The 89 Best Books For Each College Major, According to Students
2. Difficult Women, Roxane Gay
Roxane Gay’s latest published work (one of our book recommendations for 2018!) features an array of women whose characters are complex and interesting and complicated, something that is so often lacking in our female characters onscreen and in books. Gay is a brilliant author who details beautifully what it means to be a woman in modern America. More importantly, her work shows that there is no one woman in America, no universal female experience, and that is precisely what makes it so compelling.
Honorable Mentions:
- Men Without Women: Stories by Haruki Murakami;
- The Dark Dark: Stories by Samantha Hunt
The Best Books, According to Music Majors:
1. Cowboys and Indies: The Epic History of the Record Industry by Gareth Murphy
Cowboys and Indies is the first and most comprehensive history of the recording industry. This volume is incredibly well researched through interviews with and memoirs of some of the biggest names and game-changers in the industry. Spanning the earliest invention of a sound recording device in the 19th century to the current era of music technology, this novel is a must have for anyone hoping to make it in the biz or at the very least anyone with a passion for music.
2. Selling Sounds: The Commercial Revolution in American Music by David Suisman
This book takes a slightly different turn in that in that this work focuses on the commercialization of sound and music. It explores how and why our current music industry came to be, across the legal, personal, and economic realms. It explores the culture of music that we live in today, one in which we are constantly listening to music whether through our own earbuds and Spotify playlists or the seemingly endless stream of Christmas music playing in your local grocery store.
Honorable Mentions:
- Just Kids by Patti Smith;
- Uncommon People: The Rise and Fall of The Rock Stars by David Hepworth;
- Yeah! Yeah! Yeah!: The Story of Pop Music from Bill Haley to Beyoncé by Bob Stanley;
- All Shook Up: How Rock ‘n’ Roll Changed America by Glenn C. Altschuler
What do you think?
How do you find time to read for fun during a busy semester? What’s the best book you’ve ever read for a class? Any majors and books I missed? Let us know in the comments below!
