opti Summer Book List
Book Recommendations from the optiMize Community
We collected book recommendations from the members of our community. Here is a selection of nonfiction, fiction, and more reading recommended by fellows and organizers:
NON-FICTION
Give and Take by Adam Grant
“A groundbreaking look at why our interactions with others hold the key to success. I'd recommend it because it shows how we can be MORE successful if we're givers in the workplace than if we were selfish. Practical and positive especially in today's bleak world!” — Christopher Kok, Cohort 11 Fellow
Brain on Fire: My Month of Madness by Susannah Cahalan
TW: mental illness, medical content & trauma, terminal illness, alcoholism
“Overall this was a great autobiography. It was well paced and well written. I found this book captivating and fascinating. If you are interested in mental illnesses, it was a fresh perspective on what people face when ‘descending into madness’.” — Bella Weiss, Staff
Sapiens: A Brief History of Humankind by Yuval Noah Harari
“This book completely changed my perspective on humans, what it means to be in a society, and how we got to where we are. This is a book you want to take your time with because Harari really makes you think and question. The chapter on the agricultural revolution is something I never stop thinking about.” — Megha Kunju, Staff
The Art of Happiness by the Dalai Lama
“Through conversations, stories, and meditations, the Dalai Lama shows us how to defeat day-to-day anxiety, insecurity, anger, and discouragement. I'd recommend it because it helped me really contextualize what it meant to be happy and what strategies I could start practicing to potentially get there.” — Christopher Kok, Cohort 11 Fellow
Making All Black Lives Matter: Reimagining Freedom in the Twenty-First Century by Barbara Ransby
TW: police brutality, murder, vulgar language
“For the past decade I have felt a new and stronger sense of outrage and a determination for change as a country pertaining to issues of racial injustice. This book provides an incredibly thorough historical context to the uprising of the Black Lives Matter movement and the Black liberation movements that preceded it. I found it to be an inspiring read and even though the issues of police brutality and racism are central to the book, I felt a great sense of pride learning about all the incredible people who were at work, on the ground, in communities, and networking with one another demanding justice and establishing the Black Lives Matter legacy.” — Jeni Olney, Staff
Invisible Women: Data Bias in a World Designed for Men by Caroline Criado Perez
“This book discusses how so much of the data that influence policy fails to take into account gender, because it treats men as the default and women as atypical. As a result, bias and discrimination are baked into our systems, and women pay tremendous costs for this bias, in time, money, and often with their lives. I recommend it for how eye-opening and thought provoking this book is.” — Nusrat Atika, Cohort 9 and Cohort 11 Fellow, Staff
Predictably Irrational by Dan Ariely
“Dan Ariely challenges readers' assumptions about making decisions based on rational thought. Ariely explains, "My goal, by the end of this book, is to help you fundamentally rethink what makes you and the people around you tick. I hope to lead you there by presenting a wide range of scientific experiments, findings, and anecdotes that are in many cases quite amusing. Once you see how systematic certain mistakes are—how we repeat them again and again—I think you will begin to learn how to avoid some of them.” — Abbie Chaka, Staff
FICTION
Anxious People by Fredrik Backman
TW: suicide, grief
"Anxious People follows a bank heist gone wrong. A group of people are taken hostage in an apartment showing when a bank robbery goes awry. Filled with intrigue but also lots of heart, Anxious People was a book I never wanted to put down and wanted to live inside for a long time. It's a story about people, loving one another, and how we are all connected. Truly love this book and is a go-to recommendation” — Megha Kunju, Staff
A Thousand Ships by Natalie Haynes
“Beautiful retelling of the Greek classic The Iliad, with a specific focus on the Trojan War from the perspective of all the female characters who are traditionally not significantly represented in the story. This story empowers the rich female characters of the classical tradition and encourages the reader to expand the scope of ‘heroism’ beyond male-centric war heroes.” — David Hargitt, Staff
The Great Gatsby by F. Scott Fitzgerald
TW: substance abuse, death
“The Great Gatsby tells the story of Jay Gatsby, a mysterious millionaire known for his awesome parties in the 1920s. The book involves the themes of love, wealth, and the pursuit of the American Dream, showcasing the highs and lows of Gatsby's life and the consequences of his obsessions! The Great Gatsby is old but DEFINITELY gold, I recommend it because there is so much you can get out of it. Every time you reread, you find a new theme to focus on.” — Nayseth Fernandez, Staff
The Alchemist by Paulo Coelho
TW: sexism
“The Alchemist by Paulo Coelho is a widely acclaimed book that offers a captivating story as well as meaningful insights. It follows the journey of a shepherd in search of a treasure, and the book explores his personal growth, self-discovery, and the pursuit of his passions. Coelho's writing style is engaging and accessible, and somewhat reminiscent of a fable. For me, reading The Alchemist was a thought-provoking experience that encouraged reflection on my own aspirations, life's purpose, and the setbacks I've found along the way. I would highly recommend giving it a try.” — Mikayla Misiak, Staff
Murder of Roger Ackroyd by Agatha Christie
