays about the shoreline, how “the edge of the sea is a strange and beautiful place.” She writes with detail that’s rooted in science and includes great images throughout the book. It’s a really wonderful read that made me think about beaches in a new way, and will hopefully make you look at the ocean in a new way. —Ms. Wilbanks

A Timbered Choir / Wendell Berry

If you’re looking for a great book of nature poetry, I would absolutely recommend this one because it’s my favorite one of all time. A collection of Wendell Berry’s “Sabbath Poems”, this book mixes religious images, peace and love with really beautiful descriptions of our natural world. When Wendell Berry wrote these poems, he intended for them to be read aloud, outside, and alone in nature. Each time I read this book I find something new! Check it out!! —Ms. Wilbanks

Say Nothing / Brad Parks

My favorite Brad Parks book! I am an avid BP reader—love all of his books. They are quick, easy, and engaging books. I can’t ever put them down and usually finish in one or two sittings, if I can help it—mostly summer reading. This one is BY FAR my favorite, in my opinion the best. (I have not read Closer Than You Know yet, but will soon.) I won’t spoil this for you, but it is a thriller involving a normal family, kidnapping, terror, and lies (you know, typical stuff). As always, there are strategically placed Christchurch School faculty members. You’ve got to read to see them! —Ms. Fisher

Note: this is written by the husband of Ms. Melissa Taylor, who works at CCS in LSP.

The Other Wes Moore: One Name, Two Fates / Wes Moore

Two young men who grow up close to one another and end up in very different places. Throughout their lives, there are choices or opportunities that present themselves. Those paths take them to two different ends (or really snapshots in their lives, at the time of the book). If you have been fortunate enough to have a good, safe, comfortable life, this book provides you an opportunity to imagine how very different life could be without those privileges. —Ms. Fisher

Option B: Facing Adversity, Building Resilience, and Finding Joy / Sheryl Sandberg

This is a book for an individual who has suffered a tragic event OR as a book to keep in mind for the future when you or someone you know experiences loss. Option B is about learning to survive and accept life when it doesn’t go according to plan. The author’s young husband passes early on and leaves her with their two children. She is suddenly alone to raise their kids. It was not her plan, it was not their plan for their lives. The author shares what she has learned and gives some strategies for those who may might themselves in a similar situation. This is an easy read in one respect, easy as the author writes like she’s talking to a friend over coffee. She draws you in on some heavy topics. A survival guide for loss, if there is or could be one. —Ms. Fisher

Just Mercy: A Story of Justice and Redemption / Bryan Stevenson

The author’s story of racial injustice and his life’s work—it is inspiring, it is draining, and it is just plain sad. I was so moved by this book. I felt the desire to go out and change the world. After every few pages, I would feel the need to do something that was “right.” Mr. Stevenson pours his life into his work, driving all over to represent individuals. He does so without power, prestige, ego, and so on. He does it because he feels compelled to do the work. He does so to help his fellow human beings. He drives to prisons all over, many long hours. He sits with families and understands their stories. He works for them, to see their family members freed or to at the very least provide them with adequate legal representation. You can feel the despair, the loss, the suffering. It’s a must read. —Ms. Fisher

“Just Mercy is every bit as moving as To Kill a Mockingbird, and in some ways more so. . . . [It] demonstrates, as powerfully as any book on criminal justice that I’ve ever read, the extent to which brutality, unfairness, and racial bias continue to infect criminal law in the United States. But at the same time that [Bryan] Stevenson tells an utterly damning story of deep-seated and widespread injustice, he also recounts instances of human compassion, understanding, mercy, and justice that offer hope. . . . Just Mercy is a remarkable amalgam, at once a searing indictment of American criminal justice and a stirring testament to the salvation that fighting for the vulnerable sometimes yields.”—David Cole, The New York Review of Books

12 Strong: The Declassified True Story of the Horse Soldiers / Doug Stanton

See how the United States Special Forces reacted to the 9/11 terror attacks. —Mr. Bloom

In the weeks following the attacks of September 11, a small band of Special Forces soldiers secretly entered Afghanistan. Riding on horseback, they pursued the Taliban over the stark and mountainous Afghanistan terrain. After a series of intense battles, they captured the strategically essential city of Mazar-i-Sharif.

