Given 2020s extended summer situation, most of us have had a lot of extra time on our hands. I’ve spent my time baking, job hunting, and catching up on my ever-growing reading list. My friends and I have started a book club, which I highly encourage you all to do before the semester’s work piles up! Her Campus has an official book club group on Facebook! The admin’s pick for the September book is Playing With Matches by Hannah Orenstein – I haven’t picked it up yet, but I can’t wait to read along with you all!
- Normal People by Sally Rooney
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This hit book turned TV show (it’s on Hulu!) is a captivating YA love story focusing on the relationship of two teenagers, Marianne and Connell. It deals with the complex issue of the transition between one’s teenage years and adulthood. These two teens see themselves as outsiders and are navigating social norms. It’s easy to see how this story became so captivating, as many of us can relate to the protagonists on some level.
- The Friend by Sigrid Nunez
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The book is based on the unnamed heroine who inherits her friend’s Great Dane after his unfortunate suicide. She is tasked to navigate a new life with her new dog, Apollo, along with her own cat in a small Manhattan apartment – one that is unfriendly to dogs. Despite this, she isn’t able to part with the dog, as it serves as a connection to her late friend and mentor, while also being a source of emotional support. The story deals with themes of isolation, loneliness, self-expression and humanity. Despite this, the unnamed protagonist is able to make interesting connections about socialization and human behaviour, and the balance of the two create meaningful mirrors of human life.
- The Dispossessed by Ursula le Guin
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I have not yet read The Dispossessed by Ursula le Guin, but it is certainly at the top of my list. Many avid readers have coined it to be an unforeseen classic – this dystopian tale is not something to miss. Author Valentina Salvatierra produced a great essay about why everyone should read the novel
Here are all of the reccomendations mentioned – I can’t wait to get started!
- Guin, U. L. (2002). The Dispossessed. London: Gollancz.
- Nunez, S. (2019). The friend. London: Virago Press.
- Orenstein, H. (2018). Playing with matches: A novel. New York: Touchstone.
- Rooney, S. (2020). Normal people. Oxford: ISIS.