As the summer sun heats up, what books will College of the Pacific faculty be diving into? From gripping historical fiction and deep-dive memoirs to eye-opening science journalism and poetry, here is your official 2026 Tiger Summer Reading List.

Pack your beach bag and grab one of these faculty-recommended titles.

Immersive Fiction & Captivating Worlds

• Orbital by Samantha Harvey

  • Recommended by: Lydia Fox, Geological and Environmental Sciences

  • The Buzz: A beautifully written fiction novel that chronicles a single day in the life of six space station astronauts as they orbit Earth—capturing what they see, feel, and experience from above.

• The Rose Code by Kate Quinn

  • Recommended by: Sarah Merz, Mathematics

  • The Buzz: An excellent historical fiction choice that gives readers a vivid sense of what it must have been like to work as a code breaker in Bletchley Park during World War II.

• The Four Winds by Kristin Hannah

  • Recommended by: Emily Brienza-Larsen, CORE and Developmental Writing

  • The Buzz: A terrific, sweepingly emotional historical fiction look at the resilience of the human spirit during the American Dust Bowl era.

• Katabasis by R.F. Kuang

  • Recommended by: John Mayberry, Mathematics

  • The Buzz: A dark, gripping fantasy and philosophical journey. "Literally a journey to hell and back with one of the most rigorously constructed underworlds in literature!"

• My Year of Meats by Ruth Ozeki

  • Recommended by: Xiaojing Zhou, English

  • The Buzz: A sharp, insightful, and satirical novel that exposes the damaging impact of the global meat industry and commercial advertising.

• On Such a Full Sea by Chang-rae Lee

  • Recommended by: Xiaojing Zhou, English

  • The Buzz: A captivating futurist dystopia that explores society, class, and identity through a stark, re-imagined American landscape.

• I Who Have Never Known Men by Jacqueline Harpman

  • Recommended by: Ajna Rivera, Biological Sciences

  • The Buzz: A haunting, deeply philosophical post-apocalyptic novel that asks profound questions about survival and how we find purpose in isolation.

• Atmosphere by Taylor Jenkins Reid

  • Recommended by: Macelle Mahala, AMPD and English

  • The Buzz: A beautifully woven fictional love story from the bestselling author of Daisy Jones & The Six.

• Culpability by Bruce Holsinger

  • Recommended by: Tierra Smithson, Pacific College Corps

  • The Buzz: A gripping contemporary fiction novel that ties into timely, provocative themes surrounding artificial intelligence and the potential societal implications of its adoption.

Captivating History & Social Insights

• How to Be a Victorian: A Dawn to Dusk Guide by Ruth Goodman

  • Recommended by: Lee Skinner, Dean of COP

  • The Buzz: Take a highly enjoyable journey through a typical day in Victorian life. Goodman beautifully weaves together details about social class, gender, and age differences while offering fascinating, fun insights into how Victorians bathed, got to work, and lived daily life.

• How to Hide an Empire: A History of the Greater United States by Daniel Immerwahr

  • Recommended by: Daniel O'Neill, International Studies

  • The Buzz: This compelling read enjoyably covers the fascinating and relatively unknown history of the expansion of the United States beyond the mainland.

• A Marriage at Sea: A True Story of Love, Obsession, and Loss by Charles Taylor

  • Recommended by: Andreea Boboc, English

  • The Buzz: A brilliant piece of narrative nonfiction that reads just like a fast-paced fiction novel.

• The Lost History of Liberalism: From Ancient Rome to the Twenty-First Century by Helena Rosenblatt

  • Recommended by: Andreea Boboc, English

  • The Buzz: An excellent, deeply researched piece of nonfiction that traces the complex history and shifting meanings of the word "liberalism" across centuries.

• We Have Never Been Woke: Social Justice Righteousness and the Rise of a New Elite by Musa al-Gharbi

  • Recommended by: Susan Mannon, Sociology

  • The Buzz: A fresh, sociological perspective on the polarizing social justice debates defining modern American cultural discourse.

Moving Memoirs & Human Connection

• Stay True by Hua Hsu

  • Recommended by: Qingwen Dong, Communications

  • The Buzz: An exquisite, Pulitzer Prize-winning memoir that deeply explores the nuances of friendship, identity, belonging, and grief.

• Solito by Javier Zamora

  • Recommended by: Macelle Mahala & Martin Camps (Modern Languages)

  • The Buzz: A favorite across multiple departments, this powerful memoir recounts a nine-year-old boy's migration journey from El Salvador to the US. It’s an atmospheric, incredibly moving read that our own humanity scholars and students absolutely love.

• Untamed by Glennon Doyle

  • Recommended by: Emily Brienza-Larsen, CORE and Developmental Writing

  • The Buzz: A soul-stirring memoir that encourages readers to stop pleasing others and start trusting their own inner voice.

• Made to Stick: Why Some Ideas Survive and Others Die by Chip Heath & Dan Heath

  • Recommended by: Qingwen Dong, Communications

  • The Buzz: An absolute classic for communicators. This book offers a fantastic analysis of what makes certain ideas memorable and actionable.

• The Last Human Job: The Work of Connecting in a Disconnected World by Allison Pugh

  • Recommended by: Susan Mannon, Sociology

  • The Buzz: An insightful exploration of how vital human connection and emotional labor remain in an increasingly digital and algorithmic world.

Science, Psychology & the Natural World

• Anatomy of an Epidemic by Robert Whitaker

  • Recommended by: Carolynn Kohn, Psychology

  • The Buzz: A thought-provoking piece of investigative science journalism that asks critical questions about psychiatric medications and long-term mental health outcomes.

• The Demon-Haunted World: Science as a Candle in the Dark by Carl Sagan

  • Recommended by: Carolynn Kohn, Psychology

  • The Buzz: A timeless, essential read that serves as an anthem for critical thinking, debunking conspiracy theories, and championing scientific literacy over superstition.

• Animals Make Us Human: Creating the Best Life for Animals by Temple Grandin

  • Recommended by: Amy Smith, Psychology

  • The Buzz: A wonderful, insightful book by a legendary author that dives into the emotional lives of animals and how we can better understand and care for them.

• Eager: The Surprising, Secret Life of Beavers and Why They Matter by Ben Goldfarb

  • Recommended by: Amy Smith, Psychology

  • The Buzz: A highly entertaining environmental nonfiction book exploring the powerful, unexpected ways these busy creatures shape our landscapes, combat drought, and build ecosystems.

• Lone Wolf by Adam Weymouth

  • Recommended by: Kieran Holland, Physics

  • The Buzz: A captivating nonfiction narrative following the journey of a single male wolf navigating the challenges of the modern world.

• Raising Hare by Chloe Dalton

  • Recommended by: Kieran Holland, Physics

  • The Buzz: A touching story of an urbanite who finds an orphaned baby hare outside her window and learns to care for it, offering a beautiful meditation on our connection to wildlife.

Poetry Spotlights

• Tripas by Brandon Som

  • Recommended by: Lee Skinner, Dean of COP

  • The Buzz: This exceptional collection of poetry won the prestigious 2024 Pulitzer Prize for Poetry.

• A Stab in the Dark by Facundo Bernal

  • Recommended by: Martin Camps, Modern Languages

  • The Buzz: An important and moving historical collection of poems originally written in the 1920s.

Happy reading, Tigers!