As summer festivities begin to fill up everyone’s calendars, reading takes a backseat on most students’ to-do list. But many professors, such as Sarah Gibbons, believe summer is an ideal time for students to hit the books.
Gibbons, who is an instructor in the Department of Writing, Rhetoric and American Cultures, said summer semester provides young readers with more time to read what they want, rather than what is required of them.
“On Stranger Tides”
“On Stranger Tides,” a historical-fantasy novel, is the perfect book for students looking to escape into a new world, Gibbons said.
The publication follows a young man who travels through Caribbean waters after his father dies and is forced to join a crew of pirates to save himself from death.
“The book is a lot richer than you might expect from something about pirates,” she said.
“It has a wonderful adventure to it, … but it also has really strong descriptions and beautiful writings.”
“The Accidental Tourist”
Penny Gardner, an assistant professor in the Department of Writing, Rhetoric and American Cultures, recommended students spend their summer reading any book by Anne Tyler.
“Her attention to detail and to the art of writing is just so impressive,” Gardner said. “Her characters are never, never ordinary (and) they’re always a bit offbeat.”
Of all Tyler’s novels, Gardner said students might especially be interested in “The Accidental Tourist.”
Gardner recommended this story, which details the life of a middle-aged man as he comes to terms with the tragic death of his son, above all others because it also was made into a movie.
“Ratio: The Simple Codes Behind the Craft of Everyday Cooking”
For students who are sick of eating cheap and unsatisfying meals, William Hart-Davidson suggested “Ratio: The Simple Codes Behind the Craft of Everyday Cooking.”
This cookbook uses simple ratios to help readers create numerous meals. Hart-Davidson, an associate professor in the Department of Writing, Rhetoric and American Cultures, said this is an ideal book for college students to read since most of them are not culinary masterminds just yet.
“It really does some cool things to open your mind to what cooking is about with a pretty simple formula,” Hart-Davidson said.
“The Bell Jar”
Although Sylvia Plath’s novel “The Bell Jar” was published several decades ago, assistant professor in the Department of Writing, Rhetoric and American Cultures Joyce Meier said the story it tells still remains applicable to modern-day women.
The book focuses on a young woman who moves to New York City for an internship at a prominent fashion magazine and becomes mentally ill shortly after. Meier said the story is an important one because it sheds light on the pressures placed on today’s women be a certain way.
“A lot of it’s still true (and) still really relevant,” she said.
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