As the gift-giving season approaches, our faculty and staff are sharing some of the books that have moved, challenged, and delighted them. Whether you’re shopping for a loved one or looking for something new for yourself, we hope these recommendations help you discover a story worth sharing.
FICTION
The Book Woman of Troublesome Creek, Kim Michele Richardson
Recommended by Mercedes Muñiz-Peredo, World Language Faculty
Set in Depression-era Kentucky, this novel follows a packhorse librarian who delivers books to remote communities. A story of courage, connection, and the power of literacy.
The Clementine Complex, Bob Mortimer
Recommended by Andra Edgell, Math Faculty
Andra writes: “If you enjoy British humour with a little mystery to solve thrown into the mix, this is the book for you. Don’t take it too seriously, and it is a read that is both sweet, exciting, and occasionally laugh-out-loud funny. (Bonus: the sequel is Hotel Avocado.)”
Eddie Winston Is Looking for Love, Marianne Cronin
Recommended by Shannon Swann, Director of International Programs
A gentle, uplifting novel about a young man trying to find connection and hope while navigating life’s challenges. Charming friendships and humor make this a comforting, heart-forward read.
Everyone Knows Your Mother Is a Witch, Rivka Galchen
Recommended by Nila Nealy, Director of Communications
Nila writes: “I’ll admit I picked this one up at Golden Hour Books because the cover was cool. Due to a fragmented style, I initially had trouble with it. Once I found the rhythm of the book’s voice, I was taken in by its blend of dark wit with the dis-ease of rumor and collective fear. Based on real historical events, it shows how easily humans can turn on another and illustrates that we need to pay attention to whose stories we trust and why.”
The House in the Cerulean Sea, TJ Klune
Recommended by Ashley Crockett-Lohr, Director of Admission
Ashley writes: “My 10-year-old is a voracious reader (#proudmom), and this is a book we both really enjoyed this year. Arthur Parnassus runs the Marsyas Island Orphanage, which serves six magical children that the world has deemed as dangerous. A case worker, Linus Baker, is assigned to report on the orphanage and finds himself battling between the job he’s been asked to do and what he knows is right. I especially fell in love with Mr. Parnassus. If he weren’t fictional, I would offer him a job at University High School. One of my favorite Arthur Parnassus quotes: ‘Don’t all children deserve to be protected? To be loved and nurtured so that they may grow and shape the world to make it a better place?’”
How to Read a Book, Monica Wood
Recommended by Alyssa Wei, Visual Arts Faculty
Alyssa writes: “A book club of incarcerated women is led by a former teacher who loves pushing the group to grow and learn and create community together around their love of reading. When one of the women is released, her story on the outside leads her back to the connections she made on the inside in her book club.”
Lonesome Dove, Larry McMurtry
Recommended by Jake Thurman, Dean of Students
Jake writes: “This 800-page book is packed with some of the best character development, action, romance, and nature writing you’ll find anywhere. It’s the story of two former Texas Rangers who set out with a band of rich characters on a cattle drive to Montana. It truly is one of the very best books I’ve ever read. I didn’t know that Wes Priest and Chris Bradley shared this sentiment until after I read it, and those two are way cooler than me. So, I must be on the right track with this one.”
The Lost Bookshop, Evie Woods
Recommended by Shannon Swann, Director of International Programs
A magical, multi-generational story about hidden histories and the power of books to change a life. Ideal for readers who enjoy warm, hopeful storytelling with a literary twist.
The Measure, Nikki Erlick
Recommended by Andra Edgell, Math Faculty
Andra writes: “Do you want to know how long you have to live? What would you do if that information was thrust upon you? In this novel, a day comes when adults receive a string in a box titled ‘The Measure of Your Life.’ The consequences of that knowledge are fascinating and well-developed. Recommended more for adults, but teenagers could certainly follow most of it.”
My Friends, Fredrik Backman
Recommended by Adrianne Glidewell Smith, Director of Admission and Shannon Swann, Director of International Programs
Adrianne writes: “This is a story of deep and lasting friendship, the kind that makes you believe in true love and soulmates. ‘Another person’s belief in you can carry you through a world you don’t believe in. It can carry you so far that it can even save a life.’ Backman has a way of weaving words together that made me pause, think, reread — and then be awed all over again. If you love writing that leaves you thinking about the characters long after you’ve read the final page, this book is for you.”
My Name Is Emilia del Valle, Isabel Allende
Recommended by Mercedes Muñiz-Peredo, World Language Faculty
A moving novel exploring resilience and identity across time and place.
Project Hail Mary, Andy Weir
Recommended by Shannon Swann, Director of International Programs
A stranded astronaut must solve an impossible problem to save Earth — with only his wits and a very unexpected ally. Clever science, tight pacing, and a story that surprises right up to the end.
