12 Books Universities Want You to Read this Summer

Whether you’re sat on a long-haul flight about to go on holiday, by the beach in your favorite swimsuit or back at your parents’ house on the sofa, a good book is a must-have summer item. From bloody airport thrillers to riveting non-fiction, salacious romances to extraordinary sci-fi, there’s a book out there for everyone to explore and the endless hours of down-time until term starts again are the perfect opportunity to sink your teeth into something special.

Of course, some books are more useful to read than others, particularly ahead of another year at university. Not everyone receives a summer reading list from their tutors though, which is why it can be useful to know what other universities are recommending to their students. Here are some recommendations, based upon research from the New York Times, and a survey of universities conducted by Penguin Random House.

Just Mercy: A Story of Justice and Redemption by Bryan Stevenson

This memoir by the former lawyer Bryan Stevenson is one of the most popular summer reading picks for US universities, with at least 70 colleges over the past three years assigning it to incoming students. Tackling injustices in the legal system that Stevenson experienced first-hand, and focusing on the need for criminal justice reform, Just Mercy is compulsory reading for all of the incoming students at Ohio State this year.

Evicted: Poverty and Profit in the American City by Matthew Desmond

Winner of the 2017 Pulitzer Prize for general non-fiction, Evicted follows Desmond, a Harvard sociologist, as he embeds himself among eight struggling families in Milwaukee to learn more about their struggle to keep a roof over their heads. No one book can solve the housing problem in the US, but Desmond provides some fresh ideas which will transform your understanding of poverty.

Becoming Nicole: The Transformation of an American Family by Amy Ellis Nutt

Transgender rights will continue to be a campus talking point in the years ahead, and the story reported by Nutt here is likely to inspire and raise awareness of how society’s long-held views on gender and identity are being challenged. Nutt spent four years researching the story of Wyatt Maines, an adopted twin boy who transitioned into the titular Nicole, and her family and the resulting story is incredible.

Hillbilly Elegy: A Memoir of a Family and Culture in Crisis by J.D. Vance

While many of the selections so far have been books with a liberal viewpoint, Vance’s portrayal of the working-class white communities that elected Donald Trump as their president is essential reading no matter your political beliefs. The University of Wisconsin-Madison is one of the universities to have this on their summer reading list, and Sheila Stoeckel, the director for teaching and learning programs at the university libraries, told the New York Times: “We’re picking books there aren’t easy answers for. If we picked a book that there was an easy answer for, it wouldn’t be as lively of a discussion or exploration.”

Between the World and Me by Ta-Nehisi Coates

A bestselling look at race in America, Between the World and Me is on the reading list at Tulane and at least nine other colleges. Written as a series of letters to his teenaged son, Coates’ memoir follows the evolution of his thinking on race, touching upon the importance of the Black Lives Matter movement and the tragic examples of Ferguson and Trayvon Martin.

So You’ve Been Publicly Shamed by Jon Ronson

Ronson spent three years meeting with victims of high-profile public shamings, from those who were viciously trolled online to others who made a mistake and were demonized for it. Providing a rare and vital insight into the damage online trolls and the court of public opinion can do, Ronson’s book is bound to have you thinking twice before sending your next snarky tweet.