Hag-Seed: William Shakespeare's The Tempest Retold by Margaret Atwood

An act of treachery uproots the life of the artistic director set to mount a version of The Tempest at a major literary festival. Twelve years later, he conjures revenge by staging the play as part of a prison literary program. Enchantment, betrayal, and second chances take center stage in this modern take on a classic Shakesperean play featuring creatives, incarcerated people, and politicians.

Exhalation: Stories by Ted Chiang

Described by the Harvard Review as “a pint-sized epic of scientific inquiry,” this collection of short stories explores the effects of technology on the desire for human meaning through the eyes of an alien narrator. Time travel, artificial intelligence, the Fermi paradox, and quantum mechanics challenge the reader to experiment with radically human questions.

The Great Gatsby by F. Scott Fitzgerald

Fitzgerald’s masterpiece will turn 100 this academic year in the spring of 2025.  The novel follows self-made millionaire Jay Gatsby's desperate quest to win back his married love Daisy Buchanan. The tale is told by Daisy's cousin Nick Carraway, who came to New York from the Midwest after graduating from Yale and fighting in WWI. Set on Long Island during the Jazz Age, the novel's themes address the importance of honesty, the temptations of wealth, and the struggle to escape the past.  

Calling for a Blanket Dance by Oscar Hokeah

Oscar Hokeah’s debut novel follows the life of Ever Geimausaddle – part Mexican, part Native American – with chapters told from the perspectives of 11 family members spanning four generations in rural Oklahoma. The chorus of voices, including his own in the final chapter, takes the reader through Ever’s journey as he navigates intergenerational trauma to find strength in his familial identity and cultural community for himself and the next generation.

The Odyssey by Homer

The Odyssey tells the story of Odysseus as the king of Ithaca battles with many antagonists, including his own inability to heed the gods’ warnings, on an arduous 10-year journey home from the Trojan war. Composed in 800 B.C.E., the Greek epic poem speaks to themes that continue to resonate: violence and the aftermath of war; wealth, poverty and power; marriage and family; travelers, hospitality, and the yearning for home. 

True Biz by Sara Nović

This coming-of-age novel plunges readers into the halls of a residential school for the deaf where they’ll meet a rebellious transfer student, who has never met another deaf person before; the school’s golden boy, whose world is rocked when his baby sister is born hearing; and the headmistress, who is fighting to keep her school open and her marriage intact. As they confront personal and political crises, this is a story about sign language and lip-reading; disability and civil rights; isolation and community; first love and loss, and persistence and connection.    

Remarkably Bright Creatures by Shelby Van Pelt

An unlikely friendship forms between a widow who takes a job as the night shift keeper at an aquarium and a Pacific octopus who helps her confront hard truths about her son’s mysterious disappearance 30 years ago. Through the lens of science, friendship, and hope, this story is a reminder that taking a hard look at the past can sometimes uncover a future that once felt impossible.

Afterparties: Stories by Anthony Veasna So

How do you live in the aftermath of the Cambodian Genocide? How do you bridge the gap between a generation fine with just surviving and one that wants more? This collection of bold short stories – ranging from wedding afterparty attendees looking to shake things up to a teacher obsessed with Moby-Dick – highlights the complexities and questions of an often-hidden community.

Sag Harbor by Colson Whitehead

It’s the summer of 1985. Benji Cooper is escaping from his majority-white prep school in Manhattan to Sag Harbor, a beachfront haven where Black professionals have created a community oasis in the Hamptons. Benji will face some of the usual trials and tribulations over the summer, but he also finds new adventures that will make this break one to remember. Rather than emphasizing major plot twists, the book focuses on language, humor, and anecdotes to provide an intimate fictional portrayal of the author’s youth. 

Starstruck: A Memoir of Astrophysics and Finding Light in the Dark by Sarafina El-Badry Nance 

Sarafina El-Badry Nance grew up stargazing and dreamed of unraveling the mysteries of space. Faced with a barrage of worldly challenges – from misogyny and racism to a cancer diagnosis and recovery – she fought for her place among the stars. In this memoir, she uses scientific research and personal narrative to help readers consider the cosmos, passion, and resiliency in a new way. 

What My Bones Know: A Memoir of Healing from Complex Trauma by Stephanie Foo

After years of hiding panic attacks and extreme emotions behind a smiling face and her outward success, Stephanie Foo received a diagnosis of complex post-traumatic stress disorder. In this personal and heavily researched memoir, Foo examines how one can move through the world with agency after trauma and provides the resources for others that she wished she had.

Being Heumann: An Unrepentant Memoir of a Disability Rights Activist by Judith Heumann (with Kristen Joiner)

Paralyzed from polio at 18 months, Judy Heumann became one of the most influential disability rights advocates. In this candid and thoughtful memoir, she takes readers through a lifetime of fighting for equality: in school, in work, and as a human in the world. Reflecting on her own strategies of activism, which led to the creation of the Americans with Disabilities Act, Heumann’s memoir shares insights that readers can take with them on whatever obstacle they might face.

