I’m Booked: What to read this summer

Written by Ally Abruscato. Photo by Ally Abruscato.

As the quarter comes to a close, we can all let out a sigh of relief that another summer is upon us. And we all know what that means… more time to read! Here are some books I am interested in reading this summer (and think that everyone else should take a look at, too.) 

“A Year of Rest and Relaxation” by Ottessa Moshfegh 

Recommended to me by our very own Creative Director, Charlotte Beck, this book was pitched to me as something to make me sad. Who doesn’t love that? The book documents a young girl in the year 2000 taking various medications to try to heal her sadness.  

“Legends of the North Cascades” by Jonathan Evison 

I’ve said before that I am constantly searching for a book that makes me feel like going for a hike. We’ll see if this one can finally satisfy that longing! After much emotional distress, a father moves with his young daughter into the North Cascades. The reviews I see on Goodreads say it is complex but maybe not in a good way… we’ll see! 

“I Lost Summer Somewhere” by Sarah Russel 

It literally has summer in the title. How perfect! I am excited to exercise my ENGL 161 knowledge with this book of poems. The poems discuss nostalgia, womanhood, love, and many more subjects. 

“In the Gloaming” by Alice Elliot Dark 

Last year, “Fellowship Point” by Alice Elliot Dark was my favorite book of the summer. I am interested to see if her other work lives up to my high expectations. “In the Gloaming” is a collection of stories about the complexity of human relationships. The title story was made into a film in 1997. 

“To Shake the Sleeping Self: A Journey from Oregon to Patagonia, and a Quest for a Life with No Regret” by Jedidiah Jenkins

A memoir about quitting a desk job and biking in the beautiful outdoors? Don’t mind if I do. A true story is always an excellent addition to a bookshelf, although my parents probably hope this doesn’t encourage me to drop out and live off the grid. 

“One Summer in Savannah” by Terah Shelton Harris

That’s right; this book takes place in our very own Savannah, Georgia. In this book, a woman is forced to return to her hometown of Savannah to care for her father. A survivor of assault, the woman attempts to protect her daughter while facing her past.  

“The Undocumented Americans” by Karla Cornejo Villavicencio 

This book tells the true stories of undocumented Americans across the nation. From New York to Miami to Michigan, undocumented Americans’ secret lives are explored personally and emotionally by a fellow undocumented immigrant. 

“Family Lore” by Elizabeth Acevedo 

After one sister, who can predict the day someone dies, announces that she wants to hold a living wake, the family is suspicious of their circumstances. This book tells the stories of multiple women in a Dominican-American family. 

“The Real All Americans: The Team That Changed a Game, a People, a Nation” by Sally Jenkins 

Written by a sports columnist for The Washington Post, this book is about more than just sports. It describes a Native American football team during the birth of the game that defeated even the best Ivy League colleges.  

“The Thursday Murder Club” by Richard Osman 

This book is the first in a mystery series recommended to me by a close friend. It is always fun to mix in a mystery, and what could go wrong with a group of elderly people trying to investigate unsolved murders?