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By: Alex Taglieri Follow @alextaglieri
The hottest time of the year makes for the perfect opportunity to kick back and relax with a good book on the beach. Even if you don’t typically read outside of the classroom, there is bound to be something that will turn you into a bookworm this summer- especially with these recommendations that will relate to your classes.
College of Arts and Sciences: Dear Emma by Katie Heaney
With so many majors across plenty of varied topics, it’s hard to find just one universal summer book recommendation. However, Katie Heaney’s lighthearted look into the ups and downs of college life is the perfect beach read for any student looking for a break from the heavy, archaic books assigned in their classes.
Dear Emma is a modern-day adaptation of Jane Austen’s Emma, complete with plenty of literary references that will call back memories from English class. However, this book definitely isn’t stuck in the past- the characters are all as real and relatable as the people you walk past on Bobcat Way.
Harriet is the average English major from the outside, but in her university’s school newspaper, she writes an advice column using a pen name. For two years, she has answered her fellow student’s pressing questions about relationships, friendships and family. But things get complicated when her ex-boyfriend’s new girl pens a letter to her, giving Harriet the chance to meddle in their relationship.
While the book is lacking true substance, Heaney’s clever writing and sharp observations provide plenty of laugh-out-loud moments that will leave you wanting more. And if nothing else, reading about Harriet and her roommate’s heavy course load will make you appreciate the long summer days a little more.
School of Business: Startup by Doree Shafrir
If you have any interest in the startup world or just love watching Silicon Valley, you need to pick up Startup this summer. Doree Shafrir, a tech writer for Buzzfeed, provides a hilarious look into startup culture while still tackling important issues in the workplace. It’s clear that she knows what she’s talking about, making this book as educational as it is entertaining.
Startup follows the lives of both the employees at New York’s hottest startup, Take Off, as well as the writers at a tech blog with an uncanny resemblance to Buzzfeed. As Take Off is on the verge of securing another huge round of funding, a young journalist uncovers a story that has the potential to tear the company down.
This page-turner is so compelling that anyone can easily finish it in just one day on the beach, especially business students who will be able to relate to the policies and cultural norms discussed in the book. Take Off’s office is identical to every other bustling startup, with a young group of employees and a pantry stocked with every snack you could ever want.
In a male-dominated industry, it’s uplifting to find a book that gives women such crucial roles in transforming the tech scene. With surprising depth, Shafrir manages to create a realistic world that you won’t be able to forget.
School of Communications: Captive Audience by Lucas Mann
While reality television is typically treated as low-brow entertainment, Lucas Mann takes a scholarly approach to the topic in this exploration into society’s obsession with other people’s lives. Captive Audience chronicles both Mann’s personal relationship with reality television, as well as the history of the genre and its influence on his life and marriage.
Mann’s beautiful prose has the ability to turn a quick scene from Survivor into a breathtaking passage, perfectly painting the show’s image using his words. With each chapter and reference, he probes deeper into television’s effects and benefits, asking question after question about what he has watched.
In between portions about TV shows are glimpses into Mann’s marriage, which makes Captive Audience function as a self-help book about loving yourself as well as who you’re with. Television and relationships are two topics that every college student can relate to, especially students planning on breaking into the communications industry, which makes every anecdote in Mann’s book relevant and interesting.
Captive Audience is more exciting than your Media Studies textbooks and more realistic than novels about the genre, making it the perfect choice for anyone looking to learn more about the shows they love. But be warned: after a day on the beach reading about your favorite shows, it will be hard to avoid turning them on once you get home.
School of Engineering: The Martian by Andy Weir
Engineering students will appreciate Weir’s commitment to scientific accuracy in this novel about a man’s quest for survival after he is stranded on Mars. Told through astronaut Mark Watney’s journal entries as well as accounts from scientists back on Earth, Weir pens a survival story that you won’t be able to put down.
When Watney wakes up alone on Mars’ surface, it’s clear that he shouldn’t even be alive. However, his unusual knowledge of botany and engineering gives him a fighting chance at getting back to Earth, and the rest of the book follows his attempts to communicate with NASA in order to make his way home.
Weir’s masterful writing builds tension and keeps readers turning the pages, but he gives his protagonist a biting sense of humor that helps defuse the dire circumstances.
If you’re looking for a book that is both an escape from reality (and Planet Earth) while managing to be accurate and relatable to engineering students, look no further than The Martian, and be sure to compare it to its film adaptation after you’re done.
School of Education: Ms. Hempel Chronicles by Sarah Shun-Lien Bynum
The perfect book for a future educator, Ms. Hempel Chronicles perfectly captures the uncertainty of a new job as seventh grade teacher Beatrice Hempel adjusts to all the changes in her life. Told as a series of eight separate stories woven together, Bynum’s book is an insightful look into the life of middle school teachers that will give readers a newfound appreciation for what their teachers do.
The perfect summer read should be laugh-out-loud funny and easily digestible, and this book definitely delivers in the comedy category. Bynum’s observations are both ridiculous and relatable, and Hempel’s students will definitely bring you back to your cringe-inducing middle school days.
Similarly to Dear Emma, this book lacks substance but makes up for it in heart. The characters are so likable and well-developed that they don’t need conflict and suspense to keep readers hooked. While this isn’t a typical novel, its concise vignettes and realistic moments make it a great beach read for anyone interested in teaching.
School of Health Sciences: In Stitches by Dr. Anthony Youn
This memoir about one man’s transformation from insecure teenager to doctor will serve as an inspiring and entertaining book for anyone interested in the medical field, and Youn’s memories of medical school will keep you laughing through all 288 pages.
In Stitches follows the four years that Anthony Youn spent on his path to becoming a plastic surgeon, complete with fascinating patients and hilarious anecdotes. Youn promises a realistic depiction of the medical field, and the result is a book that is more true-to-life than any of the medical shows on television.
Outside of the classroom, Youn faces relationship problems and family disagreements that will mirror the lives of any student, regardless of their major. Most notably, Youn posesses an all-encompassing desire to fit in, and as he works to become a plastic surgeon, this motivation transforms into a career helping others fit in as well.
Both a respite from your grueling classwork and an inspiring look into the realities of medical school, In Stitches is a book that you’ll be glad you read.
School of Law: Little Fires Everywhere by Celeste Ng
Celeste Ng’s novel is a must-read for everyone, but the court case at the center of this book is sure to entice law students especially. Regarded as one of the best books of 2017, Little Fires Everywhere is a sprawling novel about family, classism and the secrets people keep.
The action hinges on a mysterious family moving into the idyllic town of Shaker Heights, where rules are always unheld and perfection is the ultimate goal. But the Warrens don’t share this belief, and their desire for justice threatens to tear the town apart.
This book will make you question your own ethics as you follow along with the court proceedings regarding the custody of one family’s adopted daughter. This is a loaded case, filled with issues of race, poverty and what really constitutes a good mother.
Be sure to get your hands on this book before it becomes a miniseries starring Reese Witherspoon and Kerry Washington, and get ready to binge watch all eight episodes when they drop on Hulu.
What book are you packing in your beach bag this summer? Tweet us with your recommendations for books that align perfectly with your career path.
