Looking for a page-turner to disappear into during winter break? Look no further than these recommendations from Emory librarians.
From murder mysteries set in far-off locales to intergenerational tales weaving together history with vivid storytelling, the folks who know books best share recent reads they couldn’t put down.
Dhy Edwardsberry, business librarian, Goizueta Business Library
“The Warmth of Other Suns: The Epic Story of American’s Great Migration” by Isabel Wilkerson (former Emory professor of journalism)
I loved this book so much that I read it twice. My own great grandmother moved to Indianapolis, Indiana, from Jackson, Mississippi, and I learned from the book that Indianapolis was a major destination for Black people from that area during the Great Migration.
The second time I read it was with my mother. When we met to discuss it, she told me about how her experiences of racism in the South and North colored her experiences growing up. Next, we plan on reading Wilkerson’s “Caste: The Origins of Our Discontents” together.
Ginny Hudgins, teaching and learning librarian, Oxford College
“Homebody” by Theo Parish
I binged this sweet but moving graphic memoir in almost in one sitting. Theo Parish, who identifies as nonbinary, writes about the experience of building a home in a body that hasn’t always felt like their own due to gender normative pressure. This book is a testament to finding community that makes you feel comforted and loved, moving at your own pace and the joy of being trans.
“Housemates: A Novel” by Emma Copley Eisenberg
Two young queer artists from Philadelphia embark on a road trip through Pennsylvania, attempting to photograph and write about its eccentricities while they learn more about themselves and grow closer. I love that one of the main characters identifies as fat and nonbinary, and they talk about how their size and gender shapes their experience, especially on a road trip in which they are meeting lots of new people.
Phil MacLeod, Spanish, Portuguese and Latin American studies librarian
“Camino Ghosts” by John Grisham
For entertaining summer (or cozy couch) reading, nothing beats a John Grisham thriller. The third installment of Grisham’s “Camino” series is set on an island off the Florida coast and touches upon the themes of slavery, race relations, corruption, greed and politics. All in all, it’s a great beach read that I finished in a single day. I couldn’t put it down.
“Mona of the Manor: A Novel” by Armistead Maupin
I am a big fan of Maupin’s “Tales of the City” series. Although it is called the tenth book of the series, this charming novel is really a stand-alone tale which follows the character Mona Ramsey and her adopted son Wilfred after Mona inherits a grand manor home in England’s Cotswolds region.
Kristan Majors, science librarian, Woodruff Library
“Baking in the American South: 200 Recipes and Their Untold Stories” by Anne Byrn
I love reading cookbooks if they include history and stories (and sometimes I even enjoy baking the recipes!). This one has moved to my “favorite cookbooks” list. The biscuits I baked were easy and delicious, and I am still quoting the stories in this book to friends.
“Miss Morgan’s Book Brigade: A Novel” by Janet Skeslien Charles
A story about librarians, archives, books and research — what’s not to like? This historical novel tells the tale of an American librarian who heads to France in 1918 to help rebuild from World War I. Although it’s a heart-wrenching story at times, I agree with the “Booklist” reviewer who wrote that “Miss Morgan’s” inspires by celebrating resilience.
“A Nest of Vipers” by Harini Nagendra
I’m eagerly waiting my turn to read the latest in Nagendra’s Bangalore detectives club series! These charming books, featuring an amateur sleuth in 1920s India, are perfect for armchair travelers and historical fiction fans.
Jerrold Mobley, library specialist, Woodruff Health Sciences Center Library
“Black Liturgies: Prayers, Poems and Meditations for Staying Human” by Cole Arthur Riley
There was a time when “Black Liturgies” existed solely within my Instagram algorithm, injecting needed doses of timely, spiritual Blackness into my soulless scrolling. But this year, the author transitioned her digital project from the screen to the page, creating a beautiful anthology of inspirational writings to engage, inspire and transform. Whether you digest a page a day or binge entire sections at a time, you will be equally captivated and moved.
“A Short History of Flowers: The Stories That Make Our Gardens” by Advolly Rochmond
This pleasing compendium chronicles the extraordinary heritages of your favorite flowers. The origin stories are fascinating, the illustrations are stunning studies in minimalistic beauty and the volume has the added bonus of looking great on your coffee table.
“We Will Rest: The Art of Escape” by Tricia Hersey
I eagerly awaited this 2024 follow-up to Hersey’s revolutionary book, “Rest is Resistance: a Manifesto,” a powerful rebuttal to the narratives of “grind culture” and the endless cycles of consumption we engage in daily. The follow-up continues that spiritual and metaphysical awakening, but in a delightful new format. Full of elaborate typefaces, graphical illustrations and assertions that read like poetry, “We Will Rest” often feels more like an art book than a piece of literature. But the message is still abundantly clear: You deserve rest.
Katalin Rac, Jewish studies librarian, Woodruff Library
“The Bridesman” by Savyon Liebrecht
This novel, about the reunion between an Israeli expat and his aunt, features masterful storytelling that addresses all the senses; the description of the family feasts makes the reader smell the almond-scented sweets! The tale becomes fully clear only in the closing sentences of the book, whose words makes one want to reread or at least rethink the entire novel.
“The Capital” by Robert Menasse
Menasse’s novel deploys a large and colorful cast of characters to offer a beautifully crafted analysis and sharp satire about the political culture that shapes the European Commission’s relations with its workers and EU member states. Only a pig let loose on Brussels’ streets seems to find the unbounded freedom to exercise its will!
“The Love Songs of W.E.B. Du Bois: A Novel” by Honorée Fanonne Jeffers
This grand immersive novel tells the history of an African American family in Georgia, from the time Native Americans encountered English-speaking colonizers to present day — all interspersed with excerpts from the works of W.E.B. Du Bois. As the coming-of-age story at the novel’s center unfolds, the protagonist grows to understand how personal and social histories of trauma correlate and intertwine.
Saira Raza, business librarian, Goizueta Business Library
“Citizen Printer” by Amos Paul Kennedy, Jr.
This visually stunning compendium tells the story of its author, a trailblazing artist, while reproducing more than 800 of his most powerful works. The stories capture Amos’ unique sense of humor and his conviction to make printmaking an inclusive and accessible medium for all people.
Peter Shirts, music and dance librarian, Woodruff Library
“Good Inside: A Guide to Becoming the Parent You Want to Be” by Becky Kennedy
This parenting book is built around the idea that focusing on children’s bad behavior leaves them feeling like they are bad kids, instead of people who are fundamentally good inside. Kennedy aims to help parents and kids as she posits that strong relationships, connection and mutual understanding are what matters most to changing behavior.
“Warrior Girl Unearthed” by Angeline Boulley
Set a few years after Boulley’s first book, the award-winning “Firekeeper’s Daughter,” this novel focuses on the next young generation of Ojibwe on Sugar Island, on the border of Michigan and Canada. The genius of this story is not in its over-the-top heist/murder-mystery plot, but in the way it shares Native knowledge and worldview, forcefully illustrating how both actions and inaction have led to many (and continued) atrocities against Native Americans, especially women.
Lead photo from Getty Images/LanaSweet.
Librarians across Emory are always ready to discuss books they’ve enjoyed. Shown are (top, l-r) Jerrold Mobley with “We Will Rest!”; Kristan Majors’ dog Autumn with a few of Majors’ favorite reads; Dhy Edwardsberry enjoying “The Warmth of Other Suns”; (bottom, l-r) Ginny Hudgins; Katalin Rac; and Peter Shirts. Photos are submitted or by Emory Photo/Video.