What are UMD students reading this spring?
By Emily R. Condon
May 6, 2022
Image Credit: Emily R. Condon for The Campus Trainer
When the warm weather returns to College Park, students begin to return to McKeldin Mall. Tanning, spike ball, homework with friends and swimming in the fountain are common sights. But some students go with old fashioned, hard covered books.
As seen on campus bestseller racks in the STAMP book store, Circe by Madeline Miller, Where the Crawdads Sing by Delia Owens, The Psychology of Stupidity by Jean-Francois Marmion, Talking to Strangers by Malcolm Gladwell and Crying in H Mart by Michelle Zauner are among the top picks of University of Maryland students.
As seen on campus bestseller racks in the STAMP book store, Circe by Madeline Miller, Where the Crawdads Sing by Delia Owens, The Psychology of Stupidity by Jean-Francois Marmion, Talking to Strangers by Malcolm Gladwell and Crying in H Mart by Michelle Zauner are among the top picks of University of Maryland students.
Alysha Shaw, senior physiology and neurobiology major, said that she likes reading historical fiction and romance novels while spotted reading The Song of Achilles by Madeline Miller.
The Song of Achilles is a 2011 novel that takes place in ancient Greece. Taking the story of Achilles and Patroclus from Homer’s Iliad, the novel is a romantic story from Patroclus’ point of view. The book also falls under the category of LGBTQ+ literature, as both love interests are male.
The Song of Achilles is a 2011 novel that takes place in ancient Greece. Taking the story of Achilles and Patroclus from Homer’s Iliad, the novel is a romantic story from Patroclus’ point of view. The book also falls under the category of LGBTQ+ literature, as both love interests are male.
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To Kill a Kingdom by Alexander Christo was another hard copy spotted on the mall. Taylor Rubin, freshman mechanical engineering major, enjoys reading fantasy. The 2018 young adult novel features a siren princess and human siren-hunter prince as opposing forces protecting their own kingdoms.
Caroline Mackin, freshman environmental science and policy major, is another fan of historical fiction and mythology. She was seen reading The Silence of the Girls by Pat Barker. The book provides another take on Homer’s Iliad, telling the story of Troy from the perspective of Briseis, an Illiad character that is responsible for the main conflict between Achilles and Agamemnon.
Ashley Clifford, senior mechanical engineering major, is getting back into reading with the Harry Potter series after visiting The Wizarding World of Harry Potter this past summer.
“I’ve flown through the books because they’re similar to the movies, and better than the movies like everyone says,” Clifford explained.
She decided to switch up her reading scenery in the warm, sunny weather.
“It was so nice, and it’s either reading in my room or outside when it’s nice,” Clifford said.
“I’ve flown through the books because they’re similar to the movies, and better than the movies like everyone says,” Clifford explained.
She decided to switch up her reading scenery in the warm, sunny weather.
“It was so nice, and it’s either reading in my room or outside when it’s nice,” Clifford said.
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Matt Phillips, junior computer science and math double major, finds fun in reading. He usually opts for nonfiction biographies or the classics, but was spotted on the mall reading poetry: Walt Whitman’s Leaves of Grass.
The books on the mall were as varied as the student activities which surrounded the readers. Mythology books overall, though, seemed to be a trend on McKeldin Mall this April. What will you be reading this summer?
The books on the mall were as varied as the student activities which surrounded the readers. Mythology books overall, though, seemed to be a trend on McKeldin Mall this April. What will you be reading this summer?