Fall 2016 One Book Selected:Committee Picks ‘The Circle’ by David Eggers

By Lauren Shook
A&E Editor

A decision has been reached about the book choice for next year’s One Book, One Campus discussions.

One Book, One Campus book discussions are meant to be a great way to unite students and get them talking about important themes and issues that affect them today.

It aims to help engage both students and faculty in the process of analyzing social issues that exist in our society.

This year, One Book discussion events revolved around the novel “Your Face in Mine,” by Jess Row.

The book had themes about diversity that sparked interest among students across the ESU campus.

It led readers to consider race in a different way that created many interesting discussions.

Row used the characters of Kelly and Martin to produce a story that creates a controversial theme about a character who underwent various surgical procedures to change his appearance to reflect another nationality.

“The Circle,” by David Eggers, and “The Glass Castle,” by Jeanette Walls, were the two contenders for next year’s One Book discussions.

Both books bring their own unique themes forward, which would lead to interesting and challenging topics for both students and staff.

According to the minutes provided regarding the final meeting discussing the book choice, both students and staff showed almost equal interest in both novels.

In the end, “The Circle” was chosen as the best choice for ESU next year.

“The Circle” is a Science Fiction novel that deals greatly with technological advances.

The main character, Mae Holland, recently graduated from college and obtained a job at an influential technology company called The Circle.

The book then follows Holland on her journey as a recent graduate attempting to succeed after college.

As the story continues, Holland experiences the complicated dilemma of continuing to thrive at work while she begins to suspect that The Circle may not be as great as it seems.

As a generation that grew up being familiar with computers and cell phones, this book is relatable to both current and incoming students.

The impact of technology on social behavior is a topic that is continually debated.

The way we communicate is now greatly dependent on technology, whereas past generations relied on face-to-face interactions.

Social media also has a great influence on the everyday life of college students.

There are dozens of apps that students use every day to communicate, and the book discussions will likely address some of these.

What we share on social media says a lot about who we are as a person.

Posts lead others to make assumptions about people they have never even met before.

“The Circle” will be applied to many different fascinating discussion topics.

Topics could range from the lack of privacy on social media to students’ opinions on phone addiction.

Whether we use technology for schoolwork or for social media, it is something that we can all relate to and take part in.

“The Circle” will likely spark some pretty interesting conversations at the future One Book, Once Campus discussion events.

Email Lauren at:
lshook2@live.esu.edu