Tell Us What You're Reading

Have you read a good book lately that you'd recommend to a friend? Tell us about your latest "must read" or your all-time favorite book. Click here to see what other Friends are reading.

Below are our first Friend to Friend recommendations. Please check back soon to view more.

The Glass Castle by Jeannette Walls: Recommended by Ann Mathews Martin '77; A fabulous memoir - Walls' childhood is so extraordinarily hard-scrabble that I was amazed she could write about it with compassion and humor, but she did, and left me with the images of six people I'll never, ever forget. 10/13/06
Kiffe Kiffe Tomorrow by Faiza Guene: Recommended by Cheryl Stadel-Bevans '90; It's a first novel by a 19-year-old French woman of Algerian descent. I found the writing to be colloquial but strong. It's similar to reading Bridget Jones in high school in Paris, but she's struggling with more substantial issues. Guene runs out of steam in the end, but overall it was an enjoyable read. 10/12/06
Never Let Me Go by Kazuo Ishiguro: Recommended by Michael Thurston, Associate Professor of English; It's beautiful, intellectually compelling, and heartbreaking. 10/11/06
Leaving Microsoft to Change the World: An Entrepreneur's Odyssey to Educate the World's Children by John Wood: Recommended by Christine Hannon, Head of Public Services Neilson Library; A fascinating and compelling story about how one person can make an impact. Uplifting. 10/11/06
Patterns of Home: the Ten Essentials of Enduring Design by Max Jacobson, et al.: Recommended by Mimi Lempart, MARC Cataloger; I have been attempting to redesign my home, and with the help of this book have discovered new ways of looking at "my old house". 10/11/06
A Wild Sheep Chase by Haruki Murakami: Recommended by Arlene Wszalek '83. 9/14/06
Baghdad Without a Map by Tony Horwitz: Recommended by Betsy Barone, Reference/Web Specialist, Neilson Library.; This is one of my favorite authors and favorite books. It's a fascinating view of the middle east seen through the eyes of a journalist with a keen sense of humour and an eye for the absurb. His other books are really good too! 10/11/06
The Commodore by Patrick O'Brian: Recommended by Priscilla Barlow, '80.; This is the 17th in the Jack Aubrey/Stephen Maturin series of historical novels dealing with the British Navy during the Napoleonic Wars. They are FABULOUS. The writing is peerless, and so is the scholarship. O'Brian spent a lot of time doing research in special collections. Research isn't just for scholars! 11/13/06
A Short History of Nearly Everything by Bill Bryson: Recommended by Erin Loughney, '07.; Really interesting, extremely informative history (of the universe, science, etc.) and written like a great fiction. 11/21/06
A Separate Peace by John Knowles: Recommended by Erin Schaefer, '07.; It's set in a boarding school in New England, and it was interesting and fun to read about a location with which I am so familiar. 11/21/06
Light and Liberty: Thomas Jefferson's Reflections on the Pursuit of Happiness by Eric Petersen: Recommended by Victoria Bram, '07.; Excerpts from Jefferson's lifetime of writings, broken up into chapters by subject matter. 11/21/06
Random Family: Love, Drugs, Trouble and Coming of Age in the Bronx by Adrian Nicole LeBlanc ’86: Recommended by Betsy Barone, Reference/Web Specialist, Neilson Library.; This book written by a Smith alum helped me understand the complex cultural influences and other problems contributing to the cycle of poverty, drugs, violence, teen pregnancy, and other issues faced by some of the poorest members of our society. 12/07/06
The Cruelest Miles by Gay and Lainey Salisbury: Recommended by Linda Kaufman '56.; Fascinating account of the 1925 serum run to Nome because of the diptheria outbreak. 12/11/06
A Perfect Red by Amy Butler Greenfield: Recommended by Jamie Humphrey '98.; This book has it all: pirates, spies, art, science, global politics, and (possibly) everything you wanted to know about the history of red dyes. 12/11/06
Give Me The World by Leila Hadley: Recommended by Kristen Landry ' 92.; For those who love to travel - the descriptions of the Asian cities will draw you right in as if you were there with the author! Originally written in the 1950s (and re-released in the 1990s), it's the story of a single mother traveling around the world with her young son and their experiences. 12/11/06
Arc of Justice by Kevin Boyle: Recommended by Karen Kaplan '73.; Best way of writing history yet, this story of housing segregation in 1920s Detroit centers on the murder trial that Clarence Darrow took right after Scopes. It weaves social, political, and personal histories into a great read. 12/19/06
My Life in France by Julia Child with Alex Prud’homme: Recommended by Katy Rawdon-Faucett '95.; I love Julia Child for many reasons - her importance to American cooks, her humor, the fun she had in all sorts of life situations. But what I really love is her ability to tell a good story - and especially a good story about her own fascinating life. 1/10/07
Three Cups of Tea by Greg Mortenson: Recommended by Leslie Mark '83.; Inspiration. 5/2/08

One thing all alumnae share is a love of reading and talking about good books. The Alumnae Association of Smith College has chosen to celebrate this favorite pastime during the 125th anniversary year by creating a unique worldwide book club for alumnae only. Click here to learn more.