The UCSB Library is pleased to announce its shortlist of titles under consideration for UCSB Reads 2027, the 21st edition of the award-winning campus- and community-wide common book program. The five nonfiction titles and one fiction title explore diverse cultural, social, and scientific subjects that can ignite discourse and thoughtful discussion inside and outside of the classroom.
UCSB Reads fosters a shared sense of belonging by bringing the UCSB campus and Santa Barbara communities together to read a common book that explores compelling issues of our time. Each year, an advisory committee of UCSB faculty, staff, students, and community partners selects a thought-provoking, interdisciplinary book by a living author that encourages a wide range of readers to engage with a contemporary social, political, cultural, or scientific issue and can be incorporated into the UCSB curriculum.
The Shortlist
Titles listed in alphabetical order.
40 Maps That Will Change How You See the World (2024) by Alastair Bonnett
An intriguing visual journey through forty unconventional maps that challenge traditional worldviews and reveal hidden histories, environmental shifts, and global connections.
Enshittification: Why Everything Suddenly Got Worse and What to Do About It (2025) by Cory Doctorow
A sharp, timely critique of how major tech platforms degrade their services for profit, and how regulation, interoperability, and user advocacy can help reclaim an open digital world.
Is a River Alive? (2025) by Robert Macfarlane
A lyrical and profound exploration of environmental philosophy that journeys along global waterways to examine what happens when rivers are legally recognized as living entities.
Monsters: A Fan's Dilemma (2023) by Claire Dederer
A nuanced interrogation of the ethical and emotional struggle of loving great art created by morally compromised or abusive people.
Raising Hare: A Memoir (2024) by Chloe Dalton
A moving and tender memoir detailing the quiet bond forged when an orphaned leveret is rescued in the English countryside, offering deep insights into human connection with wild nature.
Wild Dark Shore (2025) by Charlotte McConaghy
An atmospheric and suspenseful novel set against the stark Antarctic landscape, following isolated characters whose past secrets and environmental fragility collide in a fight for survival.
Share Your Voice
The UCSB Reads 2027 Advisory Committee invites students, faculty, staff, and community members to vote for their top UCSB Reads 2027 pick by August 26, 2026. One survey participant will be randomly selected to receive a free copy of the chosen book.
Read the Books
The shortlisted titles are available at UCSB Library and local libraries.
- 40 Maps That Will Change How You See the World:
UCSB Library, Santa Barbara Public Library, Goleta Valley Library - Enshittification:
UCSB Library, Santa Barbara Public Library, Goleta Valley Library - Is a River Alive?:
UCSB Library, Santa Barbara Public Library, Goleta Valley Library - Monsters:
UCSB Library, Santa Barbara Public Library, Goleta Valley Library - Raising Hare:
UCSB Library, Santa Barbara Public Library, Goleta Valley Library - Wild Dark Shore:
UCSB Library, Santa Barbara Public Library, Goleta Valley Library
What’s Next?
The UCSB Reads 2027 book selection will be announced in the fall. The program will kick off in early 2027 with a free book giveaway for UCSB students. Throughout the winter and spring quarters, the Library will sponsor a variety of free learning, experiential, and social events to explore the book’s themes. UCSB Reads 2027 will culminate in the spring with a free public lecture by the author co-presented with Arts & Lectures in Campbell Hall.
More Information
- Sponsorship and Partnership Opportunities
- Book Selection Criteria
- About UCSB Reads
- Sign up for UCSB Library newsletters and emails to get information about UCSB Reads 2027 delivered directly to your inbox
- Questions? Contact us at UCSBReads@library.ucsb.edu
