The only thing better than reading a good book is sharing it with others. Whether you read for pleasure, for growth or for learning (or some combination of the three), reading is a great habit. It’s been shown to increase your brain’s functionality, your ability to empathize and even reduce your stress levels.
We asked our faculty and staff members for some of their favorite books they’ve read this year. While not all of these books were published this year, each left a lasting impression. Check out the recommendations below and learn more about what made each book special. (Books are alphabetized by title)
Get Well Soon by Jennifer Wright
Recommended by Sara Hall, staff member in the School of Teacher Education
Publisher Description: “Throughout time, humans have been terrified and fascinated by the diseases history and circumstance have dropped on them. Some of their responses to those outbreaks are almost too strange to believe in hindsight. Get Well Soon delivers the gruesome, morbid details of some of the worst plagues we’ve suffered as a species, as well as stories of the heroic figures who selflessly fought to ease the suffering of their fellow man. With her signature mix of in-depth research and storytelling, and not a little dark humor, Jennifer Wright explores history’s most gripping and deadly outbreaks, and ultimately looks at the surprising ways they’ve shaped history and humanity for almost as long as anyone can remember.”
Why I like it: “For Jennifer Wright's book, what else could you read in the middle of our own pandemic but how people handled their own pandemics back in history? She puts a satirical and dry sense of humor into the narrative, and gives you a sense of hope in the end on how if people could survive the black plague, we can easily survive COVID.”
Greenlights by Matthew McConaughey
Recommended by Dr. James Du, faculty member in the Department of Sport Management
Publisher description: “From the Academy Award® winning actor, an unconventional memoir filled with raucous stories, outlaw wisdom, and lessons learned the hard way about living with greater satisfaction.”
Why I like it: “It is an unconventional memoir filled with love letters to life about living with greater satisfaction and optimism.”
The Harry Potter Series by J.K. Rowling
Recommended by Sara Hall, staff member in the School of Teacher Education
Description: A boy learns on his eleventh birthday that he is the orphaned son of two powerful wizards and possesses unique magical powers of his own.
Why I like it: “Who doesn't love the classic Harry Potter series? Where adventure and action lurk in every chapter, where good and evil fight for the power to win, and where love conquers all.”
Me and White Supremacy by Layla F. Saad
Recommended by Jennifer Ramsey, staff member in the Office of Research
Publisher Description: “Me and White Supremacy teaches readers how to dismantle the privilege within themselves so that they can stop (often unconsciously) inflicting damage on people of colour, and in turn, help other white people do better, too.”
Why I like it: “[Me and White Supremacy and White Fragility] really opened my eyes to how pervasive systemic racism is (which is something we should have all learned about/discussed during any history or civics general education courses). Additionally, they've made me aware of my privilege and informed me on how to be a better ally and non-judgmental human being.”
The Moment of Lift: How Empowering Women Changes the World by Melinda Gates
Recommended by Dr. Taylor Thompson, faculty member in the Department of Educational Psychology and Learning Systems
Publisher description: “For the last twenty years, Melinda Gates has been on a mission to find solutions for people with the most urgent needs, wherever they live. Throughout this journey, one thing has become increasingly clear to her: If you want to lift a society up, you need to stop keeping women down.”
Why I like it: “This book takes a very important look at difficult issues facing women worldwide, as well as highlighting the societal benefits of helping women achieve equality. It was an eye-opening and game-changing read!”
Mythos by Stephen Fry
Recommended by Sara Hall, staff member in the School of Teacher Education
Description: This book is a retelling of a number of Ancient Greek myths selected by Fry himself.
Why I like it: “I was always enamored by the Greek Myths, Stephen Fry's retelling of the stories give them depth and life to the old legends.”
Positivity Bias: Practical Wisdom for Positive Living Inspired by the Life and Teachings of the Lubavitcher Rebbe by Rabbi Mendel Kalmenson
Recommended by Dr. Patrice Iatarola, faculty member in the Department of Educational Leadership and Policy Studies
Description: Through a mix of nature, nurture, social conditioning and free will, we each possess a personalized lens that frames, forms, clouds and distorts the way we see ourselves and the world around us. In order to live in the most meaningful and effective way possible, each of us needs to continually assess and adjust the default frames we have developed.
In Positivity Bias, we learn that life is essentially good; that positive perception is applicable and accessible to all; that it derives from objective, rational insight, not subjective, wishful imagination, and that positive living is a matter of choice, not circumstance.
An inspiring and life-enriching tapestry woven from hundreds of stories, letters, anecdotes, and vignettes—Positivity Bias highlights how the Lubavitcher Rebbe, Rabbi Menachem M. Schneerson, of righteous memory, considered the most influential rabbi in modern history, taught us to see ourselves, others, and the world around us.
Why I like it: “Clear and engaging book that describes and illustrates how important it is to look for, to see the positive. And, the critical importance of thoughts and words in shaping our and others reality. Informs my teaching, feedback and general engagement with others as myself!”
Rafa by Rafael Nadal and John Carlin
Recommended by Dr. Tim Baghurst, faculty member and director of FSU COACH
Description: In his memoir, written with award-winning journalist John Carlin, tennis star Rafael Nadal reveals the secrets of his game and shares the inspiring personal story behind his success.
Why I like it: “We often see athletes in the media, but we rarely see what their lives are like or how they got there. Rafa provides a unique perspective into one of the greatest tennis players of all time.”
Second Hand Curses by Drew Hayes
Recommended by Sara Hall, staff member in the School of Teacher Education
Description: Who do you call when your fairy godmother threatens to enslave you with a curse - when a malevolent piper solves your rat problem but steals your children? The band of scoundrels known far and wide as the Bastard Champions.
Why I like it: “Drew Hayes is one of my personal favorite authors for adult fantasy. How he retells and twists the normal fairy tales we grew up loving into an adventure you'll want to reread over and over again!”
Those Who Save Us by Jenna Blum
Recommended by Dr. Sandy Lewis, faculty member in the School of Teacher Education
Description: This story focuses on the lives of Trudy, a history professor living in Minnesota who studies the experiences of German women during World War II, and her elderly mother, Anna. Anna and her mother, a German immigrant, don't get along, but circumstances around Anna's poor health requires that they live together. This proximity allows Trudy to learn more about the past that Anna has hidden from her, and in doing so, she learns more about herself and the women she studies.
Why I like it: “This novel powerfully examines the experiences of women living under Nazi occupation and of the choices that some of them were forced to make to protect themselves and their families. Many of the appalling scenes that are described are difficult to forget. What makes them even more horrific is the fact that the author drew from her work as an interviewer of holocaust survivors for a history project funded by Stephen Spielberg. Though far less important, the descriptions of Trudy's life as a university professor were amusingly familiar.”
White Fragility by Robin DiAngelo
Recommended by Jennifer Ramsey, staff member in the Office of Research
Publisher Description: “Referring to the defensive moves that white people make when challenged racially, white fragility is characterized by emotions such as anger, fear, and guilt and by behaviors including argumentation and silence. These behaviors, in turn, function to reinstate white racial equilibrium and prevent any meaningful cross-racial dialogue. In this in-depth exploration, anti-racist educator Robin DiAngelo examines how white fragility develops, how it protects racial inequality, and what can be done to engage more constructively.”
Why I like it: “[White Fragility] really opened my eyes to how pervasive systemic racism is (which is something we should have all learned about/discussed during any history or civics general education courses). Additionally, they've made me aware of my privilege and informed me on how to be a better ally and non-judgmental human being."
