Each year, the UCSB Reads Advisory Committee, a committee of faculty, staff, students, and community partners that advises UCSB Library on the UCSB Reads book selection for the next academic year, convenes to select an intellectually stimulating, interdisciplinary book by a living author that appeals to a wide range of readers and can be incorporated into the UCSB curriculum. Each committee member pitches one to two titles to create the long list, which is narrowed down by vote to a shortlist of five titles. The final book will be chosen by vote from these five.
The UCSB Library is pleased to announce its short list of titles under consideration for UCSB Reads 2025.
UCSB Reads is an award-winning campus-wide and community-wide “one book” program. The selection committee consists of UCSB faculty, staff, students, and community partners who convene to select an intellectually stimulating, interdisciplinary book by a living author that appeals to a wide range of readers and can be incorporated into the UCSB curriculum. The final pick will be announced in the fall.
The selections are listed in alphabetical order:
To share your input with the committee, vote for your top pick here. One survey participant will be chosen at random to receive a free copy of the final selected book.
Going into its 19th year, the UCSB Reads program will kick off at the beginning of Winter Quarter 2025 with a book giveaway and culminate in a public lecture with the author in the spring. A variety of free events will be held along the way to engage UCSB and the community at large around the book’s themes.
If you are a UCSB faculty member who is interested in exploring teaching one of these titles in winter or spring 2025, please write the Library at outreach@library.ucsb.edu. Your feedback will be taken into consideration for the final selection.
If you would like to find out more about supporting the UCSB Reads program, please contact Heather Silva, Senior Director of Development, at heathersilva@ucsb.edu.