A few of us in ITS and the Library put our heads together to recommend interesting or diverting summer reading and viewing. We’re gathering all these recommendations in a live online list, and we welcome your input — leave a comment here or email Richard Goerwitz or Iris Jastram to add to our list!
Reading
Baker, Jo. Longbourn. New York: Alfred A Knopf, 2013.
- “A thoroughly enjoyable look at Jane Austen’s Bennet family through the eyes of the servants. I’ve never enjoyed a spinoff book so much.” ~ Iris Jastram
Butler, Octavia E. Kindred. New York: Abrams Comicarts, 2017.
- “I have wanted to seek out writing in science fiction and fantasy genres by traditionally underrepresented authors: women, and people of color, which introduced me to Kindred. It doesn’t let time-travel off easy as a curiosity with unusual interactions, and instead grapples with tough questions and ugly pasts.” ~ Kendra Strode
Farrell, John A. Richard Nixon: The Life. New York: Doubleday, 2017.
- “I have found that our current political situation has whetted my appetite for exploring how periods of political tumult have played out in recent US history. For me, Richard Nixon and Watergate are what immediately spring to mind. Although I got a great sense of what the general environment was from Elizabeth Drew’s Washington Journal, Richard Nixon: The Life was a fascinating in-depth look at Nixon himself and what drove him. I found it an engaging read and I learned a lot. ” ~ Austin Robinson-Coolidge
Hobb, Robin. The Farseer Trilogy. New York; Spectra, 1996-1998.
Book 1: Assassin’s Apprentice
Book 2: Royal Assassin
Book 3: Assassin’s Quest
- “A captivating story with fantastic characters and unexpected interactions (for me at least) through an interesting magic that ties people together but is not without risks. I’m only 2/3 of the way through but have loved this world I was also introduced to when seeking out female fantasy authors.” ~ Kendra Strode
Kong, Aleron. The Land: Alliances. Tamori Publications LLC, 2016.
- “An excellent way to learn about how Role Playing Mechanics (RPG) work and why they are so successful in games. It’s mostly light-hearted, but has a few scenes that are REALLY not kid-friendly.” ~ Carly Born
Kowal, Mary Robinette. The Lady Astronaut Series. New York: Tor Books, 2018. Book 1: The Calculating StarsBook 2: The Fated Sky
- Anonymous: “I thought this premise sounded interesting, but I underestimated this writer. The characters and backdrop were perfect for that time, and the action moves along, especially in the second book. The writing is so realistic that I felt I could see the story. Most highly recommended!”
Makkai, Rebecca. The Great Believers. New York: Viking, 2018.
- “Shortlisted for the National Book Award, this book presents two intertwining stories that shed light on the AIDS epidemic and how it affected a generation. A Chicago museum curator is on the brink of a huge acquisition in 1985 and thirty years later his friend’s sister is trying to find her daughter in Paris. This book was brutal but well-written and interesting.” ~ Anonymous
Roberts, Sarah T. Behind the Screen: Content Moderation in the Shadows of Social Media. New Haven, CT: Yale University Press, 2019.
- “This is the first in-depth study of the people who do content moderation for big social media companies. I think it’s a compelling reminder that humans create and shape technologies, and are often deeply affected by their work maintaining these rich and powerful companies.” ~ Celeste Sharpe
Rosling, Hans. Factfulness: Ten Reasons We’re Wrong about the World-and Why Things Are Better than You Think. New York: Flatiron Books, 2018.
- “Dealing with the extremism of politics, media, and life sometimes leaves me stressed, and down. This books swept me out of my pessimistic funk with some basic, but shockingly little-known facts and statistics about the world that demonstrate that the world isn’t as hostile a place as most of us think, and that we are on a steady, upward trend, to a better world.” ~ Richard Goerwitz
Sanderson, Brandon. Alcatraz versus the Evil Librarians. New York: Scholastic Press, 2007.
- “A fabulous, exciting and ridiculously funny fantasy that is entertaining to my pre-teen and teen kids. The most brilliant part is how he integrates education about literary devices along the way.” ~ Carly Born
Sanderson, Brandon. Skyward. New York: Delacorte Press, 2018.
- “I listened to this with my kids, and they loved it. SciFi/Fantasy told from the perspective (mostly) of a young, angsty girl with something to prove.” ~ Carly Born
Sepetys, Ruta. Salt to the Sea. New York: Philomel Books, 2016.
- “Just a really good book. It takes place during WW2 and follows 4 characters as they are seeking freedom on the Wilhelm Gustloff, a ship that promises safety to all.” ~ Jeanne Blair
Stephenson, Neal. Snow Crash. Bantam Spectra Book. New York: Bantam Books, 2003.
- “Ever wondered what the world would be like if Virtual Reality was the norm? This is an interesting look at societal implications of technology and how those mechanisms can be used for both good and evil.” ~ Carly Born
Yong, Ed. I Contain Multitudes: The Microbes within Us and a Grander View of Life. New York: Ecco, 2016.
- “It’s a quick, non-technical read. More questions than answers, but it helps me weed out all the hype, and expands my view of my own body, as a living community of organisms that affect my health and well being and connect me with the rest of the world in ways I hadn’t ever imagined.” ~ Richard Goerwitz
Viewing
Gleb, David, and Brian McGinn. Street Food. Netflix, 2019.
- “This documentary series tells the stories of street food vendors, their lives and histories, as well as the cultural significance of the foods they make and sell. It’s touching and respectful, and each 30 minute episode focuses on 1 person and 1 particular city in Asia.” ~ Celeste Sharpe
Krasinski, John. A Quiet Place. Paramount Pictures, 2018.
- “I was afraid this was going to be too scary for me – but it was a really good entertaining movie.” ~ Jeanne Blair
Leder, Mimi. On the Basis of Sex. Focus Features, 2018.
- “So inspiring and I learned so much about Ruth Bader Ginsburg’s life.” ~ Jeanne Blair
Tibbetts, Carl. “White Christmas.” Black Mirror. BBC 4 – Netflix, 2014.
- “Ranked as the best episode of Black Mirror on many lists, this one has three subplots that are disturbing in different ways.” ~ Janet Scannell
Wright, Joe. “Nosedive.” Black Mirror. Netflix, 2016.
- “This episode of the Black Mirror series explores a world in which one’s social media ‘score’ affects your socioeconomic status, e.g. what apartments you can rent. Starring Bryce Dallas Howard and Alice Eve as childhood friends of different social standings.” ~ Janet Scannell