Summer Book Recommendations

With summer vacation upon us, it seems like the perfect time to highlight some recommendations for summer reads. 

Poetry has been featured for the past several weeks, so let’s shift gears and highlight a different genre – nonfiction. 

Many of the books I have read lately have been memoirs and biographies. Here are a few of my favorites and some other popular recommendations:  

This book tells the story of a writer for the New York Post, who developed a rare form of encephalitis. This rare autoimmune disease affects the brain and causes patients to experience symptoms commonly associated with Schizophrenia or “madness” as Collins calls it.

I read Unbroken in high school for a summer reading project and was surprised to enjoy this book so much. Laura Hillenbrand records the life of Louis Zamperini, a former Olympic athlete, who served in World War II as an airman. The story details his time during the war as a survivor of a plane crash, eventual prisoner of war, and his struggle to cope after the war.

In this book, readers can delve into Malala’s miraculous recovery after being shot for advocating for her right to education in northern Pakistan. This book is perfect if you enjoy stories of bravery, the fight for education, and the power of one voice.

This story by Dave Peltzer is sure to be a shocking and emotional read as it details one child’s life of abuse and journey in the foster-care system. It is a deeply felt novel that follows the author’s story of resilience and struggle. 

Dive into the memoir from the poet of our chosen book this year. Joy Harjo tells her story from her childhood, time at an Indian boarding school, and struggles before becoming the current United States poet-laureate and acclaimed author.

What are the books on your summer reading list? We’d love to hear them!