Summer reading recommendations from UNC Charlotte faculty and staff
Are you looking for a book to dive into this summer? Staff from J. Murrey Atkins Library, faculty from the College of Humanities & Earth and Social Sciences and beyond shared their recommendations. Whether you’re looking to get lost in a fictional world, or maybe you want to learn something new about the world around you, there’s something for everyone!
Many of these books are available at the J. Murrey Atkins Library, through the interlibrary loan or at a branch of the Charlotte Mecklenburg Library.
“The Murderbot Diaries” (series) by Martha Wells
Recommended by: Jill Sexton, dean of J. Murrey Atkins Library
Why would you recommend it to the campus community?
In the summer, I love reading books that let me escape to a new world. I’m especially drawn to a great series because once I am immersed in a fictional universe, I want to stay there for as long as possible. Few series have drawn me in as completely as “The Murderbot Diaries.”
It’s got it all: humor, a heartwarming story, adventure and robots. It’s set in a compelling yet cozy sci-fi universe, with characters you grow to care about. At its heart is Murderbot — an android that hacked its governor module so it can access streaming entertainment during tedious stretches at work. It just wants to be left alone to binge its favorite soap operas — relatable! As the series develops and Murderbot spends more time around humans, it develops genuine bonds with the people and systems it was designed to serve. “The Murderbot Diaries” are entertaining, but they also invite readers to consider deeper questions: What does it mean to be human? Who gets to decide? And as a reader, the books underscore the ways in which the media we consume, especially the stories we love, become a part of us and change how we relate to the world.
The most recent book in the series, along with more than 1,000 other current titles, is available to check out from the Atkins Library’s popular reading collection. Stop by and find your next read!
Where is your ideal reading spot?
A comfortable chair on a screened-in porch, with a fan running overhead, an iced coffee at hand and a cat or two dozing nearby.
“The Cannibal Owl” by Aaron Gwyn
Recommended by: Mark West, professor of English
Why would you recommend it to the campus community?
“The Cannibal Owl” is a powerful coming-of-age novella set in the Texas frontier during the 1820s. The story captures the complex relationship between the settlers and the American Indians at the time. The author, Aaron Gwyn, is an English professor at UNC Charlotte.
Where is your ideal reading spot?
In my bedroom with my dog nearby.
“I Did a New Thing: 30 Days to Living Free” by Tabitha Brown
Recommended by: Dornette Scott, library specialist, J. Murrey Atkins Library
Why would you recommend this book to the campus community?
This book is inspirational and encouraging. In addition, the author is amazing and a North Carolina native!
Where is your ideal reading spot?
In my family room on the sofa. It’s comfy and cozy with big pillows and a soft throw blanket with a huge window overlooking the backyard.
“Literary Theory for Robots: How Computers Learned to Write” by Dennis Yi Tenen
Recommended by: Justin Cary, senior lecturer, Writing, Rhetoric and Digital Studies Department
Why would you recommend it to the campus community?
This book offers a unique story about the history of generative text engines and how educators can start to reframe and rethink the role AI is playing in pedagogy, praxis and theory around how teachers teach and how students learn.
This book will change perceptions around AI and its role in education and writing. With a focus on ethics, bias, history, how AI works and crucial literary and compositional theory frameworks that underscore why writing is at the heart of generative AI. It’s a fascinating read for anyone using writing in education in the age of AI.
Where is your ideal reading spot?
Anywhere that also has coffee!
“Legends & Lattes” by Travis Baldree
Recommended by: Kristin Coffey, associate director, Venture Outdoor Leadership
Why would you recommend it to the campus community?
It’s a quirky romcom meets fantasy with a small town coffee shop — what’s not to love? This is a feel-good book with characters that make relatable choices, even if they are orcs, elves and gnomes.
Where is your ideal reading spot?
In my hammock at Freedom Park.
“The Long Way to a Small, Angry Planet” by Becky Chambers
Recommended by: Connor Dunlap, library aide, J. Murrey Atkins Library
Why would you recommend it to the campus community?
I would recommend this book because it’s a cozy sci-fi story with cross-cultural exploration and appreciation.
Where is your ideal reading spot?
Relaxing in a hammock.
“Malice House” by Megan Shepherd
Recommended by: Bath Caruso, digital pedagogy and emerging technologies librarian (Area 49)
Why would you recommend this book to the campus community?
