Summer Picks 2024: What Westminster professors are reading

If you haven’t had a chance to lose yourself in a good book this summer, there is still plenty of time—and Westminster College faculty members have some suggestions to help you while away the hours.

We asked our professors what books were on their summer reading lists, and they offered up a number of titles. Some reflect their scholarly interests, while others are purely for pleasure. If you’re hoping to expand your mind or are just looking for some escapist literature, check out this year’s Faculty Summer Reading List.

In preparation for a trip to the Nordic countries, Dr. Kristin Park, professor of sociology, has been reading books by Finnish, Swedish and Norweigan writers—as well as those by indigenous Sámi authors.

“I’ve always found travel to be more enjoyable when I’ve been able to partially experience the culture ahead of time, such as through its fiction and nonfiction authors,” said Park.

She recommends Ann-Helen Laestadius’ novel “Stolen,” a story that follows a young indigenous woman as she struggles to defend her family’s reindeer herd and culture amidst xenophobia, climate change and a devious hunter whose targeted kills are considered mere theft. The book highlights the cultural richness of the Sámi people but also the poaching of their reindeer and their cultural degradation by non-Sámi Swedes.

Another book Park suggests, “A House in Norway” by Vigdis Hjorth, is the story of a Norwegian textile artist and the mysteries surrounding her immigrant Polish tenants.

“I took the story as more generally casting a critical eye on Norwegian ethnocentrism and immigration challenges and pondering the search for life’s meaning and purpose in an affluent, comfortable society,” said Park.

Dr. Kristianne Kalata, professor of English, recently finished Barbara Kingsolver’s Pulitzer Prize-winning novel, “Demon Copperhead,” inspired by Charles Dickens’ “David Copperfield.”

“I study 19th-century fiction and so, for pleasure, am always on the lookout for new books that engage in some way with 19th-century style or character, and to readers familiar with ‘David Copperfield,’ this book skillfully re-situates Dickens’ characters and intricate plotlines in modern Appalachia,” said Kalata, adding that readers do not have to have read Dickens to be drawn into Kingsolver’s narrative.

“This takes a hard look at the foster care system as it relates to underserved communities in modern Appalachia, weaving together elements of poverty, crime, health care, addiction, football, art, history, family—there’s something there for everyone,” she said.

For a lighter read—or listen—Kalata is also taking in Lauren Graham’s debut novel “Someday, Someday, Maybe” via audiobook.

Chronicling the adventures of a young actress trying to make it in 1990s Manhattan, Kalata says “Someday”—whose lead character is comical, vulnerable and self-aware—is perfect for listening to while doing outside yardwork.

“It lightens the task,” she said.

Dr. Helen Boylan, chemistry and environmental science professor, is also turning to an audiobook for one of her summer reads. “10% Happier,” a memoir by Dan Harris, former anchor of ABC’s “Nightline.” Harris, who suffered an anxiety attack on network television, describes how he found happiness through the practice of meditation.

“Much like my collaborative research on nature therapy with Dr. Jessica Rhodes, associate professor of psychology, there is a lot of good scientific evidence supporting the health and emotional benefits of mindfulness, which Harris relates through his personal experience,” said Boylan.

This summer Boylan is also reading Hope Jahren’s “Lab Girl,” which she describes as “part memoir and part science.”

“Jahren does a great job of weaving the science of plants with her life as an academic researcher into an enjoyable narrative,” she said.

What many have called one of the best books of 2023, “An Immense World: How Animal Senses Reveal the Hidden Realms Around Us” is the book that Dr. David Lehman, assistant professor of history, has picked up.

Written by Pulitzer Prize-winning science journalist Ed Yong, “An Immense World” summarizes findings about how different animals’ sensory worlds are from ours.

“I’m a history professor, but I really enjoy learning about other disciplines when I can,” said Lehman.

For his beach read this summer, Dr. Michael Aleprete, professor of political science, picked up a copy of Geraldine Brooks’ latest novel, “Horse.” Based on the true story of the record-breaking thoroughbred, Lexington, who became America’s greatest stud sire, “Horse” is a multi-layered reckoning with the legacy of enslavement and racism in America.

“A few years ago I read another book by Brooks, ‘People of the Book’—which was the book selection for Westminster’s First-Year Summer Reading Program—and I really enjoyed it and thought I would give this one a try,” he said.

Dr. Jessica Sarver, assistant professor of chemistry, has developed a stack of books to take on this summer after experiencing a bit of a reading drought.

“After having two kids in four years my book consumption really decreased, so I leaned into reading more in 2024, by joining the Westminster’s First-Year Book Committee and finding sneaky ways to set aside more time to read for fun,” said Sarver.

For a fun read, she picked up “French Kids Eat Everything,” which shares how author Karen Le Billon was able to alter her children’s deep-rooted, North American eating habits while living in France. Also for pleasure and self-improvement, Sarver selected “Deep Work” by Cal Newport, a book for those seeking focused success in a distracted world.

In preparation for teaching an upcoming Westminster cluster course—The Chemistry Between Culture and Cuisine—she is devouring “Food and Society: Principles and Paradoxes” by Amy Guptill, Denise Copelton and Betsy Lucal, which offers readers a vivid perspective on the cultural and social complexities of food practices and the current food system.

Two other books round out her summer reading list and are both potential candidates for Westminster’s First-Year Summer Reading Program’s selection—“The Good Life” and “Sea of Flames.”

Finally, Dr. Trisha Cowen, associate professor of English, always has a few books going at the same time. Currently, she is listening to a book on Audible, another she is “reading with a pencil” because it requires extensive notations, and one—or three—books she is rereading in preparation for teaching in class. But she is looking forward to picking up two new books when they are released at the end of the summer—both written by friends from graduate school.

“We are Animals: On the Nature and Politics of Motherhood” by Jennifer Case is a memoir about becoming a mother for the second time in a country that does not often support mothers, while “Unlucky Mel” by Aggeliki Pelekidis is a comical novel about an aspiring author who has trouble managing familial caretaking responsibilities with her personal aspirations.

But if readers pick up only one book this summer, Cowen recommends “Lessons in Chemistry” by Bonnie Garmus—a story about a female chemist in the early 1960s—which she taught in her Literature of Prejudice and Discrimination course.

She also suggests “The Women” by Kristin Hannah, the story of a young woman who serves as a nurse in Vietnam and then returns to a world that won’t recognize her service.

“I couldn’t imagine a life without stories,” Cowen said.

Kalata agrees.

“While I, of course, read regularly for work, I can’t imagine life without it,” Kalata said. “Reading forces us to stop multitasking and immerse ourselves in the minds and experiences of others. These are essential life skills. And if we can practice them while being entertained, then that’s all the better.”

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