Considering the sheer amount of book nerds that comprise the NYU Local staff, it’s surprising how little book coverage we do. We’d like to change that by bringing you a few good book recommendations every month. We know that you’re all probably too busy recovering from midterms to bother reading anything that isn’t strictly required for class — but if you happen to find yourself with some free time on your hands, consider neglecting statistics to pick up one of the following books.

Netherland: Joseph O’Neill
Review by Kenneth Hsu

As the City section editor, I feel obliged to recommend O’Neill’s uber-introspective novel, often referred to as a modern Great Gatsby. Granted, I’m not much of a fiction reader, but I was recommended the novel multiple times since the story almost entirely takes place in — you guessed it — New York City. The novel’s plot appears simple: the romantically-troubld Dutch narrator works in post-9/11 Wall Street and befriends a sketchy Caribbean man through cricket, apparently his only passion in life. Through their relationship, O’Neill reaches far (sometimes too far) into abstract themes: fatherhood, youth, America! In sum: a perfect mellow read, especially for New York City lovers. (Also, President Obama told the New York Times he’s read it, so you know it’s good.)

This is Where I Leave You: Jonathan Tropper
Review by Jessica Roy

Working at a book review magazine is ambiguously wonderful for a lit nut: on one hand, you’re privy to free finished copies of books, essentially keeping you from ever having to spend money on reading material again. But when you’re inundated with books, they can lose their allure, and you become very picky about what you actually want to read. I happened upon This is Where I Leave You by Jonathan Tropper by chance. Released in August, I got around to reading it at the end of September and was surprised to find a cliched story somehow conveyed in an uncliched way. It has all the elements of a conventional 21st century novel: dysfunctional family, a death that brings them together, divorce, disillusionment, weed. But Tropper effortlessly interweaves themes of grief and love with humor and poignancy. Well-written and striking a refreshing balance between funny and heartbreaking, anyone with a penchant for dysfunctional family portraits will probably enjoy This is Where I Leave You.

Tropic of Cancer: Henry Miller
Review by Samantha Moore

I picked this up at the behest of my friend, who ensured me it would be my favorite book of all time. Since we had nearly identical tastes in music (and since I base nearly all of my decisions based on this factor) I trusted her judgment. She was nearly spot on. In this semi-autobiographical novel, Miller tells his sordid, hilarious, and dark tale of being a starving American in Paris in the 1930s. His narrative is disjointed and jumps between philosophizing on the future of mankind, stories of the many women he encounters, and even borders on surrealist madness as he attempts to come to terms with his purpose as a writer and a member of the human race. I thought I would speed right through it because I loved it so much, but it actually took me about 6 months to finish because I wanted to write down a quote on almost every page.

Infinite Jest: David Foster Wallace
Review by Ned Resnikoff

Over the summer, I, like nerds across the country, participated in the Infinite Summer book club and read the late David Foster Wallace’s Infinite Jest. All 1,104 pages and 388 endnotes of it. I won’t even try to explain what it’s about. It’s about happiness, depression, ugliness, beauty, experimental film, closeness, loneliness, Quebecois separatism, and tennis. It’s about trying to piece together some kind of reason for existing, and what happens if you can’t. Most of all, it’s about us, and what the hell we’re going to do with ourselves. And for that alone it needs to be read.

Failure: Poems by Philip Schultz
Review by Keyana Stevens

If you’re looking for something more easily digestible than 1,000+ pages of thick prose, I’d recommend the poetry collection Failure, by Philip Schultz. Be forewarned, however: it is no more uplifting than Infinite Jest, and will certainly not help your mood if you watched the Yankees game last night and are looking for a pick-me-up. What it will do is prompt a quiet, introspective journey into death, marriage, and the non-judgmental love that dogs have for their masters, in short segments that won’t overwhelm the casual reader. It won a Pulitzer in 2008. Tragic and beautiful, Failure is a reminder that decent poetry is not limited to Shakespearean sonnets from 500 years ago.