“The peaceful English village of King’s Abbot is stunned. The widow Ferrars dies from an overdose of Veronal. Not twenty-four hours later, Roger Ackroyd—the man she had planned to marry—is murdered. It is a baffling case involving blackmail and death that taxes Hercule Poirot’s ‘little grey cells’ before he reaches one of the most startling conclusions of his career.” — Paige Horsburgh, Staff
The Song of Achilles by Madeline Miller
“This gorgeously crafted tale explores the human side of mythological events. A touching exploration of love, ambition, and legacy that sheds light on the human experience even in a world filled with gods” — David Hargitt, Staff
A Thousand Splendid Suns by Khaled Hosseini
TW: domestic abuse, sexual abuse, suicide, arranged child marriage
“The novel is about two women in Afghanistan whose paths intertwine under the Taliban rule. They learn to support one another through the oppressive regime at home and in the country. I recommend it because it is so well written and it depicts two female leads coming together under tough circumstances. Just read it. It's awesome, I ran through 9 tissues (yes, I counted) because oh how emotional it was.” — Erin Chai, Staff
The Power by Naomi Alderman
TW: violence, sexual assault
“One of my favorite books of all time, The Power takes the reader into a world where teenage women suddenly have an incredible, immense physical power and walks us through how that influences politics, social systems, religion, and history. It is a fascinating insight into how power spreads, who has control, and how society is shaped by people. If you love a dystopian, this is a must read.” — Megha Kunju, Staff
Homegoing by Yaa Gyasi
TW: slavery, sexual assault, profanity
“Two half-sisters, Effia and Esi, are born into different villages in eighteenth-century Ghana. Effia is married off to an Englishman and lives in comfort in the palatial rooms of Cape Coast Castle. Unbeknownst to Effia, her sister, Esi, is imprisoned beneath her in the castle's dungeons. One thread of Homegoing follows Effia's descendants through centuries of warfare in Ghana, as the Fante and Asante nations wrestle with the slave trade and British colonization. The other thread follows Esi and her children into America. From the plantations of the South to the Civil War and the Great Migration, from the coal mines of Pratt City, Alabama, to the jazz clubs and dope houses of twentieth-century Harlem, right up through the present day.” — Abbie Chaka, Staff
Frankenstein by Mary Shelley
TW: attempted murder, child death death, depression, stalking, Islamophobia, murder, parental abandonment, Xenophobia
“Frankenstein tells the story of Victor Frankenstein, a young scientist who creates a sapient creature in an unorthodox scientific experiment. I read this book in English during my senior year of High School which at first was just a book to read for a grade until I started to read deeper on themes of loneliness, isolation, dangerous creature, sublime nature and so much more. All themes that I really like to analyze and I identify with. I feel like the after I read this, a lot of internal questions arose.” — Dallas McGhee-Henry, Staff
The Bone Clocks by David Mitchell
“Following a scalding row with her mother, fifteen-year-old Holly Sykes slams the door on her old life. But Holly is no typical teenage runaway: a sensitive child once contacted by voices she knew only as ‘the radio people,’ Holly is a lightning rod for psychic phenomena. Now, as she wanders deeper into the English countryside, visions and coincidences reorder her reality until they assume the aura of a nightmare brought to life.” — Paige Horsburgh, Staff
Attack on Titan (Volume 34) by Hajime Isayama
TW: death, political corruption, violence, gore
“I recommend the entire series of Attack on Titan because it's really interesting and thought provoking as it touches on so many philosophical life questions. I only read the last book or two honestly because I watched the anime and got tired of waiting for the ending to be animated.” — Kristin Hollenbeck, Staff
Moonlight [The Script] by Barry Jenkins
TW: homophobia, the f-slur, violence against queer people, drug use, emotionally abusive parenting, mentions of death, implied sex
“Moonlight is a look at three defining chapters in the life of Chiron, a young black man growing up in Miami. His epic journey to manhood is guided by the kindness, support and love of the community that helps raise him. I love this movie but I also really enjoy the script. It is very interesting reading scripts as you can see how words are translated to the screen. I feel like the emotion present in the script really was interesting. If you have seen the movie, please read the script. Very enlightening.” — Dallas McGhee-Henry, Staff
Flowers for Algernon by Daniel Keyes
TW: ableism, mental & emotional abuse, loss
“The story of Charlie, a mentally disabled man whose disability makes it hard to live everyday life without being a laughing stock. He undergoes an experimental surgery to increase his intelligence. As Charlie's IQ skyrockets, he experiences a remarkable transformation, but soon faces the reality that the ‘new’ Charlie may be temporary. I recommend this book because it truly opens your eyes on human interaction and its impact.” — Nayseth Fernandez, Staff
Where the Crawdads Sing by Delia Owens
“Engaging and beautifully written murder mystery.” — Jeni Olney, Staff
The Lost Apothecary by Sarah Penner
“An exciting drama jumping between different decades with a captivating story and ending.” — Jeni Olney, Staff
A Series of Unfortunate Events: The Bad Beginning by Lemony Snicket
“This book is about a group of orphans who find their way to their new guardian. They see many issues in how their guardian treats them and his motivations for taking them under his care. It's the first in a series of 13 so the plot keeps continuing on from each of the books” — Shreya Sampath, Staff