We asked English majors what we should be reading this summer

During the school year, English majors are camped out in their rooms reading Shakespeare or Jane Austen that in the summer they stray away from those authors. However, many seem to believe that all English majors read, during the 365 days in a year, classic novels. That is not true.

In fact, English majors, including me, do not love those authors enough to read them all four seasons round. Once summer comes around those novels are pushed to the back of our bookshelves and novels from genres, such as romance, fantasy, and non-fiction appears.

I interviewed three fellow English majors and they give insight into their summer reading while also further breaking the misconception of their apparent “love” towards classic novels.

Danielle Adamowitz: Graduated 2016 Rutgers University, majored in English Literature and minored in Education also with a certificate in Creative Writing

“I’ve just been introduced to the world of graphic novel memoirs by a friend who used Alison Bechdel’s Fun Home when writing her senior thesis. I’ve always loved to read realistic fiction on my own, but I was really intrigued by her break from the classics in such a formal assignment, and I began to explore graphic novel memoirs myself. I’m working my way through all of Alison Bechdel’s work, and I’m currently reading Are You My Mother? I love Bechdel for her honest, fresh portrayal of LGBTQ life.

“Asking me what my single favorite book is is nearly impossible, but I can offer you a few favorites. The Harry Potter series will always be close to my heart, along with so many other people my age. Then, I credit Annie on My Mind with providing me much comfort throughout high school and beyond. I read Annie on My Mind about once per year, usually around Christmas time, and I love it because it is the first young adult book to have a happy ending for two girls in love. My current favorite, though, is The Argonauts by Maggie Nelson, which beautifully blends memoir and criticism to tell the story of Maggie’s experience as a pregnant woman living alongside her partner as he transitions by taking testosterone and undergoing gender-confirming surgery.

“For a fun summer reading novel, I recommend Curtis Sittenfeld’s Eligible, a modern retelling of Pride and Prejudice. I know, I know, a retelling of Austen’s classic sounds potentially academic as a recommendation coming from an English major, but I promise you that this updated version will have you laughing out loud. If you’ve read Pride and Prejudice, you’ll be delighted by the clever parallels, but if you’ve never read Austen, you’ll enjoy Eligible anyway! I tore through this 513-pager in just a few days, even in the midst of spring finals.”

Jennifer Comerford: Junior at Rutgers University, majoring in English Literature and French and minoring in Cultural Anthropology

“When I have free time, I love reading mysteries, specifically, the books about books. The Book Stops Here is the next book I plan on reading from my favorite mystery series by Kate Carlisle. I like that mysteries are often action-packed reads and always plot driven, so they pull you in on page one and keep you entertained to the last page. These mysteries are light reading and it’s always fun to try pinning down who did it and why before the culprit is revealed.

“Picking a favorite novel’s a difficult task. I might have to say The Guernsey Literary and Potato Peel Pie Society by Mary Ann Shaffer and Annie Barrows, which I’d also say is a fun summer reading novel. I’ve read it several times now. It’s an epistolary novel, so it’s written entirely as a collection of letters from different people to one another, but it’s not distracting because the letters are so well connected. The book takes place in post-WWII England where the characters are coping with the aftereffects of the war and of course, books are involved. You won’t want to put it down!”

Yun Seon Ashley Kim: Junior at Rutgers University, majoring in English Education (K-12) in the Graduate School of Education Program

“My current to-read summer reading book is It’s Not Me, It’s You By Mhairi McFarlane – something light and fun for my upcoming vacation! My current favorite book is The Strange and Beautiful Sorrows of Ava Lavender by Leslye Walton. While this book may not be your lighthearted beach read, I think it would be perfect for anyone who wants to immerse themselves in a beautifully crafted story about love, family, loss, and brokenness.

“I really enjoyed the elements of magical realism as it allows your mind to wander and explore the strange and beautiful images in the novel. What’s so great about this novel is how this magical story about forms of human love sparks one’s own images and ideas about love. I think the book will be a good read for the summer because the magical elements make it possible for the reader to experience the book as the reader builds onto and creates a unique version of the world that the author lays out for us.”