Though it feels like summer’s been over for eons, it really only ended just two weeks ago, and the books I read this summer are still on my mind. From a collection of essays about the current state of our country to a memoir about Lyme disease to a story about the struggles of a college student’s freshman year in Boston, this list of my five favorite books from my summer reading list has something for everyone.
1. The Idiot by Elif Batuman
Elif Batuman’s novel about the confusing nature of young adulthood is a must-read for any college student. (Credit: Amazon)
The Idiot (whose title is an homage to none other than Dostoyevsky) tells the story of Selin, a freshman at Harvard in 1992. While navigating the confusing new world of college, the typical roommate problems, and difficult assignments that come with it, she meets Ivan, a student from Hungary. She begins a strange fling with him that starts with a couple of deep email exchanges about the intricacies of linguistics and takes a huge turn when she ventures to Europe with him. This Pulitzer Prize novel was relatable both as a student (in Boston, no less) and charming in its portrayal of a narrator who, for once, doesn’t have it all figured out.
2. My Year of Rest and Relaxation by Ottessa Moshfegh
My Year of Rest and Relaxation comments on the feelings everyone occasionally has of wanting to escape the monotony of everyday life. (Credit: Amazon)
In Ottessa Moshfegh’s sophomore novel, the unnamed protagonist is a 20-something recent grad living in an apartment in Manhattan that she pays for with her dead parents’ money. Sick of her job at an art gallery and suffering in her social and love lives, she needs a break from the banality of her daily existence as it is in the late 1990s. Instead of an ordinary vacation, though, she decides she will sleep for an entire year in an attempt to renew herself with the help of a kooky psychiatrist and a plethora of prescription drugs. Moshfegh’s novel is a hilariously depressing commentary on the state of our modern world and the search for meaning among the triviality of it all.
3. Feel Free: Essays by Zadie Smith
Zadie Smith’s latest collection of essays is illuminating in these times of darkness. (Credit: Amazon)
Zadie Smith has cemented herself as one of the great essayists of our time, and her latest writings don’t disappoint. The collection begins with essays on the problems within Smith’s home country, England (namely Brexit), followed by television, film, art, and literary criticisms on everything from Key and Peele to Orson Welles. The collections ends appropriately with more personal essays on her relationship with her father and the seemingly simple idea of “joy.” Smith’s writings are inviting and easy to pick up and read during any free moments you have throughout the day, and you will always discover something new and interesting reading her critiques on art and culture.
4. Sick by Porochista Khakpour
Porochista Khakpour’s memoir is a story of a writer’s lifelong struggle with Lyme disease. (Credit: Porochista Khakpour)
In Sick, Porochista Khakpour details her decades-long, and basically lifelong, struggle with Lyme disease. Instead of telling her story chronologically, Khakpour instead divides her book by location, recounting the manifestation of her illness from bouts of insomnia in grad school in Baltimore to a mold allergy she developed while teaching in Leipzig. She interjects these memories with essays on her present situation, making the point that despite now having a diagnosis and receiving treatment for Lyme, she still experiences difficulties when she needs medical attention. These difficulties often manifest in the form of xenophobia and racism (Khakpour is Iranian), sexism, or disbelief, as many in the medical community don’t believe Lyme is a real disease. Khakpour’s memoir is fascinating from a social and medical standpoint: her journey took insane turns simply out of her own desperation, but one has to wonder if she would’ve endured much of the suffering she did had she not been a woman of color.
5. Woman on the Edge of Time by Marge Piercy
Woman on the Edge of Time, with its story of a woman of color trying to survive in an unjust world, is relevant even today. (Credit: Amazon)
Marge Piercy’s 1976 novel, with its themes of feminism, misogyny, and corruption, feels more relevant now than ever. It tells the story of Connie Ramos, a Mexican-American woman living in New York City who must protect herself and her niece from the abusive men in their life. After fighting for her rights in a world that doesn’t care a bit about her, she must survive the psych ward she becomes trapped in. Fantastical and science fiction elements, that end up being Connie’s only salvation, are interwoven in the very real reality of a marginalized woman, making this a beautiful read and one of the most revolutionary books of its time.
If you find yourself with some free time between classes, reward yourself by picking up one of these great books – I promise, you won’t regret it!
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