This back-to-school season, enroll in a self-guided course tailored to your own passions with these insightful and extraordinary reads. Follow your niche special interest down a rabbit hole, catch up on a few classics your English class may have skipped over, or finally dive into the philosophical theory that will be useful at both dinner parties and in praxis. The possibilities are endless! We’ve come up with a few sample curriculums to inspire you.

 

A Crash Course in Anti-Colonialist Theory

Black Skin, White Masks by Frantz Fanon

An autoethnography with a vital impact on the civil rights and Black consciousness movements from one of history’s most prominent theorists of revolutionary struggle, this work is a complex exploration of the colonized psychic constructions of Black identity.

“A strange, haunting mélange of analysis, revolutionary manifesto, metaphysics, prose poetry and literary criticism—and yet the nakedest of human cries.”—Newsweek

 

 

Recognizing the Stranger by Isabella Hammad

This illuminating essay on the Palestinian struggle for freedom and the power of narrative consists of Isabella Hammad’s speech from the Edward W. Said Memorial Lecture at Columbia University and an afterword reflecting on the devastation that has occurred in Gaza since, in a searing appraisal of the war on Palestine.

“An urgent work for a devastating time . . . an ethical, political, and artistic confrontation with the text, the world, and the other.”—Viet Thanh Nguyen, author of The Sympathizer 

 

The Great Resistance by Carrie Gibson

A panoramic account of the 400-year-long fight to end slavery in the Americas, portraying the multitude of freedom struggles across the entire hemisphere—from North America to the Caribbean to Brazil—in a moving portrait of on-the-ground resistance and the resilience of human spirit.

“A sweeping vision of resistance to slavery as a defining element of Western history . . . Expansive and elegant, this is a marvel.”—Publishers Weekly (starred review)

 

The Evolution of Language and Literature Throughout History

Unabridged by Stefan Fatsis

A whip-smart deep dive into the history and the potential future of the dictionary that chronicles the evolution of how we consume, define, and weaponize language.

“[A] spirited examination of the state of language.”—The New York Times

 

 

 

Pathetic Literature by Eileen Myles

A unique anthology of literature from writers across geography and time—from Kafka to contemporary writers on the rise—that reclaims the term “pathetic” with works that celebrate the raw vulnerability of existence.

“Thrilling in its unerring quality and lurching pace . . . profoundly, pathetically human.”—Cassie Packard, The Brooklyn Rail

 

 

Language City by Ross Perlin

A fascinating portrait of the most linguistically diverse city in the world—New York City—through a profile of six speakers of little-known and endangered languages who are fighting to preserve their mother tongues.

“A ‘glorious mosaic’ book. It brings that language map to life in an exhilarating way.”—Ian Frazier, The New York Review of Books

 

 

A Deep Dive into the History of Live Music

Up All Night by Imogen Willetts

A brilliantly researched and wildly fun history of nightlife across four centuries, ranging from Edo period Japan, to the jazz-filled dance halls of turn-of-the century New Orleans, to the birth of techno in post-industrial Detroit.

“[A] fabulous alternative history . . . a bright and compelling read.”—Rebecca Nicholson, The Guardian

 

 

Rock Concert by Marc Myers

A lively oral history of the golden age of the rock concert, drawn from interviews with musicians, promoters, and stagehands who contributed to the evolution of live rock-and-roll and its revolutionary cultural impact.

“A rounded and vivid account of live rock’s stratospheric rise.”—Record Collector News

 

 

Last Night A DJ Saved My Life by Bill Brewster with Frank Broughton

The first comprehensive history of the disk jockey with firsthand accounts that tell the story of how this new “musical outlaw” figure sparked the creation of new strains of dance music and revolutionized the music industry.

“A lively and . . . necessary volume.”—The New York Times Book Review

 

 

An Introduction to 20^th Century American Poetry

Wait ‘Till I’m Dead by Allen Ginsburg

A stunning collection of never-before-published poetry from one of the most influential writers of the Beat Generation, following the chronology of his illustrious life and career.

“The single greatest influence on American poetical voice since Whitman.”—Bob Dylan

 

 

 

Mexico City Blues by Jack Keroac

Largely considered one of the greatest works of Beat Generation poet Jack Keroac, this sprawling and surreal epic poem explores memory and religion with a lyrical composition inspired by jazz and blues rhythms.

“A great masterpiece, a singing religious poem.”—Michael McClure, author of Ghost Tantras

 

 

Meditations in an Emergency by Frank O’Hara

A collection of poems from a leading figure of the New York School of Poetry, filled with profoundly moving yet conversational verse that meditates on themes of identity and the complexity of human relationships.

