Already bored over the summer? Want to explore more of what the library has to offer? Check out our librarians' and staff's suggestions!
Cameron
I Who Have Never Known Men by Jacqueline Harpman (ebook): I have never read a book quite like this, it was confusing and somewhat unsatisfying but kept my interest consistently. It deals with themes of womanhood, self-discovery, hope, death, intimacy, and psychological imprisonment. It is absurd without being in your face.
The Dutch House by Ann Patchett (audiobook): Narrated by Tom Hanks and taking place over five decades, The Dutch House tells the story of two siblings, Danny and Maeve, and their relationship with their father, with each other, and with the lavish house that once represented their social status but later becomes the source of their misfortunes. We also have the physical book.
Thermae Romae Novae (Netflix): This is a wholesome show about ancient Roman bathhouse architect Lucius Modestus, who has an uncontrollable ability to time travel to modern day Japan. Lucius takes inspiration from Japanese onsen and incorporates their innovations into the bathhouses he designs in ancient Rome. At the end of each episode is a 5-minute live action segment with manga author Mari Yamazaki, as she explores different hot springs around Japan.
Emily
The Department of Sensitive Crimes by Alexander McCall Smith (ebook): This book is typical Alexander McCall Smith (author of the No. 1 Ladies Detective Agency series) with fun quirky characters who work in the Department of Sensitive Crimes within the Police Department in Malmo, Sweden. The department was created to solve crimes that have the potential to cause embarrassment or are unusual in nature. It's the first in a series and is a fun quick beach read.
On the Origin of Time Stephen Hawking's Final Theory by Thomas Hertog (ebook): This is a great book if you like to have your mind blown. It is written in the same easy to read manner that Stephen Hawking used. Even if the concepts are hard to grasp, the writing helps to simplify concepts of how time began and other theories of quantum physics and astrophysics.
Pachinko by Min Jin Lee: This sweeping epic was recently made into a tv series on Apple TV. It follows multiple generations of a family who emigrated from Korea to Japan. I learned a lot about the relationship between Japan and Korea and the discrimination that ethnic Koreans experience in Japan. The book is beautifully written and it's something you continue to think about after you've finished the book.
Jennifer
The Handmaid's Tale by Margaret Atwood (ebook): This is a graphic novel version gives new life to Atwood’s classic dystopian novel.
Wintering: The Power of Rest and Retreat in Difficult Times by Katherine May: I am reading the audiobook version available through my public library (shameless library promotion… use all your libraries!) The author explores the idea of rest and retreat through the lens of a difficult time in her life. The book has really gotten me thinking about the seasons of my life. Do I ever truly winter? Upon reflection, I think I am often in a perpetual fall, preparing for rest… but never… quite… getting there…
Liz
All Systems Red by Martha Wells (audiobook): ate up the Murderbot Diaries this year! Hilarious and yet thought provoking about what it means to be human - obviously just wanting to watch media and not be around stupid people. I haven't checked out the Apple TV series yet, but if Kevin R. Free does not voice ART is subsequent series, I will be very put out.
Cue the Sun by Emily Nussbaum: This is a history of reality tv, from early audience participation radio shows to rise of the Real Housewives. It's incredibly accessible and frames this genre relative to the various cultural eras - heroes, villains, and all.
A Legend in the Baking by Jamie Wesley: A sugary sweet rom-com set around a cupcake bakery owned by three professional football players. The silent partner, August, goes viral when his "impromptu feminist rant" is posted to social media. Enter social media manager Sloane and her drive to support her brother, who is also one of the owners.
Taskmaster(YouTube): Think Saw-like games if they were produced by The Great British Bake-Off crew. This British comedy panel game show pits five comedians against each other in tasks of creativity, athleticism, wit, and just plain silliness to be judged by the despotic Taskmaster. There are over 150 episodes of the original British series, with spin-offs in New Zealand, Australia, and several European countries, and the episodes have been uploaded to their YouTube channel for free. Perfect for some ridiculous binge-watching during the heat of summer. Bonus! The current British series features Jason Mantzoukas (Brooklyn 99 and The Good Place) as one of the contestants.
Matt
Atlas of Great Lakes Indian History by Helen Hornbeck Tanner, cartography by Miklos Pinther: Take this book with you on some summer hikes to see who came before you. Also available as an ebook.
Zinn and the Art of Mountain Bike Maintenance by Lennard Zinn: An excellent reference manual of bicycle maintenance - makes repairs easily digestible and to understand and instills confidence to complete.
The Flint Journal, 1998 - present: I recently searched a few different family surnames and found a number of articles featuring long passed relatives. I’m compiling them to give to my family. In the 40’s, the Flint Journal had a feature called “Shop Talk - Around Flint Factories” which includes anecdotes from factory workers at the various plants around town and its full of names. The old Flint Journal is full of features like this as well as obituaries, old photographs, football and baseball results with full rosters etc. Search for a surname and see what you find.
Paul
The City & the City by China Miéville: In this urban fantasy novel, a murder investigation crosses the borders of a pair of mismatched cities that are geographically stitched together but divided by measures that make the Berlin Wall look like a handwritten Keep Out sign.
“Deliberate Extinction by Genome Modification: An Ethical Challenge.” by Kaebnick, Gregory E., et al. Science, vol. 388, no. 6748, 2025, pp. 707–09: If you could make a disease-carrying insect vanish from the Earth, would you? Before you answer, perhaps you should read this article, which grew out of a workshop attended by “environmental ethicists, bioethicists, conservation biologists, ecologists, social scientists, and scientists.”
Humble Pi: When Math Goes Wrong in the Real World by Matt Parker: This informative, nontechnical book covers all sorts of math boo-boos, from the very serious (e.g., a murder conviction based on a misunderstanding of statistical probability), to the relatable (e.g., the author’s efforts to get mathematically-impossible soccer ball logos corrected on signs), to the darkly funny (e.g., why Mahatma Gandhi became a bloodthirsty warmonger in a video game).
University of Michigan-Flint
0 Comments.