The Book Recommendations Thread

[Stevie B]

I haven't read it, but a book that might be taught this summer in the Upward Bound program at my school is The Far Away Brothers. There is also a version that has been adapted for teens.

 

[Leseratte]

Hey guys, so I'm looking for a short, interesting, NON-fiction book to assign to my college freshmen in the Fall. Due to the requirements for this particular class, I cannot assign fiction, which kills me.

I was thinking of Jon Krakauer but his books are a bit on the longer side (I am looking for things within the 200-250 pp. range).

These kids are coming fresh out of high school, are reluctant readers, and probably skip half the reading assignments anyway, which I can't do anything about, ?

So ideally the book should be sufficiently short, focusing on issues that very young people can easily relate to, nothing too complex, and something they can (hopefully) write their final paper about.

Right now I am thinking of assigning Amin Maalouf's In the Name of Identity: Violence and the Need to Belong (at 175 pp.), but I'm worried it might not hold their attention for very long, ?

That sounds good. It depends so very much on the group you get, not least of all on their economical condition and their social background. Identity matter (including race and gender) should interest most of them. Also sports, (races, maybe as a metaphor for something bigger).
If it´s non fiction can´t it be good journalistic articles for example from NYT about current subjects?

 

[tiganeasca]

Hey guys, so I'm looking for a short, interesting, NON-fiction book to assign to my college freshmen in the Fall. Due to the requirements for this particular class, I cannot assign fiction, which kills me.

I was thinking of Jon Krakauer but his books are a bit on the longer side (I am looking for things within the 200-250 pp. range).

These kids are coming fresh out of high school, are reluctant readers, and probably skip half the reading assignments anyway, which I can't do anything about, ?

So ideally the book should be sufficiently short, focusing on issues that very young people can easily relate to, nothing too complex, and something they can (hopefully) write their final paper about.

Right now I am thinking of assigning Amin Maalouf's In the Name of Identity: Violence and the Need to Belong (at 175 pp.), but I'm worried it might not hold their attention for very long, ?

I wonder if any of John McPhee's books would work. He is particularly easy to read and I've always found him pretty interesting as well. He wrote many relatively smaller books on any number of fascinating subjects.... Even the subjects that are more time-bound are timeless in their way and god knows he wrote on an astonishingly wide variety of topics. Best of all, they all (or at least a very large number of them) still seem to be in print.

 

[Stevie B]

I wonder if any of John McPhee's books would work. He is particularly easy to read and I've always found him pretty interesting as well. He wrote many relatively smaller books on any number of fascinating subjects.... Even the subjects that are more time-bound are timeless in their way and god knows he wrote on an astonishingly wide variety of topics. Best of all, they all (or at least a very large number of them) still seem to be in print.

I never realized I could possibly find the citrus industry interesting until I read Oranges by John McPhee. I still recall reading that entire trees are harvested at the same time. The oranges you miss picking while in the tree, but later see clearly from the ground are called "shiners." I also enjoyed his book about the headmaster of a New England prep school that McPhee attended as a high school student. Tommy, a childhood friend of mine, graduated from that school (Deerfield Academy). I used to be so jealous when I visited Tommy because the campus was beautiful and my parents didn't have the means to send me there. You’d think I’d avoid books and films about private boarding schools, but I’m actually drawn to them. Some of my favorites include Old School by Tobias Wolff as well as the films School Ties and The Dead Poet’s Society.

 

[Phil D]

The Tall Man by Chloe Hooper is an excellent piece of long-form journalism telling the story of the death of Aboriginal man Cameron Doomadgee while in police custody in 2004. Highly recommended.

 

[Phil D]

with Ernaux, maybe her abortion chronicle(s)?

This would be good. I think A Girl's Memory, about adolescent sexual initiation and consent, is likely to be interesting to a lot of students.

 

[Phil D]

Gabriela Wiener's Undiscovered (longlisted for the Booker International this year) is an interesting contemporary memoir that touches on sexuality, colonialism, racism and migration as well.

 

[dc007777]

I've now realised the synopses I've found don't necessarily cover the main topics of the books. In The Argonauts, for instance, Harry Dodge is a trans person; In In the Dream House the said, toxic, relationship is a lesbian one.

Based on what Liam has said, The Argonauts is probably a good bet. As a grad student, I sat in on an LGBT lit course for undergrads, and they all loved that book.