Most undergraduates finish exams at the latest in June and none of us are back at university until September. This means that July and August are months for appreciating the freedom of not having any assignments due or required reading.
It doesn’t mean that you can’t use the Summer Holiday to be productive. There’s definitely more than one way of being productive over the summer, but one thing I will do is read – a lot.
The thing about being a university student is that we read a lot – all the time, and at some point I stopped reading books I chose and read course books nonstop. Through university and my course I read a lot of deeply interesting pieces, but I can’t remember the last time I picked a book myself (during term time) started reading it and actually finished it. Therefore, there is no better time than right now to read some good books, which I’m sure will be very relevant for my course as well.
I’m going to share my top picks that I have read or I’m planning to read before my third year begins in September. It’s a little mix between academic and fiction!
Inequality and the 1% by Danny Dorling
This is a book I have already read and enjoyed so much I think I spent three days reading it. Danny Dorling asks whether we “can afford the superrich?”. I’ve always been aware of inequality, but it is through this book I have really understood just how much it affects us. I’ll admit that I read this book last summer, but it is still as relevant as ever. When Danny Dorling actually came to the University of Southampton earlier this year to hold a lecture on inequality, I was quick to book my place. This book has been relevant to not only the economics and statistics courses I have done, but also my politics ones.
Intelligent Governance For the 21st Century – A Middle Way Between West and East by Nicolas Berggruen and Nathan Gardles
This is the book I’m currently reading, and so far it is very interesting. Don’t let the very academic title fool you; it is a very interesting read if you are interested in China and Chinese governance. Personally, my excitement for China and Chinese politics came after I did a module on Chinese Politics last semester. If you are doing a Politics or Humanities-related course and have the chance to chose Chinese Politics in your second or third year with Dr. Monique Chu – DO IT! It’s one of the modules I have enjoyed the most so far at the University.
The Art of Hearing Heartbeats by Jan-Phillip Sendker
When I finish the book I’m reading now, I’m planning on moving on from academic books to this one - a little break in between all the academic English I read doesn’t hurt. I have the Norwegian translation of the book and I honestly can’t remember the last time I read a book in Norwegian, so this will be a nice change. The book is much as the title implies; a romantic novel. It has sold over one million copies, so I’m counting on this being a good read as well.
The Sunrise by Victoria Hislop
Okay, I admit it (again); I read this one last summer, but it is worth to mention because it is a beautiful book and, although it is fiction, the setting is very realistic because it’s based on a real-time event; Cyprus during the war with Turkey. Victoria Hislop does not only write a beautiful story, she writes diplomatically about the actual conflict and does not try to shift the blame on either side, which makes you only focus on the actual story she tells. She ends the book by saying; “I wanted to tell a story that showed how the events in Cyprus were a disaster for both communities – and to suggest that the issue of “good” and “evil” is not a matter of ethnicity”, which I think she did brilliantly.
My entertainment for the next weeks.
If you’re still in need for some inspiration on books to read over the summer, you should check out our blog post for the world book day.
Alexandra
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