What better way to recover a long couple of weeks of studying that with more reading? In all seriousness, reading is a great way to relax, unwind and escape from your overbearing family, even just for a little while. Grab your hot drink of choice, get cozy and check out these novels recommended based on Tufts students' top ten majors.

International Relations

"The Poisonwood Bible" by Barbara Kingsolver

Kingsolver’s beautifully written portrayal of a family of American missionaries in the Belgian Congo is an evocative portrayal of American imperialism that confronts questions of religion, gender and power dynamics. The resulting clash of cultures is haunting and thought-provoking.

Economics

"The Ladies’ Paradise" by Émile Zola

Zola’s classic 1883 novel chronicles the rise of department stores in late 19th century Paris. A symbol of capitalism, consumerism and modernity, the stores represent the changes in consumer culture, sexual attitudes and class relations brought on by industrialization. The drama and romance of the period is brought to life through the engaging perspective of a young shopgirl.

Biology

"The Immortal Life of Henrietta Lacks"by Rebecca Skloot

Henrietta Lacks’ cervical cancer cells have been key in the development of the polio vaccine and in vitro fertilization, as well as research on cancer, viruses, cloning and gene mapping. Her cells have been bought and sold by the billions. However, her cells were obtained under questionable circumstances. Skloot’s journalistic quest reveals a darker side to scientific process, addressing issues of race and bioethics.

Psychology

"The Things They Carried" by Michael O’Brien

Set against the background of the Vietnam War, the book centers on O’Brien but features a revolving cast of characters, all exhibiting symptoms of the trauma of war-- PSTD, depression, guilt, alienation and the struggle to integrate back into civilian life. This book explores the psychological toll of war, both on combatants and the American public.

Political science

"American Wife" by Curtis Sittenfeld

Inspired by Laura Bush’s life, Sittenfeld chronicles the rise of the fictional Alice Lindgren into the privileged world of her Republican politician husband. Sittenfeld’s lively prose reads like a guilty pleasure but does some serious examination of the role of political spouses in American politics.

Fine Arts

"The Smile" by Donna Jo Napoli

This middle grade novel’s thoroughly-research, detailed writing is still interesting enough for an older audience. A rich, imaginative portrait of renaissance Florence, Napoli imagines the life of young Monna Elisabetta, the woman behind the famous Mona Lisa smile.

English

"The Hours"By Michael Cunningham

Winner of the 1999 Pulitzer Prize for Fiction, The Hours features the stories of three women: Virginia Woolf, who is beginning to write her novel Mrs. Dalloway in 1923; Laura Brown, living in the constraints of 1949 suburbia; and Clarissa Vaughan, who is watching her acclaimed poet friend die from AIDS in the modern-day. By the end of the novel, the three stories intertwine in remarkable ways to address themes of gender, love and expression through writing.

Child development

"The Glass Castle"by Jeanette Walls

Walls’ bestselling memoir tells of her strange upbringing in a poor family constantly shuffling around the country. Walls’ heartbreaking but often humorous account of her eccentric parents is told with tenacity but also a gentle kindness and unconditional love for her family.

Community health

"The Ghost Map" by Steven Johnson

London’s cholera epidemic of 1854 decimated the city’s population in eight days. At the center of the story centers on two heroes: Reverend Henry Whitehead and Dr. John Snow, whose combined efforts in mapping the disease solved the mystery of how cholera spreads and created an advanced model of data collection and design. Johnson uses this historical scaffolding to offer lessons for modern cities facing a new host of problems, from urban sprawl to bioterrorism.

Happy reading!