Five Books My Students Have Loved

While no story will satisfy all tastes, this list of proven winners — some well-known while others obscure — deserve to be part of your end-of-summer reading list.

By Patricia Roy — August 31, 2022

Tags: books, college life, general info, high school, reading

Students don't always love the books I assign — they aren't shy about sharing their opinions. However, every once in a while, a book really lands with students, and they eat it up. Read these for entertainment, knowing that the themes explored in them are timely and relevant to the kinds of inquiries made by scholars, critics, and the general public.

While no story will satisfy all tastes, this list of proven winners — some well-known while others obscure — deserve to be part of your end-of-summer reading list.

The Golden Compass, Philip Pullman (1995)

Course: English 212, Literature for Young Adults

The first book in a series (His Dark Materials), The Golden Compass takes place in a parallel universe resembling 19th century Northern Europe. The main character, Lyra, lives as an orphan among the scholars at Jordan College (a cipher for Oxford University) until her uncle's discovery of "dust" — a substance with magical properties — challenges the status quo. Lyra gets swept up in the adventure when her best friend, Roger, disappears just prior to the arrival of the enchanting Mrs. Coulter who takes a vivid interest in Lyra.

Readers might be convinced that the book is "just a YA novel," but they would be deceived. You can certainly read the book just for the adventure, and it will keep you turning pages. However, the ideas presented throughout the allegorical trilogy are much deeper and more adult than the typical sparkling vampire novel. It is because of these darker materials that the book and subsequent film and television series have been met with controversy and calls to remove them from shelves. I've never in my life known that strategy to work at dissuading young people from reading books.

HBO has created a relatively faithful and enjoyable adaptation, His Dark Materials.

Kindred, Octavia Butler (1979)

Course: English 214, Special Topics: Afrofuturism

This book focuses on the experiences of an adult protagonist, Dana, living in California with her husband when she is suddenly and inexplicably transported through time and space to the antebellum South. As a black woman, Dana's trip into the past challenges tropes within science fiction about the romance of time travel. In fact, this novel, despite its categorization as sci-fi, depicts a very realistic world and may appeal to readers who prefer realism to speculative fiction. As Dana struggles to both survive her ordeal and find a way back home, she faces many uncomfortable parallels between her own time and the time she is in. The reader may also experience the same feelings as the legacy of slavery can be felt into the future.

Octavia Butler is a black female science fiction writer who is finally getting the renown her work deserves. Kindred was written in the 1970s, but is as contemporary in its relevance as any work being published today. I heartily recommend it or any of Butler's other books.

The Red Tent, Anita Diamant (1997)

Course: English 324, Stories of Origin

Another book exploring history and social dynamics of a storied past, The Red Tent portrays the biblical story of Dinah, sister to Joseph, son of Jacob. In the Bible, Dinah is barely more than a footnote; Diamant expands upon this to create a rich story of the lives of women living in the lands of the Fertile Crescent, from Canaan to Egypt. This book presents a complex portrait of its characters, the biblical patriarchs and the wives who bore their children. With sensual and affecting prose, Diamant’s novel illuminates a perspective on biblical history that feels both authentic and relevant.

The Alchemist, Paolo Bacigalupi (2010)

Course: Honors 101, Climate Fiction

This is one of the more obscure titles on the list, but please note: this is NOT the bestselling book by Paulo Coelho! I had a heck of a time getting the bookstore to stock the correct book. THIS novella by Paolo Bacigalupi features a world in which performing magic causes the spread of a prolific and deadly weed; therefore, magic is strictly forbidden and punished. However, because the plant, a bramble, doesn't necessarily grow in the sight of the magical practitioner, many people still secretly perform acts of magic, rationalizing their needs as people in other areas pay the price. One alchemist attempts to harness the plant's magic against itself in order to save the city of Khaim, but he runs afoul of the city's leaders who have their own nefarious intentions.

I included this title in a course on climate fiction, a subgenre of science fiction focused on issues of climate change and the environment. While at first glance the book seems to demonize the natural environment — with a bramble that kills people — it's actually the actions of the people that cause a disturbance in the natural balance. In this way, magic could be seen as an allegory for our own technologies that bring us so many conveniences that it is easy to justify pollution and environmental degradation for our "needs." Bacigalupi has written several other cli-fi or eco-dystopian novels, including The Water Knife and The Windup Girl, both of which have received good reviews.

Life of Pi, Yann Martel (2001)

Course: English 224, Film and Literature

This book is a bit polarizing — some students loved it, some thought it dragged. My sense is it depends on your tolerance for details and tangents. It's also a deeply philosophical and allegorical novel, which appeals to some and not others.

The story uses the tale-within-a-tale device, or frame, to focus on the adventures of Piscine, or Pi, for short. If you've seen the film, you know the basic outline: during a transoceanic trip with his family's zoo animals on board, Pi and a small group of animals are the only survivors of a shipwreck. The novel recounts Pi's struggle to survive as he bears witness to the agonies, cruelties, and sacrifices of his fellow companions on a small lifeboat. Without giving too much away, the allegorical construct, while somewhat obvious, nevertheless brings to light many questions about the meaning of life and the guides we choose to provide us with meaning. It's these questions that don't really come across in the film, as good as it is. The writing is sensual, visceral, perfect for realizing cinematically, but it's also ironic and verbal in a way that translates best on the screen of your mind. It's a book that makes you feel as though you know more about the world when you've finished it.

I hope you enjoy these titles in these remaining days of summer vacation (or anytime). Who knows? You might see some of these on your syllabi in the fall.

Patricia Roy

Patricia Roy is a writer and professor who has helped students succeed for over 25 years. She started her career as a high school English teacher and then moved into higher education at Tuition Rewards member school, Lasell University in Newton, Massachusetts. Her practical guidance and enthusiasm motivate and inspire students to fearlessly explore their own passions. Professor Roy is also a freelance writer and published poet.

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