One certainty of being a Swattie is that there will always be reading. Whether it’s for class, for fun, or a fun reading that also happens to be for a class, everyone here is at least a bit of a bookworm. Taking a look at our bookshelves gives a glimpse into multiple aspects of what we do here. The assigned books we have had for classes, the novels and other books we have for our own enjoyment, and the things in between speak volumes about what we do here and who we are. Let’s take a look at the bookshelves of a few Swatties.
Blayne Cook ’27
We’ll start with mine, and that’s totally not just because it was the one that was closest by. My bookshelf has many books accumulated from classes that I decided to keep for future reference rather than selling them back to the bookstore (because that is something you can do here!). Intermingled with them are some from my personal collection, such as the works of John Muir, forest reference guides, and one of my favorite books of all time, Entangled Life by Merlin Sheldrake. This book explores the role of fungi in ecosystems and how interconnected they are with all parts of the biosphere, including ourselves. Who knew mushrooms ran that deep?
Marissa De Mola ’27
The next bookshelf we’re exploring belongs to Marissa De Mola, an English and educational studies special major who plans on being a teacher. A prolific reader, her shelf is packed with books from classes and her own collection. A mix of educational theory, Victorian literature, young-adult literature, and other novels, her shelf seems quite befitting of a future educator.
Sydney Hankin ’27
Sydney keeps her books in two collections: academic and personal. Her personal collection is the larger of the two, and it is packed with novels. This is fitting, given that Sydney is a part-time book reviewer.
A recent acquisition she wanted to highlight is this copy of Frog and Toad are Doing Their Best, a light-hearted parody of the classic children’s series.
Her academic collection contains quite a variety of subjects. As an aspiring public policy major with a minor in statistics, her collection spans many disciplines, ranging from educational theory, statistical methods, and sociology.
Izzy Hunt ’27
The final shelf we will look at belongs to Izzy, a chemistry major. Though she is majoring in hard science, her shelf is still sprinkled with plenty of books from a wide range of subjects. From religious studies, translation, and the works of Tolkien, both her school books and personal collection span the gamut of subjects and genres.
She also included a highlight, and that is Spycraft, an exploration of, you guessed it, spycraft!
Swatties’ bookshelves are packed with volumes that are just as diverse and interesting as the Swatties themselves. Whether it’s a book you picked up off the recommendation of a friend, a new one you discovered from a campus book club, or an assigned reading for a class, you never know what your new favorite book will be here at Swarthmore.
