Vox Discipulorum Book Recommendations
To kick off the 2025-2026 school year, we asked our Vox members to compose book reviews. Welcome to all of our new and returning writers!
“Beowulf”
Asher Hale ('28)
I recommend reading “Beowulf”, one of the oldest living stories written in English. Some copies have a side-by-side translation from Old English to Modern English, and I strongly suggest getting this kind of version. Reading this, you can see the ways that English has evolved since 800 AD, the time around which it was written. Furthermore, you can see the characteristics of Old English poetry and stories.
Born a Crime, Trevor Noah
Aja Agbaeze ('27)
Although this book is on the summer reading list, I think it deserves to be mentioned. While this book is my first autobiography, I think it tells Trevor Noah’s story in a more interesting and catchy way than nonfiction books describe historical events. Noah explores the emotions he goes through in a way that allows me to see and feel them in me. Few books accomplish this, which is why Born a Crime is a favorite for me.
Carrie, Stephen King
Saide Feliz ('28)
I’m recommending Stephen King’s Carrie, because I really enjoyed it and found some parts to be somewhat realistic and relatable. I also think that there are lessons to be learned from this book.
Crime and Punishment, Fyodor Dostoevsky
Bing Chen Wu ('27)
Crime and Punishment a great book that talks about the conflicting morals of a common man after committing a crime that he considered just. Even though he claimed himself to be in justice, as the story progresses, he became conflicted. In the end, he couldn’t take the pressure and turned himself in. What makes the book great is its delicate and precise detail that creates a vivid image of a common man that’s conflicted.
Homegoing, Yaa Gyasi
Xington Chen ('27)
Homegoing begins in the 18th century Ghana with two half sisters whose lives take on very different paths. One was married to a wealthy British officer and the other was sold into slavery. The story follows their descendants for eight generations, and the story concludes with their family lines uniting and reconnecting at the end.
Iron Window, Xiran Jay Zhao
Naomi Liang ('28)
Iron Widow is a sci-fi interpretation of China's only female emperor, Wu Zetian. While not being a truly historically accurate Wu Zetian, given the sci-fi genre, it is an amazing piece on feminism that still stays true to her story. Iron Window is where Pacific Rim meets The Handmaid's Tale in a combination of Chinese history and mecha sci-fi. While you're at it, read its sequel, Heavenly Tyrant, a book on the consequences of overthrowing a government and the politics of what comes after.
Julia: The Sunday Times Bestseller, Sandra Newman
Ansh Desai ('27)
If you ever read 1984 and remember Julia, you know George Orwell doesn’t talk about her perspective at all. But if you’re interested to see what it was like from the perspective of Julia, I really recommend reading it. It focuses more on her and really dives into the details of how a female lives in the dystopian society of 1984.
Kafka On The Shore, Haruki Murakami
Caroline Jiang ('26)
In Kafka On The Shore, Murakami demonstrates just how expansive and baffling the human imagination is. With a captivating style and metaphysical plot, the novel will make you want to simultaneously laugh and cry, pause in bewilderment, and question reality. But you’ll continue reading — for the pure impossibility and havoc that emboldens the novel.
My Family and Other Animals, Gerald Durrel
Isabelle Ross ('28)
My Family and Other Animals is a beautifully written yet comedic memoir in which the Zoologist Gerald Durrell recounts his time as a child on the Greek island of Corfu. The memoir has some very intense imagery, so it paints a very detailed picture of his life there. Macmillan has a pretty hardcover edition that easily fits in your pocket.
Red Rising, Pierce Brown
Brian Kim ('27)
In a world ruled by Gold, Darrow, the main character of the Red Rising series, desperately struggles at the very bottom of society. With main themes of tragedy, redemption, and identity, Red Rising is packed with action that’ll keep you on the edge of your seat. I highly recommend it!!
Shoe Dog, Phil Knight
Adalynn Gan ('29)
I'm a freshman and I recommend Shoe Dog by Phil Knight, the creator of Nike. It is an autobiography that shows the difficulties he faced when trying to achieve financial success in his company. It highlights the struggles in life and encourages readers to conquer their challenges.
Technofeudalism: What Killed Capitalism, Yanis Varoufakis
Jen Arden Anglo ('28)
I recommend Technofeudalism because it delves into the fallacies of modern day capitalism and how big tech companies have completely overthrown markets and the lower class by obtaining unparalleled reaching control over our daily lives. It's an interesting lesson that really awakens us to just how many companies we unknowingly support and our impact on capitalism and oligarchies by simply engaging with technology. Varoufakis also includes his own experiences to illustrate his perspective on the relation between tech and capital, which is a really good way to simplify the issue.
The 7 1/2 Deaths of Evelyn Hardcastle, Stuart Turton
Adeline Nurenie ('27)
I’m a fond reader of mystery and thriller novels, and after finding myself down a Reddit rabbit hole on book recommendations, it’s safe to say that the book The 7 1/2 Deaths of Evelyn Hardcastle is one that will enrapture anyone from the start. If you’re a fan of Agatha Christie or have read one of her books, you’ll know that most mystery books are “whodunnits”; however, Stuart Turton weaves a masterful tale where the narrator switches bodies every few nights and attempts to solve the mystery of Evelyn’s death, which repeats every night until the murder is solved; after the 8th host dies from a killer hidden in plain sight, the narrator’s memory is erased permanently. This book brings into light the paradoxes of time perception and questions what we know to be true about the dimensions of time and space—it’s a great read that’ll have its audience at the edge of its seat in no time!
The Bluest Eye, Toni Morrison
Evan Isidor ('27)
The Bluest Eye explores complexities in race, gender, and skin color through the story of a dark-skinned girl named Pecola, who wishes to have the whitest skin and the bluest eyes in order to be favored among her white classmates. I personally loved this book because of the way the author tells Pecola's story and manages to put the struggles against colorism and race inequality into words.
The Flowers of Buffoonery (道化の華), Osamu Dazai
Langa Sudo ('28)
The Flowers of Buffonery follows Oba Yozo, the protagonist of Dazai’s hit book, No Longer Human (人間失格), after a double suicide attempt in a sanitarium by the sea. While his lover died, he ended up surviving, and he faces charges of said lover’s death. This semi-autobiographical story follows him and his friends/family trying to cheer him up with humor and games (dark humor). I liked this book because I’m a fan of Dazai’s work, and the way that he writes lets readers see him as a person. While it is a little depressing and eerie, it lets readers see into the mind of someone that the average person sees as abnormal.
The Matchmaker, Thornton Wilder
Aviv Weiss Kaplan ('26)
If any of you are interested in musical theater, you may already be familiar with this story. Thornton Wilder’s play, The Matchmaker is an American comedy about a widow named Dolly Levi and the hilarious outcomes of her choice to manipulate the actions of her acquaintances and friends during a trip to New York City; sounds familiar? I strongly suggest that you pick up a copy of this play, meet the Algernon Moncrieff of American literature, and encounter the dialogue that inspired the creation of the spectacular “Hello Dolly!”
The Ruins of Gorlan, Jon Flagan
Mohammed Gulam ('27)
The Ruins of Golan is the first book in the Ranger’s Apprentice series. It's a really good read. I liked it, especially the part when Will learns about his father saving Ranger Halt. Will then questions his father as to whether he will become a ranger because of nepotism. In my opinion, The Ruins of Golan shows the effect of parents on people's lives, even when they're gone.