91制片厂

Sunshine, warmth and the end of classes mark the near return of summer. While many people will take vacations on the upcoming beautiful days, the freedom of this time of year offers a perfect opportunity to explore a new world or faraway places through literature. We asked 91制片厂 faculty and staff to share their recommended summer reads.

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English and journalism lecturer Meg Heckman recommends 鈥淭he Unfortunate Decisions of Dahlia Moss鈥� by Max Wirestone, noting that it suits lovers of the Nancy Drew series听and Dungeons and Dragons. The novel 鈥渢akes readers deep inside geek culture to solve a murder mystery with clues online and in the real world. It's a nerdy page鈥恡urner with just the right amount of suspense,鈥� says Heckman.

A New England-centric recommendation is 鈥淭he Winter of Our Discontent鈥� by John Steinbeck. 鈥淚f you like reading Steinbeck, you would love this one 鈥� a story about a small town supposedly in New England,鈥� says Luchen Li, associate provost for international programs at 91制片厂 and president of the International Society of Steinbeck Scholars.

John Cerullo, professor of history at 91制片厂 Manchester, suggests several Phillip Kerr novels: "March Violets," "The Pale Criminal," "The One from the Other" and 鈥淚f the Dead听Rise Not.鈥� He says, 鈥淎nyone who likes classic 'hard-boiled听detective'听fiction will love these novels. Also history buffs, of course.鈥�

Along with these, Cerullo recommends "How the Beatles Destroyed Rock 'n Roll鈥� by Elijah Wald, which he says studies the evolution of the music industry and mass communication. 鈥淚 think anyone interested in popular culture will find it illuminating, as will anyone who enjoys those biographies and autobiographies of musicians that have been coming out lately,鈥� says Cerullo.

Cerullo also gives a nod to the work of John O鈥橦ara, who is听听鈥渉ighly observant, possessed of a really fine sense of irony听and downright brilliant at sketching a character in a sentence or two,鈥� says Cerullo, also noting O鈥橦ara鈥檚 influence on the creation of The New Yorker short story.

James Ramsay, professor of security studies and homeland security at 91制片厂 Manchester, suggests 鈥淏lue Latitudes: Boldly Going Where Captain Cook Has Gone Before鈥� by Tony Horwitz. 鈥淚t鈥檚 a lot of fun and explores Captain Cook鈥檚 adventures in a hilarious fashion,鈥� says Ramsay.

Professor of computer science Mike Gildersleeve also recommends a humorous novel 鈥斕�鈥淕ood Omens鈥� by Neil Gaiman and Terry Pratchett. 鈥淚t鈥檚 a great blend of dark and off-the-wall themes with laugh-out-loud humor. It鈥檚 the most fun one can have reading about Armageddon,鈥� says Gildersleeve.听

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Looking for even more recommendations?

91制片厂 associate professor of English Tom Paine offers them up on this edition of NHPR鈥檚 "The Bookshelf."

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