No summer is complete without a reading list to keep you turning the pages all season long. Browse recommendations from the avid readers in Lowell House — named after renowned Kenyon writer Robert Lowell ’40 and home to the Offices of Admissions and Financial Aid. 

Tell us what you’re reading right now, and we’ll share your picks on our website. And don’t forget to tuck a paperback or two in your bag while touring colleges this summer. Kenyon is open for custom daily visits and Summer Visit Days on August 9, 11 and 15.

Fiction

Julia Adamo ’20, senior assistant director of admissions

‘On the Calculation of Volume (Book I)’ by Solvej Balle

Every day, Tara wakes up on November 18 and has to navigate what it means to remember and relive a day that everyone else is living for the first time. Balle’s novel is simultaneously about love, art, solitude, existence, aging, consumption, memory and time. It is mysterious and mesmerizing, haunting and thought-provoking, and I can’t wait for the English translations of the rest of the volumes!

Mackie Avis ’13, associate director of admissions

‘Last Days of Summer’ by Steve Kluger

This is an epistolary novel composed of letters exchanged between a fictional baseball player and a boy living in Brooklyn in the 1940s. Up next for me is a re-read of Rohinton Mistry's “A Fine Balance,” which inspired me to take “History of India” in my first semester at Kenyon, and ultimately to pursue a major in history.

Hyun Cho ’26, admissions intern, English major

‘Crime and Punishment’ by Fyodor Dostoevsky

“Crime and Punishment” is about moral dilemmas and the mental and psychological struggles of the protagonist. It allows the reader to truly grasp the thoughts of an individual as he navigates his troubled life.

Michelle Dunavant ’12, associate director of admissions, director of international admissions

‘Memphis: A Novel’ by Tara M. Stringfellow

“Memphis” is a powerful, multigenerational novel with beautifully written prose following three generations of Black women. As a native Memphian, I felt at home among the familiar landmarks and neighborhoods. However, it’s the vivid characters (their dreams, hopes and fears) that linger with me. At times it was heartbreaking, but the moments of hope and joy shine through the pages and have you cheering for the protagonists.

Juliette LeClerc ’27, admissions intern, biochemistry major

‘Summer’ by Edith Wharton

At the start of the summer, I asked several friends to recommend books that they deemed to be “life-changing,” and this lovely book about a summer romance was on that list. Not only have the books been great to read, I have enjoyed discovering pieces of my friends’ lives and personhoods through the process, and discussing the books with them afterward.

Hewlet McFarlane, assistant vice president, director of strategic programs and partnerships

‘The Nickel Boys’ by Colson Whitehead

This book won a Pulitzer Prize for fiction in 2020 and recently was made into a film. It is a fictionalized version of a true but disturbing story.

Matt McPherson, associate director of admissions, director of transfer and gap year admissions

‘North Woods’ by Daniel Mason

This Pulitzer finalist explores the importance and spirituality of place. If you enjoy nature, history and ghost stories, I highly recommend this novel.

Megan Monaghan, assistant vice president, director of enrollment marketing and communications

‘Atmosphere,’ by Taylor Jenkins Reid

Taylor Jenkins Reid has a knack for making any subject captivating, whether it’s 1970s rock in her best-selling “Daisy Jones and the Six” or professional tennis in last year’s smash hit “Carrie Soto is Back.” Space exploration in the 1980s is the backdrop of this summer’s uplifting “Atmosphere,” which weaves together two storylines: a thrilling, high-stakes mission that will keep you turning the pages with a sweet love story that is written in the stars.

Chris Renaud, senior associate dean of admissions

‘The God of the Woods’ by Liz Moore

The story of a teenager’s disappearance from summer camp, “The God of the Woods” is a captivating novel. The narrative is presented non-chronologically, by multiple characters, and the story is intriguing to the end, with plenty of opportunities to reflect on power, privilege and the importance of nurturing. During these summer months, I also appreciated imagining myself lakeside and in the deep woods — just not alone.

Nonfiction

Diane Anci, vice president for enrollment, dean of admissions and financial aid

‘The Art of Raising a Puppy’ by the Monks of New Skete

Text to come.

Anthony Dean, senior assistant director of admissions

‘Caligula: The Corruption of Power’ by Anthony A. Barrett

Previous biographies of the “Mad Emperor” have fixated on Roman Emperor Caligula’s cruelty and inability to rule. From his childhood to the assassination conspiracy resulting in the end of his short four-year reign, Caligula’s state of mind and his impacts on the empire are reassessed by Barrett. These chilling reflections reveal how avoidable accidents within a governing body can lead to the rise of an individual unfit to rule.

Alison Laughbaum, senior assistant director of admissions

‘Anthropocene Reviewed’ by John Green ’01

If you’re looking for short essays as opposed to a single long narrative, you’ll enjoy this Kenyon alumnus’ first non-fiction book. It is thought-provoking, without being too serious. I enjoyed the chapter on “Air Conditioning,” in which Green discusses the history behind setting a “room temperature.” Spoiler: it was determined nearly 100 years ago by men in three-piece suits. No wonder I’m almost always cold indoors!

Elijah Lisboa ’27, admissions intern, music major

‘Wired for Love’ by Stephanie Cacioppo

Text to come.

Makena Markert ’21, assistant director of admissions

‘First Gen: A Memoir’ by Alejandra Campoverdi

It‘s deeply personal, yet resonant. It's sad at times, yet incredibly uplifting and inspirational. Put simply, Campoverdi made me feel all the feels as I was reading her story. She navigates between heartbreak and hope so beautifully as she reflects on her experiences growing up in a poor, multi-generational home with a single mother, detailing her life as a “first and only.”

Tim Miller, enrollment coordinator for Catalyst programs

‘The Catalyst: How to Change Anyone's Mind,’ by Jonah Berger

If you are a baseball fan, this book is for you. Before sabermetrics took over baseball, Earl Weaver was changing the game. Learn about the life and eccentricities of one of baseball's greatest managers and minds.

Ryan Motevalli-Oliner ’12, associate dean for enrollment operations

‘The Last Manager: How Earl Weaver Tricked, Tormented, and Reinvented Baseball,’ by John W. Miller

If you are a baseball fan, this book is for you. Before sabermetrics took over baseball, Earl Weaver was changing the game. Learn about the life and eccentricities of one of baseball's greatest managers and minds.

Hannah Schwemm ’27, admissions intern, international studies and history major

‘The Internationalists: How a Radical Plan to Outlaw War Remade the World,’ by Oona Hathaway and Scott Shapiro

This book encourages a rethinking of 20th-century history by investigating the successes and unforeseen impacts of abruptly leaving behind an old world order where war was a necessity and a norm of political interaction. While the topic is undoubtedly hefty and full of complications and caveats, Hathaway and Shapiro masterfully navigate the tale with panache.