Summer is the perfect time to explore new places, try new hobbies, and get lost in great titles! To help you find your next book, the Leatherby Libraries has curated the Vacation Reads Display, showcasing a dynamic collection of travel and hobby books that will have you planning your next trip or picking up a paintbrush, camera, or shovel before summer ends.

Whether you’re jet-setting around the globe or enjoying a staycation with a good book, the display’s selection of travel books covers all types of journeys, from epic safaris to hidden gems in Paris. To understand the human desire to travel, check out Travel Culture: Essays on What Makes Us Go by Carol Traynor Williams, which is about the influence and persuasion that drives individuals to travel, especially during peak tourist seasons. 

2025 Community of Readers – Leatherby Libraries’ Summer Reading Program

The Vacation Reads Display was curated to inspire the Chapman community for their summer reading as part of the Community of Readers (CoR) Summer Reading Program, which will run from June 2, 2025, through August 14, 2025.

CoR is a summer reading program encouraging Chapman students, staff, faculty, and alumni to engage in reading and community discussions. Participants read books (physical, e-book, or audiobooks) and submit a 2-3 sentence review to the CoR blog. Those who submit a review and attend a monthly meeting are entered for a chance to win a prize!

Click here to RSVP for one of our in-person or virtual meetings, and if you have any questions, please contact the Library Outreach and Events Assistant, Alyssa Castanon, at alycastanon@chapman.edu.

In addition to travel books, we have compiled a list of books to introduce the Chapman community to different indoor and outdoor hobbies. If you want to learn about gardening, check out All New Square Foot Gardening: The Revolutionary Way to Grow More in Less Space by Mel Bartholemew to learn how to start a garden, no matter where you live. Or, if you have always wanted to tap into your musical side, try reading Functional Lessons in Singing by Ivan Trusler and Walter Ehret to learn fundamental singing techniques and skills in the comfort of your home!

The Vacation Reads Display is available through August 2025 in the Lewis Family Lounge Display Case on the First Floor of the Leatherby Libraries. Click here for the digital bibliography on the Chapman Digital Commons.

This display was curated by Leatherby Libraries Student Workers Isabella Piechota ’25, Arianna Tillman ’25, Annikah Carpio ’26, and Sally Park ’28.