Stay True: A Memoir by Hua Hsu

Hua is the son of recent Taiwanese immigrants. Ken’s Japanese American family has lived in the United States for generations. The pair of young men form a strong bond over a shared feeling that American culture doesn’t seem to have a place for them. When Ken is suddenly killed in a carjacking, Hua turns to writing as a way of remembering. This prize-winning memoir is both a coming-of-age story and an analysis of the human search for meaning and belonging in the world. 

How to Say Babylon: A Memoir by Safiya Sinclair

Safiya Sinclair grew up as the first-born to young parents who looked to their Rastafarian faith as an antidote to corruption, racism, and political posturing. Her father is adamant that the outside world — Babylon — is waiting and ready to corrupt his wife and daughters because their womanhood makes them weak and therefore susceptible to bad influence. Her mother provided her with books and education that allowed her to nurture her own creativity through a strong and assertive womanhood. Sinclair uses poetic lyricism to express her story of reckoning with patriarchy, tradition, and finding her power.

The Undocumented Americans by Karla Cornejo Villavicencio

One of the first undocumented immigrants to graduate from Harvard, Karla Cornejo Villavicencio traveled across the country to tell the stories of her fellow undocumented immigrants. Through a combination of memoir, a decade of reporting, and fiction, Villavicencio digs beyond the standard media portrayal of America’s undocumented and explores what it really means to be an American. 

Curious Minds: The Power of Connection by Dani S. Bassett and Perry Zurn

Written by a set of identical twins, this book harnesses their individual interests in the sciences and humanities to explore what gets left out today when we think about curiosity: the practice of connection between people and ideas. Traveling across realms of art, neuroscience, history, philosophy, literature, psychology, sociology, the authors identify three “styles of curiosity” to sketch out a new kind of curiosity-centric and inclusive education: the busybody, the hunter, and the dancer.

How to Know a Person: The Art of Seeing Others Deeply and Being Deeply Seen by David Brooks

What kind of conversations should you have? Drawing from the fields of psychology, neuroscience, philosophy, history, and more, David Brooks uses this book to present a new approach to human connection. Throughout, Brooks suggests ideas for how to become more considerate, find joy in connection, and explore collective solutions to broader social issues like fragmentation.

Belonging: The Science of Creating Connection and Bridging Divides by Geoffrey L. Cohen (ΦBK, Cornell University)

Belonging matters across a person's lifespan with profound consequences from cradle to grave. Filled with both strategies and reflections, this book seeks to provide a pathway to a more connected and empathetic world. Faced with the complexities of a society rife with division, Cohen draws on his scientific research to provide readers with actionable guidance on how to connect with each other and find belonging. 

I Never Thought of it That Way: How to Have Fearlessly Curious Conversations in Dangerously Divided Times by Mónica Guzmán

Partisanship is up, trust is down. Avoiding one another hurts relationships and society. How can we come together when we are so far apart? This book provides insights and tools to understand and even learn from people whose whole worldview is different from or even opposed to yours.

Lost in Thought: The Hidden Pleasures of an Intellectual Life by Zena Hitz 

What happened to learning for its own sake? In this book, Hitz highlights the value of a life rich in thought and passion with a range of interesting arguments, from Aristotle to St. Augustine, Albert Einstein to Elena Ferrante, John of the Cross to Simone Weil. In the process, she provides  an account of why renewing inner lives is fundamental to preserving humanity.

Rising Class: How Three First-Generation College Students Conquered Their First Year by Jennifer Miller (ΦBK, Brown University)

This narrative non-fiction follows three first generation college students as they face their first year in college. As the students work to balance coursework, finances, and familial obligations, they are faced with another challenge: the Covid-19 pandemic. In addition to shining a light on personal challenges that first generation students must navigate before they open a single book, it also highlights the unique perspectives and contributions these students bring to a college community.

Artificial Unintelligence: How Computers Misunderstand the World by Meredith Broussard

How far would you go to challenge a computer? In this book, Broussard embarks on a series of adventures in computer programming to challenge the idea that technology is always the solution. From riding in a driverless car to exploring the Titanic crash with machine learning, Broussard works to understand the limits of technology so that society can better understand how and when to use it. 

The Kissing Bug: A True Story of a Family, an Insect, and a Nation's Neglect of a Deadly Disease by Daisy Hernández

After Daisy Hernández lost her aunt to Chagas illness from eating an apple with the parasite, she discovered that the disease is more prevalent in the United States than the Zika. As a reporter years later, she crisscrossed the country to interview patients, doctors, epidemiologists, and even veterinarians with the Department of Defense. In this gripping account, she chronicles a story vast in scope that exposes how poverty, racism, and public policies have conspired to keep this disease hidden.

