UF librarians share their summer reading recommendations
Summertime reading is an obvious favorite pastime for University of Florida Libraries faculty and staff. They have pulled together some of their favorite reads to beat the heat.
From Sarah Coates, university archivist
"The Martian" by Andy Weir
An astronaut is stranded on Mars with all of humanity rooting for his survival and rescue. I enjoyed the quick-witted with a wry sense of humor. This is a very human story, exploring the reaction of being literally the only human being on a planet and the Herculean effort to coordinate his rescue.
From George Wade Swicord, complex metadata associate
"Join" by Steve Toutonghi
I tried for the book blurb spirit of ridiculous oversimplification. The book is so much better than that. It was a little disorienting at first because most of the characters are “joins,” — small group minds established via implanted neural networking devices. But I got used to that pretty quickly and just about wallowed in the story. I will reread it eventually, probably several times. On the surface "Join" is a sci-fi mystery thriller with a variety of murders; it is also a remarkable exploration of identity and the human condition and a beautifully executed illustration of how our technologies shape us perhaps more than we shape them.
From April Helena, conservation associate
"Remarkably Bright Creatures" by Shelby Van Pelt
After the death of her husband and son, Tova finds peace in her job, working the night shift at an aquarium. She befriends a clever giant Pacific octopus named Marcellus who ends up unexpectedly helping her find answers about her son's death. I enjoyed this book because it was a fast, easy read and it had interesting and likeable characters.
From Steve Hersh, public services assistnat for Special & Area Studies Collection
"The Great Railway Bazaar: By Train Through Asia" by Paul Theroux
I really love travel literature. This 1975 book by Paul Theroux is a classic of the genre, in which he writes about his journey by train from Europe, through Asia, and back again. I don’t like to fly, so when I daydream about travel, it’s often train trips I’m imagining, no doubt inspired by Theroux’s great book.
From Caitlin Douglas, borrowing specialist
"Jurassic Park" by Michael Crichton
This recommendation may be specific to this summer, but what better time to finally read "Jurassic Park" than before the new movie comes out? If you start now, you can get through both books in the series before catching Scarlett Johansson and Jonathan Bailey running for their lives on the big screen! Truly though, there is a reason this book has become a sci-fi/thriller classic. The book dives deeper into Professor Malcolm's chaos theory rants while still providing the intense feelings of suspense, doom and wonder that you get from the original movie.
From CJ Ellward, public services coordinator at Marston Science Library
"A Study in Drowning" by Ava Reid
This young adult fantasy read is packed with luscious prose, strong emotions and dark academia vibes, and was such fun read! Escape the heat and humidity of Florida summer with this gothic-inspired story, set in a place inspired by the windswept seaside cliffs of the Scottish Highlands.
From Jesse Mixson, weekend user services assistant
"Shubeik Lubeik" by Deena Mohamed
This features the interwoven stories of three people who unexpectedly come into possession of high-quality bottled wishes, what they do with them, and how the effects ripple out in their lives. This is a beautiful, emotional graphic novel that made me cry.
From Martha Kapelewski, associate processing archivist
"The invention of morel and other stories (from La trama Celeste)" by Adolfo Bioy Casares.
This beautifully written novella suspends you in time and transports you to a different realm. Jorge Luis Borges, a friend of Bioy Casares, described this novella as “perfect.” The story follows a fugitive on an island, where he tries to remain unseen and undetected from the tourists that visit the one hotel on the island, until he falls in love with a guest. This story will surprise you!
From Sheri Edwards, electronic resources librarian
"Watership Down" by Richard Adams
My very favorite of all my favorite books, the book is a fictional tale of (anthropomorphized) rural rabbits who seek a new home for themselves in the face of human encroachment and competition from other colonies of rabbits. It's funny at times, as well as sobering, adventuresome and shocking.
From Sarah Tew, curator of the Harold and Mary Jean Hanson Rare Book Collection
"The Pocket: A Hidden History of Women's Lives" by Barbara Burman and Ariane Fennetaux
Our pockets hold many things, including our histories. This book uses tie-in pockets and what was carried in them to explore the lives of the women who made and wore them. The photographs are excellent. The writing style is academic.