Read, Baby, Read

 
by Debby Stewart, 
Dean of Students, Community College of Vermont

Whether you’re taking classes this summer or have filled your calendar with other obligations (like work, weeding, and keeping the kids from launching into mayhem), don’t forget to carve out some time for reading. After all, nothing suits a lazy, hazy day—when the inclination to barely stir settles over you—than a good book. “I’m moving,” you can say to the one whose eyebrow is arched in your direction, “inside my head.” 

Finding the right book to accompany you in your hammock is a bit challenging. Of course, you can search the web or talk to friends or step inside the local library—all good strategies—but you might also check out one of these four recommendations:  

·         Want an Oldie But a Goodie? John Steinbeck’s East of Eden

o   Yes, summer is the perfect time to catch up on one of those books you barely remember or only experienced in a film. East of Eden is a great book with epic themes like good versus evil and free will versus destiny.  But it’s also a tremendously enjoyable read with characters so real you’ll wish the book wouldn’t end. Trust me: it’s that good.  

·         Looking for a Deserving Sequel? Hilary Mantel’s Bring Up the Bodies

o   In 2010, Mantel published Wolf Hall about life under Henry the VIII (from the perspective of his right-hand man, Thomas Cromwell). This is the period captured in the popular Showtime series, The Tudors. The novel won several awards and was a best-seller. Bring Up the Bodies continues Cromwell’s story, focusing on the downfall of Anne Boleyn.  Mantel is particularly good at making this period—this world—come alive. You won’t be able to put it down.

·         Want to Understand How the Mind Works? Nicolas Carr’s The Shallows: What the Internet is Doing to Our Brains

o   A finalist for the 2011 Pulitzer Prize, this book originates from a central question: Is Google making us stupid? That question became the cover story for the Atlantic Monthly and garnered a lot of discussion. The book goes much further, exploring how the mind is shaped and how the Internet tools we use daily impact profound aspects of our life: how we communicate, think, and make sense of the world. Critics may be divided, so it’s the perfect book to get your friends and family talking (or debating) at the next barbecue. 

·         Planning a Road Trip? Harper Lee’s To Kill a Mockingbird (read by Sissy Spacek)

o   An audio book is a great way to pass the hours when you have a long drive ahead of you or miles to cover on the treadmill. Harper Lee’s novel about life in a small, southern town in the 1930s recently celebrated its fiftieth anniversary, so you may have read this once, twice or multiple times. True, this is another classic. However, the book that is often included in many “best of the best” lists for the 20^th century is worth reading…or listening to…again. Sissy Spacek’s voice is a perfect match for Lee’s simple but poetic style. With this in your CD player, you may never want to reach your destination.

These are just four of the many worthy books you could indulge in this summer. What books would you recommend? What’s on your own wish list for the summer?