An artist decides to illustrate a creepy manuscript from her deceased author father and the characters come alive. This horror-lite included many twists and can be read as a standalone, but this is one where I liked the second book, “Midnight Showing,” just as much as the first.
Where is your ideal reading spot?
Anywhere outside!
“Matigari A Novel” by Ngugi wa Thiong’o
Recommended by: Beth Whitaker, associate dean, College of Humanities & Earth and Social Sciences
Why would you recommend it to the campus community?
Ngugi wa Thiong’o is a towering figure in African literature who passed away last month at 87 years old. He received many literary awards over the years and was often mentioned as a candidate for the Nobel Prize for Literature but never received it. This 160-page gem is often overshadowed by his many other books and plays, but it’s my favorite. Drawing on religious symbolism to follow the quest of an ex-freedom fighter in his search for truth and justice, the novel provides a compelling critique of both colonialism and post-colonial authoritarian structures in a fictional African country. I’d be happy to discuss this book over coffee sometime this fall with people who read it over the summer!
Where is your ideal reading spot?
Sitting along the shores of beautiful Lake George in upstate New York.
“Matriarch” by Tina Knowles
Recommended by: Adreonna Bennett, community engagement archivist, J. Murrey Atkins Library
Why would you recommend it to the campus community?
What better way to learn about the icon who is Beyoncé than to learn where she got it from? Her mother, Ms. Tina Knowles!
Where is your ideal reading spot?
The hammocks outside of Atkins Library.
“Night Magic: Adventures Among Glowworms, Moon Gardens and Other Marvels of the Dark” by Leigh Ann Henion
Recommended by: Sara Gagné, department chair, associate professor of urban ecology, landscape ecology and biodiversity conservation
Why would you recommend it to the campus community?
This is my number one must-read this summer, recommended by a friend. The author is based in the mountains of North Carolina and describes the wonders of nature beautifully.
Where is your ideal reading spot?
In my backyard!
“Persuasion” by Jane Austen
Recommended by: Amanda Elzey, metadata cataloger, J. Murrey Atkins Library
Why would you recommend it to the campus community?
Jane Austen provides all my favorite comfort reads, but there’s just something about a slightly older heroine and a second chance at love that makes “Persuasion” a meaningful read to me, every time. I adore “Pride and Prejudice,” but if you’re looking for a slightly different type of love story and can handle a little angst, “Persuasion” will leave a lasting impression.
Where is your ideal reading spot?
A cozy, overstuffed armchair.
“Sapiens: A Brief History of Humankind” by Yuval Noah Harari
Recommended by: Ralf Thiede, professor, Department of English
Why would you recommend it to the campus community?
Harari is always good for surprises (e.g. humans enslaved themselves to wheat, money presumes universal trust, etc.) and offers unexpected perspectives for critical thinking.
Where is your ideal reading spot?
At the kitchen table with a pencil and a cup of tea.
“A Scanner Darkly” by Philip K. Dick
Recommended by: Jairen Broussard ’25
Why would you recommend it to the campus community?
“A Scanner Darkly” is a dystopian psychological thriller that follows the life of an undercover cop who gradually succumbs to the neurodegenerative effects of an addictive drug while investigating his own alter ego for distributing said drug. I recommend this book to anyone who enjoys reality-bending, paranoia-inducing stories about dystopian societies that resemble our own. If you’re a fan of The Twilight Zone or Black Mirror, you’ll probably love this book.
Where is your ideal reading spot?
Someplace peaceful in nature.
“Show Don’t Tell: Stories” by Curtis Sittenfeld
Recommended by: Natalie Ornat Bitting, humanities librarian
Why would you recommend it to the campus community?
Summer is an ideal time for leisurely making your way through a short story collection. These stories are sharp, funny and easy to fall in and out of between summer activities.
Where is your ideal reading spot?
Sitting lakeside with strong coffee, a delicious pastry and nowhere else to be.
“You Between the Lines” by Katie Naymon
Recommended by: Nichole Henry-Ceballos, weekend circulation supervisor, J. Murrey Atkins Library
Why would you recommend this book to the campus community?
This book focuses on two people attending an MFA program and their journey through their first year. It is a romance, but it focuses more intimately on the struggles both characters face with imposter syndrome and conformity within the arts. It’s definitely a triumphant story of someone figuring out where they fit within their field and how they can pave a path for others.
Where is your ideal reading spot?
My ideal reading spot is the reading nook in my home office. It’s always cozy and comfortable with dim lighting and candles.
