Looking for something engaging, thought-provoking or just plain fun to read this summer? Faculty from College of the Pacific have shared their top picks—from captivating fiction and eye-opening history to boundary-pushing science writing. Whether you're looking to relax on the beach or challenge your thinking, there's something here for every kind of reader.

Susan Sample

Professor, Political Science and International Studies

• Tan Twan Eng, The Garden of Evening Mists (Literary Fiction)
  A Malaysian judge reflects on her relationship with a Japanese gardener after WWII, blending postwar politics, memory, and Japanese garden aesthetics.

• Terry Pratchett, Going Postal (Fantasy)
  A Discworld novel full of wit and heart, in which a former con artist revives a defunct postal service—humorous, insightful, and deeply human.

• Jason Stanley, How Fascism Works: The Politics of Us and Them (Nonfiction)
  An accessible yet scholarly look at the mechanisms of fascism and how they operate in societies.

Qingwen Dong

Professor, Department of Communication

• Fei-Fei Li, The Worlds I See: Curiosity, Exploration, and Discovery at the Dawn of AI (Autobiography)
  A personal and inspiring memoir from one of AI’s leading pioneers, capturing the human stories behind scientific advancement.

Ajna Rivera

Associate Professor, Biological Sciences

• Octavia Butler, Parable of the Sower (Science Fiction)
  A gripping take on post-apocalyptic survival through community and resilience.

• Naomi Novik, His Majesty’s Dragon (Alternative History/Fantasy)
  Dragons meet the Napoleonic Wars in a beautifully written, character-driven adventure.

• Adrian Tchaikovsky, Children of Time (Science Fiction)
  A speculative masterpiece exploring what happens when spiders evolve sentience—biological sci-fi at its best.

Brian Klunk

Professor, Political Science

• Kazuo Ishiguro, The Buried Giant (Fantasy)
  A moving, mysterious tale exploring memory, loss, and reconciliation in a post-Arthurian Britain.

• Michael Bishop, Brittle Innings (Science Fiction/Literary Fiction)
  A depression-era baseball story that’s really about trauma, identity, and societal acceptance.

• Amitav Acharya & Manjeet S. Pardesi, Divergent Worlds (History/International Relations)
  Rethinks the foundations of international relations by centering Asian civilizations instead of Greco-Roman history.

Carolynn Kohn

Professor & Chair, Department of Psychology

• Deborah Blum, The Poison Squad (Historical Nonfiction)
  A riveting history of early 20th-century food safety and its impact on U.S. regulation.

• Steven Johnson, The Ghost Map (Historical Nonfiction)
  A multidisciplinary tale of London’s cholera epidemic that reshaped modern science and urban planning.

• Erik Larson, The Devil in the White City (Historical Nonfiction)
  True crime meets World's Fair history in this gripping narrative of innovation and murder.

Chris Goff

Professor & Chair, Mathematics

• Benjamin Wardhaugh, Encounters with Euclid (Nonfiction/History)
  Explores the cultural legacy of Euclid’s Elements, the world’s most famous geometry text—second only to the Bible in editions printed.

Mary Lomax Ghirarduzzi

Professor of Communication & Vice President for Diversity, Equity & Inclusion

• john a. powell & Stephen Menendian, Belonging Without Othering (Nonfiction)
  A crucial framework for DEI leaders fostering inclusive communities.

• Hannah-Jones, The 1619 Project (History/Nonfiction)
  A powerful reframing of American history centered on the legacy of slavery and Black contributions.

• Benjamin Madley, An American Genocide (History)
  A searing account of the systemic extermination of California’s Native populations in the 19th century.

Jennifer Helgren

Professor, History

• Tiya Miles, All That She Carried (History)
  A heart-wrenching history of slavery told through the story of a mother’s gift to her daughter—a cotton sack passed down through generations.

• Rebecca L. Davis, Fierce Desires (History)
  An essential, accessible exploration of America’s evolving views on sex and sexuality, rich with untold stories.

Lydia Fox

Chair, Geological & Environmental Sciences

• All We Can Save, ed. by Ayana Elizabeth Johnson & Katharine Wilkinson (Anthology: Nonfiction & Poetry)
  Essays and poetry by diverse women exploring solutions and hope in the face of the climate crisis.

• Richard Powers, The Overstory (Fiction)
  An unforgettable novel that redefines how we see trees and nature, blending storytelling and environmentalism.

Lou Matz

Professor & Chair, Philosophy

• Harry Frankfurt, On Bullshit (Nonfiction)
  A brief yet profound philosophical exploration of why “bullshit” is different from lying—and why it matters.

• Stephen Greenblatt, The Swerve (History/Nonfiction)
  The story of how an ancient manuscript helped spark the Renaissance—and why its ideas still resonate today.

Lee Skinner

Dean, College of the Pacific & Professor of Spanish

• Natasha Pulley, The Mars House (Science Fiction)
  A gripping novel about Earth refugees on Mars, exploring colonialism, gender, and identity in a bold new world.

• Tyehimba Jess, Olio (Poetry)
  A Pulitzer Prize-winning collection that brings post-Civil War Black performers to vivid life through experimental and deeply moving verse.

Happy reading!