The bone-weary American soldiers were welcomed as liberators as they rode into the city, and the streets thronged with Afghans overjoyed that the Taliban regime had been overthrown. Then the action took a wholly unexpected turn. During a surrender of six hundred Taliban troops, the Horse Soldiers were ambushed by the would-be POWs. Dangerously overpowered, they fought for their lives in the city’s immense fortress, Qala-i-Jangi, or the House of War. At risk were the military gains of the entire campaign: if the soldiers perished or were captured, the entire effort to outmaneuver the Taliban was likely doomed. —Amazon

Frontier / Can Xue

The author describes herself as a performance artist with writing as her medium. Reading the book is like reading an art piece. —Ms. Cola

Frontier opens with the story of Liujin, a young woman heading out on her own to create her own life in Pebble Town, a somewhat surreal place at the base of Snow Mountain where wolves roam the streets and certain enlightened individuals can see and enter a paradisiacal garden.

Exploring life in this city (or in the frontier) through the viewpoint of a dozen different characters, some simple, some profound, Can Xue’s latest novel attempts to unify the grand opposites of life–barbarism and civilization, the spiritual and the material, the mundane and the sublime, beauty and death, Eastern and Western cultures.

A layered, multifaceted masterpiece from the 2015 winner of the Best Translated Book Award, Frontier exemplifies John Darnielle’s statement that Can Xue’s books read “as if dreams had invaded the physical world.” —Amazon review

Also, Susan Sontag says that Can Xue is China’s most likely Nobel laureate. (Also also, the cover is really pretty…)

The Most Beautiful: My Life with Prince / Mayte Garcia

Non-fiction account of life with Prince as told by his first wife. —Ms. Cola

The Bear and the Nightingale / Katherine Arden

Here it is: a beautiful, fantastical take on a traditional Russian fairy tale. —Ms. Cola

America’s First Daughter / Stephanie Dray

You’ve heard Hamilton— now check this out, as the author imagines what life was like through the eyes of Thomas Jefferson’s daughter, Martha Jefferson. —Ms. Cola

Hunted / Meagan Spooner

A Beauty and the Beast story where the heroine is an accomplished hunter/tracker. —Ms. Cola

Just Kids / Patti Smith

Raw and fun power. The spirit of art is all over this book. In this memoir, Patti Smith, the NYC rock ‘n roll legend, describes her friendship with the artist Robert Mapplethorpe as they are on the cusp of fame in New York during the late 60’s. —Mr. Banks

Flowers for Algernon / Daniel Keyes

A powerful and quick read that contains plenty of philosophy, romance, and science (fiction). A mentally handicapped man undergoes an experimental brain operation to increase his intelligence, and he documents his experience in the form of diary entries. —Mr. Banks

Sophie’s World: A Novel about the History of Philosophy / Jostein Gaarder

Mr. Wessinger:

If you are interested in philosophy this book provides a brief but in depth look into some of the greats while providing an interesting story of mystery.

Amazon:

A page-turning novel that is also an exploration of the great philosophical concepts of Western thought, Sophie’s World has fired the imagination of readers all over the world.

One day fourteen-year-old Sophie Amundsen comes home from school to find in her mailbox two notes, with one question on each: “Who are you?” and “Where does the world come from?” From that irresistible beginning, Sophie becomes obsessed with questions that take her far beyond what she knows of her Norwegian village. Through those letters, she enrolls in a kind of correspondence course with a mysterious philosopher, covering Socrates to Sartre, while receiving letters addressed to another girl. Who is Hilde? And why does her mail keep turning up? To unravel this riddle, Sophie must use the philosophy she is learning―but the truth turns out to be far more complicated than she could have imagined.

Stranger in a Strange Land / Robert A. Heinlein

Mr. Wessinger:

A truly amazing sci-fi book that will have you thinking about existence.

