The BIG C's: character, collaboration, and curiosity are now in vogue
Here are some examples of ways teens get stuck and how you, as a parent, can help your teen get unstuck and on the road to college.
The Other Einstein, an Ice Cream Queen, the Naked Roommate, and Other Good Books
Our summer reading lists and a cup of tea!
So here we are---the unprecedented time that began this spring has now unfolded into summer. If you are like us and our families there will be fewer (if any) vacations, family reunions and weddings have been revised or cancelled, and picnics will likely be with your quarantine family than shared with groups of friends and neighbors.
The Creative College Connections team recently talked about the importance of reading throughout our lives, but especially during this time when we need to be apart from one another. Books take us on new journeys, enhance our knowledge, stretch the imagination and analytical thinking, reduce stress, offer comfort, and open us up to new insights and perspectives. And we all need moments to “sit and be still” as my sister is fond of saying.
We decided that summer is a great time to share some of our favorite books with you and perhaps this will inspire you to share some of yours with us. Below you find our recommendations for those times when you want to read something just for fun, or books that may offer a deeper intellectual dive into a topic of interest. Oh, and as college consultants, we’ve also included suggestions for parents of a college-bound teen. These are at the end. Parents, we know some of you will skip the first two sections and go straight to these recommendations. It’s okay, but promise us that you will consider the rest too. After all, you need time to relax, rewind and refresh too.
C.S. Lewis said that, “You can never get a cup of tea large enough or a book long enough to suit me.” Go ahead, make a cup of tea and enjoy browsing below. Hannah will join you with a cup of Green Ginger tea with Manuka honey, Martha enjoys Earl Grey, Sara prefers a steaming cup of Hot Cinnamon Spice and Debra will sip Lemon Ginger tea along with you.
Just for fun:
Carnegie’s Maid by Marie Benedict
A fascinating story of historical fiction set in the 19th century about a brilliant woman who may have helped to transform Andrew Carnegie from a ruthless industrialist to a world-renowned philanthropist.
The Other Einstein by Marie Benedict
The story of Einstein’s wife, a brilliant physicist in her own right, whose contribution to the theory of relativity is hotly debated and whose light was lost in Einstein’s shadow.
The Fifth Season by N.K. Jemisin
The first of the Broken Earth trilogy where the inhabitants of a single supercontinent, The Stillness, experience a catastrophic climate change every few centuries. The books are captivating. All three books are Hugo award winners and there is a TV series in development.
Yesterday’s Weather by Anne Enright
Enright, perhaps the most acclaimed modern Irish author, published this collection of short stories in 1989. "This is a collection of sharp, unpredictable short fiction about people struggling to connect in an increasingly disconnected world."
In the Woods by Tana French
The first of a 6-book series, In the Woods is a psychological thriller and mystery set in Dublin.
The Ice Cream Queen of Orchard Street, by Susan Jane Gilman
Hannah loves this book because it involves two of her favorite things: her hometown NYC and ice cream. It's a fun read with touches of historical fiction. And, the author is a childhood friend of Hannah's and answers the question, "what can I do with a Semiotics major (now called Modern Culture & Media)." Answer: become a best-selling author
Nine Perfect Strangers by Liane Moriarty
'Big Little Lies' was a fun read in 2014; 'Nine Perfect Strangers' is the latest page-turner from Moriarty, soon to be a series with Melissa McCarthy and Nicole Kidman.
The Giver of Stars by Jojo Moyes
A fictionalized account of the Kentucky Packhorse Librarians set between 1935-1943.
A Spark of Light by Jodi Picoult
Picoult is a brilliant writer and this, like so many of her other books, takes a large and controversial issue (in this case, abortion) to a more intimate, humanized place.
Mobituaries: Great Lives Worth Reliving by Mo Rocca
“An insightful and unconventional account of the people who made life worth living for the rest of us, one that asks us to think about who gets remembered.”
Redhead by the Side of the Road, Anne Tyler
Tyler is one of Martha’s favorites, and this book promises to be "a funny, joyful, deeply compassionate story about seeing the world through new eyes."
Dinner with Edward: A Story of an Unexpected Friendship by Isabel Vincent
This is a quick read about friendship and nourishment, and about how dinner with a friend can, in the words of M.F.K. Fisher, “sustain us against the hungers of the world.” Debra loved this book---scrambled eggs in our house are now called “Edward’s eggs”.
Brain works picks:
Blind Spot: Hidden Biases of Good People by Mahzarin R.Banaji and Anthony G. Greenwald
Banaji and Greenwald explore hidden biases that we, even those with the best of intentions, carry from a lifetime of experiences with social groups – age, gender, race, ethnicity, religion, social class, sexuality, disability status, or nationality.
White Fragility by Robin DiAngelo
DiAngelo explores "the counterproductive reactions white people have when their assumptions about race are challenged, and how these reactions maintain racial inequality."
Moonwalking with Einstein by Joshua Foer
A man’s yearlong quest to improve his memory by studying under top, competitive “mental athletes.”
How to Be an Antiracist by Ibram X. Kendi
This is a book for the moment in a summer that has prompted many people to imagine a country more fair, equitable, and just for all.
Hope is an Imperative by David W. Orr
This series of essays explores the state of our natural environment as the context of everything—our lives, our work and our politics. Debra worked with David when he was a faculty member at Oberlin College and she was VP and Dean of Admissions and Financial Aid.
Just Mercy by Bryan Stevenson
Recent Harvard law grad Bryan Stevenson goes to Alabama to defend a wrongly convicted man.
Emotional Inflammation - Discover your Triggers and Reclaim Your Equilibrium During Anxious Times by Stacey Colino and Lisa Van Sustern, MD.
This is a timely book full of practical tips and advice for managing stress and maintaining health in our complicated world. It's also an example of "what can I do with an English major?" Stacey is Hannah's college friend who is an award-winning writer specializing in health and psychology.
For parents of a college-bound teen:
Letting Go: A Parents’ Guide to Understanding the College Years by Karen Levin Coburn and Madge Lawrence Treeger
In its 6th edition, this is the classic guide for parents about to venture into the college and empty nest years.
The Naked Roommate: And 107 Other Issues You Might Run Into in College by Harlan Cohen
A lighthearted look at "sharing a bathroom with 40 strangers to sharing lecture notes; your behind-the-scenes look at EVERYTHING you need to know about college but never knew you needed to know."
For Parents Only: Calling, Not Calling, Roommates, Relationships, Friends, Finances, and Everything Else That Really Matters When Your Child Goes To College by Harlan Cohen
If your child is headed to college, this is "a witty and wise guide to everything you need to know about the college experience."
How to Raise an Adult by Julie Lythcott-Haims
This book draws on research and conversations with admissions officers, educators, and employers, and the author’s insights as a mother and as a student dean to highlight the ways in which over-parenting harms children, their stressed-out parents, and society at large.
Have a happy and refreshing summer--
~Debra
Debra Chermonte is a Senior Educational Consultant with Creative College Connections in Leesburg, VA. She has had a long career in college admissions including 28 years as Vice President and Dean of Admissions and Financial Aid.