The Shadowy Horses, Susanna Kearsley
Recommended by Shannon Swann, Director of International Programs
A historical mystery set along the Scottish coast, mixing archaeology, ghostly folklore, and a touch of romance. Atmospheric and engaging without being dark or heavy.
A Soldier of the Great War, Mark Helprin
Recommended by Chris Bradley, Social Studies Faculty
A sweeping story of what it means to live with purpose, set against the upheaval of World War I.
Upgrade, Blake Crouch
Recommended by Andra Edgell, Math Faculty
Andra writes: “This is a fascinating story about some of the potential implications of being able to ‘upgrade’ the human genome. The story is fun and exciting (more of a thriller than a science tale), and my genetic counsellor daughter enjoyed it! Great sci-fi read — or listen — by a sci-fi pro author.”
MEMOIR / BIOGRAPHY
All the Beauty in the World, Patrick Bringley
Recommended by Nila Nealy, Director of Communications
Nila writes: “This book changed how I think about visiting museums, and as someone who took a whole bunch of art history classes, I thought I already knew. Through the eyes of a New York Metropolitan Museum of Art security guard, All the Beauty in the World reveals what it means to look closely, at art, at people, and at our place in the world. ‘Get lost in the vastness… feel, pleasantly, like a speck in a storehouse of beautiful things.’”
Deliver Me from Nowhere: The Making of Bruce Springsteen’s Nebraska, Warren Zanes
Recommended by Jake Thurman, Dean of Students
Jake writes: “This is the biography of the album Nebraska and the artist who created it alone in a bedroom in a rented ranch house in New Jersey. That artist just happened to be one of the biggest emerging names in music at the time, Bruce Springsteen. It’s an incredible look into the life of Springsteen but more so into the process of creating art. This is also the book on which they based the recent film on Bruce Springsteen.”
The Extraordinary Life of an Ordinary Man, Paul Newman
Recommended by Jake Thurman, Dean of Students
Jake writes: “This is the posthumous memoir of Paul Newman that was published in 2022. It recounts his life from his childhood through his later years. It reveals the beautiful complexity and authenticity of Newman that we could all see hiding behind his trademark blue eyes… or in every bottle of his non-profit salad dressings.”
How to Say Babylon, Safiya Sinclair
Recommended by Alyssa Wei, Visual Arts Faculty
Alyssa writes: “The memoir of poet Safiya Sinclair, a Jamaican woman who grew up in a strict Rastafarian household. She survived heartbreaking moments of violence and oppression while at the same time feeding her skills as a poet and learning resilience.”
The Magical Language of Others, EJ Koh
Recommended by Jannie Kim, Math Faculty
Jannie writes: “It’s a beautiful but sorrowful memoir consisting of letters between a Korean mother and daughter separated by distance, duty, and guilt. It resonated deeply with me as a love story between mother and daughter, but also reflects my own experience of living between cultures as a child of immigrants. The letters symbolize the effort required to bridge gaps created by immigration, cultural difference, and unspoken expectations, and it’s one of my favorites.”
Mortal Secrets: Freud, Vienna, and the Discovery of the Modern Mind, Frank Tallis
Recommended by Nila Nealy, Director of Communications
Nila writes: “I read this shortly after visiting Vienna and Freud’s home with the Vienna: Mozart to Modernism J-Term class. Clearly I cannot get enough of Vienna. This blend of biography and history brings to life the beginnings of modern psychology and Freud’s at times bizarre world amid the culture amid tensions in Vienna’s ‘golden age.’”
Something in the Woods Loves You, Jarod K. Anderson
Recommended by Nila Nealy, Director of Communications
Nila writes: “I started reading this book with my daughter while we were in the woods, and it immediately moved both of us. Each of the 12 chapters is named after a part of the natural world, and they are arranged to follow the seasons of a year. Anderson, a poet, pairs gorgeous writing with honest reflections on struggle and growth. It’s meaningful and hopeful, and a reminder that nature can help us heal.”
Uncommon Favor, Dawn Staley
Recommended by Jamie MacDougall, Assistant Head of School
Jamie writes: “The writing is brilliant, but the audiobook is a must!”
NONFICTION
Empire of the Summer Moon, S.C. Gwynne
Recommended by Jake Thurman, Dean of Students
Jake writes: “A history of the Comanche peoples of the American West, mainly focused on the years of conflict between the Comanche and settlers in Texas and other parts of the American Southwest. The narrative focuses in on Cynthia Ann Parker, a woman who was abducted as a child from a Texas farm by the Comanche and became the mother of the last great free Comanche leader, Quanah Parker. It’s a history that reads like a novel and won the Pulitzer Prize in 2011.”