Amazon adds:

Valentine Michael Smith is a man raised by Martians. Sent to Earth, he must learn what it is to be human. But his beliefs and his powers far exceed the limits of man, and his arrival leads to a transformation that will alter Earth’s inhabitants forever…

Suite Française / Irène Némirovsky

I have read and loved this book since it was published in 2004 and I returned to it recently after reading The Nightingale and All the Light We Cannot See. The back story to the writing and publication of this novel is as fascinating as the subject matter: a Jewish family’s escape from Paris as the Germans invade in June of 1940, and then trying to survive as a family in German-occupied France. Némirovsky, a Russian-born Jew whose family escaped to France during the Russian Revolution, was at the time of the German invasion a celebrated author in France, with a number of best selling novels. The manuscripts that make up this “suite” were written as Némirovsky fled Paris and then tried to make a life for herself in the French countryside. There, in a small village, she and her family tried to make new lives for themselves despite their daily fear of German persecution. Like Anne Frank, Némirovsky was a witness to the atrocities of the Nazi regime, and like Anne Frank, Némirovsky was eventually seized by the Nazis (her husband had already been sent to a concentration camp) and sent to Auschwitz in July of 1943 where she died a month later. Némirovsky left behind two young daughters, who were eventually rescued by a former governess and sent to the United States. With them came their mother’s trunk, where—unknown to them—lay hidden their mother’s manuscript. Decades later, the manuscript was discovered by one of Némirovsky’s daughters and finally published in 2004. Némirovsky, long forgotten, is now known to us as one of the first, if not the finest, writers of World War II. —Mrs. Byers

Commonwealth / Ann Patchett

Another book about families and especially sisters, this book covers five decades in the lives of two families whose paths intersect by chance. Set in California, the epitome of the American dream, where oranges grow by the bushels in everyone’s backyard, and then Virginia, one of the original “commonwealths” of the newly formed United States, the novel traces the joys and tragedies of two very different families who nonetheless are united by their common love (“commonweal”) for each other. —Mrs. Byers

The Nightingale / Kristen Hannah

Similar to Anthony Doer’s All The Light We Cannot See, this is a story of courage in the face of terrible suffering and hardship. Set in France, just after the Nazis invade Paris in June of 1940, this is a story of two sisters who in very different ways take part in the French Resistance. Partly based on the true story of a Belgium woman who helped hundreds of Allied aviators whose planes had crashed in Occupied France escape from the Germans, the novel movingly depicts the horror of suddenly losing everything you have ever loved or known, including freedom and one’s own identity. —Mrs. Byers

The Heart is a Lonely Hunter / Carson McCullers

A beautiful and poignant novel set in the American South in the 1940s; its slow pace and rich detail would be perfect for a hot, bright summer afternoon. —Mr. McNeill

The Dispossessed / Ursula K. LeGuin

The Dispossessed is, I suppose, a science-fiction novel, but only incidentally so. It’s a beautiful meditation on society and the nature of time. —Mr. McNeill

A quasi utopian science-fiction novel that depicts life on two planets through a contrasting ying and yang lens. Physical and social conflicts between anarchism versus capitalism constraints arise between the freedom of anarchism and the constraints imposed by authority and society on both planets. The book also presents some interesting perspectives around the passage of time. —Ms. McNeill

(This book is available on Learning Ally.)

Cat’s Cradle / Kurt Vonnegut

A great introduction to Vonnegut and a great summer read. It’s fun and funny, though a bit dark, but with great insight into human nature and American society. —Mr. McNeill

The Tipping Point / Malcolm Gladwell

Gladwell has made me turn pages more than any other author. All of his stuff is fascinating and you should read it all. This one focuses on how little details sometimes make all the difference. Interesting, informative, motivating. —Mr. Viser

Michael Jordan: The Life / Roland Lazenby

This book goes through every single part of Jordan’s life and career. And I mean every single part. If you are interested in Jordan, basketball, or basketball shoes, there’s no more informative book out there. —Mr. Viser