How Far the Light Reaches: A Life in Ten Sea Creatures by Sabrina Imbler 

Through the eyes of ten sea creatures, Imbler accentuates the connections and communities that exist beyond what we can each see. From a wild goldfish to a mother octopus starving herself, this debut book takes us from the surface of the sea to the deepest ocean floor to convey readers lessons about family and community that apply far beyond water. 

Not Too Late: Changing the Climate Story edited by Rebecca Solnit and Thelma Young Lutunatabua

Bringing together experts and activists from around the world to address the political, scientific, and social dimensions of climate change, this essay collection reframes an important conversation as a guide to action with understanding, creativity, and most importantly, hope. 

World of Wonders: In Praise of Fireflies, Whale Sharks, and Other Astonishments by Aimee Nezhukumatathil

No matter where she called home, Nezhukumatathil always looked to the world’s creatures for guidance. This book is a collection of the lessons she has learned from the many wonders of the world: the axolotl that teaches us to smile, the narwhal that shows how to survive in a hostile environment, and many more creatures who all have a lesson to teach if we’re patient enough to learn. As a poet, the beauty of her language in this nonfiction work helps readers reflect upon nature’s details to pay more attention to their own human condition.

Birding to Change the World by Trish O'Kane

Approximately 96 million Americans over 16 engage in bird watching, according to the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, a number that has doubled in the past five years. In this book, Trish O’Kane takes readers along for the ride as she and fellow birdwatchers come together to save their local birding haven, and the furred and feathered creatures that inhabit it. A story of activism and community, this book acts as a guide for muscular citizenship, powered by love and joy.

Material World: The Six Raw Materials that Shape Civilization by Ed Conway

What fundamental materials make up our world? Drawing insights from history, economics, material culture, and international relations, Conway traverses the globe to explore the networks, processes, and materials that built human civilizations from the ground up: sand, salt, iron, copper, oil, and lithium. With both wonder and worry, Conway explains why these substances matter more than ever today and how battles to control them will shape our geopolitical future.

Poverty, by America by Matthew Desmond

As a sociologist, Desmond seeks to explain the persistence of want in a nation of great wealth. Contextualizing the social and historical forces behind poverty, he argues that Americans, knowingly and unknowingly, directly profit from poverty in the form of cheap goods, lower taxes, and soaring home values. Despite the complexity of the problem, the author argues that a mixture of governmental and individual action can end poverty in the United States.  

How the Other Half Eats: The Untold Story of Food and Inequality in America by Priya Fielding-Singh, PhD

Based on 160 field research interviews conveyed through the firsthand experiences of four different families, sociologist Fielding-Singh explores how racially, ethnically, and economically diverse families eat today and examines what guides their food choices. Parents across society, she discovered, undertake sacrificial, complicated, and frustrating work to feed kids. By diving into the nuances of these families’ lives, Fielding-Singh then reveals how being rich or poor in America impacts something even more fundamental than the food families can afford: these experiences impact the very meaning of food itself.

Begin Again: James Baldwin's America and Its Urgent Lessons for Our Own by Eddie S. Glaud Jr.

“Not everything is lost. Responsibility cannot be lost, it can only be abdicated. If one refuses abdication, one begins again.”—James Baldwin. In this poignant book, Glaude weaves together biography, literary criticism, history, and cultural analysis to examine Baldwin’s publicly documented struggles with American society in the aftermath of the civil rights movement. In the process, Glaud asks tough questions about America and race today. 

The Bill of Obligations: The Ten Habits of Good Citizens by Richard Haass

In a volatile world, a diplomat who served under four presidents finds that the United States has become a profound source of instability and an uncertain exemplar of democracy. For democracy to survive, he argues that Americans must re-envision citizenship by placing obligations on the same footing as rights.

Belonging: A Culture of Place by bell hooks

What does it mean to call a place home? Cultural critic bell hooks takes readers on an introspective journey through a series of essays exploring the profound connections between identity, place, and community.  Moving from her rural homeland in the South to the Northeast’s urban centers and back to Kentucky again, she weaves together African American agrarian history, cultural analysis of race and gender, environmentalism, and spiritualism to reclaim  the power in knowledge of self.

Worn: A People's History of Clothing by Sofi Thanhauser

Five accounts of fabric – linen, cotton, silk, synthetics, and wool – offer rich insights into how everyday garments can transform lives, societies, and the planet in unexpected ways.  Taking readers from the opulent court of Louis Quatorze to the labor camps in modern-day Xinjiang, she provides the larger historical and anthropological context of textile manufacturing’s role in sociopolitical movements around the world. Thanhauser also makes clear how the clothing industry has become one of the planet's worst polluters while relying on chronically exploited laborers.