Personal stories, timely topics, transformative fiction… We love to dig into amazing books together! Below is an archive of the books and related events from the 2022–2023 reading season. The UW Alumni Book Club is a collaboration between UWAA, the UW Libraries, the University Book Store — and passionate readers like you.
“Free Speech: A History From Socrates to Social Media” by Jacob Mchangama
We teamed up with our partners at UW Impact to delve into a very timely topic! From the lawyer and human rights advocate who brought us the “Clear and Present Danger” podcast comes “Free Speech: A History From Socrates to Social Media.” This debut book traces the first recorded glimmers of free speech in ancient history. Follow its progress (and setbacks) through conquests, revolutions and changing technology. Why has free speech so often has led to societal panic and brutal backlash throughout the course of history?
“A vivid, highly readable account of how today’s most pitched battles over free speech reflect tensions and impulses that are as old as history itself.”
― Suzanne Nossel
“Frankenstein” by Mary Shelley
We threw it back to 1818 — just in time for Halloween! “Frankenstein; or, The Modern Prometheus” is an acclaimed gothic novel with elements of both horror and science fiction. Behind the lumbering monsters and dramatic murders, Mary Shelley’s story has a deeply political and philosophical slant. What are the consequences when scientists are not willing to take responsibility for their creations? Who is the real monster here: the irresponsible researcher determined to play God, the strange creature reanimated on stormy November eve, or the society that universally responds to difference with fear and rejection?
“Learn from me… at least by my example, how dangerous is the acquirement of knowledge.” —Victor Frankenstein
Related Readings
Nancy’s Picks: Diving Deeper into “Frankenstein”
Nancy Pearl is an American librarian, best-selling author, literary critic, well known speaker and the former Executive Director of the Washington Center for the Book at the Seattle Public Library.
She is also a legend among librarians. During her time on the faculty at the Information School at UW, Nancy trained new librarians in the art and science of helping patrons find their next good reads. UW Alumni Book Club invited her to recommend some other books after they’d picked up “Frankenstein” this reading period.
The juicy list she compiled offers a few different angles on Mary Shelley’s classic gothic novel. Dig into more spooky stories and early science fiction from the Victorian age. Explore the unconventional lives of the writers, artists and poets of Mary Shelley’s circle. Then discover modern women writers who are taking science fiction in bold new directions, as well!
Nancy Pearl is a former UW faculty member and current UW Master of Library and Information Science advisory board member. Nancy is known for her 2003 notable book “Book Lust,” which guides people through finding the right book for the right mood. During her time on faculty at the Information School, Nancy taught Readers Advisory, a course that trains new librarians in the art and science of helping patrons find their next good book. You may also recognize Nancy as the model for Archie McFee’s quirky librarian action figure.
Nancy is the former executive director of the Washington Center for the Book at Seattle Public Library. In 2011, Library Journal selected Nancy as Librarian of the Year. In 2021, the National Book Foundation named her “Literarian,” which is awarded to an individual for a lifetime of achievement in expanding the audience for books and reading.
“The Book of Form and Emptiness” by Ruth Ozeki
We dove into the winner of the Women’s Prize for Fiction in 2022! Awkward teenager Benny Oh starts hearing the voices of inanimate objects after his father’s death. The noisy clutter of his mother’s hoarding drives him to take refuge in a local library, where at least the books know how to whisper! This complex, offbeat and magical story will have you thinking about the roots of creativity — and the ways we try to fill the empty spaces in our lives — in all new ways.
““This tale of a mother and son finding their voices… is both deeply affecting and uplifting.” —The Guardian
Related Readings
Nancy’s Picks: Diving Deeper into “The Book of Form and Emptiness”
A legend among librarians, Nancy Pearl is well-known for her talent in helping readers find their next great read. She’s so good, she taught a class on this skill to future librarians here at the UW!
UW Alumni Book Club invited Nancy to recommend some other books after they’d picked up “The Book of Form and Emptiness” this reading period. The juicy list she compiled offers a few different angles on our quirky and complex novel. Explore beginners’ guides to the practice of Zen Buddhism. Browse playful novels that focus on the power of letters, language, books and words. Get recommendations on some of Ruth Ozeki’s earlier novels as well!
Nancy Pearl is a former UW faculty member and current UW Master of Library and Information Science advisory board member. Nancy is known for her 2003 notable book “Book Lust,” which guides people through finding the right book for the right mood. During her time on faculty at the Information School, Nancy taught Readers Advisory, a course that trains new librarians in the art and science of helping patrons find their next good book. You may also recognize Nancy as the model for Archie McFee’s quirky librarian action figure.
Nancy is the former executive director of the Washington Center for the Book at Seattle Public Library. In 2011, Library Journal selected Nancy as Librarian of the Year. In 2021, the National Book Foundation named her “Literarian,” which is awarded to an individual for a lifetime of achievement in expanding the audience for books and reading.
“The Half Known Life: In Search of Paradise” by Pico Iyer
UW Alumni Book Club partnered with UW Alumni Tours to read the latest from acclaimed travel writer Pico Iyer. From mountain-tops to mosques, from remote beaches to silent cemeteries, what does it mean to search for paradise? The author has journeyed around the world for decades and written extensively about travel, history and philosophy. In “The Half Known Life: In Search of Paradise,” Iyer explores ideas of where we might discover utopia. Weaving insights from his travels across Asia, Europe and Australia, Iyer looks for meaning in holy places and war zones alike. This is a surprising and lovely exploration of whether inner peace can be found in our earthly lives.
“In his guise of travel writer, Iyer has really been our most elegant poet of dislocation.” —The Guardian
“The Overstory” by Richard Powers
Winner of the 2019 Pulitzer Prize in Fiction! The tree under which you met your wife. The tree you planted when your child was born. The tree that reminds you of your family farm. The tree that, amazingly, saved your life. Nine unrelated characters (engineers and artists, college dropouts and war veterans…) all have a deep connection to their own personal trees. What would happen if fate pulled them together to protect forests on a larger scale? And how will their idealism hold up in the face of life’s harsh realities?
“This is a gigantic fable of genuine truths.” –Barbara Kingsolver
Campus Connections
The University of Washington is a great resource when it comes to reading about — and interacting with! — trees and forests. These articles and activities nicely complement the fictional themes in “The Overstory” with the work of real-life researchers.
The Collective Power of Trees
Diane Harris, dean of the College of Arts and Sciences, selected “The Overstory” as one of the three titles that we voted on for this reading season. In this short essay, she discusses the idea of treating trees “as if they were persons.”
Forest Bathing with UW Botanic Gardens
How do you relax and recharge? Forest bathing is a simple relaxation activity for people of all ages to de-stress and boost their well-being. Check the Washington Park Arboretum events calendar for the next time they offer their guided forest bathing classes.
UW Botanic Gardens also has handouts and an audio guide that will start you on the path to forest bathing, no matter where you live!
Forestry alum helps design Barbie dolls focused on science
“What if … Barbie could do ecology instead of going to the prom?” Forest ecologist Nalini Nadkarni, ’83, has studied the forest canopies in Costa Rica and the Olympic Rain Forest, up close and personal. She shares her story of how dolls can help children imagine themselves as scientists with UW Magazine.
The UW Alumni Book Club is a collaboration between UWAA, the UW Libraries, the University Book Store—and passionate readers like you.
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“The Book of Form and Emptiness” by Ruth Ozeki
“The Half Known Life: In Search of Paradise” by Pico Iyer
“The Overstory” by Richard Powers
The Collective Power of Trees
Forest Bathing with UW Botanic Gardens
Forestry alum helps design Barbie dolls focused on science