Room Full of Mirrors: A Biography of Jimi Hendrix / Charles Cross

Detailed biography of Jimi Hendrix. If you like his music or the classic rock era of the sixties and seventies in general, you’ll eat this book up. I feel like I personally know Jimi Hendrix after reading it. —Mr. Viser

The Catcher in the Rye / J.D. Salinger

One of my all-time favorite books. This short (!!) novel is about a boarding school student from New York who runs away from school and spends one night out in the city. The whole plot covers less than a day but reveals the complexity and inner struggle of the narrator. I bet most students could find some common sentiments. —Mr. Viser

There’s a reason about one-third of YA novels get labelled something like “a modern-day Catcher in the Rye.” This is definitely a book everybody should read at some point, and while it does feel a bit dated (written in the 1950s) there’s so much about it that still feels fresh and vital. (Can you also not stand the phonies surrounding you?) This is a book that many, many people felt was inappropriate for kids to read when it first came out, and now it’s inarguably a classic, not only of Young Adult lit but of American literature as well. —Mr. Kempe

My favorite book ever: I read it for the first time the summer before 9th grade, then in college, then twice more. Read it now, read it in five years, then read it in ten years. And in another ten years. Each time, it will speak to you —  and your life experiences will bring out different themes that you had not noticed in it the same way before. —Ms. Kiland

A Walk in the Woods / Bill Bryson

This book has it all. Funny, interesting, informative. It is the author’s account of his experience hiking the Appalachian Trail. He injects well-researched facts about the history, geology, and legends of the trail into his personal experience. As a student attending an outdoorsy school, I know most of you would enjoy learning more about one of the most renowned outdoor expeditions on the planet. Bryson’s writing itself will have you laughing and turning pages. He writes like he’s sitting in the room with you and just telling you a story. —Mr. Viser

The Blood of Emmett Till / Timothy Tyson

Holy cow. This book is so disturbing it will make you look away from the pages. However, it has added depth and understanding to one of the most iconic events of the Civil Rights Movement. In fact, the author argues that Till’s lynching is what started the Movement as we study it today. Personally, I enjoyed reading this book because it made me feel like I was back in college. It was written by one of my old professors and is exactly that type of thing we would study and discuss in my Southern Studies major. If you are interested in learning more about the Jim Crow south or perhaps dedicating yourself to this field of study in college, you will be way ahead of the game if you read this book. Academic and exhaustively researched. Brain food. —Mr. Viser

The Tsar of Love and Techno / Anthony Marra

Most of the ESL kids have read this in class this year, so you would have plenty of people to discuss it with. It’s a collection of interconnected short stories that take place in modern and near-modern Russia. Not a bad time in US history to start learning about the Russian people and what life is like for them, is it? Artistically, the stories intertwine in a beautiful and creative way. Discovering and dissecting this was a pleasure by itself. —Mr. Viser

The Liar’s Club / Mary Karr

Mr. Viser says:

Memoir about the author’s upbringing. Offers a unique and often disturbing narrative on what it was like for Mary growing up. Could be useful as a young woman to compare Karr’s experiences with what life has been like for you.

Amazon says:

Karr’s comic childhood in an east Texas oil town brings us characters as darkly hilarious as any of J. D. Salinger’s—a hard-drinking daddy, a sister who can talk down the sheriff at twelve, and an oft-married mother whose accumulated secrets threaten to destroy them all.

Stiff: The Curious Life of Human Cadavers / Mary Roach

Non- fiction; it’s a mystery tour about what happens when a body is donated to science. The author meets a lot of kooky characters.

The Thirteenth Tale / Diane Setterfield

Fiction—totally creepy, kept me guessing. A story about sisters and secrets.

