Books To Add To Your Holiday Wish-List

The holidays are coming up– this is the perfect opportunity to expand your book collection and treat yourself to some new reads. Whether you are looking for an emotionally gripping book, captivating poetry, or a purely self-indulgent read, this list has the perfect story for you.

Fiction and Non-fiction Essays

The following recommendations are a collection of essays or feature elements of essay writing in their composition.

A Visit From Tommy Orange

This past weekend, Delaware, Ohio was thrilled to have award-winning author Tommy Orange visit the Delaware County District Library for a reading and conversation about his book, There There. The conversation was moderated by OWU Associate English Professor Amy Butcher and recently retired OWU Associate English Professor Karen Poremski. 

Tommy Orange is the author of the New York Times best-selling novel There There.

The Brilliance of “Taxi Driver” (1976) | Peter Lujan (’23)

Martin Scorsese’s Taxi Driver is a film that changed my life. When people talk about the magic of cinema it is almost impossible to define. I think that you know it when you see it though. That could not be more the case than with Taxi Driver. This film has tremendously guided my personal work, as I plan on writing and directing feature films for the rest of my life.

Battling Burnout | Katie Davis (’26)

The digital sphere has recently erupted with stories detailing young adults’ experiences with burnout. From blog posts to Instagram stories, many people have begun coming forward with stories of how they slid into burnout, all of which tend to follow a similar pattern. 

Many testimonies begin with a high-achieving person, more often than not a woman, who begins by talking about her seemingly perfect life before developing burnout.

What We’re Reading: Rachel Ingalls’ Mrs. Caliban

 

When I first read Rachel Ingalls’ Mrs. Caliban this semester in Professor Butcher’s Narratives 2: Longer Forms, I was perplexed as to how the story could have any literary significance. At face value, this is the story of a lonely housewife, Dorothy, in an unhappy marriage who falls in love with a monstrous frog-like man–a clear allusion to the aquatic creature Caliban from Shakespeare’s The Tempest.

Classical Composers of TikTok

As I sat, partaking in another session of mindless scrolling, I happened across a stereotypical 60 second “day in the life” vlog with one slight distinction. Instead of the trendy pop music one would expect to find dominating the app, this particular TikTok featured a clip of a strikingly beautiful orchestral composition, “Easy Lovers” by the late Italian film composer Piero Piccioni. 

Halloween Book Reccomendations

The leaves have changed color, and Halloween quickly approaches, which means that now is the perfect time to bring out some spooky literature. Whether you love horror novels, or just need a quick tale to put you in the Halloween time spooky-season mood, this list has a story for you. 

Classics

If you love the classics but haven’t yet read Frankenstein by Mary Shelley, you should consider adding it to this year’s Halloween reading list.

David Eye’s Reading at OWU

This past Wednesday, Ohio Wesleyan students, faculty, and guests joined visiting assistant professor, David Eye, for a reading from his book, Seed. The reading took place in the Bayley Room of Beeghly Library. The event commenced with Professor Amy Butcher’s introduction of Eye and his previous works. 

David Eye is an award-winning poet, former actor, and professor.

Why English? | Katie Davis (’26)

While I would love to tell a story about how I have known since birth that I would study literature and that I have had a career plan for years leading up to this moment, in reality, I chose to major in English on the day of fall registration. Even though I have always loved reading and telling stories, I went through school fully intending to major in vocal music education in spite of a history of voracious reading.