Seasonal Read Recommendations!
by Birdie Keller ’25
Our parting gift for this mini issue is a list of seasonal read recommendations. Our hope is that these recommendations provide inspiration to tuck yourself in with a blanket and hot chocolate this holiday season and have some well-deserved restful reading time!
From Professor Matt Burgess — Master and Margarita by Mikhail Bulgakov:
“For those cold winter days when the sun sets too early, what could be better than a mind-bending posthumously published Russian novel about assassins, Pontius Pilate, talking cats, Soviet politics, and a charismatic professor who’s secretly the Devil!?”
From Jan Beebe — The Frozen River by Ariel Lawhon:
“It is a historical novel set in the late 1700s and tells the tale of Martha Ballard, renowned midwife. It has great character development and an interesting storyline that begins with what they find frozen in a river. You need to be wrapped in a soft blanket and drinking a warm beverage while reading this.”
From Professor Penelope Geng — Not Your China Doll: The Wild and Shimmery Life of Anna May Wong by Katie Gee Salisbury:
“This new biography of Anna May Wong, Hollywood’s first Chinese American star, is packed with insights about the studio system c. 1920s-1950s, the ubiquity of yellowface impersonation, and Wong’s decades-long fight for representation in and outside of Hollywood. I couldn’t put it down.”
From Professor Daylanne English — The Book of Delights and The Book of MORE Delights by Ross Gay:
“Not seasonal, but [these] are sure to provide warm comfort and food for thought.”
From student worker Lucy Flack — Harry Potter and the Sorcerer’s Stone:
“I always recommend Harry Potter 1 during the holiday season, as it evokes a sense of nostalgia, coziness, and warmth.”
From Profesor Amy Elkins — The House of Broken Bricks by Fiona Williams:
“It doesn’t get cozier than the British countryside! Next semester, I’m teaching Fiona Williams’s The House of Broken Bricks in ENGL/ENVI 262: Cottagecore. This novel is described in the Guardian as: “A biracial family in rural Somerset struggle with relationships and identity in a debut novel of subtle originality.” I love this book for its gorgeous, sensuous descriptions of nature….it’s like Zadie Smith meets Wendell Berry.”
From student worker Callisto Martinez — A Winter’s Promise by Christelle Dabos:
“The first book of this quartet is set in an alluring yet deadly polar kingdom with a surprise around every corner. Some of the best worldbuilding I’ve read!”
And finally, a few short story recommendations from student worker Ahlaam Abdulwali — “The Lottery” by Shirley Jackson, “Quicksand” by Nella Larsen, and “Metamorphosis” by Kafka.
Seasonal Reads was also coincidentally the Question of the Week on the board in the English lounge. Check out the fun recommendations that were given there!
Sending lots of cozy wishes and congratulations for being (almost) done with the semester!