Summer is the perfect time to relax and enjoy a good book. Our B2.2 students have selected some titles that they are currently reading or have found especially interesting. These recommendations reflect a variety of tastes—from crime thrillers to classics and contemporary essays. Here’s what they have to say:

The Murmur of Stones by Thomas H. Cook

V.S.:
I have chosen the book The murmur of stones written by Thomas H. Cook, American author, because I am a great fan of thrillers and crime novels.

The book caught my attention because on the back cover there was a review from The Guardian that said: “A good thriller doesn’t necessarily require flying fist, bombs and bullets; a sure and measured build-up of tensions just as well, and few are better at the fine art of sure and measured than Thomas H. Cook”.

I had not read anything by this author and it seemed like a good option to discover him; besides I had just read The year of the Locust by Terry Hayes, a story of crimes, violence and torture. I opted for The murmur of stones, that tells an introspective story, about the growing obsession of a woman who suspects that her husband drowned his schizophrenic son. Are signs of schizophrenia also beginning to appear in the protagonist?

At the moment I have only read 50 pages of the novel, but I think it lives up to my expectations: a gripping book with great literary language.

Alice’s Adventures in Wonderland by Lewis Carroll

L.R.:
I have chosen Lewis Carroll’s Alice’s Adventures in Wonderland because it combines classic literature and fantasy books. It seems to be a children’s book, but it is not. It is a complete work.

It was first published in 1865.

The Picture of Dorian Gray (Adapted version) by Oscar Wilde

M.V.:
I’ve chosen this adaptation of the book The Picture of Dorian Gray because this “short” version keeps the essence of the original, but it’s rewritten to help learners improve their advanced English. It’s also a classic novel that explores themes such as double standards and appearances, obsession with youth and beauty, and the consequences of living without moral responsibility.

Convenience Store Woman by Sayaka Murata

A.G.:
When we went to the library I wasn’t very sure about what I wanted to read, but after a while I picked up 3 different books and this one caught my eyes, because of the cover, which is quite weird. After reading the summary I thought it really was my book. It is about what society expects from you at a specific age and how you’d rather ignore what people say.

The Woman Next Door by Yewande Omotoso

M. LL.:
The Woman Next Door
This book was written by Yewande Omotoso. She was born in Barbados, grown in Nigeria and nowadays she is living in Johannesburg.

I’ve chosen this book after reading the summary. It caught my attention as it could be a real story about two women who live one in front of the other but who are very different both in aspect and in thoughts.

Firstly, one is black, the other is white and both seem to have very different points of view.

In contrast, as explained in the synopsis, something will happen and maybe (or not) this would make them avoid their hostility and try to break down the barriers that there were between them.

Finally, I have just started it. For the moment, I can see that the action is located in South Africa which sounds great to me. Perhaps it will talk about any kind of racial conflict, I don’t know. Let’s see.

Completely Unexpected Tales by Roald Dahl

R. B.:
The book I’ve chosen is Completely unexpected tales by Roald Dahl. I’ve read some of his children’s books and I’ve seen some films based in these books. I found it really interesting and the tales were marvellous and I’ve been wanting to read a book specifically wrote for adults.

This book has many little independent and surprising tales, so you could choose the order to read them and you could read one when you have a while. For the moment I have read the first three tales and they were really engaging and with a surprising end. The vocabulary was rich but you can understand the plot easily.

Two Wands, One Nation: An Essay on Race and Community in America by Richard D. Lamm

R.P.:
I chose the book Two Wands, One Nation: an Essay on Race and Community in America by Richard D. Lamm.

This book was written by Richard D. Lamm, a former governor of the State of Colorado and co-director of the Institute for Public Policy Studies at the University of Denver.

The book is an essay about racial and cultural tensions in the United States and how the country’s social cohesion is affected.

It was published in January 2006, and I think that now, almost twenty years later, it is more relevant than ever.

I’m very interested in policy, minorities, justice… and I believe this book might help me understand some things that, to this day, I still cannot fully grasp.

These recommendations reflect the diverse interests of our students—from politics to fantasy, classics to contemporary voices. Come visit our library this summer and enjoy your next great read!