Everything Is Tuberculosis, John Green
Recommended by Ashley Crockett-Lohr, Director of Admission
Ashley writes: “When I choose a book, often I am looking for entertainment. On occasion, I will read a book that entertains me but ultimately makes me feel dumber. Everything Is Tuberculosis is the rare book that both entertained me and made me feel like a better, more informed human being. I’m embarrassed to admit that, before reading this, I thought tuberculosis was a malady of the past — or whatever time period Moulin Rouge was from. When I picked up this book and discovered the realities of modern-day tuberculosis, I was actually riveted. I couldn’t put it down. This book will make you feel all the things — shocked, saddened, outraged, relieved, grateful, and ultimately, more connected to the world around you.”
Far Appalachia: Following the New River North, Noah Adams
Recommended by Alicia LaMagdeleine, Head of School
Alicia writes: “I spent time hiking in New River Gorge this summer, and Noah Adams’ journey from the source of the New River high up in North Carolina to its West Virginia mouth is equal parts history, folklore, and self-discovery.”
From Strength to Strength, Arthur C. Brooks
Recommended by Andra Edgell, Math Faculty
Andra writes: “This nonfiction work is extremely applicable. We want to think critically about what we are trying to achieve, what our strengths are, and what we are willing to give up to pursue relevance and usefulness. This book is simultaneously a wake-up call and a warm blanket — Arthur Brooks holds your hand through the revelations and steps you through how to process and move forward to new strength.”
Fur Trade Nation: An Ojibwe’s Graphic History, Carl Gawboy
Recommended by Jamie MacDougall, Assistant Head of School
Jamie writes: “Brilliant illustrations that unfold one of the world’s most beautiful languages. Perfect for all ages.”
The Future Was Now, Chris Nashawaty
Recommended by Jake Thurman, Dean of Students
Jake writes: “This is the story of how the summer of 1982 stood out as the year Hollywood went all in on science fiction. This summer saw E.T., Tron, Blade Runner, Poltergeist, The Thing, Star Trek: The Wrath of Khan, Mad Max: The Road Warrior and several others all premiere in theaters across the country. It dips into the production of the films and the ways in which the business and movies of Hollywood were shaped and reshaped in this sci-fi boom that followed the outrageous success of films like Star Wars, Close Encounters of the Third Kind, and Alien in the late 1970s.”
Guns, Germs, and Steel, Jared Diamond
Recommended by Chris Bradley, History Faculty
A provocative examination of why cultures developed differently throughout history, shaped by geography, resources, and technology rather than inherent differences.
Mythos, Stephen Fry
Recommended by Jake Thurman, Dean of Students
Jake writes: “This is an accessible overview of some of the most famous (and infamous) Greek myths. It’s written by comedian Stephen Fry and is perfect for someone wanting to dip their toe into this vast, complex, and sometimes contradictory topic. If you’ve read Mythos, his follow-up books Heroes, Troy, and Odyssey are also great.”
Useful Delusions: The Power and Paradox of the Self-Deceiving Brain, Shankar Vedantam and Bill Mesler
Recommended by Dave Vesper, Associate Head of School
A fascinating look at how self-deception can protect us, motivate us, and help us find meaning — even when the stories we tell ourselves aren’t entirely true. Blends psychology, science, and storytelling in a way that’s both engaging and eye-opening.
CHILDREN
Buffalo Fluffalo, Bess Kalb, illustrations by Erin Kraan
Recommended by Taylor Newell, Director of Admission
Taylor writes: “This was given to our son (who is 5) as a gift from his grandpa, and we immediately loved it. It’s a fun rhyming story to read aloud, but also has a neat message about self-acceptance and the impact of kindness/friendship. The illustrations are fantastic, and some hardback copies come with a high-quality print that can be hung on the wall! Great bedtime story for those with little ones (or Tom FitzGibbon — this should roughly match his reading level).”
Drawing Is …: Your Guide to Scribbled Adventures, Elizabeth Haidle
Recommended by Jamie MacDougall, Assistant Head of School
Jamie writes: “Picture book, guide, pure inspiration — especially for those of you who claim you cannot draw.”
Jazz Baby, Lisa Wheeler
Recommended by Alicia LaMagdeleine, Head of School
Alicia writes: “This children’s book was a favorite of Parker’s, and I’ve passed it on to several University faculty kids.”
Outdoor School: Rock, Fossil, and Shell Hunting, Jennifer Swanson
Recommended by Jamie MacDougall, Assistant Head of School
Jamie writes: “The perfect catalyst for getting outdoors and looking at what is under your feet!”
We hope you find something wonderful to read or give. Happy reading!