Sounds of the River
by Da Chen

Freshman Summer Reading 2008

Required for: First Year College, CALS, PAMS, CHASS, Management
Recommended for: Design, Natural Resources

From the Publisher:

In this sequel to his acclaimed memoir, Colors of the Mountain", teenager Da Chen takes his first train ride away from the farm he was raised on to his new university life in Beijing. He soon faces a host of ghastly challenges, including poor living conditions, lack of food, and suicidal roommates. Undaunted by these hurdles, and armed with a dogged determination to learn English and "all things Western," he competes to win a chance to study in America -- a chance that rests in the shrewd and corrupt hands of the almighty professors.

Brothers
by Da Chen

From the Publisher:

At the height of China’s Cultural Revolution, a powerful general fathered two sons–Tan, born to the general’s wife and into a life of comfort and luxury, and Shento, born to the general’s mistress, who took her own life moments after delivering her child. Growing up, each boy remained ignorant of the other’s existence. Tan enjoyed the best schools, the finest clothes, and the prettiest girls. Shento was raised on the mountainside by an old healer and his wife, until their deaths landed him in an orphanage, where he was always hungry, alone, and frightened.

Now, though on divergent roads, each brother is driven by a passionate desire–one to glorify his father, and one to seek revenge against him. Separated by distance and opportunity, Tan and Shento follow the paths that lie before them, while unknowingly falling in love with the same woman and moving toward the explosive moment when their fates finally merge.

North Carolina State University - Off the Record
by College Prowler

For honest, unbiased information, College Prowler delivers an inside look at college, straight from the students' mouths. Complete with hundreds of quotes, grades, stats, and reviews, this student-written guide offers a comprehensive collection of information on NC State University and the surrounding area. See how other students rate NC State when it's time to look beyond the brochures and talk about key issues that really matter.

Random Quote from the book:

“Athletics are big here at our school. I encourage everyone to support it and get tickets to go to the football games and basketball games. Going to events like these is what college is all about. Enjoy good and free tickets while you can.”