Haley Seymour, Editor in Chief– Where the Crawdads Sing by Delia Owens was probably my favorite book I read last summer. The book follows Kya Clark, or “Marsh Girl,” if you’re talking to the people in town. The story switches between the present, with the death of Chase Andrews, a boy from the same North Carolina town, and the past, with Kya growing up basically on her own. It’s best to go into this story without reading too much about it, but the story captures your attention like no other; books that switch tenses can sometimes get confusing or seem out-of-place. Not this one; it’s an incredible story that makes you feel submerged into the life of the “Marsh Girl.”

Bel Kelly, Associate Editor– Freshwater by Akwaeke Emezi is the perfect summer read. The novel weaves together Nigerian mythology, mental health issues, and fresh perspectives on gender and wraps them in prose that sometimes reads more like poetry. It’s an insanely strong and beautiful debut work, and it manages to induce this stifling, sweltering atmosphere that makes it really appropriate. It’s a book that really puts you through a crucible reading it, and is 100 percent worth it. Mentions of self harm and sexual assault do come up, so if either of those are triggers for you, prioritize yourself and your health and skip reading this one. 

Preston Banas, Staff Writer– I recently read Dune by Frank Herbert and I really enjoyed the book. The plot line of this book is formatted in a linear fashion but the chapters sometimes jump back and forth in time. This book has a sense of adventure, mystery and survival components in it that make it very intriguing to a reader. There is also a movie version of Dune coming out so you could read the book then compare the movie version to your comprehension of it. This book is about 600-700 pages long but Frank Herbert tells a story that is a page turner so I was able to read it in two weeks. This book is also part of the Dune series so it’s nice to know you can read more about Herbert’s sci-fi world. I would recommend this book to anyone who likes sci-fi, dystopian novels. 

Rebecca White, Staff Writer– Born a Crime by Trevor Noah is a fantastic read. I read this book for a core class at Champlain, and once I started it I couldn’t put it down! It’s an autobiographical comedy based on Noah’s life growing up in South Africa under the apartheid. This collection of stories has the perfect balance of history, comedy, and hardships Noah had to face growing up in a dangerous time.