Jae Cody – German teacher

Jae Cody has a distinct love for each of her top five books:

1. People of the Book, by Geraldine Brooks

“I love historical fiction, and it really shows how ideas live in different settings. There is also a science aspect with the preservation of art, paper, change in materials. […] I wanted to research book-making after I read it. Definitely my favorite fictional book.”

2. Slaughterhouse 5, by Kurt Vonnegut

“I had to read this for AP Lit in high school, and it started a love affair with Kurt Vonnegut. He is one of the few authors who can make me laugh aloud when I am reading. It also relates to Germany, which probably struck a chord when I read it the first time.”

3. Collapse, by Jared Diamond

“Diamond is a scientist who writes really accessible books about big themes (in this case, causes that lead to the collapse of civilizations). I love how he draws science and social studies together and makes me think.”

4. Don’t Sleep, There Are Snakes, by Daniel Everett

“I am fascinated by linguistics. This is a (nonfiction) book about a man studying linguistics who goes to live with a group of aboriginal people in Brazil. Reading about why they say what they say and why they do what they do is intriguing and reminds me to think about why I say what I say and why I do what I do. The title is a saying from the group, a warning to be careful. It is all about the back and forth between language and culture.”

5. Cheaper by the Dozen, by Frank Gilbreth and Ernestine Gilbreth Carey

“This was my favorite book as a kid. I read it at least once a year from the time I was 8 or 9 until I was well into high school, and it’s the only “children’s book” I brought with me when I moved to Minnesota. I kind of want to go get it from the basement…”