Although more reading may seem daunting now, at the end of the quarter, the month-long winter break is a great time to reinvigorate your reading muscles. We sought out some recommendations for what to read during break and have some options for readers of all kinds. Enjoy this list of our ten picks – and have a wonderful break!
For Enlightenment
How to Do Nothing: Resisting the Attention Economy – Recommended by WRD GA Amanda Finn
This book is a gorgeous examination of how we interact with our digital selves. As members of a 24/7 online environment (whether we actively engage or not) Do Nothing shows us how to re-enter the world as our best selves and push back against the constant need to be productive.
The Hidden Life of Trees: What They Feel, How They Communicate: Discoveries from a Secret World – Recommended by WRD GA Grace Von Lehman
Long-time forester Peter Wohlleben intertwines new scientific discovery with history and metaphor to explore the inner and communal worlds of trees. The short chapters each touch on a different theme, coming together to illuminate how integral trees are to every part of our lives.
For Fun
Fun Home: A Family Tragicomic – Recommended by WRD GA Amanda Finn
Graphic novels are a fun way to escape the dread of reading another book. Here with Alison Bechdel’s comic style memoir we are introduced to the notion of the Bechdel Test as well as the fascinating story of her family and their “fun home.”
Crying in H Mart – Recommended by MAWRD Student and Writing Center GA Nan Denette
A charming and poignant memoir by Korean-American musician Michelle Zauner describing life before, during, and after her mother’s death. Zauner’s interplay of grief, identity, and reclaimed heritage make this book a true stand-out.
Pride and Prejudice – Recommended by Writing Center GA Tyler Preston
Whether you’ve read and reread this love story or if it’s your first time picking it up, Pride and Prejudice gives an illuminating perspective on the complication of family dynamics and socioeconomic status when it comes to being one’s authentic self. Jane Austen’s classic is a worthwhile reflection for anyone, but especially for young readers in the process of establishing themselves as adults.
Spindle’s End – Recommended by Writing Center GA Nic Job
What could be a better escape from the chill of winter than this creative re-telling of the Snow White fairytale? In Spindle’s End, author Robin McKinley immerses readers in a lavish world created through classic fantasy elements as well as her original and surprising narration.
For the Politically Minded
Now What?: How to Move Forward When We’re Divided (About Basically Everything) – Recommended by WRD GA Amanda Finn
By the minds behind Pantsuit Politics, Beth Silvers and Sarah Steward Holland have written a book on disseminating political rhetoric. Now What demonstrates how to navigate complicated conversations or discourse with grace while holding to one’s particular rhetorical leanings.
Amity and Prosperity: One Family and the Fracturing of America – Recommended by WRD GA Grace Von Lehman
Winner of the 2019 Pulitzer Prize for General Nonfiction, Amity and Prosperity is a timely examination of the US energy economy and its effects on communities and individuals. Compiling seven years of immersive reporting, Eliza Griswold brings readers up close and personal with the energy systems we rely on and some of the people they impact the most.
For the Poet
The Idiot – Recommended by Writing Center GA Grace Tsichlis
A curious coming of age story about a Harvard linguistics student named Selin Karadağ and the way words create and hinder our dreams. Elif Batuman’s semi-autobiographical novel gives us all the reflection and adventure–another great pick for young adult readers.
The Hurting Kind – Recommended by Writing Center GA Meghan Malachi
The Hurting Kind, the highly acclaimed 2022 collection by U.S. Poet Laureate Ada Limón, explores wander, phantoms, and the complex ways our human stories intertwine. Limón grounds her poems in rich detail from the natural world that then propels readers into a curious abstract world.
