Summer Reading

An eccentric, kooky, and tragicomic work based on the past and present and how they connect. In this story we follow Jonathan, a young American looking for a woman who saved his grandfather during the holocaust. He travels to Ukraine in search of her and hires a guide who speaks broken English, the guide’s grandfather, and their dog, “Sammy Davis Jr. Jr.” for some help. Pick up a copy! —Cesar

The word "leche" means more than "milk" in this tropical, bicoastal world of Vince de los Reyes, who travels back to the islands of his birth (the Philippines) and experiences all manner of exigency, promise, and dislocation.  Humorous, poetic, and humid (yet cool)--for summer.

In post-war Korea, all Soo-Ja Choi wants is to attend university and become a diplomat. She is told that the only way is to marry first, to the kind of husband who will let her pursue her dreams. This is a story that revolves around choices: The kind that change our lives, and the ones we are forced to make after they lead to disappointment. A captivating journey of a woman’s struggle to maintain herself, written in beautiful, unsparing prose. —Erin

With a system of magic that is as beautiful as it is understated, Kowal takes a very Jane Austen story of love and family and gives it just a touch of glamour. Our self-effacing heroine, Jane Ellsworth, struggles to be a lady of quality as she and her sister try to make favorable matches. But unfortunate circumstances force her to be more than just arm candy when she must use her magical skills to protect her family honor and set right various wrongs. Kowal has created a book that captures the feeling of Austen while doing something very different indeed. —Nici

If you knew that the world was going to end when you turned 36, what would you do? How would you cope? In this novel we discover how Junior Thibodeau deals with the impact of a fatal prophecy. Everything Matters is a unique story filled with intelligent commentary on the human condition and some awesome science-fiction elements. —Cesar

This is an endlessly fascinating, utterly terrifying, and completely unforgettable book. Casey weaves thrilling tales of big wave surfing with the science, history, and future of rogue waves. The story of a 1,740 foot wave in Alaska is especially memorable (and horrifying). Casey has a healthy respect for her subject, and her lush descriptions bring it to roaring life, leaving you hanging on every word. This was, hands down, my favorite book of 2010, and it’s now available in paperback. —Flannery

My conversations on evolution usually come down to someone asking, “Where is the proof?” for this missing-link I speak of. Neil Shubin’s discovery of a 375-million-year-old fossil fish has finally given me an answer. The Tiktaalik shows a bridge between fish and the first land dwelling creatures. Shubin takes you through the history of evolution from sponges to humans, in clear, lively writing. It’s perfect for anyone with any level of interest in the subject. —Nate

Bone would be worthwhile if it were just a truly classic adventure story, complete with secret maps, disguised princesses, and dragons. But what starts as a fairy tale, Jeff Smith spins out to the limits of imagination with a complex and vastly satisfying story of love, destiny, war, and identity. It doesn’t matter how big or small we are, how funny we look: know yourself, believe in yourself, and the power of your dreams.