Emory’s Summer Reading List

There are two kinds of summer reading: the kind for school, and the kind for fun.  The kind for school has hopefully peeled away since middle and high school, where endless summer days were made more finite when, two weeks before the first day of school, you realized you had three…or four…or five novels to finish up for English class. (In fact, I had “winter break” reading for a Shakespearean Literature class of mine two years ago—the lazy feelings of dread quickly reawakened. Even as a self-proclaimed book nerd I can’t help but bemoan my required reading.)

The fun kind is the books you take to the pool on a particularly sunny day, or the kind that you stick into your carry-on for a flight across the country.  For some, they are Jodi Picoult’s tried-and-true plot twists; for others, they are whatever appears on Oprah’s Book Club or the New York Times Bestseller List. Whether you’ve got a paperback or a Kindle, whether it’s chick-lit or an 18^th-century classic, reading can be an incredibly enjoyable and relaxing activity, made all the better by the well-deserved breather between academic semesters.
 
We’ve pulled together some book titles that are definitely worth your downtime at the beach.  And hopefully amongst the spectrum listed below, you can find a book or two to keep you grounded during the summer holiday!
 
The Classics

Sometimes I see women at the beach or the pool reading heavyweights such as Anna Karenina or War and Peace, and I have a sneaking suspicion it’s because Oprah swore by their greatness.  There’s no problem with that, of course, and as much of a lit-snob I can be at times, I fully support people reading that kind of material—but I also find it really hard to believe they’re getting the bulk of it whil
e watching their kids play in the water. Listed are some more accessible classic reads that if you haven’t read, you absolutely should.
 
The Great Gatsby by F. Scott Fitzgerald.
I can remember in high school that, after months of ripping through occasionally indecipherable Shakespeare and symbolism-heavy Hawthorne, The Great Gatsby was a huge sigh of relief.  The Great Gatsby is so renowned because it is just a good story—esoteric literary aspects aside, this is one of the few that is completely engaging from start to finish, and easily accessible the whole way through.
 
Adventures of Huckleberry Finn by Mark Twain.
My favorite book of all time, Adventures of Huckleberry Finn is widely regarded as one of the few “perfect” novels ever written. Hilarious, poignant, and charming, Adventures is one novel everyone should absolutely read.
 
Jane Eyre by Charlotte Bronte.
One of the world’s foremost love stories, the incredibly heartfelt “will-they-or-won’t-they” of Jane Eyre and Edward Rochester has inspired movies, television, and other literary efforts for two hundred years.
 
 
Emory Staff

A lot of students aren’t always aware that some of our staff, particularly Creative Writing professors, actually publish full-length novels (instead of crazy intelligent academic papers that circulate throughout the academic circles of the United States). There’s even a small section in the Emory Bookstore devoted to staff authors, who include Joseph Skibell, Jim Grimsley, and Natasha Tretheway, amongst others.  
 
Midnight’s Children by Salman Rushdie.

Widely considered Rushdie’s magnum opus, or at least the novel that really put him on the map, Midnight’s Children certainly deserves a lot of its hype.  Well-written and epic in scope, Midnight’s Children chronicles the lives of individuals born at the exact moment of India’s independence from Great Britain in 1947.
 
Into the Wild by Jon Krakauer.
Okay, so Krakauer doesn’t actually have any sort of relation to Emory, but the subject of his novel, Into the Wild, does: Christopher McCandless, ‘90C, graduated from Emory and then embarked on a journey to the Alaskan frontier. Sure, you could always rent the movie, but as is usually the case, the book is a whole lot better—and at least you can get a tan while reading. Movies? A little more difficult. 
 
 
Travel Tales

Going abroad, are you? Can’t wait and want to indulge in real-life tales of adventurers abroad? Travel novels are increasingly popular nowadays, but be warned: many detail tragic events that plagued even the most seasoned explorer (after all, life-or-death situations are surefire entertainment).
 
Into Thin Airby Jon Krakauer.
A harrowing account of the single worst mountaineering disaster in Mt. Everest modern history, Jon Krakauer continues to impress with his
gripping, exciting accounts of adventures gone awry. It won’t not move you.
 
A Walk in the Woodsby Bill Bryson.
Bryson has established himself as the cheerful, positive documenter for modern-day Thoreaus and Emersons, readers who want to relish in the positive aspects of nature and the colorful characters you might meet on the way. Like Krakauer, Bryson is incredibly dependable for entertainment, and, in his 20+ repertoire won’t disappoint.
 