The Lost City of the Monkey God / Douglas Preston

True story: Since the days of conquistador Hernán Cortés, rumors have circulated about a lost city of immense wealth hidden somewhere in the Honduran interior, called the White City or the Lost City of the Monkey God. Indigenous tribes speak of ancestors who fled there to escape the Spanish invaders, and they warn that anyone who enters this sacred city will fall ill and die. In 1940, swashbuckling journalist Theodore Morde returned from the rainforest with hundreds of artifacts and an electrifying story of having found the Lost City of the Monkey God—but then committed suicide without revealing its location.

Ms. Cola adds that it was one of her favorites of this year: Nonfiction, adventure, science, discovery, treasure, strange diseases.

Fever Dream / Samanta Schweblin

An amazing dialogued novel, spoken between a dying woman and a possibly dead young boy, about how life put them both where they are, and how they are inexplicably tied together. Stunning writing, even in translation. —Dr. Little

Amazon:

A young woman named Amanda lies dying in a rural hospital clinic. A boy named David sits beside her. She’s not his mother. He’s not her child. Together, they tell a haunting story of broken souls, toxins, and the power and desperation of family.

Fever Dream is a nightmare come to life, a ghost story for the real world, a love story and a cautionary tale. One of the freshest new voices to come out of the Spanish language and translated into English for the first time, Samanta Schweblin creates an aura of strange psychological menace and otherworldly reality in this absorbing, unsettling, taut novel.

Ms. Cola says the book is creepy and mysterious, and she could not stop reading it!

This Boy’s Life / Tobias Wolff

This book is great. Memoir by the author on his upbringing. Offers a unique perspective on what other boys go through as they get older and experience adolescence. Could be useful for a young man to compare Wolff’s experiences with what life has been like for you. —Mr. Viser

 

Behind the Scenes at the Museum / Kate Atkinson

Dr. Heath:

It begins with a chapter called “Conception” with the sentence “I exist!”

New York Times Book Review:

Ruby Lennox begins narrating her life at the moment of conception, and from there takes us on a whirlwind tour of the twentieth century as seen through the eyes of an English girl determined to learn about her family and its secrets. Kate Atkinson’s first novel is “a multigenerational tale of a spectacularly dysfunctional Yorkshire family and one of the funniest works of fiction to come out of Britain in years”

Saturday / Ian McEwan

Amazon:

In his triumphant new novel, Ian McEwan, the bestselling author of Atonement, follows an ordinary man through a Saturday whose high promise gradually turns nightmarish. Henry Perowne—a neurosurgeon, urbane, privileged, deeply in love with his wife and grown-up children–plans to play a game of squash, visit his elderly mother, and cook dinner for his family. But after a minor traffic accident leads to an unsettling confrontation, Perowne must set aside his plans and summon a strength greater than he knew he had in order to preserve the life that is dear to him.

Dr. Heath:

McEwan is a master. Even the way he describes a squash match in this novel is a powerful delight.

A Time to Keep / George Mackay Brown

Amazon:

A Time to Keep is George Mackay Brown’s second volume of short stories inspired by both ancient and modern life on the island of Orkney. First published in 1969, its twelve stories depict a vast cast of characters drawn from Orkney’s past and present, offering a range of emotions and incidents. They are elemental tales of the fishermen, crofters and farmers of the island and of the harsh, beautiful landscape in which they live.

Dr. Heath:

It’s by an Orkney writer who writes with a tangible sense of place.

Tomorrow in the Battle Think on Me / Javier Marias

Dr. Heath:

Very Interesting timeline. Well written, all that…

Amazon:

Tomorrow in the Battle Think on Me is a riveting novel of infidelity and a man trapped by a terrible secret.

Marta has only just met Victor when she invites him to dinner at her Madrid apartment while her husband is away on business. When her two-year-old son finally falls asleep, Marta and Victor retreat to the bedroom. Undressing, she feels suddenly ill; and in his arms, inexplicably, she dies. What should Victor do? Remove the compromising tape from the answering machine? Leave food for the child for breakfast? These are just his first steps, but he soon takes matters further; unable to bear the shadows and the unknowing, Victor plunges into dark waters. And Javier Marías, Europe’s master of secrets, of what lies reveal and truth may conceal, is on sure ground in this profound, quirky, and marvelous novel.

