BPC Summer Reading List

by Megan Sperry

Ahhhh! Summer. I loved summer growing up. (Who didn’t?) My birthday is in July, I spent a lot of time at figure skating practice and camps, and I had tons of time to read. As soon as my school’s Summer Reading List came out, I broke out the highlighter and figured out which ones I wanted to get. Then, my dad and I would go to the library and I would try to check out about ten books. The librarians would raise their eyebrows and question my insane stack of paperbacks.

Since leaving the required Summer Reading behind, I still love to read, but definitely do not read as much as I did in fourth, fifth, or sixth grade. There was something about having a formalized list that pushed me to read upwards of twenty books in a summer. Although I think twenty books may be a few too many to tackle between now and September 1st, I am shooting to read ten books this summer! These are some of my picks, which I am aiming to round out with a few more. Do you have plans to read this summer? If you have some favorite books or some new ones you are hoping to read, enter the titles in the box below. I will update the article with entries as I receive them to compile a BPC Summer Reading List. Happy reading!

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1. London: A Literary Anthology edited by The British Library

I picked this book up at the library sometime early in the spring semester and still have not read it. This collection of stories and poems is all set in London (my favorite city). Because, “There’s nowhere like London really you know.” Wanderlust!

2. The Power of Habit by Charles Duhigg

Friends kept recommending this book to me, so I am finally going to read it! Part science, part self-help, this book talks about diagnosing habits and how to change them. I am excited for an eye opening read and some self-reflection.

3. Remaking the World: Adventures in Engineering by Henry Petroski

This one was a present from my aunt and uncle for Christmas and yet another I have been meaning to read! (Sensing a trend here?) Of course any self-respecting engineer needs to include one nerdy book on their Summer Reading List. This one is a history of engineering feats.

4. Ace, King, Knave by Maria McCann

I picked this book up in London last year to feed my British historical fiction cravings, but never finished it. Set in 18th century London, it follows two women from very different walks of life. I am excited to re-read/finish this one.

5. Half the Sky by Nicholas Kristof and Sheryl WuDunn

Check! Just finished this one. This is a great read and has won many, many awards. Written by a husband-wife team of NY Times reporters, Kristof and WuDunn take you with them on their experiences reporting and providing aid around the world for twenty years. Half the Sky demonstrates the oppression that women face, particularly in Africa and Asia, but also provides stories of hope and solutions for change. 

6. Wild by Cheryl Strayed

After seeing the movie Wild, starring Reese Witherspoon, I knew I had to read the book. Heidi lent me this one earlier in the spring and I just started reading it. Strayed’s adventures on the Pacific Crest Trail (and in life!) are so intense and inspiring. Maybe I should hike the PCT after I finish my PhD? Heidi, you in?

7. Ender’s Game by Orson Scott Card

I am not normally a big science fiction reader, but my cousin gave this book away at her wedding last September (such a cool wedding favor!) and I am going to read it. The 1985 book, set in the future of Earth, follows the human species as they train children from a young age through a series of games, including zero gravity. (Heidi notes that reading this book as a second grader was quite traumatizing and she has never quite recovered from it.)

Heidi is also helping me kick off our BPC Summer Reading List. Here are some that she recommends or is looking forward to reading!

8. Where’d You Go, Bernadette? by Maria Semple

I just finished this one, and it made her laugh out loud. Many times. The story is told by a 14-year-old trying to make sense of her eccentric mother’s recent disappearance. It sounds tragic, but it’s really funny.

9. Twenty Thousand Leagues Under The Sea by Jules Verne

Nothing like some 19th century science fiction to make you question your understanding of physics. This is a fun read, although the lead character is a bit too much of a golden hero for my tastes. If you want to learn about ginormous, viscous whales and boiling molten sea lava, this one’s for you. I recommend reading it while on a cruise (just kidding!).

10. All the Light We Cannot See by Anthony Doerr

To be honest, I thought I was done reading books about World War II for the next few years (I went on a WWII historical fiction spree when I was 19), but this one has such great reviews I think it would be a mistake to pass it up. It won the Pulitzer Prize for Fiction this year and pretty much everyone I know who has read it has gushed about it.