July Book Recommendations From the Press & Written Media Team

By Taylor Clark, Press & Written Media Team

The Press & Written Media Team has compiled a list of all of our recent favorite books for you to indulge in during these uncertain times. We may not be able to travel very far in person, but that doesn’t mean we can’t travel to different times and lands through books. We are all looking for distractions, and this is the perfect time to find yourself lost in a book rather than the news.

Educated by Tara Westover

“Because it’s one wild ride from start to finish.” — Karly Hou

The Road Less Traveled by M. Scott Peck.

“I find books written by therapists or psychiatrists to be very interesting and revealing about our human tendencies. I read it a while ago but I definitely recommend it if you want to figure out aspects of yourself. It’s also a quick and easy read.” — Christina Yao

Under A Painted Sky by Stacey Lee

“It is an interesting book featuring two girls dressed as boys, escaping to the West Coast during the California Gold Rush. It includes struggles related to societal values from racial treatment to feminine power. It’s entertaining, informative, and has a nice overlying theme of the good ole’ Wild West.” — Samiha Zaman

The Graveyard Book by Neil Gaiman

“This book has supernatural and death-related elements but it portrays them in a wholesome way. The novel also touches upon interesting relationships between humanity and the supernatural, and you really get to enjoy the family-like dynamic between the characters in the graveyard.” — Kaylin Li

Delirium by Lauren Oliver

“I read this book a few years ago! It’s a dystopia where love is a disease. Of course, the main character falls in love, so it’s a bit of a rollercoaster with the unique society and characters in the novel.” — Sophia Zhu

And Then There Were None by Agatha Christie

“This book is about eight strangers who are invited to stay at a house on an abandoned island. They don’t know why they’ve been summoned but slowly one by one, they each start to die. The ones who are still left work together to figure out who amongst themselves is the murderer. The ending was such a plot twist and overall it was a really fun and easy read and it’s perfect for the spooky season!” — Wei Ni Zhang

Daisy Jones and The Six by Taylor Jenkins Reid

“This book is my favorite read of 2020. For those who are fans of Stevie Nicks this is the book for you as the characters are inspired by her and her time with Fleetwood Mac. It takes place in the 70s and is written in an interview type format. These interviews are from different members of the band decades after their breakup and recounts exactly how they each remember things escalating to their infamous breakup. And as you can imagine everyone remembers it differently.” — Taylor Clark

Frankenstein by Mary Shelley

“Halloween might be over, but this story isn’t just seasonal! Forget everything you know about Frankenstein — he’s not giant and green with bolts in his neck, but rather an overambitious scientist who brings to life a human-like creature that just wishes to be loved. At the end of this tale of betrayal, horror and heartbreak, you might be surprised as to who the real monster is.” — Annie Lin

Flowers for Algernon by Daniel Keyes

“This story is about an intellectually disabled man named Charlie who risks it all to become intelligent. The novel is an anthology of his progress reports, which intricately illustrate his mental and emotional growth as he navigates life anew. Flowers for Algernon is a roller coaster in the sense that Keyes takes an unconventional route for showing Charlie’s development, and it’s certainly an emotional read.” — Patrick Nie

This article was previously published on Wave Learning Festival’s retired blog, titled “November Book Recommendations From the Press & Written Media Team.” It was written and compiled with feedback from past members of the Press & Written Media Team.

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