Kafka on the Shore / Haruki Murakami

Amazon:

Kafka on the Shore is powered by two remarkable characters: a teenage boy, Kafka Tamura, who runs away from home either to escape a gruesome oedipal prophecy or to search for his long-missing mother and sister; and an aging simpleton called Nakata, who never recovered from a wartime affliction and now is drawn toward Kafka for reasons that, like the most basic activities of daily life, he cannot fathom.

As their paths converge, and the reasons for that convergence become clear, Haruki Murakami enfolds readers in a world where cats talk, fish fall from the sky, and spirits slip out of their bodies to make love or commit murder. Kafka on the Shore displays one of the world’s great storytellers at the peak of his powers.

Dr. Heath:

it’s a good book

Unbroken / Laura Hillenbrand

The amazing survival story of American Louis Zamperini during World War II. Includes plane crashes, sharks, prison camps, the Olympics, and much more! And it’s a true story!

Evicted: Poverty and Profit in the American City / Matthew Desmond

2017 Pulitzer Prize winner for General Nonfiction.

“An incredible investigation of the cycle of urban poverty in America! So enlightening and interesting! I promise.” —Mr. Goodrich

Or, as Amazon puts it,

In Evicted, Harvard sociologist and MacArthur “Genius” Matthew Desmond follows eight families in Milwaukee as they struggle to keep a roof over their heads. Hailed as “wrenching and revelatory” (The Nation), “vivid and unsettling” (New York Review of Books), Evicted transforms our understanding of poverty and economic exploitation while providing fresh ideas for solving one of 21st-century America’s most devastating problems. Its unforgettable scenes of hope and loss remind us of the centrality of home, without which nothing else is possible.

The Sword of Truth series / Terry Goodkind

The Sword of Truth series begins with the first three books Wizard’s First Rule, Stone of Tears, and Blood of the Fold.

Ms. Miller reports: I started reading this book series when I was in high school and became hooked instantly. Who doesn’t love a sense of adventure, love, and a little magic? This seventeen book series follows the life of Richard, Kahlan, and Zedd through self-discovery, turmoil, and the fight against evil. If you are into fantasy novels or just looking for something different, this series is for you!

Wizard’s Third Rule: “Passion rules reason.” —Terry Goodkind

Gilead / Marilynne Robinson

Gilead won the Pulitzer Prize for fiction in 2004. In the words of Kirkus Reviews, this is a novel “as big as a nation, as quiet as thought, and moving as prayer. Matchless and towering.” Mr. Parsons reports that it is “the story of three generations of fathers and sons in America. Heartbreaking.”

The Invisible Bridge / Julie Orringer

Paris, 1937. Andras Lévi, a Hungarian-Jewish architecture student, arrives from Budapest with a scholarship, a single suitcase, and a mysterious letter he promised to deliver. But when he falls into a complicated relationship with the letter’s recipient, he becomes privy to a secret that will alter the course of his—and his family’s—history.

From the small Hungarian town of Konyár to the grand opera houses of Budapest and Paris, from the despair of Carpathian winter to an unimaginable life in labor camps, The Invisible Bridge tells the story of a family shattered and remade in history’s darkest hour.

“Fantastic story of the power of art in a time of war. SO powerful.” —Mr. Parsons

News of the World / Paulette Jiles

In the aftermath of the Civil War, an aging itinerant news reader agrees to transport a young captive of the Kiowa back to her people in this exquisitely rendered, morally complex, multilayered novel of historical fiction that explores the boundaries of family, responsibility, honor, and trust.

Best American Short Stories 2016 / Ed. Junot Díaz

Great collection of short stories selected by Dominican-born, New Jersey-livin’, Pulitzer Prize-winnin’ author Junot Díaz. These stories are engaging and diverse.

The Glass Castle / Jeannette Walls

Mr. O’Connell: Great book about a family going through hardship.

