It’s that time of year again! The Goodson Law Library staff are happy to provide another round of summer reading recommendations, both fiction and nonfiction. You can see some of these titles in person at the service desk display this month, along with fun stickers and bookmarks to take with you.
Careless People: A Cautionary Tale of Power, Greed, and Lost Idealism, by Sarah Wynn-Williams (2025). (Request a print copy or e-book!). “The Silicon Valley motto of ‘Move Fast and Break Things’ sounds powerful when we're thinking about work on the cutting edge of technology. But what if one of those ‘things’ ends up being democracy? Sarah Wynn-Williams' memoir explores how what they describe as a toxic work culture can spill out, quickly and profoundly, into the culture at large.” –Wickliffe Shreve, Head of Scholarly Services
Orbital: A Novel, by Samantha Harvey (2023). (Request a
print copy or
e-book!) “Sneaking in at under 150 pages, this elegiac space pastoral beat out 300+ page front-runner
James (Percival Everett) to win this year's Booker Prize.
Orbital follows the lives and observations of six fictional astronauts on the international space station, meandering between philosophies of longing, gaze, automation, and wonder. I just finished listening to the audiobook version, taking Harvey's carefully assembled observations of humanity with me on walks around the neighborhood in the evenings. Magical, and a masterclass in the power of empathetic and precise observation.”
–Emilie Menzel, Collections Management & Strategies Librarian
Piranesi, by Susanna Clarke (2020). (Request a
print copy or
e-book!) “This fantasy with mythical undertones is set in a strange dreamlike world of infinite rooms, corridors, walls, vestibules, and statues where the ocean ebbs and flows. Told from the perspective of the main character Piranesi through journal entries, the reader slowly unravels the mysteries of this world and Piranesi's place in it. A short book at less than 250 pages, I found myself first somewhat confused and intrigued, and then swept up and transported by the enigmatic and thoughtful storytelling.”
--Abby Van Vliet, Library Intern
Hum, by Helen Phillips (2024). (Request a
print copy or
e-book!) “In a not-too-distant future tinged by the dystopian effects of climate change and the gig economy, May Webb finds herself in dire financial straits. Having made herself obsolete at her former job training artificial intelligence (robots known as ‘hums’ have now proliferated in service work), she raises quick cash by volunteering for an experimental surgery that renders her face unrecognizable to the surveillance technology that pervades everyday life. Along with the surgery, an impulsive decision to treat her husband and children to an expensive vacation at the Botanical Garden—a secluded resort filled with exotic flora no longer found outside its walls—will have massive repercussions for May and her family. A thought-provoking novel about technology and humanity.”
– Jennifer Behrens, Associate Director for Administration & Scholarship
The Dead Are Arising: The Life of Malcolm X, by Les Payne and Tamara Payne (2020). (Request a
print copy or
e-book!) “This comprehensive and moving biography of Malcolm X won both the Pulitzer Prize for biography and the National Book Award for nonfiction.
New York Times reviewer Dr. Michael P. Jeffries
describes its import and appeal perfectly: ‘Malcolm’s presence is beautifully rendered, but
The Dead Are Arising…is not a tribute or enshrinement of achievements. Instead, it reconstructs the conditions and key moments of Malcolm’s life, thanks to hundreds of original interviews with his family, friends, colleagues and adversaries. Nobody has written a more poetic account.’”
–Laura Scott, Assistant Director, Reference, Clinics, and Outreach
The Debt Trap: How Student Loans Became a National Catastrophe, by Josh Mitchell (2021). (Request a
print copy or
e-book!) “I recommend the
The Debt Trap because the topic of student loans is one of many at the forefront of the news today and credible information is more important than ever before. The author, Josh Mitchell, is a
Wall Street Journal reporter, and the book is well-researched. In contrast with the narrative of personally irresponsible borrowers,
The Debt Trap articulates the systemic nature of the student loan crisis. Mitchell details how a program that began with the goal of facilitating social mobility became a full-fledged student-lending industry and a ‘monster.’ The result, Mitchell writes, is a million students in greater than $200,000 worth of debt and the government holding a total of $1.6 trillion of student loan debt.”
–Chelsey McKimmy, Research Services Librarian
Amusing Ourselves to Death: Public Discourse in the Age of Show Business, by Neil Postman (1985). (
Request a print copy!) “Although it was written many years ago, this book is still essential reading for anyone who wants to understand today's society. From the book: ‘Americans no longer talk to each other, they entertain each other. They do not exchange ideas, they exchange images. They do not argue with propositions; they argue with good looks, celebrities and commercials.’”
–Don Hopkins, Assistant Director for Empirical Research and Data Services
Find additional reading inspiration at NoveList Plus, Book Review Index, or NPR’s 2024 Books We Love. The Duke University Libraries Catalog offers search filters such as “New Titles” (in last week, month, or 3 months) or “Available Online” to help narrow down a search to the perfect title for you. For help finding these recommended titles or resources, be sure to Ask a Librarian.
