It’s a truism that defies soaring temperatures: There’s nothing quite as cool as camping out in a hammock or on a lakeside beach with a riveting book. But the age-old question remains—which book will seize you? Not to worry: Some of our most erudite Letters & Science faculty have some sizzling recommendations that will keep you turning the pages.
Dune, by Frank Herbert
Recommendation by: Manny Teodoro, Associate Professor, La Follette School of Public Affairs
As a newcomer to the sci-fi genre, I only recently read Herbert’s 1965 classic (which clearly inspired Star Wars). What’s most fascinating is Herbert’s world-building. Dune is set on Arrakis, a desert planet so dry that inhabitants must wear suits that capture their own bodies’ moisture when they venture outdoors. Water scarcity pervades every aspect of life, and accumulation and control of water is the overriding focus of every social interaction. Arrakis would be an insignificant corner of galaxy, except that its arid soils contain an immensely valuable spice that make it the focus of galactic politics. Religion, romance, economics, politics and family legacies intertwine against a backdrop of simultaneous wealth and scarcity.
In a sense, Dune is a literary riff on economist Adam Smith’s diamond-water paradox—a vast thought experiment about use value (what we need) and exchange value (what we are willing to pay, fight and die for)—with meaningful insights for humans here on Earth.
Girl, Woman, Other, by Bernadine Evaristo
Recommendation by: Aaron Greer, Associate Professor of Communication Arts
As a filmmaker, one of the things that attracts me to movies is their ability to traverse space, time and perspective with relative ease and narrative coherence. Evaristo’s 2019 Booker Prize-winning novel deploys this same device, masterfully interweaving the stories of 12 women, all different ages, points of view and types, whose lives overlap and inform each other in surprising ways. By many measures, the experiences of these mostly Black women in the United Kingdom, could not be more different from my own, but in the authenticity, specificity and poignancy of their narratives, I recognized myself and others I know well. In fact, if you’re reading with a group, as I did, it’s fun to play the “which Evaristo character are you?” game. The 460-page book does pose some challenges; it may take some time to adjust to the writing style, which is short on punctuation and capitalization, and to the many interweaving stories, but for those who take the plunge, I guarantee you will be moved, you will laugh, you will think and you’ll enjoy your glimpse into the lives of these beautifully crafted characters.
The One, by John Marrs
Recommendation by: Diane Gooding, Professor of Psychology
Marrs’ novel opens with an irresistible premise: People can pay to take a simple DNA test, submit it to the growing genetic databank, and be paired with their perfect romantic match. It’s a new twist on dating apps.
This novel follows five main characters: Mandy, Christopher, Jade, Nick and Elly (the creator of the program) who each submit their DNA for matching. Readers can think about human behavior, nature vs. nurture and the definition of love while the stories unfold. The One has everything—mystery, crime, action, romance—all wrapped up in a science fiction thriller. However, not surprisingly, the focus of the novel is on relationships.
This book is an excellent companion for long drives, binge-reading or needed motivation at the gym or solitary walking. A good-natured willingness to suspend disbelief will ensure an enjoyable and unforgettable summer read. Although most of the action takes place in the United Kingdom, the themes are truly universal.
Subdivision, by J. Robert Lennon
Recommendation by: Jordan Ellenberg, Professor of Math
Despite the title and my day job, this isn’t a book about arithmetic operations; it’s a small, spooky, moderately experimental novel which unlike much experimental fiction always stays close to recognizable human concerns. A woman arrives in a small town with no memory of who she is or what she’s supposed to be doing there, apparently in the aftermath of some kind of natural disaster she’s supposed to know about, and we go from there. Recommended for anyone who liked Susannah Clarke’s Piranesi (which I also read this year and also recommend)!
Unworthy Republic: The Dispossession of Native Americans and the Road to Indian Territory, by Claudio Saunt
Recommendation by: Yoshiko M. Herrera, Professor of Political Science
Unworthy Republic reveals an important chapter in American history, namely the expulsion of 80,000 Native Americans from their homes in the southeastern United States. This is not just a story, however, of the human tragedy of forced deportation. Instead, the book delves into what led American politicians and citizens to embark on such a violent and destructive path. The question, “How could this happen in America?” is as relevant today as it was in the 1830s. How exactly could the United States government deport so many people in such a short time? What was the legal basis? What economic and financial institutions were necessary for the operation? Who participated and on what basis? And logistically how could people be moved to places where there were no roads or other infrastructure? In meticulous detail, Saunt answers all of these questions and more, revealing a catastrophe at the heart of American political development. Unworthy Republic is the winner of the 2021 Bancroft Prize and a finalist for the 2020 National Book Award for nonfiction.
Dressed in Dreams: A Black Girl’s Love Letter to the Power of Fashion, by Dr. Tanisha C. Ford
Recommendation by: Brittney Michelle Edmonds, Assistant Professor of Afro-American Studies
In this dazzling memoir, Ford, a cultural critic and UW-Madison alum (MA, Afro-American Studies, ’05), chronicles the fashion that defined her childhood and coming-of-age in the Midwestern “Up South.” Situating Black fashion as an integral element of Black self-determination, Ford skillfully combines personal history, popular cultural commentary, and broader discussions about race, cultural identity and feminism in chapters titled for a specific clothing items or trends (‘Dashiki,’ ‘Coochie Cutters,’ and ‘Bamboo Earrings’)! Come for the engaging account of a Black woman coming into her own through a love of fashion and stay for the rich social and cultural history that Ford weaves through her powerful story.
The Glass Constellation: New and Collected Poems, by Arthur Sze
Recommendation by: Timothy Yu, Professor of English
Every poem by Arthur Sze is like a little universe: they move seemingly effortlessly from the local to the planetary, from foraging for mushrooms on a long walk in the woods, to contemplation of the tragedies facing our world. They can do this because they’re really nothing less than maps of human consciousness, crystallizing the way our minds wander across all experience (and beyond). Yet his work is also remarkably open and welcoming, reproducing again and again the sense of wonder of seeing things for the first time. The Glass Constellation contains work from across Sze’s long career, a body of work that has recently been recognized with the National Book Award and other major prizes.
Station Eleven,by Emily St. John Mandel
Recommendation by: Kristin Eschenfelder, Professor, Information School and Associate Director of the School of Computer, Data & Information Sciences
Station Eleven is post-pandemic dystopian fiction (though it was published before the COVID-19 pandemic). The story centers around a traveling group of artists who perform Shakespeare plays and symphonies to surviving communities in the Michigan area. There are many human/cultural resiliency messages in the book, so it is less depressing than one might assume! The story moves between a pre-pandemic story line, the unfolding of the pandemic and shut-down of society, and the story of communities in the post-pandemic world, with strong female leads.