“[O’Hara was] a visionary critic, a lushly original and lyrical poet.”—Donna Seaman, Booklist

 

 

An Exploration of Democracy Under Threat

53 Days by Timothy W. Ryback

From an internationally acclaimed historian, a compelling yet chilling account of how Adolf Hitler overturned Germany’s constitutional democracy in only eight weeks—a timely reminder of the fragility of democracy.

“Incisive . . . a trenchant depiction of democracy as most vulnerable when its stewards are insufficiently committed.”—Publishers Weekly (starred review)

 

The Steal by Mark Bowden and Matthew Teague

A rousing week-by-week and state-by-state account of the final hours leading up to the results of the 2020 election, drawing on never-before-told stories from election officials who bore witness to one of the most unprecedented events in recent American history.

“A gripping ground-level narrative . . . a marvel of reporting.”—The Washington Post

 

 

The Visionaries by James Holland

From pre-eminent WWII historian James Holland, a vivid and timely chronicle of the United States’ radical postwar decision to aid both allies and enemies via the Marshall Plan, leading to eight decades of peace and prosperity in the West that is at risk today.

“Holland retells [this] magnificent story vividly and accessibly. The remedy we need at the time we need it.”—David Frum, senior editor, The Atlantic

 

If Russia Wins by Carlo Masala

A #1 international bestseller from a NATO expert, this deeply researched chronicle imagines what might happen if Putin were to defeat Ukraine and not stop there—a thrilling and thought-provoking account that shows how our world order is poised on a knife-edge.

“A thriller-like work of speculative fiction . . . a serious examination of the tensions at the heart of NATO today.”—Foreign Policy

 

Prophet Song by Paul Lynch

A Booker Prize-winning novel set in an imagined version of Ireland careening towards authoritarianism. When the newly formed secret police knock on a mother’s door in the middle of the night to interrogate her husband, she must contend with the dystopian logic of her unraveling country and how far will she go to save her family.

“A triumph of emotional storytelling, bracing and brave . . . Readers will find it soul-shattering and true, and will not soon forget its warnings.”—Esi Edugyan, Chair of the Booker Prize 2023 Judges

 

An Introductory Analysis of Business in the Modern Global Economy

The Making of a Permabear by Jeremy Grantham with Edward Chancellor

A brilliant account from a renowned iconoclast investor of a life spent hunting for value and navigating roadblocks in a rapidly changing economic landscape. Written in partnership with bestselling financial historian Edward Chancellor, these two experts offer a definitive insider tour of the ups and downs of the financial market over the past half century.

“Fascinating from beginning to end.”—Merryn Somerset-Webb, Bloomberg

 

Drayton and Mackenzie by Alex Starritt

A New York Times Book Review Editors’ Choice

The first work of fiction to be longlisted for the Financial Times Book of the Year, this deeply intelligent novel charts the decades-long friendship between two Oxford graduates and their business venture into tidal energy with the potential to change the world.

“A big, bustling novel about love, friendship, money, ambition and the 21st century, packed with humour and intelligent observations.”—Sunday Times

 

The Price of Time by Edward Chancellor

A critically acclaimed and comprehensive history of interest rates that offers an engaging look at how the price of borrowing became the foundation of the global economy—a must-read for anyone looking to understand our modern financial system and how we got here.

“A masterpiece of history, analysis—and properly understated outrage.”—James Grant, editor of Grant’s Interest Rate Observer

 

 

An Exploration of Queer Identity in Literature and History

Queer Enlightenments by Anthony Delaney

A BookRiot Best Book of 2025

 A ground-breaking history tracing the extraordinary lives of eleven Enlightenment-era queer people. From the taverns of 18th century England to 1830’s New York, Delaney offers an illuminating romp through history, one filled with resistance and joy.

“Moving and revelatory . . . Delaney gives a voice to women and men whose lives have been written out of history.”—Hallie Rubenhold, bestselling author of The Five and Story of a Murder

 

John of John by Douglas Stuart

Longlisted for The Booker Prize • An Instant New York Times Bestseller

When Cal returns to his Hebridean island home, he is reunited with his sheep-farming, tweed-weaving, Calvinist father and his profanity-loving maternal grandmother. What unfolds is a moving novel about duty, passion, and the transformative power of truth.

“One of 2026’s literary triumphs.”—Hamilton Cain, The Boston Globe

 

The True True Story of Raja the Gullible (and His Mother) by Rabih Alameddine

The winner of the National Book Award, this moving, tragicomic novel is a wildly unique celebration of love. Set in Lebanon, and dancing across six decades, the story follows Raja “the neighborhood homosexual” and his octogenarian mother in an unforgettable tale of self-discovery, trauma, and forgiveness.

“Feels like sitting down with an old friend who is a brilliant storyteller.”—Linah Mohammad, producer, All Things Considered