UCSB Reads gives away their book choice of the year

GOLETA, Calif. -- The University of Santa Barbara Reads program kicked off the year with a giveaway of this year's book choice on Tuesday morning.

UCSB Read's book of choice for 2020 is Rising: Dispatches from the New American Shore by Elizabeth Rush. 

Students lined up at the UCSB Library in order to receive a copy of the book.

Since 2007, UCSB Reads has brought the campus and Santa Barbara communities together to read a common book that explores important issues of the time.

Their 2020 year pick Rising touches upon sea level rising.

The book was chosen by an advisory committee made up of faculty, staff and students. They chose it because of its power along with the relevance of its stories about the people and communities most at risk from sea-level rise.

Chancellor Yang, Dilling Yang, University Librarian Kristin Antelman and Executive Vice Chancellor David Marshall passed out copies of the books to students who waited in line for the book along with an opportunity to meet Chancellor Yang.

UCSB says during the winter and spring quarter, faculty and students will read Rising in classes and the UCSB Library will sponsor panel discussions, film screenings, exhibitions and other events to explore the book's themes.

In May, Rising's author Elizabeth Rush will be giving a free lecture at UCSB's Campbell Hall where the campus and community are all invited.

In 2018, Rising won the National Outdoor Book Award. It was named the top ten book by the Chicago Tribune and was called a Best Book by the Guardian, NPR's Science Friday, Publisher's Weekly and Library Journal.

Rising was also a finalist for the 2019 Pulitzer Prize in General Nonfiction.