Shelf Life

For more than 30 years, the Class of 1945 Library has invited seniors to contribute a short list of books and media to commemorate their graduation, their experiences as readers and everything they’ve learned at Exeter. These lists are made into bookmarks and shared with the community.

Principal Rawson ’71; ’65,’70 (Hon.) and 36 members of the class of 2026 participated this year. “I love when students really get into choosing books for their bookmark,” Cataloging and Metadata Librarian Abby Payeur says, “and the conversations that inevitably arise as they think about their life as a reader.”

We asked Mansa Awuah ’26 to tell us about the titles that made her list, “Love, Death and Everything in Between.”

She writes: “These books depict emotional situations that are unique to the human experience: the loss of a beloved friend, a first heartbreak, navigating grief and deep friendship. Each of them is notably centered on one or all of these themes in the nonfiction, mystery and romance genres.

“For me, the value of reading is in books that pull you into their world
so thoroughly that you become emotionally invested in characters and their stories — as if you’re walking in their shoes with them. My aim in creating this bookmark was to cultivate a list of books that would evoke emotion in readers, which would, in turn, excite them about the immersive experience of reading. I feel I have come away from each title with a new perspective on the world. Throughout my time at Exeter, I’ve found solidarity in books that present the raw reality of human struggles. I hope that others feel similarly after reading the books on my list.”

Books recommended by Mansa Awuah ‘26
When Breath Becomes Air, by Paul Kalanithi

One Day, by David Nicholls

The Murder of Roger Ackroyd, by Agatha Christie

Promise Me Sunshine, by Cara Bastone

Charlotte’s Web, by E. B. White

Two by Two, by Nicholas Sparks