Summer reads with the UF Libraries
Looking for your next summer read? UF Libraries staff shared the books they cannot recommend enough — from gritty fairy tales and high-stakes adventures to thoughtful biographies and contemporary fiction. Whether you’re taking a break at work, traveling on vacation or simply enjoying a slower evening, explore these must-reads and add them to your list!
For fans of clever genre mashups:
Christy Shorey, access and resource sharing systems team leader, recommends Pride and Prejudice in Space. “I love the juxtaposition of Regency-era manners deeply embedded in a science fiction setting,” Shorey says.
If you enjoy emotionally layered literary fiction:
Tim Lozier, complex copy cataloger, suggests The Names, a novel centered on a woman in an abusive relationship who faces three possible choices for naming her second child — and three resulting versions of her life. Lozier describes it as a “really wonderful book.”
Adventure and fantasy readers may want to paddle into danger with:
Book of Dust: La Belle Sauvage, recommended by Perry Collins, chair of academic research consulting and services. “Set mostly in a canoe during a life-threatening flood,” Collins says, “this prequel to Philip Pullman’s The Golden Compass is a great adventure story with a touch of fantasy.”
Planning a Florida road trip this summer?
Steve Hersh, public services assistant in the Grand Reading Room, recommends Backroads of Paradise: A Journey to Rediscover Old Florida by Cathy Salustri. The book revisits routes first documented in a 1930s Federal Writers’ Project guide and inspired Hersh’s own family trip to Amelia Island. “The book is both fun to read, and practical when considering road trips,” he says.
Gamers and tabletop RPG fans should check out:
Dungeon Crawler Carl, recommended by Ariel Pomputius, health sciences liaison librarian. Pomputius compares the novel to “playing D&D with friends” — full of ridiculous characters, heartfelt moments, and chaotic adventures. And if you feel inspired after reading, the UF Libraries also have Dungeons & Dragons kits available for checkout.
For readers drawn to psychological thrillers and social commentary:
April Helena, conservation associate, recommends Yesteryear, a novel exploring themes of religion, misinformation, women’s rights, influencer culture and power. “I couldn’t put it down,” Helena says.
For fans of fairy tales — but not the sanitized versions:
Erin Gallagher, chair of acquisitions and discovery services, suggests The Tale of Tales, a 17th-century collection of early fairy tales that are “bawdy, grotesque and hair-raising.”
Nonfiction lovers may enjoy:
The Beast in the Clouds, recommended by Katie Smith, conservation and interim preservation librarian. The book tells the story of Theodore Roosevelt’s sons and their role in both introducing pandas to the West and later advocating for their protection. Smith calls it a “perfect blend of history, nature, adventure and thoughtfulness.”
Film score enthusiasts have an easy pick:
Hannah Whitaker, women’s and gender studies librarian, recommends John Williams: A Composer’s Life. Her review is simple: “A biography of the greatest film composer of all time. What more needs to be said?”
And for readers seeking a deeply human contemporary novel:
Alex Avelino, director of marketing and communications, recommends Wellness, which explores marriage, trauma and midlife uncertainty. “I’ve never read something so true to the human experience in midlife,” Avelino says.
No matter your preferred genre, summer can be the perfect time to discover a story that stays with you long after the final page. Happy reading from your colleagues at the UF Libraries!