(Disclaimer: This reflection has a lot of little spoilers here and there, but I think it is important for the context of the writing.
Posts published in “Book of the Week”
Book of the Week is an Opinion culture column created by Keenan Yates ‘23 used to give weekly book recommendations in the form of short blurbs and reviews.
As a Chemical Biology major, I picked up Bonnie Garmus’ Lessons in Chemistry expecting a story about science. I didn’t expect it to be a story about loss, or one of the most encouraging books I’ve read in a long time.
Back in high school, I came across this book by Jodi Picoult called The Book of Two Ways, and it remained on my “to-be-read” list until the day I came across it again at Symposia Community Bookstore and thought I’d finally give it a read.
Richard Carlson’s Don’t Sweat the Small Stuff… and It’s All Small Stuff is the perfect book to kick off a brand-new school year.
The Possession by Annie Ernoux is a short novella about an all-consuming jealousy the narrator feels about her ex-husband’s new partner.
In the Dream House by Carmen Maria Machado is a memoir about her abusive marriage written through the lens of the horror genre.
At some point, when I was in high school, I was suggested to read books from other cultures. I’d been a touch pretentious and working my way through much of the western classical canon at the time, so the thought of there being other “classic” books that were entirely unfamiliar to me was incredibly exciting.
The Trial by Franz Kafka follows Josef K., a bank officer who is arrested out of nowhere in his hotel room and has to try to defend himself against charges that are unknown to him.
I’ve read a few different books by R.F. Kuang, enough to know I have a generally mixed perspective on her novels.
Strangers on a Train by Patricia Highsmith is a mystery thriller about murder. It follows two leads, Guy and Bruno, who meet on a train and have an uncomfortable encounter.