The season of sunshine has arrived!

Whether you prefer firing up the Kindle or flipping pages, catching up on a few good books is something many of us look forward to doing this time of year.

What’s on your summer reading list?

Take a look at what Gettysburg College faculty, staff, and students recommend – you may end up discovering another book (or five!) to check out.

Be sure to tell us what you’re reading via the comments section below.

Secrets to Happiness
by Sarah Dunn

“This is a heart-warming novel about love and friendship and all the complications that come with it. It’s also about a special dog that just may be the secret to happiness…”
-Kaitlyn Lyons, Musselman Library 

A Dirty Job
by Christopher Moore

“Christopher Moore’s books are offbeat and always fun; ‘A Dirty Job’ tells the story of Charlie Asher, a normal guy who never seems to catch a lucky break. He does just fine, but makes his way through life as the good friend instead of the center of attention. All this begins to change when his daughter is born; people begin to drop dead around him, and he begins hearing strange voices from beneath the streets. Before you know it, names start appearing on a notepad near his bed, and those people die as well. It seems Charlie has been promoted into a new job without knowing it: Death. As Moore says on the book jacket, ‘It’s a dirty job, but someone has to do it!’”
-Russell McCutcheon, Sunderman Conservatory of Music

Hark! A Vagrant
by Kate Beaton

“This collection of comics from Kate Beaton has been wildly popular within the independent comics world, but has had immense crossover appeal to history and literature geeks. Beaton rewrites the classics with deadpan humor and an amazing wit.”
-Sharon Birch, Instructional Technology

The White Tiger
by Aravind Adiga

“A riveting tale about a side of India rarely looked at closely. Issues of race, class, gender, religion, and globalism are told in a somewhat comical style, underneath which is a serious look at the glamorous new India of technology with its luxury and obliviousness and the crushing poverty that adjusts to the so-called success of the new India. Very insightful, moving, and thoughtful.”
-Charlotte Armster, German

Olive Kitteridge
by Elizabeth Strout

“This novel, told in 13 interconnected stories, is set in tiny, coastal Crosby, Maine. At the center is Olive Kitteridge – an occasionally sympathetic, mostly disagreeable, but completely unforgettable retired junior high school teacher. She treats her husband badly, is estranged from her son, and harbors grudges against her neighbors. Olive is complex. She doles out bits of malice without regard for the feelings of others. She also can be thoughtful – even tender-hearted. This book will make you think of the unlikeable people in your life in a different way.”
-Robin Wagner, Musselman Library

A Clearing in the Distance: Frederick Law Olmsted and America in the Nineteenth Century
by Witold Rybczynski

“You have probably strolled through one of the gardens Olmsted designed and didn’t even know it. Central Park, the United States Capitol grounds, the National Zoo, the list goes on and on. But Olmsted was more than a gardener. He was a journalist, a scientific farmer, a man deeply involved in the social issues of his time. His story could inspire you to visit some of the famous parks he designed, or maybe even to take up the spade and do a little landscaping of your own.”
-Ellen Hathaway, The Gettysburg Review

A History of the World in 100 Objects
by Neil MacGregor

“This book is a perfect read for both a history buff or anyone who wants to learn about the human race from the perspective of the objects we leave behind. MacGregor is the director of the British Museum and uses items from the museum’s awesome collection to tell the story of everyday people throughout history. Overall, this book is an interesting, funny, and educational read.”
-Katie Corsentino ’13, anthropology and art history double major

What Einstein Told His Cook: Kitchen Science Explained
by Robert L. Wolke

“This book explains EVERYTHING about the science of cooking, from which types of pans to use to what actually happens when you cook different foods. It’s a great read for foodies and scientists alike.”
-Darryl Jones, Admissions

The Long Road to Antietam: How the Civil War Became a Revolution
by Richard Slotkin

“Just in time for the 150th anniversary of the battle of Antietam and the Emancipation Proclamation, a history of the bloodiest day in American history which, for the first time, dramatically interweaves the military history of the battle with the political history of George McClellan’s near-treason.”
-Allen Guelzo, History

Where Men Win Glory: The Odyssey of Pat Tillman
by Jon Krakauer

“'Where Men Win Glory' details the life and death of Pat Tillman, an NFL star that walked away from a multimillion-dollar contract to become an Army Ranger post-9/11. Krakauer provides an exceptional account of Tillman’s rise to NFL success, decision to enlist in the Army, and eventual death in the mountains of Afghanistan.”
-Jim Duffy, Registrar

What you’ve read above is only a sampling from the “You’ve Gotta Read (or Watch) This!” booklet prepared annually by Musselman Library; there are many more books (and films, too!) for you to discover.

Founded in 1832, Gettysburg College is a highly selective four-year residential college of liberal arts and sciences with a strong academic tradition. Alumni include Rhodes Scholars, a Nobel laureate, and other distinguished scholars. The college, which enrolls 2,600 undergraduate students, is located on a 200-acre campus adjacent to the Gettysburg National Military Park in Pennsylvania.

Contact: Tracey Dukert, assistant director of news content, 717.337.6521