Amazon: The Glass Castle is a remarkable memoir of resilience and redemption, and a revelatory look into a family at once deeply dysfunctional and uniquely vibrant. When sober, Jeannette’s brilliant and charismatic father captured his children’s imagination, teaching them physics, geology, and how to embrace life fearlessly. But when he drank, he was dishonest and destructive. Her mother was a free spirit who abhorred the idea of domesticity and didn’t want the responsibility of raising a family.

The Walls children learned to take care of themselves. They fed, clothed, and protected one another, and eventually found their way to New York. Their parents followed them, choosing to be homeless even as their children prospered.

The Turn of the Screw / Henry James

If you like Rebecca, you might want to follow up with this novella that examines the theme of evil from beyond the grave. In this case, the reader is never sure of the exact source of the evil, only that something strange and sinister is present. Does the evil lie within the house itself, or the governess, or the young boy and girl who are her charges? Do the events in the book actually happen or is it only the imagination of the governess that creates this story of horror? —Mrs. Byers

Restoration / Rose Tremain

Another historical novel, this time set in 17th century England, during the time of the restoration of the Stuart Kings to the throne of England. The novel centers on the physician Robert Merival, who after saving one of King Charles’s beloved dogs, is brought to the court of Charles II as the royal physician. What follows is a gripping story of a man who loses his integrity and moral fiber as he descends into the debauched world of the court. The book covers two of the most catastrophic events during the Restoration period, the Great Plague and the Fire of London, both events which threatened to wipe out most of the population of the city. Merival’s character is put to the test, and the book deals as much with the restoration of Merival’s soul as it does with the well being of the English monarchy. —Mrs. Byers

The Red Tent / Anita Diamant

I read this book years ago and it’s one that really struck a cord with me. This moving and compelling story brings the lives glimpsed through the verses of the Old Testament into focus through emotional storytelling with strong feminist undertones. —Ms. McNeill

Her name is Dinah. In the Bible, her life is only hinted at in a brief and violent detour within the more familiar chapters of the Book of Genesis that are about her father, Jacob, and his dozen sons.

Told in Dinah’s voice, this novel reveals the traditions and turmoils of ancient womanhood-the world of the red tent. It begins with the story of her mothers—Leah, Rachel, Zilpah, and Bilhah—the four wives of Jacob. They love Dinah and give her gifts that are to sustain her through a damaged youth, a calling to midwifery, and a new home in a foreign land.

—Amazon

—Mrs. Cola

[Available on Learning Ally]

Prodigal Summer / Barbara Kingsolver

 

Just because…an easy, good read.

Prodigal Summer weaves together three stories of human love within a larger tapestry of lives inhabiting the forested mountains and struggling small farms of southern Appalachia.

From her outpost in an isolated mountain cabin, Deanna Wolfe, a reclusive wildlife biologist, watches a den of coyotes that have recently migrated into the region. She is caught off-guard by a young hunter who invades her most private spaces and confounds her self-assured, solitary life. On a farm several miles down the mountain, Lusa Maluf Landowski, a bookish city girl turned farmer’s wife, finds herself unexpectedly marooned in a strange place where she must declare or lose her attachment to the land that has become her own. And a few more miles down the road, a pair of elderly feuding neighbours tend their respective farms and wrangle about God, pesticides, and the possibilities of a future neither of them expected.

Everybody Sees the Ants / A.S. King

Is it possible to fully escape the frustrating realities of everyday life by creating your own fantasy world? This is the story of a kid who tries, but as you might imagine, reality keeps interfering. Lucky Linderman keeps getting bullied in high school (and at the town pool) for no reason. Yet he continues having very realistic dreams about visiting his grandfather in a POW camp in Vietnam and trying to help him escape, since the family hasn’t seen him since.

