Just because you’re sheltering-in-place doesn’t mean you can’t still explore!
We asked UC San Diego librarians to recommend great reads for while you’re safe at home. Travel across the U.S., dive deep into the wonderful world of wine, and immerse yourself in a beautiful love story, all from the comfort of your home!
All of the items on this list are available for free online, either through the UC San Diego Library or the San Diego Public Library.
Field Notes on Science and Nature edited by Michael R. Canfield
Genre: Communication in Science
Nominated by Jenny Reiswig
Biological Sciences Librarian
On this pick: Pioneering a new niche in the study of plants and animals in their natural habitat, this book allows readers to peer over the shoulders and into the notebooks of a dozen eminent field workers, to study firsthand their observational methods, materials, and fleeting impressions.
Find it here: https://www.jstor.org/stable/j.ctt2jbxgp
Lincoln in the Bardo by George Saunders
Genre: Fiction
Nominated by Korey Brunetti
Health Sciences Librarian and Asst. Director, Academic Engagement & Learning Services Program
On this pick: During this period of daily uncertainty, what better time to self-isolate in Saunders’ “bardo,” a Buddhist concept describing the liminal space between death and rebirth. Strange, moving, hilarious and heartbreaking, the novel’s narrators are a collection of chatty, disenfranchised ghosts–from every corner of Civil War era society–that mingle with (and attempt to advise) the living.
Find it here: https://sandiego.bibliocommons.com/item/show/390055161
Master and Commander by Patrick O’Brian
Genre: Napoleonic War Naval Fiction
Nominated by Roger Smith
Interim Associate University Librarian, Scholarly Resources and Services
On this pick: Be transported to a time long gone, adventure and friendship on the high seas by an author often compared to Jane Austen for his command of period culture and language.
Find it here: https://sandiego.bibliocommons.com/item/show/409405161
The Best American Travel Writing (2016) edited by Bill Bryson
Genre: Travel Writing
Nominated by Crystal Goldman
Instruction Coordinator/Librarian
On this pick: Travel writing helps you to imagine other places, and usually relates the hilarious mishaps that often arise when we travel. We could all use a laugh AND the chance to get out of our homes right now, even if it’s just through a story. In addition to the 2016 volume I recommended (I just love Bill Bryson’s work), the Library also has ebooks of the Best American Travel Writing series for 2013, 2014, and 2018.
The Design of Everyday Things by Don Norman
Genre: Non-Fiction
Nominated by Tamara Rhodes
Librarian for Psychology, Cognitive Science, Human Developmental Sciences, and Linguistics
On this pick: Since we’re stuck staring at things in our home anyway, we might as well analyze it. Who knows! Maybe someone will design something new and more effective.
The Evolving Animal Orchestra by Henkjan Honing
Genre: Non-Fiction
Nominated by Peter Mueller
Music Librarian
On this pick: The author attempts to discover if humans share the trait of musicality with other animals. Charles Darwin believed that musicality was a capacity of all animals, human and nonhuman, with a clear biological basis.
The Seed Collectors: A Novel by Scarlett Thomas
Genre: Fiction
Nominated by Annelise Sklar
Interim Director, Research Advisory Services
On this pick: An intricate story of family, love, adventure, and exotic plants.
The Shadow of the Wind by Carlos Ruiz Zafón
Genre: Extravagant Fiction/Storytelling
Nominated by Mary Linn Bergstrom
Librarian for Bioinformatics & Systems Biology, and Neurosciences
On this pick: Daniel Sempere, son of a bookshop owner, visits the Cemetery of Forgotten Books and picks out The Shadow of the Wind by Julián Carax; remarkable events ensue (translated from Spanish).
Find it here:
Translated to English Audibook: https://sandiego.bibliocommons.com/item/show/406512161
Spanish e-Book: https://sandiego.bibliocommons.com/item/show/401161161
Wine Wars: The Curse of the Blue Nun, the Miracle of Two Buck Chuck, and the Revenge of the Terroirists by Mike Veseth
Genre: Food & Wine Non-Fiction
Nominated by Amy Work
GIS Librarian
On this pick: A fascinating look at the geography, economics, and globalization of the wine industry written from the perspective of an economist.