In the utter chaos of the world we live in right now, traveling has ceased–for the moment, at least–to be an option. Though we know it is the responsible thing, and not getting in a plane somewhere is the least we can do for our fellow humans, the longing for travel and exploration won’t simply fade away.…
Giovanni’s Room is a story about homesickness – and it makes you feel right at home
The time when I read Giovanni’s Room, an extraordinary novella by the even more extraordinary James Baldwin, could have been the worst possible moment – but, surprisingly, it might have turned out to be the best. I was living through my very first real winter – all the previous eighteen had been a collection of only slightly chillier and less rainy summer days, as every winter is in Rio de Janeiro.…
What Should You Read Over Winter Break?
Exams are over and Winter break is upon us! Now that there may finally be time to read for fun, take our quiz to get a personalized book recommendation.…
What We’re NOT Reading: The English Department’s TBR Lists
The Scholars of Sturges are obviously book lovers, but life–especially this time of the semester–is busy and our aspirations can outstrip our realities. So today, instead of a “What We’re Reading Post,” we’re going to tell you what we’re NOT reading. A TBR (“To Be Read”) pile is a stack of books that you’ve been meaning to read, but haven’t had time for yet.…
Lily Callander: The Book of Salt by Monique Truong
The Book of Salt, written by Monique Truong, is one of the reasons that I became an English major. We read this in Professor Comorau’s English 145 class, “Reading the Global Kitchen,” and I continually find myself recommending it to anyone who will listen. Truong’s work fascinated me due to its ability to excellently pose the question of how we, as readers, take narrators at their word, often not ruminating upon the idea that this character may be untruthful and unreliable.…
Maddie Marusek: I Was Anastasia by Ariel Lawhon
This summer, I was strolling through the book section of the Costco near my house when a book titled I Was Anastasia caught my eye. I decided to buy the book, which was undoubtedly the best thing I have ever bought from Costco. Ariel Lawhon tells the story of Anastasia Romanav, the youngest daughter of the last Russain tsar, and her best known impersonator, Anna Anderson, compellingly enough to create the illusion of possibility that Anna is the real Anastasia.…
What We’re Reading: Never Let Me Go by Kazuo Ishiguro
Kazuo Ishiguro’s Never Let Me Go is one of the first books I read as an English major my freshman year in Professor Allison’s Dystopia class. This class is one of the reasons I decided to become an English major and this book was one of my favorites in the class.…
What We’re Reading: The World We Found by Thrity Umrigar
Although I read this book for Professor Allison’s ENG 150: Intro to Literary Study class, I found that I could never stop myself just at the assigned pages for the week. I was so consumed by the story that I struggled to put the book down. The World We Found takes place primarily in India, and follows four women who were once best friends during university.…
What We’re Reading: The Berlin Stories by Christopher Isherwood
This novel captures a historical culture in a unique way. When I first opened this novel I was immersed in the world of 1930s Germany. The story line follows an Englishman living in Berlin just as Hitler rose to power. Throughout the novel there are many twists and turns that shock and engage the reader.…
What We’re Reading: Harry Potter Appreciation Post
In honor of the new movie coming out, Fantastic Beasts: The Crimes of Grindelwald, I couldn’t help but make Harry Potter my book recommendation for everyone. It is a series that never gets old and it’s a book I always seem to pick up, especially during the summer when I have nothing else to do.…