It’s the kind of story I’ve seen in a lot of Young Adult -type books: told in the first person, by someone in high school, the background to the story is his parents’ struggling marriage, and few if any people who really understand what the narrator is going through—so the story zeroes in on the main character’s strategy for escaping. It’s a fun read; the main character feels like someone you probably met in school but maybe hadn’t noticed. —Mr. Kempe

Forever / Pete Hamill

This is the magical, epic tale of an extraordinary man who arrives in New York in 1740 and remains … forever. Through the eyes of Cormac O’Connor – granted immortality as long as he never leaves the island of Manhattan – we watch New York grow from a tiny settlement on the tip of an untamed wilderness to the thriving metropolis of today. And through Cormac’s remarkable adventures in both love and war, we come to know the city’s buried secrets – the way it has been shaped by greed, race, and waves of immigration, by the unleashing of enormous human energies, and, above all, by hope. —Ms. Parker

The Given Day / Dennis Lehane

From Dennis Lehane, New York Times bestselling author of Mystic River and Shutter Island, comes The Given Day, an unflinching family epic that captures the political unrest of a nation caught between a well-patterned past and an unpredictable future. This beautifully written novel of American history tells the story of two families—one black, one white—swept up in a maelstrom of revolutionaries and anarchists, immigrants and ward bosses, Brahmins and ordinary citizens, all engaged in a battle for survival and power at the end of World War I. —Ms. Parker

The Bean Trees / Barbara Kingsolver

Barbara Kingsolver married my Psychology Professor when I was in college so I had the privilege to spend time with her while I was in school my freshman year.  Again I define her as a southern writer and specifically in this book (her first) I find the story of a young woman setting out to find herself and her place in the world an interesting theme for young readers.  It reminds us that we don’t always know the destination of the path and that none of us can walk the path alone.  Making connections along the way is important as we find our true identity. —Mrs. Porter

Beloved / Toni Morrison

I love her writing and the combination of fantasy and reality in this gritty novel of post civil war struggles of freed slaves as they remember and adapt to life after slavery.  The novel is based on the true story of a slave who killed her baby to avoid having that child grow up enslaved.  I love the imagery that she is able to conjure by the use of phonetic wording with southern drawl.  The book is about slavery, the affects of slavery in a post slavery world, ghost, love and the deep south. —Mrs. Porter

Child of God / Cormac McCarthy

Dark fiction of human nature.  Follows the unraveling of the main character as he searches for his place in rural Tennessee.  Readers take a roller coaster ride of emotions as they witness the unraveling. —Mrs. Porter

Sick Puppy / Skinny Dip / Carl Hiaasen

When I read during the summer, I like books with a little mystery and crazy characters. For two hilarious and fun books to read on the beach I recommend Carl Hiaasen’s Sick Puppy and Skinny Dip. You will laugh and really enjoy the crazy characters in these books. —Mr. Smiley

From the Bottom Up: One Man’s Crusade to Clean America’s Rivers / Chad Pregracke

This is an inspirational story about a young man who dove in the Mississippi river for fresh water clams. When he started he just used a garden hose and a one cylinder air pump. After diving 6 hours everyday out of jon boat he got frustrated with all the trash he found. He decided he was going to clean up the Mississippi River of trash. All he had at the beginning was a jon boat and a pick up truck. His journey from that moment to becoming head of a large non-profit organization is truly remarkable and amazing. I gave this book to Mr. Cola for continued inspiration. You will be shocked to learn about all the challenges and problems he had to overcome to fulfill his dream. —Mr. Smiley

The Book Thief / Markus Zusak

Set on the home front in Germany during World War Two, the story is narrated by Death, which may give you a hint this is not a light hearted story.  But is is powerful and poignant, with some of the most dazzling imagery I have ever encountered.  Sad, but worth it!  An interesting perspective popular culture doesn’t usually offer on the Germany behind the lines. —Mr. Clark, Dr. White

I Know Why the Caged Bird Sings / Maya Angelou

In this first volume of her autobiography the well known and revered author, poet, performer, director, recalls her early life as a black girl in the South.  I love her language, her self-perception, and her resilience. —Dr. White

Seabiscuit: An American Legend / Laura Hillenbrand

Both Boys in the Boat and Seabiscuit are very detailed.  Both give a quite a view of the Depression, seen through a sports perspective. —Dr. White