 
Contemporary Choices
 
Memoirs of a Geisha by Arthur Golden.
A gem of contemporary literature, Memoirs is Golden’s first and only historical novel.  It follows the life of a woman named Sayuri and her journey as a geisha. Incredibly beautiful and ext
remely interesting, the book is absolutely worth the read, and far better than its movie adaptation.
 
American Pastoral by Philip Roth.
It’s easy to see why this book won the Pulitzer Prize.  It is an incredibly riveting and emotional story following a champion of a man’s downfall due to the actions of his daughter’s entanglement in the political and social turmoil of the 1960s. It is truly an incredible book, and many Emory students will be familiar with its historical backdrop in New York and New Jersey.
 
The Hot Zone by Richard Preston.
This non-fiction novel has been read by many Emory students (yes, many of them in the sciences), but is absolutely worth your time.  Set across the world and in the CDC (nice to know it’s right around the corner, huh?), it chronicles the Ebola and Marburg viruses and their emergence from equatorial Africa. An incredible bio-thriller that will absolutely entertain you.
 
 
Chicklit, or, “I don’t care if it looks stupid, it’s incredibly entertaining.”

Listed here isn’t so much Devil Wears Prada but more intelligent works that certainly have a feminine draw to them.
 
Confessions of an Ugly Stepsisterby Gregory Maguire.
Gregory Maguire is the man behind a series of adult fairytale retellings—his most popular being Wicked, which is currently a hit Broadway show. In my opinion, Wicked is actually the least entertaining of his retellings (though perhaps the most epic in scope, of which praise is certainly warranted for). Confessions is a beautifully written retelling of the classic Cinderella story.  I know you’ll
love it—and then next I recommend his Mirror Mirror.
 
Pride and Prejudice by Jane Austen.
How could I put Pride and Prejudice here and not under classics? Truthfully it belongs in both—but I categorize it here because Pride and Prejudice was the first modern chick-lit (and far and away the best one), and the inspiration behind a genre that is either incredibly silly or incredibly heartfelt. If it weren’t for Jane, where would we be? We’d be without Colin Firth, that’s what. Or Clueless. (Or ultimately perhaps better off and not looking for our own Mr. Darcy…but that’s besides the point.) 
 
Serious Series and Epic Authors  

And let’s be real—sometimes we just need the fodder—the endless amounts of stubby paperbacks populating airport bookstores and grocery stores. And in the case of this fodder, quite a lot of it is really excellent.
 
Stieg Larsson’s Millennium:
This series encompasses the incredibly popular Girl with the Dragon Tattoo novel and its two sequels. After his death, Larsson’s work increased in popularity and a big-budget Ho
llywood film is in the works. If you can’t wait until then, check out the Swedish version of the film. Everyone I know who has read this book has loved it—it’s certainly on my list.
 
JK Rowling and Stephanie Meyer.
If you haven’t read any part of the now-complete series Harry Potter and Twilight, the summer is a good chance for these fast-paced, wildly interesting series. If the movies sucked you in, you’ll like the books even more…though I have to say I’ve managed to steer clear of anything and everything Twilight. But who am I to say you can’t enjoy a story? I say go for it.

John Grisham.
Grisham’s area of literary entertainment stems into legal thrillers, and many of his books have either been made into movies and television shows or influenced them.
 
Michael Crichton.
Crichton is science fiction’s darling and Steven Spielberg’s moneymaker. Known for his foray into scientific possibilities like Jurassic Park and Timeline, Crichton produced incredibly entertaining stories during his lifetime. A posthumous publication is set for 2011.  
 
Clive Cussler.
Known for his action-adventure novels that follow swaggering adventurer Dirk Pitt, Cussler has written tens upon tens of novels featuring his adventures across the world.
 
Jodi Picault.
Known for her heart-wrenching plot twists and emotionally tolling plotlines, Jodi Picault has been a mainstay on the New York Times bestseller list for years.
 
We’ve got plenty of suggestions for you, but would love to hear your own! Post your recommendations in the comments and we’ll see an incredible variety in what interests us. Look below to see the News Editors’ personal favorites!
 
Jillian’s Recommendations: American Pastoral by Philip Roth (incredible) and Heart of Darkness by Joseph Conrad (then go watch Apocalypse Now—seem familiar?). And any kind of travelogue!
Megan’s Recommendations: I personally recommend The Time Traveler’s Wife by Audrey Niffenegger and Ender’s Game by Orson Scott Card. And also Angela’s Ashes by Frank McCourt and The Kite Runner by Khaled Hosseini.
Lauren’s Recommendations: They probably aren’t typical beach reads, but I can’t recommend enough The Bell Jar by Sylvia Plat.