UCSB Reads

The UCSB Reads selection committee is pleased to announce its shortlist of titles under consideration for UCSB Reads 2024.

The titles explore diverse subjects ranging from neuroaesthetics, poverty, disability, animal senses, and California's natural and human history.

The UC Santa Barbara Library and the Office of the Executive Vice Chancellor are pleased to announce the selection of the 2023 UCSB Reads book, Happy City: Transforming Our Lives Through Urban Design by Charles Montgomery.

Now in its 17th year, UCSB Reads brings the campus and Santa Barbara communities together to read a common book that explores compelling issues of our time. 

The UCSB Reads selection committee is pleased to announce its shortlist of titles under consideration for UCSB Reads 2023.

The list includes both fiction and nonfiction titles that explore subjects ranging from racism in science, fast food and civil rights, urban design, Black women’s history, and the urban Native American experience.