The Final Days by Bob Woodward and Carl Bernstein

What: The Final Days is a brief, light-hearted, 475-page dive into the final days of the Nixon administration. Woodward and Bernstein, two award-winning journalists who exposed the beginnings of Watergate (the scandal that led to Richard Nixon’s resignation), were able to chronicle every call, meal, obstruction of justice, and tantrum in the last few months before the 37th president’s resignation.

Why: If you’re any Rindge student, you’ve probably wondered about the final days of Nixon’s presidency. While this book is no The Fault in Our Stars, I did actually shed a tear for Nixon, and any book that can make me pity Richard Milhous Nixon is a must-buy. Woodward and Bernstein manage to capture the emotion of the time as the Nixon family, his cabinet, and his aides naively attempt to maneuver through a political minefield. It’s an in-depth look at Nixon’s mind as well, as he slowly starts to lose his grip on reality and forego his responsibilities as President of the United States. Makes you appreciate the sane leadership we have today!

The Fault in Our Stars by John Green

What: “Okay?” “Okay.”

Why: Ansel Elgort?!??! Sign me up.

– Cecilia Barron

The Glass Castle by Jeannette Walls

What: The Glass Castle is the 2005 memoir of journalist Jeannette Walls. She tells the story of her life starting around age three, chronicling everything up until adulthood. Her family moved around a lot, struggled with money, and her relationships with her parents were very complicated—so it is a fairly sad read, but it has uplifting moments too.

Why: Walls’s life is simply incredible, and her writing is gimmick-free and beautiful. The movie adaptation came out this August, but you should read the book first.

The Nix by Nathan Hill

What: A 2016 debut novel from Nathan Hill, The Nix is a story about everything from video-games to Norwegian ghosts to America in the 1960s.

Why: As I was reading this book, the main thing that I kept wondering was just how so many little random details of the story were all coming from the same author’s imagination. Hill took such seemingly unrelated storylines and wove them together painlessly, piece by piece. The result is an amazingly intricate book that is impossible to put down. Shout out to Ms. Otty for recommending it!

– Grace Ramsdell

Sapiens: A Brief History of Humankind by Yuval Noah Harari

What: In Sapiens, first published in English in 2014, Harari writes of several developments in nearly every aspect of human life. He discusses the transformation of Homo Sapiens from an essentially insignificant species to one that has the power to act as a god—and its potential to advance even further.

Why: Sapiens pushes readers to think about the world through a wider, more careful lens. Instead of just the “what” of history, Harari discusses the “why” and “how” as well.

The Brief and Frightening Reign of Phil by George Saunders

What: In this 2005 novella, citizens wait for years to enter the country of Inner Horner, which is large enough to only hold one citizen at a time. Meanwhile, those in Outer Horner fall under the reign of Phil, who utilizes his power to set off a hysteria.

Why: Half of the time while reading this book, Saunders makes you think, “What am I even reading?” In the other half, he makes you question the norms, habits, and desires of people today. Saunders explores greed and power, as well as emotion and compassion. It’s a truly compelling book, and it’s only 130 pages long.

– Sun-Jung Yum

This piece also appears in our September print edition.