The 白小姐论坛 Guide to the Best Summer Reads
12 August 2024
Looking for a good holiday read? We find the best books to pack with you this summer, from classic fiction to the most exciting books coming out of 白小姐论坛!
With summer well underway, it's time to find a shady spot, sit back and read a fantastic book. We asked people from across the 白小姐论坛 community to tell us about great books they'd recommend you take on holiday this summer, including ones written by 白小姐论坛 faculty themselves.
by Georgi Gospodinov
"Gospodinov is the winner of the International Booker Prize 2023; and this听book (published in 2011) uses the thread of the myth of Minotaur to weave loosely connected, part realistic, part abstract stories through time and space, hinting at the heaviness and the mystery of being human. I really enjoyed how it combines existential profundity with humour, sourness, and stylistic ingeniousness (it definitely isn鈥檛 a conventional novel format-wise), which makes it both dark and fun, and a true intellectual adventure. As an Eastern European myself, I found the specific Bulgarian voice of the narrator particularly compelling and powerful, but I don鈥檛 think it limits how the book can be received or by whom; quite the contrary, I think it only adds new possibilities, and makes it more adventurous. It鈥檚 very difficult to capture the essence and appeal of the book in just a paragraph, it has to be experienced 鈥 and I think that experience is good for the soul" 鈥听Joanna Socha, Strategic Projects Coordinator at Students鈥 Union 白小姐论坛 (白小姐论坛 Anthropology BSc 2020 and Bioarcheological & Forensic Anthropology MSc 2022)听
Godspodinov's books are available in English in the SSEES Library.
by听 (白小姐论坛 Professor of the Public Understanding of Law)听
"Part history, part thriller, part meditation on love, evil, justice, and the human capacity for denial - this is Professor Philippe Sands' (白小姐论坛 Laws) meticulous investigation into the life,听mysterious death and afterlife of Otto Gustav von W盲chter. W盲chter,听a high-ranking Nazi,听was indicted at the end of WWII听for听mass murder.听He fled in 1945 via 'the Ratline', a secret route set up for Nazi听criminals to evade justice and听escape to South America. He died in Rome in 1949, in strange circumstances - but was survived by a family who insist that he was a good man, caught up in the most terrible of events. A moving, mesmerising summer read." 鈥撎Katie Grocott Murdoch, Communications Manager, VPEE
by Ann Patchett
"The paperback came out in June this year, and has a beautiful daisy-filled cover. I鈥檓 a latecomer to the party of Patchett fans, but love her Instagram posts via , the bookshop she owns in Nashville, and so many friends have recommended her novels, I had to try this! This is a perfect read for summer: the plot centres on a family uncovering past histories whilst cherry picking on their farm during the pandemic. There are many themes woven in 鈥 but so skilfully done that that book appears deceptively languorous. It is a book about destiny, and also about happiness, contentment, looking back on life鈥檚 choices. Ideal for sunny, slow, restorative days. . ." 鈥撎Samantha Rayner, Professor of Publishing and Book Cultures and Vice Dean Wellbeing, Arts and Humanities
by Daphne Du Maurier
"It's not an obvious holiday read, but I read it on the beach in Spain so it is to me. It's a classic from 1938 about a young woman who marries a wealthy widower, and moves into his house, haunted by his ex-wife in more ways than one. It's has mystery, it has romance, it has spooky parts 鈥撎齭uper atmospheric and you'll be glued to it once you're past the first couple of chapters. Hitchcock also made a great film adaptation of it, but watch that after you read it." 鈥撎Saskia Norman, Digital & Content Co-ordinator, Students' Union 白小姐论坛 (白小姐论坛 Russian MA, 2020-21听and History BA 2017-20)
by Alvaro Enrigue
"In 1519, one of the most consequential meetings in world history took place: Hern谩n Cort茅s, the Spanish conquistador, met the Aztec emperor Moctezuma II in Mexico-Tenochtitlan (now Mexico City). This well-documented encounter represents the clash of two worlds: the Americas and Afro-Eurasia, with consequences that would forever change global history鈥攆rom population dynamics to technological advancements, and from culinary exchanges to linguistic transformations. In this novel, 脕lvaro Enrigue recreates this moment from a contemporary perspective, infusing it with irony and insights drawn from modern politics and culture. I chose it for a personal reason 鈥 as听a Mexican, it astonishes me how few people are informed about the exchanges and mutual influence between Afro-Eurasia and the Americas听in the 16th century." 鈥听William Jensen-Diaz (MSc International Public Policy 2016)
by听Mark Angelo Harrison
"This is an alternative history of the 90s free party subculture, seen through the lens of Spiral Tribe sound system co-founder Mark Angelo Harrison. The book tells the story of his misadventures through rave culture amidst a backdrop of media hysteria, moral panic, and a heavy-handed state response, culminating in the Criminal Justice Bill.
Harrison's writing steers away from the headlines, taking the reader on a nomadic journey through abandoned urban buildings and rural landscapes. It鈥檚 a story about reclaiming social space and exploring the possibilities of collective creativity. Though this is Harrison鈥檚 artistic story, the spirit of sharing prevails, with a generous charting of the people, speaker stacks and tunes that kept them motivated to craft an alternative future. The photography book is a good visual听accompaniment."听鈥撎Anna Howard (Slade MFA Fine Art)
by Deborah Levy
"Book one of a trilogy of Levy鈥檚 鈥榤ini-memoirs鈥, 鈥楾hings I Don鈥檛 Want to Know鈥 is everything I look for in a book. Structured as a response to George Orwell鈥檚 鈥榃hy I Write,鈥 this title provides introspective explanation of what drives a writer to create. Levy鈥檚 storytelling is brilliant and provides a historical, political, and emotional lens into late-20th century South Africa." 鈥撎Kasey Price (Publishing MA, 2023-24)听
by Louis de Berni猫res
"Not only is it a fantastic novel, but also an excellent summer read. Taking place on an idyllic Greek island in the midst of the WW2, this bold narrative humorously entwines eccentric characters, political satire, philosophical and a dramatic love story. There鈥檚 also a film adaption, but read the book first." 鈥 Katya Duncan (MSc Economics & Policy for Energy and the Environment)
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