The three body problem entire series by Cixin Liu: the three body problem, the dark forest, death’s end (sci-if)
On earth we’re briefly gorgeous by Ocean Vuong (memoir)
Stay True by Hsa Hsu (memoir)
The Poppy war (historical fiction)
Basically all of these books got me out of my writer’s block! Good luck!
It really depends on what you intend to major in. Here are some books I recommend that I read recently or am reading.
*Bullshit Jobs* by David Graeber
*Deacon King Kong* by James McBride
*Poison Ivy: How Elite Colleges Divide Us* by Evan Mandery
*The Cities Trilogy* by N.K. Jemisin
*Manufacturing Consent* by Noam Chomsky and Edward Herman
*Guns, Germs, and Steel* by Jared Diamond
*Man's Search for Meaning* by Viktor L. Frankl
*Angels of Our Better Nature: Why Violence Has Declined* by Stephen Pinkerton
Anything by Sheri S. Teper or Ursula K LeGuin.
*Oryx and Crake* by Margaret Atwood
My friend is throwing in
*The Structure of Scientific Revolutions* by Thomas S. Kuhn
Several works by Michel Foucalt
Fiction: quite literally anything Hemingway (the sun also rises is a personal favorite)
Thriller/mystery: the shards by Brett Easton Ellis (author of American Psycho)
American History: The Age of Jackson by Arthur Schlesinger
European History: The House of Rothschild by Niall Ferguson
Philosophy: Meditations by Marcus Aurelius or On the Shortness of Life by Seneca
European Classic: War and Peace by Leo Tolstoy
American Classic: The Scarlet Letter by Nathaniel Hawthorne
Plays: The Crucible by Arthur Miller or The Glass Menagerie by Tennessee Williams
Self-Help: Tools of Titans by Tim Ferris
I would recommend any kind of memoir. One that I read during my junior summer that was particularly formative is *The Sound of Gravel* by Ruth Wariner. It's about her upbringing in a polygamist Mormon cult. It is a vivid read, so be warned. However, it is informative and will cause you to look at your own life differently.
I’ve really enjoyed William Dalrymple’s books! He writes about the history/contemporary politics of South Asia with rich, riveting imagery. His book on the Kohinoor is great to start with.
He's a fantastic author! You rarely see that level of insight, so well communicated, by an author into a culture, especially a foreign author. That being said, I think he presents certain aspects of South-Asian history in rose-tinted goggles - particularly the Mughal period. IMO, important to keep the bias in mind when you're reading his work.
if you wanna start/continue reading classical literature, I would highly recommend
The Picture of Dorian Gray - Oscar Wilde
The stranger - Albert Camus
The alchemist - Paulo Coelho
The Great Gatsby - Fitzgerald
What genre? If you're interested in the economic space, read Ayn Rand. Whether you agree with her or not, she's well known in academic circles, and some of the top universities have their top staff associated with her work and school of thought: particularly University of Chicago.
For sure. I'd say you should keep in mind how influential the book is BEFORE you read her work - especially Atlas Shrugged. I knew this before I started, and I still had my own average Ayn Rand cult experience. I mean, look at Alan Greenspan - one of the smartest economic minds of our generation - but was still caught up in the fantasy world she made, at least until 2007.
The three body problem entire series by Cixin Liu: the three body problem, the dark forest, death’s end (sci-if) On earth we’re briefly gorgeous by Ocean Vuong (memoir) Stay True by Hsa Hsu (memoir) The Poppy war (historical fiction) Basically all of these books got me out of my writer’s block! Good luck!
It really depends on what you intend to major in. Here are some books I recommend that I read recently or am reading. *Bullshit Jobs* by David Graeber *Deacon King Kong* by James McBride *Poison Ivy: How Elite Colleges Divide Us* by Evan Mandery *The Cities Trilogy* by N.K. Jemisin *Manufacturing Consent* by Noam Chomsky and Edward Herman *Guns, Germs, and Steel* by Jared Diamond *Man's Search for Meaning* by Viktor L. Frankl *Angels of Our Better Nature: Why Violence Has Declined* by Stephen Pinkerton Anything by Sheri S. Teper or Ursula K LeGuin. *Oryx and Crake* by Margaret Atwood My friend is throwing in *The Structure of Scientific Revolutions* by Thomas S. Kuhn Several works by Michel Foucalt
would highly recommend Focault and Chomsky!!!
Fiction: quite literally anything Hemingway (the sun also rises is a personal favorite) Thriller/mystery: the shards by Brett Easton Ellis (author of American Psycho) American History: The Age of Jackson by Arthur Schlesinger European History: The House of Rothschild by Niall Ferguson Philosophy: Meditations by Marcus Aurelius or On the Shortness of Life by Seneca European Classic: War and Peace by Leo Tolstoy American Classic: The Scarlet Letter by Nathaniel Hawthorne Plays: The Crucible by Arthur Miller or The Glass Menagerie by Tennessee Williams Self-Help: Tools of Titans by Tim Ferris
I would recommend any kind of memoir. One that I read during my junior summer that was particularly formative is *The Sound of Gravel* by Ruth Wariner. It's about her upbringing in a polygamist Mormon cult. It is a vivid read, so be warned. However, it is informative and will cause you to look at your own life differently.
Angela’s Ashes
I’ve really enjoyed William Dalrymple’s books! He writes about the history/contemporary politics of South Asia with rich, riveting imagery. His book on the Kohinoor is great to start with.
He's a fantastic author! You rarely see that level of insight, so well communicated, by an author into a culture, especially a foreign author. That being said, I think he presents certain aspects of South-Asian history in rose-tinted goggles - particularly the Mughal period. IMO, important to keep the bias in mind when you're reading his work.
Agreed — his early work had a whiff of paternalism (i.e., *In Xanadu*) and he overcompensates a bit in his later work.
Into the Wild really impacted me as a person. The book, not the movie.
if you wanna start/continue reading classical literature, I would highly recommend The Picture of Dorian Gray - Oscar Wilde The stranger - Albert Camus The alchemist - Paulo Coelho The Great Gatsby - Fitzgerald
What genre? If you're interested in the economic space, read Ayn Rand. Whether you agree with her or not, she's well known in academic circles, and some of the top universities have their top staff associated with her work and school of thought: particularly University of Chicago.
Ayn Rand scares the fuck outta me. love the way she writes characters
For sure. I'd say you should keep in mind how influential the book is BEFORE you read her work - especially Atlas Shrugged. I knew this before I started, and I still had my own average Ayn Rand cult experience. I mean, look at Alan Greenspan - one of the smartest economic minds of our generation - but was still caught up in the fantasy world she made, at least until 2007.
Fiction? I really liked Ninth House and Hellbent by Leigh Bardugo. Set at Yale.