What is SFU Public Square reading this summer?
The summer months can be (somewhat) quieter for SFU Public Square. As we work on the exciting events coming this fall, we’ve also been able to catch up on some reading! Our team has put together a few books we’ve read or hope to read this summer. We hope you enjoy and happy reading!
Janet Webber (she/her) – Executive Director
Greenwood by Michael Christie: Set in 2038, humanity struggles through environmental collapse and a scientist working at a remote oasis of thousand-year-old trees discovers her family history. A novel that takes its structure from the growth rings of a tree, Greenwood tells a multigenerational family story about our relationship with nature and each other.
Greenwood was one of my book club’s picks and I absolutely loved it! I relish storytelling that dips into the past, present, and future, and Christie’s book delivers this in a big way. I especially enjoy books set in familiar places, making this novel even more enjoyable as it's set on the West Coast. If you are looking for a summer read that creatively weaves in nature and features trees as central characters, get yourself a copy!
The Persuaders: At the Front Lines of the Fight for Hearts, Minds, and Democracy by Anand Giard: In this non-fiction book, Anand Giridharadas looks at the movements and activists trying to change people’s minds in an age of polarization. Readers will meet a leader of Black Lives Matter, a trailblazer in the feminist resistance to Trumpism, an ex-cult member turned QAnon deprogrammer, and many more!
This book was recommended to me by people whose opinions I trust implicitly! Witnessing the growing divisiveness in our societies is difficult, and it's especially worrisome as we live in a time marked by complex planetary challenges which require cooperation. It’s only by working together that we can find equitable solutions and thrive. I can’t wait to dig into this topic more by reading this book!
Seth Erais (he/him) – Program Manager
The Truth About Stories by Thomas King: Explore how stories shape who we are and how we understand and interact with other people in Thomas King’s compelling narrative! From creation stories to personal experiences, historical anecdotes to social injustices, racist propaganda to works of contemporary Native literature, King probes Indigenous culture's deep ties to storytelling.
I am so grateful to be reading this book in preparation for a fall semester course in Graduate Liberal Studies and I cannot say enough how powerful this book has been for me. It is likely I will read it again before September. Thomas King urges the reader to think deeply about the relation between human existence and storytelling. He masterfully employs humor, satire and seriousness in a way that challenges historical narratives and encourages justice and empathy.
On Belonging: Finding Connection in an Age of Isolation by Kim Samuel: This book explores the current crisis of social isolation being experienced globally and the fundamental human need to belong. Kim Samuel introduces readers to leaders who are doing the work to cultivate belonging–whether through sports, medicine, music, business, culture, or advocacy. On Belonging offers meaningful lessons on building a world where we all feel at home.
I recently started reading this book as part of my own professional development at SFU Public Square. Advancements in technology have made it easier than ever to reach the people around us and yet the crisis of social isolation persists – some might even say that it has worsened. As someone who has always struggled with a sense of belonging, I am looking forward to diving into a pivotal book about finding connection and hope to learn new perspectives on what it means to belong in our complex world.
Nola Mellon (they/them) – Design Lead
Johnny Appleseed by Joshua Whitehead: A tour-de-force debut novel about a Two-Spirit Indigiqueer young man and a proud self-ordained NDN glitter princess who must reckon with his past when he returns home to his reserve.
This book has been on my reading list for a long time! Many people have recommended it to me and finally the time has come. Joshua Whitehead beautifully blends grief and comedy together. I am excited to go on this journey this summer.
Gender Magic: Live Shamelessly, Reclaim Your Joy, & Step into Your Most Authentic Self by Rae McDaniel: A first-of-its-kind practical guide to achieving gender freedom with joy, curiosity, and pleasure for transgender and non-binary individuals, gender explorers, and those who love them.
I have just started reading this book and I am enjoying it – the author welcomes the reader in with a warm affirming hug and introduces mind and body practices for gender play, gender pleasure and gender possibilities.
Gabrielle Parent (she/they) – Communications Manager
Stone Butch Blues by Leslie Feinberg: This autobiographical novel pulls inspiration from the author’s lived experiences but places them within a fictional narrative. Following the protagonist, the book delves into the experiences of working-class lesbians and trans folks in the 60s to the 80s.
I’ve wanted to read this groundbreaking novel for a long time, and I am grateful to my colleague Nola for lending me their copy! Fun fact: a physical copy of this book can be difficult to find because following a long court battle, the author regained rights to the novel and decided to offer it for free online, so the novel can be given “back to the workers and oppressed of the world.”
A Day of Fallen Night by Samantha Shannon: Fall into a fantasy world with dragons, wyrms, and magic as you follow the lives of four women, setting in motion course of events that shaped their world for generations to come.
This novel is set 500 years prior to the events of the Priory of the Orange Tree – one of my favorite books of all time! – but the narratives are not explicitly connected so readers can jump right in. It’s no secret that I’m a big fan of fantasy novels and this author’s previous book left me speechless. I am so excited to delve into this novel throughout the summer!
Sofia Sokic (she/her) — Program Assistant
Everything I Know About Love by Dolly Alderton: This book is a memoir about the author – Dolly Alderton's – life, specifically of experiences with love from youth to adulthood. With touching vulnerability, the author shares the emotions she’s felt in her love life and as well as experiences with friendships, dates, jobs, and more.
I am currently reading this book, and it is incredibly touching as I’ve had so many similar experiences to hers. It’s as though she has put my feelings into words, and I feel so seen when she writes about situations like my own. Experiences where I felt so alone feel less lonely when I read this book.
Conversations with Friends by Sally Rooney: With sly humour and creative prose, this novel follows the intricate relationships between a 21-year-old university student, her best friend, and a woman and her husband. The novel dives into the joys and challenges of youth, and the messy edges of female friendship.
I’ve been interested in this book since reading Normal People (aka my favourite book ever) written by the same author. All of Rooney’s books are set in Ireland, so while some of the writing is a little disconnected with me, the emotions in the books are not. If you are looking for a good cry or compelling reads about human connections, Sally Rooney’s books are for you!